Revelation 14:7—“Fear God and give Him glory because the hour of His judgment has come.”
In the original Greek the text may read, “begin to fear, give glory to, and worship God.” What this points out is that those who hear during this time have not yet heeded God’s call for reverence. They have paid no respect to God. They were insensitive to His Word. They failed to honor Him.
In the plainest terms, the command to fear God is a call to show reverence to God and to praise Him (Eccl.12:13). To give Him glory is a Hebraic saying that appears in both the Old and New Testaments (Josh.7:19; John 9:24).
To fear God and to give Him glory literally means to tell the truth about God!
The reason given is, “because the hour of His judgment has come.” Time is running out. In fact, it is imminent.
How do we fear God? We do not fear God by…
- Getting religion
- Giving resources
- Gaining knowledge
The fear of God can only be known when it is received by grace from God through faith in Christ as you surrender to Him as Lord (Jer.32:38-41).
Then you will begin to understand what the Psalmist meant when he said…
- Psalm 111:10—“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”
Then you will grasp what Solomon meant in the book of Proverbs when he said…
- Proverbs 1:7—“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
- Proverbs 8:13—“The fear of the Lord is to hate all evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate.”
- Proverbs 16:6—“By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.”
- Proverbs 14:27—“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death.”
The fear of God is not only received from God through faith in Christ, it is also established as you receive God’s Word personally and apply it daily.
- Psalm 119:38—“Establish Your Word to Your servant, as that which produces reverence for You.”
Are you getting into God’s word daily? Are you spending time with God in private devotions? Are you submitting your plans, your passions, your pursuits, your heart, your mind, and your will to God according to His Word?
