REVELATION
SIMPLIFIED
CHAPTER 14.6
Gleanings
from the Book of Revelation:
A
Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series
The
REVELATION
TO JOHN
(The
Apocalypse)
Chapter
Fourteen
The
Great Tribulation
A Parenthesis
The
Seven Trumpets
Trumpet
Number 7: Woe Number 3
Preface
While the former studies of Chapter 14 are related to Israel, this portion of Scripture principally addresses the
remaining pagan Gentile nations who inhabit the earth. Since God is always a longsuffering
patient God of second chances (cf. 2 Peter 3:9), the earth’s inhabitants are given
one final opportunity to decide whether to accept or reject Jesus Christ.
There appear many Old Testament
precedents. Some major ones incorporate:
1. God gave 120 years of Noah's preaching
before the deluge
2. God gave Israel time to repent before
the Babylonian captivity
3. God gave Christians space before
Jerusalem’s destruction
Creator God’s ultimate judgment is
imminent. To the inhabitants of the earth, His wrath upon the heathen is reversible,
however, it is clearly stated by Jesus so no one is without excuse or exemption:
Romans
1:20 - For the invisible things of Him from the
creation of the world are seen, being understood
by the things that are made,
even His eternal power and
Godhead; so
that they are without excuse.
John
5:22 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
(Verse 6)
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the
everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every
nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.
The Proclamation of the Everlasting
Gospel on Earth
Appearing in the midst of the second heaven
and before the fall of religious, political, and economic Babylon, this is the
first time an angel is commissioned by God to preach the Gospel. Initially, the
Gospel of Jesus Christ was to be preached by men:
1. To go out into the world to all
creation (cf. Mark 16:15)
2. To the world during Tribulation by The
144,000 (cf. Revelation 7:4)
3. To Israel specifically by two witnesses
(cf. Revelation 11:3)
Now, God purposely employs a special
angel to preach the Gospel one last time to anyone who has an ear to hear
before His concluding fury engulfs the earth.
The Everlasting Gospel
In a final worldwide appeal to proclaim
allegiance to Jesus Christ, the everlasting Gospel is preached. The message is declared
to everyone. No one will be excluded from its hearing. Again, it is
all-inclusive:
a. Every nation
b. Every kindred
c. Every tongue
d. Every people
The word Gospel (Greek: Evangelion) is defined as glad tidings, a good message, or good news. To preach
(euaggelizō)
means to declare, announce, or evangelize the good news. This
everlasting Gospel comprises several elements incorporating:
1. The Gospel of Grace (cf. Acts 20:24)
2. The Gospel of Salvation (cf. Ephesians 1:13)
3. The Gospel of Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians
10:14)
4. The Gospel of God (cf. Romans 1:1)
5. The Gospel of Peace (cf. Ephesians
6:15)
6. The Gospel of the Kingdom (cf. Matthew
4:23)
7. The Gospel of Eternal Life (f. John
3:16)
Like Christ, the everlasting Gospel is
the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, eternal in the sense that its
substance was settled before the world began - In Eternity.
Note: [For additional information
research the Doctrine of Election]
The Gospel
1
Corinthians 15:1a, 3b-4 - Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel...how
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that
He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according
to the Scriptures.
Accordingly, it will be good news for all
creatures oppressed by Antichrist. On the other hand, there is a severe warning
pronounced by the Apostle Paul if any other gospel is proclaimed:
Galatians
1:8 - But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
End Time Angels
Angels are involved in multiple aspects
during Tribulation events. They will be performing several duties, some
include:
1. In gathering the elect
2. In speaking
3. In praising God
4. In ministering His Word
5. In delivering messages from God
6. In fighting demons
7. In enacting judgment
Selected
for a specific purpose, angelic duties significant to the first half of Chapter
14:
1. They
preach an everlasting Gospel from God (Verse 7)
2. They
proclaim God’s message, Babylon is fallen
(verse 8)
3. They
announce judgment, drinking God’s wrath, on those who worship the beast and
receive his mark (verses 9-11)
But
then, the good news is: God will establish His righteousness and sovereignty
over the world, most likely an antecedent of Michael’s angelic army.
Revelation 12:7 - And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his (Michael’s) angels.
In anticipation of Tribulation’s aggressive intensity,
only angels, because of their indestructibility, are selected and capable of
proclaiming God’s message to the world.
(Verse 7)
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for
the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth,
and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
With an exceedingly great loud and
mighty voice the angel is suddenly heard by John annunciating three specific
mandates:
1. Fear God
Fear God
To fear God or the fear of the Lord is
to give oneself a certain sense of respect, awe, and reverence for Him. Included
are also loving, serving, and walking in His ways.
Many Scriptures annunciate this
premise:
Proverbs
1:8 - The fear of the LORD is
the beginning of wisdom:
and the knowledge of the Holy {One} is
understanding.
Proverbs
23:17 - Let not thine heart envy sinners: but
be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day
long.
1
Peter 2:17 - Honour all men.
Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
2. Give Glory to God
Give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come
God certainly deserves honor, praise,
and dignity because He is a just God. Extolling His attributes (holiness,
majesty, sovereignty, etc.) means to unconditionally love, serve and walk in
His paths or ways.
1
Chronicles 16:28 - Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of
the people, give
unto the LORD glory and strength.
Judgment: This is the first of two times
judgment (krisis) is used in the Book of Revelation, meaning God’s
damnation or condemnation. It is at hand.
3. Worship God
Worship Him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters
Worshipping God indicates an adoration,
bowing, or prostrating (proskuneō) oneself before Him because of His creation and sovereignty. God
alone receives and enjoys one’s selfless manner of praise and thanksgiving.
David exhibited this holy reverence:
Psalm 63:5 - My
soul shall be satisfied as with
marrow and fatness; and my
mouth shall praise Thee with
joyful lips.
(Verse 8)
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is
fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication.
After hearing the everlasting Gospel
proclaimed by an angel in verse 6, another angel emerges and predicts the fall
of Babylon before its rise. This passage is in anticipation of Revelation 18.
Revelation
18:2, 10 - And he (an angel) cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is
fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean
and hateful bird… They
(the ungodly) will stand far
off in fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in a single hour your
judgment has come.
Here in verse 6, the word Babylon has its first mention in
Revelation. The phrase Babylon is fallen
is in the Greek prophetic aoristic tense (i.e., speaking as if the event has
already taken place in history). Even though the second angel is making this
prediction, this major event has been previously foretold by Old Testament
prophets:
Isaiah
21:9 – And, behold, here cometh a chariot of
men, with a couple of horsemen.
And he (someone) answered and said, Babylon
is fallen, is
fallen; and
all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
Jeremiah
51:8 - Babylon is suddenly fallen and
destroyed:
howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed.
Babylon
From its inception, Babylon symbolizes
evil and rebellion against God. After the flood, in ancient Mesopotamia on the
plain of Shinar, King Nimrod (son of Cush, grandson of Noah), its founder (cf.
Genesis 10:9-10), also a great warrior organized a building project to erect a ziggurat
tower at Babel (Hebrew for confusion) that reached the heavens.
Nimrod methodically formed a false
system of religion at the site of Babel (cf. Genesis 11: 1-9). In doing so,
Nimrod caused the nations to drink the wine that seduced men to fornication and
bring with it the consequences of the wrath of God. This rebellious act caused
God to diversify the languages of the known world.
Genesis
11:1-9 - The whole earth was of one language, and of one speech…as they journeyed
from the east, that they
found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there… And they said...Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach
unto heaven...And
the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men
builded… And
the LORD said,
Behold, the people is one, and
they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from
them, which they have imagined to do…Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the
language of
all the earth: and
from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the
face of all the earth.
It is believed the area of Babel in
modern times is situated in the Fertile Crescent between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers near ancient Babylon (present-day Iraq). However, during the
Tribulation Period, Babylon (the false church, the Harlot), is believed to be
the place of Antichrist’s throne – The City of the Devil. Antichrist's
completely false political, economic, and religious system will have engulfed
the whole world, primarily because he has made the nations fornicate with his
counterfeit organization.
|
In the succeeding study, a third angel
will make another pronouncement in the judgment narrative.
QUESTIONS:
1. How patient is God?
2. What is God's remedy before judgment?
3. Name some elements in the everlasting Gospel.
4. To whom and why is this Gospel preached?
5. State the Gospel?
6. Why are we to fear, give glory, and worship God?
7. What does the city of Babylon represent in
Tribulation?
If this study was a blessing to you, make it a blessing to others.
SAVE
AND FORWARD THIS LINK
No comments:
Post a Comment