THERE have been three distinct orders of heavenly visitors sent on special missions to this world, in connection with God’s salvation. We would draw the reader’s attention to one great fact, namely, that One of these visitors was Himself the subject that engaged the other two; and no wonder, for there is none in heaven or on earth like Him. It was Jesus who was sent to dwell with sinful men, that in Him they might learn the heart and mind of God about themselves. Hence when He came it could be said, “God hath visited His people” (Luke 7:1616And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. (Luke 7:16)). After His return to heaven another Divine Person― the Holy Spirit ― was sent, that men, through Him, might learn God’s full appreciation of the Saviour’s work for them. This Visitor was not One that men and Satan could get rid of, as they got rid of Jesus. Their deadly shower of stones could neither drive Him out of the world, nor out of the heart of Stephen (Acts 7:54-6054When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:54‑60)). He is still here; and dwelling in the heart of every true believer on earth.
But angels, as well as Divine Persons, have had important errands committed to them. Though having only the place of servants in God’s dwelling place, their missions to this world were none the less important. Take a simple figure.
Suppose that one day you receive a telegraphic message from the King. The question of who brought it would be of very small importance in comparison with the message brought, and who sent it. And so you would think; especially if it was to let you know that the King’s Son was intending to visit the town, and wanted to call upon you in your own home! Angels’ visits were simply to call man’s attention to matters of the deepest interest to the heart of God; so that not many words were used by these visitors. There were four special angelic visitors; and in each case the tidings brought had their own simple and distinct significance: (1) Jesus is coming; (2) Jesus has come; (3) Jesus is risen; (4) Jesus is coming again. Let us briefly consider these angelic errands.
Errand No. 1. ― From the very beginning God has had before Him a provision for man’s guilty necessity. Not only has He had it set forth in striking types and fore-shadowings, but in definite statements by His inspired prophets. Take, for example, the 53rd chapter of Isaiah: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (vs. 6). When the fullness of the waiting time had nearly come, the first of the angels’ visits we refer to took place. This heavenly messenger was sent by God to announce to Joseph, Mary’s espoused husband, the promised One’s Name, and the object of His mission: “Thou shalt call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:2121And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)). To deny sin’s penalty had been the serpent’s daring device: to bear sin’s penalty was the Saviour’s gracious purpose. And since the only way of saving His people from their sins was by fully enduring God’s righteous judgment for their sins, it was on this that His devoted heart was so firmly set.
Errand No. 2 was to announce that the promised One had actually come. Shepherds watching their flocks by night were the privileged receivers of the message: “Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to you and all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:8-118And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8‑11)). On this followed a burst of praise from a multitude of the heavenly host: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good pleasure in men.” What a blessed forecast of the Saviour’s great work! And what a complete exposure of the serpent’s double deception in Eden, which in effect was this: ―
Take of the fruit, and you will find
That God is neither true nor kind.
But the wily deceiver was really deceiving himself. For, notwithstanding the fall, God’s interest in man’s blessing has never ceased, and never will. This second visitor plainly announced the fact, and the death of the beloved Son undeniably proved it. In Him God has found for US A FRIEND INDEED, ―
Sent to declare His kindness to us!
Willing to bear sin’s judgment for us!
Rejoiced to share heaven’s pleasures with us!
How well worthy He is of every sinner’s confidence! If you consider Him worthy of yours, reader, and have not yet told Him so; do it now.
Errand No. 3.―Not only had this visitor something very important to say, but had something very definite to do also. At a very early hour Mary Magdalene and the other Mary found this visitor at the sepulcher. He had been sent to roll away the scaled stone from the door; and they found him sitting upon it, as though waiting to give the tidings to the first that came. Thus he addressed them. “Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead” (Matt. 28:1-61In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:1‑6)). Those who had sealed His sepulcher, and done their utmost to keep Jesus there, might now see for themselves that He had left it. Then the same day at evening, the blessed risen One came into the midst of His trembling disciples, to hush their fears and gladden their hearts.
The importance of the fact that God had raised Him from the dead cannot be overestimated. When a surety for debt has satisfied the creditor, the surety is free. And that which gives full satisfaction to a creditor, gives full and peaceful assurance to the debtor. On the cross, the question of the judgment due to our sins was gone into between our spotless Surety and the God we had sinned against. Sin’s penalty is death. But the death of the sinless One gave God the fullest satisfaction; and this satisfaction was declared by taking the sinner’s Substitute out of death. He who was “delivered for our offenses” was “raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:2525Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25)). Hence the significance of the angel’s visit to the sepulcher.
Errand No. 4. ― For forty days the adorable Lord had been giving to His disciples many infallible proofs of the reality of His resurrection; and at last came the hour of His departure. He led them out as far as to Bethany, and in the act of blessing them, with uplifted hands, He was parted from them and carried up into heaven, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. While looking steadfastly upward, two men in white apparel came and stood by them, and thus addressed them. “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-119And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:9‑11)). The disciples then “returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”
ANOTHER VISITOR had been promised, and they had been told to tarry in Jerusalem until He came. Another Divine Person was coming. It was the Holy Spirit of God, the COMFORTER. Jesus had said, “If I depart I will send Him unto you” (John 16:77Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)). He was coming as God’s witness on earth of the place of glory and honor given to His beloved Son at His own right hand in heaven. Well may this Holy Visitor have been regarded as “COMFORTER!” By His testimony was brought the fullest assurance that every believer’s sins are gone from before God. For if nothing that defileth can enter heaven, and the One who once bore our sins is now in heavenly glory, He must be there without them ― “put away by the sacrifice of Himself” ― is our sins put away?
Then what a comfort it must have been to the timid disciples to be endued with the Spirit’s power for their happy mission of preaching the gospel of God’s grace to “every creature” in a hostile world! And the servants of Christ have the same comfort today.
Now if God’s interest in man’s blessing has thus been expressed, what excuse will any man find if, after all, he should die in his sins? What of your soul, reader? You will do well to take to heart one solemn fact. Every man will either spend eternity with the great deceiver, or with the GREAT DELIVERER! Consider it carefully. Which for you? GEO. C.