Luke 2:8-10 New Living Translation
“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.’”
People have many different ideas about angels and what they look like. We envision anything from chubby little children with wings flitting about to beautiful women in shiny white gowns with sparkling wings. According to scripture neither appears to be the case. In Daniel, the prophet describes what he saw during his encounter with an angel: “I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold ... around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.” [1] In Matthew’s gospel the Roman soldiers who were guarding the tomb where Jesus’ body lay were severely shaken and collapsed like dead men at the sight of an angel: “Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.” [2]
We can learn several things from these two accounts. 1) These angels sound like very large men who were extremely strong; 2) there appearance was so striking that it immediately struck fear in the hearts of those who encountered them.
According to Jack Wellman [3] angels are not composed of physical matter but are spirit beings created by God for God. They took on human form when they encountered mortals, typically in the male gender. They do the bidding of the Lord and perform duties for God more so than for man. They are messengers of God and “agents to bring punishment and display his holy wrath.” A good example can be found in Revelation 18:21 [4]. So when an angel suddenly appeared before the Shepherds at night, and they were terrified you can understand a little clearer why. The angel was there to proclaim the glorious news of Christ’s birth. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
In His Name & for His glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
[1] Daniel 10:5-6
[2] Matthew 28:2-3
[3] Jack Wellman is a father and grandfather and a Christian author, freelance writer, and pastor at the Mulvane (KS) Brethren church in Mulvane, Kansas.
[4] “Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted, ‘Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again.’”
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