17 When the Jews saw this, they uttered a loud cry to heaven, so that the adjacent valleys resounded, and caused an irrepressible lamentation throughout the army.
18 Then the all-glorious,
all-powerful, and
true God
displayed his holy countenance and
opened the gates of heaven, from which
two angels,
dreadful of form,
came down and were visible to all but the Jews.
19 And they stood opposite and filled the enemies’ host with confusion and cowardice and bound them with immovable fetters.
20 And a cold shudder came over the person of the king, and oblivion paralysed the vehemence of his spirit.
21 They turned back the animals upon the armed forces which followed them; and the animals trod them down and destroyed them.
3 Maccabees chapter 6
Again, we see God actively working for the benefit of his people. The animals referred to were elephants of war and were originally set to trample a full hippodrome full of Jews, but were turned around and trampled the soldiers.
God here is described as all-glorious, all-powerful, and a true God who displays His holy countenance and who opens the gates of heaven.
- God’s Glory refers to the outward manifestation of God’s perfection, encompassing His greatness, worth, and the honor due to Him. It is often associated with light, splendor, and the recognition of God’s importance and character.
- All-Powerful also means omnipotent. He can do anything that fits his nature and will. Omnipotence refers to the quality of having unlimited power and authority.
- True God means being the one supreme, eternal Creator of the universe who reveals Himself as just, gracious, and triune – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – distinct from all other claimed deities.
- Holy countenance refers to the divine presence or expression of God, often symbolizing His favor, approval, and blessing towards His people. It represents a state of being in harmony with God, reflecting His love and grace.
And onto the description of the angels we see in this text.
When angels are described as dreadful of form, it refers to their terrifying and awe-inspiring nature, often evoking fear due to their powerful presence and appearance. They embody a sense of the divine that can be overwhelming and fearsome.
More than the description of what they appeared and felt like, I would like to call attention to what they did:
- Filled the enemies’ host with confusion and cowardice.
- Bound them with immovable fetters.
- Caused a cold shudder to come over the person of the king.
- Oblivion paralyzed the vehemence of his (the king’s) spirit.
- They (the two angels) turned back the animals (elephants) upon the armed forces.
- The animals trod them (the king’s army) down and destroyed them.
Perhaps you can imagine God opening the gates of heaven, and before your eyes appear extremely large, fearsome angels. We do not know much more about these two – no mention of wings or size – but I am imagining them with wings, as it is associated with angels, and because of the terror they caused, they must have been large. This was definitely a shock-and-awe offensive from heaven and an immediate turnaround of a dire situation, with God and his 2 fearsome angels in the center of the miracle.