Thursday: Worship the One Who Made the Heavens and Earth
Read again Revelation 14:6-7. What are the specific elements found in the entire first angel’s message, and how do they relate to one another?
Along with the gospel, the call to witness to the world and the call to fear God and give glory to Him comes the call to worship God as the Creator.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
And no wonder. All these other aspects of “present truth” — the everlasting gospel, the call to witness, the judgment — what do they mean apart from God as our Creator? These truths and all other truths arise from the foundational truth of the Lord as the One who has made all things. By worshiping the Lord as Creator, we are getting back to basics. We are getting back to the foundation of what it means to be human and alive and unlike any other earthly creatures, to be made in the image of God. By worshiping the Lord as Creator, we acknowledge our dependence upon Him for existence and for our future hope. This is why the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath is so important. It’s a special acknowledgment that God alone is our Creator, and we worship only Him. That is, along with the gospel, along with the judgment, the call to worship the Lord as Creator is given prominence here.
Read Revelation 14:8-11. What do these verses say that could help us understand the importance of worshiping the Lord as Creator?
As final events unfold, pressure to worship the beast and his image rather than the Creator will come upon all the world. If we consider the fearsome warning about the fate of those who worship the beast and his image, we can better understand the emphasis on worshiping God as Creator as the only One worthy of human worship. In the final crisis, this truth will become more crucial than ever.
| Take time to dwell on the incredible marvels of the created world. What can and do they teach us about the One who created it all and why He alone is worthy of our worship? |
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Worship and creation
Satan cannot duplicate creation
He does the next best thing every one and every thing will become gods.
Why worship one God, when you can have multiple gods.
The Israelites delivered from Red sea,walked through the dry land asked Aaron make us gods
Each plague in Egypt was against a particular god of Egypt.
Worship the most sacred of God is coveted by Satan.
Evolution is the most direct attack on the creative act of God.
Does anyone know the scientific probability for the planet to support life. It is an astronomical value.
Distance from the sun has to be accurate too close evaporated atmosphere like Mars, too far like the moon in Jupiter ocean of ice,
The more I read and study the complexity of the universe it drives me to the feet of infinitely wise.
Worship belongs to the only wise God to whom be glory forever through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ
Amen
Another thought to ponder and one that leads me to worship the God of all creation and of the Bible and also to keep the seventh day holy and also to allow God's holy spirit to lead me and also to accept the merits of Jesus to save me is this: science can explain the year, the day, and the month. The earth moves around the sun once for the year, the earth turns around itself once for the day, and the moon goes through its phases in about 30 days for the month. But science cannot explain the seven-day week cycle. Only the word of God (the Bible,) has the explanation for that----God created all things on this planet in seven days and then made the seventh-day holy etc. So it is the God of the Bible with the 10 commandments and the seventh day of the week to keep holy and Jesus as my Saviour that I will always worship. This and only this will keep me from worshipping the beast and its image.
The ancient lunisolar calendars link the week to the phases of the moon. The lunar month is 28 days long, 4 phases = 4 weeks. This structure is supported in many ancient cultures. The Polynesian nations used this time framework up until they were colonized by European nations. I mention this, not to devalue the importance of the week but as a reminder that sometimes our arguments are not supported by the historical facts.
I agree with Maurice. I've heard the argument about the week not being in nature for a long time, yet my calendar shows the moon to have four phases, each approximately 7 days long. I'm afraid that isn't the best argument to use.
What is also interesting is that God created the earth with some rather strange and inexact numbers. He obviously likes prime numbers or numbers with large prime factors. The week has 7 days. The lunar month 4 * 7 days. The year 365.25.... days, not even a whole number, nor are the previous two perfectly integer. (If we take 365 and ignore the fraction, it is 5 * 73, two prime numbers). A lunar year contains 13 months (another prime number) of 28 days each, which is 364 days, a bit over a day short of a solar year.
With that in mind, we can see that none of the "natural" numbers is exact, so the fact that each quarter of the moon is not exactly 7 days, is no different.
Ancient Sumerians and many others operated on a seven-day cycle. It seems that very early in human history, the observation of the monthly moon cycle, divisible into full moon, waning, void, and waxing, won the day. The seven-day Hebrew creation story of Genesis 1 legitimizes the Sabbath as a day of rest by linking it to the already-established weekly pattern. Almost all commentaries on Genesis 1 acknowledge that this is the purpose of the first Creation story (Gen 1:1-2:3)
This call must be important due to the fact that at this time a lot of other things are probably taking more importance than the real worship! Real worship must be given to The One and Only God, The Holy Spirit and to Jesus! People are probably worshiping other things instead, and forgetting what is supposed to be worshiped. Money, properties, material things, images, self. It's a call to the very basics of worship, The Creator of everything! Simple...
How much time and importance are we all giving to this call in our daily lives? We can worship when our fear of God takes us to the constant company of Jesus!
The lesson says "as final events unfold, pressure to worship the beast and his image rather than the Creator will come upon all the world". This statement hilights an important point.
While the methodology of the beast (and therefore of Satan and his kingdom) is coercive pressure, the methodology of God is to inform us of reality and the wise option and then allow us to freely choose which way we will go. And if we wilfully choose the unwise option, God lets us go to the inevitable and inherent consequences of that choice (see Rom 1:24, 26, 28). We see God doing this with Adam and Eve, with Noah's 'preaching' prior to the flood, with the Israelites via Moses in the end chapters of Deuteronomy and so on through Jesus first coming and beyond.
As a representative of Christ, it is very important that I do not adopt coercive methods in my interaction with others - especially the most subtle forms of coercion. Because if I do that, the even though I might be thinking I am calling people to worship the Creator, I am actually employing the methods of the beast (and thereby taking God's name/character in vain).
Just curious Phil, if you were to ask Cain if Abel was coercive, what do you think he might say, due to his reaction as we know it to have been?
The Bible tells us "the wicked flees when no one pursues", which means they take their guilt and blame someone else. Ever seen that on display?
I've read of righteous people being blamed for subverting others and being coercive. What did Ahab blame Elijah for(seems he had a habit of doing this)?
Yes, like Jesus and all those who bore His message to sinners, we can invite, entreat, exhort, even rebuke, but never will coercive measures have the approval of God.
If we look at the message against the"Beast" in the Three Angel's Message, it condemns its use of force and coercion (... because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication). The great wrong of apostate Christianity was to perceive its role as forcing people to conform to their perception of God.
Spot on, Maurice.
"The great wrong of apostate Christianity was to perceive its role as forcing people to conform to their perception of God" ... and unfortunately will be again.
Isn't this foretold in the red, black and pale horses with their riders? Compare these 3 horses with the very first verse in Psalm 1. Notice the progression of going into perdition?
It is also foretold in the letters to Pergamos, Thyatira, and Sardis.
Apostate "christians" simply following in the steps their fallen leader.
The emphasis to witness to as many as possible and Worship the God that made Heaven and Earth, as mentioned in the lesson, is the purpose of the task at hand. However,what do you think the accomplished outcome might be with a population on the earth of 7.5 Billion people. This is about as unrealistic a task as is possible in our finite minds. We can only do what we are capable of accomplishing realistically, and allow God to supply what He chooses, for us to do, to finish the task.
Here's a mathematical consideration to that. If there was only one Christian on the whole earth and he shared it with two others. If they each shared with two others. If this repeated 32 times it would reach 8 billion. Of course that assumes everyone responds and everyone shares, but it shows that it might not be as unrealistic as the large number of people suggests.
People like to quote binomial exponential expansion rates because they expand so fast, but such rates do not occur much naturally, and if they do, they are quickly overtaken by other factors. Maths is a fantastic tool but it has to be kept in touch with reality.
"Math is a fantastic tool but it has to be kept in touch with reality."
Not God's math (e.g., Matthew 14:13-21; Matthew 15:32-39).
I suspect that near the end, the "good news" will spread like wildfire and the short time it will take to reach the whole world will amaze even the angels.
God is not constrained by man's version of math or reality.
Matt 7:14
"... narrow is the way that leads to life and there are few who find it."
How do we reconcile this text with the above mentioned thoughts?
Yes, the loud cry will be a rapid work, as will the rejection of it by most.
I threw the binomial expansion out for thought (along with disclaimers). The first Christians seem to have grown at an even faster rate initially, because they weren't limited to binomial expansion. Many shared with far more than two. But as you infer Maurice, it wasn't sustained for very many "generations", as other factors overtook it. However,I also agree with Sieg that, when God's timing is right we may see that again. The point is that the math shows the possibility of rapid growth, and God knows far more about math than we do. He can arrange circumstance to support just such an event.
I'm struggling to understand "worship" I'm often told God made us to worship Him but what does that say about God? I'm missing something. I struggle with the concept... I know God deserves worship but take for example If I give birth to children it's not for them to 'worship' me or in order to love me. I know as a result of sin my/our mind has been warped. I dont even know if I'm citing the question properly but I hope someone can help. Thanks, God bless!
Nikki, keep in mind that this call to worship is to sinners. Yes, the sinless creatures in heaven worship God, but it's not as one might think from a fallen perspective. Worship is what happens when we admire someone for their outstanding character and manners that are above all others. The worship God asks for is to simply recognize He is the sovereign, as our creator, and is also just, true, and loving to every creature, and that our greatest peace and prosperity is His highest interest.
True worship is to be holy, as God is holy. To reflect Him in character, purpose and by being completely unselfish: this is true worship.
If your children are taught well, and follow all the principles you believe in, they thus "worship" you. Your happiness is found in their happiness and success. Thus it is with God toward us, and in worshiping Him "in the beauty of holiness"(Ps 29:2) we are our happiest, and this makes God happy. God is always serving His creation, and by partaking of this Divine nature, we will serve others as well.
We might say that worship is just our natural reaction to God when we truly see Him as He is. So this will evolve with our increasing knowledge, experience, and understanding.
Hi Nikki
You are not alone in struggling with this understanding. Part of this is due to the misunderstanding of what worship is and how it arises - as Robert has outlined in his reply.
At the same time, there is also the misunderstanding of phrases such as "God made us to worship Him". This can be taken two (or more) ways. One the one hand, it can and unfortunately often is taken to mean the perspective implied by your sentence "if I give birth to children, it's not for them to 'worship' me or in order to love me". And you are spot on - this is not God's orientation towards us either.
Rather, what would be a more accurate meaning behind the words "God made us to worship Him" is that God created us with the capacity to do so knowing that our having that capacity would be one vital component (among many other components) necessary for us to be able to experience 'abundant life' (Jn 10:10; and see Jer 29:11). So, it would be better if Christianity would say things like 'God made us with the capacity to worship and love and ...'
I recently did some digging into the meaning behind the word 'command/ment' for similar reasons to you raising of your comment. The idea of God 'commanding' me to do something - at least in the way it is typically understood - seemed inconsistent with what I am discovering the nature and character of a beneficent God to be.
The essence of my findings are that the original concept behind the original languages words is something like this: God knows the way that life needs to be lived in order to experience abundant life and the alternative way that leads to impaired life (also contrasted in Jn 10:10). And knowing that there is a path that will result in my self-destruction, He (com)passionately warns me of the two paths and their corresponding consequences. He (com)passionately commends me to take the path that will lead to life and (com)passionately warns me of the one that will lead to my demise. Kind of like God saying, "please, whatever you do, don't take that option - take this one instead".
As a parent, I am sure you can relate to this idea of (com)passionately 'commending' to your children the consequences of the options they have presented to them by a situation and of (com)passionately commending to them which option will 'save them' from that which would otherwise harm them.
I say this to affirm that you are on the right track when you question presentations of God that don't seem to ring true - like you have done in this comment.
God bless you in your journey to grow in your knowledge (experiential knowing) of His Truth.
The third angel's message points to the work of the Creator. This great work is known by science and described by mathematics. Yet so many Christians want to pit revelation against science. I read many posts, even in the Adventist magazines, bashing the work and results of scientific theory and research. Unless it agrees with the Bible, some say, it must be wrong. This attitude is discouraging many students who look for models of integration. We should protest a godless education, of course, but restricting our understanding of Genesis to a literal 6-day recent creation, makes a mockery of God's work revealed by geology, genetics and many other sciences.
The original Greek for "judgement," in revelation 14:6 is krysis and it means Damnation, Condemnation, Accusation. So it really should read, "The hour of His damnation (or Condemnation or Accusation,) has come. Another reason why I believe that the first angel is talking about the same judgement that the other two angels are talking about: The judgement of the seven last plagues that God is getting ready to pour on the beast power and all who worship this power just before Jesus returns in power and glory to save those who do not worship that earthly satanic power.
We can see in Rev 14:6 aa application of Dan 7 where verdict is given “for” the saints and “against” the little horn powers.( There is no judgment “of” the people of God implied. ) Babylon is a cipher for major persecuting powers so, again as in Dan7, the judgment comes to take away the power of the enemy of Gods people.
The idea that this taking away of power occurred in 1798 does not fit the exegesis of either Dan 7 or Rev 14. Only the final Judgment takes away the power of Babylon.
The verdict from Daniel 7 in favor of the saints goes along with the books that are opened by God during the 1,000 year millenium Revelation 20;11,12. Apparently even though the saints are already saved, the unverse still has to see then why God saves them for eternity and then resurrects the wicked to give them their second death judgement.
There are no books in Daniel 7, and there is no investigation of God's people. This court scene depicts the inauguration of the Son of Man to a new status. The NT says many times that elevation occurred after the resurrection and ascension of Christ.
The books of Rev 20 are another setting, and yes, may be open to universal perusal, but that is speculation. The books here the Book of Deeds and the Book of Life, and the living and dead are part of that Great White Throne judgement at the very end of everything.
Sort of Pete...
Depends on what is meant by those English words. Technically, yes those words can be translations of the original Greek - but they can and more often do more to misrepresent the original Greek than to accurately convey it if not explained and 'unpacked' properly.
HELPS Word Studies says the following:
"2920 krísis (a feminine noun derived from 2919 /krínō, "to separate, distinguish, judge") – judgment, emphasizing its qualitative aspect that can apply either to a positive verdict (for righteousness) – or more commonly, a "negative" verdict which condemns the nature of sin that brings it on."
And Strongs gives the following range of possible interpretations:
"1. a separating, sundering, separation; a trial, contest.
2. selection.
3. judgment; i. e. opinion or decision given concerning anything, especially concerning justice and injustice, right and wrong."
I would propose the following illustration of the concept of 'judgement' and 'damnation/condemnation': I experience great difficulty breathing. I wheeze and cough and have a very uncomfortable tightness in my chest. So, I go to the doctor and he conducts some investigations to 'bring to light'/reveal what is going on. And in laying the evidence of what has been brought to light out on the table in front of me so that I can see it clearly, he informs me that I have emphysema. And then he also informs me that this is caused by my smoking and that if I do not stop smoking, I will die. Fast forward a few years and either I did stop smoking and am alive or I did not stop smoking and I died.
What happened here? The doctor undertook 'judgement' of my condition - he 'brought to light' the secrets of what was going on inside of me that was hidden. Or I could say the doctor pronounced judgement in that he revealed what was actually going on and what it would inevitably lead to if I didn't undertake change.
Did the doctor 'damn' me - or did he inform me that the path I was on would result in my 'damnation' and 'condemnation' to death as a natural consequence of my violation of the principles/laws of health? Did the doctor 'pour death' onto me - or did the doctor warn me that death was about to be poured out on me as the inevitable consequences of my smoking that destroyed my lung cells?
See 1 Cor 4:5 as an example for the biblical basis of this view of 'judgement' that I am proposing - a revelation of the distinction/separation that is in existence.