December
22

“A Multitude of the Heavenly Host”

And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, and keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, the angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they feared with great fear. And the angel said to them, Fear not°, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which° shall be to all the people. For to you is born this day a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. And this shall be the sign to you: you shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, laid in a manger. And suddenly there was° with° the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace, good will among men. (Luke 2:8–14)

“Praise ye God,” means … the voice of joy and gladness in confessions of God and in the worship of God. (Apocalypse Explained 1210:1)

The more perfectly the angels receive the Divine truth which is from the Lord, thus the more perfectly they receive the Lord, the more perfect human forms they are, and finally so perfect that their beauty surpasses belief. He who shall see, as I have, will be amazed; for they are heavenly loves and charities in form, which form is the truly human form. The reason why the angels are human forms, is that the Divine in heaven is the Lord, and they who receive from Him the Divine truth in good are images of Him. (Arcana Cœlestia 9503)

[There are those who believe] that heavenly joy consists solely in praising and glorifying the Lord, being a life destitute of any doing of the goods of charity, and that this is an active life. But they were told that praising and celebrating the Lord is not such an active life as is meant, but is an effect of that life; for the Lord has no need of praises, but wills that they should do the goods of charity, and that it is according to these that they will receive happiness from the Lord. (Arcana Cœlestia 456)

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