The Character of God in the First Angel’s Message

The Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14 have occupied a central place in the mission and identity of the Seventh-day Adventist movement for generations.

But it is possible to become so focused on prophetic details, theological arguments, and doctrinal explanations that we miss the most important question:

What do these messages reveal about God?

In this sermon from Fannin County Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Valentin Rusu begins a series on the Three Angels’ Messages by examining Revelation 14:6–7 and the character of God revealed in the First Angel’s Message.

The First Angel’s Message

Revelation 14:6–7 describes an angel flying in the midst of heaven:

“Having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.”

The message continues:

“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

This message contains several major themes:

• The everlasting gospel
• The fear of God
• Giving glory to God
• Judgment
• Worship
• God as Creator

But these themes should not be studied independently from the character of God.

The Three Angels’ Messages and Adventist Mission

The Three Angels’ Messages have long been associated with the prophetic mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

They are understood as a present-truth message for the final generation.

Yet their significance is much deeper than simply identifying prophetic events.

The first message reveals who God is.

The second exposes false representations of God and truth.

The third ultimately reveals a people whose lives reflect the character of God.

The goal of prophecy is therefore not merely information.

It is transformation.

Doctrine Is the Setting, God Is the Jewel

Pastor Rusu illustrates this with a precious stone.

A diamond may possess tremendous value, but when it is placed within a beautiful setting, the setting exists to display the stone.

Biblical doctrines function in a similar way.

They provide the framework.

But God Himself is the treasure.

The Sabbath, sanctuary, judgment, Second Coming, state of the dead, Three Angels’ Messages, and every other biblical doctrine should ultimately reveal something about the character of God.

Doctrine without God’s character can become merely:

• Information
• Debate
• Theory
• Argument
• Intellectual knowledge

But biblical truth properly understood reveals a God who is loving, merciful, holy, gracious, just, patient, and trustworthy.

What Picture of God Do We Carry?

The way we picture God affects almost everything in our spiritual experience.

It influences:

• How we understand Scripture
• How we respond to judgment
• How we interpret trials
• How we relate to commandments
• How we think about salvation
• How we treat other people
• How we understand obedience

If our mental picture of God is distorted, we may interpret even true doctrines through distorted lenses.

That is why understanding God’s character matters so deeply.

The Everlasting Gospel Comes First

When some people read Revelation 14:6–7, the first words that attract their attention may be:

“Fear.”

“Judgment.”

But the message actually begins with something else:

The everlasting gospel.

The angel carries the everlasting gospel to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.

This is the foundation.

Everything else in the First Angel’s Message must be understood through the gospel.

What Is the Gospel?

The gospel is the good news of God’s love and salvation.

It reveals God’s willingness to intervene in the human crisis of sin at infinite cost to Himself.

The gospel did not begin in the New Testament.

Immediately after the fall, God promised in Genesis that the Seed of the woman would ultimately defeat the serpent.

That promise pointed forward to Jesus.

The first gospel message in Scripture therefore revealed:

• God’s love
• God’s sacrifice
• God’s intervention
• God’s plan of salvation
• God’s ultimate victory over evil

The everlasting gospel is the revelation of God’s character through Jesus Christ.

God’s Glory Reveals His Character

What does it mean to give glory to God?

When Moses asked to see God’s glory, the Lord revealed His character.

Exodus 34 describes Him as:

• Merciful
• Gracious
• Long-suffering
• Abounding in goodness
• Abounding in truth

God’s glory is therefore not merely dazzling light or supernatural spectacle.

His glory is His character.

To give glory to God means that His character is revealed through our lives.

“Fear God” Does Not Mean Terror

The phrase “Fear God” is sometimes misunderstood.

Some imagine a terrified sinner trembling before an angry deity.

But biblical examples give us a different picture.

When Joseph dealt with his brothers, he said:

“I fear God.”

That fear produced integrity.

The Hebrew midwives refused Pharaoh’s command to kill Israelite children because they feared God.

Their fear produced courage.

Leaders in Israel were expected to fear God because such people would resist corruption and bribery.

The fear of God therefore produces:

• Integrity
• Courage
• Loyalty
• Trustworthiness
• Moral strength
• Obedience

This is reverence, not terror.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

First John 4:18 says:

“Perfect love casts out fear.”

This does not contradict Revelation 14.

There is a difference between terror and reverence.

Terror causes a person to flee.

Reverence recognizes who God truly is and willingly submits to His authority.

The more clearly we understand God’s love, the less we fear Him in the sense of terror.

But the more deeply we love Him, the more seriously we take His presence, authority, and holiness.

Living as Though God Is Present

To fear God means living with an awareness of His presence.

Imagine how differently we might speak, think, and act if we consciously remembered:

God is here.

Not as a threatening inspector.

But as our Creator, Savior, Father, and King.

His presence changes us.

Worship Him as Creator

The First Angel’s Message calls the world to worship the One who made heaven, earth, sea, and the springs of water.

This language points directly to God as Creator.

Creation establishes God’s authority.

We worship Him because:

He made us.

He sustains us.

We belong to Him.

Our lives derive their meaning from Him.

Within Seventh-day Adventist understanding, this call to worship the Creator also strongly echoes the language of the fourth commandment and the seventh-day Sabbath.

The Sabbath continually reminds humanity that God is Creator.

What Does It Mean to Give God Glory?

Pastor Rusu emphasizes an important statement from Ellen White connecting glory with obedience and joy.

True obedience is not reluctant compliance.

God is glorified when obedience flows from:

• Love
• Adoration
• Cheerfulness
• Gratitude
• Trust

Imagine asking a child to complete a task.

There is a difference between a child obeying because he fears punishment and a child obeying cheerfully because he loves his parent and wants to help.

God desires the obedience of love.

God’s Presence Changes Us

Pastor Rusu recalls walking to church with an older pastor when he was young.

Simply being in the presence of a respected spiritual leader changed:

• The way he spoke
• The way he thought
• The things he noticed
• His behavior

Presence has influence.

If human presence can affect us, how much more should the conscious presence of God transform us?

The First Angel’s Message brings us into the presence of our Creator.

A Distorted Picture of God

The sermon closes with the story of an old family portrait.

For generations, soot and smoke had darkened the painting until the man’s face appeared harsh, stern, and cold.

The family developed stories about him based on the damaged image.

Then an art restorer cleaned the portrait.

Underneath the grime was a very different face:

Warm eyes.

A hint of a smile.

Gentleness instead of harshness.

The man himself had never changed.

Only the family’s picture of him had changed.

Has Our Picture of God Been Darkened?

The same thing can happen spiritually.

False teachings.

Religious fear.

Painful experiences.

Poor examples.

Misunderstood doctrines.

All of these can place layers over the biblical picture of God.

Eventually people may believe that God is:

• Harsh
• Easily angered
• Difficult to please
• Primarily punitive
• Waiting for people to fail

But the gospel removes the grime.

Jesus reveals the Father.

Judgment Through the Lens of God’s Character

The First Angel’s Message declares:

“The hour of His judgment has come.”

Judgment can sound frightening if our picture of God is distorted.

But if the Judge is the same God who is:

• Merciful
• Gracious
• Long-suffering
• Loving
• Truthful
• Sacrificial

Then judgment must be interpreted through that character.

The gospel and judgment are not enemies.

The everlasting gospel comes first.

Eternal Life Means Knowing God

Jesus said in John 17:3:

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Knowing God is more than knowing information about Him.

It means relationship.

We know Him through:

• Scripture
• Prayer
• Personal experience
• Obedience
• Trust
• Walking with Christ

The goal is not simply correct theology.

The goal is to know God.

Reflecting God’s Character to the World

The church has been called to proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages.

But how should we proclaim them?

Not merely through theological argument.

Not merely through charts.

Not merely through prophetic timelines.

The world must see the message reflected in the character of God’s people.

The doctrines are the frame.

God’s character is the jewel.

Why This Message Matters

The Three Angels’ Messages are sometimes presented almost entirely through prophetic warning.

Warning has its place.

But the First Angel’s Message begins with good news.

The everlasting gospel.

The world needs to see that:

• God loves sinners.
• Jesus died for humanity.
• God desires restoration.
• His commandments express His character.
• His judgment is consistent with love.
• His authority is trustworthy.
• His creation reveals His power.
• His people are being transformed into His likeness.

Practical Application

As you study Revelation 14:

• Begin with the everlasting gospel.
• Ask what each doctrine reveals about God’s character.
• Examine your personal picture of God.
• Reject interpretations that make God contradict the character revealed in Jesus.
• Learn the difference between reverence and terror.
• Worship God consciously as Creator.
• Obey Him cheerfully rather than reluctantly.
• Spend time getting to know God personally.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to reproduce Christ’s character in you.
• Present prophecy in a way that reveals the beauty of God.

Preparing the World for Christ’s Return

The purpose of the final message is not merely to win theological debates.

God desires a people whose lives reveal His character.

As the world approaches the return of Christ, the church’s proclamation must become more than words.

Love must become visible.

Grace must become visible.

Faithfulness must become visible.

Christ must become visible.

Closing Appeal

Read the First Angel’s Message again.

Do not begin with fear.

Do not begin with judgment.

Begin where the angel begins:

The everlasting gospel.

Then allow the gospel to define everything else.

Fear God with reverence.

Give Him glory through a transformed life.

Worship Him as Creator.

Understand judgment through the character of Jesus.

And allow God to remove every distorted picture until you can see Him as He truly is:

Merciful.

Gracious.

Long-suffering.

Loving.

Faithful.

And worthy of all our worship.

Short Prayer

Heavenly Father, help us see You as You truly are. Remove every distorted picture we have developed through fear, misunderstanding, or false teaching. Help us understand the Three Angels’ Messages through the everlasting gospel and through the character revealed in Jesus Christ. Teach us to fear You with reverence, glorify You through cheerful obedience, worship You as Creator, and reflect Your character before the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Discussion Questions

• Why does the First Angel’s Message begin with the everlasting gospel?
• What is the difference between fearing God and being terrified of God?
• How does Exodus 34 help us understand God’s glory?
• Why is God’s character important when interpreting judgment?
• How does worshiping God as Creator affect our understanding of the Sabbath?
• What distorted ideas about God can influence the way people read Scripture?
• How can doctrines become merely theoretical if separated from God’s character?
• What would it look like for God’s character to be reflected more clearly in the church?