Glory to God!

And suddenly

there was with the angel

a multitude of heavenly host

praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth, peace,

goodwill toward men!"

Luke 2:13-14, NKJV

The appearance of one angel was often a harbinger of dreadful things to come.  That's why when one shows up with good tidings of great joy, they often have to start the telling with, "Fear not!"  But imagine those poor, shell-shocked shepherds on the hillside near Bethlehem just after the angelic messenger falls silent, and suddenly!

The darkness around them turns to light!  Pulsating, piercing, blinding brightness.  And the silent hillside suddenly transforms into a deafening chorus of multitudinous praise as the barrier between heaven and earth opens wide enough for an uncountable host of angels to cross over.  I can't think of another instance before, and only one after where such a sight is seen.  And the one after is in heaven.  This is the only time the Bible records such a heavenly invasion of our terrestrial sphere.

Brilliant illumination, thunderous song, and thousands if not millions of angels filling the night sky.  And a group of shepherds quaking in their sandals, perhaps falling to the ground and huddling with their sheep as their ears are filled with the greatest announcement ever.

Peace has been declared, and God has extended His goodwill toward men.

So what's the big deal?

For four thousand years, the Almighty had been at war with belligerent humanity.  That's why he flooded the whole earth with water until every living creature had drowned, save the eight souls and the animals on the ark.  That's why he confused their languages at Babel and scattered them across the face of the decimated earth.  That's why he poured fire down on the cities of the plain.  That's why he devastated Egypt with plague after plague after plague.  That's why he opened up the earth and swallowed the family of Korah, and consumed 250 grumblers with fire, and struck 14,700 with instantaneous death before Moses intercessions stopped the killing.  That's why time and again he struck the enemies of Israel, one time killing 185,000 men in one night.  God was at war!

But now, the prince of peace at come and God declared an end to the hostilities.  It was a ceasefire negotiated through the babe in Bethlehem.  Before, God sent death and destruction upon his enemies; now he was sending life-giving power through his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him would not perish, but would have everlasting life.

The Bible tells more about the ongoing conflict between good and evil, between God and men.  The ceasefire is still in effect, peace and goodwill are still being offered to the world through Jesus Christ.  But The Revelation tells the end of the story, when God's grace will have been exhausted by the constant rebellions of mankind.  With his church safe in the presence of Christ and his chosen people sheltered miraculously in the desert, God will pour out wrath upon the earth such has never been known before.  Drought, famine, disease, pestilence, earthquakes, firestorms, asteroids, hemorrhoids, ecological disaster, economic collapse, wars, violence, riots, demonic havoc everywhere.

But just when it looks like humanity will not survive the end time holocaust, the Prince of Peace will split the eastern sky, riding on a white horse with judgment and justice in his hands, and the power to bring the kingdom of God to earth once and for all.  And what he started in the cradle and sealed on the cross will finally be completed when he stands as King of kings and Lord of lords on the earth and declares his sovereignty over all. 

Peace on earth, and goodwill toward men.