"War of the Angels" June 21 Readings: Daniel 9-12

Today's Reading - Daniel 9-12

Background

The last four chapters of Daniel contain visions of the future - some of the most significant in the Bible. Daniel 9:24-27, the prophecy of the Seventy Weeks, is a template for all future prophecies regarding the End Times. The prophecies of chapter 11 and 12, while having some historical content, also look forward to the great battles of the last days, which we often loosely call Armageddon and tells us much about the Antichrist, modeled on the evil man known as Antiochus Epiphanes.

Devotional - War of the Angels 

I often find myself confused by the Bible's teachings on so-called "spiritual warfare." We know that our God is in control and that demons flee before him. We know that Satan was created as an angel and rebelled against the Father, leading a third of the angelic forces to create the kingdom of darkness. We know that he goes about on this earth like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. We know that he is defeated and one day will be sent forever into the lake of fire, with all who are loyal to him, to be tormented for his rebellion.

There is much that we know and much we do not know. There are many who are confident of their knowledge of spiritual warfare who have created intricate mythologies about rankings of demonic forces and territorial demons and all sorts of such things on the flimsiest of biblical evidence. They are much more certain about the angelic and the demonic than my study of the Bible allows me to be.

However, many of us in evangelical and Baptist circles tend to discount and ignore the angelic and the demonic. We don't disbelieve in it we just don't think about it much. But when one reads the Bible the conclusion is inescapable. Angels are real and have a genuine role to play in the work of God. Demons are real and are actively working evil in this world, sowing lies, tempting people to sin, and inciting wickedness as best they can. Exactly how that works is difficult to discern.

The story in Daniel 10 is an interesting one. According to verse 2, Daniel was mourning and praying for 3 full weeks, agonizing in prayer before the Lord, but no answer came. He continued until finally at the end of the 3 weeks an angel appeared to him and told him a strange tale. He had been dispatched from heaven with an answer immediately when Daniel began to pray, but he was opposed by the "prince of the kingdom of Persia" - seemingly a demonic force with authority over the nation of Persia. Finally, Michael, one of two angels who are named in the Bible (the other is Gabriel) arrives to help him and the demonic force is overcome. Daniel's answer arrives.

Of course, it is dangerous to derive too many truths from one story, but reading Job and other scriptures, there seem to be some truths we can establish here.

• God is always sovereign and in control. His power is unchallenged. Any presentation that gives Satan or demonic powers any hope of defeating the work of God is unbiblical. 
• However, demonic forces are always working against the activity of God and seem to be able to resist and hinder the work. Here, there was a three-week delay. 
• We assume that God, in his sovereignty, permitted this to teach Daniel a lesson in patience and perseverance, but still, there was a delay caused by demonic forces. 
• There are rankings of angels, though we don't understand all of that. The visions of Isaiah and Ezekiel talk about seraphim and special winged creatures worshiping in heaven. But here we meet Michael, who was a special protector of Israel. We also know of Gabriel, God's "press secretary" who made many announcements of the great works of God. They are called archangels. 
• A common concept seen in the prophets, especially in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and here, is the idea of a demonic force working behind the power of a human government. We wonder if Democrats or Republicans are in charge, but there are also likely demonic forces at work in human governments to seduce and to cause evil. 
• In the end, God always wins. 

There are two extremes to avoid. To ignore the work of angels and demons, to act as if the heavenly realm does not exist and does not matter is unbiblical and wrong. But to mythologize it beyond what the Bible says is also wrong. We need to avoid excessive speculation. Whatever is true in the spiritual realm, our God reigns ultimately.

Father, help me to see what you want me to see in the realm of spiritual things. Guide me away from ignorance and away from excessive curiosity and speculation. 

Think and Pray

Do you ignore the spiritual realm of angels and demons?
Do you involve yourself in excessive speculation about it?