Daniel 10:12-14a + Angels

Daniel 10:12 ... "Do not fear, Daniel, ... I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me twenty-one days. So Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia, 14 and have come to help you understand what is to happen to your people at the end of days.

Four points ...

1. "The end of days": That's what this passage -- and much of the apocalyptic book of Daniel -- is ultimately about.

2. Angels must be awe-inspiring enough to evoke a little human terror because, again, "Do not fear" is the first word. (I'm glad their on our side!)

3. If we admit that there are angels, the angel tells us to be aware that there are forces that opposed the angels and aligned against each of us. The apostle Paul puts it like this: "For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12).

4. The angel came to Daniel "because of [his] [prayer]." Think of it like this. We live in the material world. But scripture tells us that the atmosphere is alive with unseen "spiritual forces ... in the heavenly places." Prayer is a bridge between these two worlds.

Lord, thank you for the gifts of this material world, but make me less blind of the other world around me. And help me grow in prayer as bridge to see more of you.

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