Angels are on assignment!
If you have been praying about a difficult situation, or find yourself in a space of uncertainty or transition, be encouraged by this prophetic insight from the story of Jacob.
The Holy Spirit is anointing your heart. He is touching your eyes!
You will see that right here, right now—in your current circumstances—God is at work.
The Day Jacob Encounters Angels
At a time of great uncertainty, Jacob comes across a group of angels.
Right now, Jacob is afraid. His family and flocks may be plentiful, but his future direction is unknown.
He is in a time of transition.
- Jacob is yet to wrestle with God and receive the new name “Israel”
- He has yet to confront his past and look into the face of his brother Esau
We read:
“Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place “Mahanaim.” (Gen 32:1-2 NIV)
God has Assigned Angels to You
Double Encampment
“Mahanaim”. The name means, “double camp” (Strong’s, H4266).
- Jacob, his family, and possessions are camped there
- And so is a company of angels
Perhaps, like Jacob, you find yourself in a time of transition. You are “on the way to” something.
Or it may be that God wants to speak to you about the place where you are right here and now.
Hear your Father say, “I am opening your eyes. This is a double encampment. Right here, is Heaven on earth”.
Angels are Here…God is Near
When Jacob meets angels at Mahanaim, the “double encampment”, he is on the way to Jabbok, a place that means “emptying” (Strong’s H2999). His self-will is about to be challenged and broken, in a wrestling match with God.
In the meantime, his mind is loaded with concern.
Jacob is formulating strategies, to protect his family from his brother Esau (Gen 32:7-8).
And he is in “risk management” mode.
Jacob has failed to pick up the clues. “Angels are here; therefore, God is near.”
He is about to have a life-changing encounter with God.
This is Your Spiritual Reality
Jacob passed through Mahanaim, “the double encampment”.
For him, it was a brief sojourn. The township endured, and Mahanaim was mentioned in later accounts of Israel.
Like Bethel—another of Jacob’s stopovers—”Mahanaim” is also symbolic of a spiritual reality we have today in Christ.
Right here, right now. This is Mahanaim.
You can be assured that angels are camped at your current location. It is a double encampment.
The “Heavenly”—that which is of Heaven—is already here with you!
- You have the Holy Spirit—God Himself with you (2 Cor 1:22)
- You are a son, a daughter, a citizen of Heaven (Phil 3:20, Eph 3:19)
- Angels surround you—sent from God’s throne (Heb 1:7,14, Ps 91:11)
Your Prayer Releases Angels
You may have a “Jacob” in your life. Someone who is on a journey, struggling, and needs to encounter God.
The Lord wants you to know, that your prayers are powerful.
As you pray, angels are being released. the Holy Spirit is setting up “Mahanaim moments” for others.
These are the prayers God answers, the ones Jesus taught us to pray—not for God to send angels—but for God’s Kingdom to come!
For His will to be done (Matt 6:10)
The presence and activity of angels is God answering the prayers of those whose eyes are fixed on Him. Who delight in His Presence.
The ones who submit to His rule.
Mahanaim Is Your Constant Reality
We also read in the Bible of a prophet called Elisha.
“Mahanaim” was not just a place Elisha passed through; it was a zone he walked in.
Elisha knew because he was completely surrendered to God’s will, that he was at the epicenter of Heaven’s angelic army.
Wherever he traveled, angels accompanied him. [1]
But it’s important to note that Elisha’s focus was always on God and what was on God’s agenda. He was never distracted by angels, and he did not communicate with them.
- Elisha’s example reminds us that angels are to be kept in the periphery, not the focus of our gaze.
Peripheral vision is what you can see surrounding you, “out of the corner of your eyes”, not what you are directly looking at.
Angelic Power Against the Enemy
One day, Israel’s enemies sent a strong army, with horses and chariots, to capture a single man—the Prophet Elisha!
Elisha assured his distressed servant, “Those that are with us are greater than those who are against us” and prayed, “Lord open his eyes.”
- The servant’s eyes were opened to see the chariots and horses of fire up in the hillside (2 Kings 6:17)
Elisha already knew that a contingent of angels was there.
He knew that the camp of the Lord—”Mahanaim”—was mobile, and traveled with him.
So if you are struggling today. If the spiritual battle against you has been fierce, this is also God’s word to you:
“Those that are with you are greater than those who are against you.”
And, “You, dear child, are from God and have overcome them, because the ONE WHO IS IN YOU is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Related posts:
- Angels: 5 Powerful Reasons to Test Angelic Encounters
- 9 Lessons on Angels: The Chariots of God are Coming!
- 5 Ways Angels Help You in Spiritual Warfare
Notes:
[1] Bible references linking Elisha with angels: 2 Kings 2:11, 2 Kings 6:17, 2 Kings 7:6) This account of Elisha is from 2 Kings 6.
Thanks to Prophet David McCracken for the word “epicenter”. He says, “Their [the angels’] central point of focus, their epicenter, was Elisha! They were “around” Elisha. Their geography was determined by Elisha’s geography. Where he was, they were!”
© 2019 Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching
Enliven Ministries: Prophetic Ministry for a Revival Generation
Amen!
I recently had cataract surgery and my vision has been out of focus. And my daily prayer for this year has been Thy will be done here as it is in heaven. And I have been asking Father God to open the eyes and hearts of all Believers so that we see what is truly going on and put an end to all the deception. So this word has come right on time!
Thank you, God bless you.
I’m praying for you right now, for your eyesight to be fully restored, in Jesus’ Name!
Oh yes Lord, open our eyes to see, sensitize our hearts to know you and to know truth.
Well Helen you sure are accurate. I’m battling eye disease big time, my vision getting a beating in spirit and body. Hanging into God’s promises but the Mexico insists it’s getting worse. “Who’s report shall I believe?”
John Mellor has prayed for me a month ago..but I so needed encouragement today. Thank you so much
Jilly
Jilly, I’m praying for your faith to be uplifted and for God’s power to be released into your eyes right now, for reversal of the disease, in Jesus’ Name.
You are His beloved!
Thank you so much for the word of prophecy. I am really blessed by the word of God. May God increase you and your ministry in Jesus mighty name.
Amen and thank you Stella
This word is mine , am really in a moment of distress not knowing what to do .As thou my prayers has reached yet before God .I have been praying and trusting God for a financial breakthrough to start (7th sept.) college but there has been some delay .I believe this word in for me .
Father, I thank you .
Daniel, I’m praying for you right now, that you will have wisdom from God and see clearly what He is doing
Helen,
This word is soooo cmforting we know Holy Spirit is with us yet this creates a picture in our mind that God’s Heavenly army is always with us. Thank you
Yes amen, Kathy 🙂
Hi Helen.. a very timely and encouraging word.
2 years ago as i started formal ministry you ministered in my church over the staff and spoke of Aaron’s rod and spiritual authority on my life. Last month that role finished (unexpectedly) and i completed working this week.
Next week i am having a 5 hour spinal operation..(unexpectedly brought forward so i feel like i am in a whirlwind instead of ‘resting’) and i have problems with both hips that worry my recovery.. so in the natural.. yes! Transition, change and the unknown…at the door with a few sore hips thrown in for good measure as well as crippling back and nerve pain which hopwfully will be healed permanantly..
I have been praying for new vision (His) and for new eyes to see. I am a worship intercessor and am hoping to rest in this time just with my Jesus. Pain is a horrible controlling distractor though… and the Holy Spirit can feel so far away.
Re reading Jacobs story is a clear reminder God is closest to Jacob at that moment AND he is met by angels along the way! Oh i want to see where God is with me in this!
But when your word said we can pray for those Mahanaim moments for others my heart broke open.. one of our sons is wrestling desperately having lost his faith and has invited strongholds into his life.. gambling, drugs, alcohol, love of money etc creating terrible anger and depression…He has moved home with us 6 months ago. He is 20.
Whatever my new situation becomes, your word has reminded me i can fight spiritually for Him in this time in prayer until the battle is won as he is called of God! And that his moment with the sovreign Lord is coming! And that wether i can see or feel the Holy spirit in this new and sudden wilderness… He is right here now. Please pray for the eyes of my heart and for my son.And Thank you so much for the word!
Hi Ries, I’m sorry to hear of the issues you are facing and pray for a powerful touch from God before you go into the op and during for absolute mastery of skill in the hands of the Holy Spirit, for it to be a success. And for your son and family situation. I pray that the same move of God my husband and I are experiencing, a sense of being in an environment that is saturated with God’s Presence and activity, a Mahanaim, will be yours! May he encounter Jesus’ personal love for him and never be the same!
Thank you Helen.
Praise to God for His faithfulness and new insights into His word!
You are a blessing!