The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Revelation 12:7-11, “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his
angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged
war,
8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place
found for them in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is
called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was
thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10 Then 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 brethren has been thrown
down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.
11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and
because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life
even when faced with death.”

It’s not news to say that all-out war exists now in the Middle East.
Hamas, for whatever reason (none of which is relevant here), launched
an all-out attack upon Israel but a few days ago. Everyone except
Israel was surprised.

Three words for “war” (milchamah, tsaba, ???????) are, in aggregate,
mentioned 303 times in the Bible. While there are several instances
in the Scriptures of women, who actively killed men, killing is usually
the activity of a man.

Strange as it may seem, the first war that ever occurred was waged
in Heaven. The Archangel Michael and his angels, waged war with
the dragon…and there was no longer a place found for them in
heaven” (Rev. 12:8).

While that war is a great time and distance removed from us today,
it is the primary battle that undergirds every battle throughout all of
humanity. So, when we sense the urge to “do battle” with anyone
over anything in any manner, that urge is tracable to that first battle
in Heaven.

We learn to live in harmony with others when we commit our
neighborly differences to the LORD. Most battles would never
occur, but for that first shot in anger. Human defense is as normal
as human offence.

Thus, when the opportunity for argumentation floats itself over us,
may the LORD assist us in refusing to “do battle.” Of course, that
other guy is flatly wrong, especially when he thinks the same of us!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom