The three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 contain God’s final warning to the world:
The First Angel’s Message:
“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” (Revelation 14:6, 7). Here are the distinctive points about the fist angel’s message:
- Fear God. This means we should revere God and look upon Him with love, trust, and respect – eager to do His bidding. This keeps us from evil. “By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil” (Proverbs 16:6). Solomon, the wisest man, also said, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
- Give glory to God. We fulfill this command when we obey, praise, and thank God for His goodness to us. One of the major sins of the last days is un-thankfulness (2 Timothy 3:1, 2).
- The hour of His judgment is come. This indicates that everyone is accountable to God, and it is a clear statement that the judgment is now in session. A number of translations say “has” come instead of “is” come.
- Worship the Creator. This command rejects idolatry of all kinds -including self-worship- and totally repudiates evolution, which denies that God is Creator and Redeemer. Worshiping the Creator includes worshiping Him on the day He set aside as a memorial of Creation -the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11).
The Second Angel’s Message:
“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen.” (Revelation 14:8). “I saw another angel come down from heaven. … And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen. … And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people” (Revelation 18:1-4).
The second angel solemnly states that “Babylon is fallen,” and the voice from heaven urges all of God’s people to come out of Babylon at once. Spiritual Babylon is the church of Rome that is fallen because of its false doctrines and for the saints they murdered.
The Third Angel’s Message:
“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” (Revelation 14:9, 10).
The third angel’s message warns people against worshiping the beast and his image and receiving the mark of the beast in their foreheads or hands. The first angel commands true worship. The third angel tells of the awesome consequences connected with worshiping the beast.
In order to avoid the wrath of God, we need to identify who the beast is and what is His mark so that we don’t take it. For more information on the beast and his mark, please check the FAQ’s:
God’s “present truth” for today is given in the three angels’ messages. And, it involves a warning to prepare people for Jesus’ second coming and to unmask the devil’s lies. Without these messages, the devil will be able to deceive the world. The main stress of the three angels’ messages is that salvation has been provided for all by Christ alone. He gives His righteousness to cover our past sins and by His grace imparts His victory to help the faithful overcome every sin in the life.
In these messages, God reveals His love and requirements. God is calling people today back to the true worship. As God raised Elijah (1 Kings 18:37, 39) and John the Baptist to warn the people (Matthew 3:3), likewise, He will raise faithful ones to give His final warning to the world (Revelation 18:1).
The Bible identifies those faithful ones: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). These saints are those that obey God’s Ten Commandments through their living faith in Christ. In the crisis soon to come, the inhabitants of the earth will be called to make their choice between the obedience to the laws of God or obedience to the laws of man (Daniel 3).
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
