WHAT IS YOUR SHEMA? The ancient Israelites worshiped the Lord God, who created the heavens and the earth. As a reminder, Moses, their leader, taught them a prayer known as the “Shema.” It was to be a constant reminder of the God they served. What is your Shema?
The Shema played a crucial role in helping the Jews to remember their beliefs, maintain their faith, and keep their hope.
In this series of videos, we look at what our Shema should be in the context of the times in which we are living. As we consider our Shema for the time in which we are living, we must remember that our orders for the present day are centered in the three angels’ messages of Revelation chapter 14.
These messages make up the core of the gospel of Jesus Christ and are the present truth for our time. Therefore, in this series, we are studying the messages surrounding the three angels of Revelations 14 and their relevance to the gospel and the times in which we are living.
If you want to review any of our previous videos, you can find them at SabbathSchoolDaily.com. Additionally, you can obtain the study guide for these lessons at Sabbath.School or ssnet.org.
Inviting God’s Presence
Heavenly Father, You are our God. You are one God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, may we always keep this thought ever before us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
All the people living near and around ancient Israel were polytheists; they were worshippers of many “gods.” They worshipped gods made of wood and stone. Each god or goddess represented some aspect of nature, humanity, or some other deity.
As a reminder to the Israelites that they worshiped the Lord God who made the heavens and the earth, Moses in Deuteronomy 6:4 provided a powerful statement of faith which said:
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! (Deuteronomy 6:4).
For centuries, forming it into a prayer, the Israelites repeated this verse. The word Hear comes from the Hebrew word “shema.” So, the prayer is called the “Shema.” It was designed to unite the Hebrews as a people and encourage them to maintain their unique identity as worshipers of the one true and living God.
What is your “Shema”? What Bible verse do you use to identify yourself with God, His people, and His mission for the world? What helps you remember whose you are, who you are, and the work you have been ordained to do?
The Shema, according to Prophets and Kings, is based on love; love is the foundation of God’s government. And that foundation has not changed. The book Prophets and Kings says:
We must remember, The great principles of love to God, which He set forth as the foundation of the law and the prophets, are only a reiteration of what He had spoken through Moses to the Hebrew people: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy 6:4, 5.“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Leviticus 19:18. The teacher is the same in both dispensations. God’s claims are the same. The principles of His government are the same. For all proceed from Him “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 373.
The Shema for God’s last day people is the same. Its foundation is love for God. It is found in the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14:6-12.
Therefore, this week we begin a detailed study of Revelation 14:6-12. For starters, we look at this message in the context of God’s love, His mercy, and His grace.
Of course, God’s love, mercy, and grace is not the first thought that comes to our minds when we speak of the Book of Revelation. But love, mercy, and grace are threaded throughout the book. To discover God’s messages of love, mercy, and grace. And obtain hope now and hope for the future in the Book of Revelation; keep watching. View the Second Part of this Video: A Grace-Filled Book of Hope(Split)
When you think about the Book of Revelation, what picture comes to your mind? Scary animals, frightening beasts, mystic symbols, strange images?
Sadly, Revelation scares many people. But it does not have to be that way because the book of Revelation is threaded with God’s messages of love, mercy, grace, and hope for the future. It is a story of God’s rich love and mercy for his people. Even among the scary beast of Revelation, warnings of persecution, and the prospect of the hard times ahead, God still gives us many reasons to be happy about His plan to save us sinners.
For instance, Revelation 1:1–3 indicates that this book is a revelation from Jesus to show his people what will happen in the future and that there is a blessing in reading it.
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:1–3)
And Revelation 14:6 declares that it contains the everlasting gospel, which is the good news about God’s saving grace.
Revelation 14:6
6 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— (Revelation 14:6)
This verse lets us know that not only does Revelation present the Good News about the salvation of Jesus, but it indicates that this gospel, the good news continues forever.
Thus, we find that the book of Revelation is all about Jesus. This book is Jesus’ message of hope to His people in the last days of earth’s history, just before His Second Coming.
It is a book filled with messages of God’s love, mercy, and grace. It offers hope for the people of God living in the end-time.
Moreover, the book of Revelation reveals that Christ is the slain lamb, and it promises that there is a blessing to everyone who reads, understands, and obeys the trues revealed in this book.
In Revelation 1:5 & 6, Jesus is depicted as the One who
“loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:5, 6, NKJV).
Thus, we are forgiven and pardoned for our past sins not because of anything good we have done but because of what Jesus has done for us.
Therefore, the primary message of Revelation is that God pardons our past sins and gives us hope now and hope for the future.
In other words, the good news is that because of Christ, we have received a full pardon from the penalty of sin. It thus has no power over us, and one day soon, we will be delivered from it and its evil presence.
Furthermore, the book of Revelation paints a picture of an angel swiftly flying in the middle of heaven. This angel has the everlasting gospel, the good news that will last forever. This Good News about Jesus comes is at the beginning of the Three Angels’ Messages in Revelation 14.
You see, God wants us to know that we are saved by His mercy and His grace because of our faith in everything that Jesus has done for us.
It is because of Jesus’ death on the cross that we have the promise of eternal life. So, it is not because of what we can do but because of what Christ has done. We are thus saved by God’s amazing grace!
Notice that all this is present at the beginning of the three angels’ messages.
It, therefore, should come as no surprise that the Three Angel’s Messages of Revelation are grace-filled messages full of hope and promises for us as broken and suffering human beings.
Yes, the beasts of Revelation are pretty scary, and it is easy to focus on them and the warnings of the last days. But, we must learn to balance it out with what is, undeniably, the most important message of Revelation: Christ’s self-sacrificing death on our behalf which is the everlasting gospel. Why is it called the everlasting gospel?
Watch part 3 in this week’s lesson: The Everlasting Gospel.
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