Embark on a profound exploration of the ethereal messengers of God with me, Dr. Robert Jackson, as we navigate the angelic realms illustrated in the book of Daniel. Discover the intricacies of angelic attributes, their divine ministries, and the celestial hierarchies that govern their existence. This episode unveils the scriptural depiction of angels through Daniel's visions, revealing their intellect, emotions, and immortal spirit nature while also affirming the biblical underpinning of guardian angels. As we dissect the compelling interactions between Daniel and the angel Gabriel, we're reminded of the connective thread that binds the prophet's experiences with broader divine messages.
Prepare to shift your focus heavenwards as we emphasize the paramount importance of worshiping only the one true King. While the majesty of angels stands out in the scriptures, they serve as signposts directing our adoration toward God and His son, Jesus Christ. In the weeks ahead, our spiritual odyssey will take us deeper into understanding the enigmatic figure of Lucifer and the realm of demons. Join me as we foster a worship-centered perspective amidst these revelations, ensuring our hearts remain steadfast in glorifying God alone through the insights gleaned from Daniel's extraordinary encounters.
Embark on a profound exploration of the ethereal messengers of God with me, Dr. Robert Jackson, as we navigate the angelic realms illustrated in the book of Daniel. Discover the intricacies of angelic attributes, their divine ministries, and the celestial hierarchies that govern their existence. This episode unveils the scriptural depiction of angels through Daniel's visions, revealing their intellect, emotions, and immortal spirit nature while also affirming the biblical underpinning of guardian angels. As we dissect the compelling interactions between Daniel and the angel Gabriel, we're reminded of the connective thread that binds the prophet's experiences with broader divine messages.
Prepare to shift your focus heavenwards as we emphasize the paramount importance of worshiping only the one true King. While the majesty of angels stands out in the scriptures, they serve as signposts directing our adoration toward God and His son, Jesus Christ. In the weeks ahead, our spiritual odyssey will take us deeper into understanding the enigmatic figure of Lucifer and the realm of demons. Join me as we foster a worship-centered perspective amidst these revelations, ensuring our hearts remain steadfast in glorifying God alone through the insights gleaned from Daniel's extraordinary encounters.
Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr Robert Jackson. Papa, can you tell?
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me a story? Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr Papa. Grab your Bibles, gather around and let's look into the written word, which reveals to us the living word which is our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Well, today's lesson brings us to Daniel, chapter 9, verses 20 to 23, which says Now, while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord, my God, in behalf of the holy mountain and my God, while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening, offering. He gave me instruction and talked with me and said O, daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. At the beginning of your supplications, the command was issued and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed, so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision. Now, are you beginning to get an idea or picking up on a theme. As we're going through the book of Daniel, let me point out something to you. In the lion's den, the Bible says well, really, daniel said God sent his angel to shut the mouth of the lions. And then, in chapter 9, when Daniel has this vision of the four beasts, in chapter 7, I'm sorry, it was chapter 7.
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Chapter 7 and verse 16, the Bible says that an angel came and explains to Daniel the meaning of this vision of four beasts. And then, in chapter 8, there's a vision of the ram and the goat. And in chapter 8 and verse 13, the Bible says that a holy one speaks, and actually he speaks to another holy one. The two of them have a conversation, and then they're explaining to Daniel the meaning of the vision. And then, in chapter 8, verses 16 to 17, gabriel speaks. Chapter 8, verses 16 to 17, gabriel speaks, and this is the same Gabriel that is referenced here in chapter 9. These angels are giving Daniel an explanation of these visions. And then, in chapter 9, gabriel answers the prayer this is the prayer that we talked about last week, the prayer of confession, Confession of the sinfulness and wickedness of his people and Gabriel is there to explain the vision. Well then, we'll get there in a week or so, to chapter 10, and there's another unnamed angel who appears after three weeks of fasting and praying to reveal not just to Daniel but to us, to reveal the future. And then in chapter 12, which we'll get to in a few more weeks, two other angels appear.
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So are you picking up on a theme here? The whole book of Daniel is full of angelic beings who are involved in ministering to Daniel, giving him answers and explanations of visions. So let's talk a little bit today about the world of angels. I'm going to stop for about three weeks going through the book of Daniel and we're going to talk about the world of angels. Today we're just going to talk about angels. Next week we're going to talk about Lucifer and then the week after that we're going to talk about demons.
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And I want us to understand what the Bible teaches you and me about angels, about Satan and about demons. And I want us to be very clear about what the Bible says, so that we are not ignorant or unaware, and I don't want us to pick up on things that the world or the culture teaches that's not biblical. That the world or the culture teaches that's not biblical. So what does the Bible actually teach us about the world of angels? The first thing I want you to know is that the teaching about angels is widely diffused through the scriptures. 34 books in the Bible mention angels. From the earliest book in the Bible all the way to the last book of the Bible, there is teaching about angels. Jesus speaks about angels. Everything that you and I know that's authoritative about angels is from the Bible. Everything that you know that's authoritative about demons is from the Bible. So let's answer the question what does the Bible teach us about angels? Well, the answer is plenty. So I'm going to answer a few questions.
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What are angels like? First of all, angels have intellect. Just like you and I, they have intellect, they have feelings, they have will. How do I know that? Well, in reference to the gospel, the Bible says that in 1 Peter, chapter 1 and verse 12, that the angels they long to look into the gospel when people are preaching the gospel. The gospel, when people are preaching the gospel. Peter says that that's a thing into which angels long to look. They're intellectually challenged, they're intellectually curious about the gospel message. Then they have feelings. How do we know that?
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Well, luke, chapter 2, when the angels appeared to announce the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. It says and suddenly there appeared, with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace among men, with whom he is pleased. These angels were rejoicing. They have feelings and they had great joy when they of the king of kings. Angels also have a volition, a will. In Jude, that very little small book of Jude, right before the book of Revelation, in verse 6, it says and angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper abode, he has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. You see, angels have a will and they chose to abandon their proper abode. Nobody made them. They chose to abandon their proper place when they followed Lucifer in his rebellion against God. Two-thirds of the angels made a proper choice and they chose to keep their proper place, worshiping and serving God. A third of the angels chose to follow Satan in his rebellion against God.
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The next thing I would say to you is this Angels are spirit beings. How do I know that? Well, hebrews, chapter 1, and verse 14 tells us specifically are they not all ministering spirits? Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? Who will inherit salvation? Well, that's you and me. You see, the angels are ministering spirits who are sent out to render service to you and me as believers. So the angel world, the angel realm, they are spirit beings and we know that they don't die. How do I know that?
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Well, in Luke, chapter 20 and verse 36, when the Sadducees came to Jesus and they posed to him that difficult question about the seven brothers who all possessed the same wife. And then they said to Jesus, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? And Jesus says to them you do err in that you do not know the scriptures nor the power of God. And then he says that if they attain to the resurrection, the end of the age and the resurrection, the end of the age and the resurrection he said that they would be like angels that cannot even die anymore. He says they cannot even die anymore because they are like angels and are sons of God. So he says that those who attain to the resurrection cannot die. They are the sons of God and they are like angels. So the implication is that angels cannot die.
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Well, the Bible also tells us that angels have wings with which they fly. We know from Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 2, when Isaiah had that great vision in the year that King Uzziah died. Well, there was a seraphim there that had six wings, and the Bible says that with two wings he covered his feet, with two he covered his face and with two he did fly. So the seraphim have wings. And also, we know that angels are innumerable. In Hebrews, chapter 12, in verse 22, there's a reference to myriads of angels. Myriads is just a word for innumerable. There are too many angels to even count. And we also know that angels are organized. Now, how do we know that angels are organized?
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Well, the Bible refers to Michael in Jude, chapter 9, as an archangel. For you know that in Jude 9, it tells us that he disputed with Satan over the body of Moses, and he's referred there to as Michael the archangel. So if there are archangels, well then there are obviously other angels of lesser rank. And there are others, because in Daniel, chapter 10 and verse 13, michael is referred to as one of the chief princes, indicating that there are other princes or other angels of lesser rank Under the archangels, there seem to be other governmental angelic functionaries. In Ephesians, chapter 3, and verse 10, refers to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. Those are angels that are underneath the authority of the chief princes, like Michael the archangel.
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So, moving on, did you know that believers have a guardian angel? You've heard that all your life Is that biblical? Well, sure it is. There's that verse in Hebrews, chapter 1, and verse 14 that we referred to a little earlier that says they are ministering spirits sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation. There is a ministering spirit, there is an angel who watches over you and me, those who inherit salvation. Yes, you do have a guardian angel, but get this. So do children.
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In Matthew 18, 10, jesus sent a serious warning to those who would defile small children. He said see to it that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of my Father, who is in heaven. You see, those angels are always in the presence of the heavenly Father, and those angels guard your children and my children. And woe to the one who despises or despoils or defiles a little child. Jesus said it's better to be thrown into the deepest sea than to defile one of these little children.
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Well, some angels are delegated to worship God. Did you realize that there are angels whose main function, whose main responsibility, is to worship God? For example, the seraphim mentioned in Isaiah, chapter 6, verses 1 through 3,. Their primary responsibility is worshiping God. And then there are others who do nothing but guard His holiness. The cherubim are delegated the responsibility of guarding God's holiness. In Genesis, chapter 3, verses 22 to 24, we learned that there was a cherubim who was put at the garden of Eden to do nothing but guard the entrance to the garden and to guard the tree of life. The cherubim have a responsibility to guard God's holiness, to guard God's holiness.
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Now, let's look at this, ponder this question If angels need to be organized to serve God and to do His will, how much more do you and I, as believers, have to be well organized in order to serve God and to do His will? For you see, there are so many things that God has instructed us to do, like fulfill the Great Commission, to make disciples of all the nations. There are so many things that we, as Christians, have been charged with doing. And if we are not well organized as a church, in the same way that the angels are organized, to worship God, to serve God, to minister to God and to reach this world. Brothers and sisters, we need to be well organized as a local church and as the worldwide church in order to fulfill the mission that God has given us to do Well. Let me ask you another question what exactly do angels do? We see what they're like. What exactly do angels do? Well, we know that angels minister to Jesus.
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In the New Testament, we see that the angels predicted his birth. We know that they announced his birth. We know that they protected him as a baby and they warned Joseph and Mary to flee down into Egypt. We know that they strengthened him after his temptation and they prepared to defend him. When he was in the garden of Gethsemane, he told his disciples do you not know that I could appeal to my heavenly father and that legions of angels would come to my defense? Now, of course, he didn't cry out to his father for their defense, but Jesus tells us that the angels were ready to defend him if he requested it. They strengthened him in the garden of Gethsemane after he prayed. The Bible tells us that the angels came and ministered to him and then, at his resurrection, the angels were the ones who rolled away that giant stone. And then the angels announced his resurrection. When the three women came to anoint his body with spices, it was an angel who said to them he is not here, he is risen, as he said. So you see, the angels were very active in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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But angels also minister to believers. They help to answer our prayers. Just think about it In Acts, chapter 12, when Peter was in prison and the disciples were gathered together and praying for his release. Well, the Bible says that an angel of the Lord appeared in the middle of the night and struck Peter on his side and told him to get up, put on his shoes and the prison doors were open and the chains fell from his wrists and ankles and he told him exactly where to go. It was an angel who delivered Peter from the prison.
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We also know that angels give encouragement in time of danger. We also know that angels give encouragement in time of danger. If you remember when Paul was on the ship and it was caught in a storm for days and days and days, that in the very end in Acts, chapter 27, verse 23 and 24, paul stood up and he told all the men to not be afraid. He said this very night, an angel of the Lord appeared to me and said don't be afraid, and told me that the ship would be spared and that all the men who are with me would be spared. You see, an angel gave him encouragement in time of danger.
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We also know that angels care for believers in a time of death. In Luke 16, 22, there's a parable that Jesus tells about the rich man and Lazarus, and at the very end it says the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom. So we know, because Jesus tells us that the angels were there and were involved in taking the poor man away at his death. But also in Jude 9, we also know that Michael was there to dispute with Satan over Moses' body. Now, why was Michael there, the archangel? He was there to care for Moses at his death and to carry his body away. So angels care for believers at the time of their death.
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We know that believers minister to angels. On the other hand, believers minister to angels. How, you might ask? Well, by showing them exactly what redemption means in life. In Luke 15, 10, the Bible says that there's joy in the presence of the angels when one sinner repents. You see, you and I, in our life, when we repent, when we lead a sinner to repent, we demonstrate to the angels what redemption actually means.
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And then there's another thing that we should consider, and this is on a much grander scale. The angels actually minister to nations, the entire nations of the world. For you see, the Bible tells us that the archangel Michael is a guardian of Israel. In Daniel, chapter 12 and verse 1, he is very plainly a guardian of the entire nation of Israel. And in Daniel 10, he is referred to as well. There is an angel there who is referred to as the prince of Persia, and this angel opposed Michael, the archangel, for three weeks while Daniel was praying. We also see that in the book of Revelation, in chapter 8, chapter 9, and chapter 16, during the time of the trumpet and the bowls, the time of tribulation, in the very end time when the judgments are poured out on the world, the angels are the ones who were there to execute judgment on entire nations during the tribulation. Well, we also see from scripture that angels minister to unbelievers. In the book of Acts, it was an angel who punished Herod for his pride, and at the end of the age, it is the angels who are the reapers who separate the wicked from the righteous. Matthew, chapter 13, tells us that very plainly.
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Now let me close by saying this I want to caution you about one thing. Many years ago I was with a group of believers who had a book, and it was a book about angels. It was a very thick book about angels and this book described literally dozens and dozens of angels, and it gave these angels names. It even had pictures of these angels. It had biographies of these angels and described their life and the things that these angels did. But there was only one problem it was all speculative.
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None of these angels were mentioned in the Bible, and this group of Christians were spending many hours and days studying this book of angels and it was very obvious to me that they had gone down a rabbit hole. They were worshiping this book of angels and it was very obvious to me that they had gone down a rabbit hole. They were worshiping this book of angels, they were involved with angelology. They were not worshiping the true and living God. They were not worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ, but they had got into a cult, a cult of worshiping angels. And I tried to very politely, gently correct them, but the whole group of them turned on me with great vehemence and it was very plain to me that they had become ensnared in a cult of worshiping angels.
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And I just want to caution you that in the Bible, whenever an angel appeared to men, sometimes the men would fall on their knees in great fear and they would begin to worship the angels.
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And always, in every instance, the angels would say don't do that, worship God, don't do that, worship God.
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And, brothers and sisters, we should never fall into a trap of spending our time studying and worshiping angels. There's only one true God, there's only one true Savior, there's only one who went to the cross, who died and rose again, who purchased our redemption with his blood and who will one day come again with thousands of his saints to make all things right and establish his throne for a thousand years on David's throne in his millennial kingdom, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true king, who is the king of all the nations, who is the king of all the ages, who is the king of glory and brothers and sisters, worship the true king Now. Next week we'll study Satan, lucifer, our adversary, and the week after that we'll study a little bit more about demons. And I encourage you to return and listen with us as we continue our study in the book of Daniel. You're listening to devotions with Dr Papa. I pray that the Lord will bless you real good.
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Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry, dr Jackson's books, or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, instagram or their webpage at jacksonfamilyministrycom. This podcast is produced by Bob Sloan Audio Production at bobsloancom.