Angelic Protection in the Time of Trouble

In the day of fierce trial He [Christ] will say, “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.” What are the chambers in which they are to hide? They are the protection of Christ and holy angels. The people of God are not at this time all in one place. They are in different companies, and in all parts of the earth.
I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together in companies, and living in the most solitary places. Angels provided them food and water, while the wicked were suffering from hunger and thirst.
During the night a very impressive scene passed before me. There seemed to be great confusion and the conflict of armies. A messenger from the Lord stood before me, and said, “Call your household. I will lead you; follow me.” He led me down a dark passage, through a forest, then through the clefts of mountains, and said, “Here you are safe.” There were others who had been led to this retreat. The heavenly messenger said. “The time of trouble has come as a thief in the night, as the Lord warned you it would come.”
In the time of trouble just before the coming of Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be no security for the transgressor of God’s law. Angels cannot then protect those who are disregarding one of the divine precepts.
In the closing period of earth’s history the Lord will work mightily in behalf of those who stand steadfastly for the right. . . . In the midst of the time of trouble–trouble such as has not been since there was a nation–His chosen ones will stand unmoved. Satan with all the hosts of evil cannot destroy the weakest of God’s saints. Angels that excel in strength will protect them, and in their behalf Jehovah will reveal Himself as a “God of gods,” able to save to the uttermost those who have put their trust in Him.
Maranatha p. 270
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Prayer Requests
——Would appreciate more prayers for Ed. He has something wrong since yesterday afternoon. He has slept most of today. It’s something in the back of his head and neck again but it’s not messing up his speech this time. Wish we knew what was going on. Carol
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Dear Friends,
Most forwards that I receive only get a glance. There are so many and they circulate for years until the truth of Solomon’s statement seems to apply, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” Ecc 1:9 There are a few, however, that I always read. One of those is the “Darwin Awards” that tell the unusual and amusing things people sometimes do that seem reasonable to them but are usually (but not always) fatal. My favorite is the man who decided to impress his girlfriend by flying over her house in a lawn chair. The helium-filled weather balloons he had tied to the chair quickly jetted him to a height of 10, 000 feet. He was finally rescued. I doubt his girlfriend was impressed in the way he had intended.
We shake our head and wonder whatever caused that man to think his plan would work. Yet, we, too, like to think that we are invincible. We laugh at warnings and tend to think that it couldn’t happen to us. In reality we do something that is even worse than the people on the Darwin Awards have done. When we toy with sin, when we cling to it, when we feed it by practicing it over and over again, we soon find that we are weak slaves of the devil and unable to stand in our own strength. Indeed, our strength to fight against the evil one is nothing but weakness and we will end up in as fatal a position as most of the candidates for those yearly awards.
David knew where his strength lay. Our strength lies in the same place. He said, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Ps 46:1 Because of meditating upon the goodness of our Great Creator, David became ” a man after (God’s) own heart” 1 Samuel 13:14 Through relying on God’s strength, David was able to deliver Israel from the hand of their enemies.

We, too, can daily have the guidance and help that we need. We, too, can have that close walk with the Lord that He yearns for us to have. Yea, we must have, for we have an enemy far more dangerous than the Philistines were in David’s time. This enemy is constantly on our track trying to deceive, trying to draw us away from the One Who loves us so. Peter advises, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 Without special help from our Dear Saviour, we will be overcome. We will not be able to discern the true from the false. We can call upon the One Who is Mighty to Save. He will hear and answer the sincere prayer for help. He does not leave us to fight the battle alone. He bids us, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.” Eph 6:11-18 In these last days of earth’s history, we need especial help of that armour.
May we “study to show (ourselves) approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” that we may clothed with the armour of God. 2 Tim 2:15 May we daily receive the eyesalve of spiritual discernment that the True Witness freely offers. “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” that we may have the wisdom that is ours for the asking. Rev 3:18 (James 1:5)
May we go forward each day in the strength of the Lord resisting the foe in His might, asking for the guidance that He longs to give us, allowing Him to change us into His image is my prayer. (1 Peter 5:9; Ps 32:8; 2 Cor 3:18)
Rose