Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” —Revelation 14:6-7 ESV
Horatius Bonar:
It is a ‘glad message‘ from God to man; good news from heaven to earth. In it we have not man speaking to God, but God to man; not earth crying to heaven, but heaven to earth; it is love descending, not love ascending. It is the gladdest of all glad tidings that ever came to earth. It is the true good news—
(1) It is the true good news of God’s free love. To be good news, it must be the news of love. And for that love to be available or accessible to the sinner, it must be absolutely and unconditionally free. God’s free love is the very essence and marrow of the gospel. And it is as large as it is free.
(2) It is the true good news of God’s great gift. God gave His Son—and the Son gave Himself. Here is a gift beyond all measure and price—an ‘unspeakable gift.’ Of this the gospel is the glad message.
(3) It is the true good news of God’s propitiation for sin. It was not a mere gift, but a gift which was to be a propitiation—an atonement—a sacrificial gift—the gift of a substitute and surety. One special part of the value and suitableness of this gift—that which made it so pre-eminently a gift of sinners—was its sacrificial character. It was an offering for sin. It contained cleansing and reconciling blood. Yes, Christ is the propitiation for our sins! God has set Him forth as a propitiation. This is the very gladness of the glad message.
(4) It is the true good news of God’s righteousness. He is the righteousness of God—and He was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. We bring glad tidings of a divine righteousness in preaching the gospel of the grace of God—righteousness for the unrighteous, yes, for the most unrighteous of the sons of men!
(5) It is the true good news of God’s kingdom. The ‘gospel of the kingdom’ is its special designation. It is good news of a kingdom, and of the new and living way, and of the open gate into that kingdom for sinners. There is a glorious kingdom—there is free access to it; its gates are open; God bids us welcome. This is our gospel. Enter in, O man, O sinner, into the kingdom of God!
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 