Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Angels, from the Realms of Glory
By: James Montgomery, 1771-1854 (1816)
Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read. Please make certain to enjoy the video log below.
We continue our journey through Advent as we look at the second part of this stanza. We started with the angel host, and now consider how they were there at the creation, and also present to herald the coming of redemption in the birth of Messiah, the anointed One of God. Let’s think about this.
Start at the Very Beginning
It’s a very good place to start. And that is where the praises of the angels began. They sang creation’s story as it unfolded.
When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38:7 ESV
Angels are referred to in many different ways throughout Scripture, but one of them is “sons of God”. Here we read that they “shouted for joy” at the creation of the world.
Colossians 1:16 says that all things were created in Christ. They were there when He was making all things, and they are still there as He is remaking all things through His work of redemption. If you listen closely, you can almost hear them singing today as their echoes ring across eternity.
But what does this mean for us? The ones who were offering praise to God as He created all things, were still the first in line when it came time to offer praise for His sending His Son. We should follow their lead. They joined the stars that first morning, and continued their praise, even upping the ante by revealing their glory to the shepherds, in the moment Christ’s natal star appeared. We encourage them to continue to offer their praise, but must be willing to add ours to it.
So will you? Today, join your voice in extending the invite to come and worship to someone. How can you do that? The Christmas season provides many opportunities to invite people to join in the worship of the Christ. How can you invite someone to join you in it? Maybe an event at church or in the community? A Christmas Eve celebration? Commit to find some way to invite some more character’s into this greatest of stories.
Join the Praise
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14ESV
These are the words the multitude of angels sang in grateful chorus the night of Messiah’s birth. To proclaim it best, they gave glory to God first, and then extended peace to all who choose to please God. May we always start by giving glory to God, then extending the offer of peace to all who will walk in God’s ways.
- He was worthy at creation. So they praised Him.
- He was worthy in Bethlehem. So they praised Him.
- He is worthy today. So they praise Him.
- He will be worthy eternally. So they will praise Him.
When you give glory to God by praising Him for sending Jesus to us, you are joining the eternal praises of God offered specifically for the Incarnation. God became flesh and dwelt among us. It is as if you are actually singing your praise with those angels over the pasture outside of Bethlehem. Incredible! But that is not all…
You also enter into those moments when you extend peace by sharing what Jesus has done for you. If you have decided to spend your life ascribing to God the worth that is due His name He is pleased with you. Even though chaos may develop in our lives at times we can still have peace despite those circumstances. When you live that out before others, they see that something is different about you. That gives you the opportunity to speak of the peace you have found in Christ, and that in turns gives Him glory.
It is a powerful cycle we are invited to step into, and welcome others into as well.
Have you ever shared with anyone the peace you have found in Christ? As you consider inviting someone to join you in giving God glory with you at some point in the season, pray about an opportunity to share with them the peace you have found. It may just make al the difference in whether they are intrigued enough to check it out for themselves.
Jesus, thank You for creating the angels to be Your messengers. I want to be your messenger as well. Create some opportunities for me to not only give You glory, but also extend peace to someone who needs it. In Jesus name. Amen.
Angelic Thinking!
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Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.
Podcast 12.1 Transcript
Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.
Angels from the realms of glory,
Luke 2:13 ESV
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
We will get to their song later but note that these angels have come from the heavens. The realms of glory left behind, they come to tell of the King’s arrival. What kind of King gets such a royal, angelic proclamation? Only our King, Jesus Christ. Worship Him who alone is worthy.
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Luke 2:10 ESV
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
This glorious good news and the offer to receive it echoes to the whole earth, for all the people. The angels are God’s messengers and they carry this invitation to worship everywhere there wings take them. Will you put your journey to the same use declaring this invitation.
Ye who sang creation’s story
Job 38:7 ESV
When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Though there are several Scriptural allusions to the presence of angels during the creation of the world, this one is a good one. Taken from God’s response to Job, God Himself acknowledges the presence of the sons of God, angels, shouting for joy with the morning stars. Can you hear the echo of their praises across eternity?
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
Luke 2:14 ESV
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
And here the host of angels sing glory to the newborn King! They join the first angel that started the proclamation of Messiah’s birth in angelic chorus. Imagine what that must have been like, and determine to respond to the call to worship with them today.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.
Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
Image Attributions
Ye Who Sang – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/music-clef-musical-note-background-2087771/
Creation’s Story – https://pixabay.com/photos/meadow-green-meadow-flower-meadow-2401911/
Messiah’s Birth – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/jesus-christ-god-holy-spirit-3852478/
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