Revelation 14:6
An eternal gospel in mid-heaven
- The gospel’s word εὐαγγελίζομαι euangelizomai · to speak good news
- The gospel’s word εὐαγγέλιον euangelion · gospel
Original
Translations
Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth — to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.
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,
And I saw another messenger flying in midair, having continuous good news to proclaim to those dwelling on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people,
또 보니 다른 천사가 공중에 날아가는데 땅에 거하는 자들 곧 여러 나라와 족속과 방언과 백성에게 전할 영원한 복음을 가졌더라
또 내가 보니 다른 천사가 하늘 한가운데로 날아가는데 그가 땅에 거하는 자들 곧 모든 민족과 족속과 언어와 백성에게 선포할 영존하는 복음을 가졌더라.
Commentaries
Matthew Henry on Rev 14:6-13 as a whole
The progress of the Reformation appears to be here set forth. The four proclamations are plain in their meaning; that all Christians may be encouraged, in the time of trial, to be faithful to their Lord. …
Read the whole commentary →Wesley Rev 14:6
And I saw another angel - A second is mentioned, verse 8; a third, verse 9. Rev 14:8,9 These three denote great messengers of God with their assistants; three men who bring messages from God to men. …
Read the whole commentary →
Note
The beast seems to rule every tribe, tongue and nation. Then an angel flies across the middle of the sky carrying an eternal gospel to every one of them. It is the last place in the Bible where the gospel's words appear.
Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth — to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.
Revelation 14:6In chapter 13 the beast "was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation" (Revelation 13:7), and "all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast" (Revelation 13:8). Chapter 14 opens with the Lamb standing on Mount Zion with His people, and then three angels speak in turn. The first carries the eternal gospel, the second announces the fall of Babylon, the third warns against taking the beast's mark. What the first angel cries aloud is a call to "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come" (Revelation 14:7), and to worship the Maker of heaven, earth, sea and springs.
The noun and the verb stand together: the angel has an eternal gospel "to proclaim," euangelisai, an aorist active infinitive, literally "to gospel" it. Those who hear it are "those who dwell on the earth." Elsewhere in Revelation that phrase has mostly meant humanity set against God, the people who will worship the beast (13:8). The Greek here has a different verb, kathēmenous, "those seated," for the usual katoikountes, but they are the people of that same earth, and here they are the gospel's audience. The four words that follow, nation, tribe, tongue and people, are the beast's domain in 13:7, and they are also the people the Lamb "purchased for God" by His blood in 5:9 (Revelation 5:9). The gospel goes as far as the beast's power reaches.
The angel flies in mesouranēma, the high point of the sky where the sun stands at noon, a place everyone can see. The BSB has "flying overhead," the KJV "in the midst of heaven," the LSV "in midair." From the same place, earlier in the book, came a cry of "Woe! Woe! Woe to those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 8:13); there the KJV has an angel, the BSB, with most modern editions, an eagle. Now from mid-heaven comes the gospel. The LSV renders the adjective "continuous good news," as it renders aiōnios elsewhere (its "continuous life" in John 3:16). The BSB's "the eternal gospel" adds an article the Greek does not have. The 흠정역 has 영존하는 복음 and 하늘 한가운데로, the 개역한글 영원한 복음 and 공중에, "in the air."
Wesley glosses "Flying" as "Going on swiftly," and says the message goes "Both to Jew and gentile, even as far as the authority of the beast had extended" Wesley. Matthew Henry, like many Protestant readers of his time, sees here "The progress of the Reformation" Matthew Henry, and writes that "The preaching of the everlasting gospel shakes the foundations of antichrist in the world, and hastens its downfal" Matthew Henry. Readers differ on which moment of history the vision points to, but in one thing it keeps step with Jesus' promise that the gospel will be preached to all nations before the end comes (Matthew 24:14).
The gospel this angel carries opens with a call to fear God and worship the Creator. Whatever power a person lives under, the news is flying through the middle of that sky too.