“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, ‘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.'”
– Revelation 14:6–7
What imagery of this messenger, going to every nation, tribe, language, and people, with an eternal gospel. What a great phrase, eternal good news, proclaiming eternal good news to all those who dwell on the Earth, in every nation, tribe, language, in people saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory because His judgment is coming. Worship the one who made heaven and earth.” Just picture that, all over the world in all kinds of nations, tribes, languages, peoples.
Whether in the United States, whether nations, tribes, and languages, and peoples of all kinds who worship all kinds of false gods. Whether worshiping money and idols that have been fashioned by hands or gods of money and materialism and success and notoriety. Whatever it might be, all kinds of false gods being worshiped. And this messenger saying there is only one God who is worthy of worship. There’s only one God who’s worthy of glory and His judgment is coming. Fear Him and hear the eternal everlasting good news of His love. Trust in Him.
Revelation 14:6–7 Reminds us of the Importance of the Great Commission
Isn’t this the Great Commission? Isn’t this what God has called us to do with our lives on this earth? To go right around us today, where all kinds of false gods are being worshiped in all kinds of different people’s lives and to say, “I have eternal good news. There’s one true God. He loves you. Fear Him and give Him glory. His judgment is coming. You and your sin will go to eternal wrath. I have eternal good news though. Jesus has died on the cross to pay the price for the sins of all who trust in Him. Turn and trust in Him.” God help us to faithfully proclaim that eternal good news today.
God, we pray that You give us boldness and love and compassion to proclaim this good news today to people around us, with urgency, knowing even what Revelation 14:11 says later in describing hell, the smoke of torment going up forever and ever, from all who are under your judgment, for all of eternity, forever and ever. God help us. We pray to share the gospel today with people, to share eternal good news with people around us today.
This Verse Faithfully Proclaims the Gospel
And God, we pray that as Your church, You would help us to faithfully proclaim this eternal good news to the ends of the earth, to all the peoples, every nation, tribe, and language on the earth for the Makua people of Mozambique, 1.3 million of them, largely unreached by the gospel. Either Muslim people groups worshiping of false God or animistic ethnic religions, they’re worshiping false gods. God, we pray that the good news of the one, true God of Jesus salvation will made known among the Makua people of Mozambique and thousands of other people groups that are still unreached by them.
God help us to live toward this end, to give toward this end, to pray toward this end, to work with all our might while we still have life for the spread of this eternal gospel to all who dwell on the earth. Starting right around us, today. God help us to be faithful. God, we pray. Use our lives toward this end. Use our families, use our churches, together toward this end. We pray all of this in light of this picture in Revelation 14:6–7. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
