Battle in Heaven

17th October '21

Gospel Reading: Revelation 12: 1-18

Dear Community of Christians

Are battles in heaven archetypal pictures for battles of rival parties on the earth? In the past, such battles in heaven, as we have heard, did not take place with the same drama that is described in Revelation today. What then has changed in heaven and/ or on earth? 

On earth national identities, ethnic groups or simply different groupings have always fought with each other. Power and possession were the decisive factors, but the conflicts, as relentless as they were, in the end still retained human qualities until 200 years ago. We might assume there was still an interaction between heaven and earth.
Meanwhile, worldwide wars on earth have lost their human-ness; today they are wars to exterminate human qualities.

Has that changed in the heavens too? What we can hear from the Apocalypse is that there are spiritual powers that want to completely subjugate the human race. The Human quality of developing freedom towards becoming a spiritual being, does not have a place in the dragon’s plan. 

We can try to look at this reality from two different directions.

Firstly, the forces of the dragon have been given the space from the divine world not only to be present in heaven, but also to work on earth. Without the work of the dark forces on earth, human beings would never learn to decide on one side or the other out of their own ego. 

But by giving humanity the freedom to decide independently, the outcome of the struggle is still open. 

The other side has to do with the imperfect development of humanity. It is still not possible for the ‘I am’ to distinguish between those powers that seduce the soul, and the Christ-power that lives in the innermost core of the human being. The effects of our weaknesses are still carried by heaven. 

But heaven also has to ensure, that one day, the battle is conclusively decided.
And so, the dragon has been cast out of the heavens and dwells now on earth. Now it is on us to bring the struggle to a conclusion.

And “he stormed away to fight against those who remained of the woman’s offspring. That is those who keep to the divine world-aims and who are united with the destiny and witnessing of Jesus”  

When this goal fills our consciousness, we can be free from worry about how the struggle on earth will turn out.

Rev. Ute Koenig