Revelation 14:6 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

Navigator

Revelation 14:6

Comments

John sees an angel different from the last of the seven angels sounding the seven trumpets (11:15). This angel is responsible for the preaching of the everlasting gospel, but look, his work is finished, ‘for the hour of his judgment is come.’ What a moment when even in the symbolism of the Book of Revelation, the angel of the gospel, the everlasting gospel for every nation, kindred, and tongue, is now called upon to say, ‘Time is over; the time of judgement has come.’ The previous verses refer to a time after the redeemed have been gathered safely into heaven. All the 144,000 are there; they have been glorified and freed entirely from sin. This is just before the return of Christ. The word translated ‘in the midst of heaven’ means ‘zenith’, ‘directly overhead’, the highest point of the sun’s circuit in the sky. The significance of referring to the angel’s location is that none can fail to notice him and to hear what he says when he appears in such a prominent position. The gospel must be and will be so preached to men that they cannot say that it was not brought to their attention.

Application

The angel has the gospel to preach but the message is a message of warning that the day of judgment is on the very brink of coming. There are warnings of judgment mixed with the gospel for those who ignore it. It is a message of the wonderful and unreasonable grace of God towards ungrateful worms, but it also carries the warning that if we will not have the Son to rule over us, then there is no alternative but hell fire. This is not another gospel. There is a clear implication that such as submit to God will be accepted by him, for the angel’s command urges mankind to come to God even though it is the very last hour of this world. From heaven’s point of view, time is very short. It is a cause of amazement to the angels in heaven that the Son of God should condescend to such undeserving and unthankful beings who are so small in his sight. It is a cause of further amazement to them that those whose life is so obviously coming to an end and who are in such need of forgiveness should reject such a message. The judgment to come needs to be stressed to hardened sinners so that if possible they may be jolted into a realisation of the seriousness of their predicament.

All men are commanded to worship God who ‘made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’. Note that the truth of creation is stressed as part of the content of the gospel. On the brink of the world’s end creation will be preached to the most sophisticated generation to live on the earth.

Questions

According to this verse, angels have a role in the preaching of the gospel. Evidently though the angels do not actually preach the word themselves – except on rare occasions (Luke 2:14; 24:5-7) – they are deeply concerned with the progress of the gospel and as ministering servants for the saints they are at work to strength those who do go out to preach. The fact that this angel has the gospel to preach to every nation, tribe, tongue and people shows the involvement of angels in this work through the whole of the New Testament mission. Now because the final day is so close the message has this particular emphasis, that the judgment of God is imminent.

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

Revelation 14:6 Commentary and Bible Study