"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, 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."
Here is the second: "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."
And here is the third: ""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, 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: 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. Here is the patience of
the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of
Jesus."
A glance at the wording of each of these messages will discover that thought
in the Greek word "followed, which signifies "following as a consequence." The
first bears the everlasting gospel, to preach to every creature, calling upon all to
fear God and give glory to him, and to worship him, because the hour of his
judgment is come. The rejection of this message produces a condition of things
which is described as the consequence of such rejection, in the words of the
second angel, which followed. And, because of the rejection of the first message,
and because of the consequences of that rejection, as announced in the second,
a condition of things is produced as a further consequence, which requires that
the third angel shall follow them, proclaiming with a loud voice his dreadful
warning against the terrible evils that have been produced as the double
consequence of the rejecting of the first message.
And that the voice and work of the third angel blend with that of the first, is
plain from his closing words: "Here are they that keep the commandments of
God, and the faith of Jesus;" because this is ever the object of the preaching of
the everlasting gospel. It is the substance of fearing God and giving glory to him,
and or worshiping "him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the
fountains of waters." And the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith
of Jesus is the only thing that will enable any soul to stand in the hour of his
judgment, which the first angel declares "is come."
Immediately following the closing words of the third angel is "heard a voice
from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the death which die in the Lord
from henceforth"–from this time forward; and immediately following this, are the
words: "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. 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 he that sat on the cloud thrust in
his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped."
And Jesus himself said, "The harvest is the end of the world."
Again: the third angel particularly warns all people against the worship of the
beast and his image, whatever these may be; and, from Rev. 19:11-21, we find
that the beast and his image are "alive" when the Lord comes in the clouds of
heaven, and are "both" destroyed with the brightness of his coming.
These facts show that the Third Angel's Message is a mighty, threefold, loudvoiced
message, which goes forth to every nation and kindred, and tongue and
people, just before the coming of the Lord; which ripens the harvest of the earth;
and which makes a people prepared for the Lord. And so, it is the last, the
closing, message of God to the world.
Such, in a word, in form, in arrangement, is the Third Angel's Message.
"The Third Angel's Message. What Is It as to Babylon?" Ad
