Mims Chapel Church 

LESSON 11 • Third Week

DANIEL'S VISION
OF AN ANGEL

Background Reading                          Devotional Reading
Daniel 10:7-15; Judges 2:1;                  Daniel 8:15-16, 9:20-21
Psalm 34:7; Hebrews 1:6-14;
Colossians 1:16; 2 Peter 2:4

Central Verse
"And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of Princes; but he shall be broken without hand."
Daniel 8:25 KJV


"He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will de­stroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of Princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power."
Daniel 8:25 NLT


Key Terms

Sovereignty—A supreme power, especially over a politically organized unit.

Intervention—The act of interfering with the outcome or course, especially of a condition or process.
Unprecedented—Having no precedent; not done or experienced before.

Blasphemies—Great disrespect shown to God or to sacred persons or things.

Culminate—To reach the highest or a climactic or decisive point.

Introduction

The word "angel" means messenger. Angels are God's heavenly messen­gers or servants who were created before the earth. All angels were created good, but some of them became corrupt because of the corrupt environ­ment that they became a part of. They had the freedom of choice, and some of them chose to join in Satan's rebellion against God (Ezekiel 28:12-17).

The Bible speaks of a host of good angels. There are several categories of angels. Only three angels are called by name in the Bible. Michael, who is called the archangel or the leading angel, is the one that Daniel mentioned in Daniel 12:1. He was a great "prince and protector" who battled against Satan and other demonic principalities. Another angel named in the Bible is Gabriel, mentioned in Daniel 9:22. He was the one who interpreted Daniel's visions and announced to Zechariah and Mary the advent of their children. The third angel was named Raphael, who was associated with John 5:1-4.

Discussion

Angels are divided into different ranks. There are Seraphim. Seraphim are fiery angels, with six wings — two used to cover the face, two to cover the feet, and two for flying — who revere God and proclaim His supreme glory and His holiness (Isaiah 6:2). They do not address God directly, but they call out to Him in praise and adoration and give direct service in the heavenly temple. They are mentioned in Isaiah 6:3.

The next class of angels is the Cherubim, winged angelic beings described in Biblical tradition as attending to God; it is said that their wings are as loud as God's voice. Their entire bodies are covered with eyes. They first appear in Genesis 3:24 alongside a flaming, turning sword to guard the Garden of Eden against anyone who might want to try getting back in after Adam and Eve sinned and were put out. They also adorn the cover of the Ark of the Covenant in Exodus 25, the curtains of the tabernacle in Exodus 36, and later, Solomon's temple.

They could always be found guarding against people trespassing where they do not belong. They are considered as the angel of the second highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy. They serve as guides, attendants, and bearers of the throne of God in the Bible. They have human, animal, or birdlike attributes who serve as throne-bearers of God. These Cherubim have four faces that are depicted as an ox, a human, a lion, and an eagle.

Angels are described in many ways throughout the Bible in both the Old and the New Testaments. In many places where they are mentioned in the Bible, it simply refers to them as an "angel of the Lord." These angels act on behalf of God, communicating messages and acting as ministering spirits to those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14).

Throughout the Bible, angels spoke to many people bringing messages from the Highest God. They didn't just speak to people, but they rescued Lot and his family out of Sodom and Gomorrah. One of them opposed Balaam and his don­key, and other angels nearly destroyed Jerusalem for David's sin (2 Samuel 24).

When angels are talked about, it's important to include the account of the vision of Daniel of the Angel. It is one of the most significant events that involves an angel. This vision is one of the most profound and detailed rev­elations given to Daniel. His vision provides insight into spiritual warfare, the role of angels, and the future events of the Jewish nation.

This vision occurred in the third year of Cyrus, King of Persia. Daniel had been in mourning, fasting for three weeks. The timing of this vision is signif­icant because it follows the decree of Cyrus allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem, ending the Babylonian exile.

Daniel received this revelation and gave a very vivid description of what he saw. He said that he lifted his eyes and saw "a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multi­tude" (Daniel 10:5-6, NIV). The presence of the angel was so overwhelming that Daniel's strength left him. He fell into a deep sleep with his face to the ground, because of the awe and fear that he felt from this divine encounter. The angel touched Daniel and strengthened him, enabling him to get up and receive the message.

The angel revealed to Daniel that his prayers were heard from the first day that he began praying and humbled himself before God. However, the Prince of the king­dom of Persia, held up the angel who had the answer for twenty-one days until Michael one of the chief princes came to assist him (Daniel 10:13). This passage gives believers a glimpse into a scene where angelic beings contend against de­monic forces influencing earthly kingdoms. Believers need to know that there are demonic spirits ruling the areas where they live, and sometimes they need to call out those principalities that are interfering with their prayers to God.

Conclusion

The vision gave a detailed prophecy concerning the future of Israel and the fall and rise of empires. He told of events that would affect the future of the Jewish people. This prophecy included the time of the Persian Empire through the Greek Empire and highlighted many popular figures of that time.

The vision culminated in a prophecy about the End Times, including the rise of a king who would exalt himself above every god and speak blasphemies against the God of gods (Daniel 11:36-37). This type is often interpreted as a type of antichrist.

Michael, the archangel, is "the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people." His intervention is associated with a time of unprecedented distress for Israel. Yet, it also promises deliverance for those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Daniel's vision of the angel stands as a profound testament to the sover­eignty of God, the reality of spiritual warfare, and the assurance of divine intervention in the lives of God's people.

Questions

In this lesson, how long had Daniel fasted and prayed?
What caused the answer to his prayer to be held up?
What is the function of angels?
How many angels' names are mentioned in Scripture?
How does Daniel's vision of the angel relate to spiritual warfare?

Essential Thought- "When you pray and it seems like the answer won't come, it may be delayed, but not denied."

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