Library 3.0

A. Three Primary Functions of Angels

1. Psalm 148:2, 5 – Praise and worship unto God.

2. Hebrews 1:7, 14 – Ministering spirits, flames of fire to render service to those who will inherit salvation.

3. Psalm 103:20-21 – Angels excel in strength, obey the voice of His word, and perform God's word.

Five Foundational Premises Regarding God, Men, Prayer & Angels

A. Believers are co-workers with Christ
God's resources are released by man's invitation through intercession.

B. God hears and answers prayers
Prayer and intercession influences or helps determine the destiny of individuals and the direction of nations.

C. There is an innumerable company of angels available
Heaven's army of angelic hosts is waiting for their next assignment and are ready to be dispatched (unemployed angels).

Jeremiah 33:22 As the hosts of Heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured...

Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels...

D. Angels are involved in both the spiritual and practical affairs of mankind
Angels are released from God's throne in Heaven into the affairs of man. They are involved in all facets of life in both the spiritual and in everyday normal activities of man.

E. Angels are used to deliver God's answers to man's prayers
Angels are especially utilized and involved in delivering the answers too

Three Scriptural Examples of Angelic Intervention Through Intercession

A. With Abraham and Lot – Lessons from Genesis 18 and 19

1. Genesis 18 – Prayerful example of Abraham's intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah.

2. Genesis 19:1 – Two angels tell Lot's situation.

3. Genesis 19:11 - The ungodly men outside Lot's house are stricken with blindness.

4. Genesis 19:16 – Next, the angels lead Lot and his family out of the city before the destruction takes place (this demonstrates the compassion of God).

5. Genesis 19:22 – "Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until..." This shows God's desire to deliver the righteous before the judgment occurred.

6. Genesis 19:29 – "God remembered Abraham" (this is the key verse). What did God remember? Abraham's intercession!

B. With Peter and the Church – Lessons from Acts 12:5-19

1. Acts 12:7-10 – Peter was kept in jail, and an angel appeared to him. A light shone, the angel woke Peter up, and the two chains which had held him fell off. He was told to"Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals." He then passed by two guards, the iron gate to the prison opened, and he goes out into the street as the angel departed.

2. Acts 12:11-19 – Next, Peter goes to the house of John Mark's mother where many had gathered to pray for him. A young woman named Rhoda came to the door. She knew Peter's voice and went to tell the others; however, "You're crazy!" was their response. "No, it is his angel." Peter kept on knocking. They went to the door, and opening it, were amazed. It really was Peter! This caused such excitement that Peter had to admonish them to calm down and not be so noisy in their excitement to see him delivered out of the hand of Herod and those Jewish authorities who had sought to end his life.

Peter told them to inform James and the other apostles that he was alright after all. When the matter became known to the wicked king, he demanded the lives of the jail keepers as punishment that they had somehow managed to allow Peter to escape.

3. Acts 12:5-12 – The emphasis is on verses 5 and 12. What was the Church doing before the angel was released? Praying fervently! Thus we have another example of angelic intervention as a result of man's intercession.

The Relationship of Prayer, Judgment, and Mercy

A. Read Revelation 8 and 16

1. Revelation 8:3-7

a. First: Angels gather the praise and prayer of the saints (verse 4),
b. Second: Which goes into the censer with the fire on the altar before God (verses 3, 5).
c. Third: They are thrown back down to earth. (Remember, what goes up, must come down!)

2. Why? How does this work?

a. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
b. There are always pockets of mercy established amidst the historic righteous judgments of God.

3. Revelation 8:5 – Then voices, thundering, lightning, earthquakes (signs and wonders) are released.

4. Revelation 8:6 – Then angels prepare to blow trumpets so that the righteous end-time judgments of God begin.

5. The supernatural activities in Revelation 16 are inter-related to those found in Revelation 8.

B. Zephaniah 2:1-3 Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame, before the decree takes effect – the day passes like the chaff – before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger comes upon you. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the LORD'S anger.

The prophet Zephaniah again gives us the principle that the Lord gives time for His people to gather themselves together and call on His name before His judgments, anger, or ordinances are released. His desire is that we be hidden in such a day.

C. A Vivid Dream While in Jerusalem
On the Day of Atonement in 2005, I was given a series a detailed dreams while in Jerusalem, Israel. In one of these dreams, I was shown three angels each holding a shofar or a ram's horn.

The first angel stood in rapt attention and had already blown its trumpet. When the sound of the horn went forth, the word "calamity" was released. The word "natural disasters" appeared in the dream, indicating the increase of hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and such phenomena. Next in the dream, I saw a second angel step forward and put a shofar to its mouth to blow. Out came a sound declaring "plagues" were being released. This appeared to be a pronouncement that was happening right at that moment.

But in this experience, a third angel was standing behind observing what was transpiring. This angel had not yet been commissioned to release its sound. I was not told what the pronouncement of this third angel would be at that time. But the most important thing, I was keenly aware that there was yet time to intercede before the declaration took place.

Intercession results in breakthroughs and intervention! It creates a postponement or even pause in the activity so man can respond and be prepared.

D. Ezekiel 9:3-6 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; and the Lord said unto him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." And to the others he said in mine hearing, "Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary." Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

1. The angel was told by God to mark the intercessors.

2. What was the mark put upon the foreheads of the people?Some say the mark was the Hebrew letter Taw, the final letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which resembles an "X" or the Cross of Christ. Jack Hayford comments from the Spirit-Filled Life Bible, which he edited, that this mark, placed by a seventh warrior angel "clothed with linen" (verse 3), was for protection (see Revelation 7:3) and symbolized that God would spare the righteous remnant.

3. Who received this mark from the angel? All who sighed and groaned over the abominations of the city of Jerusalem were privileged to receive this sign of protection.

Conclusion

Yes, it is true! Angelic intervention is released in response to man's intercession. It is time to intercede! Let Heaven's angelic army be released into the affairs of man as a result of our invitation called prayer! Let intercession arise! Let God's secret agents be released!

C. With Daniel – Lessons from Daniel 9 and 10

1. Daniel 9:20-23 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 of 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."

2. Daniel 10:12-14 Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future."

3. Daniel 10:20-21 Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince."

Blessings!