Tuesday: Revelation’s End-Time Message
The epicenter of Revelation is chapter 14. This chapter is of paramount importance to God’s people living in the last days of human history. It unfolds God’s last-day message to humankind. This end-time message is crucial to the people of God and to all humanity.
Read Revelation 14:14-20. What symbolism is used here to portray the return of our Lord?
Image © Phil McKay Goodsalt.com
The symbolism of the harvest is used throughout the Bible to describe Christ’s return (Matthew 13:37-43, Mark 4:29). In Revelation 14, the harvest of ripe grain represents the redemption of the righteous, and the harvest of overripe grapes depicts the destruction of the wicked. Revelation 14:6-12 contains an urgent last-day message to prepare men and women for earth’s final harvest.
Read Revelation 14.6-7. What is the essence of the message found in these two verses? How do they help us understand who we are as Seventh-day Adventists?
The message of the first angel in Revelation 14 appeals to a 21st-century generation longing for purpose in their lives. It presents the gospel of God’s grace that provides forgiveness for all. It cleanses us from the guilt of sin and gives us power to be overcomers. This message provides the basis for all self-worth in the fact that Christ created us and redeemed us. It points out that one day all injustice will come to an end in God’s final judgment. It is incredibly good news because it reveals that unrighteousness will not last forever.
“In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light-bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the Word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import — the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention”. — Ellen. G. White, Evangelism, pages 119, 120. As a church, but even more important, as individuals, how can we take these words to heart?
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Sometimes packaging takes on a life of its own. Those of you who have bought Apple computers will now that they typically come in beautiful well-made boxes and it takes a bit of effort to throw the packaging away. I usually say to Carmel, "do you want this box for anything?" Carmel, being a realist, replies, "No, chuck it in the rubbish bin!" And so the beautiful, well-made box goes into the bin and I get on with putting the computer to work.
The "Three Angels' Messages" are a beautiful box and sometimes I hear more about the package than its contents. Most Adventist churches have some sort of iconic representation of the "Three Angels' Messages" stuck up on their walls somewhere. And in our church history lessons, we divide church history neatly into three bits but do we know what the message really is?
If we throw away the packaging, what is there to do? Essentially the message is saying that the story of Jesus is still very relevant, that the counterfeit Gospel of force, coercion and intimidation is broken, and that we are to show that the love of God shines through. We need to understand that there are no angels flying majestically across the sky. They are a metaphor for honest Bible-believing loving Christians, sharing Christ's love for them to those who have been deceived by false gospels and/or wooed into complacency and ignorance by self-sufficiency.
I believe that the Everlasting Gospel is the truth about the Everlasting Covenant that the LORD offers to the inhabitants of the earth.
God is love and because He loves us He wants to save us. What does that mean? Twice in my life I was on the point of drowning and a life saver saved me. The first time I was in the deep end of the pool before I knew how to swim, the second time I went too far out into the sea and nearly got carried away.
I can only "be saved" if I am in danger of losing my life. Jesus loves us and wants to give us a wonderful eternal life but we are in danger of losing that marvelous gift. We will only receive that gift if we agree to allow Jesus to transform us into His image. No matter how much we show others that the LORD is love unless they want to and agree to be changed it will not benefit them.
Recently I had a long healthy discussion with a gentleman. He was a financial adviser and was trying to encourage me to invest in stocks. Anyhow, he had some conservative background. I realized some Christians focus on two sins and magnify them as the only gospel. 1.Abortion 2.Homosexuality. I said to him in Matt 25:31-46 go beyond and never mentioned about any of those. The dividing of the sheep and the goat. Jesus will say well done to those who understood and love his ways.
The three angels messages goes beyond the outer skin and go down to the core of the matter. Do we love the Lord? Do we love our fellow men? How do we show our love to Jesus and humans? Do we love those who do not look, talk, act like us? What do we think of immigrants? The bible says to take it to every nation and tongue, language and people. Are we like Abraham pleading for the lives of the people of Sodom and its surrounding, or are we like Jonah and the sons of thunder?
So true, Lyn, when we share with others we should concentrate on His Character of love and forgiveness. However when it comes to our personal relationship with the LORD - He accepts us as we are but His plan is to change us to be like Him. He said to the woman caught in adultery, neither do I condemn you, but He also said "Go and sin no more"
Yes, Jesus changes our hearts first and as a result our actions change as well.
Rev 21:7-8; Rev 21:27
No one who defiles or corrupts or is untrue will enter the New Jerusalem, only those whose names are written in the Book of Life.
For a long time now - years! - one word stands out for me in its importance to everyone's life, secular as well as religious - INTEGRITY. Rev. 3:15 put my attention on the issue of spiritual integrity. In the words of John, the Revelator, Jesus' strong, visceral response to 'sitting on the fence' alarmed me.
Today, I Googled this word wanting to know the Synonyms and Antonyms of integrity.
Definition of integrity:
1. Honesty, uprightness, probity, rectitude, honor. The Quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
2. Unity, unification, wholeness, coherence, cohesion. The state of being whole and undivided.
Opposite of integrity: dishonesty, division.
"A person lacks integrity if unable to appreciate the distinction between what is honest or dishonest by ordinary standards. (This presupposes, of course, circumstances where ordinary standards are clear. Where there are genuinely grey areas, a find of 'lack of integrity' would not be appropriate.)"
Should we examine ourselves to find out if we lack integrity? I hope that all who believe Jesus' Gospel message have had enough time by now to put it into practice using Faith to proof that God does not lie.
Finding purpose and meaning in one's life is only one side of the coin and useful for the here and now; the other side is the invisible, spiritual identity, new nature formed for eternity, established by Faith in the Faith of Jesus our Savior - the Gospel given to Him by the Father.
Rev.14:12 - "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith OF Jesus." What is the Faith OF Jesus, what did He walk by, what did He believe? He is and lived by the Word of God - He has full INTEGRITY -, given to us to lead us through this world's darkness into the Heavenly Light; not the physical man only, but the spiritual man being build up as we walk by His Faith.
We are called to walk by His Light, not our own, keeping His first commandment: seeking an intimate, loving relationship with our Father and in return, to be empowered by His Spirit to love our fellow man as we have been loved by the Father.
In my opinion, this is the core message contained in the passages from Revelation 14. If we get stuck on the interpretation of symbols and signs, the definition of who does what when, we miss the mark. We must come off the fence, take a stand for what we believe in and live by its message. Unwavering Faith is needing to be built now through a strong faith-relationship with the Father and a deep understanding, trust in the Gospel message - the Faith of Jesus.
Overripe?
I am puzzled by the 'Overripe' grapes expression and I find it no where in the Bible or the Spirit of prophecy so please correct me if I am wrong?
The possible confusion is that the writer has failed to observe that in referencing Rev 14:14-20, that in verse 14 Christ has a Sickle for which he will reap, and he is told by the Angel to reap.Now we know that Angels do not give Christ orders but is he telling Christ, I have done what you asked so now you can reap? Would this not be the gathering of the first fruits the 144000 after the angel has marked them and they are sealed?
Therefore noting that in verse 18 Another angel reaps the cluster of the grapes (not vines) and would this not be the reaping/gathering of the great multitude after which, once gathered is not then the vines gathered verse 19 into the wine press of the wrath of God.
Surley Christ will not come until these 2 events of gathering the 144000 and the Great Multitude has taken place.
I humbly welcome any corrects supported by scripture.(2 Peter 1:19-21)
-Angel giving Christ a message:
Luke 14:22
And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded,and yet there is room.
Ezekiel 9:11
And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.
First of all, the Greek word that the author chose to translate as "overripe" has a number of meanings. Some others are "fully mature", "mellow", "come to fruition". Given that I live next to the Hunter Valley - a wine-growing region in Australia, I am aware of some of the grape harvesting issues and some grapes are not harvested until mould grows on them (overripe, for us non-drinkers) - apparently contributing to their flavour. (I hasten to add that I have not tested this out - merely taken the word of others for it.) So I think that the choice of the word "overripe" is well within the gamut of interpretation.
In the context of the three angels messages where the difference between good and evil is clearly defined, the following passage is simply saying that each side is harvested. The patience of the saints is rewarded and those who have chosen evil face the consequence of their action. Verse 19 is I think referring to the destruction of evil as it is in this context that the expression "the wrath of God".
Thank you and certainly a very brief sweeping answer of my question asked. Apologies but may I humbly say, what you think is irrelevant, what is relevant is what God's word says and his Prophets whom he has sent.(Jeremiah 17:5)
Again, humbly your response is not supported by the Bible or the SOP. Another case of private interpretation wherein as once called 'people of the Book' we look to man for our interpretation and not his word even thou we often quote 2 Peter 1:19-21.
Thank you non-the less for your attempt.
God bless
Events will happen on this earth that will force Adventists (those that profess to believe in the Three Angels' Message) to either stand for the Truth or remain silent lest they find themselves being persecuted. Being a Sabbath-keeper will be fraught with ridicule at the least, and death at the most. In between will be varying degrees of hate and animosity. This will be the trying time when the gold will be tried in the fire.
Witnessing for Jesus will always bring anger and resentment eventually. Each of us must ask ourselves, "Am I truly witnessing for Jesus? Am I supposed to do more than just 'live' the message - such as, actually telling someone vocally?"
Remember Noah. His heart burned to save the antediluvians, as did the prophets, and the apostles. Are ours? That's at the heart of the Three Angels' Message - to cry out. To save souls. Even if it means placing ourselves at risk. Better to do it now when current laws protect us to a certain degree (in the U.S.). I am in awe of Adventists that are being faithful in totalitarian countries right now. Am I near that faithful and brave?