Introduction: An important part of the end time gospel message is
that God is our Creator. Is this something that we have to take on
faith? Is it a message that is contrary to science? Let’s dive into
the Bible and see what it declares about God in His role as our
Creator!

  1. The Messenger


    1. Read Revelation 14:6. Let’s look at the first angel for a
      moment. The text says “I saw another angel.” What do you
      think it means by “another” angel? Isn’t this angel the
      first of three? How can it be “another?” (If you review
      the book of Revelation, you will see that there are many
      angels who either give or receive heavenly messages.)


      1. This angel flew in “midair.” What is the significance
        of flying in midair? Is this angel a prudent flier
        who is unlikely to crash anytime soon? (If you wanted
        to be seen and heard you would get high enough where
        everyone could see you – but not too high. The
        significance is that this angel has a message that
        needs to be heard.)


      2. What is the message of this angel? (The “eternal
        gospel.”)


        1. To whom is this gospel to be given? (To
          everyone of every language.)


        2. How difficult is it to achieve that goal? Think
          of all of the new people being born. Think of
          all of the people who live in areas which are
          hostile to Christianity. Is God sending an
          angel because humans have not presented the
          gospel to everyone? (Consider several possible
          meanings here. First, no one will be lost
          because we failed in our duty to share the
          gospel. God will be sure that everyone makes an
          informed decision. Second, the “air” is the
          most efficient way to reach large numbers of
          people. Think about radio, television, and the
          Internet.)


        3. Is this angel real? Or, is this symbolic of the
          message we are supposed to give? (Revelation is
          full of symbols, but it seems reasonable that
          at a minimum an angel in heaven has been
          assigned this mission. We help fulfill this
          goal.)


    2. Read Revelation 14:7. Imagine that you want a raise or
      want to change your work hours. Would you just walk into
      your boss’s office without previously contemplating about
      what you would say?


      1. We have an angel with a message to the world about
        the gospel and the final judgment. Do you think the
        angel’s words were carefully planned? Or did God just
        say to an angel, “Say a few words about my coming to
        the world” and the angle ad-libbed a few lines?
        (Whether or not symbolic, this angel planned the
        perfect flight path to be seen and heard, thus it
        surely considered how it would present the eternal
        gospel. That means the expression is important. Let’s
        look at that next.)


  2. The Message


    1. Read again Revelation 14:7. What part of the angel’s
      message really grabs your attention?


      1. Have you noticed a common trend in news programs,
        fund raisers, and store advertising? What pattern do
        they all follow? (They start out with something that
        they hope will grab your attention. Our store is
        going out of business! Our organization is in
        desperate need of money! We have breaking news!)


      2. Would the idea that you are being hauled before a
        court for judgment get your attention? (No doubt.
        This shows the presentation is perfectly considered.)


        1. Is there a lesson in this for how we present
          the gospel? (A hundred years ago Christians
          evangelized by warning sinners about hell. Many
          today laugh at that approach. We need to
          carefully consider how we can impress the world
          that judgment is coming. We need to direct
          attention to this message!)


        2. Do you think people want judgment? (No doubt
          they want judgment to come. But, it is just
          like speeders in your neighborhood. You want
          the police to ticket them. You don’t want the
          police to ticket you.)


    2. Read Luke 23:35-42. How difficult was it to raise the
      subject of judgment with the “other criminal?” (He was
      already experiencing judgment. As our world situation
      becomes more difficult, we need to keep our eyes open to
      the possibility of sharing the gospel with those who
      believe that things are not right.)


    3. Let’s revisit Revelation 14:7 in light of Luke 23:35-42.
      The “other criminal” was in deep trouble. The final
      judgment is deep trouble. What was the outcome for the
      “other criminal?” (Jesus saved Him. This is the essence
      of our gospel message. The words in Revelation 14:7 like
      “fear,” “give glory” and “worship” all point to our
      gratitude towards Jesus for what He has done to save us
      from the judgment. The Greek word for worship is
      “Proskeneo.” “Pros” means “towards,” and “kuneo” means “to
      kiss.” Kisses to God! Now there is a great approach to
      evangelism about the judgment. We have been rescued from
      impending disaster!)


    4. We recently discussed in this series of lessons the
      importance of accepting that God is our Creator. That
      means rejecting evolution with its “worship” of vast time
      and natural selection. What is the first thing that the
      angel says God created? (The heavens.)


      1. I remember when I was a little boy I argued with my
        friend about whether his Dad was stronger than a
        gorilla. He was sure his Dad was stronger, I was sure
        the gorilla was stronger. Do you think my friend
        really thought his Dad was stronger? (He thought the
        issue was whether his Dad was superior – which, of
        course, he was. But, that was not the issue.)


      2. When Christians get into debates with scientists, how
        important is it for us to properly understand and
        frame the issues? (The worst thing is argue against
        science to vindicate our misunderstanding. We must
        not create conflict where none exists.)


    5. Read Psalms 19:1-4. What do the heavens tell us? (They
      explain the glory, work, and knowledge of God in a way
      that transcends language barriers. Think of Revelation
      14:6! God tells us that the science of the heavens brings
      glory to God.)


      1. I’ve been reading Hugh Ross’s book on the six day
        Creation. Ross is an Astrophysicist who believes in a
        literal interpretation of the Bible. I do not agree
        with Ross on all of his points, for example, his long
        day argument for the creation and death of animals.
        However, his scientific explanation of what happened
        at the “Big Bang” and his proofs about the age of the
        heavens are exciting.


      2. Do you remember your math problems from high school?
        Assume you are in a car going 60 miles an hour. If I
        tell you how much time has elapsed, can you tell me
        the distance traveled? If I tell you the distance
        traveled, can you tell me how much time has elapsed?
        (Yes! You recall how to do this.)


      3. Ross asserts (and I believe) that current science can
        measure the expansion speed and distance of the
        heavens. What does that tell you? (You can calculate
        the time when the heavens were created! You can date
        the “Big Bang.”)


      4. What is the lesson in this for atheists? (Revelation
        14:7 is scientifically correct when it states God is
        our Creator. The heavens have a birthday. The
        Creation event that scientists call the “Big Bang”
        was so precise and ordered that the only logical
        conclusion is that it was done by an intelligence far
        beyond our understanding.)


      5. When Psalms 19 says that the heavens “declare” and
        “proclaim the work of [God’s] hands,” is the Psalmist
        telling us that God is not a matter of mere faith?
        (This is the conclusion you should reach. The
        existence of God is provable. We should not concede
        that our worship and our message are founded on our
        opinion. The Bible says that the heavens testify of
        God and the most modern science backs that up!)


    6. Friend, if you doubt that God is our Creator, please
      accept that foundational fact now. Testifying that our
      Creator God is worthy of worship is essential to the Three
      Angels Message of the end time.


  3. Next week: End-Time Deceptions.