Did the angels have a “redo” that night long ago on the hillside? I don’t know about a redo, but there was certainly a flurry of activity.

A year earlier, Gabriel, one of the few angels who is named in the Bible, had appeared to Zachariah to give him news of the birth of John who would be the forerunner, or proclaimer, of Jesus. Zechariah and Elizabeth were passed child bearing age, but Gabriel declared,

“Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice in his birth . . . and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people . . . will he make ready for the Lord.” Luke 1:13-17

When Elizabeth was in her sixth month, Gabriel had his next assignment to go to one of Elizabeth’s relatives, Mary. Gabriel gave the news to Mary that she would bear a son and she should give him the name Jesus. The power of the Holy Spirit would come upon her and this child would be the Son of God.

Gabriel and other angels had been delivering messages for a long time. That’s what angels do.

So an angel bringing a message to some shepherds is not really a redo.

What about the light?

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:9

Possibly this is why people were so afraid when an angel appeared to them—not just the surprise of a person they didn’t know, but a glow about them. Albeit, in the dark of night, the glow was needed for the shepherds to see, and in a special, holy moment such as this, it was no doubt especially bright.

So if being a messenger was a regular thing for angels and producing a glow came about in special times, what’s the “redo”?

After the one angel announced the message to the shepherds and gave instructions on where to find him,

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God. Luke 2:13

Now this is a new thing! I can’t think of other times when angels appeared as a huge host of angels to people.

On the other hand, we read, especially in Revelation, of praise going on continually in heaven. This is likely what we will do as well when we shed these earthly bodies.

So here’s my conclusion. Angels didn’t have a redo. They did what they had always been faithfully doing—delivering messages, bearing some of God’s shekinah glory, and praising in word and song. No need for special rehearsals!

Their message is “Glory to God” who is heaven. For us on earth, if we are pleasing him, we receive “peace.” You see the redo is not for the angels, it’s for us.

~ Joyce ~