You Are What You Drink Series

You Are What You Drink

Thirst is one of the most intense of all feelings that a person can have, and with good reason. Hunger is an intense feeling as well, but with the fat stores a person has one can last many days or weeks without food, but good old H2O is required by the body much more often. The body is overwhelmingly water based, comprising 50 to 60 % of the body's composition, and is used to excrete waste products generated by the body's organs, transport food and oxygen, and more. In short, you can die of thirst a lot quicker than you can die of hunger.

Liquids are used metaphorically in different places in the Bible. Jesus made the point with the woman at the well in John 4 that she would again grow thirsty with water from the well, but that He had "living water" that would satisfy her forever. The Bible also speaks of wine quite often, sometimes in terms that are good but often not.

This being said, we see the three angels sent by God in Revelation 14 dealing with liquid products in a metaphorical sense. The first angel offers the living water of the Gospel message, the second angel speaks of Babylon and the vintage of wrath of her fornication and the third angel speaks of the wine of wrath that those that reject salvation will drink resulting in death, destruction and condemnation. This week, we will see that a person is indeed what they drink.

Everlasting Gospel, Everlasting Water

Then I saw another 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--saying with a loud voice, "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." Revelation 14:6-7 (NKJV)

We have heard the saying "you are what you eat", speaking to healthy choices in food resulting in a longer, better life. However, there is a big difference between what you drink as well; excessive alcohol consumption brings alcoholism and it's resultant diseases. You are what you drink, at least in a spiritual sense; if you drink of "living water" you become saved.

In verse 6, we see that another angel (different from those seen prior) flying in the midst of heaven. This would be the "first heaven", in other words, the sky. "In the air; so as to appear to be moving along the face of the sky. The scene cannot be in heaven, as the gospel is not to be preached there; but the word must denote "heaven" as it appears to us—the sky. Prof. Stuart renders it correctly "mid-air"" (Vincent). This angel would have a duty that angels have never had before: preach the "everlasting gospel" (Greek euanggeleon, good news)

What does this mean, the everlasting gospel? "The gospel is called the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23), the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1), the gospel of God (Mark 1:14), the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24), the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:4), the gospel of salvation (Eph. 1:13), the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15), and the glorious gospel (1 Tim. 1:11). Here it is described as eternal because it provides the means to eternal life". (John MacArthur). Primarily, it means that the gospel is permanent, that it refers eternal life found in Jesus Christ. We see in the Gospel of John: "...whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14, NKJV).

To whom is this message addressed? "to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people". There are some people that believe that the Rapture of the church will not occur until everyone on earth has heard the gospel; they point to Matthew 24:14--"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." However, Jesus was referring instead to this event; it is a final warning, a last chance, for people to come to faith in Jesus Christ. God still extends His grace and mercy toward unrepenting mankind in this evil time.

Reverence, Repentance and Regeneration

saying with a loud voice, "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." And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Revelation 14:7-8