7. They t„b' „ ,h,i, u,lnr.t ,„ //„■ ,„lr„(io„ of men. We galhn- ihi- fi,,hi Ih,. i-vidi'iit jcjy with which angels aiiiiiiuiiiTil ih,. aihi'iii ,,t tlie'.\ii-ssiah to the shepheiils a( iH-thli'licm. The aii"el wim brought the ' tidings of great joy ' (Lk 2"'relearly felt the joy himself ; and the song which the heavenly host sang in praise to God was the out- come of joyous hearts. Even more explicitly is this taught in Lk IS'" 'There is joy in the pres- ence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.' The word ivwwiov seems here to mean 'in the midst of,' 'among.' 'Joy is manifest on every countenance.' Even if the joy intended be ' the joy of God, which breaks forth in presence of
the angels' (Godet, in loco), still the implication would be that the heart of the angelic throng is en rapport with the heart of ' the happy God.' On this point the words of the angel are instruc- tive which are recorded in Rev 22'° ' 1 am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren tfie prophets, and with them that keep the words of this book.' The interpreting angel confesses to unity of service with the Church, and in so doing implies a oneness of sympathy and love with the saints. So also when, in 1 P 1'=, we read that ' the angels desire to look into ' the marvels of redemp- tion, there is, as Dr. Hort says, ' a glimpse of the fellowship of angels with prophets and evangelists, and implicitly with the sutt'ering Christians to whom St. Peter wrote.' The same deep interest in the progress of the Church appears in Eph 3'°, where we are taught that one great purpose which moved God to enter on the work of human salva- tion was, that ' through the Church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places.' The Church on earth is the arena on which the attri- butes of God are displayed for the admiration and adoration of 'the family in heaven' (Eph 3"^).
ii. Angels as Visitants to Earth. — 1. To convey messages from God to man.— (a) In dreams. It is a peculiarity of the Gospel of the Infancy, as recorded by St. Matthew, that the appearances of the angels are in dreams to Joseph, bidding him acknowledge Mary as his wife (Mt 1=°), take the young child and His mother to Egypt (2'=), and return to Palestine on the death of Herod (21"). The only OT parallel to this is Gn 31", where Jacob tells his wives that ' the angel of God spake ' to him ' in a dream. '
(b) In other instances the message of the angel is brought in full, wakeful consciousness. It was while Zacharias was ministering at the altar of incense in the Holy Place that an angel who called himself Gabriel appeared, foretelling the birth of John (Lk 1"). It was while the shepherds were keeping watch over their llu, k thai llie angel stood near them and diier(i;.| tlieiu in the hahe in Beth- lehem (Lk2^-"); and it is i.ai rated Iiy the three Synoptists that it was through angelic agency that the disciples were informed of the Ilesurrec- tion. St. Matthew narrates that it was an angel who had ' descended from heaven ' (2S=), that spoke to the women at the tomb (28'5-'). St. Mark speaks of a young man 'arrayed in a white robe' (16=), and St. Luke of 'two men in dazzling apparel' (24^), who assured the women that Christ «as risen. The author of the Fourth Gospel is silent as 1o angelic appearances at the Resurrec- tion, liut he bears testimony to the popular belief in angelic voices (Jn 12='). When a voice came from heaven, saying, 'I have glorified and will a'jain glorify (my name),' the Evangelist records : 'Some of the people said, An angel spake to him.'
We reserve for si..vial ( un.id.iation the sacredly mysterious intervi(\\ .i ilie an-el (iabriel with the Virgin Mary (Lk 1 i. I'he salutation of the angel was: 'Hail, tliou tavoured one ! The Lord is with thee.' When she was perplexed at the sa\ iiiLj , 1 he angel announced : ' Thou shalt conceive ill' thy «omb and bear a son, and shalt call his name' .lesus.' This Son is further described as 'Sun of the Most High' and He to whom 'the Lord God will give the throne of his father David.' Then, in reply to the Virgin's further doubts and perplexities, the angel vouchsafes the dread ex- planation, 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power (Sivaius) of the Most High shall overshadow thee. ... No word from God shall be devoid of power.' The full consideration of these
words will be fittingly considered under ANNUNCIA- TION (which see). On us it seems
devolve to
5G
ANGELS
ANGELS
speak of the view wliich arose very early in Jewish Christian ci'rrlps, nml whicli regarded the angel as not merely tin' im— iMi;j.r, but the cause of the conception. ll \.,i- :<. mineral belief among the Jews that a j-iKiktii wonl lius causal efficacy. This lay at the rool ul the belief in the potency of spells and charms. And if every sjiolien word is mighty, the words of God are almighty. The expression ' No word from (Tapi) God shall be devoid of power' (Lk 1^') was accordingly interpreted to mean that the message brought from God througli the angel had causal efficacy : the Divine word spoken by the angel caused the conception. In the Proteoangdium of James (11-) the angel is recorded to have said : ' Tliou shalt conceive from His word' (eV toO \byou airrov), and the same ex- pression occurs in the Arabic Gospel of ike Infancy. Tliis is the origin of tlie curious doctrine of the ancient Church, that the Virgin conceived through the ear.^ The word of tlie angel, which was a Divine message, reached the Virgin through the ear. The ear was thus believed to be the channel througli which the Divine potency was operative. Even Augustine says : ' Virgo per aiireni impreg- nabatur.' As bearing on this subject, we may note that in the Ascension of Isaiah the angel Gabriel is called ' the angel of the Holy Spirit ' (316 723 ()3ii)_ jn pseudo-Matthew (c. 10), Joseph says : ' Why do ye mislead me to believe tliat an angel of the Lord hath made her pregnant ? ' and in the Protcvangelkim of James the Virgin explains her condition to Joseph in these words : ' The ease is the same as it was with Adnia wliom God created. He said, "Let him In- " : ^uid he was.'