Immanuel

The Algorithm

The Everlasting Gospel

Paradise Lost, Gustave Doré¹

"They, looking back, all the eastern side beheld Of Paradise, so late their happy seat, Waved over by that flaming brand; the gate, With dreadful forces thronged, and fiery arms Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon; The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide; They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way."

“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” (Revelation 14:6).

 “The Everlasting Gospel” was the gospel preached “from the beginning,” and the gospel to be proclaimed until the “End” ─ Yet for a singular age ─ The "Dispensation of Grace" it was a curse, i.e., anathema: 

 “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8). 

 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of “raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever” (cf. Jude 1:13).

 And Enoch preached “The Everlasting Gospel” “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (cf. Jude 1:14-15). 

Noah, an heir of the righteousness which is by faith ─ “Being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world” (Hebrews 11:7). 

And Noah “a preacher of righteousness” proclaimed “The Everlasting Gospel” of Judgement of the unrepentant ─ “bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:5). 

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:37-39). 

In the beginning God proclaimed “The Everlasting Gospel” in the garden 

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17). 

And it will be proclaimed again in "End" by an angel flying in the midst of heaven:

“Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, 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 14:7).

 See also: 
 The Gospel of the Kingdom

 ¹By Gustave Doré - in the public domain due to expiration of copyright.

 ©2018 Christian. Textual content may be copied and distributed, but it may not be sold. https://a-hillside-church.blogspot.com/

A Flag Draped Casket

Didn’t watch the funeral today, but knowing it was in progress brought back memories of a flag draped casket. 

My uncle was at Pearl Harbor and my father’s Company M, 128th 'Red Arrow' Infantry, 32D followed. His was one of the first two companies in WW2 to be airborne into combat (The Papuan Campaign and The Battle of Buna) ─ before there was a U.S. Air Force. 

Almost every day driving home from work, I called him ─ beside my wife he was my very best friend. Our conversations continued for well over a decade until the challenges of his 93-year old body decided otherwise. 

As I stood by the wind-swept flag draped casket, that overcast January day, the honor guard fired a deafening salute and spent shell-casings fell into the dust. He once had played the trumpet – but now there were none to play for him. 

Then as the flag was removed and tri-folded ─ the realization that he was no longer of any earthly consequence to those that ”dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth.” 

And as the officer presented the flag ─ my body and soul convulsed with a hideous “un-earthly” groan. 

Yet, will I ever remember the hope he often recalled in my presence: “That blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ”:

 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

Axioms and Dynamics of Prophecy