Angels in Heaven

16 Mar 2009 - Matthew 26:47-68

My imagination was on overdrive when I came across this verses during journalling time:

 

⁵²"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"

After Apostle Peter drew his sword and cut off Malchus' ear, Jesus made these statements. You must remember, the whole host of angels were watching the scene unfolding before them. The Logos they knew, who was with the Father in the beginning (John 1), who became Jesus after coming to earth, was going through a difficult unjust episode of Him being arrested. They may or may not know the Father's plan that His Son must go to the cross to die for men's sin. But they must have held their breath waiting for the Father's command, "Go!". Twelve legions of angels would have swooped down (if we imagine them in bodily form!) to rescue the Logos.

How many are 12 legions of angels? One legion in the Roman army is 6,000 soldiers. 12 legions will be 72,000 soldiers. This is almost like the scene you can imagine in the final episode of Lord of the Rings. Yet they held their breath and the Father did nothing. They could be weeping and heart broken knowing what's to come of their Logos! Maybe some may have expressed their frustration, looking longingly at God to give the word. Jesus knew this too, but He relied on God's timing. "Not the this time, my Son!" How else would the Scriptures be fulfilled?

I asked myself, how many angels are there in heaven? If one third of the angels who rebelled against God were expelled from heaven, the army of good angels is twice larger than the host of demons. We are on the winning side! Let me do some research and see if there's a good guess how many angels there really are. Maybe in the subsequent post?

There are so much happening in the spiritual that we are completely ignorant often the spiritual battles fought. There are novels written about these angelic battles and it sure gives you an  insight into God's protection over our lives. You should do some studies about angels and be encouraged in these words:

Psalm 91:11 ^For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

What's my point? Sometimes when we are in despair, when God seem silent, we are reminded that things happen for a purpose. There's a cloud of witnesses watching us (Hebrews 12), including God, our Lord and His angels. Because He said He will never leave us nor forsake us, we rejoice and have hope in the midst of the circumstances. Will we persevere in the midst of uncertainty that our Father knows best?