THE GREAT SALVATION by Geo. W. Reaser

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 23, 1907

THE GREAT SALVATION

By Geo. W. Reaser

By GEO. W. REASER.

THE FINAL WORK OF THE ANGELS IN THE PLAN OF SALVATION.

"And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven."

WHEN the Lord would deliver His people from Egyptian bondage, He sent His Angel, who appeared to Moses in the bush which was all aflame, but unconsumed by the fire. The angel spake—as in other instances—as tho God was there in person; for he came there to represent and speak for God.

Moses was commissioned to lead God's people from the "iron furnace" of Egyptian bondage to "a land flowing with milk and honey." When the people—after the plagues which demonstrated the Lord's power and secured the consent of Pharaoh—formed in marching column for the journey to Canaan, the angel of the Lord went before until they were hotly pursued by their enemies, and until the progress of the advancing hosts of Israel was prevented by the waters of the Red Sea, when the heavenly messenger changed his position and stood between the children of Israel and the legions of Pharaoh. The sea opened and formed a pathway for the feet of the former, but a death-trap for their enemies. God's people marched safely thru the sea, with the walls of water on either side as protection against their being surrounded by the Egyptian army. Pharaoh's hosts assayed to follow after, but they were treading a pathway not made for their wayward feet, and when they were well into the sea, angels removed their chariot wheels, thus throwing them into confusion and disorder. Then the walls of water—no longer held for the protection of God's people—collapsed, and horse and rider perished in the flood. Then sang they a song of deliverance from their enemies and praised the God of their salvation.

When Israel, by the leadership and protection of angels, had passed thru the wilderness and crossed safely over the swelling tide of Jordan, Christ, the Captain of the Lord's host, was on the battle-field, and with His angels, gave Joshua the victory and the people possession of the city of Jericho, and, gradually, according to their faith, the promised land.

A Type of Final Deliverance.

This deliverance was a type of the final deliverance of God's people from the earth at the second appearing of Christ. The Lord now commissions mighty angels to lead His people safely to the heavenly Canaan. When the last plagues are poured upon a guilty but unrepentant world, the angels will have charge of God's people, and will keep them in perfect safety.

The final, joyful work of the angels in connection with the plan of salvation, will be to gather the redeemed to meet the Lord in the air. The Saviour comes with all of His holy angels. His voice wakes the slumbering saints, their graves can no longer hold them fast. They come forth immortal, and at the same moment the living saints are immortalized. The heavenly "watchers" have marked the spot where each one who sleeps in Jesus is resting. Angels that excel in strength bear aloft the saints of God to meet their Redeemer in the air, to accompany Him to glory, and to enjoy His presence and loving favor forevermore. When this long-looked-for event occurs, how the arches of heaven will reecho with the song of victory sung by the redeemed upon the sea of glass before the throne, and every heart will overflow with ecstasy, knowing that the plan of salvation is finally made complete, and that all sorrow is forever ended.

It may be well to settle in our minds one fact relative to angels, and that is, that the two classes, elect angels and fallen angels (demons), brought to our notice in the word, were never members of our human family, but were created beings of higher order than men,—existing before men. Nor will unfallen angels ever personate deceased men, and assume to be departed members of Adam's race. This deceptive work is practised wholly by fallen angels, and reveals the secret of the mysterious manifestations and personifications of Spiritualism. Relative to this delusion, the word says, "I would not that ye should worship demons."

So far as the Scripture record reveals the future state of the human family, even the redeemed will never become angels; but to "be made equal unto the angels," and to be made exempt from the ravages of death is quite sufficient ground for all of our holy ambitions. This constitutes an essential part of "the blessed hope."