Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

"FLIGHT FINAL"

This entry was posted on 05-08-2009 and is filed under DEATH.

All week long we have been quoting from Chapter 16 of my book What the Bible Says About Angels and Demons. Angels have a vital role to play when a Christian dies.

If only our eyes could somehow be opened like Elisha's servant, we would see the eternal conflict that is taking place every moment in the heavens above! It is all for our sake, for our good. What a battle must be raging in the unseen heavenly realms for the souls of men - both in life and in death. Think how bravely and faithfully the angels of God protect the spirits of the departed who have boarded "Flight Final" to the New Jerusalem! Think how daring and devilish must be the efforts of the angels of Satan who would abort this mission if they could. But they cannot. Peter writes that our eternal home is guarded by the power of God (1 Pet. 1:5). The Greek language indicates a "garrison of protectors." God placed Cherubim and a flaming sword in Eden to guard the tree of life from those who would seek entry into the garden (Gen. 3:24). He has placed faithful sentinels in heaven to guard our mansions. No evil forces can strip the angels of their priceless cargo!

How far is this final flight to heaven? How long does the flight take? God wants His children to know about this journey. According to Paul, it sounds like a matter of only seconds - "absent from the body, present with the Lord" (2 cor. 5:8). Charles Spurgeon said, "Just one sigh and we are there."

Consider how far it is to heaven. Modern astronomers tell us that is at least 10 billion light years to the edge of our universe. A light year is calculated as the distance light can travel in one year, moving at the speed of 186,282 miles per second. This means it would take 10 billion years, traveling at the speed of light, just to reach the edge of our universe! And far beyond that is heaven!

Not to worry. We have already learned one astounding characteristic of the angels is their incredible swiftness with which they move from one point to another. When God dispatches His angels, they travel faster than the speed of light. This defies the laws of nature, but angels are above the laws of nature. They are supernatural beings who can do supernatural things because they are endowed with supernatural power from a supernatural source - Almighty God. Angels come an go in "swift flight" (Dan. 9:21). Talk about a "space shuttle!"

Prayer: Loving Father, how good you are to provide this "space shuttle" for the spirits of just men and men made perfect by the blood of the Lamb in their final flight from earth to glory! Through Christ we pray.