16. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17. And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19. Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.
20. After they entered the city, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
Elisha was aware of what most are not. He saw God's heavenly protection and prayed that God would open the eyes of his servant so he would not fear. What he saw was a host of angels. What is invisible to man is sometimes how God works and the ways He chooses to work. Unseen angels are one of the facts of spiritual power and protection. No harm will befall Elisha. There are Biblical examples of angels and heavenly forces that keep and care and protect and strengthen God's anointed.
The added glory for the Christian is that now we also have the Holy Spirit living within us. He never leaves!
Billy Graham in his book on Angels, tells of an experience his wife related concerning the Christian witness in China. In 1942 after the Japanese had won the war with China, one morning around 9 AM a Japanese truck stopped outside the bookroom of a Bible bookstore. The Christian shop assistant was all alone and realized with dismay as the soldiers came to seize the stock. As soon as they started to enter a smartly dressed Chinese gentleman entered the shop just ahead of them. The shopkeeper knew most of the customers and the people who traded there. This was a stranger. For some unknown reason, the soldiers seemed unable to follow him. They loitered about looking in the larger windows. For two days hours they stood around, until after 11 and never set foot inside the door. The stranger prayed and encouraged the clerk. Finally the soldiers climbed into their army truck and drove away. The stranger also left without making a single purchase or even inquiring about any items in the shop. Ruth Graham’s father, Nelson Bell, noted this was certainly a God sent messenger for that specific time.
The Gospel Herald recorded the story of a minister who was threatened with his life. The missionary tells of being summoned to someone on whom a tree had fallen. To reach the place he had to pass thought some rough area. Suddenly he was overwhelmed with fear and foreboding. He could not shake it off until he stopped and prayed. He went on. The next day the head bandit in that area was shot, and the missionary was called to his deathbed. The man confessed that on the previous night he had lain in wait in the bushes intending to kill him, but he wondered who those other men were who rode with him. When he told him that he was alone, he was more agitated. “You were not! Two men were with you. One on either side of you and in all my life I never saw such a horse as they rode. Who were they?”
In the excitement the man had a hemorrhage and died. Oh, that we might trust God and his forces to do what we cannot do and to obey in doing when we know he would have us do.
The Psalmist tells us, " The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. ." Psalm 34:7
