This would mean that there are more than 100 million (100,000,000) angels. The Greek word for “myriads” can be translated as tens of thousand (10,000). There are “myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands” of angels. In both passages we are told that the number of angels that have been created is too large to count. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God and they will reign upon the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” (NASB) Rev. The only comments that are made in scripture about the number of angels that exist can be found in the following verses.īut you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels. Motivated by the knowledge that “without holiness no one will see the Lord,” we continue going all-out for Christ, striving to put on our “new nature, created to be like God-truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:24, NLT).God never told us how many angels He created or how many are in heaven. Sanctification is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the ongoing work of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:22 1 Thessalonians 5:23 2 Thessalonians 2:13 John 3:5–8 1 Corinthians 6:11). He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5, NLT). “He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. We are saved by Jesus “to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:9, ESV). It’s vital to understand that, as the Lord’s redeemed people, we are made holy through Christ’s finished work, the offering of His body on the cross (Hebrews 10:10, 14 Ephesians 1:4 1 Corinthians 1:2). Of the future, glorious New Jerusalem, the apostle John said, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

We find a parallel idea to “without holiness no one will see the Lord” in these words from Paul: “For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-such a person is an idolater-has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5). Paul told Timothy, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21, ESV). And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God” (2 Corinthians 7:1, NLT).

In light of this revelation, the apostle Paul urged, “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:14–18). If our ultimate goal is to be like Christ and see Him when He returns, our practical daily pursuit must be toward complete purity of thought and lifestyle. This is the culminating point of the broader passage (Hebrews 12:22–29). The declaration without holiness no one will see the Lord reflects a sense of the author’s anticipation of seeing Christ at His return (see 1 John 3:2). Throughout Scripture, God appeals to His people to work at cultivating holiness: “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7–8). God must discipline willfully disobedient children who live to please themselves. Without a lifelong endeavor toward personal holiness, no one will see the Lord. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14–16, NLT). But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. The apostle Peter instructed believers to “live as God’s obedient children. Believers are called to become like God in His holiness (Ephesians 1:4).

They must “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). People who desire to live in close fellowship with the Lord and see Him face to face must turn away from self-seeking, unholy interests. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Emulating a lifestyle that reflects God’s holiness is so important that the writer of Hebrews urged Christians to “strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14, ESV). God desires-even commands-that His people seek after His holiness (Leviticus 11:44). The holiness of God is a critical facet of His character.

Hebrews 12 bible study