He Reigns
Bible reading
6 Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’
– Revelation 14:6-7 (NIVUK)
Devotional
If you grew up in the church, you know John 3:16. It’s probably the first verse you ever learned. We’re taught this verse because of what it teaches us about God and how he really feels about his creation. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Maybe you’ve heard that verse so many times that it’s lost its impact but listen to it or read it again, slowly. No matter what people say about God the truth is that He loves His creation so much that He was willing to pay the ultimate price to save it. We don’t have to earn our salvation or be extraordinary people, we just need to believe in Him. It’s amazing.
In Revelation chapter 14 John is having an amazing experience watching angels come and go with messages from God. Most of the messages are hard to describe and many contain difficult messages. But in verses 6-7 the message that John hears is different. It’s easy to describe because the message is very clear. It’s also an easy message to write down because it’s a message of love and of hope.
God has sent an angel to give the world another chance to hear the message of salvation. This message isn’t for a certain or select group of people, this message is for every single person on earth. The angel gives the gospel message with one last attempt to convince people to turn to Jesus, to worship him and to fear him. The world is coming to an end and the judgment is close but God longs for more people to hear him say, “welcome home”, rather than to say, “I don’t know you”.
This first angel has a powerful loving message of good news, but right after him comes a second angel who is already getting ready to make his declaration, and it is not good news. So, before the second angel has a chance to speak, listen again to God’s eternal gospel of love and come home to his forgiving and loving arms.
– Connie Main Duarte
This devotional is part of a series that helps us navigate the texts of the book of Revelation with fresh eyes. A new devotional every Saturday.
These devotionals are available in Portuguese and in English.