"Thanking God for St. Michael and All Angels" (Sermon on Revelation 12:7-12)

stmatthewbt.org ^ | September 29, 2019 | The Rev. Charles Henrickson

[Charles Henrickson]

“Thanking God for St. Michael and All Angels” (Revelation 12:7-12)

Today in the Christian church year is Michaelmas, the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. It always falls on September 29, and since this year that date falls on a Sunday, that’s why we’re celebrating it today. Angels, thus, will be topic of this sermon: who they are, what they do, and why we thank God for them. We’ll even get into who this mysterious figure St. Michael is. So now let’s get to it, under the theme, “Thanking God for St. Michael and All Angels.”

First of all, we should explain who angels are, their nature, what kind of beings they are, according to Holy Scripture. We can begin by saying that angels are created beings. Sometime during the six days of creation, the Lord God created these beings we call angels. They are unseen spirits, doing the will of God. “Ministering spirits,” the Bible calls them. “God’s secret agents,” you might say: “Secret,” in the sense that human beings rarely have ever been allowed to see angels, to know exactly what they’re doing at any given time. And “agents,” in that angels act at God’s direction and by his authority.

The Bible is clear throughout that there is an unseen spirit world, with lots going on that we mere mortals are not privy to. We may see the results of this unseen spiritual activity in our world: in human history, in the rise and fall of nations, in the protection and safety of the church or even of individual believers. We may see the results, but we do not see the angelic activity itself. Sometimes at key moments in salvation history God did let humans catch a glimpse of what’s going on in the spirit realm. We have those moments recorded for us in the Scriptures. And that’s the only place where you will find reliable information about angels, that is, in the Bible. Do not base your theology of angels on what you see in TV shows or movies or on what some person claims an angel told them in a private revelation. No, only in God’s Word do we get the solid truth about angels.

And the truth about angels, as we survey the Scriptures, we can briefly summarize in three words: messengers, worshipers, and warriors. We’ll take these now one at a time.

One, angels are messengers. In fact, the word “angel” means “messenger.” The Greek word “angelos” can be translated as that, as “messenger.” That’s the word used to identify these unseen spirit beings, because often when we encounter them in the Bible, that’s what they’re doing: they are delivering a message. God sent angels to deliver messages to man, particularly at key moments in God’s dealings with mankind.

For example, the angel Gabriel was sent, first to Zechariah, to announce the coming birth of John the Baptist, and then to the virgin Mary, to announce that she would give birth to the Christ child. And when she did, an angel appeared to shepherds out in a field, to tell them that that night a Savior had been born to them, which is Christ the Lord. Then, from Christ’s birth, we fast forward to his resurrection and ascension. Again, angels are there to deliver a message. The angels at the tomb tell the women, “He is not here. He is risen, just as he said.” Forty days later, at Jesus’ ascension, angels tell the disciples: “Why do you stand staring up into the heavens? This Jesus will come again in the same way you saw him go up into the heavens.” So at key moments in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, you find angels delivering a message from God, explaining that moment to the persons who witness it. Angels are messengers.

Second, angels are worshipers. Go back to Christmas night. After the one angel delivers the message to the shepherds, a whole host of angels light up the sky and sing the praises of God: “Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” That’s worship. And in the throne room scenes of Revelation, angels lead the praises of God. That’s what angels were doing back in the temple scene of Isaiah, singing “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of thy glory.” Notice, by the way, how the angels, in their worship of God, set the pattern for the worship of the church. In the historic Christian liturgy, the main canticle in each half of the Divine Service is based on one of these songs of the angels: the Gloria in Excelsis in the Service of the Word, and the Sanctus in the Service of the Sacrament. Angels are worshipers, and we in the church follow their lead and join in their worship.

Angels are messengers. Angels are worshipers. Third, angels are warriors. Warriors? Yes, warriors. Now this does not fit with the popular image of angels as rather soft, even effeminate, creatures, or else as cute little cherubs with rosy cheeks. No, those are not the biblical picture of angels. In the Bible, when angels are described, they can be fiery and frightening. Rather than “Touched by an Angel,” it’s more like “Torched by an Angel.” In the Bible, when angels appear to human beings, they startle and scare them, so that the angels invariably have to say, “Fear not,” “Do not be afraid.”

Angels are fearsome warriors. They do battle for God. They are his heavenly host, God’s troops that he sends out to do battle for us, to defend us against any evil forces that would harm us, whether seen or unseen. God’s angels are our guardians and protectors, guarding the church as a whole, protecting particular churches in various places, and even guarding individual Christians. They guard us against all types of harm, both physical and spiritual. We can’t say for sure that every individual Christian has his own guardian angel assigned to him, but we can say, with thanksgiving and confidence, that God does send his angels to watch over us. As Luther puts it in the Daily Prayers, “Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.”

Now this brings us to the special focus of this day, namely, how God guards and protects us with his angels. In particular, how St. Michael the Archangel does battle for us, so that the old evil foe, the devil, does not have any power over us.

St. Michael is a rather mysterious figure in the Bible, only mentioned by name a few times. You see him mentioned in the readings today from Daniel and Revelation. The name Michael is a Hebrew name, “Mi-cha-el,” which means, “Who is like God?” Good question. Indeed, who is? No one can match God in his power and majesty. But Michael the Archangel, as God’s appointed agent acting with his authority, is one who is like God in his power and might. Michael is the angel God uses to throw down Satan from his position of power over humanity.

How can Michael do this? On what basis? Here is where the gospel in all of this comes in. The reason Michael can defeat the devil in battle is because Christ has defeated him on the cross. This is why St. Michael and All Angels is considered a Christ festival. That’s why the paraments this morning are white. St. Michael and All Angels have their prominence because they glorify the person and work of Christ. They carry out the victory he has won for us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has defeated the devil and all evil, and therefore St. Michael and All Angels can act to throw down Satan and to guard and protect the church.

The message from Michael today is this: We win. We Christians win the final victory because Jesus has won the victory for us. Jesus has redeemed us from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil. Remember, this was promised right from the beginning, when God cursed the serpent and told him that the woman’s seed would strike him in the head, dealing him the fatal blow. Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, is the woman’s seed, and he dealt the devil that death blow when he, Jesus, was nailed to the cross. Our Champion Jesus took our sins and carried them to the cross and suffered and died for the sins of the world. Jesus descended into hell and declared his victory there. He rose from the dead on the third day, showing that his life has power over death. Jesus ascended into heaven and now is interceding for you.

So now, there’s no longer any place in heaven for Satan, the accuser of our brothers. He has been thrown down. Jesus took away the devil’s ammunition against you. Satan has nothing left to charge you with before God. Your sins are forgiven. You who have been baptized into Christ share in his eternal life. Jesus’ victory is yours. We conquer by the blood of the Lamb.

So it is on that basis of the decisive victory Christ has won that God dispatches Michael the Archangel and the angel army to throw down Satan: “Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Michael and his mighty warriors win the day. Your future is secure, dear Christian. Walk on in, the way is clear. And God will send his angels to see that you get there. “He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” No evil shall prevail against you.

Today on this Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, we have heard that angels are unseen ministering spirits sent to do God’s will. They are messengers, they are worshipers, and they are warriors. They serve and protect. They serve God, and they protect us, God’s people. The power they have to throw down Satan and guard the church comes from the victory Christ has won for us by his death and resurrection. For all this, we rejoice and give thanks. Today we worship and praise God for the mighty ministry of St. Michael and All Angels.

[Charles Henrickson]

Revelation 12:7-12 (ESV)

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

[Charles Henrickson]

Ping.

[daniel1212]

No responses. But if you had said that nowhere are angels shown having a part in the creation of the universe, etc., or are ever shown being prayed to, nor commanded by Mary, then you might see some evidence of interest.

[Bulwyf]

Angels were never prayed to or commanded by Mary. Why is this an issue for anyone?

[Forgiven_Sinner]

I read this sermon with great interest having studied Revelation word by word and written and taught classes on it.

Thank you for this clear teaching on angels' role in scripture and in heaven and on earth.

I have two points to add:

1) Does everyone have a guardian angel? Jesus answers that those who believe in Him do:

Matthew 18:6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—

(snip section about those who cause offenses)

10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

'Their angels'=those who believe in Jesus

Point 2) Satan being cast out of heaven.

There are multiple times Satan was cast out of heaven. 1. Satan's initial rebellion against God, sometime before the garden of Eden:

Isaiah 14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.[b] 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

Still, Satan appeared before God when summoned by Him:

Job 1:6 One day the angels[a] came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan[b] also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

Jesus referred to Satan's first fall here:

Luke 10:18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

2) The fall of Satan in Revelation 12 is clearly a second one.

Now when is this Satanic fall in Revelation 12?

Revelation 12 is extremely condensed history. Look at verse 5.

She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.

This comprises Jesus's birth and ascension to heaven, from 5 BC to about 30 AD.

What's next?

6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

I've read a variety of interpretations on this verse as to when and how long it is. (3 1/2 years or 1260 years) Let's just say it's a period of time. We don't need it because the rest of the chapter identifies when Satan is cast out.

7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.

This is a different casting out than previously.

10 For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

Satan can no longer appear before God to accuse Christians. He is still doing this to this day. But when is this?

12 But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth, the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

Note these points:

1. Satan's time on earth is short.

2. Satan persecutes the church, the woman, who flees to a wilderness area and is protected for 3 1/2 years.

3. Satan persecutes the remaining church that doesn't flee.

From this, I conclude this second fall occurs 3 1/2 years before Jesus' return when Satan will be chained.

Of course, this is my opinion and interpretation. I welcome to hear others. We don't know since this prophecy is still future.

[HarleyD]

No where in scripture are angels referred to as "Saints". This is a term used only in context with believers. So "St Michael" is biblically incorrect when referring to angels. Where this all started I have no idea.

Also, we aren't suppose to worship or even adore angels and they would be the first to tell us so. I am reminded of the angel that appeared before Manoah in Judges 13.

Judges 13:15-18 Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you.” The angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord. Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that when your words come to pass, we may honor you?” But the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?”

According to these verses, angels do NOT want us to honor them. This is only reserved for God alone. This is reiterated in Revelation:

Rev 22:8-9 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he *said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”

While even John was swept away at the splendor of the angels, any thanks that should be done is not to the angels, it is to God Himself. We don't thank God for angels. God can accomplish His will in any number of ways. Just as God can accomplish His will through us, angels are only one means of Him accomplishing His purpose.

And, btw, don't take angels too lightly. Joshua assumed just because the Lord was on his side that he was somehow righteously fighting for God. Please recall the history lesson:

Joshua 5:13-15 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” He said, “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” The captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

Angels are messengers and warriors for God. They don't fight for us, they fight for God. They are not to be trifled with. They are holy and we are not (yet). They would just as soon slay us (and rightfully so) if not for the grace of God. Just ask David.

[daniel1212]

No where in scripture are angels referred to as "Saints". This is a term used only in context with believers.

Good for you in noticing that, but Matthew 25:31 does say, "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy [hagios] angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:" Also Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; Acts 10:22; Rv. 14:10. And the word "hagios" is translated "saints" least 60 times in the NT, and is used for "holy apostles" in Rv. 18:20; 22:6.

Also, we aren't suppose to worship or even adore angels and they would be the first to tell us so. I am reminded of the angel that appeared before Manoah in Judges 13.

Catholic "veneration" can easily translate into worship.

Angels are messengers and warriors for God. They don't fight for us, they fight for God.

Yet in service to God,

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)

They would just as soon slay us (and rightfully so) if not for the grace of God. Just ask David.

To look from the holy face of God (Matthew 18:10; Is. 6:2,3) to mankind must be a grievous contrast.

[daniel1212]

Angels were never prayed to or commanded by Mary. Why is this an issue for anyone?

Because Catholics are known for disobeying 1 Co, 4:6, in thinking of mortal far, far, far above that which is written.

[HarleyD]

Angels are holy but not in the same sense as God. Likewise we will be holy but not the same. Angels serve God and they minister to believers at God's pleasure. Here is a brief but good article on one aspect of angels.

Servants of the Saints

[Elsie]

Thanking God for St. Michael and All Angels”

ALL of them?

I don't really care for about a third of them!

[Elsie]

Angels were never prayed to or commanded by Mary. Why is this an issue for anyone?

Probably because 'Mary' is in no position to COMMAND anything!

[Elsie]

The only thing that even comes close is when she said to the servants...

“Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5)

[Bulwyf]

She’s in no better position for that than you or I. I’m not speaking for you, but I’m in no position at all for that. I’ll trust God’s will and providence and try to keep it simple.

[Elsie]

Amen