Examining the Claim that Mosiah 2:28 and the concept of a Heavenly Choir is Anachronistic

In an attempt to portray the Book of Mormon as reflecting anachronistic concepts and theologies (in this instance, “Euro-Christianity”), Arthur Chris Eccel wrote the following:

Join the Choirs Above in Singing the Praise of a Just God

Mosiah 2:28, that I might go down in peace, and my immortal spirit may join the choirs above in singing the praises of a just God (cf. 1 Nephi 1:8; Mormon 7:7)

Psalms 148:1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights. 2. Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts. 3. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, and ye stars of light. 4. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

Luke 2:13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

In the Bible, an angel (less commonly angels) is sent for specific purposes: to deliver a message, to protect, to destroy, to reap men or judgment, to gather the elect, etc. In Psalms 148, they are commanded to praise God, but apparently figuratively, since they are included with inanimate objects, such as stars and waters. This is reflected in the Hebrew word for angel, mal’akh, envoy, from a Semitic root “to send.” In the New Testament, the word angelos, envy, is a translation of the Semitic.

“Choir” does not occur in the Bible, and there is no mention of a group of angels singing, a “choir” (from Greek χορος [choros], a group of dancers or singers). At some point in the development of Euro-Christianity, the image of a “choir” of angels developed. Eventually, the angels were divided into various orders called choirs (9 choirs [orders] according to some, each with its function. Even so, in popular religion, this gave rise to the image of angels floating on clouds playing the harp. Whatever the meaning in this passage in Mosiah, this praise obviously comes from post-Biblical Euro-Christianity. The phrase is found in a hymn of Charles Wesley:

2. Thy will by me on earth be done, As by the choirs above,
Who always see thee on thy throne. And glory in thy love.

Contrast this with the Spurgeon sermon “Royal Homage” (no. 1102, 1873), “Nor can we expect that untrained voices should be admitted into the choirs above.” (Arthur Chris Eccel, Mormon Genesis [Hilo, Hawaii: GP Touchstone, 2018], 195-96)

Firstly, it should be noted that Eccel is dead wrong in (oddly) arguing that angels in the Bible are inanimate objects. When the Hebrew and Greek are used for angels in the sense of supernatural agents sent by God (not in a generic sense of a human emissary), they are still persons, not inanimate objects. A classic example would be the angel Gabriel (see Daniel 8 and Luke 1).

Secondly, and more importantly, the theme of heavenly beings, not just angels but also exalted humans and prophets who have ascended into heaven, singing praises in a heavenly/angelic choir is well attested in antiquity, so the concept is not anachronistic or a novelty as a result of “Euro-Christianity.” Note the following examples:

But the sons of Abraham with their victorious mother are gathered together into the chorus (χορος) of the fathers, and have received pure and immortal souls from God. (4 Maccabees 18:23 NRSV)

And while he [the angel] was still speaking, behold the fire coming toward us round about, and a voice was in the fire like a voice of many waters, like a voice of the sea in its uproar. And the angel knelt down with me and worshiped. And I wanted to fall face down on the earth. And the place of highness on which we were standing now stopped on high now rolled down low. And he said, "Only worship, Abraham, and recite the song which I taught you." Since there was no ground to which I could fall prostrate, I only bowed down, and I recited the song which he had taught me. And he said, "Recite without ceasing." And I recited and he himself recited the song:

Eternal One, Mighty One, Holy El, God autocrat

self-originate, incorruptible, immaculate,

unbegotten, spotless, immortal,

self-perfected, self-devised,

without mother, without father, ungenerated,

exalted, fiery,

just, love of men, benevolent, compassionate, bountiful,

jealous love me, patient one, most merciful.

Eli, eternal, mighty one, holy Sabaoth,

most glorious El, El, El, El, Iaoel,

you are he my soul has loved, my protector

Eternal, fiery, shining,

light-giving, thunder-voiced, lightning-visioned, many-eyed,

receiving the petitions of those who honor you

and turning away from the petitions of those who restrain you

by the restraint of their provocations,

redeemer of those who dwell in the midst of the wicked ones,

of those who are dispersed among the just of the world,

in the corruptible age,

Showing forth the age of the just,

you make the light shin

before the morning light upon your creation

from your face

to spend the day on the earth,

and in your heavenly dwelling place

(there is) an inexhaustible light of an invincible dawning

from the light of your face.

Accept my prayer and delight in it,

and (accept) also the sacrifice which you yourself made

to yourself through me as I searched for you.

Receive me favorably,

teach me, show me, and make known to your servant

what you have promised me.

And as I was still reciting the son, the mouth of the fire which was on the firmament was rising up on high. (Apocalypse of Abraham 17:1-18:1)

After this the angel took me to heaven and I saw Abraham. So I prostrated myself before him and he received me graciously, he and all the godly ones. Then they all came together and did me honor because of my father. Then they took me by the hand and led me to the curtain before the throne of the Father. So I prostrated myself before him and worshipped him with my father and all the saints while we uttered praises and cried aloud, saying, “Most holy, most holy, most holy is the Lord Sabaoth! Heaven and earth are filled with your sanctified glory.” Then the Lord said to me from his holy height, “As to everyone who shall name his son after my beloved Isaac, my blessing shall rest upon him and be in his house forever. (Testament of Isaac, 6:1-6)

. . . They helped me and set me on that boat. Thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads of angels gave praise before me. I, myself, put on an angelic garment. I saw all of those angels praying. I, myself, prayed together with them, I knew their language, which they spoke with me. Now, moreover, my sons, this is the trial because it is necessary that the good and the evil be weighed in a balance. (The Apocalypse of Zephaniah, 8:1-5)

And he took me up into the sixth heaven, and there was none on the left, nor a throne in the middle, but all (were) of one appearance, and their praise (was) equal. And (strength) was given to me, and I also sang praises with them, and that angel also, and our praise was like theirs . . . And I saw one standing (there) whose glory surpassed that of all, and his glory was great and wonderful. And when they saw him, all the righteous whom I had seen and the angels came to him. And Adam and Abel and Seth and all the righteous approached first and worshipped him, and they all praised him with one voice, and I also was singing praises with them, and my praise was like theirs. And then all the angels approached, and worshiped, and sang praises. And he was transformed and became like an angel. And then the angel who led me said to me, “Worship this one,” and I worshiped and sang praises. And the angel said to me, “this is the Lord of all the praise which you have seen.” (Martyrdom and Ascension of Isaiah, 8:16-17; 9:27-32)

And the angel said, "Listen, Baruch: The plain which contains in the pool and other wonders in the place where the souls of the righteous come, when they hold converse, living together in choirs (χορος). (3 Baruch 10:5)

At once Meṭaṭron, Prince of the Divine Presence, came and revived me and raised me to my feet, but still I had not strength enough to sing a hymn before the glorious throne of the glorious King, the mightiest of kings, the most splendid of potentates, until an hour had passed. But after an hour the Holy One, blessed be he, opened to me gates of šekinah, gates of peace, gates of wisdom, gates of strength, gates of might, gates of speech, gates of song, gates of sanctifying praise, gates of chant. He enlightened my eyes and my heart to utter psalm, praise, jubilation, thanksgiving, song, glory, majesty, laud, and strength. And when I opened my mouth and sang praises before the throne of glory the holy creatures below the throne of glory and above the throne responded after me, saying,
Holy, holy holy,
and,
Blessed be the glory of the Lord in his dwelling place. (3 Enoch 1:9-12)

As with so many charges of anachronism in the Book of Mormon, this is yet another one that, upon careful research and study, bites the dust.