Lesson 01: The Final Countdown
When you read through the book of Revelation, it is very easy to get caught up in the imagery of beasts and plagues. However, Revelation is ultimately about Jesus. Did you know that Jesus has a special message for His people in the last days before the second coming?
This message is proclaimed in Revelation chapter 14 by three angels. In short, they are Jesus’ final push to save people from ultimate destruction. Today we are going to study the first angel’s message.
Revelation 14:6-7 – Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth–to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people–saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”
What is so special about this message? How is it related to the Gospel?
Let’s read together Genesis 3:15; Deuteronomy 18:15; John 1:29; John 3:16; and Revelation 14;6
The key phrase in Revelation 14:6 is “the everlasting Gospel.”
The Gospel message is the same now as it was when Adam and Eve first received it. The people of the Old Testament were looking forward to a coming Savior who will save them from their sins. The people of the New Testament and throughout the centuries until today look forward to a Savior who died for our sins.
Jesus is that Savior, taking upon the sins of all of humanity when He died for our sins on the cross at Calvary two thousand years ago.
While the Gospel message never changes, people in a particular age may receive a specific mission or message. For this study, let’s refer to that specific mission or message as present truth.
For example, in the time of Noah, the present truth was to get in the ark. The world was about to be destroyed. The only way Jesus could save people was if they had the faith to get in the ark. For the people in the time of John the Baptist, the present truth was to accept his message that the coming Messiah was upon them. Did they have the faith to accept Jesus was the Messiah as pointed out by John? Today, the present truth is to heed the three angels’ messages.
Let’s read together Revelation 14:7.
The first angel has a global message, which has four parts:
- Fear God
- Give Him glory
- The hour of His judgment has come
- Worship Him
What does it mean to fear God? Let’s turn to Exodus 20:20; Deuteronomy 10:12; Proverbs 9:10; Jeremiah 32:40; and 1 John 4:18.
Many people, including Christians, believe that to fear God is to grovel before Him. They should be afraid of Him and try to appease Him in order to avoid His wrath.
However, the fear of God actually has nothing to do with being afraid of Him. To fear God, biblically speaking, is to give Him the reverence and respect He deserves. When we fear God in this manner, we can also love Him.
For example, we love our parents, but we should also show the proper respect due to them.
Let’s read together Psalm 29:2 and Luke 19:37-40.
What is glory? One of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definitions of the word “glory” is “worshipful, praise, honor, and thanksgiving.”
Have you ever been to a sporting event, a concert, or even a movie with a large crowd who are really into the experience? Everyone shouting for joy at a particular moment or overcome with a sense of awe from what they just experienced? Even if you are someone who would never go to such events, have you ever experienced that sense of awe in the presence of God?
When we fear God, our lives will change. We will begin to see how great and wonderful He truly is. We will become in awe of Him. If we are in awe of God, we cannot help but give Him glory. We will gladly worship Him, praise Him, honor Him, and thank Him.
Let’s read together Daniel 2:33; 41-44; Malachi 3:5; Matthew 24:12-14; 1 Peter 4:17; 2 Peter 3:1-3; and Revelation 14:7.
Note that REvelation 14:7 says “the hour of judgment has come, not will come.” We know from Daniel chapter 2 and Matthew chapter 24 we are living in the end times.
There is an urgency to the first angel’s message. To put it into perspective, if you are a student, finals week is here. If you are into sports, the playoffs are here. If you are in the medical field, the board inspector is here.
There is no time to procrastinate. This is the final push to bring people to Jesus.
Let’s read together Genesis 24:48; Exodus 5:2; Nehemiah 9:3; Psalm 99:9; Matthew 14:33; and Revelation 7:11.
Why should we fear the Lord and give glory to Him? Pharoah once asked Moses the same question once. What kind of response will you get if you ask Christians, “why should you worship Jesus?” They will usually say something like “we worship Jesus because He died for our sins at Calvary and redeemed us.” It is a good answer, but not the entire answer.
Let’s read together Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 40:26; Isaiah 43:1; and Colossians 1:16.
Broadly speaking, humans are the only beings in the universe who do not acknowledge God as our Creator. The angels in heaven acknowledge God as their Creator. The unfallen beings in the rest of the universe acknowledge God as their Creator. We limit God when we do not acknowledge Him as our Creator.
In summary, the first angel’s message is not a new message. It is linked to the Gospel. It reminds us we should not be afraid of God. He is our Creator and He loves us. God is much bigger than we think of Him. Not only did He create us, He created the heavens and earth and everything within. God holds all of creation together with His power. He is calling us to come back to Him, to worship Him and give Him the respect He deserves. If you come to know Him then you will surely be in awe of Him. Your relationship with God will be more intimate and proud that any secular experience you could have.
Friend, if you love Jesus and are in awe of Him, will you share the first angel’s message with others?