Imagining Concourses of Angels and Bright, Shining Seraphs

What do “bright, shining seraphs” and “numberless concourses of angels” surrounding the throne of God look like?  I’ve wondered this since reading scriptural accounts of angels surrounding God’s throne.

Concourses of Angels

Here are two depictions of angelic hosts at the throne of God:

I’ve thought more about this concept of angels surrounding God’s throne since President Nelson admonished the study of Doctrine and Covenants 109 as a tutorial for the last days. In the second to last verse, Joseph Smith prays

And help us by the power of thy Spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright, shining seraphs around thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing Hosanna to God and the Lamb! (Doctrine and Covenants 109:79)

Book of Mormon prophets Lehi and Alma saw this heavenly sight.

And being thus overcome with the Spirit, [Lehi] was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open, and he thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God. (1 Nephi 1:8)

Alma recorded

Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there. (Alma 36:22)

What a glorious vision!

Isaiah saw

the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

God’s Work and Glory

These images are wonderful and compel such ponderous thoughts.  But God’s self-proclaimed work and glory kept coming to mind.

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

For me, God’s incredible work and glory evoke different imagery of servants and children of a creative and salvific God than standing forever around His throne.  Not saying that wouldn’t be incredibly wonderful, but I felt like something was missing for an exalted heir. What are ways we can be “bright, shining seraphs” surrounding the throne of God and engaged in His work and glory?  I kept searching for something to (metaphorically) represent the concourses of angels around God’s throne engaged in His work.

One day during an endowment session as I watched galaxies rolling past my view, I realized an answer was right before my eyes!  If the throne of God is the center point, look at all those bright and shining worlds surrounding Him!  This visual made so much sense to me!  This is His work and glory … and a continuation of His works and glory eternally. And I can be a part of this work—my part, if done in righteousness, exlaims Hosanna and “Holy! Holy! Holy!” to my King forever.

Abraham’s vision reinforced this thought for me.

And I saw the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God; and there were many great ones which were near unto it;

And the Lord said unto me: These are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me, for I am the Lord thy God: (Abraham 3:2-3)

Check out the verbiage NASA provided with the images!  The oldest stars are in the center, with the youngest, brightest stars on the outskirts of the galaxy.

This has been such a fascinating train of thought!

The Lost Galaxy/NGC4535

The Whirlpool Galaxy/M51 or NGC 5194