“It is through the old creation (the universe) that God reveals his glory to humans; it is through the new creation (the church) that he reveals his wisdom to angels.” ~ John Stott
Even though the angels were in the presence of God, they did not know about the mystery of the Church. This mystery, that God would save both Jew & Gentile and unite them as one body, revealed to the angels the “manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:10-11). This is one of the great purposes of the Church.
Redemption is a concept that truly amazes the heavenly hosts. As the church functions the angels watch. They watch as churches share the gospel. They watch as churches care for their members. They watch as diverse groups of people gather to worship. They watch as we love one another as Christ loves the church. It is through His church that God has chosen to display his redemptive wisdom.
And as His church, we get to play a part in the unfolding story. As John Stott said…
It is as if a great drama is being enacted. History is the theatre, the world is the stage, and church members in every land are the actors. God himself has written the play, and he directs and produces it. Act by act, scene by scene, the story continues to unfold. But who are the audience? They are the cosmic intelligences, the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. We are to think of them as spectators of the drama of salvation. Thus ‘the history of the Christian church becomes a graduate school for angels’
Eric Echols 