Lesson 5
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*July 28 - August 3 |
The First Angel's Message |
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Social commentator Peter Berger once wrote: "There is really nothing very funny about finding oneself stranded, alone, in a remote corner of a universe bereft of human meaning."
Berger's right there is nothing funny about it. Fortunately, the universe he talks about doesn't exist. Our universe, the one we find ourselves in. was created by a loving God who cares immensely about us and who has given our existence purpose and meaning. And not only does our God care, He has expressed that care in numerous ways, including the wonderful three angels' messages of Revelation 14, words of love, promise, and warning.
Particularly revealing is the first angel's message, the topic of this week's study. In it God speaks to us of the "everlasting gospel," of worship, of judgment, and of creation—topics that all add meaning, hope, relevance, and purpose to our lives. In the first angel's message the Lord shows us His interest in human affairs, as well as the inseparable link between heaven and earth. He shows us that, far from being stranded, alone, in some remote corner of the universe, we are—indeed —at the center of His loving attention.
THE WEEK AT A GLANCE: What does the concept "present truth" mean? Why does the first angel's message begin with the gospel? How is judgment related to the gospel? Why is the call to worship the Creator so relevant? This week's lesson helps answer these important questions.
MEMORY TEXT: "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters' " (Revelation 14:6, 7, NASB).
*(Please study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 4).
"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"
(Rev.
14:6).
As Adventists, we have been called to preach the three angels' messages of Revelation 14. We often refer to this as "present truth" (see 2 Pet. 1:12), the idea being that this message is specifically for our time as opposed to some other era. In Genesis 3:15 the Lord gave Adam and Eve a specific message for their time; in Noah's day, there was a specific message for his; John the Baptist, Paul, even Martin Luther, each had a message that fit the time they lived in.
Think about the various "present truth" messages that have been preached
by these different servants of the Lord. However different the messages might
have been in specifics, all had one crucial core point in common. What was
that point? (Hint—you can find the answer in
Revelation
14:6.)
John says that the angel had the "everlasting" gospel. The word for "everlasting" means "eternal" or "for all time." Perhaps it's referred to this way because, like all "present truth," the core of the message is always the same: the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Whatever the specific context of God's message to humanity, it always centers on Jesus, who died for the sins of the world; whatever the details, the message is always that our only hope—in any age, in any circumstance—is found in Him. No wonder then that the three angels' messages, before talking about anything else, begin with the "everlasting gospel."
| In this context, read Revelation 13:8. Why does it say that the Lamb had been slain from the foundation of the world when Jesus was sacrificed many years after the world had been created? |
The three angels' messages begin with the "everlasting gospel" and nothing
else. What should that emphasis tell us about the priority of the gospel
in our own lives? In what ways are we in danger of putting other important
doctrines—the Sabbath, the state of the dead, the Second Coming, and
so forth—ahead of the gospel?
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If "present truth" for our time begins with the "everlasting gospel," we need to understand what that gospel is. How can we proclaim this message if we, ourselves, don't understand it? The word gospel itself means "good news," and that good news is centered on the pivotal event in salvation history, Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins, so that we can have eternal life (see Rom. 5:10, 11, 21).
There are only two options for human beings: eternal life or eternal death. Anything that doesn't lead to eternal life must, inevitably, lead to eternal death. There's no middle ground. Thus, the "good news" is that what Jesus Christ has done for us provides eternal life for all who will claim it by faith.
Why do you think that Paul wrote what he did in
1
Corinthians 2:2? Why, in his thinking, was Christ crucified so pivotal?
After humanity fell, God faced a problem. He could be just and punish sin, or He could be merciful and forgive sin. But could He be both just and merciful? Christ, at the Cross, gave the answer. God showed His justice by punishing sin and His mercy by punishing that sin in the person of Jesus Christ instead of us. Thus, at the Cross, God's justice and His mercy climaxed, proving that the Lord could be both "just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26).
Here is the essence of the "everlasting gospel." Whatever other doctrines we preach, including all that follows in the three angels' messages, "Christ, and him crucified" needs to be the center.
| "There is marrow and fatness in the gospel. Jesus is the living center of everything. Put Christ into every sermon. Let the preciousness, mercy, and glory of Jesus Christ be dwelt upon; for Christ formed within is the hope of glory."—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 158. |
Try spending time each day, as much as possible, dwelling on what Christ
did at the Cross and what it means to you personally. Express the hope
to anyone who will listen. Talking about Christ and Him crucified will
greatly strengthen your own faith.
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"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"
(Rev.
14:7).
After proclaiming the "everlasting gospel," the first angel has a message of judgment; it says that the hour of judgment is come. Linked, then, with the gospel is judgment. They are two parts of the same message. The concept of judgment is found all through the Bible, including the New Testament, where the gospel is presented in its fullest clarity, as well. Thus, the judgment can't be something that contradicts the gospel. In fact, reading the entire first angel's message shows that the judgment is part of the everlasting gospel! See Romans 2:16.
How do the following texts help us to understand judgment in a positive light for true Christians?
Dan. 7:22 _______________________________________________________________________
1 John 4:17 ______________________________________________________________________
1 John 2:1 _______________________________________________________________________
Rom. 8:1 ________________________________________________________________________
Heb.
7:25
___________________________________________________________________
The Bible does teach that there is going to be a judgment of everyone. The crucial difference, however, is that those who are in Christ have a Substitute who stands in their stead in the judgment, Someone who already paid the penalty for their sins. That's why there's no condemnation for them, either now or in the judgment. Talk about good news! What a motive to get us to surrender ourselves in faith and obedience to the God who has provided for us "so great salvation" (Heb. 2:3).
| Though Benny grew up in a home of loving, faithful Adventist parents,
he had been taught the judgment in a manner that robbed him of any peace
or assurance. He lived always under the dread of his name coming up
and of being eternally lost. How could you use what you learned from
today's lesson to help someone like Benny?
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Included in the first angel's message is the call to worship the Creator.
How does the Bible define true worship?
John
4:23, 24.
Worship is reverent devotion and allegiance to God. The Greek word for worship used in John 4:23 can be translated "to do reverence to" or "to prostrate oneself before." It also includes the attitude of humility, honor, and adoration. Worship is the most profound act a Christian can partake in. It is a spiritual experience that involves a wholesome response to God, the complete surrendering of one's self to the Lord.
In Jesus' discussion with the woman of Samaria (John 4:4-24), He highlighted two main aspects of worship. He talked about worshiping in "truth" and in "spirit." Worship is based on truth about God. Sincerity is important, but it is not enough. Knowing the truth about God prepares the way for true worship. Our view of God determines how we will relate to Him, and how we relate to Him determines how we will worship Him. The second aspect Jesus highlighted is "spirit." We need a spiritual relationship with God in order to engage in true worship of Him. The Holy Spirit guides us into the experience of true worship.
Worship is an important topic in the book of Revelation. The heaviest
concentration of this word is found in
chapters
13 and 14. As you read through Revelation 13 and 14 (especially
verses 7-11, note the verses in which the word "worship" occurs. Then
compare who is being worshiped. What do you see?
In Revelation 13 these beast powers demand worship; they even form an economic blockade against those who will not worship the dragon, the beast, and the image of the beast. Later these powers issue a death decree against those who refuse to worship the dragon. The "inhabitants of the earth" (a negative term throughout the book of Revelation) decide to follow the beast. But there is a faithful remnant who worship only the living God. The call to worship God is an invitation to come into a life-giving, life-sustaining relationship with Him.
| How would you rate the quality of your worship? Is your worship
based on the truth about God? What does the quality of your worship tell
you about your relationship with Jesus?
|
Adventists began preaching the three angels' messages in the middle of the nineteenth century, about the same time that Charles Darwin's book The Origin of Species began influencing millions with a radically different concept of origins than what Scripture teaches.
In this context the first angel's message gives a distinct call to worship the Creator, whose act of creating our world was specifically depicted in Genesis. The first angel's message is, therefore, a direct rebuke to evolution, because the first angel points us to an understanding of origins that blatantly defies common atheistic evolutionary theories.
With evolution so commonly believed today, why is the present truth message
of
Revelation
14 especially important? With so many professed Christians attempting
to incorporate evolutionary theory into Christianity, why must we preach
the first angel's message undiluted and uncompromised?
| Atheist Carl Sagan once described the doctrine of evolution as the belief that "human beings (and all other species) have slowly evolved by natural processes from a succession of more ancient beings with no divine intervention needed along the way." And yet many claim that this doctrine (yes, even atheists have doctrines) is compatible with Christianity. Only those who reject the Creation account as it reads could seek to incorporate the doctrine of evolution with Christian faith. |
"The duty to worship God is based upon the fact that He is the Creator and that to Him all other beings owe their existence. And wherever, in the Bible, His claim to reverence and worship, above the gods of the heathen, is presented, there is cited the evidence of His creative power. 'All the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.' Psalm 96:5."—The Great Controversy, pp. 436, 437.
| Carolina has been going to a Christian school in which one teacher,
however well meaning, has been trying to blend the evolution theory with
biblical teaching. What can she do to protect herself from this threat
to her faith? How can a firm belief in the first angel's message help
her?
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FURTHER STUDY: : Relate the following texts to this week's lesson: Joshua 24:14, 15; Psalms 5:7; 29:1, 2; 33:6-9; 95:1-8.
Read "The Three Angels' Messages in Their Larger Setting," Selected Messages,
book 2, pp. 104-107.
To give glory to God is to reveal His character in our own, and thus make Him known. And in whatever way we make known the Father or the Son, we glorify God."—The SDA Bible Commentary, Ellen G. White Comments, vol. 7, p. 979.
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SUMMARY: The Lord has always had
"present truth" in every age. And whatever the specific message was, it always
centered on the crucial truth of all human history, that of Christ and Him
crucified. The first angel's message also begins with that truth, that of
Christ crucified—because from the Cross other truth flows. Included
in that first angel's message is judgment, good news for those who have Jesus
as their Substitute and Advocate. The first angel's message also calls us
to worship, for our worship reveals whom we truly serve. Worship is an outward
expression of what's going on in our hearts. And we are called to worship
the One " 'who made the heavens'"
(Rev.
14:7, NIV), a particularly important point in a day and age in which
evolutionary theory has seriously weakened Christian faith. No wonder the
first angel's message is part of what is called "present
truth."
Fred Webb
Lapangon village in the mountains of southern Philippines was home to bloodthirsty and warlike people until student missionaries arrived in 1997 to open a school and teach the people a better way of life.
When Mountain View College sent a survey party to investigate the possibility of opening a school in Lapangon, they stopped to rest and eat. Suddenly they were surrounded by warriors with spears raised, ready to strike. One of the students quickly explained who they were, and eventually the warriors allowed the students to go.
Later, when a team of students and medical personnel visited Lapangon, they missed the shortcut trail to the village. When they arrived at the village they learned that warriors had been waiting in ambush to attack anyone using the shorter trail. If they had not missed their turn, they might have been killed.
Within months of the missionaries' arrival, 35 people were baptized, and a church was organized in the village.
To help villagers keep track of the days and know when Sabbath arrived, they made caraws, simple strips of rattan in which they tied a knot to represent each day. Every morning villagers cut a knot from the caraw. One Sabbath morning when the church elder did not come to Sabbath School, some members found him working in his field. "Why did you not come to Sabbath School today?" they asked.
"Tomorrow is Sabbath," he replied. The villagers showed him their caraws on which all knots had been cut off except the one representing the Sabbath. The elder's caraw had two knots remaining. He had forgotten to cut off a knot one day.
That
afternoon the elder went to the youth meeting. With tears he explained what
had happened and begged their forgiveness for not keeping better track of
the days.
The church members studied with other villagers, and the student missionaries prepared them for baptism. When two pastors arrived in the village, they found that virtually the entire village was ready for baptism. That day some 60 villagers were baptized. Among them were the warriors who had threatened the student missionaries two years earlier. Today nearly every one in Lapangon Village calls the missionaries brothers and sisters.
A caraw, the Manobo calendar. Fred Webb is financial consultant and chairperson of the student missionary program at Mountain View College in the Philippines.
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