Open your Bible to the book of Revelation. Lets get a little bit of an aerial view in the context of angels and their messages. There are really quite a few angels or messengers in Revelation. The word “Angel” or “Angels” is mentioned in the book of Revelation 76 times, so how do we pick out just three?
Three academic terms we must understand
The context*, the symbolism**, and its position in the chiasm*** all declare to us in enthusiastic harmony that “this is the message we each need to have on our lips, right now, today” The three angels messages chronologically directly precede the coming of Jesus as the LORD of lords.
Revelation 14:6 FIRST ANGEL
6Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Paraphrased:
The good news is supernaturally empowered to be proclaimed to an entire generation of all humans everywhere.
Respect and worship God, Judgement Day is right before us
Yes worship him, for he is the master architect of the universe.
Excerpt from seventh-day.org/3angels.htm
There is only one gospel (Romans 1:16,17; Galatians 1:8), first announced in Eden (Genesis 3:15), preached to Abraham (Galatians 3:8) and to the children of Israel (Hebrews 4:1,2), and proclaimed anew in every generation. In its development the gospel meets the needs of every crisis in the world’s history. John the Baptist in his preaching announced the kingdom of heaven at hand (Matthew 3:1,2), and prepared the way for the first advent (John 1:22,23). Christ Himself, in His preaching of the gospel, announced the fulfillment of a definite-time prophecy (the sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years, of Daniel 9:25), and called the people to repentance, in view of the coming of the predicted Messiah (Mark 1:14,15). So when the time of the judgment comes, and Christ’s second advent is near, a world-wide announcement of these events is to be made in the preaching of the everlasting gospel adapted to meet the need of the hour.
Is it important to bear witness to our neighbors about the truth of why Jesus died, and what that means to us?
Yes, it is more important than any other news.
Revelation 14:8 SECOND ANGEL
A second angel followed and said, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
If you look at ** below there is a link to follow so we can understand Bible prophetic symbols if they are foreign to you.
Paraphrased:
The first Beast (of Revelation 13 a false church), is now totally fallen from Gods ways. Even worse, that way of life (these doctrines[wine]) now has propagated into the whole earth, and it is like a wife sleeping with another man.
Wow, what is the essential sin of this way of life? Adultery. Specifically religious peoples (referred to as a single female entity) committing adultery with another leader. The first commandment is “You shall have no other Gods before me” (Exodus 20). If we are living like this “in Babylon” then we are breaking the first commandment, and we are placing our trust, and giving our time and our aspirations to… ourselves! Do you believe it when God says. “The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord”? or do you feel like that’s too simple? Yes actually it IS easy, inexpensive, quick, and wonderful to obtain eternal life...that’s why its called “The Good News” not the “rules about how to get into Heaven”
Revelation 14:9 THE THIRD ANGEL
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” 12This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
Paraphrased: If you trust yourself or the false church for your doctrine you too will have to pay the consequences for your sins, they are consequences of justice, thus severe. Once you have burnt your torture will be remembered forever. The condemned have a defining characteristic, and their punishment will be carried out unstoppable day or night. This situation is hard and long to endure for people who obey all of Gods Ten Commandments and avoid Adultery against Jesus Christ.
Later in Revelation we see God pleading,
(Rev. 18:...4) “Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
If we sin against God (place our own ideas of what is okay above his) then all we must do is change our mind about who’s way is right. This is repentance. We agree that the Ten Commandments are all the best ways to live and that disobeying any of them requires forgiveness, or death. If someone disagrees that one of the commandments is important, he will not ask for forgiveness for breaking it. Through his life all forgiven and unforgiven sins are marked and one day he makes a final decision, on judgment day his life is inspected and its either “I have Jesus forgiveness”, or “I think I got this one”. Look at the Ten Commandments, and really think about each one, whether or not you are breaking it. If so, realize that Gods way is better and ask for forgiveness.
