Fear God

The first of the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 begins with the words “Fear God and give glory to Him” (Revelation 14:7). This command to fear God, however, is not to be confused with the idea of being afraid of God. On the contrary, we learn from the Bible that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16) and that “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). The command not to be afraid occurs more than 50 times in the Bible.

What does it mean, then, when the Bible tells us to fear God? What kind of fear can possibly coexist with love and affection? Hebrews 12:28 gives us a clue when it instructs us to serve God “with reverence and godly fear.” Here we find godly fear associated with “reverence,” which is defined as showing great honor or profound awe, adoration, and respect. This reverence for God is the positive “fear” of which the Bible writers speak.