The Heavenly Host, Part 2

God’s angels have witnessed this greatest of all wars in full. They were there at its inception, the first victims of Satan’s lies. They have seen the hideous fall of humanity, the carnage of lost souls, and Satan’s true ambition: to kill the Son of God (Luke 22:3, 4).

What must it have been like for the angels to watch Jesus willingly go to His death, in agonizing suffering, alone, bearing the weight of the world’s sins? What must they have thought and felt as they saw Him, who had “[preached] good tidings to the poor, … [healed] the brokenhearted, … [and proclaimed] liberty to the captives” (Isaiah 61:1), beaten and spit upon and deserted by humans in His hour of need?

How flimsy the devil’s lies would have been to them then, how glaringly obvious that it was the devil—not God—who was the illusionist, the enslaver, the demagogue, the despot.

Christ’s crucifixion was not only a turning point for humanity; it was also a watershed moment for the heavenly angels. Finally, they were given an unveiled view of Christ’s unending love and Satan’s uncontrollable hatred. The conclusion was undeniable.

Could the angels here do anything but cry out in joyful adoration, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain”? Their hymn of praise, called a doxology, is sevenfold: Christ will “receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” In the Bible, the number seven is interpreted as completeness or perfection. There is no greater praise than that given to Jesus. The number seven also reinforces the unity of the worship. There is no dissent; the vote is unanimous.

The angels join the elders and beings in one accord: The Lamb alone is worthy.

If these mighty angels, too many to even be numbered, having had firsthand witness to the history of our world, are universally paying homage to Jesus—what does that say about the doubts we may have of the Son of God?

Lamb of God, sinless angels worship You. How much more should we worship You, we who are the direct recipients of Your gift upon the cross?

For Further Study: Hebrews 12:1; 1 Corinthians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:12

Key Bible Texts

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (Revelation 5:12 KJV)