These are notes on the sermon, Can You See The Angels Protecting You?, preached by Pastor Joseph Prince on Sunday, 2 February 2020, at The Star Performing Arts Centre, Singapore. We hope these sermon notes will be an encouragement to you!
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We have been seeing all kinds of healing testimonies in recent years.
In last year’s Vision Sunday message, Pastor Prince mentioned that China would be at the forefront of the news. We saw this happen at the end of 2019 when the coronavirus started spreading in and from China. This tells us that nothing takes the Lord by surprise, and He gives answers and insights to His church.
In the times we’re living in, the world will get darker and darker but the glory of the Lord will rise upon us, the church, and will be seen on us (see Isa. 60:2).
This year, we will experience the Lord of time and space working for our good. The theme of the year is for God’s people, it is not for the people of the world.
We are living in the last days. The Lord Jesus said that there will be pestilences before He returns (see Luke 21:11). When we see these things happening, we need to know that God is not the one who is sending them.
Pastor Prince explains how certain verses in the Bible that talk about God causing bad things to happen can be more accurately translated. For example, the verse in Exodus 9:12 that says, “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh'' is actually in the permissive tense, not active tense, in the original Hebrew. This means the Lord allowed Pharaoh's heart to be hardened. In the end, He saved His people from Pharaoh's tyranny and the whole story became a testimony of His grace and glory.
Also, God respects man’s free choice. There are instances in the Old Testament when the children of Israel rejected God and worshipped other gods, and God lifted His hand of protection from them. But it is because they didn’t want Him as their God anymore.
For God to lift His hand of protection from His people pains Him deeply. That’s why when Israel rejected Jesus when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, He wept bitterly because He knew that great suffering would come upon them since they refused His help and His protection. Even now, He is still yearning over His people and working behind the scenes to bring them back to Him.
If you don’t want the Lord to be your God, He won’t force Himself on you. God won’t influence your life if you don’t want Him to—that’s the free choice He has given to you.
But the Bible says, “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12 NKJV). If you’re a child of God, you are covered by His protection and you don’t need to live in fear!
You have access to His divine protection. All you have to do is to ask!
In the year of time and space, God will put you at the right place and at the right time!
This coronavirus isn’t from God. Our God is not a God who sends diseases. When you go to heaven, you won’t find any sickness or disease there. Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This also means, “As there is no sickness or disease in heaven, Thy will be done in my life and in my family.”
Recap of what Pastor Prince shared in his last message:
The first 2 recorded miracles that Jesus performed in the gospel of John happened in Cana of Galilee:
Jesus is the Lord of time and space.
Pastor Prince encourages us to live life unafraid of what is happening around us right now. Your heavenly Father doesn’t want you to be hiding at home, fearful of every little cough or sneeze from the people around you. That’s what the devil wants—for us to be isolated and hiding in fear.
The theme of this year, Time and Space, is based on the Temple of Solomon—where the chambers get progressively bigger the higher up you go.
This year, God wants to bring you to broader spaces.
“The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.”
— 1 Kings 6:6 KJV
When you think of the temple, don’t think of it just as a structure, a physical building. The temple is a picture of us—the church. The Bible describes us as “living stones” in the temple (see 1 Pet. 2:5). God sees us as living stones that make up His temple where He dwells. He wants to dwell in the midst of His people.
The chambers that are at the side of the temple did not exist in the Tabernacle of Moses (God’s first dwelling place among His people). The chambers are for the priests.
Today, the Bible calls us king-priests (1 Peter 2:9). The priests entered the presence of God to praise and worship Him. That’s our priesthood ministry—to live a life that gives glory to God. As kings, when we speak, there is power. That’s why we should speak Psalm 91 (the prayer of protection) over ourselves. We also have the power, in Jesus’ name, to speak healing where there is sickness and to speak peace where there is disorder.
Jesus alluded to the three chambers in the Temple of Solomon when He was in the upper room with His disciples:
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would not have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
— John 14:2 NKJV
“In My Father’s house are many mansions” — When Jesus said that there were many mansions in His Father’s house, He was alluding to the Temple of Solomon. In the Temple of Solomon, the priests could, for the first time, live near to God; they could dwell with God in His temple.
In the Old Testament, people were usually afraid of being near God because of sin on their conscience. Guilt and condemnation caused them to be fearful of being punished when they came into God’s presence. But we who have been redeemed by the finished work of Christ can rest in His presence because our conscience has been cleared.
All our sins were punished in Jesus Christ’s body once and for all at the cross. According to the law of double jeopardy, the same crime cannot be tried twice, so all our sins that have been punished in Jesus’ body cannot be punished in ours today. God cannot punish us for our sins again.
Now, God deals with us as His children; He deals with us as father would his child. God will never use disease, accidents, or tragedies to correct us. But He does use His Word, and sometimes He uses frustrating situations to help us learn and grow.
You need to know that God is not the one behind your heartbreak. The One who takes care of you had His heartbroken at the cross so that He can mend yours.
Jesus always draws close to those who are hurting. When two of His disciples were on the road to Emmaus, discouraged over the news of His death, the Lord Himself appeared to them to talk with them and minister to them. In good times, God can send people like pastors, leaders, and even your friends as His messengers to celebrate with you and encourage you. But when you’re going through a trial, Jesus Himself draws near.
His heart is to be with those in sorrow. He wept at Lazarus’ tomb even though He knew that He was going to raise him to life again. He wept because He empathized with Mary and Martha.
Jesus knows how to enter into our sorrows; His power doesn’t exempt Him from being sorrowful when we are sorrowful. He broke His heart to mend our hearts. He shed tears to dry ours.
In the Bible, the word “save” is a very rich word.
In Greek (New Testament), the verb is “sozo” and the noun is “soteria.”
In Hebrew (Old Testament), the verb is “yasha” and the noun “yeshua.”
We see in the Bible that when Jesus heals someone and says, “Your faith has healed you,” the word “healed” is the word “sozo.” It doesn’t just mean “to save from hell,” but it also means “to heal.”
“For the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
— Deuteronomy 20:4 NKJV
“To save you” — This is the Hebrew word “yasha”:
The noun form of “yasha” is “yeshua”:
“Yeshua” is Jesus’ name in Hebrew. It has the extra letter “vav,” which is a picture of a nail. Jesus saved us by being nailed to the cross for us. More than anything else, Jesus came to be our Savior.
He isn’t just an exemplar. Even though He is a great example, Jesus didn’t come to be a great example for us to follow, He came to save. His primary function is to save and He’s good at saving you, not just from our sins but in every area of our lives.
“Yasha” has also got to do with the theme of the year, Time and Space.
“yasha” — means to save, to heal, and to deliver. According to Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, it also means “to be spacious, ample, broad, figuratively to be opulent. The signification of ample space is in Hebrew applied to liberty, deliverance from dangers and distresses, as on the other hand narrowness of space is frequently used of distresses and dangers.”
“ample space” — Or wide, broad space signifies deliverance, salvation, and liberty.
“narrowness of space” — Narrow space signifies danger or distress.
We see this in the Book of Exodus as well. The Hebrew word for Egypt is “Mitsrayim,” which means a place of double straits. Topographically, Egypt is hemmed in by two large bodies of water on each side. It is representative of a place that is narrow and confined, a place of double stress.
The Lord wanted to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt, the land of double stress and distress, and into His promised land of rest.
Likewise, today, the Lord wants to deliver you from always being stressed out and worried. He wants to deliver you into a wide, open space where you can rest easy in His care for you.
This isn’t just about literal and physical spaces. The Lord wants to multiply the space in all areas of your life, including your health, finances, family life, etc.
Jesus heals a lame man
In the third recorded miracle of Jesus in the book of John, Jesus meets a man who has been lame for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda. There were many sick, lame, blind and paralyzed people laying by the pool, waiting for the moving of the water. Whoever stepped in first was made well of whatever disease they had (see John 5:1–5 NKJV).
These conditions for being healed typify the law—the law requires you to have the strength and ability to be healed or achieve the blessing you’re hoping for.
In this miracle, we see how Jesus came to the man who could not get into the water on his own and healed him. He showed Himself as the Lord of both time and space.
Time — Everyone was waiting for the right season for the waters to be moved. Also, the lame man had his condition for a long time, 38 years. Many of us may be saying the same thing as well, “I’ve had this condition for so long, it’s impossible for me to get better.”
Space — Everyone was trying to get into the waters, find their way into the pool. The man was lame so he couldn’t get to the right space he needed to be in.
But Jesus bypassed all those conditions and simply asked him one question: “Do you want to be made well?” And Jesus told the man, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” Immediately, the man was made well (see John 5:5–8 NKJV). He was healed without having to physically walk over and step into the pool of Bethesda, and without waiting for the stirring of the waters.
The Lord is not confined by space or time. He can transcend both space and time to heal, to save, and to deliver you.
During this time of the coronavirus, Pastor Prince encourages us to hold on to God’s Word and His promises, and not let fear rule in our hearts.
The Lord is not caught by surprise by the virus. He is not scrambling to do something about it because He didn’t expect it to happen.
The devil wants to keep us away from the Father’s house. He wants us to be isolated, to be depressed about what is happening around us, and to live in fear.
But the Word says that the Lord is our refuge and our fortress.
The word corona means “crown” in Latin. It was named as such because the virus looks like a crown. Pastor Prince shares Romans 5:17, which says, “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned (like a king) through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
When the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt, Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.” (Exod. 14:13)
“see the salvation of the Lord” — The word “salvation” is the Hebrew word “yeshua.” You don’t have to be afraid when you see Yeshua, Jesus Christ your Savior.
“So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.”
— Exodus 14:30–31 NKJV
The Lord delivered the children of Israel from Egypt, the land of double stress. They looked at their enemies and all they saw were their enemies dead on the seashore.
When the Lord saves, you will see Him defeat the very thing that is causing your fear, stress, and anxiety. Even when it seems like that’s not happening, keep hearing the preached word of faith! For faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God (see Rom. 10:17).
We might not be able to see what God is doing in the natural, but that doesn’t mean that He is not doing anything.
Every name and number in the Bible has a meaning. In the Hebrew, a number is represented by a letter and an accompanying pictogram. For example, the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet “aleph” is also the number “1” and its accompanying pictogram is an ox.
The number 20 is the Hebrew letter “kav,” which is also a picture of an open hand.
In the year 2020, double kav, God’s hands are open toward you to give you double blessings and double protection!
God never plays catch up. The devil does. Sometimes what the devil does is more tangible and visible, he targets our senses, our sight.
But God wants us to walk by faith and not by sight. Many times, we can’t see that God has started something wonderful for us. We can’t see when He is working behind the scenes for us. But He is.
We see an example of this when God wanted to raise a deliverer to set His people free from Egypt. Moses, the deliverer, was born quietly and without any kind of fanfare. No one knew that God was in control and working behind the scenes. But when the devil realized this was the case, he had to play catch up and he had Pharaoh decree that all Hebrew baby boys born throughout the land will be killed. However, the Lord preserved Moses and in a turn of events, He even used his enemies to provide for Moses when he was growing up.
When Jesus Christ was born, it was also a silent affair. No one knew except three wise men.
But when the devil caught wind of this, he made King Herod order all the babies under two years old in Bethlehem to be killed.
If you don’t know what God is doing, look at how the devil is attacking you, and reverse it! If the devil is attacking your health, take heart and expect to see how the Lord has released a great healing anointing upon your life!
Pastor Prince shares the story of John G. Lake, who was a missionary in the early 20th century.
During the Bubonic plague in Africa, he was helping to bury the ones who had died from the plague, yet he never contracted the virus. In fact, it was proven that the cells of the virus died once they touched his skin. He attributed that to this verse, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2).
Because we are in Jesus Christ, we also live by the law of the Spirit of life today! So we don’t need to be afraid. Pastor Prince also encourages us to be wise and not deliberately seek out the virus to test God.
The Lord protects us, but sometimes, He also leads us out of danger to a place of protection.
We see this when Jesus was a baby, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to bring his family to Egypt because King Herod was about to order a decree to kill all the boys under two years old.
This year, pay attention to what God is saying and where He is leading you to. If the Lord prompts you not to travel, follow His leading! It doesn’t mean that staying at home will ensure that you’re completely safe. Don’t put your trust in location or timing, put your trust in the Lord, who is your God of time and space.
Pastor Prince shares a powerful testimony of God’s divine protection that his friend experienced in the 1973 Yom Kippur war. During the war, this man’s platoon was ambushed and in the midst of all the gunfire flying all around him, he remained completely unharmed and unscathed. He shares that as a boy there was a plaque that he always saw in his church that read, “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.” (Psalm 91:7) Even when he became older, that verse remained in his heart.
The best thing we can teach our children is the Word. Put God’s promises of protection in their hearts when they’re young and when they’re old, they will remember those words.
During this time, we observe guidelines for the sake of the safety of our communities and the people around us but ultimately, our trust is still in the Lord, not in the precautions we take.
“So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
— 2 Chronicles 20:20 NKJV
You can receive revelation from your own time of bible study but there is also a portion for us to listen to the preached word. There are many people who think they can just receive from God’s Word directly by reading the Bible on their own. Of course, it’s good for us to read the Word on our own, but God’s Word itself says that God gave gifts to the church—including prophets, preachers, and teachers (see Eph. 4:11). It’s good to read the Bible for yourself, then listen to a sermon or read a devotional where the Word of God is being expounded on through the gift of teaching.
Hearing the Word will fortify your heart. It will give you faith. It will give you protection.
God also protects by giving His angels charge over you.
In these last days, God wants to provide us with angelic help and protection.
God’s divine protection revealed in the Temple of Solomon
“And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper area with gold. In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold. The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub. The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward.”
— 2 Chronicles 3:8–13 NKJV
All of the dimensions of the Temple of Solomon are twice the dimensions of the tabernacle of Moses.
Today, we are focusing on the two huge angels and the ark of the covenant between them.
On the Ark of the Covenant are two angels called “cherubim” facing one another, looking at the mercy seat where the blood of the sacrifice is placed. The cherubim are the highest-ranking angels, and they are the guardians and executors of God’s righteousness. Because we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ, they’re now on our side.
“The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold” — In the Temple of Solomon, even the nails were made of gold. We may not be able to see them because they’re hidden beneath the gold overlaid over everything but it doesn’t mean that the nails are any less important than the other parts of the temple. Sometimes, those who serve in church in the background might not feel like they’re as prominent as the people who are preaching on stage, but that doesn’t make them any less valuable to God.
“In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold...The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward.”
— 2 Chronicles 3:10–13 NKJV
“they faced inward” — The two angels are not looking at the mercy seat, they’re looking at the temple. The ASV says, “their faces were toward the house.” The house speaks of God’s people. Notice how massive the cherubims guarding the house are compared to the cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant? God has charged these big and strong angels to guard the house.
The house of God is not a building, it is the body of Christ, made up of many members. We are the house of God. God’s angels’ wings are fully extended to protect us. This angelic protection isn’t for the world, it is only for those in the house of God.
“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.”
— Psalm 91:9–11 NKJV
“your dwelling place” — Practically, “dwelling place” refers to the house of God where we gather as a church to worship. In the midst of all the news about the virus, it seems logical not to come to church but Pastor Prince encourages us not to forsake the gathering and coming together as a church because this is where the angelic activity is the strongest—where God’s angels are protecting the house.
But if you are feeling unwell, it’s okay to stay at home. But if you’re fine, don’t let fear keep you away from gathering as a church.
“Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling” — The word “dwelling” is the Hebrew word “ohel,” which refers to a tabernacle, a home, or the church. It refers to the gathering of people. God promises that no plague shall come near you, your family, or the church.
“For He shall give His angels charge over you” — The angels are very active in keeping plagues away from God’s people. The word “angels” is in the plural form but “you” is in the singular form. God has given you many angels and no virus can get past these angels and reach you.
Even though you might not be able to see them in plain sight, His angels are all around you today, surrounding and protecting you.
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven…”
— Hebrews 12:22–23 NKJV
Today, we are on Mount Zion. The Temple of Solomon is built on Mount Zion.
“an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn” — The innumerable company of angels are with the church of the firstborn today! The firstborn is Jesus Christ and we are His church.
Elisha’s story: There is more with us than against us
“Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, "Strike this people, I pray, with blindness." And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.”
— 2 Kings 6:14–18 NKJV
“Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” — The angels that are with you are more than the virus that is attacking around us. It’s time for the church to shine and demonstrate God’s power in a world that is full of fear.
“Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” — The angels were there long before the Lord opened Elisha’s servant’s eyes to see them.
Pastor Prince shares a testimony of a lady who was protected by angelic activity from what could have been a terrible car accident.
Pastor Prince prays for those who are fearful and feeling afraid because of what’s in the news. God’s angels are already here with you and they are innumerable; no virus can get past them to you.
We need to guard what we say. When we wake up in the morning, declare Psalm 91 over yourself and your family, declare that the Lord is your refuge and your fortress, declare that He has gone ahead of you and He will protect you.
Because you have made God your dwelling place, even when you don’t have it all together, God will protect you.
Don’t fix your attention on all that everyone else is saying. Fix your attention on God’s Word and His promises of protection. When you’re feeling fearful, instead of feeding on the news, read testimonies from others who have experienced God’s divine protection or have experienced God’s healing power, and be encouraged in your own faith.
Pastor closes the service by sharing a recent testimony of God’s divine protection from a brother attending our church:
“My family and I have been attending New Creation Church for almost four years now. Ten months ago, my son who was just 17 years old joined a flying school just outside of Dallas, Texas in the United States. The first thing we did was to make sure he attended Grace Revolution Church so that he can listen to Pastor Prince’s sermons and get a feel of home.
Recently, he was on one of his training flights with his instructor and was coming in for a landing when the nose wheel of the plane gave way and came through the cockpit. The nose wheel hit the windscreen, shattering it into pieces. The plane then skidded 652 feet on the runway before it came to a complete stop. My son and his instructor managed to run out of the cockpit before it caught fire.
Both of them came out of the plane without even a scratch on them. It can only be the hand of the Lord that protected my son.
Every day before he flew, we would pray over a video call. He would carry the Psalm 91 card from church in his pocket and recite the psalm before every flight. At times, we would also partake of the Communion together. He would also apply anointing oil on himself. Thank you, Pastor Prince, for always praying for our protection.”
“Father, in Jesus name, I rebuke every spirit of fear that is trying to take root in the lives of these precious people who are listening to this word right now. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, be uprooted, come out of their lives, and be bound from them.
Father, we thank You that Your angels surround us and this week as we go forth, I pray, Father, in Jesus’ name, that everyone under the sound of my voice will walk in the protection of Psalm 91. Though a thousand fall at our side and 10,000 at our right hand, it will not come near us. Let no evil happen to them. Let no plague come near them and their family, their dwelling.
And Father, I pray in Jesus’ name, that with long life You satisfy every one of them. Preserve them, protect them, place them throughout this week at the right place at the right time. And Father, preserve every one of them and keep every one of them and their loved ones from every disease, from the Wuhan coronavirus, and from every danger, harm, tragedy and all evil. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, this week, Your will, which is health, wholeness, peace, prosperity come into our lives, Lord. Your will be done in our lives, Lord. In Jesus’ name and all the people say, Amen.
God bless you.”
We hope these sermon notes blessed you! If they did, we encourage you to get the sermon and allow the Lord to speak to you personally as you watch or listen to it.
© Copyright JosephPrince.com 2020
These sermon notes were taken by volunteers during the service. They are not a verbatim representation of the sermon.
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