Acerca de

Notes on the Book of Revelation
Chapter 14
Three Angel’s Messages
​
Overview.
This chapter introduces the three angel’s messages starting in verse 6. This is an end time message for an end time church.
This chapter is divided into three sections.
1. Verses 1 through 5 is about the 144,000.
The first five verses of this chapter describe the 144,000. A group of people that are alive at the end of time right before the second coming of Jesus Christ. There will be more on this topic later in the chapter. Also, see the study called, The 144,000.
2. Verses 6 through 13 are the Three Angel’s Messages.
3. Verses 14 through 20 is earth’s final harvest.
​
​
This chart is taken from Pastor Stephen Bohr's series called, "From the Close of Probation to the New Earth", which is a part of his Anchor School of Theology classes. The entire series can be found on the Secrets Unsealed app and YouTube channel.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
-
Revelation 14:1, And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
14V1: The book of Revelation contains four views of the 144,000 with different emphases:
Revelation 7:1-8: The sealing of the 144,000.
Revelation 14:1-5: The character of the 144,000.
Revelation 15:2-3: The victory of the 144,000.
Revelation 19:1-9: The jubilatory song of praise to God of the 144,000.
(Anchor School of Theology Class: From The Close of Probation to the New Earth: A Study of Revelation Chapters 15 to 22, by Pastor Stephen Bohr, SecretsUnsealed.org, SUMTV.org)
​
14V1-5: This is the climax on Mount Zion for chapter 13.
​
14V1: Lamb = Jesus. Revelation 15:3 says, “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”
1 Peter 1:19 says, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…”
John 1:29 says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” and verse 36 says something similar, “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”
14V1: Mount Sion (also Zion) = Holy mount in Jerusalem where the temple stood.
14V1: 144,000 = A symbolic number representing the saved that are alive at the end of time during the final crisis. In Revelation 13:11-18 (just prior to this verse) it describes a final crisis and a death decree to those that are faithful to God. Then Revelation 14:1-5 describe the group that was victorious through that time. These are those that have the seal of God.1 See Revelation 7:4 for a full explanation.
14V1: Father’s name = This is the seal of God which is in their foreheads. Ezekiel 9:1-6, “He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.”
The 144,000 also have the character of God because they have His name written in their foreheads and in the Bible names represents character. God’s name = character, Exodus 33:18-19; 34:5-7, “And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”
So God passed by Moses and showed His glory and name and then proceeded to proclaim His character. God’s name is His character, so if someone has His name on their foreheads, then they have God’s character in their hearts and minds.
Psalm 138:2, “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”
Revelation 22:1-4, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”
1 Samuel 25:25, “ Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.” Nabal means fool.
The redeemed are at the throne of God with the seal of God. This is the same group of 144,000 in Revelation 14:1 that have the name of God written in their foreheads.
Other names that describe aspects of God’s character;2
​​
-
Adonai = The God who is in charge, Genesis 15:2.
-
Yahweh = The God who is always there, Genesis 2:4.
-
Elohim = The Creator God, Genesis 1:1.
-
El Shaddai = The Almighty God, Genesis 17:1.
-
El Elyon = The Most High God, Genesis 14:19.
-
El Olam = The Everlasting God, Genesis 21:33.
-
El Roi = The God who sees, Genesis 16:13.
-
Abba = The God who is our daddy, Mark 14:36.
14V1: Written in their foreheads = God’s character is in their hearts and minds. The mark of the beast however can be in either the right hand or their foreheads as explained in Revelation 13:16. But, God’s character can only be in their hearts and minds because the hand represents works and we cannot work our way to heaven.
-
Revelation 14:2, And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
14V2: Voice of many waters…voice of great thunder = The voice of God.
Ezekiel 43:2, “And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.”
Daniel 10:6, “His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” (Waters represent multitudes, Revelation 17:15). This can also represent a soothing voice as rushing waters is sometimes considered soothing, Jesus is attractive to those that seek Him.
Job 40:9, “Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?”
Psalm 104:7, “At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.”3
14V2: Harps = The saints all receive harps in heaven. Revelation 15:2, “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.”
The 24 elders and the four living creatures also have harps, Revelation 5:8, “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.”
Harps were used in the earthly temple ceremonies, dedications and celebrations, so it would make sense that they are used in the heavenly temple as well.
1 Chronicles 25:6, “All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.”
2 Chronicles 5:12, “Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)”
Nehemiah 12:27, “And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.”
-
Revelation 14:3, And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
14V3: Redeemed from the earth = Represents those that are redeemed (or purchased or bought back) from the earth. The 144,000 is symbolic (it’s referred to as a great multitude in Revelation 7:9).
Isaiah 51:11, “Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” The redeemed shall return to Zion with singing. The 144,000 is a symbolic number representing the redeemed of the Lord.
-
Revelation 14:4, These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
14V4: Women = Church, 2 Corinthians 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
Ephesians 5:25-27, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Jeremiah 6:2, “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.”
14V4: Virgins = Pure Christians. 2 Corinthians 11:2-4, 13-15, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” To be a virgin is to be among those that hold the gospel of Jesus Christ, follow Jesus, and are filled with His Spirit, and are not deceived by the devil.
Proverbs 31:1-5, “The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.” Verse 1: Prophecy = This is symbolic. Verse 3: women = the church. Verse 3: Kings = We are kings, Revelation 1:6. Verse 4: Drink wine = Wine of Babylon (deception and false doctrines). Verse 5: Forget the law = Forgetting the Sabbath (Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy). Revelation 14 shows a people that avoid the false teachings and false gospels that are being presented because there is only one true gospel (the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14).4
14V4: Firstfruits = Redeemed. James 1:18, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”
Jeremiah 2:3, “Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.” Israel which is a representation of God’s people are called the firstfruits. This is not referring to firstfruits in time, but in prestige. The redeemed are a special group, especially those that went through the great time of trouble right before the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Firstfruits were to be given to God in the temple. First fruits go into the temple, second fruits were consumed (representing second death). So here in Revelation 14:4, the firstfruits (God’s people) are going into the temple.
14V4: Not defiled = The 144,000 are people that are not defiled by false doctrines of apostate churches (symbolically represented by woman); they have the pure gospel.
-
Revelation 14:5, And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
14V5: Without fault = All saints throughout time, Jude 24-25, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
Hebrews 11 (the faith chapter), all of them are mentioned without fault but they all did bad things during their life. Standing without fault comes as a direct result of the investigative judgment; blotting out of sins; cleansing.5
Reconciliation.6
Matthew 18:15-17, outlines the process of reconciliation. In Revelation 12:1-5, It outlines Jesus coming back to begin reconciliation because He had an issue with humankind.
The first step of reconciliation is to go to our brother (mankind). Jesus was denied at His first coming.
The second step of reconciliation is to gather two or more witnesses. Revelation 11 talks about two witnesses; the Old and the New Testament and they witness for 1260 years; the two witnesses are rejected by the church during this time.
The third and final step is to go to the church as a whole. Jesus then goes to the church; the three angels’ messages is Jesus going to the churches to reconcile humankind; it is Jesus’ last attempt to reconcile the church.
The three angels’ messages is a message of reconciliation.
​
Three Angels’ Messages.7
Preparing and warning us for the delusion and deception that will occur during the end times.
“In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the Word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import - the proclamation of the first, second, and third angel’s messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention.” (Ellen White, Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 19)
As we will see, the Three Angel’s Messages (TAM) incorporate all of the SDA doctrines.
Don’t be satisfied with superficial knowledge.
“Those who take only a surface view of the Scriptures will, with their superficial knowledge, which they think is very deep, talk of the contradictions of the Bible, and question the authority of the Scriptures.” (Ellen White, 1SM 20.1)
“Jesus meant just what He said when He directed His disciples to “search the Scriptures.” Searching means to compare scripture with scripture, and spiritual things with spiritual. We should not be satisfied with a superficial knowledge. We should search for the hidden treasure concealed beneath the surface, as the merchantman seeks for goodly pearls. Light, great light, will reward the diligent searcher for truth.” (Ellen White, YRP 101.3)
We can’t be saved based on the amount of knowledge we have, but we shouldn’t be satisfied with what knowledge we do have. We must continue to grow as Christians.
We don’t want to be full of errors in our knowledge, because then we’re sharing error and not the truth.
“Not all who proclaimed the first and the second angel's message are to give the third, even after they fully embrace it, for some have been in so many errors and delusions that they can but just save their own souls, and if they undertake to guide others, they will be the means of overthrowing them. But I saw that some who have formerly run deep into fanaticism would be the first now to run before God sends them, before they are purified from their past errors; having error mixed with the truth, they would feed the flock of God with it, and if they were suffered to go on, the flock would become sickly, and distraction and death would follow. I saw that they would have to be sifted and sifted, until they were freed from all their errors, or they could never enter the kingdom. The messengers could not have that confidence in the judgment and discernment of those who have been in errors and fanaticism that they could have in those who have been in the truth and not in extravagant errors. Many, also, are too apt to urge out into the field some who have but just professed the present truth, who have much to learn and much to do before they can be right in the sight of God themselves, much less point out the way to others.” (Ellen White, EW 62.1)
This does not mean that you cannot or should not share Jesus with others. Everyone can share their personal testimony and share what they do know.
Summary of the three messages.
​​
1st = Truth (God’s truth)
2nd = Error (Satan’s error)
3rd = Choice (Choose Jesus or Satan) - Either the seal of God or the mark of the beast.
Purpose of the first angel’s message.
“…we see the Protestant religious world sadly in need of reformation. Divisions and confusion existed in the churches. They were still clinging to many papal errors and superstitions. The power of the gospel was impaired in their hands. To correct these evils, the doctrine of the second coming of Christ was introduced, and proclaimed with power. They should have received it and been quickened by it into new life, as they would have been had they received it. Instead of this, they rejected it, and suffered the consequences spiritually.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 663)
Purpose of the second angel’s message.
This statement follows the statement above for the purpose of the first angel’s message.
“Then followed the second message, announcing the result of that rejection, and declaring what was not only a fact in itself, but a judicial verdict of God upon them for their recreancy in this respect; namely that God had departed from them, and they had met with a spiritual fall.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 663-664)
By rejecting the first angel’s message, they have persisted in the course of “shunning light and rejecting truth, (and) they will soon find themselves worshipping the beast and receiving his mark. This will be the logical sequence of that course of action which began with the rejection of the first message.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 664)
Purpose of the third angel’s message.
“Now another proclamation is sent forth, announcing in solemn tones that if any man shall do this, he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation. That is to say, you rejected the first message, and met with a spiritual fall. If you continue to reject truth and disregard the warnings sent out, you will exhaust God’s last means of grace, and finally meet with a literal destruction for which there will be no remedy.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 664)
“In seeking to cast contempt upon the divine statutes, Satan has perverted the doctrines of the Bible, and errors have thus become incorporated into the faith of thousands who profess to believe the Scriptures. The last great conflict between truth and error is but the final struggle of the long-standing controversy concerning the law of God. Upon this battle we are now entering—a battle between the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah, between the religion of the Bible and the religion of fable and tradition.” (Ellen White, GC 582.2)
The central issue which will divide the world into the two camps will be worship and obedience, Revelation 14:6-7, 9-12. There will be two systems of worship at the end of time, the Creator and the beast/image.
The good news is that God will have a people who will accept, proclaim and obey the three angel’s messages, Revelation 15:2-4. They will be victorious over the powers mentioned in the third angel’s message.
​
Sequential and continuous.
The Three Angels’ Messages (3AM) had an initial starting point, they were sequential and they are continuous.
1AM - 1840-1844.
2AM - 1844.
3AM - 1888.
Sequential.
Revelation 14, verse 8 says ‘there followed’. Verse 9 says ‘followed them’. This implies a sequential order.
“The advent movement of 1840-44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel's message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century; but these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel.” (Ellen White, GC 611.1)
“The second angel’s message of Revelation 14 was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid.” (Ellen White, GC 389.2)
“During the past fifty years of my life, I have had precious opportunities to obtain an experience. I have had an experience in the first, second, and third angels’ messages…Men and women, enlightened by the Spirit of God and sanctified through the truth, proclaim the three messages in their order.” (Ellen White, 2SM 387.1)
“The work for this time is represented by the first, second, and third angels flying in the midst of heaven. The first angel has his message, the second follows the first and bears his message. But the first is not dropped; it loses none of its force as the second is proclaimed. So also with the third.” (Ellen White, 1888 939.3)
​
Continuous.
In Revelation 15:4 (chapter 15 and 16 are the seven last plague chapters) it says, “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
This verse, which is after the 3AMs in Revelation 14, is referring to the FAM. Revelation 15:4 speaks about fear, glorify, worship and judgments, the four main points of the FAM. This is right before the seven plagues begin, which implies that all the 3AMs are being proclaimed until the close of probation.
“God has given the messages of Revelation 14 their place in the line of prophecy, and their work is not to cease till the close of this earth's history. The first and second angel's messages are still truth for this time, and are to run parallel with this which follows. The third angel proclaims his warning with a loud voice. “After these things,” said John, “I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory.” In this illumination, the light of all the three messages is combined.” (Ellen White, 1888 804.3)
​
Most Holy Place.
The Three Angel’s Messages are linked with the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. The term fear God in verse 7 is almost always linked to the Ten Commandments, Ecclesiastes 12:13. The Commandments are in the Most Holy Place. Verse 7 says to worship the Creator which refers to the fourth commandment, which is in the Ark in the Most Holy Place. The Three Angel’s Messages end in verse 12 with a description of the end time church that keeps the commandments of God, which are the Ten Commandments in the Most Holy Place. Verse 7 says the “hour of His judgment is come” which refers to the day of judgment or the day of atonement which occurred once a year when the priest would enter the Most Holy Place. The hour of His judgment actually begins in Revelation 11:19, the ark was seen in the heavenly sanctuary.
So the TAMs must be proclaimed just prior to and after 1844 (when judgment began).
​
Significance of the number three.
The acceptance or rejection of the messages is not a trivial matter. It is a matter of life or death. Those that listen to these messages will receive the seal of God and those that don’t listen will receive the mark of the beast.
The number three is usually tied to life or death situations in Bible prophecy.
-
Three people being crucified in the gospels.
-
Jonah spent 3 days and nights in the fish.
-
Joseph interpreted the vision which was three days and the butler would be restored and three days and the baker would be hanged.
-
The Israelites asked to go into the wilderness three days to sacrifice.
-
Moses stretched forth his hand and there was darkness on the land for three days.
-
Spies in Jericho were told to go to the mountain three days to hide from pursuers.
-
Jesus’ parents lost Him for three days.
-
Jesus was tempted three times in the desert.
-
Jesus said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
-
Saul was blind and did not eat or drink for three days.
-
Three used a lot in parables - three years for the fig tree, three measures of meal, three against two and two against three, three loaves, three people in the Samaritan story passed by the one in need.
-
Sapphira came in three hours after her husband and died.
-
Paul spent three months in Ephesus preaching the kingdom of God; Paul spent three months in Greece until the Jews were after him.
-
Three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace in Daniel chapter 3.
-
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit for eternal life and the dragon, the beast and the false prophet for eternal death.
​
God wrote three times in the Bible.
The three times that God wrote something in the Bible seem to parallel the three angel’s messages of truth, error and choice.
-
The Ten Commandments were written with the finger of God, Exodus 24:12; 31:18, and represent the truth and parallels the first angel’s message which describes the truth of God.
-
In John 8:1-11, Jesus writes on the ground (dirt) and the scribes and Pharisees and those that were there were convicted by their own conscience and left. It is not clear what Jesus wrote in the dirt but many believe He wrote the sins of those that were accusing the woman of adultery. This parallels the second angel’s message which is error by Jesus showing them their sins.
-
In Daniel 5:5, 23-31, the finger of God wrote a message of judgment for the kingdom of Babylon that it would be conquered. It was a message of judgment which parallels the third angel’s message which is a message of judgment to those that make the wrong choice and suffer the wrath of God. Understanding the stories in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, will open up a clearer understanding of the book of Revelation.

First Angel’s Message.
This message was first proclaimed during the advent movement which occurred between 1840 and 1844.
“Since 1844, in fulfillment of the prophecy of the third angel's message, the attention of the world has been called to the true Sabbath [the opposite of the beast, his image and his mark], and a constantly increasing number are returning to the observance of God's holy day.” (The Story of Redemption, page 383)
​
Summary: God’s truth. The first message is to proclaim the truth about God and to counter the scarlet woman of Revelation 17 which sits on many waters in Revelation 17:1 which represents peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues (Revelation 17:15). That is why the first angel’s message of the everlasting gospel goes out to them that dwell on the earth and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people (Revelation 14:6).8
The three angels messages are to gather God’s people into His end time church. Satan will try to counterfeit this by gathering the people of the world for Armageddon, Revelation 16:13-14, 16. The three frogs are three unclean spirits which are fallen angels, Revelation 16:14 calls them devils and devils are fallen angels, Mark 5:1-20 (unclean spirits are called devils); Revelation 12:9 (Satan is also called the dragon, serpent and the devil). The three unclean spirits (represented by frogs) are Satan’s counterfeit of God’s three angel’s messages.9
In Revelation 13, the dragon wanted Christians to violate the first four Commandments; in the first angel’s message God is telling His people how to avoid this:10
The first four commandments deal with God directly. The last six deal with how man is supposed to deal with each other.
1. Worship the beast = 1st Commandment = Fear God (obedience to God, Romans 6:16).
2. Image of the beast = 2nd Commandment = Give glory to Him (reflect character of God).
3. Name of the beast = 3rd Commandment = Judgment is come (without character of God). The standard used in the judgment is the law. The law is the character of God.
4. Mark of the beast = 4th Commandment = Worship Him (through the Sabbath). Sabbath worship = Seal of God.
​
Purpose of the first angel’s message.
“…we see the Protestant religious world sadly in need of reformation. Divisions and confusion existed in the churches. They were still clinging to many papal errors and superstitions. The power of the gospel was impaired in their hands. To correct these evils, the doctrine of the second coming of Christ was introduced, and proclaimed with power. They should have received it and been quickened by it into new life, as they would have been had they received it. Instead of this, they rejected it, and suffered the consequences spiritually.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 663)
Purpose of the second angel’s message.
This statement follows the statement above for the purpose of the first angel’s message.
“Then followed the second message, announcing the result of that rejection, and declaring what was not only a fact in itself, but a judicial verdict of God upon them for their recreancy in this respect; namely that God had departed from them, and they had met with a spiritual fall.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 663-664)
By rejecting the first angel’s message, they have persisted in the course of “shunning light and rejecting truth, (and) they will soon find themselves worshipping the beast and receiving his mark. This will be the logical sequence of that course of action which began with the rejection of the first message.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 664)
Purpose of the third angel’s message.
“Now another proclamation is sent forth, announcing in solemn tones that if any man shall do this, he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation. That is to say, you rejected the first message, and met with a spiritual fall. If you continue to reject truth and disregard the warnings sent out, you will exhaust God’s last means of grace, and finally meet with a literal destruction for which there will be no remedy.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 664)
“God's purpose in giving the third angel's message to the world is to prepare a people to stand true to Him during the investigative judgment. This is the purpose for which we establish and maintain our publishing houses, our schools, our sanitariums, hygienic restaurants, treatment rooms, and food factories. This is our purpose in carrying forward every line of work in the cause.” (Ellen White, Manuscript 154, 1902, 4. (“Instruction to Men in Positions of Responsibility,” October 24, 1902.) 1MR 228.2)
​
-
Revelation 14:6, 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,
14V6: Another angel = John is referring to the angel in Revelation 8:13 which announces the three last trumpets (the three woes to come).
14V6: Angel = Symbolic angels; Angel = Messenger - it can be humans, Galatians 4:14 (Paul), Acts 6:15 (Stephen), Philippians 2:25 (Epaphroditus), and Matthew 11:10 (John the Baptist).
These symbolic angels are humans used by heavenly beings to proclaim the gospel to the world. For instance, Revelation 1:1-3 depicts a chain of command. God gives the message to Jesus, who then gives it to an angel, who then gives it to John, who then gives it to the churches, who are then supposed to preach it to the world.
Here are more examples where humans are used as messengers (angels).
-
Mark 16:15 says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
-
Matthew 28:18-20 says, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
-
Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
-
Acts 8:26-40 says, “And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert…” The angel, a heavenly messenger, instructed Philip, the earthly messenger, to go and preach to the Ethiopian.11
“No one hears the voice of these angels, for they are a symbol to represent the people of God who are working in harmony with the universe of heaven.” (Ellen White, 2SM 387.1)
“These angels represent the people of God proclaiming the word of God to the world, whereby are produced impressions so powerful that truth is separated from the rubbish of error and stands revealed in its unblemished pure beauty. These messages of truth open the most lofty contemplation of scenes through which they conduct us—solemn, refining, and awfully grand.” (Ellen White, 1888 939.3)
“The three angels of Revelation 14 represent the people who accept the light of God's messages and go forth as His agents to sound the warning throughout the length and breadth of the earth.” (Ellen White, Testimonies for the Church 9:30 CCh 58.5)
14V6: Angel fly = Represents speed that messages travel to all the world. Ezekiel 1:13-14 says, “As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.” These verses describe angels in heaven as travelling so fast that it appears like a flash of lightning.
14V6: In the midst of heaven = Which means that their messages are of heavenly origin = Sent from God through messengers.
God’s messages in the Bible always come from above (heaven).
Revelation 18:1 says, “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.” The angel came down from heaven.
But the powers of Satan always come from below like a bottomless pit, abyss, sea, or from the earth.
Revelation 20:3 says, “And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”
Revelation 13:1 says, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.”
Revelation 13:11 says, “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.”
James 3:14-15 says, “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.”12 (Note: Emphasis added in the verses above.)
14V6: Gospel = A full gospel which includes the aspects of fear God, give glory to God, worship Him and judgment (see verse 7).
Gospel = Good news. How can judgment be good news? Look at the fifth seal of Revelation 6. The souls of them under the altar crying with a loud voice on when the judgment would begin. To them, the judgment is good news because it means justice and the soon coming of Jesus Christ and the first resurrection.
The gospel being proclaimed has to be the true gospel and not a false gospel.
True gospel:
-
Sin as choice.
-
Christ had a sinless character in a fallen nature.
-
Righteousness by faith - both justification and sanctification.
-
Moral perfection - Character surrender and character maturity.
Many other denominations are preaching a gospel, but it is not the true gospel and therefore, will not accomplish the directive here to preach to the whole world or in Matthew 24:14.
They may preach to the whole world but it is not the true gospel and it will not cause Jesus to leave the Most Holy to return to earth at the second coming. The true gospel must be preached to the whole world, then the end will come.
In Revelation 14, immediately following the description of the 3AMs, is the description of the second coming of Jesus Christ, so we know that this is an end time message for an end time church.
14V6: Everlasting gospel = This gospel is everlasting, so it cannot be some new gospel. It must be the same gospel preached by the apostles. Only the remnant church is proclaiming this everlasting gospel.
This is the only time that everlasting gospel is used in the entire Bible. John is making a point that there has always only been one gospel.
Note: Other phrases used are, gospel of the kingdom; gospel of the grace of God; gospel of God; gospel of His Son; gospel of Christ; Christ’s gospel; glorious gospel of Christ; gospel of peace; gospel of the uncircumcision; gospel of the circumcision; gospel of your salvation; mystery of the gospel; gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; glorious gospel of the blessed God.
1 Peter 1:18-20, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,”
Revelation 13:8, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
The gospel was explained to Adam and Eve.
Genesis 3:21, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”
The gospel was passed to their children, Cain and Abel.
Abel brought an animal to sacrifice (representing Jesus) and it was pleasing to the Lord, Genesis 4:4, “And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:”
Everyone throughout time has been saved by the gospel (the blood of the Lamb).
Hebrews 11 (faith chapter).
Old Testament people = Saved on the basis of the promise (looking forward to the cross).
New Testament people = Saved on the basis of the fulfillment (looking back at the cross).
This gospel, the true everlasting gospel, is only being preached by the SDA church.
14V6: Every nation, kindred, tongue and people = This message is for the entire world. This points to the fact that the messages are being proclaimed by a world-wide church that understands the Three Angel’s Messages.
Matthew 24:14 says, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” This verse is referring to the Three Angel’s Messages being proclaimed at the end of time.
This is also seen in Mark 16:15 which says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
Revelation 16:13-14 says, “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
This is Satan’s counter message for the Three Angel’s Messages.
-
Three unclean spirits = Three fallen angels which are a counterfeit of the three angels.
-
The dragon, the beast and the false prophet = Counterfeit of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
-
Frog’s weapon is the tongue = This is language, words, spoken lies and deceptions (out of the mouth in verse 13).
-
Frogs = Everywhere in Egypt = Deceptions and false teachings will be world-wide.
-
Working miracles = Frogs were able to be counterfeited by the Egyptian magicians (because of Satan and his demons).
-
This is an interlude between the 6th and 7th plague. Just like there’s an interlude between the 6th and 7th seal and trumpet.
Everything that God has, Satan has a counterfeit. The purpose of the Three Angel’s Messages is to gather God’s people to Himself (come out of spiritual Babylon), while the counterfeit messages are to gather the people to the side of Satan.13
-
Revelation 14:7, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
14V7 (and 9): Loud voice = World-wide message and a religious awakening, notice the second angel’s message is not said with a loud voice because it was not a world-wide message the first time it was proclaimed, see Revelation 14:8. These messages are proclaimed with great power from heaven.14
The second angel’s message is repeated at a later date and is described in Revelation 18 using the phrase, ‘cried mightily with a strong voice’ (verse 2), so it is clearly a world-wide message at some point in the future.
Examples:
Revelation 8:13 says, “And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!”
Revelation 10:2-3 says, “And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.”
Revelation 14:15, 18 says, “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.”.
As you can see from these examples, when “loud voice” or a variation of that phrase is used, it often refers to a world-wide message.
“The second angel's message of Revelation 14, was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the Judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the Advent message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time, they have fallen lower and lower. Not yet, however, can it be said that “Babylon is fallen, ... because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” She has not yet made all nations do this. The spirit of world-conforming and indifference to the testing truths for our time exists and has been gaining ground in churches of the Protestant faith in all the countries of Christendom; and these churches are included in the solemn and terrible denunciation of the second angel. But the work of apostasy has not yet reached its culmination.” (Ellen White, GC88 389.2)
14V7: The focus given here is on four aspects of the everlasting gospel: Fear God, give glory to Him, worship Him who made heaven and earth, and the hour of God’s judgment has come.
14V7: Fear God = Reverence, awe and respect; Primarily the fear of the Lord means to obey God out of love for Him because He has shed His grace upon us. This is absolute loyalty to God and full surrender to His will.
Fear of God leads to obedience.
Deuteronomy 6:2, “That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
Those saved by grace are urged to live godly lives through obedience.
Romans 1:5, “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:”
14V7: Give glory = Character. We give glory to God by reflecting His character in our lives to the world.
Fear God = How we think.
Give glory to God = How we act.
So how do we give glory to God?
​
We give glory to God by letting our light shine (His character, glory, reflected in our lives).
Isaiah 60:1-3, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”
Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Another way is through the health message.
1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
​
Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
1 Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
1 Corinthians 3:17, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
If we live obedient, godly lives it gives glory to God.
Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
14V7: After people receive the everlasting gospel in verse 6, then God demands three things from His people; They are to fear God, give glory to God, and worship the Creator.
14V7: Judgment is come = The first phase of judgment (the investigative judgment) began in 1844 which is tied to the sanctuary message (Daniel 8:14). See full study at the end of the chapter called, The Investigative Judgment. This judgment is to take place before the return of Jesus Christ at the second coming and the purpose is to determine those that are in the book of life and those that are not.
“It is this work of judgment, immediately preceding the second advent, that is announced in the first angel's message of Revelation 14:7: “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.” (Ellen White, CIHS 112.1)
14V7: Worship him that made = Worship through the Sabbath which is a memorial of creation. The Sabbath was instituted at creation.
Genesis 2:1-3 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
The Sabbath is also a part of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:11 says, “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
The Sabbath will also be kept in heaven for all eternity. Isaiah 66:22-23 says, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.”
This points to the new heavens and the new earth (recreation and restoration).
We are to rest in Jesus to remember that our salvation is through Jesus and what He did for us.
14V7: Verses 6 and 7 are reflected and pulled from Psalm 96:5-9 which says, “For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.”
Notice that key words and phrases are the same in these verses as in Revelation 14:6-7, such as “made the heavens”, “sanctuary”, “glory”, “worship” and “fear”. The first angel’s message is reflected in Psalm 96:5-9.
​
All Significant Christian Beliefs and Doctrines Are Found in The First Angel’s Message.15
All 28 fundamental beliefs can be drawn from the first angel’s message.
Verse 6: Gospel = Christ, salvation, Romans 1:16, righteousness, faith, justification, great commission (Matthew 28:19-20), great invitation (Matthew 11:28-30), second coming, glorification, Holy scriptures. Remnant mission. Baptism. Spiritual gifts. Gift of prophecy.
Verse 7: Fear God = Reverence, worship, Sabbath, prayer, obedience, also law and tithing (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. His church. Lord’s Supper - communion. Law of God.
Verse 7: Glory = Reflect God’s character, 1 Corinthians 10:31; health, drink, temperance, food, dress, behavior, sanctification, character, Exodus 33:18-19; 34:6-7; righteousness, Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 3:16-21; 5:26-27; Philippians 1:11. Christian behavior.
Verse 7: Judgment = Sanctuary, 1844, prophecy, investigative judgment, state of the dead, Psalm 96:5-9; 95:6; 100:2-4; Revelation 4:10-11. Jesus’ role in the heavenly sanctuary. The Great Controversy. Life, death and resurrection of Jesus through prophecy. Points to our intermediary. Law of God is the standard used in the judgment. Millennium - judgment. Day of atonement.
Verse 7: Creation = Sabbath, redemption, worship, Revelation 4:10-11, Deuteronomy 5:14-15. The Creator, Jesus Christ. Nature of man. Stewardship of earth and resources. Marriage and family. New earth - recreation and restoration.
Second Angel’s Message.16
First proclaimed in the summer of 1844. This message overlapped with the first angel’s message.
Also attached to the midnight cry.
Summary: Satan’s error.
This message is the opposite of the first angel’s message. The first message was truth, the second message is error.
When the truth is preached in the first angel’s message about the everlasting gospel, then Babylon falls; this is why the message in the second angel’s message naturally falls after the first message.
The second angel’s message describes spiritual Babylon which is made up of three parts; The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
​
Purpose of the first angel’s message.
“…we see the Protestant religious world sadly in need of reformation. Divisions and confusion existed in the churches. They were still clinging to many papal errors and superstitions. The power of the gospel was impaired in their hands. To correct these evils, the doctrine of the second coming of Christ was introduced, and proclaimed with power. They should have received it and been quickened by it into new life, as they would have been had they received it. Instead of this, they rejected it, and suffered the consequences spiritually.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 663)
Purpose of the second angel’s message.
This statement follows the statement above for the purpose of the first angel’s message.
“Then followed the second message, announcing the result of that rejection, and declaring what was not only a fact in itself, but a judicial verdict of God upon them for their recreancy in this respect; namely that God had departed from them, and they had met with a spiritual fall.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 663-664)
By rejecting the first angel’s message, they have persisted in the course of “shunning light and rejecting truth, (and) they will soon find themselves worshipping the beast and receiving his mark. This will be the logical sequence of that course of action which began with the rejection of the first message.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 664)
Purpose of the third angel’s message.
“Now another proclamation is sent forth, announcing in solemn tones that if any man shall do this, he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation. That is to say, you rejected the first message, and met with a spiritual fall. If you continue to reject truth and disregard the warnings sent out, you will exhaust God’s last means of grace, and finally meet with a literal destruction for which there will be no remedy.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 664)
“God's purpose in giving the third angel's message to the world is to prepare a people to stand true to Him during the investigative judgment. This is the purpose for which we establish and maintain our publishing houses, our schools, our sanitariums, hygienic restaurants, treatment rooms, and food factories. This is our purpose in carrying forward every line of work in the cause.” (Ellen White, Manuscript 154, 1902, 4. (“Instruction to Men in Positions of Responsibility,” October 24, 1902.) 1MR 228.2)
​
-
Revelation 14:8, And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
14V8: And there followed = These three messages are to be proclaimed in order; Revelation 14:6, 8, then 9. Summary of the messages are the truth, error, and then the choice of which side we want to be on. God gives us His truth in the first message, then shows us the error in the second message (also in Revelation 18 where the second message is repeated), and then warns us about the consequences of choosing to align ourselves with those that are in error in the third message. He describes that those that choose Satan will receive the wrath of God and those that choose God will have the faith of Jesus and will see the second coming of Christ. If we don’t proclaim the first message, people will not feel the urgency to come out of Babylon (because they haven’t been shown the truth in the first message).17
14V8: Saying = Not a world-wide message initially in 1844 when this second message was first proclaimed (primarily to the protestant churches in North America). This becomes a world-wide message in Revelation 18:2-4 when it is proclaimed again “mightily with a strong voice” (see Revelation 10:1-3 for an example of a world-wide message being proclaimed by ‘loud voice’).
God was sending a message to the churches in North America with the first and second angel’s messages to come out of Babylon (Revelation 18:4).18 Remember the purpose of the first angel’s message is to counter the scarlet woman of Revelation 17 which sits on many waters in Revelation 17:1 which represents peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues (Revelation 17:15). That is why the first angel’s message of the everlasting gospel goes out to them that dwell on the earth and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people (Revelation 14:6). The primary role of the message was to call the people to come out of spiritual Babylon and to join God’s faithful people.
When those protestant churches rejected the truth of the doctrines coming out of the great revival in the mid-1800s, this is when they became apostate churches and a part of the corrupt system of worship promulgated by the papacy (false teachings and doctrines like Sunday worship).19
“The second angel’s message of Revelation 14 was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the advent message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time they have fallen lower and lower. Not yet, however, can it be said that ‘Babylon is fallen,... because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ She has not yet made all nations do this. The spirit of world conforming and indifference to the testing truths for our time exists and has been gaining ground in churches of the Protestant faith in all the countries of Christendom; and these churches are included in the solemn and terrible denunciation of the second angel. But the work of apostasy has not yet reached its culmination.” (Ellen White, GC 389.2)
Hebrews 10:26 says, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins…”
James 4:17 says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
2 Peter 2:20-21 says, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”
Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me…”; and Isaiah 59:2 says, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
Through the remainder of her life Ellen White continued to believe that probation was closed for those who had rejected the 1844 message after understanding its meaning and seen the moving of God's Spirit. In 1883 she wrote: “I was shown in vision, and I still believe, that there was a shut door in 1844. All who saw the light of the first and second angels’ messages and rejected that light were left in darkness.” She compared the 1844 experience with that of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, and those who crucified Jesus. These each resulted in a limited close of probation.” (Ellen White, SM1, page 63; 1EGWLM 53.1)
In this case, when the second angel’s message was first proclaimed in 1844, it could only apply to the Protestant churches in North America. The papacy was already in a fallen state, but the Protestant churches had the ability to accept further light from God. The test or standard used by God was the first angel’s message about the soon advent of Jesus and that judgment had begun. When the Protestant churches heard these truths and then turned away and mocked those who believed in the message, then they were fallen.
What if the Protestant churches had accepted the message? The same thing as those that did accept the message.
“They came from different denominations, and their denominational barriers were leveled to the ground; conflicting creeds were shivered to atoms; the unscriptural hope of a temporal millennium was abandoned; false views of the second advent were corrected; pride and conformity to the world were swept away; wrongs were made right; hearts were united in the sweetest fellowship; and love and joy reigned supreme. If the doctrine did this for the few who did receive it, it would have done this same for all if all had received it, but the message was rejected.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 654)
14V8: Babylon = Spiritual Babylon = Primarily the Roman Catholic Church, Revelation 17:1, 5, but this includes the harlots and other false religions around the world. This is not the literal Babylon, it is a spiritual Babylon and spiritual Babylon is used as a symbol of the false religions around the world.
It is used in Revelation as a symbol of the end time apostate church. The majority of the book of Revelation is filled with symbology and here the mention of Babylon is also symbolic.
Babylon could not be announced as fallen until all aspects of spiritual Babylon had actually fallen.
In Revelation 18 the second angel’s message is repeated and instructs people to come out of her (spiritual Babylon) and to join with God’s people. This warning is for all of those in false religions around the world or a one-world religion.
14V8: Is fallen, is fallen = Said twice, once for the RCC and once for the ‘daughters’ (Revelation 17:5), the Protestant churches in North America and all other false religions. Although this phrase is also used in Isaiah 21:9, so it could just be repeated for emphasis.
14V8: Great city = Rome is a great city that sits on seven hills; it was the greatest city in terms of power during the pagan Roman Empire (all roads lead to Rome), Revelation 17:9, 18.20 This also specifically refers to the Vatican, which is the seat of authority of the first beast of Revelation 13 and this great city is a counterfeit of God’s great city in Revelation 21:10. For everything that God has, Satan has a counterfeit.
14V8: Made = This implies that spiritual Babylon will force “all nations to accept her false teachings.”21 This implies that some will be coerced or forced into following her false teachings (persecution). How does she ‘make all nations to drink’? Through the military might of the false prophet, who makes and image to the beast and enforces the papal decrees.
Babylon forces while God gives freely. God’s water of life is given freely. Revelation 22:17 says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
14V8: Wine = The wine represents the counterfeit or false teachings, pagan practices, and doctrines that are contrary to scripture within a so-called Christian church (an apostate church).
Revelation 17:4, cup full of abominations - the cup is usually full of wine, see verse 2 (drunk with the wine).
Abominations include:
-
Idol worship (Deuteronomy 7:25-26; Deuteronomy 27:14-15).
-
Spiritualism and immortality of the soul (Deuteronomy 18:9-12).
-
Denying the Ten Commandments (Proverbs 28:9).
-
Homosexuality (Leviticus 18:2).
-
Worshipping the sun (Ezekiel 8:16-17).
-
Justification by works (Luke 16:15).
-
Eating of unclean foods (Deuteronomy 14:3; Leviticus 11).
-
Teaches a wrathful God (Jeremiah 32:35).
-
Condemns the just and justifies the wicked (Ezekiel 22:2; Proverbs 6:16-17; Proverbs 17:15; Proverbs 15:26; Revelation 18:2).
Babylon also represents confusion, Genesis 11:6-9. Spiritual Babylon confuses the doctrines of God by teaching false doctrines. Babylon falls because she rejected the first angel’s message (truth) and filled the people with error (or the devil’s doctrines in the second angel’s message).
14V8: Wrath = Her wrath is poured out on those that do not follow (drink) her false teachings (the wine) as described above. God’s wrath results in the seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1) which will fall on the wicked right before the second coming of Jesus Christ. Satan’s wrath is persecution of the saints through the union of church and state (Revelation 13:7, 14-15). For everything that God has, Satan has a counterfeit.
14V8: Fornication = Biblical fornication is when the church uses the state to slay (persecute) those not in harmony with her teachings. Here in verse 8, she is using the state/civil powers to persecute those that do not follow her teachings.
Third Angel’s Message.22
First proclaimed in 1888.
Summary: Choose.
This is a dire warning from God. A message of love, because God does not want us to receive His wrath (the seven last plagues).
Purpose of the first angel’s message.
“…we see the Protestant religious world sadly in need of reformation. Divisions and confusion existed in the churches. They were still clinging to many papal errors and superstitions. The power of the gospel was impaired in their hands. To correct these evils, the doctrine of the second coming of Christ was introduced, and proclaimed with power. They should have received it and been quickened by it into new life, as they would have been had they received it. Instead of this, they rejected it, and suffered the consequences spiritually.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 663)
Purpose of the second angel’s message.
This statement follows the statement above for the purpose of the first angel’s message.
“Then followed the second message, announcing the result of that rejection, and declaring what was not only a fact in itself, but a judicial verdict of God upon them for their recreancy (unfaithful or disloyal to a belief) in this respect; namely that God had departed from them, and they had met with a spiritual fall.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 663-664)
By rejecting the first angel’s message, they have persisted in the course of “shunning light and rejecting truth, (and) they will soon find themselves worshipping the beast and receiving his mark. This will be the logical sequence of that course of action which began with the rejection of the first message.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 664)
Purpose of the third angel’s message.
“Now another proclamation is sent forth, announcing in solemn tones that if any man shall do this, he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation. That is to say, you rejected the first message, and met with a spiritual fall. If you continue to reject truth and disregard the warnings sent out, you will exhaust God’s last means of grace, and finally meet with a literal destruction for which there will be no remedy.” (Daniel and the Revelation, Uriah Smith, page 664)
“God's purpose in giving the third angel's message to the world is to prepare a people to stand true to Him during the investigative judgment. This is the purpose for which we establish and maintain our publishing houses, our schools, our sanitariums, hygienic restaurants, treatment rooms, and food factories. This is our purpose in carrying forward every line of work in the cause.” (Ellen White, Manuscript 154, 1902, 4. (“Instruction to Men in Positions of Responsibility,” October 24, 1902.) 1MR 228.2)
​
The first and second angel’s messages forced the early church to study their Bibles to learn the truth. In order to proclaim the third angel’s message you must understand what it means: the beast, his image, his mark, the wrath of God, hell, state of the dead and the Sabbath.
The Adventist Church is the only church which understands these teachings and is therefore the only church capable of proclaiming the three angel’s messages of Revelation 14.
-
Revelation 14:9, And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
14V9: Loud voice = A world-wide message, see explanation in Revelation 14:8.
14V9: Worship beast and his image = Papacy (antichrist), Revelation 13:12, 15. See Revelation 13:1-10 and study on Antichrist in Revelation 13. The beast is the papal system and the image is set up by the United States of America, see Revelation 13:11-17.
14V9: Mark = Sunday worship, see Revelation 13:16-17. God’s seal is the Sabbath and Satan’s counterfeit of this is Sunday worship.
-
Revelation 14:10, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
14V10: Wrath of God = In this verse the context is the seven last plagues, Revelation 15:1. But in the bigger context, the wrath of God comes in three manifestations; it was first given to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39, 42), the second are the seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1 and 16:1), and the third and last is the lake of fire (Revelation 20:9-10). See the study at the end of the chapter called, The Wrath of God.
14V10: Without mixture = Full strength. It is not diluted or mixed with anything, so the wrath is full strength.
14V10: Fire and brimstone = The fire brought down from heaven by God; It is what feeds the lake of fire (hell) during the final judgment; But God has used fire and brimstone to judge/punish large groups of people during the past, Genesis 19:24 (judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah); Psalm 11:6 (wicked); Luke 17:29 (Sodom).23
14V10: This verse is pulled from Psalms 75:8 which says, “For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poured out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.”
-
Revelation 14:11, And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
14V11: Forever and ever = Does not mean eternal hell; used 56 times in the Bible for things that have already ended; Jonah 1:17; 2:6, means three days and three nights; 1 Samuel 1:22, 28, forever means lifetime; Exodus 21:6, serve forever means lifetime; Isaiah 34:6, 10, Bozrah is still not burning today; Revelation 20:10, forever and ever means until it can’t be seen anymore because Satan is going to be turned into ashes, Ezekiel 28:18-19; Malachi 4:3; Psalm 37:20, the smoke rises until we can’t see it anymore. See the study at the end of the chapter called, The Truth About Hell.
14V11: Smoke…for ever and ever = There are three verses that either mention smoke or torment lasting or rising for ever and ever and all three are full of symbolism. This verse has the symbolism of the beast, his image, and his mark.
In Revelation 19:2-3, we have the symbolism of the great whore whose smoke rose up for ever and ever.
In the third of these three verses in Revelation 20:9-10, we have the symbolism of the beast and false prophet being tormented for ever and ever. But notice in verse 9 there is no symbolism and it mentions that the wicked will be devoured. Also, verse 10 mentions that the devil will be tormented for ever and ever, but in Ezekiel 28:18-19, it says that the devil will be turned to ashes and will never be anymore.
Psalm 68:2, this is a smoke text which says the wicked will perish (not burn for ever and ever). Psalm 37:10, 20, 38, in verse 20 it says the wicked will perish and the smoke shall consume away.24
14V11: Smoke…for ever and ever = The root text in the Old Testament for this verse is Isaiah 34:6, 10, which describes the destruction of Bozrah, a city of Edom that was southeast of Israel. It says that the smoke shall go up for ever but then clarifies that this means from generation to generation. The city of Bozrah is not still on fire and does not have smoke still rising today.25
14V11: No rest day or night = Because they choose to worship the beast. This condition is opposite of those that choose to worship God, Matthew 11:28-30.
Jesus takes our burden and gives us rest or peace while Satan gives us burdens of shame and temptations.
No rest here also means that those that worship the beast worship on the false day of worship (Sunday) instead of the true day of worship on the Sabbath (Saturday) which is a day of rest, Exodus 20:8-11; Revelation 13:4, 8, 12, 15.26
-
Revelation 14:12, Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
14V12: Patience of the saints = Those that are followers of Christ and endure persecution because of their faith in Jesus. They are patiently waiting for the return of Jesus Christ after overcoming the beast, image, mark and name of the beast. See study on Patience of the Saints.
14V12: Keep the commandments of God = This refers to all ten of the commandments which includes the fourth dealing with the Sabbath. The Sabbath (or the day of worship) will become a significant issue in the last days. See study called, Keep the Commandments of God.
14V12: Faith of Jesus = The word ‘keep’ is the key to this verse because it implies that we must keep what was GIVEN to us; the commandments were given to us; the faith of Jesus which is the gospel and His righteousness (Righteousness by Faith and Justification by Faith) was given to us.
It was the faith OF Jesus on the cross when He died by faith for everyone, Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Also Justification by faith.
Romans 3:19-22, 24, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:….Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
Galatians 2:16, 20, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 3:22, 24, “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe….Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
Ephesians 3:12, “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.”
Note: Some translations have this verse as ‘their faith in Jesus’. In Greek either translation is grammatically correct.27
-
Revelation 14:13, And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
14V13: From henceforth = This verse immediately follows the three angel’s messages, so this special blessing must be on those that die after the proclamation of the three angel’s messages which began in 1844.
​
14V13: Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord = Because those that die in Christ are not really dead, they are sleeping until the first resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; John 11:25-26; Ephesians 5:14; 2 Peter 3:4; Acts 7:60; Psalm 13:3; Job 14:12, 21. At the first resurrection, when Jesus returns, all those throughout the ages that have died in a saving relationship will be resurrected and taken to heaven.
14V13: Blessed = Translates as happy and is the same word used by Jesus in the sermon on the mount. There are seven blessings in the book of Revelation. The first one is in chapter 1 verse 3 and the others are in Revelation 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7; and 22:14.
Blessings are also referred to as beatitudes. There were 9 beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-11, and there are 7 in the book of Revelation.
There are many sevens in the book of Revelation (churches, seals, trumpets, plagues, blessings, songs about Babylon and sanctuary visions).
These are the blessings summarized:
-
Those that read, hear and keep the things written in Revelation.
-
Those that die in the Lord.
-
Those that watch and keep their garments (of righteousness).
-
Those that are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
-
Those that are in the first resurrection.
-
Those that keep the sayings of prophecy in Revelation.
-
Those that do His commandments.
​
​Most of these blessings are action words, which show that Christians should not only hear but be doers of the Word. James 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
​
14V13: Labours = All Christians should be laboring to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, Matthew 28:19-20. We should spend our time wisely doing what we can to spread the good news of Jesus.
​
1 Thessalonians 2:9, “For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.”
​
The word labour is associated with intense labour united with trouble and toil or in other words, intense work in evangelism during difficult times or situations. This special blessing is for those since 1844 that died in the work of evangelism during difficult conditions.
14V13: Works do follow them = We are all judged by our works, Matthew 16:27 (According to his works); Ecclesiastes 12:14 (Every work into judgment); Luke 12:47-48 (Beaten with many stripes or few stripes based on what they’ve done); Revelation 20:11-15 (According to his works); Revelation 22:12 (Reward according to works). We are judged by what we have done, but we are saved by grace through faith, not by works, Ephesians 2:8-9. We cannot work our way to heaven. If we are in a saving relationship with Jesus, then our actions should show that we’ve had a true conversion.
​
14V13: The special blessing for those that die during the proclamation of the third angel’s messages beginning in 1844 is a special resurrection right before the second coming of Jesus.
EGW wrote a letter to the husband of her dear friend that had died. EGW received a vision of her friend and wanted to share what she saw to the husband to comfort him.
“Dear Brother, I hardly know what to say to you. The news of your wife's death was to me overwhelming. I could hardly believe it and can hardly believe it now. God gave me a view last Sabbath night which I will write. I saw that she was sealed and would come up at the voice of God and stand upon the earth, and would be with the 144,000. I saw we need not mourn for her; she would rest in the time of trouble, and all that we could mourn for was our loss in being deprived of her company. I saw her death would result in good.” (Selected Messages, volume 2, page 263.2-3)
The special resurrection can also be seen in Daniel 12:1-2.
Daniel 12:1-2, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
At the same time that the saints are delivered in the time of trouble (at the fifth plague), the special resurrection will occur. It says, ‘many’, not ‘all’ that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.
Some to everlasting life = Those that died working for the Lord after 1844.
Some to shame and everlasting contempt = Those that pierced and abused Jesus.
​
Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”
Matthew 26:64, “Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”
​
EGW quotes both Revelation 1:7 and Daniel 12:2 when speaking of the special resurrection.
“Graves are opened, and “many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth ... awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2. All who have died in the faith of the third angel's message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God's covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. “They also which pierced Him” (Revelation 1:7), those that mocked and derided Christ's dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient.” (Heaven, page 28.1)
​
The general resurrection of the wicked does not occur until after the millennium (a thousand years after the second coming), so this must be a special resurrection.
-
Revelation 14:14, And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
14V14: White cloud = Describing the second coming of Jesus Christ; This shows that immediately after the third angel’s message it is the end of this world and the second coming of Jesus. The Three Angel’s Messages are God’s final appeal and messages to the world before the close of probation and the second coming of Jesus. Also, see Matthew 24:14 which refers to the Three Angel’s Messages and it says that “then shall the end come.”28
14V14-16: The proclamation of the Three Angel’s Messages are accompanied by the power of the latter rain; it will divide the world into two groups.
Early rain (falls in the spring and causes germination to begin its growth) occurred at Pentecost and was the germination process - The Holy Spirit was poured out with power and the disciples went throughout the world and preached with boldness and thousands were added to the church.
Latter rain is the ripening season for harvest. This occurs before the time of probation closes. Verse 15 says “the harvest of the earth is ripe” which means the latter rain has fallen and the harvest has ripened. Once everyone on earth has made their choice either to be on the side of Satan or on the side of God, then probation closes and the harvest begins.
These verses describe the second coming of Jesus Christ and it shows that the people of the world have already been separated into two groups (earth is ripe and grapes are fully ripe or the saved and the lost respectively). This shows that there was an investigative judgment before the second coming of Christ because He is coming with His reward. It has already been determined who is saved and who is lost.29 See notes on the investigative judgement, Revelation 14:7. Verses for latter rain, Hosea 6:3; Joel 2:23; and Acts 2:17, 21.
14V14-19: These verses are paralleled in Joel 3:9-13. In this Old Testament account it refers to a literal Jerusalem and a literal valley outside of the city. In Revelation 14:14-19, it refers to a spiritual Jerusalem and a spiritual valley (now the earth). Both also speak of sickles and a ripe harvest. See also Jeremiah 25:30-38, which describes the second coming of Jesus Christ and speaks of treading grapes and the wicked of the earth.30
14V14-19: These verses are also paralleled in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, which is the parable of the wheat and tares. Here in Revelation, grapes are used instead of wheat and tares, but the same principles are discussed.
Both speak of a harvest (Revelation 14:15; Matthew 13:30).
Both speak of reapers (Revelation 14:15-16; Matthew 13:30).
Both speak of angels doing the reaping (Revelation 14:17, 19; Matthew 13:39).
Both speak of events at the end of the world (Revelation 14:14, which describes the second coming of Jesus Christ); Matthew 13:39).
Both speak of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:14; Matthew 13:37).
Both speak of two groups (Revelation 14:15-16, 17-19; Matthew 13:26, 29).
Both speak of the wicked groups being destroyed by fire (Revelation 14:18; Matthew 13:40-42).
Both speak of events taking place on a world-wide basis (Revelation 14:15, 19; Matthew 13:38).
-
Revelation 14:15, And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
14V15: Temple = This is the temple in heaven, Hebrews 8:2. There are seven temples mentioned in the Bible.
-
Moses’ temple in the wilderness, Exodus 25:8-9.
-
Solomon’s temple, 1 Kings 6:1-38.
-
The rebuilt temple, Ezra 6:13-22.
-
Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
-
The church is the temple, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.
-
The heavenly temple, Hebrews 8:2.
-
God and the Lamb as the temple, Revelation 21:22.
14V15: Sickle…harvest is ripe = Paralleled in Joel 3:13. This harvesting example is used throughout the gospels, Matthew 9:37-38; Matthew 13:24-30, 39-42; Mark 4:29; John 4:35.
14V15: Harvest of the earth = The righteous (or those that are saved) and it refers to the end of the world, Matthew 13:39 (also Matthew 24:14).
-
Revelation 14:16, And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
14V16: This verse is symbolic and describes the second coming of Jesus Christ.
-
Revelation 14:17, And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
14V17: Temple = Most Holy of the heavenly sanctuary. Jesus entering the Most Holy is described in Daniel 7:13-14, when He received His kingdom and began the investigative judgment (separating the people of the earth into two groups). Now, He and the angels are leaving the Most Holy portion of the temple to reap the harvest on earth.31
-
Revelation 14:18, And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
14V18: Altar, which had power over fire = The altar of incense in the Holy Place of the sanctuary.
14V18: Loud cry = A world-wide judgment, see Revelation 14:8.
14V18: Vine of the earth = This means the wicked all over the earth.
14V18: Grapes = The wicked (or lost) because they are gathered and thrown into the great winepress of the wrath of God, verse 19.32
14V18: Fully ripe = The wicked have made their choice and are fully, totally and completely wicked. If God gave them more time they would still not choose to become righteous.33
14V18-20: These verses occur after the close of probation and right before the second coming of Jesus at the end of the seven last plagues.
​
-
Revelation 14:19, And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
14V19: Earth = Again, this is mentioned several times to represent the wicked all over the earth. This event is not geographically isolated to one area of the earth, it is a world-wide event.34
14V19: Winepress = Mentioned in Revelation 19:15. Revelation 19:11-21 is a description of Revelation 14:14-20. It is a case of repeat and enlarge and therefore provides additional information and explains many of the symbols in Revelation 14. See also Jeremiah 25:30-38.
14V19: Wrath of God = The seven last plagues, see Revelation 15:1. But in the bigger context, the wrath of God comes in four manifestations (also His cup of indignation, Revelation 14:10); it was first given to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39, 42), the second is at the second coming pictured here in verses 18-20, the third are the seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1 and 16:1), and the fourth and last is the lake of fire (Revelation 20:9-10).
-
Revelation 14:20, And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
14V20: Trampled or Trodden = By horses which represent the army of God, Revelation 19:11, 14. In other words, the angels of God.35
14V20: Without the city = The wicked outside the New Jerusalem, Revelation 20:9; 21:1-2.
14V20: Space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs = Represents that the winepress covers the whole earth. This is a world-wide event. This number is not literal, it is 4 x 4 x 100. The number 4 represents universality, or the four corners of the earth (north, south, east and west), or world-wide. Sixteen hundred amplifies the number four. This same format can be seen with the 144,000 which is 12 x 12 x 1000, which amplifies the number 12 representing the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles which ultimately represents all of God’s people from the Old Testament to the New Testament.36
​
Chapter 14 Resources and Notes
1. Pastor James Rafferty and Pastor Ivor Myers, Salvation in Symbols and Signs (Program on 3ABN’s Dare To Dream Network), video series can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42C2tZ5yuI&list=PLZE9r6f37K0AJPuImVU9DX-Y1Ntikqv0R.
2. Article from bibleinfo.com titled, What are the names of God?, can be accessed here: http://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/names-of-god.
3. Pastor James Rafferty and Pastor Ivor Myers, Salvation in Symbols and Signs (Program on 3ABN’s Dare To Dream Network), video series can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42C2tZ5yuI&list=PLZE9r6f37K0AJPuImVU9DX-Y1Ntikqv0R.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. This study is from Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, Three Angels Message, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A480C40F7BA55A4.
10. Ibid.
11. This study is from Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, Three Angels Message, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A480C40F7BA55A4.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, ISBN 13: 978-0-8163-1923-7, Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2005, page 389 paragraph 2.
19. This study is from Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, Three Angels Message, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A480C40F7BA55A4.
20. Pastor James Rafferty and Pastor Ivor Myers, Salvation in Symbols and Signs (Program on 3ABN’s Dare To Dream Network), video series can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42C2tZ5yuI&list=PLZE9r6f37K0AJPuImVU9DX-Y1Ntikqv0R.
21. James L. Hayward, Sr., The Time of the End, A Study for the Last Days From the Word of God and the Spirit of Prophecy, ISBN 978-0-911833-10-2, American Christian Ministries, Harrisburg Pennsylvania, 2013, page 52.
22. Pastor James Rafferty and Pastor Ivor Myers, Salvation in Symbols and Signs (Program on 3ABN’s Dare To Dream Network), video series can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42C2tZ5yuI&list=PLZE9r6f37K0AJPuImVU9DX-Y1Ntikqv0R.
23. Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, Three Angels Message, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A480C40F7BA55A4.
24. Pastor Steve Wohlberg, A message during the Three Angels Broadcasting Network’s Spring Camp Meeting, The Smoke of Their Torment, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_dnVZ16k5s.
25. Ibid.
26. Pastor José Rojas, sermon on 17 March 2018 at the Baytown-LaPorte Seventh-Day Adventist church titled, Enter into His Rest.
27. Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, Three Angels Message, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A480C40F7BA55A4.
28. Ibid.
29. Ibid.
30. Pastor James Rafferty and Pastor Ivor Myers, Salvation in Symbols and Signs (Program on 3ABN’s Dare To Dream Network), video series can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i42C2tZ5yuI&list=PLZE9r6f37K0AJPuImVU9DX-Y1Ntikqv0R.
31. Pastor Stephen Bohr, Unsealed Secrets Ministry video series called, Three Angels Message, can be accessed here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A480C40F7BA55A4.
32. Ibid.
33. Ibid.
34. Ibid.
35. Ibid.
36. Ibid.
Ellen White references can be found here: https://beta.egwwritings.org.