This has been said by angels who appear to men in visions for a very long time. It can be said that it is a continuous theme for angelic visitation.

It is though that the angels say this, because they seem fearful in their appearance, and that they intend to calm the person to whom they appear, by saying something non-threatening.

But this morning I had an intuition. What if the angels do not say this because it is "soothing", but instead say it as an instruction?

It is often said that the opposite of love is fear.

Lets for a moment assume that what the angels say is an instruction for living ones life, and not just a soothing thing to say to someone who have a somewhat frightening vision?

I think there is wisdom in it. Because if one "fears not", then fear of hell goes away. Fear of the afterlife goes away. Fear of the future goes away, and one suffers no more. It is replaced by a continuous sense of peace. A sense of "It will be alright" (see my previous blog post for more on that).

If one fears not, then every theology which is based in terror and fear of judgement, such as Christianity, collapses almost instantly. This instruction dismantles the machinery of control that many institutional religions have used for centuries.

In many ancient texts, the "Fear Not" (Al-tira in Hebrew or Mē phobou in Greek) is delivered in the imperative mood. It’s a command. If we look at it through a lens of "instruction for living," it becomes a prerequisite for spiritual clarity.

If "Fear Not" is the primary directive, the "It will be alright" sentiment becomes a logical conclusion rather than a wishful thought. When you remove the fear of "what comes next," you're left with the reality of "what is."

Well.. just a though.