The Flat Earth & The First Angel’s Message | Part A

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

“Stop!”

Every eye turned at my shout. My daughter was sitting upright on a hammock. Her brother had wound her in circles so she could have the fun of unwinding. Now, twirling at high speeds, her head was spinning bare inches past a large pillar on the veranda, the velocity edging her head closer to the pillar with every pass.

Afterward, she was teary. She wasn’t hurt. She was scared her parent was angry with her.

I wasn’t angry. I was afraid. She had interpreted my fear as anger because of the urgency of the command.

Fear is usually seen as a negative emotion. Fear is defined as: “a feeling of anxiety and agitation caused by the presence or nearness of danger, evil, pain, etc.”¹ But there is a healthy sense of fear. Without fear, a person may happily dance her way into great danger, completely ignorant of imminent peril. A toddler has no sense of self-preservation and that, combined with absolutely no life experience, is what gives his parents so many gray hairs! Loving parents will instill a healthy sense of danger in their child, to warn him of any threat.

Father Yahuwah is also calling. Shouting. Screaming. Not in anger, but in fear. Fear for you. He knows probation is soon to close for many and people everywhere are heedless of the danger. In words of strong warning, He sends an angel with a clear message:

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

Saying with a loud voice, “Fear Yahuwah, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:6-7)

The command to fear Yahuwah has caused confusion because it seems to contradict the Father’s character as revealed in 1 John 4:8: “Yahuwah is love.” But a loving parent, a parent concerned for the child’s safety and welfare, will always warn of danger. And make no mistake—the final generation is in danger.

• Increased lies: Knowledge is being increased as promised. But with the increase of light (e.g. the flat earth, the lunar Sabbath, etc.), comes the increase of counterfeits, frauds and hoaxes. Satan seeks to confuse minds with the sheer magnitude of information now available.

• Increased distractions: The political upheavals, the turmoil of natural disasters, the stresses of modern life, all occupy the mind and distract the soul from eternal issues. Satan has planned this deliberately to keep minds occupied with the cares of this life until probation closes for many and it is forever too late for them.

• Warped values: The “political correctness” that has swept the world has created an environment in which people are afraid to take a firm stand on any moral issue. Or, if they do, they are afraid to speak up in defense of unpopular beliefs. Worse still, when a culture is saturated with political correctness, it takes root in the mind and heart. A wishy-washy, accept-all-evil-as-good mentality of “I’m OK, you’re OK” permeates everywhere. There are no longer any moral absolutes.

The Apostle Paul clearly foresaw these dangers to the final generation. In his letter to the believers at Ephesus, he declared that believers’ only safety could be found in a knowledge of Yahushua.

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of Yahuwah, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. (Ephesians 4:14)

It is knowledge, knowledge of Yahuwah and His Son that preserves every soul from the dangers facing this last generation. That knowledge is found in the fear of Yahuwah. “The fear of Yahuwah is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

Fearing Yahuwah

What does it mean to fear someone you love? As adults, we tend to avoid dangerous situations or people we fear. Children, however, grow up with an inbred understanding of what it means to fear someone you love; to have a healthy respect, tinged with fear, of someone you know loves you.

A father exercises total control over his young son’s life. As a result, the boy may love his father and be confident his father loves him, while still holding a healthy respect and, yes, fear of his father’s power. This fear can even impel the child to obey in the father’s absence.

This same parent/child relationship exists between Yahuwah and His earthly children. Paul expounded upon this theme in Galatians three and four. We love our heavenly Father and we hold Him in awe and reverence. We know He loves us with a love that will never let us go. But due to His omnipotence, there is room for a healthy amount of fear.

Yahushua explained this godly fear in Matthew 10:28 when He said: “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The Saviour knew His followers would face slander, violence and death. He encouraged them not to be afraid of dying for truth’s sake because that which was taken in violence, the Life-giver would give again. However, what one should fear is the power of the Life-giver. What He gave, He will take away from those who persist in rebellion and sin. Those who have the power to destroy the body are not as powerful as He who has the power to destroy body and soul in the lake of fire at the end of the judgment. Eternal death, not eternal life in torment, is the just reward of all who continue to rebel. Therefore, Yahushua was explaining, don’t fear losing this life. It is temporary anyway.