Hearing the Angel's Sing
I am absolutely convinced that last Saturday (12th August) I heard the angels sing!
We had been away as a family for a week down in Cornwall, and (due to an odd admin error on my behalf!) was preaching here at Bethel on the Sunday after.
We had driven back on the Friday, and so I needed to call into the church on the Saturday to pick up my laptop ready for the next day.
I came in through the back entrance of the church and was immediately struck by the sound of this music coming from inside the church worship area. I just presumed that people had either gathered to play together, or that someone was playing something over the sound system. But the main impression at that point was just the sheer volume and incredible passion of the music.
I then came into my office (which is right next to the main worship area) to grab my laptop and some notes I’d made before the holiday. And I could hear the sound more clearly. By this point it was actually reverberating in my chest!
Now closer to the source I could tell they weren’t singing in English – and weren’t singing one melody at all. It sounded more like a rehearsal or warm up because there were all these flowing and overlapping melodies but it was producing this intensely beautiful cacophony of sound!
At this point I began to assume that we had hired the space out to another church/choir of some description… but all I can tell you was that even in the next room – the emotion was tangible.
The door from my office into the church was open slightly, so I peered in to see who it was. But the whole of the right side of the church was entirely empty! I opened the door and looked left across the platform, which was empty too!
So I stepped into the room and was immediately enveloped in the sound which seemingly had no source at all. No physical/human source at least.
There are moments where your spirit knows something, but your mind is desperately trying to catch up…
To be sure of what I was hearing I called out a few times. I checked the sound system (which was all turned off) – I even went and open the porch to be sure there wasn’t some festival going on outside that I had somehow missed when I’d driven there. But there was no-one. The weather was pretty bad that day, and the rain would have called of an outside concert, or at least lessened the numbers or the noise.
No-one outside the church, no-one but me inside – and yet the place was full of song.
At this point I was in tears, I could feel the hairs on my arms and neck standing up… which I still can now when I talk about it, or even as I type these words. The atmosphere was beautiful, powerful – God’s presence there was tangible.
I had to just stand in it and try to take it all in. I tried to join in the song, but by now no words would flow – just more tears.
I sat on the step at the front of the platform just so grateful to be there.
It is hard to put into words what I was feeling. It was wild mixture of deep peace and real joy – but there was this an incredibly overwhelming sense of wonder. I have honestly never experienced anything quite like it. “Awe” doesn’t really begin to cover it.
It is also hard to put words what I was hearing. Aimee asked me when I got home what I sounded like. As a musician, I would love to be able to sit at a keyboard and recreate it for you, but I wouldn’t know where to start. I couldn’t even tell you whether it was in a major or minor key or even compare it to something remotely similar.
But just stunning.
Even the word “glorious” doesn’t begin to cover it.
The sound seemed to travel upwards – almost like an audio wind tunnel. I found myself looking up and around, longing to see something. I had the odd experience of the sound “moving” from whether I looked and so I stopped trying, but the singing eventually began to fade away.
Like being caught in an echo, the atmosphere of God’s presence just hung there for I don’t know how long.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes about someone who was “caught up to the third heaven” and then he writes: “Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know - God knows…” He’s clearly still processing this because he then immediately repeats himself and says it again: “Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know - God knows…” (2 Corinthians 12.2-3)
I’m not trying to claim anything like that experience – but the question has occurred to me of what “ears” I was hearing the angel song with. Was it a physical sound (like to the shepherds in Bethlehem – Luke 2.12) or was it more like a vision (probably like the cherubim in Isaiah’s call – Isaiah 6.3)? I know what it felt like to me, but I honestly don’t have an answer to that question, but thankfully – God knows! All I do know is whether physical or spiritual, the experience was just so precious.
It’s amazing to me that we often seek answers from God and yet when we do encounter Him and see glimpses of glory it often leaves us with more questions than answers!
One question I’ve been asking a lot is why? Why did that happen, and why then, and why only to me… Aimee keeps telling me that it doesn’t have to mean anything. And she is right. But it definitely affirmed a few huge things for me. Things I have believed for years, but now feel like I “know” in a different way.
1. God’s presence is His greatest gift to us
In that place – all I can tell you is that everything felt right. It was like being picked up by a parent and resting in their arms, knowing it’s all going to be ok. The beauty of being around Him – or perhaps of being more fully aware of being around Him – is hard to describe, but once you’ve tasted it you only want more. Heaven is going to be incredible! If a few minutes of angels voices leaves us breathless, what will do when we hear God’s own voice?!
2. God’s presence is the safest place to be
Angels are powerful.
I knew that before, but wow do I know it now. Even the sound of them in worship makes us tremble.
And they constantly accompany believers through our lives! Serving, providing, guiding, blessing. You are never alone. You are surrounded. You are protected. (Hebrews 1.14)
3. God really wants to bless us
I texted the leadership team WhatsApp group on the day to share the experience with them. Someone replied to ask if there was any sense of what the words were that the angels’ were singing. And there wasn’t in a message in their song that I could discern. But I had already sensed it was a huge affirmation of what a number of people have been hearing recently, that the Lord is wanting to lead us in a time of refreshing! (Acts 3.19) This is something we’re deeply encouraged by and praying into! Please do join with us in praying this season into reality!
4. God wants us to share our encounters
Not that I can claim many of these encounters, but I don’t find it easy to share these experiences like this. It’s hard to know what people will make of it (or make of me!) once I’ve opened my mouth and told people!
And yet – I can see the impact it does have: Encouragement. Wonder. Hope. Excitement.
And yes of course, questions – but we should never be afraid of questions, especially ones that draw us deeper into awe, or cause us to explore how our relationship with God might develop and grow.
It’s funny how one good story leads to another – and testimonies can open us up to share their own encounters. One person has told me of a time a group of them were singing, and they suddenly were aware of another voice singing a different but complimenting melody that wasn’t coming from them! Someone else mentioned the experience of being at Bethel and being aware that the volume of the worship seemed somehow louder than the number of people present should naturally be able to produce!
As nervous as I have been sharing this, the response has been really affirming. I’m still processing the event, but deeply grateful to be able to do that with you all, my church family!
I’ve been part of Bethel for almost twenty years, (or even longer if you count the time I was here as a student too) and one thing I deeply value about us as a fellowship is our hunger to be the kind of church where we can share deeply together. We love to hear how people have encountered Jesus’ presence and power in their lives! Let’s commit ourselves to never losing that.
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 12.22-24)
I shared a little bit about this on last Sunday too, here's the link in case you missed it. The message is about 40 minutes in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUQtzbUtt40&t=4666s