From Genesis to Revelation, the gospel directs sinners to our only hope, Jesus Christ.

“The message proclaimed by the angel flying in the midst of heaven is the everlasting gospel, the same gospel that was declared in Eden when God said to the serpent, ‘I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel’ (Genesis 3:15). Here was the first promise of a Saviour who would stand on the field of battle to contest the power of Satan and prevail against him.”1

The serpent here is a symbol of the work of evil that has prevailed on our planet. Let us picture how this problem started:

Satan assumed the form of a serpent and entered Eden. The serpent was a beautiful, golden creature with wings—it did not slither along the ground as snakes do today. This dazzling serpent soared through the air—and landing on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it soon began to eat of the fruit of the tree.

“Eve found herself gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the fruit of the forbidden tree. She saw it was very lovely and was reasoning with herself why God had so decidedly prohibited their eating or touching it. Now was Satan’s opportunity. He addressed her as though he was able to divine her thoughts: ‘Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ (Genesis 3:1). Thus, with soft and pleasant words, and with musical voice, he addressed the wondering Eve. She was startled to hear a serpent speak. He extolled her beauty and exceeding loveliness, which was not displeasing to Eve. But she was amazed, for she knew that to the serpent God had not given the power of speech. . . .

“It was Satan that spoke, not the serpent. . . . That strange voice should have driven her to her husband’s side to inquire of him why another should thus freely address her. But she enters into a controversy with the serpent. She answers his question, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’ The serpent answers, ‘Ye shall not surely die; for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil’ (Verses 2–5).

“Satan would convey the idea that by eating of the forbidden tree, they would receive a new and more noble kind of knowledge than they had hitherto attained. This has been his special work with great success ever since his fall, to lead men to pry into the secrets of the Almighty, and not to be satisfied with what God has revealed, and not careful to obey that which He has commanded. He would lead them to disobey God’s commands, and then make them believe that they are entering a wonderful field of knowledge. This is purely supposition and a miserable deception. They fail to understand what God has revealed and disregard His explicit commandments and aspire after wisdom, independent of God, and seek to understand that which He has been pleased to withhold from mortals. They are elated with their ideas of progression and charmed with their own vain philosophy; but grope in midnight darkness.”2

We may not realize it, but every day of our lives, the archdeceiver dangles before one or more of our five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) some form of enticement(s) to try to get us to break the law of God. If he can trick us into succumbing to his wiles, he separates us from our Creator, the only Being in the universe capable of loving us with infinite, eternal, everlasting love. By thus stealing our affections away from God, the fallen foe drags us down to the depths of doubt, discouragement, and degradation.

We use the word “automatic” for things that seem to happen naturally and immediately, without any external assistance. The tragic reality is that, from the very dawn of consciousness, here is what comes “automatically” to every human being: We all tend to be self-centered, unthankful, and inconsiderate of others, just like Satan is. It’s frightening to realize it!

Once our first parents fell prey to Satan’s deception in Eden, human nature became depraved. Since then, the human race has naturally gravitated toward iniquity—transgression of God’s holy law of Ten Commandments. The psalmist describes our natural human condition: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). Likewise, the apostle describes the natural state even of one whose conscience is pricked by the law of God: “We know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I” (Romans 7:14, 15).

Our senses today are betraying us into sin. So much of what looks dazzling to the eyes, enchanting to the ears, noteworthy to the nose, tantalizing to the taste, or pleasing to the touch—can be part of a strategic ploy of Satan to lead us downward to spiritual ruin. The archdeceiver makes extensive use of electronic media to place before us bewitching films and degrading styles of music. He uses sophisticated technology to produce tasty foods deficient in nutrients and laced with health-destroying elements. He uses human agents similar to Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:7) to attempt to lure the godly into fleshly lusts which war against the soul. The list goes on and on. . . . He may even use our best friend or closest relative as his agent to spoil our relationship with God!

“In Eden Satan used the serpent as his instrument. Today he makes use of the members of the human family, striving by means of every species of cunning and deception to hedge up the path of righteousness cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in.”3

The apostle Paul recognized how vulnerable and helpless is humanity in the face of all this bombardment and cried out in despair: “I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:22–24).

Wretched indeed is the condition of all who long to live in spiritual victory yet find themselves in this helpless condition.“You are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you.”4 Do you feel like that sometimes? Then the everlasting gospel is just what you need.

The first gospel promise given to humanity is found in Genesis 3:15, that God would put enmity between the serpent (the power of Satan—Revelation 12:9) and the faithful church of Christ (symbolized by a woman—Revelation 12:6; Jeremiah 6:2).

Addressing the serpent, God declared: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

What is the enmity that God puts between the serpent and the woman—and why do we desperately need this specific enmity?

As we invite Jesus Christ into our heart and totally surrender to the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, sin no longer holds the same overwhelming attraction it once had.

“There exists naturally no enmity between sinful man and the originator of sin. Both became evil through apostasy. . . . It is the grace that Christ implants in the soul which creates in man enmity against Satan. Without this converting grace and renewing power, man would continue the captive of Satan, a servant ever ready to do his bidding. But the new principle in the soul creates conflict where hitherto had been peace. The power which Christ imparts enables man to resist the tyrant and usurper.”5 We were enemies against God: “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7, 8). But when we open the door of our heart to receive Jesus, He gives us enmity against sin. “What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Verses 3, 4).

What is the bruising of the head of the serpent and the bruising of the heel of the woman referred to in Genesis 3:15?

“When Christ hung in agony upon the cross, while evil spirits rejoiced and evil men reviled, then indeed His heel was bruised by Satan. But that very act was crushing the serpent’s head. Through death He destroyed ‘him that had the power of death, that is, the devil’ (Hebrews 2:14). This act decided the destiny of the rebel chief, and made forever sure the plan of salvation. In death He gained the victory over its power; in rising again, He opened the gates of the grave to all His followers. In that last great contest we see fulfilled the prophecy, ‘It shall bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise his heel’ (Genesis 3:15).”6

The fact that the message of Revelation 14:6, 7 is represented as being proclaimed by an angel shows the purity and sacred import of the message. It also tells us that the message will be carried out not only by human wisdom and power, but that supernatural strength—the power of heavenly beings—will accompany the everlasting gospel message in these last days of human history.

“This [first angel’s] message is declared to be a part of the ‘everlasting gospel.’ The work of preaching the gospel has not been committed to angels but has been entrusted to men. Holy angels have been employed in directing this work; they have in charge the great movements for the salvation of men; but the actual proclamation of the gospel is performed by the servants of Christ upon the earth.”7 This activity is boosted not only by the help of angels, but with the energy of God Himself: The “three great powers of heaven pledged themselves to give you power and grace to resist every temptation to dishonor God.”8 How glorious is this enmity!

Have you ever seen a cat, with his belly full, meet a mouse? I saw it just once, and it was interesting.

The cat started chasing the mouse until he caught it. Once the cat had the mouse under his paw, he started playing with it. The cat hit the mouse—though not very hard. Then the mouse fell, pretending to be dead. In his turn, the cat pretended to believe the mouse and started to leave. Suddenly, the mouse got up and started running. Then the cat turned and ran after the mouse. Over and over again they repeated the same ritual: Finally the cat got tired of playing and hit the mouse hard enough to kill him.

Our enemy wants to do the same with you and me. He wants to play with us for some time. But once he gets tired of playing with us, then his plan is to hit us as hard as he can and leave us without hope, lost forever.

Nevertheless, God has a much better plan for us. He wants us to live with Him forever, in a world that is much better than where we live now. Therefore, He warns us against the deceitful games of the enemy. This is why He proclaims the message of the everlasting gospel in a loud voice.

Jesus makes the bold declaration: “Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:31, 32).

As our mind’s eye beholds the sacrifice of Christ in our behalf, and as we take firm hold of His power in practical life, we are no longer inclined to break God’s law. “Christ came to our world to represent the character of God as it is represented in His holy law; for His law is a transcript of His character. Christ was both the law and the gospel. The angel that proclaims the everlasting gospel proclaims the law of God; for the gospel of salvation brings men to obedience of the law, whereby their characters are formed after the divine similitude.”9 “Hanging upon the cross Christ was the gospel. Now we have a message, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world’ (John 1:29). Will not our church members keep their eyes fixed on a crucified and risen Saviour, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered? This is our message, our argument, our doctrine, our warning to the impenitent, our encouragement for the sorrowing, the hope for every believer. . . . He whose eyes are fixed on Jesus will leave all. He will die to selfishness.”10 “Love and light and truth and life are found in the everlasting gospel.”11

Jesus taught that loving those around us is more important than rituals and ceremonies. It is the gospel in action. “To love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33).

God foresaw that thousands “would proclaim the everlasting gospel, showing the duty of man to love God supremely and his fellowman as himself. He knew that His message of everlasting truth, which was symbolized by an angel flying in the midst of heaven, would increase in glory, and that other messengers would join those who already proclaimed the gospel, until the whole earth should be lightened with the glory of God.”12

The message of the everlasting gospel is a message of hope to all believers—it is an announcement that the time of judgment means Christ’s second coming is soon.

“In the prophecy [of the first angel’s message] this warning of the judgment, with its connected messages, is followed by the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. The proclamation of the judgment is an announcement of Christ’s second coming as at hand. And this proclamation is called the everlasting gospel. Thus the preaching of Christ’s second coming, the announcement of its nearness, is shown to be an essential part of the gospel message.”13

Are you tired of suffering from spiritual failure? Are you tired of sojourning as a pilgrim in this world? There is good news. Your Creator and Redeemer is willing and able to give you a new experience. The gospel of Jesus Christ can put enmity between you and those alluring temptations that have been plaguing your life. Instead of temptation finding an answering echo in your heart, the sour tones of conflict between yourself and sin will be obvious. You will be provided with strength from on high to resist the tempter’s snare. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Ultimately, the coming of Jesus Christ is to deliver you from the perpetual darkness of this fallen world.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:1–3).

“Oh that the curtain which shuts the eternal world from our view might be rolled back! . . . Every soul that remains true to Christ is another evidence and reminder of the first prophecy. Satan may bruise the heel, but the faithful believer shall bruise the head of the serpent.”14

So, “put your trust in God. Pray much, and believe that in His good work the Lord will guide you step by step. Trusting, hoping, believing in the Lord, holding fast the hand of Infinite Power, you will be more than conquerors. In God you will have victory and success. You will see the salvation of the Lord.”15 “And when these things [the ominous signs of the times] begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). We are almost home!

The promise of Jesus is sure: “I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3).