Seen of Angels
Today’s Verse:
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. ~1 Timothy 3:16
Angels are God’s created spirit beings and "ministers a flame of fire." In Heaven, angels worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness. We see an angel announcing the birth of Christ, at His birth, after the departure of the wise men, after His temptation in the wilderness, as He is praying in the garden of Gethsemane, at His resurrection, and at His ascension. Paul said in Hebrews 2:9 that Jesus "was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death." In other words, Jesus, in His humility, volunteered to die for the sins of man. Let us consider the statement “seen of angels.”
We see their proclamation.
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to Mary and Joseph to announce to them the special roles that both of them would have at the birth of Christ. We see this proclamation as being personal. Gabriel means “man of God.” God sent His angel to personally let them know that they would be God's servants to our Lord Jesus as He entered this world. We see this proclamation as being punctual. In Galatians 4:4, Paul tells us that when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman. God’s timing is always on time and is never late. We see this message as being powerful. It was an authoritative message that required submission and obedience from Mary and Joseph. It announced how God would do the impossible in their lives. It required faith on both their parts, but their faith was rewarded.
We see their praise.
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” The birth of Christ was praised by a large number of angels. We do not know how large a multitude of the heavenly host is, but it implies the idea of a very large number. All of Heaven rejoiced in the fulfillment of prophecy that God incarnate entered into this world. This praise was lovely. Their praise pointed the shepherds to look Heavenward. All praise should be directed to our Lord. Their praise was loud. It was not in a whisper or in a room hidden away. The shepherds heard distinctly, “Glory to God in the highest.” This praise is lasting. Hymns have been written about the birth of Christ and the angel chorus that celebrated it. Just as angels were made to praise the Lord, we were made to praise Him as well.
We see their protection.
In Matthew 2, an angel was sent to Joseph in a dream to take Mary and the Christ Child to Egypt for safety from Herod. This is the second time Joseph had a visit from an angel of the Lord. He promptly obeyed and left for Egypt. When Jesus was in the wilderness, we are told that angels ministered to Him after He successfully defeated the devil in his temptation attempts. Angels are God’s militia and bodyguards who protect us. “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him." We should thank the Lord daily for angelic protection from satanic attacks and avoidance of possible accidents. The devil is a murderer, and without the hedge of God around us, we would be sitting ducks for attack.
Angels love the Lord and are devoted to His service. They remind us that serving the Lord is a privilege and that we should rejoice and worship our Lord at all times.
Have a ministering God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: James 1-5