Thursday, October 22, 2015

A hundred million angels and more


Rev 5:11  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
Rev 5:12  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.

Excerpt from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith--

The Heavenly Sanctuary.--

How little conception we have of the magnitude and glory of the heavenly temple!

Into that temple John was introduced at the opening of Revelation 4, by the door which was open in heaven. Into the same temple, he is still looking in Revelation 5: 11, 12. Now he beholds the heavenly hosts. About the throne are those represented by the four living creatures. Next come the four and twenty elders. Then John views a multitude of the heavenly angels surrounding the whole. How many? How many would we suppose could convene within the heavenly temple? "Ten thousand times ten thousand!" exclaims the seer.

In this expression alone we have one hundred million!

Then, as if no numerical expression is adequate to embrace the countless throng, he further adds, "And thousands of thousands!" Well might the writer of Hebrews call this "an innumerable company of angels." Hebrews 12: 22.

(Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels)

These were in the sanctuary above.

Such was the company that John saw assembled at the place where the worship of a universe centers, and where the
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wondrous plan of human redemption is going forward to completion.

The central figure in this innumerable and holy throng was the Lamb of God, and the central act of His life which claimed their admiration was the shedding of His blood for the salvation of fallen man.

Every voice in all that heavenly host joined in the ascription which was raised, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing."

Fitting assemblage for such a place! Fitting song of adoration to be raised to Him who by the shedding of His blood became a ransom for many, and who as our great High Priest in the sanctuary above still pleads the merits of His sacrifice in our behalf. Here, before such an august assemblage, must our life record soon come up in final review. What shall fit us for the searching ordeal? What shall enable us to rise and stand at last with the sinless throng above? O infinite merit of the blood of Christ, which can cleanse us from all our pollutions, and make us meet to tread the holy hill of Zion! O infinite grace of God, which can prepare us to endure the glory, and give us boldness to enter into His presence, even with exceeding joy!

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Rev 5:11  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
Rev 5:12  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.

Let's use our imaginations for a minute or so.

First we are seeing four creatures, twenty-four elders (humans), God the Father, the Lamb that was Slain, and now….ANGELS!  Innumerable angels around the throne, around the four creatures, the twenty-four elders, God and the Lamb Slain. 

Such a heavenly vision!

The angels saying with a LOUD VOICE-

WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN TO RECEIVE POWER AND RICHES, AND WISDOM, AND STRENGTH, AND HONOR, AND GLORY, AND BLESSING.

Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain to receive ALL things!

We can't stop for a moment believing in the magnitude of Heaven and Heaven's inhabitants.

No, all our dead loved ones are not in their  bodily forms, or spirit forms speaking with intelligence etc, etc.  The dead know nothing, and if the dead know nothing then how can they be in heaven in any intelligent way? Only those who have been specifically raised from the dead are in heaven, such as the twenty-four elders. We know this happened--

Mat 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

These *many-not all* saints that SLEPT came out of their graves, they didn't come down from their heavenly reward after our Savior's resurrection. They were brought up from their SLEEP. They were SLEEPING. 

Going back to the truth that we cannot dismiss the magnitude or heaven and its inhabitants we have to realize the majority of those inhabitants are angels.  These innumerable numbers of angels, God's angels, Christ's angels are all in agreement.

The Lamb of God, slain- is worthy to REDEEM the lost!

This is no DOUBT in anyone's mind, be they human, angel, or creature that Jesus is worthy!

This perfect book with the seven seals can only be opened by the One worthy! And Jesus alone is WORTHY!

The heavenly sanctuary is REAL and all the inhabitants in the heavenly sanctuary are REAL.  The prophecy is REAL! May we be blessed as we read and may we keep all we need to keep of the sayings within, all through our SAVIOR, through the Holy COMFORTOR sent to us, as we LEAN NOT unto our own understanding, but TRUST in the LORD with all our heart!

All through HIM! Now and forever!

Amen!

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