War in heaven

Rev 12:7 shows that there is war in heaven, I would not want to go there.

"Heaven is supposed to be a perfect place, yet this account declares that it experienced war. How could there have been a war in a perfect place and if it happened before, why couldn't it occur again? Why would anyone want to enter a region for eternity in which war can occur, when that is precisely what most people are trying to avoid? Further, everyone in heaven must be perfect, so how could a war have occurred?" C Dennis McKinsey, EBE, p331.

Other verses are equally critical: Rev. 19:14 says, "The armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses."

Answer:

(Rev 12:7-13 NIV) And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. {8} But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. {9} 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. {10} Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. {11} They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. {12} Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." {13} When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

The key word here is was war in heaven. This passage in Revelation refers to the time when Jesus was crucified and then Satan lost his legal right to accuse men before God in heaven because of their sin. See Rev 12:10b, John 12:31 and 16:11.

Rev 12:10b For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down

John 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.

(John 16:11 NIV) and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

Satan's final end will be in the lake of fire. We are promised that there will be no more death, or mourning or pain.

(Rev 21:3-8 NIV) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. {4} He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." {5} He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." {6} He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. {7} He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. {8} But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Outside will be all those who could cause war.

(Rev 22:15 NIV) Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

(Rev 21:27 NIV) Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.