Chaos, Sibling Rivalry and Angels

The world is at war.  That is, it is in confusion, in conflict and in a chaotic struggle.  

The ancient words for war meant “to bring into confusion.” This is the very essence of entropy–lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder.  This concept is sometimes personified as Satan, a word meaning “one who throws (something) across" the path of another in order to “short circuit” the energies of that person.  The biblical Satan’s objective is to create confusion, doubt, and to sow seeds of distrust. Satan’s very nature is “to bring humanity into confusion” – the very definition of war.

Every human being is involved.  As we are currently in the midst of an actual regional war in Israel let’s look at the “common component” in this particular struggle–“sibling rivalry.”  The descendants of Israel and the descendants of Ishmael are at odds and have been for some time.  

Ishmael, who’s name is composed, in Hebrew, of three parts: I - shma - el literally means “God will listen”, and Israel, whose name means “Let God Prevail”, or “he struggles with God” is literally  a complete sentence in ancient Hebrew: I - SRa – el and literally means: “he turns the head (as in captures the attention) of God.”  So the elder sibling who God will listen to, and the younger sibling who captures the 

attention of God have been engaged in a sibling rivalry for thousands of years. 

Perhaps all this actually began with Cain and Able.  Where the elder Cain actually killed his younger brother Able, because while Cain thought God would listen to him, Able captured the attention of God with his sacrificial attitude of offering.  

Perhaps humanity is still struggling with the Cain/Able struggle for recognition.  The sad part is that one does not have to struggle to get God’s attention, one just has to listen to God rather than demanding that God listen to you.

In the current regional struggle, one side would rather kill Able in order to have “God to themselves” rather than have “to listen to the desires of God.”  Any way you look at it we are in a war.  There are physical wars as are going on in the world.  There are spiritual wars as with the sibling rivalry induced by Satan.  There is, as history shows, a combination of both kinds of wars.  But the point is when we listen to and seek God’s direction we will be strengthened against the desires of our siblings to destroy us.

In the biblical book of Daniel we read that in the third year of King Cyrus Daniel received a great prophetic message.  Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 BC, and the third year of his reign was March/April 536 BC to March/April 535 BC. As we learn in the book of Ezra, Cyrus had issued a decree allowing Jewish exiles to return to their homeland at this same time. Daniel, in his mid-80s, did not return to Jerusalem, but he would have been aware of the progress of that first group’s returning to rebuild.  Late in 538 BC they had rebuilt the altar in Jerusalem, and in spring of the next year, 537 BC, they began laying the foundation for a new temple to follow in the footsteps of the destroyed Solomon’s Temple.  

However, local enemies, apparently through political means, forced work to stop.  As the Passover approached in Spring of 536 BC, Daniel was deeply burdened that rebuilding the Jerusalem temple had stopped and would not be available for use at Passover.  His sorrow was such that he was in mourning and fasting. 

Daniel’s fast lasted twenty-one days and occurred at the time of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread from the fifteenth to the twenty-first of the first month. The length of Daniel’s abstinence shows his persistence in prayer.

Daniel states “I didn’t eat any rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I didn’t put any oil on my body until the three weeks were over.”. The reference to “rich food” refers to food that was the most desirable and likely cost the most. Thus the words refer to delicacies. The Hebrew literally reads “pleasant bread.” Interestingly, the words used to describe the bread for the Feast of Unleavened Bread are “bread of hardship”, making a clear verbal emphasis that Daniel didn’t eat “pleasant bread” when his fellow Jews were eating “bread of hardship.” He also didn’t put any oil on my body to make himself cleaner or more pleasant to be around. To refrain from anointing oneself was an act of humiliation and self-denial, a common sign of mourning. 

Now let’s look at Daniel’s encounter with an angel.

Daniel 10:10-13

10 Suddenly, a hand touched me and set me shaking on my hands and knees. 

11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man treasured by God. Understand the words that I’m saying to you. Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.” After he said this to me, I stood trembling.

12 “Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers. 

13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 

From this passage, several facts are evident concerning angels: 

(1) angels are real – God has messengers; 

(2) there are good and evil angels – some work to help and some to hinder beneficial progress; 

(3) angels can influence the affairs of human beings. 

This passage teaches that angels inspire human governments and their leaders. Rulers were encouraged by spiritual forces in their attempts to eradicate the Jewish religion. In Daniel’s day Persia was the largest empire the world has EVER known and it basically ruled the known world. Satan would have attempted to influence the decisions made by the Persian government, because policies made there would affect the world. Today, Satan continues his attempts to sway earthly powers, and he focuses his attention on nations of the world with the most influence. 

 

On the other hand, this passage in Daniel also demonstrates the positive activity of holy angels on governments. 

(4) There is a spiritual warfare being waged that involves angels and humans. This warfare is ongoing. 

(5) God’s angels were instrumental in delivering to Daniel a message from God. 

God’s messenger revealed that Daniel’s prayers were part of a greater spiritual battle. In verses 4-9, Daniel was at least twenty miles from Babylon “standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris” when he had a vision and encountered “a man” dressed in linen, with a belt of gold around his waist.  His body was like beryl (a mineral composed of beryllium aluminium silicate Well-known varieties of beryl include emerald and aquamarine. Naturally occurring, hexagonal crystals of beryl can be up to several meters in size) his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

Daniel fell flat to the ground.  But then he felt a hand touch him. The touch of this supernatural being’s hand brought Daniel to his hands and knees and left him shaking in his presence. The angelic being commanded Daniel to stand on his feet, or literally, “stand in your place.” Daniel stood up, but he was still trembling. 

Daniel was told not to be afraid before the angel revealed the message he was sent to deliver. Such an admonition was common in encounters with heavenly beings.  So, if you see an angelic spiritual being that appears to you to be a crystalline mineral clothed in linen, belted with gold with metallic bronze arms and legs and electrical fire all about, there is no need to fear. 

Daniel had prayed and fasted for three full weeks, yet there hadn’t seemed to be any answer to his prayers, yet he persisted consistently in his prayers.  The angel assured Daniel that contrary to appearances, his prayers had been heard “from the first day” Daniel began to pray. The response to Daniel’s prayers reinforces the truth of the efficacy of prayer. 

In verse 13 the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” referred to is identified with the same title as Archangel Michael. This is not a human prince because he had the ability to oppose the angel in spiritual warfare and because he caused the delay in the answer to Daniel’s prayers. This powerful spiritual being—perhaps Satan himself—tried to control “the kings of Persia” in working to oppose God’s people. “The kingdom of Persia” was the area of his assignment. Since Persia was the world ruler of the day, it was the most influential empire for a concentration of powerful demonic presence.  

The reference that this prince was “standing before me” literally refers to standing in one’s way in active opposition. This powerful demonic being had fought in opposition to Gabriel for the full three weeks Daniel had been praying and fasting.  Does that give you an idea of of Satan’s power… AND his weakness.  He is strong enough to resist Angels, yet weak enough to to be overcome by them.

Michael, one of the chief princes, is referenced.  The name means “who is like God?” And raises a rhetorical question with the implied answer “no one.” Michael is one of only two angels named in the Bible (the other being Gabriel). Here he is called “one of the chief princes” of God, and in verse 21 he is identified as “your prince,” meaning the prince over Israel. That Michael is “one of the chief princes” literally is “one of the first or primary princes,” and indicates that there is a ranking or ordering in God’s angelic host. 

So the demonic opposition was great enough that Michael had to come to assist Gabriel to overcome the opposition to allow Gabriel to continue his delivery of God’s message to Daniel. If “the prince of the kingdom of Persia” was Satan, it is no wonder Gabriel needed Michael’s help. That Michael came to help Gabriel shows the cooperation among God’s angelic host.  

While we often portray “spiritual warfare” with dramatic physical portrayals, the reality is that spirit is energy, and spiritual warfare is really just the struggle for the thoughts that direct actions.  It is what Satan, as we saw in his temptations of Jesus in the wilderness, is strong at…manipulating the thoughts of humans to achieve HIS desired actions.  This is what Satan and Gabriel and Michael were engaged in…influencing the thoughts of the human leadership in favor of, or in opposition of, the Jews.   THE SAME CONFLICT EXISTS TODAY.  As thought is involved we ALL have a part to play.

In Daniel 10:19 the angel bringing the message to Daniel says “Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God.  Peace to you; be very strong!”

The phrase peace to you is often used as a greeting, but here, since these are not the first words in the angel’s address, they are a statement of comfort that Daniel is safe in spite of his overwhelming anguish described in the passage. “Peace” (shalom) is the opposite of fear. This reassurance was designed to restore Daniel’s sense of well-being.

In fact the angel concludes this passage with Be very strong!  The Hebrew word can mean “have courage” or “be firm.” I like the concept of power. “Be very powerful” the angel could be telling Daniel.  

As spiritual warfare is the warfare of thoughts, being firm, or courageous, or powerful in your thinking of Godly thoughts is something we should all aspire to.  As entropy or the gradual decline into chaos is the chaotic reduction of energy, ADDING energy, “very strong power”, into your life is the remedy.

Something to think about.