By Karen Y. Stevens

 

I have been reading the book of Daniel, and wow!  I have read and studied the book of Daniel many times, but it has been a while.

It’s amazing how much you forget in a short time.  It’s also a very hard book trying to figure out the prophecy that the angel is relaying to Daniel, so I’m focusing on Chapters 10-13 where it is speaking about the angels.

I’ve always been one of those who does not think angels appear as birds or any other form.  I do believe angels are here and working on our behalf though.

Hebrews 1:14  calls angels “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation”.

The angels are sent by God to render service, and most of the time is unseen to the human eye, with an exception in Daniel 13.

We see this, where the angel states to Daniel; “the Prince of the Persian Kingdom resisted me for 21 days.”

The angel was detained by a demonic angel, which was the Prince of Persia.  It goes on to say that “then Michael, one of the chief princes, (a holy angel), came to help that same angel because he was being detained.”  It also states that the angels will fight against the prince of Greece, (who is a demonic angel).

Isn’t it crazy that the angel called them “the Prince of the Persian Kingdom” and the Prince of Greece?  Makes you think that the heavenly realm is a copy of the earth or vice versa.  The angels being good and evil in the heavenly realm, and humans being good and evil on earth.

We know in Daniel 13, that they are fighting angelic beings that are similar in strength, not human “Princes”.

Daniel a man, just being in the holy angel’s presence, nearly rendered Daniel unconscious.  (Daniel 8: – So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.)

This reinforces my theory of a copy, or pattern of earth, where the angels are having all these battles.

Then in Revelation 12:7-9; “Then war broke out in heaven.  Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.  But he (Satan and his angels) were not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.”

All this said we have been given a glimpse of the influence of the angelic realm, and how it affects the affairs of men.  It also reminds us that we are all in a spiritual battle.

So, remember the familiar words of the apostle Paul: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

Prayer is one of our greatest weapons.  Let’s pray accordingly.

 

Karen Y. Stevens is the founder of the Orange County Christian Writers Guild