St Michael the archangel in Apocalypse and the destruction of pagan Rome
Excerpt
That being said, let us go ahead and work out the scenes of the dragon in perfect chronology, to show that it all fits perfectly in terms of the history of the church, from the Ascension to the great apostasy inclusive amen.
The effective parts are as follows:
War in Heaven:
Pagan Rome, the dragon persecutes Church to prevent conversion of empire.
Up until the Coming of Christ, the dragon ruled the world, the Gentiles being in darkness and sin. He is "in heaven", shewing forth, symbolically, this domination.
But with Christ's Ascension and Pentecost, the Church is founded and is now going out to change the world forever, to bring the near whole of humanity into the Gospel, the fullness of light and love. This will spell doom for the dragon, but he will not go down without a fight! Hence, the war in heaven!
The dragon instigates false accusations against the Christians to spur persecution [cannibals, traitors, insurrectionists], in order that the Church might be destroyed before it ever brings renewal. (Day and night he accused them before our God). But [Tertullian], ?the blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians!? (But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and they loved not their lives UNTO DEATH). The martyrs only backfired the dragon's war back to himself: the witness of their blood, courage, and love of enemies progressively moved the hearts of the Empire and won its conversion.
The dragon was cast out, and the Church now rules the world, the Christ also, from above, while, nevertheless, tribulation will continue, but on a level playing field: the woman and dragon on the same plane of earth.
Note also that the great victory speech of the angel in heaven has striking similarities to both Daniel 2 and Daniel 7
Both scriptures of which describe the destruction of paganism by the Catholic church and the Saints the victory Of God over paganism.