Hope in the Time of Trouble

One can get quite discouraged when speaking about times of trouble, as I did yesterday. We naturally want to hear words of hope and possibility, words that tell us the future is open to endless potential. And it is, but not simply because we insist that it is. I'm focusing this week upon Daniel 12 where I find the words,

"At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. . . But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. . ."

What are these mysterious words all about? Who is this Prince Michael? What charge has he received? Are you and I included in the people to be delivered?

First a bit about Prince Michael, archangel. Besides this passage, only three times is his name found in Holy Scripture:

Daniel 10:12-14 -Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come."

Jude 1:8-10 -"In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them."

Revelation 12:7-9 - " And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."

Other church fathers suggested he was 

• the cherub who stood at the gate of the garden of Eden to guard access to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). 
• the angel through whom the Lord God gave his people the ten commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)
• the angel that prevented Balaam and his donkey from proceeding (Numbers 22:21-35)
• the angel that routed Sennacherib's army when it surrounded Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:35-36)

Whatever you make of all this, we are assured by God's revealed Word that we have spiritual armies fighting at our side against the darkness, destruction and terror of these days in which we live. Based upon the Scriptures listed, that does not suggest that our faith in God's love and mercy will be untested. We will all face doubts, anxiety, confusion and terror. Those are the weapons of the powers of darkness. But we have many promises assuring us that both in this present time and at the end of this time Satan and his demons are and will be defeated. 

None of us likes war, but we are at war. Therefore, we must take the words of the Apostle in Ephesians 6:10-18 most seriously:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."