Merry Christmas my friend,
Here for your enjoyment is an excerpt from my upcoming book.
This is the story of the angel Gabriel based on the detailed study of two dozen Scriptures. It was quite an eyeopener for me. May you be blessed as well.
God bless,
~Johnny

Christmas: Angel Messenger

 

Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. ~Psalm 103:20-21

 

 

He streaked down through the sky at the speed of holiness, flaming and radiant with the glory and majesty lent him from basking in the glorious Presence of the LORD Almighty. Powerful and fierce, ancient and wise, unreservedly loyal and unquestionably faithful to his God he flew downward from the Celestial City.

Ah, the City, the True Jerusalem, Capitol of the Most High King, the Lord of Hosts. It was there the One sat on the Throne ruling all there is to rule. It was from the throne room  he had just left, where hundreds of millions of his fellows, around and above the Throne were shouting the glory of God, worshipping Him in spirit and in truth, singing, blessing His Most Holy Name, and filling the whole of the city with the praises of the LORD.

“Holy! Holy! Holy!” they had cried, and their praises still echoed in his soul.

But the One Who is All had spoken, His voice the sound of a thousand thunders, and had called him forward that he may be dispatched with another message, for the Book of Truth showed that it was time.

Gabriel, “Valiant Warrior of God” was both his name and description, and once again he would be honored to serve his Creator as divine messenger concerning the will, work, and Word of God Almighty.

Countless times he had been sent on missions. For thousands of years of time, and in time before time he had served, fought, carried His messages, and succeeded in his duties. Since his creation as a spiritual being, he had been perfect, holy, trustworthy, and wholly committed to the service of his King, the LORD of Hosts. Sometimes as message carrier, sometimes in battle against the enemy, but always with zeal and absolute courage he had served his God and carried out His commandments and will.

He was there when Heaven’s massive choir shouted down the glory and sang for joy when the Almighty created the earth and physical universe. He was there when Mimshach the High Angel betrayed and rebelled against the Most Holy One. Indeed, he had fought countless battles against the forces of evil, marveling at how so many of his fellow angels could choose to reject the rulership of the LORD and choose such a wicked, sinful, and condemned existence.

He was there in boundless wonder and amazement when the Lord God created the most bizarre and fascinating creatures—mankind. Unique among all Jehovah had created, these tiny things were exceptional for several reasons. For one thing, they were God’s only creation that dwelt in two realms. They were physical creatures like the living things on earth, but they were also spiritual creatures existing in the same realm as he. Even more remarkable is that they bore the very image of God, giving them the ability to think, feel, love, hate, believe, rule, and choose.

It was because of their ability to choose that he was being sent on this mission now. Millenia of poor choices had brought about the strangest of strategies from the Most High. Whereas angelkind was dealt with simply and cleanly based on their choice of either loyalty or rebellion, these odd creatures were at the center of God’s baffling, fascinating Plan; they were to be offered redemption.

Redemption! Can you imagine? The Most High would save these creatures from the rightful consequences of their rebellious acts. He would provide something for them that was never provided for fallen angelkind. For the fallen spirits He had prepared Hell, their rightful end. But for humankind He would provide a way of salvation, a way back to Him. For the greatest and most remarkable thing of all about the human race was that the Most High loved them!

He loved them, and as only God can love, completely, unconditionally, infinitely.

So the Plan had been established and set in motion since before the world began.

The Plan had in fact been at the core of many of Gabriel’s missions down through the millennia. Many times he and his kind had been sent to relay the Word of God to humanity, with the principal elements of the Plan elegantly enfolded in the words, symbols, metaphors, events, and types.

Always at the heart of the message was the heart of the Plan—the heart of Jehovah.

The Seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head…

An ark would provide salvation for the creatures of earth from God’s judgment of destruction…

A lamb would be sacrificed and its blood become an impenetrable barrier against the Angel of Death…

And a Child would be born, a Son would be given, and He would be none other than the Mighty God Himself, the Prince of peace!

Thousands of times in thousands of messages, to dreamers, patriarchs, prophets and priests the Plan was presented, the plan for God Himself to enter their world and do for them what none of them could do for themselves—be a Savior.

And now, now after these millennia the time had finally come.

So Gabriel, Valiant Warrior of God, was dispatched with the Message; not of another symbol or metaphor, but that the True Word was about to become a physical Reality.

He knew resistance by the Enemy would be fierce; the Hater of God would stop at nothing to thwart the Plan. So the three kingdoms of Heaven, Darkness, and the World were all prepared for the battle of the ages, when the events during this single tiny slice of time would determine whether or not Heaven would be populated not only with holy angels, but with holy people. The eternal fate of all these beloved creatures hung in the balance, completely dependent on the success of the long-awaited campaign to make the Plan unfold on earth.

But Gabriel had been in such situations before. If anyone could handle himself in combat and fight their way through the forces of evil, he could. If anyone could be counted on to get the glorious message through it was he, the living spirit of courage and encouragement.

So filled with courage, commitment, joy, holiness, and the glory of God, Gabriel sped down from the precipice of the Celestial City toward the earth below. In his powerful hands was his drawn and flaming sword, and on his lips was the best of tidings, the most joyous message yet to be delivered by angelkind.

And this was just the beginning.

 

“(He) makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.” ~Psalm 104:4

 

 

 

Scripture References:

Psalm 103:20-21

Isaiah 6:1-3

Revelation 5:11

Daniel 8:16

Daniel 9:2-23

Daniel 10:21

Luke 1:19

Job 38:4-7

Ezekiel 28:12-19

Genesis 1:26-27

Genesis 2:16-17

1 Peter 1:12

Matthew 25:41

John 3:16

Genesis 3:15

Genesis 6:18-19

Exodus 12:1-13

John 1:29

Isaiah 9:6

Revelation 21:3

Genesis 3:24

Psalm 104:4