Tuesday: Marching Orders
The prophetic big picture of history doesn’t just allow us to sit back and do nothing as events unfold, events that we really can’t control. So often the attitude can be, “Well, final events are going to happen as predicted, so what can we do about it other than just simply go along with them? After all, what can I alone do?”
But that’s not how Christians are to relate to the world around them and, especially, to final events. Revelation 14 tells us that our purpose at this time in history is to tell others about God’s judgment and help them prepare for the second coming of Jesus.
Read Revelation 14:6-12. What is being taught here, and what are we to proclaim to the world? Why is this message of such urgency?
As Adventists, we believe that “present truth” (2 Peter 1:12) is found, specifically, in these verses that we refer to as “The Three Angels’ Messages.” Here we find the essence of what our calling is at this time in earth’s history.
Notice, it starts out with the “everlasting gospel,” the wonderful news of Christ’s death and resurrection, upon which our only hope of salvation rests. There is also the message that “the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7),a powerful waymark that points to the end of time. Then, too, there is the call to worship the one “who made heaven and earth,” in contrast to the fearful warning about those who, staying in Babylon, worship “the beast and his image.” Finally there is the depiction of God’s end-time people: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (NKJV).
Read Revelation 14:11. What does it say about the lack of rest for those who worship the beast and his image?
No rest, day or night, for those who worship the beast and his image? Though various ideas exist regarding what this exactly means, all would agree that these people do not experience the kind of rest that God offers those who are faithful to Him.
Why do you think the first part of the Three Angels’ Messages is the “everlasting gospel”? Why must we keep this wonderful truth always before us as we proclaim these messages to the world? How is understanding the gospel so central to the concept of rest? |
It is sometimes said of Christians that they are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly use! I doubt that is true for many Christians though. While we are buoyed by the hope of Heaven and the New Earth, many Christians are deeply involved in providing hope and encouragement now to those in need. Food distribution centres are staffed; people in isolation are visited, abused children are cared for. Christian hope is not just a belief in a misty partially seen future, but is a practical application helping in the day-to-day needs of those around us.
I like to remind myself that the enduring picture of Ellen White in Cooranbong, is not that she wrote "Desire of Ages" here, but that she cared for the needy in the local community. She offered practical hope where it was needed most.
We have the Gospel to preach to all the world but the Gospel should not be seen in terms of mental assent, but rather in the practice of the principles of Christianity.
Sound Familiar? Erudite descriptions of the investigative judgement, biblical analysis of the nature of the Godhead, complex timelines of historical events and scientific analysis of the veracity of miracles are of little use if we cannot share the Gospel of love. We, Seventh-day Adventists, need to understand the pain of those who feel disenfranchised from the church and we need to build bridges to those we have ignored. Then our hope for the future will be founded on the hope we offer in the present.
Thank you I learn new biblical teachings! I used to be a member of a Baptist Church but now I am a Seventh Adventist member and thank you GOD Amen Amazing Grace!
Amen, Sister Sheila,
I use to be a member of the Baptist church (many many moons ago), and have been a Seventh day Adventist Christian for 39 years now. Welcome to the Fold, and surround yourself with Positive Christian Members in your local church (or during this pandemic time, your Zoom community church). Also, try to find a local SDA bible study or prayer-meeting group (in-person or Zoom) to attend regularly.
Welcome again, and if you have any questions, then don't be afraid to ask on this blog. There are a lot of Advanced teachers on this blog that are willing to ask any questions you may have.
God's blessings to you as you grow in His Son, Jesus Christ!
I think the essence and peace of Christ's Gospel Truth needs to first be experienced by us who confess to believe; only then can it be passed on effectively to those who yet have to decide to believe.
How do we 'prepare others' for the second coming of Jesus? What can we, who believe, tell and show them that the Faith of Christ - living in His heavenly kingdom now - promises to provide true Rest in turbulent times now, and the times to come?
We are admonished to hold onto 'Present Truth' of our Faith as recorded in 2 Peter 1:2-11 KJV:
"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.
Through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, given all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren[idle] nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fail: For so, an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
Today's lesson proposes that we need to tell people about "God's judgment" in order to help them prepare for the necessary Second coming - to a world that is passing away or perishing ( as per 1 John 2:16,17). I would propose that we are at risk of doing this in a distorted manner unless we step back and see the bigger picture of what is actually going on that necessitates 'judgment' (as conceptualised in, for example, 1 Corinthians 4:5) being undertaken. In order to avoid the risk of such distortion, we need to understand and keep centrally in mind the issues involved in 'The Great Controversy'. I will try and (over)simplify the key essence of these with regard to the points touched on in today's lesson.
Revelation 14:11 is directly parallel with Isaiah 57:21. Functionally, the wicked are those that practice evil - via sin which is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Evil is characterised defined as maleficence - self-seeking that has no problem causing harm and suffering to others (see Genesis 6:5). So self-seeking maleficence (evil) and lawlessness go hand-in-hand.
Going back to Creation (as per Revelation 14:7) directs our attention to the way life was created to function prior to entry of sin/evil. This gives us a clear reference point of something vitally important to 'see'. What we observe is that at creation until Genesis 3, abundant life was experienced so long as everything operated in harmony with the principle of self-giving - the law of life on earth and heaven*.
Unfortunately, in Genesis 3:1-5 Satan ever so subtly presented to Eve the suggestion that a better life could be experienced if she embraced the principle of self-seeking instead. And Eve was deceived into doing so (Genesis 3:13). But rather than experiencing some exalted state, pain, suffering, misery, oppression, abuse - all manifestations of destruction - were inadvertently unleashed. This is why there is no rest for the wicked - because the phenomenon of wickedness and sin, being self-seeking, are functionally at odds with life (as per Galatians 5:17) and therefore incapable of producing 'rest'. This is also why Babylon - a metaphor for anything and everything that is based on the principle of self-seeking and associated coercion - is given both the diagnosis and prognosis as "fallen, fallen" (present-ongoing tense) in Revelation 14:8, with the inherent cause-and-effect nature of this inherent phenomenon being further unpacked in the 3rd Angel's message of Revelation 14:9-11.
The Great Controversy has fundamentally been a war of slander instituted by The Devil - The Great Slanderer (Greek: polemos from which we get polemic = war of ideas and diablos = slanderer, Revelation 12:7,9; John 8:44). The 'present truth' of The 3 Angel's Messages is that only God's way of self-giving, other-benefiting love is capable of leading to viable life because this is the way reality/life operates. And this is 'objective' cause-and-effect-based, non-arbitrary reality - rather than, as Satan has misportrayed, the impositions of an authoritarian 'God'.
What is the take-away of all of this?
Because of all of the above, as a follower of God empowered by His Spirit, I need to reflect the reality of the only way that leads to life via treating others with self-giving, other-benefiting love.
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* to clearly see further detail of how widespread the law/principle of self-giving is across creation, see Desire of Ages pgs 19-21.
Is there any significance to the fact that God's people are sealed on the forehead and not the hand. Yet those with the mark of the beast have it on both the forehead and hand?
thanks
Reynaldo, the mark of the beast is either on the mind or the hand not both. I believe it means they either actually believe and worship the beast (forehead) or they just do the actions (hand) to avoid punishments.
thank you so much. like poor Adam. He believed but still ate of the apple.
Reynaldo, I believe that Adam repented before he died and that his name was recorded as righteous in the Book of Life.
Hi Brother Reynaldo,
I agree with Sister Shirley. A lot of the details about what happened to Adam are missing from the Bible, but these two passages of scripture below, I think, shows that Adam did repent, and continued to pass the Word and knowledge of the Lord to his offspring, all the way down to Noah (he may have lived long enough to have seen and/or known Noah, maybe, see the rest in Genesis 5).
Genesis 4:25 "And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, 'For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.'
26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord."
Genesis 5:3 "And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth."
Adam passed the knowledge of the Lord to Seth, Seth passed the knowledge of the Lord to Enosh, Enosh passed it to his son, and so on. So, yes, Adam did repent, and he made sure that the knowledge of the Lord was passed down to the generations after him, all the way down to us. Amen.
In Revelation 14 like i said the day before today, that the chapter is about an "urgent appeal" to be ready for Jesus Christ's return, but here, we see John's angelic visitors picture God's final message rapidly proclaimed to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people to prepare the world for His soon return. It is the message of the "everlasting gospel" of God's amazing grace for an entire planet. It is a call in the light of the gospel to live obedient lives, glorifying God in all we do in the judgement hour. It is an appeal in an age of evolution to worship Him as the Creator. It is an end-time message of hope.
The lesson:
>Jesus will stand for us in the judgment and present His righteous life in the place of our unrighteous life.The apostle John gives us this encouragement: "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1, NKJV).
> God's final judgment is just. He can represent only those who surrender their lives to Him and by faith accept His life
What is the message of the judgment? I believe it is the promise of a new world of peace and harmony. All evil will be wiped out like the Flood and Sodom & Gomorrah. It is the revelation of your heart and mind - did you choose to accept the LORD's offer of eternal life worshipping Him and living according to His Principles of Life.
Then the LORD will say:
Rev 22:11-12
11He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
12“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
What is His reward? Either Eternal Life with Him or to cease to exist.
The “everlasting gospel” is to be preached/demonstrated once more to the world with the announcement of the judgment that is taking place, to give a proper sense of urgency to sinners who might wish to be saved in the kingdom of God. It will be the last call to fear, glorify, and worship God, which is a call to holiness(Ps 29:2), for no one shall see the Lord without it(Heb 12:14). This message will lead God's people to separate from the ungodly, who will be warned of the wrath of God upon the workers of iniquity, that they might repent and believe the gospel, and be spared from the inevitable consequences.
It is sin that robs the soul of that Rest found only in Christ. The choice is between the worship of God(Creator) or the worship of self(creature/beast). The response of every living soul to this last message will place everyone on one of two sides: Lost or saved, sheep or goats, wheat or tares, etc.
The first part of the message also magnifies the law, or the gospel and hour of judgment will make no sense. Jesus taught that only by being yoked/connected to Him will the soul find Rest(Matt 11:28-30).
I know that posting external URLs is frowned upon but I hope I will be forgiven for posting this one. It is a 15-part Bible Study lead by Ty Gibson on the three angels' messages in Revelation 14:6-12 KJV.
The series Biblically unpacks much that is misunderstood, even by Christians, concerning the truth about things like the Gospel, "fear" God, true worship, Babylon, judgment, wrath, faith of Jesus
Parts 1-14
Three Angels Message
Part 15 Faith of Jesus
Faith of Jesus
Full List of 1-14
Hi Brother Sieg,
Thank you so much for sharing this series with all of us; I definitely plan to listen to all of them.
However, the second link you listed is no longer a valid link; it takes you to a Facebook page that is very distracting, with crazy, non-sensical celebrity and viral videos. I do understand, or think, that you were probably trying to give us the link to the Three Angels Message livestream on Facebook. Anyway, if the moderators could remove just the middle link, then that would be good. But we shouldn't be afraid, or discourage, the sharing of external links, because as we all can see, we need more knowledge than what the Sabbath school lesson can provide in a one page daily lesson. We are all here to learn from one another.
The first and the last links are good. (Hi, there's something in that, "the First and the Last", like in several verses in Revelation.)
God's blessings to you Brother Sieg, I appreciate you, keep sharing with us.
God's blessings to All!
Hi Toni. Sorry about that. Please try the link below. If that doesn't work for some reason, the other Bible Studies are followed by the next presentation so you should be able to find it on YouTube.
I know you will be blessed by this series. It's really wonderful and I have watched some of the videos several times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gggalk0ePDI
Gods is the creator let us fear him and glorify him per the Three Angels message.Amen
What is the message of the judgment? I believe it is the promise of a new world of peace and harmony. All evil will be wiped out like the Flood and Sodom & Gomorrah. It is the revelation of your heart and mind - did you choose to accept the LORD's offer of eternal life worshipping Him and living according to His Principles of Life.
Then the LORD will say:
Rev 22:11-12
11He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
12“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
What is His reward? Either Eternal Life with Him or to cease to exist.This is why there is no rest for the wicked - because the phenomenon of wickedness and sin, being self-seeking, are functionally at odds with life (as per Galatians 5:17) and therefore incapable of producing 'rest'. This is also why Babylon - a metaphor for anything and everything that is based on the principle of self-seeking and associated coercion - is given both the diagnosis and prognosis as "fallen, fallen" (present-ongoing tense) in Revelation 14:8, with the inherent cause-and-effect nature of this inherent phenomenon being further unpacked in the 3rd Angel's message of Revelation 14:9-11.