Revelation 12:7: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.

After 1260 years of premortal apostasy in Revelation 12:6,¹ John's chronological account² describes the war in heaven that begins in Revelation 12:7.³ Some scholars believe the war in heaven merely symbolizes the conditions of spiritual and/or physical wars on earth.⁴ Most believe, however, that a war literally occurred in heaven.⁵ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that the war in heaven was a literal battle⁶ between unembodied premortal spirits.⁷ Lucifer waged this war for power and to establish his false ideology.⁸ The ideological battle lines were first drawn during the grand council between good and evil,⁹ light and darkness,¹⁰ freedom and slavery.¹¹

The war in heaven began when the woman representing the premortal church of God¹² returned to Kolob¹³ from the wilderness of heaven after 1260 Kolob years (453.6 million earth years).¹⁴ This restoration of the premortal church after 1260 Kolob years of premortal apostasy has its earthly likeness¹⁵ in the restoration of Christ's ancient church on earth in the year 1830¹⁶ after 1260 years of the Great Apostasy.¹⁷ The premortal church of God was called out of the wilderness of heaven to be restored on Kolob,¹⁸ just as Christ's ancient church was called out of the wilderness of heaven to be restored on the earth in 1830.¹⁹ Lucifer waged his war in heaven against the restored premortal church of God,²⁰ just as Satan continues to wage the same war on earth²¹ against the restored earthly Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.²²

The premortal church was restored to Kolob from the wilderness of heaven when Michael (Adam),²³ the archangel,²⁴ and his angels (the noble and great sons of God)²⁵ literally returned from the heaven of God's celestial residence to Kolob. On Kolob, Michael led the premortal fight against the Dragon (Lucifer)²⁶ and his angels, who were sons of perdition.²⁷ The war in heaven could not begin until Michael and his angels returned to Kolob because the war required opposing combatants²⁸ on both sides of the conflict.²⁹ For this same reason, the war in heaven ended on Kolob as soon as the dragon and his angels were cast down to this earth at the time of its physical creation.³⁰

Jehovah appointed Michael³¹ to command³² his heavenly host of angels on Kolob.³³ Although Jehovah was the ultimate head of Michael's heavenly host, Jehovah was not an actual combatant in the war in heaven.³⁴ He was the man child in Revelation 12:5, who was taken up to the throne of God when the premortal apostasy began and there he remained until after the war in heaven ended.³⁵ Revelation 12:7 gives no indication that Jehovah returned to Kolob to fight the Dragon after Jehovah was taken up to heaven in Revelation 12:5.³⁶ Jehovah did not return, and Michael fought Lucifer, because Kolob was a fallen spirit world³⁷ and Jehovah was a glorified member of the Godhead.³⁸ Jehovah remained with God in heaven above the conflict both literally and metaphorically.³⁹ The same likeness exists on earth.⁴⁰ That is, Satan continues his war against mankind on earth outside the presence of God and Jesus Christ.⁴¹ They are not physical combatants in the war against Satan on earth, although their influence is present now⁴² as it was during the war in heaven.⁴³ Similarly, between his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ did not personally enter spirit prison to preach the gospel in that fallen part of the postmortal spirit world.⁴⁴

Missionary work was a major objective during the war in heaven.⁴⁵ Michael then held, and still holds, the keys of salvation.⁴⁶ He and the sons of God fought against the Dragon and his sons of perdition⁴⁷ for the salvation of God's lukewarm spirit children that remained uncommitted to either side during the grand council.⁴⁸ The Dragon (Lucifer),⁴⁹ on the other hand, fought for greater power and dominion by increasing the number of his followers from among the lukewarm spirits.⁵⁰ Lucifer used priestcraft⁵¹ to destroy faith in God,⁵² and to convince wavering spirits that their faith in Jehovah's future atonement was in vain.⁵³ Jehovah's absence from Kolob during the war in heaven required the uncommitted spirits to exercise faith, just as Christ's absence on earth requires uncommitted mortals to exercise faith.⁵⁴ Lucifer used deception and falsehood on Kolob as he does here on earth.⁵⁵ He was a liar from the beginning,⁵⁶ and yet he accused his brethren, the sons of God, of lies and deceit.⁵⁷

Michael and his brethren taught the uncommitted spirits the restored gospel of the premortal church of God.⁵⁸ These uncommitted and lukewarm spirits could not remain neutral during the war in heaven⁵⁹ as they had been during the grand council.⁶⁰ By accepting the premortal gospel,⁶¹ the lukewarm spirits kept their first estate.⁶² Some were more valiant in their commitment than others.⁶³ Those that refused entirely to commit themselves to Christ became committed to Lucifer and failed to keep their first estate.⁶⁴ As a consequence of that choice, they were denied the opportunity to have a physical body in this life.⁶⁵ They were numbered among the third part of God's spirit children who rebelled and became sons of perdition during the grand council.⁶⁶