Calling All Angels: Revelation 12:7-12 - Michael and All Angels

⁷War broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, ⁸but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ⁹The 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.
  ¹⁰Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,
 “Now have come the salvation and the power
  and the kingdom of our God
  and the authority of his Messiah,
 for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down,
  who accuses them day and night before our God.
 ¹¹But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb
  and by the word of their testimony,
 for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.
 ¹²Rejoice then, you heavens
  and those who dwell in them!
 But woe to the earth and the sea,
  for the devil has come down to you
 with great wrath,
  because he knows that his time is short!”

Have you ever been in the presence of an angel?

Years ago, I prayed at the bedside of a young man who was clinging to life—with his mother standing across from me. When I said “amen,” I looked up to see a young female nurse, standing at the food of the bed, making the sign of the cross on herself. I turned to look at his mother, who was silently praying. Before I could thank the nurse for praying with us, she was gone—and I couldn’t find her anywhere in the unit.

Later that day, his mother was approached by an African American woman pushing a janitor’s cart. She had the most beautiful eyes, she said—and in a calming voice, she said, “Honey, it’s all going to be alright.”

You have shared with me similar stories of visitations from persons who comforted and aided you in times of extreme helplessness and danger. Some disappeared from your sight as quickly as they appeared. Others have shared stories of remarkable deliverance death and danger that defies all logical explanation.

And yet, for as remarkable as these stories are, we rarely speak of them here in church. It’s as if angels are something that only fools believe in. Or, since we have no doctrines or confessions about angels, we don’t talk about them. And yet, numerous persons in the bible are visited by angels. “With angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise your name and join their unending hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy; Lord God Almighty!”

So on this feast day of Michael and All Angels, let us ponder: who (or what) are angels?

I heard one scholar beautifully describe angels as “creatures of God’s infinite imagination…with no physical body…who are God’s messengers, preparing the way for God’s appearance and activity.”

Think about what that means—they move in and out of our reality at God’s behest. You can’t touch them; you can’t make friends of them; you can’t make demands of them. You can’t summon an angel like you would a magic genie. All we know is that angels are just one of many awesome and powerful ways that God acts in the world.

In our second reading from Revelation, we are given a glimpse into the heavenly realm, where a war has broken out between Michael, the patron angel of Israel, and God’s angels—versus Satan and his angels (what I’d call demons). It’s not much of a battle; Satan and his armies are quickly defeated and thrown out of heaven. They fall down to earth, where, for a brief time, they will accuse God’s children day and night. One last “hurrah” before their ultimate defeat. But God’s children will conquer through the blood of Christ and by their Word of testimony.

That’s good news—because each new day seems to bring Satan new victories—as more neighbors die needlessly of overdose and suicide; as more churches and businesses close their doors; as more families slip ever deeper into poverty; as mass shootings claim more lives; as our country and our world descend ever deeper into chaos.

One constant truth about angels we find in Scripture is that God sends angels when people least expect it, when they are not asking, but when they them most. Everyone in Scripture who encounters an angel is scared to death to be in its presence—and the angels say, “do not be afraid.” “God is with you.” Everyone in Scripture who encounters an angel is called by God to do God’s work and is promised God’s help. Everyone in Scripture who encounters an angel participates in God’s victory over death and the devil.

So we celebrate something more than just the existence of angels; we celebrate the mysterious yet awesome ways that the risen Christ is ministering God’s love in your life—particularly in your moments of extreme crisis and helplessness. God may send angels who suddenly come into your life, loving you selflessly, then vanish from your sight. The angels God sends be people who’ve accompanied you in journeys past—or they will be accompanying you in future journeys. God may send no angels—and instead give you strength and courage you never knew you had. 

But as the Body of Christ, you’re an angel, too—because you are a messenger of God’s love; an ambassador of God’s kingdom; a bearer of God’s victory over death and the devil. As a disciple, God desires nothing less than for you to be your neighbor’s angel and the world’s angel; to be God’s visible presence in healing this world.

How beautiful it is to know that for as terrible as things are right now, there are angels among us! So it’s time for us to start thinking about and talking about the awesome ways God is working in our lives—and thanking God for all the angels in your life. Just as importantly, it’s time to pray for God to call out the angels in you. Believe that you are God’s answer to someone else’s prayers. For as we celebrate all angels—we proclaim the awesome power of God to that makes us angels all.