An eternal gospel to proclaim

Revelation 14:6-7 … an eternal gospel to proclaim … fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.

I had never noticed these verses before that give us a “nutshell version” of the basic truths of the gospel, but as I think about it, there are several of those basic truths here:

            1. We should fear (have awe of, reverence for) God;

            2. We should give glory to God;

            3. We should worship God;

            4. God is the great Judge and will carry out necessary judgment;

            5. God is the great Creator, having created all things.

These five truths need to be proclaimed to the whole world.  The angel in this passage was told to proclaim this gospel to every nation, every tribe, every language, every people.  It is a message for everyone.  Jesus told His disciples to proclaim it (in Acts) and even at the end of the world, God will still want it proclaimed.

Shelter

Revelation 7:15b And he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

Although much of these surrounding chapters are full of the distress and pain of the punishment for unbelief in the end days, this phrase in this verse is very comforting.  It is talking about believers who are faithful to the very end and I was really struck by the description of God’s protection, His shelter, as being His very presence.  It is not His arms protecting them.  It is not a wall of protection.  It is far more encompassing than any other description of His protection we find in scripture.  This protection is found in the very presence of “God.  “Shelter” implies that there is something unsafe going on and the fact that God’s presence is the shelter speaks strongly of God’s omnipotence as well as His omnipresence.  That is most comforting to this believer!