ALIVE: Chapter 89 Gabriel

As the dance of the moon and sun and earth went on and on for a million years with only the most subtle outward variations, and the most magnificent inner variations, the spirits sorted themselves into two camps, i.e. jealous, hostile spirits who never ceased to exercise their power by causing all manner of conflicts, accidents, and disturbances on the earth, and the spirits who recognized their inferiority to God and appreciated the Creation of the universe, and served God and the humans that were made in His image and likeness. 

The spirits preexisted the creation of the universe. Because they existed without beginning. The spirits, both enthusiastic and hostile were in creation. They were not named in the creation story, because they were not created, but were always there in the sky and on the earth, without substance and yet with a powerful and mysterious presence, with minds. When the spirits discovered that they could gain substance by inhabiting men and animals, the evil spirits and the humble spirits rejoiced alike for different reasons. The evil spirits proudly characterized themselves as evil because they opposed the Creator. The hostile spirits gravitated to the darkness that they always knew before the creation of light and the sun. They hid in darkness to mask their intentions. With spiritual hubris, the opposing spirits were weaker than God, but at the same time were able to cause trouble. God allowed that, knowing that He could use them. He allowed the defiant spirits to rule the world. Both good angels and evil demons occupied the earth and used men’s souls as a playground, but it wasn’t playing. God allowed the evil spirits to challenge and test men’s souls. Through the evil spirits God could sort out those worthy to live with new immortal bodies in His Kingdom. What the hostile spirits meant for evil, God turned to good. Every time. God creates. Evil destroys. 

God employed His cooperative angels in His work on earth too. He ordered the spirits and the humans: thrones and saints, archangels and kings, angels and common men. Hierarchy exists. It is meaningful and purposeful. 

From time to time, when it serves His purpose, God allows the angels to become apparent to men. Their appearance, in order to be perceived by humans takes on the form and appearance of a man, but without human limitations such as the need for food, or sleep, or the distortion of life in sickness and death. 

Three higher archangels, became emissaries of God on the earth as recorded in His sacred Book. These Archangels were appointed to be links between the worlds of spirit and of flesh to the point that they were given names Gabriel, the communicator, Michael, the warrior, and Raphael, Tobias’ guide. 

For the purpose of this record of Life, ALIVE, the reader will look at  one of the three known as Gabriel. In the sacred record Gabriel has three fundamental roles. “He” visited the prophet Daniel to explain to him the vision and warn him of the end times. Centuries later, Gabriel returned to announce the birth of John, the forerunner and Baptist, and finally as recorded Gabriel announced the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ to his Virgin mother, Mary. 

The archangel Gabriel is a link, a golden cord that joins the old world to the new one. There are three, even four worlds. The primal world of darkness and void, the world of the new creation with its story of humankind and with its focus on the one large family of Israel, and the new world in which the covenant of Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who expanded God’s people to include every nation, and finally the future world of immortality.  

The covenant between God and Abraham, that made Abraham the father of many nations, made that family a control group for God. Through Abraham God was given a family through which He could become known to all of humankind. 

When God made man on the sixth day, He made him in His image and likeness, with His unique intellect and His unique emotions, God set men free from the Garden of Eden, into a dangerous world to use his tremendous powers of intellect, creativity and reason. However, the evil spirits would be a constant threat and distraction.

Then, according to plan, when the time was right, God condescended to become a human, from the zygote up. 

With one hand grasping the prophet Daniel, outstretching the other hand to grasp the hand of the chosen virgin maiden, Gabriel linked the two worlds of the Planet Earth.

Daniel. 8:15

When I Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. Then someone appeared standing before me, having the appearance of a man, and I heard a human voice by the Ulai River, calling, “Gabriel, help this man understand the vision.” So he came near where I stood; and I became frightened and fell prostrate. But he said to me, “Understand O mortal, that the vision is for a time of the end.”

As he was speaking to me, I fell into a trance, face to the ground; then he touched me and set me on my feet. He said, “Listen, and I will tell you what will take place later in the period of wrath; for it refers to the appointed time of the end.” 

Daniel 9:20

While I was speaking, and was praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God - while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen before in a vision, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He came to me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you wisdom and understanding. At the beginning of your supplications the word went out, and I have come to declare it, for you are greatly beloved. So consider the word and understand the vision: 

Daniel 10:5-6

I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like lightening, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the roar of a multitude. 

Luke 1:5-25

In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.” Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. When his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”

Luke 1: 26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Proof of the inferiority of evil spirits abounds upon the earth. The evil spirits can not prevent God from anything that He chooses to do. They can wreak havoc, but they can never, ever, ultimately prevail. They are destined for their own destruction. Being parasites they must feed on others, entering men and beasts. They have no material existence of their own. People who are ALIVE know this. They conquer evil by clinging to God who is the only more powerful Good and Holy Spirit.