Read Revelation 14:6 again. What is the extent of the proclamation of the everlasting gospel, and why is the answer important to us and our mission and calling as a church?

According to the urgent, end-time message of the first of these three angels, the “everlasting gospel” is to be proclaimed to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. Here is a mission so grand, so large, so great, and so comprehensive that it is all-consuming. It demands our best efforts and requires our total commitment.

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It leads us from a preoccupation with our own self-interest to a passion for Christ’s service. It inspires us with something larger than ourselves and leads us out of the narrow confines of our own minds to a grander vision.

Read Matthew 28:19-20. How do these verses dovetail with the first angel’s message?

In his book, A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger Than You, Paul David Tripp discusses the psychological need of every human being to be part of something larger than themselves: “Human beings were created to be part of something bigger than their own lives. Sin causes us to shrink our lives down to the size of our lives. The grace of Christ is given to rescue us from the claustrophobic confines of our own little self-focused kingdom and frees us to live for the eternal purposes and satisfying delights of the kingdom of God.“ — B&B Media Group, ”Living for Something Bigger Than Yourself,” n.d.,

There is nothing more inspiring, more fulfilling, more rewarding than being part of a divine movement, providentially raised up by God to accomplish a task far bigger, far larger, than any one human being could ever accomplish on their own. The commission given by God described in Revelation 14:1-20 is the greatest task ever committed to His church. It is an earnest appeal to give our lives to heaven’s grandest task to reveal God’s incomprehensible love just before Jesus’ return.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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The three angels’ messages are a story of grace. They are the story of a Savior’s love beyond measure &mdash a story of Jesus who loves us so much that He would rather experience hell itself than have one of us lost. They are the story of a boundless, unfathomable, incomprehensible, undying, unending infinite love.

God is never caught by surprise. He is not subject to the changing winds of humanity’s choices. As we have already seen, His plan to deliver us from the domain of sin was not some afterthought after sin reared its ugly head. God was not caught off guard by the awful drama of sin.

Read Revelation 13:8 and 1 Peter 1:18-20. What do these verses teach us about the plan of salvation?

Image © Philippians McKay from GoodSalt.com

The phrase “everlasting gospel” in Revelation 14:6 speaks of the past, the present, and the future. When God created humanity with the capacity to make moral choices, He anticipated that they would make errant choices. Once His creatures had the capacity to choose, they had the capacity to rebel against His loving nature. The only way to avoid this reality would be to create robot beings controlled and manipulated by some divine cosmic plan. Forced allegiance is contrary to God’s very nature. Love requires choice, and once beings are given the power of choice, the possibility of making the wrong choices exists. Therefore, the plan of salvation was conceived in the mind of God before our first parents’ rebellion in Eden.

“The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of ’the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.‘ Romans 16:25, R.V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 22.

The “eternal gospel” speaks not only of the past and present — it is the basis of a future with hope. It speaks of living eternally with the One whose heart is aching to be with us forever.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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“Three Cosmic Messages” encourages us to 
Watch, Ye Saints – Hymn 598 as we near the end of this old world’s history to witness the Second Coming of our Lord, and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This is a wonderful hymn to give courage, dear people, and is our theme for this quarter.

 We will be noting at times throughout the quarter that 
“Tis Almost Time For The Lord To Come – Hymn 212 and we should be proclaiming the message that
Jesus Is Coming Again – Hymn 213.

Sabbath afternoon commences our study this week by encouraging us to 
Go, Preach My Gospel – Hymn 378 and 
Hymn 368 – Watchman, Blow The Gospel Trumpet.

The encouragement continues on Sunday with 
Marvelous Grace – Hymn 109 and that 
We Have This Hope – Hymn 214.

Today we need, more than ever to be 
Leaning On The Everlasting Arms – Hymn 469 in our quest to spread the “Everlasting” Gospel to all the world.

Tuesday presents again the 
Amazing Grace – Hymn 108 that our Lord has given for each of us.

The commission is repeated on Wednesday to 
Tell It To Every Kindred And Nation – Hymn 202.

We are challenged on Friday to request 
Live Out Thy Live Within Me – Hymn 316.

So, dear people, be encouraged to go forward and
“Lift up the trumpet and loud let it ring, Jesus IS coming again” – Hymn 213.

To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Key Thought: The three angels’ messages are the mission to the world, our identifying statement of faith, and our unique prophetic identity. This is our passion to proclaim the gospel.
April 15, 2023

1. Have a volunteer read Revelation 5:6-8, I Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 3:24-26.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What does the seven eyes and seven horns represent on the Lamb?
   (Note: Christ has perfect power and perfect wisdom. Eyes are a symbol of wisdom. Horns are a symbol of power. Seven is the number of completeness or perfection. The seven spirits represent the one perfect Holy Spirit throughout the seven eras of Christian history.)
3. Personal Application: If the odors of incense are the prayers of the saints, how important is it for us to pray earnestly in every situation? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your relatives states, “Who is the Lamb and what book did He take from the right hand of God? What were the seven seals He opened from the book? How would you respond to your relative?
   (Note: The seven seals correspond to the seven churches – seven eras of church history from the early church to the end of the Christian era when Jesus comes.)

2. Have a volunteer read Revelation 13:8, I Peter 1:18-20.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Jesus was the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Why does it say He was foreordained before the foundation of the world?
   (Note: The plan of salvation had been put in place before mankind was created in case they fell into sin and rebellion)
3. Personal Application: How do people’s choices influence their relationship with Christ and ultimately, their salvation? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “So we are called the chosen and we are preordained to be saved. Does that mean God chooses who’s saved and who’s lost? Or does it mean Christ died on the cross for everyone, so everyone will be saved? Or is it only those who accept Christ will be saved and everyone else will be lost?” How would you respond to your friend?
   (Note: Can one give the three angels’ messages clearly if they can’t answer this question correctly?)

3. Have a volunteer read Revelation 14:6, Matthew 28:19,20.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What is the extent of these messages? Why is it vital to be missionary minded globally?
3. Personal Application: What does your experience with being a part of something bigger or greater than yourself mean to you? Do you feel the urgency of your part in sharing this gospel with others? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “How is the everlasting gospel going to be preached when many of the countries of the world are anti-Christian – either Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Shintu, Communist, or Atheist? How cam God’s people share this gospel in antagonistic areas?” How would you respond to your relative?

4. Have a volunteer read Revelation 14:6, Acts 1:8, Matthew 24:14..

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. Do you believe that if we are willing to go into all the world, that signs and wonders will follow and God will bless their efforts?
3. Personal Application: What role can you play in bringing the three angels’ messages to the entire world? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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Notice what Revelation 14:6, the beginning of the three angels’ messages, begins with: the “eternal” or “everlasting” gospel. If we fail to understand the depth of the gospel, we will miss the entire point of the three angels’ messages. We can never fully understand the issues in God’s judgment-hour message or the fall of Babylon or the mark of the beast if we fail to understand the gospel.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 3:24-26, and Romans 5:6-8. How is the “everlasting gospel” presented in these texts? What great hope is presented here for us?

Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com

The gospel is the incredibly good news of Christ’s death for our sins, His glorious resurrection, and His ever-present love and concern for us. By faith in His shed blood and His resurrection power, we are delivered from both sin’s penalty and power. Christ absorbed the apostle Paul’s thoughts and was at the center of his teaching and preaching. The crucified Christ redeemed him from the condemnation and guilt of his past. The resurrected Christ gave him power for the present, and the returning Christ gave him hope for the future.

Notice four points in these passages in Romans:

   1. We are justified freely by grace.
   2. Grace is a declaration of God’s righteousness.
   3. Grace justifies those who by faith accept Jesus.
   4. God’s love was demonstrated for us while we were yet sinners.

Christ’s grace is unmerited, undeserved, and unearned. Jesus died the agonizing, painful death that lost sinners will die. He experienced the fullness of the Father’s wrath, or judgment, against sin. He was rejected so that we could be accepted. He died the death that was ours, so we could live the life that was His.

Any wonder, then, that salvation must be by faith, and without the deeds of the law? What could we possibly add, what could our works, even the best-intentioned, Holy Spirit-filled works, add to what Christ had done for us at the cross?

And this plan, the plan of salvation, had been put in place even before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 1:2, Ephesians 1:4), which helps explain why it is called “the everlasting” gospel. Before the world was created, God knew what would happen, and so He instituted the plan of salvation to meet the crisis when it, eventually, would come.

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

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