John’s vision now moves from focus on Israel to all Gentiles:
“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’” (Rev 14:6-7).
Have you ever invited a neighbor or friend to church and gotten a blank stare in return, followed by his or her visible urge to flee? Consider boiling your faith down to this simple but powerful summary:
- Fear God;
- Give him glory; and
- Worship the One who made heaven and earth and sea and fresh water.
All the implications of faith can follow. But for the moment, you can draw up a bucket of peace from the well of a world throbbing with pain:
“Another angel, a second, followed, saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality’” (Rev 14:8).
Nothing has changed, has it, from the way it was about 2,100 years ago? Babylon was a great but sinful nation back then. How does government look today? More than ever we are still drinking the wine of passion at the expense of our souls and a switch to the wine of God’s wrath:
“And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name’” (Rev 14:9-11).
We have God to worship or the beast, which is full of tricks and traps. But there is a Way – the good fork in the road to perfect unity with God, that leads to enduring sainthood in the eyes of God:
“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follows them’” (Rev 14:12-13).
Endurance of the saints, but how in such horrible persecutions?
Perfect Unity with God’s commandments (which include Jesus’ commandments as well) and Perfect Unity with Jesus through unshakable faith.
When I discovered the Cycle of Perfect Unity, I had no idea how it would lead us through the entire Bible. I just kept searching for connections with my hypothesis: the ten steps in the Cycle:
- Commands;
- Temptation;
- Disobedience;
- Warnings;
- The Fork in the Road;
- Choosing the Good Fork of Repentance, Covering from God’s Never-ending Love, Forgiveness, Restoration, and Eternal Life;
- Or the Bad Fork of Disunity from God and Jesus, Judgment, and a dead end – eternal condemnation.
I can now declare that Jesus’ final wish on earth for perfect unity among all believers (John 17:20-23) is the “plasma” of Jesus’ blood, drawing together the “red blood cells” of faith and endurance throughout every book of the Bible!
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow!”
Hurry back as we approach the most joyous words ever written as the Revelation of John proceeds.