One Final Global Gospel Declaration (Part 1)
A Brief History of Time • Sermon • Submitted
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And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”
And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”
John sees now, three angels - each with a very particular message. Each message looks forward too and unlocks for us the rest of the book. One proclaims an eternal gospel, the next the fall of Babylon, and the third declares condemnation for all who take the mark of the beast.
Let’s take a look at the first angel
The First angel: An Eternal Gospel
The First angel: An Eternal Gospel
We call him the first angel, but John calls him “another angel”
Angels are mentioned 74 times in Revelation, a total of 49 times from chapter 1 to chapter 14. That said, it is not really important to determine the prior angel to this one in terms of Chronology, other than to note that this is another angel in the sense that it is an angel that has not been part of the events so far.
Like the eagle pronouncing three woes in chapter 8 - this angel is flying in “midheaven”.
Then we note that he has an eternal gospel to preach.
I note that it says, “An” eternal gospel, rather than “the” eternal gospel which is fascinating. But it makes sense in light of what a “gospel” or “good news” proclamation often meant. proclaiming good news was seen as declarations of victory in war, as well as declarations of a new king on the throne. When you think about it, this is exactly true about the gospel of Jesus. Good news, we have a king who is taking his throne! and Good news, Jesus the king has defeated his enemies and ours, and has placed them in subjection.
And then we think more specifically of the gospel as we know it, a declaration that God has made it possible for we who were God’s enemies to be reconciled to Him as our new king because he paid the price of death by means of the cross and the grave and conquered death in the the resurrection. Now he has ascended to the Father’s right hand as king - and he is coming soon to claim his kingdom.
This eternal gospel is meant to go to every person on earth. Every nation, tribe, and tongue. Very similar language that is used to describe the vast multitude in Revelation 7:9 who cry out praise and worship to God and to the Lamb (Revelation 7:10).
The content of the gospel is the announcement that Man's rule is about over and God's kingdom is about to start. This hearkens back to Jesus' message that "the kingdom of God is upon you." It also reminds us that the word of the Lord is eternal (Isaiah 40:8) which is what Peter refers to in 1 Peter 1:23-25.
for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All flesh is like grass, And all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.
The angel’s proclamation contains two mandates which are then given reasons. The mandates are to fear God, and to worship Him. So take a look at these two mandates.
Fear God
Fear God
The mandate is to Fear God and give him glory. The reason is because the hour of his judgement has come.
It should be no great surprise that fearing God is understood to be part of the gospel message here. The scriptures speak so broadly about fearing God that we could easily turn this into a multi-week series on its own right.
But let us slow down for a moment and consider the place of the fear of God in the Bible.
Not Fearing God
Not Fearing God
Both Romans 3:18 and Psalm 36:1 summarize the reality of the ungodly: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes. For it flatters him in his own eyes Concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. He plans wickedness upon his bed; He sets himself on a path that is not good; He does not despise evil.
Perhaps it was you for a season of your life. Perhaps even now you find your Spirit growing dull and your fear of God diminishing and nearly gone. Psalm 36 helps us understand why: Sin has hardened your heart against God to the point where you cannot even fear him any more. We are warned about that In Hebrews 3:13.
But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
So today I warn you to take inventory. Are you allowing un-repentance to harden your heart? Are you thinking perhaps that your recurring sin is just a little sin after all and it matters not? Your heart is growing hard. I warn your now, and I encourage you to look hard into the mirror of the word of God and ask the question if your little sin was not the reason the nails were driven through the hands of Jesus the Christ. I wonder if your furtive glances and tender caressing of sin are the reason that Christ was beaten? Which thorn on his brow would you consider doesn’t matter? Which lash of the whip which tore at his back is inconsequential? Which Splinter of the cross, which cursing by the crowd is of no importance? Around Good Friday we often sing the song, “Who nailed him there?” And we turn to see the hammer in our own hand.
Your little sin killed Jesus does it hold no horror for you? Would you hold the murder weapon in your pocket and tenderly keep it with you forever? Or will you not recognize with horror that our rebellion against the almighty was the reason for his suffering?
Shall we take one drop of his blood and think that it does not matter?
Do not be deceived.
There is no such thing as a small and unimportant sin.
Of course Jesus alludes to some sins being worse than others, but even the lightest sin is heavier than the weight of the entire world. Even the slightest is enough to condemn a man for eternity.
If your sin does not cause you to recoil in fear; ask God to make it so.
“God do not let my sin harden my heart to you. Make me to fear you!”
Can you pray that?
“God do not let my sin harden my heart to you. Make me to fear you!”
For this reason the fear of God is holy and good; because it can awaken repentance. But it can also drive you into hiding.
Fear as a knowledge of Sin: Terror or Dread
Fear as a knowledge of Sin: Terror or Dread
The first instance where we might look at the fear of God in the Bible comes to us as a personal knowledge of two things. First, the knowledge of God’s holiness. Second, the knowledge of our own sin.
It is exemplified well in Genesis 3. Of course we remember in Genesis 3 how Satan enters the garden of Eden, tempts Eve, and how both Eve and Adam consume the forbidden fruit - and suddenly find understanding.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
Can you see there how the fear of God is identified for us first of all. It is in the line of TERROR or DREAD that I would describe the fear of God here. Adam and Eve who once walked openly in conversational freedom with God have disobeyed God’s command and found sudden and terrifying knowledge of God’s holiness contrasted to their own sin. Through Sin, the presence of God they once craved, they cower from.
Their every effort is wrapped around concealment. They seek to conceal themselves from each other with sewn leaves. They seek also to conceal themselves from God by cowering in the bushes. Here we can see that Fear of God which is simply terror or dread. But not redemptive.
This fear of God or perhaps I should call it this “Terror of God” does not draw people closer to God. And this is the natural state of humanity ever since the garden.
That is why those walking outside of salvation are recognized as children of wrath.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
The essence of the terror of God is the knowledge of his wrath.But that is not the end of fear.
The Call that transforms Fear
If the message stopped there, all would be beyond hope. But notice as our angel, or perhaps we can simply call him for now: the messenger carries an eternal gospel it is the calling out with a loud voice that awakens the heart to salvation. Jesus shows us in John’s gospel (John 16:7-11) The Spirit of God must call to us even as the Lord calls out to Adam and Eve in the garden to awaken us beyond terror and transform our fear from terror into a gospel response of reverence.
What astounds me greatly is that God allows us to participate in the message of the angel. God allows us to participate in the summoning of the terrified who tremble in their own gardens. God allows us to work for and with him as his Spirit cries out with our weak words to give them power that can turn an enemy into a son.
Fear as a gospel response
Fear as a gospel response
The angel cries out exhorting the people of earth to fear God and give him Glory.
We are encouraged to fear God. No longer in cowering terror but in reverence and submission.
Psalm 2 exhorts us to “Kiss the son, lest he be angry”. This is the gospel call to repentance.
Luke 1:50 declares that God’s mercy is on those who fear Him.
Luke 12:5 declares that we must fear God who has the authority to cast into hell. We should acknowledge this reality of God’s ultimate judgement which is exactly what is being said by the angel in our text. “...the hour of his judgement has come.”
Acts 10:35 declares this:
but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.
The fear of the Lord can change from terror to reverence as people respond to the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ with repentance and faith.
We do not have to wait for another day far in the future to understand that right now, today people are afraid. But not all fear is the fear of the Lord that leads to redemption.
We might consider Pharaoh in the Old Testament as a modern day example: He feared the plagues, but he had no fear of God. It seems somehow very appropriate to consider today how so many have fear, but they do not fear God.
But the crossover, I believe, between terror and reverence is the message of the good news of salvation in Jesus.
The fear of the Lord, declares Proverbs 1:7 is the beginning of knowledge.
Psalm 19:9 says the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.
While Psalm 128 declares, “How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways.
As the angel in midheaven calls out for fear, hear the conclusion of all the philosophical considerations of Ecclesiastes 12:13.
The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
Give Him Glory
Give Him Glory
The next thing the angel calls out for is that we give glory to God.
God does not lack glory so that we need to give him some. But giving God glory means recognizing the glory that He has. it is the essence of acknowledging Him.
In fact we are told by Jesus in Matthew 5:16 that we ought to let our Light shine before men in such a way that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.
And in Matthew 15:13 as Jesus heals many afflicted in various ways the people around him glorify the God of heaven.
They recognized right there that the work of Jesus was the work of God the Father and they spoke praise and gave glory to God.
This is what Jesus calls us to: laboring for Jesus so that people will acknowledge God for who he is.
As the angel cries out, he encourages people to fear God and give him glory because the hour of his judgement has come.
The hour, referencing not necessarily a slot on the watch you carry on your wrist, but rather on the general time - the moment, whenever it is, has finally arrived. Again, simply notice that the hour of God’s judgement is relegated to the later chapters of Revelation for the description but for now, as we think about the overlapping characteristic of the book, the final call to fear and glory is given in the light of the judgement of God.
Our world would very much like to think and believe that the Lord our God will not judge the nations; but He will.
The angel flying through midheaven who has an eternal gospel for the world cries out what is next desired: The worship of God.
Worship God
Worship God
The second mandate is to worship him. The reason is because he is the creator of the heavens, the earth, and the various waters.
Worship is not merely a song, it is a response to the revelation of who God is.
We learn that God is gracious and we worship his graciousness.
We learn that God is holy and we worship him for his holiness.
We learn that God is loving and we worship his love.
We learn that God is just and we worship his justice.
We learn that God forgives and we worship Him for his forgiveness.
In every real sense the worship of God is the activity of believers because while unbelievers may acknowledge God exists; the unrepentant demonstrate are not truly responding to Him. It is not worship until it is a true response to God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Do you see here then how this eternal gospel is the only gospel?
It is a call to repentance as men learn to fear God who is about to Judge.
It is a call to glory as mankind is urged to glorify God by speaking truly about what he has done and who he is.
It is a call to worship as mankind repents and actually does respond to God’s summons.
It is grace.
We cannot put our hope in an angel who will fly in midheaven proclaiming the gospel to the nations; it is a task given to us today. If this is a metaphor then it is a call for us, the messengers of God who know the gospel to proclaim it. If it is to be taken boldly literal should we wait while people die every day, waiting for an angel to proclaim the gospel?
Today people will die. They will die from disease, decay, old age, and accidents.
We must be the messenger.
They need to hear a gospel that lasts forever.
Amen.