In this article I want to introduce you to the great controversy between Christ and Satan. I want to talk about why we need to understand the great controversy and what is the great controversy all about. We need to understand how and why are we caught in the middle of this great controversy which has been going on for 6,000 years of human history.
By being born into this world we’re in the middle of the great controversy whether we know it or not. God wants us to understand what happened, how did it start, why am I in it, and what does the great controversy have to do with me?
The great controversy war between Christ and Satan broke out in heaven itself! Now you would never think that war could brake out in heaven, the very place of eternal peace and happiness, but it did and I want us to look at this because it is very important for us to understand the great controversy.
What does controversy mean? It means war, contention, strife, battle, etc. So the great controversy is the great war and battle that broke out in heaven between Christ and His angels and Satan and his angels before the creation of this earth.
Here are some critical points for us to understand:
1. What happened in heaven over 6,000 years ago.
2. What happened when man fell into sin.
3. How did man fall into sin.
4. What’s man’s condition after he fell into sin.
5. What is the the plan of redemption that was put in operation to save man after he sinned.
Did you know that there are unfallen worlds or worlds that never sinned? There are holy angels and they with the worlds that never sinned are actually looking at this great controversy as if they were in a theater at the movies.
In 1 Corinthians 4:9 it says, “For I think that God has set forth us the Apostles last as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”
The Bible tells us that we are made a spectacle, and if you look up that word in the original language that means we are made a theater to the entire universe. Millions and billions of worlds that never sinned and billions and billions of holy and unholy angels, are looking at this little world as a movie.
This is serious and is no joke because God’s character and honor is on the line right now, In the great controversy God Himself is on trial and He allowed himself to be on trial because He’s holy, righteous, and infinitely just, and He knows He’s righteous therefore He allowed Himself to be on trial. The entire universe is watching how God is dealing with the sin problem in man and fallen angels.
I heard somebody say if we don’t understand the great controversy we might end up receiving the mark of the beast because that’s how serious this is brothers and sisters.
In Revelation 12:7–9 it says, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the Dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. and the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him.”
We’re told in Scripture that war broke out in heaven between Michael and his angels and Satan and his angels. Scripture teaches that Michael and his angels won the war. As Adventist we know that Michael is another name for Jesus. Michael is the archangel and Jesus is Michael. When we say that Jesus is Michael the archangel we’re not saying that Jesus is a created angel. NO!
Jesus is 100% God in every sense and in every aspect. Jesus executed the will of the Eternal Father and created every single angel in heaven. Jesus is not a created being, He has natural immortality, He has been alive for all eternity, but He took the name Michael before His incarnation and appearance on earth as a man.
If you look up the word “archangel” that means “the head of the angels.” It doesn’t mean that He’s a created angel with
wings, it simply means Christ is the head of the angels; or the God of the angels; or the Ruler of the angels. All the angels obey Jesus because He rules all heaven.
But there was one angel that rebelled against the authority of Jesus when He was in heaven operating as God! Who was this angel and why did he rebel against the authority of the Son? Again here are key things we must understand:
How did this war break out in heaven what was the cause of this war?
Why did it happen and what is this war about?
Why did it break out in heaven?
Why am I involved in this war?
Whose side am I gonna choose?
Am I gonna choose Jesus side or choose Satan’s side?
This is the great controversy that we must understand because if you don’t understand the great controversy by default you are on Satan side. When you understand the great controversy and the love of God you will by faith choose Jesus side.
So how did all of this happen? In our next article we will go deeper into what happened in eternity past. We will look at the details of the fall of Satan and what led him to enter into a great war against his Maker!