Angelic Warfare

This scene, taken from the Sistine Chapel (my brother nearly got arrested trying to snap a picture of the famous ceiling during our visit a few years back), depicts the war between angels and demons during the final judgement.

Here comes the spoiler- this battle will represent the climax of book three, Oceans of Fire.

Here's what I want you to notice about Michelangelo's spectacular depiction- those cats aren't fighting with pillows. They aren't playing harps or singing hymns. They are fighting to the death. But this isn't the first time that these angels have battled. Revelation 12 says this:


And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 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 battle occurs toward the end of Tail of the Dragon, and it happens in heaven. I have been asked by a number of people who have read the book how we can depict violence and injury in heaven? Isn't heaven a place of peace and harmony?

My answer is this- we are told that there was a 'war in heaven.' Unless the war was some kind of celestial Halo tournament and the good guys were quicker with their joysticks, then I assume that means angels were hurt or killed. Just as I assume that if Satan was able to tempt a third of them to go astray, temptation must also have been present in heaven.