The word “angel” in the New Testament means “messenger” and if we could see into the spiritual world that is around us we would be amazed at how much God uses angels to help us in our everyday life. God uses angels to give us wisdom that is beyond our human intellect and insight into things that are beyond our human capability. God uses angels to protect us when we are in a dangerous situation and to guide us around many of the dangers we can’t see. Angels help us in times of our weakness and doubt, and strengthen us with their support even when we think we don’t need any help. And they never accept any praise or glory for what they have done; they give all the glory to God.
The angel Gabriel seems to be one of the angels that God sends when He wants to show us the future, or to explain a vision God has given us. God gave Daniel a vision into the future of the empires of Persia and Greece (Daniel 8:1-14), and it was while Daniel was wondering about this vision that a heavenly Being appeared to him. Some people think that this first heavenly being was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, a theophany, or God Himself. Whoever He was, He told Gabriel to tell Daniel the meaning of the vision (Daniel 8:13-19), and then Gabriel explains the vision to Daniel (Daniel 8:20-26). This is the first place in the Bible where a holy angel is mentioned by name.
Because of seeing this heavenly Being in the form of a man telling this powerful angel named Gabriel to explain this vision, Daniel is so frightened that he falls on his face, and as Gabriel begins to speak Daniel falls into a deep sleep. It is possible that Daniel passed out because of his fear. After Gabriel reached down and raised Daniel up and explained the vision to him, Daniel fainted and was sick for several days (Daniel 8:27). Angels are servants of God, they do what He tells them to do.
Daniel understood from the Scriptures that the 70 years God had told Jeremiah that the Hebrew people would serve the Babylonian king was about over (Jeremiah 25:11). So he starts praying and confessing his sin and the sin of his people Israel, and presenting his supplication before the Lord his God. Daniel was wondering what the future held for the Hebrew people. At the beginning of Daniel’s prayer the command from God went out to Gabriel to go to Daniel. So Gabriel flew swiftly to Daniel to give him understanding and to tell Daniel that he is greatly beloved, and to consider the matter and understand the vision (read Daniel 9:20-23).
Daniel’s life is a good example for us to follow; he was a man who studied the Scriptures and a man of prayer. Even though there is nothing critical of Daniel in the Bible, he always identifies himself as a sinner right along with the other people (read Daniel 9:3-19), not once do we see Daniel getting on a self-righteous trip. The Bible teaches us that God sends angels to answer some of our prayers and that angels can fly swiftly, probably at the speed of light or thought. Angels can also help us see into the spiritual realm and to learn about the future.
Luke tells us about Zechariah and Elizabeth, who had no children because Elizabeth was barren. While Zechariah was fulfilling his obligation of burning incense inside the temple, the angel Gabriel appeared and told Zechariah that Elizabeth would bear him a son and they are to call him John. Zechariah didn’t believe Gabriel because he thought his wife was too old to have a child, and Gabriel answered, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time” (Luke 1:19-20). It seems that Gabriel didn’t like Zechariah’s unbelieving attitude, so he made Zechariah to be mute for a few months.
It seems that God had put Gabriel in charge of the details of His Son’s birth into this world. It was Gabriel who told Daniel about the coming of the Messiah into the world in Daniel 9:23-27, and now, 600 years later, Gabriel is telling Zechariah that His son John would be the one to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. And about six months later Gabriel came to Mary and he announces to Mary that she is going to have a child that will be the Savior of the world. Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Mary’s response was not in unbelief, it was more of “Praise the Lord” and God blessed her above all women.
I believe that the reason we don’t receive more spiritual insight from angels is because our minds are too focused on worldly matters and the desire for material things. We don’t take time to study the Bible and for personal prayer. If we spent one tenth as much time seeking spiritual wisdom and insight as we do for worldly riches, we would be spiritually rich. Your worldly riches will last for your earthly life; your spiritual wisdom and spiritual riches will last for eternity.
The Apostle John wrote, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Your choice of what is important in your earthly life has eternal consequences.