ird part of the stars of heaven,
and did cast them to the earth." This is not a literal description,
for the fixed or planetary stars never fall to the earth. If they did,
they would destroy it. The stars are doubtless employed as symbols
set in the ecclesiastical firmament, giving light amid the surrounding
darkness. Light is so often used as the representative of gospel
truth that the application of the stars to prominent characters in
the church is obvious. Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness, and his
ministers are bright, shining stars--light-givers. The ministers
of the seven churches of Asia Minor are represented as stars (chap.
1:20). "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the
firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars
forever and ever" (Dan. 12:3). The casting down of the third part of
the stars, therefore, signifies the warfare which the dragon power
waged against the early church, in which conflict the ministers of
Christ became the marked objects of heathen wrath.

[Sidenote: The war in heaven]

"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. And I heard a loud voice saying in
heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is
cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Rev.
12:7-11).

The symbolic scene suddenly changes, and instead of the woman and the
man child, Michael and his angels appear in conflict with the dragon
and his angels. This change of symbols indicates the introduction of
a different phase of thought. From the nature of the symbols we can
quickly ascertain the reason for this change. The woman represents the
true church and is a proper symbol of its unity, beauty, purity,
and glory. But there is another phase of the church which can not be
represented symbolically by a woman--the militant phase. The church is
also an aggressive, fighting power, ready to wage warfare against the
powers of evil. We would not ex