Shepherds in a field beneath the starry sky where the angel army appeared.

Not So Silent Night Above Bethlehem

Luke 2 begins with the Holy Family in spare quarters in Bethlehem and continues with a group of shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem. An angel announces some great news (Luke 2:13–14), and this announcement is expanded by some special singing. Our Christmas carols reflect this quite vividly: “Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains.”

It is hard to find these angelic melodies in the text of Luke 2. I assure you that I enjoy my family’s gathering around the tree as much as anyone, but please notice another side to this “Not So Silent Night.” That “other side” is the host of heaven gathered, not for a joyous announcement, but for war!

Host of angels

The first matter to consider is our mental image of angels. The biblical word cherubim has morphed into the English word cherub, which evokes images of fat and cute little creatures intended to warm our hearts. Such images are foreign to the Biblical description of angelic beings. The second matter is the Hebrew term tsva, often used to describe a group of angels and translated into English as “host.” But tsva is better understood as a military term, and in Modern Hebrew, tsva means “army.” 

Luke refers to these angels with the Greek word stratia, which translates that Hebrew tsva (“army”) in the ancient Greek Old Testament. “And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host (stratia) praising God and saying” (Luke 2:13). The New English Translation is bold enough to render it as “Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying …” Why would they do that? 

Classical Greek uses the word for an army or group of soldiers. In the Septuagint, it is used nineteen times for human armies and often for Israel’s armies (Num 10:28; Deut 20:9; 2 Sam 3:23; 18:16). The other nine uses of stratia refer to nonmaterial “hosts” as is the case in Luke 2:13. All nine of these uses are linked with the word “heavenly.” Sometimes the “host” may refer to the stars (2 Chron 33:3, 5). In at least two of these verses, the “host of heaven” refers to spiritual beings who are on the Lord’s side of the battle (1 Kings 22:19; Neh 9:6). Judges 5:20 describes the stars as fighting against Sisera, obviously referring to spiritual beings who fought for God’s people against overwhelming human odds.

A time of peace?

Modern ideas of Christmas hope for a time of peace, but the original Advent included assembling the heavenly host for war, but one that would be fought in spiritual fields, not earthly ones. Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil (1 John 3:8), and Satan reciprocated with his spiritual assaults on Jesus. Jesus fought with demonic forces in Mark 5:1–20 when they did not want to give up their ownership of the Gerasene, and it is striking that they called their name “legion,” the same name for a Roman military division (Mark 5:9). In the Garden, Jesus acknowledged that He had a spiritual army ready to report for active duty: “Or do you think that My Father can at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt 26:53). Satan had his soldiers and Jesus had His soldiers. The legions of angels ready to do the bidding of their Commander in Matthew 26 are identical to the legions of the heavenly host (stratia) that evening outside Bethlehem! The song sung to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth was the celestial version of “Hail to the Chief.” In other words, that so-called “Silent Night” was the beginning of war!

What of the verbless expression, “Peace on earth. Good will to men?” This is not a pronouncement but more like a prayer in many NT letters: “May peace and grace be yours.” A better reading in earlier Greek manuscripts was, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14). This refers to the Divine good pleasure resting on those who have accepted His rule and have ceased to fight against Him! The same word was used by Jesus in Luke 10:21: “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.” The peace of Luke 2:14 is not a prayer for disarmament! It is a wish that God’s people may experience true shalom (peace) in their relationship with God. That peace is for those on whom His favor rests and who “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). That is the message from this “not so silent night” long ago that is so needed to be shouted out loudly for today’s world!

©2023 William Varner. Used with permission.

About The Author

Will Varner
William Varner

William Varner teaches at The Master’s University and is a pastor/teacher at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, Calif. He has written twenty books, including Passionate About the Passion Week: A Fresh Look at Jesus’ Last Days (Fontes Press, 2020).

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