Peter says that angels long to look
into the things the Spirit had preached to the exiles. The term translated as long to look
speaks of a strong passion in the angels to see for themselves what God was doing. We may imagine the angels peering intently through the windows of heaven to get a glimpse of God’s redemptive activity on earth (Luke 15:10). Peter’s purpose in mentioning this is not to satisfy our curiosity on what angels might be doing, but is instead to underscore how rich those exiles are. If even the angels who are ever in God’s presence find God’s redemptive work so exciting that they want to see it for themselves, how much more privileged are these exiles now that they are recipients of his salvation! Here is every reason for the exiles to join Peter in the exciting outburst of praise with which he began this paragraph: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.