As their fears are dispelled, joy takes the place of astonishment and terror. They could not, at first, bear the radiance of glory, which attended the whole heavenly host, to break upon them suddenly. One angel only appears to the gaze of the watching shepherds to dissipate their fears, and make known their mission. As the light of the angel encircles them, the glory rests upon them, and they are strengthened to endure the greater light and glory attending the myriads of heavenly angels. "And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."

Da deres frygt forsvandt, tager glæde stedet for forbavselse og rædsel. De kunne ikke først børe herlighedens udstråling, som kom fra hele den himmelske hær, der brød pludseligt over dem. En engel viste sig kun for de vagtsomme hyrders stirrende blik, for at stilne deres rædsel, og gøre deres mission kendt. Idet lysets engel omkransede dem, hviler herligheden over dem, og de styrkes til at kunne klare det større herligheds lys, der var med de store myriader af himmelske engle. ”Og det skete, da englene havde forladt dem og var vendt tilbage til Himmelen, sagde hyrderne til hverandre: »Lad os dog gå til Betlehem og se det, som der er sket, og som Herren har kundgjort os.« Og de skyndte sig derhen og fandt Maria og Josef tillige med barnet, som lå i krybben. Da de havde set det, fortalte de, hvad der var blevet sagt til dem om dette barn. Og alle, som hørte det, undrede sig over det, som hyrderne sagde til dem. Men Maria gemte alle disse ord i sit hjerte og grundede over dem. Og hyrderne vendte tilbage og priste og lovede Gud for alt, hvad de havde hørt og set, således som der var blevet sagt til dem.”