{"id":424,"date":"2018-12-06T16:13:48","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T16:13:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unionchapel.org\/?p=424"},"modified":"2018-12-06T16:14:48","modified_gmt":"2018-12-06T16:14:48","slug":"angels-from-the-realms-of-glory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/?p=424","title":{"rendered":"Angels From The Realms Of Glory"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This hymn was written by James Montgomery (1771-1854), who was born in Scotland of Irish parents.\u00a0 His father, John Montgomery, was a Moravian pastor\u2014apparently the only Moravian pastor serving in Scotland at the time.<\/p>\n

Montgomery\u2019s parents felt a call to serve as missionaries on the island of Barbados, West Indies, in the Caribbean.\u00a0 When James was only five years old, his parents departed for the West Indies, leaving James with a Moravian group in County Antrim, Ireland.\u00a0 His parents died in the West Indies a few years later, so James never saw them again.\u00a0 One wonders how well he remembered his parents\u2014and whether he resented them for abandoning him at such an early age.<\/p>\n

The Moravians made it possible for James to enter Fulneck Seminary in Yorkshire, but that turned out to be a bad fit.\u00a0 James had the soul of a poet, and poetry was banned at Fulneck.\u00a0 In 1787, he apprenticed himself to a baker, which also proved unsuitable.\u00a0 He bounced from pillar to post during his late teens.<\/p>\n

But in 1792 he began working for Joseph Gales, who published the Sheffield Register<\/em>, a local newspaper.\u00a0 Gales supported a number of radical causes, and in 1794 was forced to flee to Germany to avoid prosecution.\u00a0 Montgomery, although still in his early 20s, was able to gain control of the newspaper, and changed its name to Sheffield Iris<\/em>.\u00a0 Under his leadership, the paper continued its radical bent for more than three decades\u2014advocating such seditious causes as abolition.\u00a0 Montgomery was twice imprisoned for his editorials, but his imprisonments only added to his popularity.<\/p>\n

As a young man, Montgomery drifted from the faith, but as he matured he returned to the Moravian church and became an advocate for Christian missions.<\/p>\n

On Christmas Eve, 1816, Montgomery was reading the second chapter of Luke, when these verses captured his attention:<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd suddenly there was with the angel<\/span><\/p>\n

a multitude of the heavenly host<\/span><\/p>\n

praising God, and saying,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Glory to God in the highest,<\/span><\/p>\n

and on earth peace,<\/span><\/p>\n

good will toward men’<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

(Luke 2:13-14<\/span>, KJV).<\/p>\n

Montgomery was inspired to write this hymn, which he wrote quickly and printed in the Christmas Eve edition of his newspaper.\u00a0 Each verse of this hymn speaks to the nativity from the perspective of a different group of people.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Verse 1 is about the angels, who are urged to \u201cproclaim the Messiah\u2019s birth.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Angels from the realms of glory
\nWing your flight o\u2019er all the earth
\nYe, who sang creation\u2019s story
\nNow proclaim Messiah’s birth<\/em><\/p>\n

Angels from the realms of glory: In Matthew 18<\/span>, the Disciples asked Jesus who is the greatest in the Kingdom. After calling to Himself the weakest of the weak, a little child, Jesus said to the Disciples that they needed to have humility. Then, Jesus said something rather startling: \u201cSee that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

It is from this statement that belief in guardian angels has come \u201ctheir angels<\/span>.\u201d But Jesus never said that angels follow anyone around. Rather, pay attention to what Jesus actually said: \u201ctheir angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.<\/span>\u201d Rather than running around on earth, angels stay in the presence of God the Father waiting eagerly to be dispatched to earth on behalf of someone in need. Angels dwell in Heaven, in the presence of the Glory of God, looking directly into the face of Glory.<\/p>\n

The Book of Job appears to tell us that angels were present when God created this earth and the Universe in which it dwells. Job 38:4-7<\/span> relates:<\/p>\n

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding,<\/span><\/p>\n

Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?<\/span><\/p>\n

On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone,<\/span><\/p>\n

When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?<\/span><\/p>\n

This, by-the-way, is the only place where we find angels singing. While we read in the Scriptures about the unfolding of our Salvation through history from the Garden of Eden, the angels have been on hand to watch it down through the Millennium.<\/p>\n

And as they sang at the foundation of the earth, they are suddenly called upon to proclaim the beginning of the final chapter in providing for the Salvation of mankind and the conquering of their ancient enemy, one of their own number, the mighty Cherub Satan.<\/p>\n

And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”<\/span><\/p>\n

13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Angels are God\u2019s Messengers and God\u2019s agents whom He uses to accomplish His will among us. They are mighty but totally devoted to God their Creator and Master. These beings are so devoted to God\u2019s commands, that they do nothing of their own will but only carry out the will of the Father in Heaven.<\/p>\n

This is why Jude considered it such an offense of the false teachers to \u201crevile angelic majesties.<\/span>\u201d Why? Because what they do they do by express command of God. What have they done? Specifically, they have been God\u2019s messengers of truth, such as when they proclaimed the arrival of the Savior, Christ the Lord. To deny the message is to revile them, declaring that they do not know what they are saying.<\/p>\n

But we owe great debts to these spiritual beings who have stayed faithful to God, far more than we realize. They were involved in the giving of the Law. They have been locked in a battle some 6000 years long, of which we get a glimpse in Daniel. They announced the coming of the Messiah. They ministered to Jesus in the Garden. They announced the risen Lord.<\/p>\n

Angels are God\u2019s agents and messengers. And that still night some 2000 years ago. They scared a motley group of smelly shepherds almost out of their wits to tell them: Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2022 Verse 2 is about \u201cShepherds in the fields abiding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shepherds in the fields abiding
\nWatching o\u2019er your flocks by night
\nGod with man is now residing
\nYonder shines the Infant light<\/em><\/p>\n

If Jesus was born in the winter months, then the Shepherds abiding in the fields were those specifically watching over the sheep and goats destined for sacrifice. At least, that is the assertion of Alfred Edersheim, the author of the greatest biography of Jesus outside the Gospels themselves.<\/p>\n

They kept the sheep and goats outside away from things that could scrape against them, cause a blemish, and thus disqualify them to be used as sacrifice in the Temple.<\/p>\n

Recall that the brightest light at night, apart from the moon, was a fire, a torch.<\/p>\n

When I was a teenager living in Pomona, CA, I liked to go for walks at night. I recall one time I was walking through a neighborhood. Occasional dogs barked. I could hear a helicopter overhead. Suddenly, that helicopter hit me with its searchlight. I had difficulty seeing where I was walking as the light was so intense. And talk about sudden. It was a definite shock. I stopped and looked up and was completely blinded.<\/p>\n

Now imagine you are a shepherd out at night sitting around the fire, quietly chatting, watching the sheep. \u201cAnd an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.<\/span>\u201d A sudden brilliance unlike anything they had ever seen? You better believe they were about scared out of their wits.<\/p>\n

Which is why the angel first told them everything was OK. \u201cBut the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.<\/span>\u201d Why not? What possible thing could calm these men down?<\/p>\n

\u201cfor behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

The nation had been looking for the coming of the Messiah. Jewish writers and correctly figured out it was time for Him to come. But they were looking in the wrong place and for the wrong person.<\/p>\n

Montgomery wrote God with man is now residing.<\/em><\/p>\n

What never entered their heads is that the Messiah had to be God in human flesh.<\/p>\n

They completely missed the truth stated so clearly in Isaiah 7:14. \u201cTherefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.<\/span>\u201d Immanuel \u2013 God with us.<\/p>\n

What the shepherds did not realize at the time was that that announcement of the angel was an announcement of a loss of a job. That baby, God with Us, was to be the \u201cthe Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!<\/span>\u201d Once the perfect sacrifice was made through the broken body and shed blood of the Messiah, animal sacrifice would no longer be needed. We would have the perfect sacrifice for sins.<\/p>\n

An what about that last phrase: Yonder shines the Infant light<\/em>? That is just a cultural myth grown up through the centuries. The baby Jesus did not glow. But one day His glory did shine forth and completely scared Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. And when Jesus returns? The glory of His holiness will shine forth and all evil will persih before Him. So I guess we can forgive a little cultural anticipation of the glory of God in the face of Christ.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2022 Verse 3 is about \u201cSages,\u201d the Magi or Wise Men.<\/p>\n

Sages leave your contemplations<\/em>
\nBrighter visions beam afar<\/em>
\nSeek the great Desire of nations<\/em>
\nYe have seen His natal star<\/em><\/p>\n

We know the Sages, the wise men, did leave their contemplations to seek one of infinite greater wisdom, He who is born King of the Jews. They were drawn by a star. There have been many speculations and many natural phenomena have been suggested as that star. But, a star that leads to Bethlehem and then stops over a single home? That has to be of supernatural origin.<\/p>\n

But they are seeking the Great desire of nations, as Montgomery wrote. This is a reference to Haggai 2:7 in the King James Version:<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I will shake all nations,<\/span><\/p>\n

and the desire of all nations shall come:<\/span><\/p>\n

and I will fill this house with glory,<\/span><\/p>\n

saith the Lord of hosts.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

While the KJV translation is not quite accurate in that verse, the sentiment is completely correct. Jesus is the Desire of nations. Only He brings forgiveness, Only He brings fellowship with God, Only He can bring genuine peace. As God told Abraham so long ago, speaking of Jesus, \u201cIn you shall all nations of the earth be blessed.<\/span>\u201d Only in Jesus do we find our deepest needs and desires satisfied.<\/p>\n

And mankind\u2019s contemplations, their philosophies, are mere speculation apart from the reality that God lives and He has sent His Son into the world to redeem sinners. Any worldview which ignores that truth is doomed to be empty speculation.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Verse 4 expands the vision to \u201cSaints\u201d\u2014a word that in the New Testament applies to all Christians.<\/p>\n

Saints before the altar bending<\/em>
\nWatching long in hope and fear<\/em>
\nSuddenly the Lord, descending,<\/em>
\nIn His temple shall appear<\/em><\/p>\n

Montgomery finished off in our version with the consequences of the coming of \u201ca Savior, who is Christ the Lord.<\/span>\u201d<\/p>\n

The creation of Saints is owed entirely to the reality that Jesus came as Savior. He did not come as conqueror. Which is what the Jews were looking for. Mankind has always longed for a Savior, someone to deliver us from this mess of a world so polluted with sin.<\/p>\n

Here in the US we long for political leaders who will bring about conditions that we hunger for, whatever they may be. The world loves the tales of mighty heroes who will deliver us. And Jesus is the ultimate deliverer. But, before He can deliver us politically, He must deliver us spiritually.<\/p>\n

This is why Jesus said, \u201cI did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.<\/span>\u201d But the vast majority of people in the world refuse to recognize their hopeless condition before God. They think they can deliver themselves.<\/p>\n

But it takes the Savior Jesus to actually make mankind Holy, Saints, who can dwell with the Holy, Righteous God for eternity.<\/p>\n

As Saints, we bow our knee before our Savior. Montgomery is referring to Philippians 2:9-11<\/span>:<\/p>\n

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are truly watching for the Hope. Paul wrote of this to his fellow minister Titus:<\/p>\n

…looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n

And we are those who, knowing our sinful condition and the holiness of God, bow before Him and walk daily with reverential fear. We do this because we know Jesus can return at any moment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Montgomery referred in the lines Suddenly the Lord, descending, In His temple shall appear<\/em> to one of the last promises in the Old Testament, Malachi 3:1<\/span>:<\/p>\n

Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts.<\/span><\/p>\n

This sudden return is the reason why we are told, \u201cNow is the day of salvation.<\/span>\u201d You may not have another opportunity to trust in Jesus as your Savior.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/p>\n

Montgomery concluded each verse with the phrases:<\/p>\n

Come and worship, come and worship<\/em>
\nWorship Christ the newborn King<\/em><\/p>\n

Because His coming was important enough to send a host of angels to announce it, because His coming was to provide the sacrifice that made all other sacrifices obsolete, Because His coming makes all human wisdom empty, Because His coming creates those who are holy enough to be in God\u2019s presence, we should bow before Him and worship. He is worthy of all praise and all worship.<\/p>\n

Even though He came as Savior, still, He was and always will be the rightful King of this world. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Let every knee bow before the Lord of all.<\/p>\n

Come and worship, come and worship<\/em>
\nWorship Christ the newborn King<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This hymn was written by James Montgomery (1771-1854), who was born in Scotland of Irish parents.\u00a0 His father, John Montgomery, was a Moravian pastor\u2014apparently the only Moravian pastor serving in Scotland at the time. Montgomery\u2019s parents felt a call to serve as missionaries on the island of Barbados, West Indies, in the Caribbean.\u00a0 When James […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pastorsblog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=424"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":427,"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424\/revisions\/427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unionchapel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}