Power In Numbers

Read: Daniel 7:1-14

Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Daniel 7:10

IN WORD

Prophecies often speak to us of a remnant of faithful believers. So do biblical stories like Noah’s safekeeping on the ark and Israel’s return from captivity. Over the course of Scripture, we get the impression that God is filling His Kingdom with the cream of the crop, the few but tenacious hangers-on. Most of the world may be doomed for destruction, but a fraction of humanity can be salvaged. Or so it seems.

Yet Scripture also gives us pictures of throngs surrounding His throne, people of every tribe and nation, multitudes of angels and humans that are so enormous that they can’t be counted. When the battle is over, the realm still standing is no small Kingdom. It’s massively populated with human beings and angels and creatures we’ve only scarcely begun to imagine. All of creation, which still extends far beyond what our greatest telescopes and scientific minds can perceive, is filled with creatures glorifying God. He doesn’t just win. He wins big.

Think about it. If God is infinite, with manifold attributes and characteristics; and if He is expressed and represented by His creatures, revealed in the stories of their lives; then doesn’t it make sense that He would want a near-infinite multitude of beings revealing, representing, and expressing His nature? Doesn’t the vastness of His glory require vast numbers of glorifiers to appreciate Him? Doesn’t it make sense that the God greater than any of us can conceive would do things in a big way? In fact, He has. His universe is incomprehensibly varied. And so are His people.

IN DEED

If you ever feel outnumbered by evil, take comfort. You aren’t. And if you ever feel insignificant, just a number among God’s masses, take heart. You are one of who knows how many millions, but you are also a vital piece in the mosaic that describes who He is. Your story is necessary because you reflect something of Him that no one else does. And the numbers—angels, people, and more—are on your side.

ADDITIONAL READING: Revelation 5:9-14

Angels descending, bring from above, echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

FANNY J. CROSBY