THREE ANGELS' MESSAGE
by Ulrike Unruh

The First Angels' Message
Fear God and Give Him Glory
The Hour of His Judgment has Come
Worship Him Who Made Heaven and Earth
The Third Angel's Message
Issues Involving the Three Angels' Messages


Revelation 14 pictures 3 angels, with three progressive messages to be given the world in the last days. The first message is the full gospel message, it includes the apostalic commission given in the gospels and announces the fulfilment of Paul's words, that now God commands all men everywhere to repent; because He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness." (1 Tim. 1:11) The day of judgment was yet future in Paul's day but now the first angel announces that this day has come. "The hour of His judgment has come." It gives the urgent call to the world to return to the worship of it's Creator. The 2nd message reveals the fact that most churches refused the first message and are fallen — the call is given to come out of them. The 3rd message deals with the final punishment and destruction of those who reject the first message — as well as those who fail to come out of Babylon and as a result take on the mark of the beast and his image.

The first message therefore is of utmost importance, for it lays the very foundation of the following two messages.

The First Angels' Message

Revelation 14:7,8
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the EVERLASTING GOSPEL preached 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.

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THE GOSPEL is everlasting. The Gospel is the message of salvation in Christ — there is no salvation anywhere else.
Mark 1:15 "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
Romans 1:16,17 "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

The gospel is the power of God to forgive and cleanse and lift us from sin unto His own righteousness which He works in everyone who surrenders to Him.

To understand the true meaning of the gospel is paramount to all the rest of the message. Without Christ we can do nothing! Without His forgiveness we are doomed. Without His Holy Spirit we are helpless! Without a new heart which only God can give we cannot even love Him as we ought.

Yet how important that we must surrender to Christ and not shrug our shoulders saying "Christ paid it all, I don't have to choose to surrender my sins to Him, they are covered." No, no Paul does not teach that, he says "Romans 8.13 "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."
James tells us 4.8"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

FEAR GOD, AND GIVE GLORY TO HIM!

Why does the Gospel Angel shout with a loud voice, "Fear God"?
"Fear" means to respect or reverence God! A recognition of His might and majesty and holiness. When we and others truly see that character, there will be born in us deep reverence for, and adoration of our Maker that will show itself in respect, obedience, service, and the desire to glorify His name by the way we live.

"Glory" --to bring Him honor. The word (kabod) essentially refers to the Lord's character, which reveals its purity — purity so great that evil cannot live in it's presence but is consumed.

Yet how can we give God glory?

Isaiah 62.2-3
And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

What an awesome thought! Those who are transformed by the gospel are as a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord!

Romans 3.23 tells us:
"But all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Any glory we may give to God is sorely polluted, for even Abraham could not glory before God on account of his own works of righteousness. (Romans 4:2)
So it is not our glory that glorifies God. So how can we be as a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord?

Romans 15:15-17 ...Because of the grace that is given to me of God, ...being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.

Philippians 1.11
Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
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.
1 Peter2.12
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Do you begin to see the picture. When God transforms the live of an individual, that individual brings glory to God by the fruits of righteousness flowing from his life, by the grace of God.

THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT HAS COME

The immediate reason given for this call to glorify God is the arrival of THE HOUR (or Time) OF HIS JUDGMENT! In the days of the apostles, the time of judgment was yet future. When the 1st angel sounds his message, the hour of judgment is come! Yet it is not the end of the world as the other two messages must yet be sounded!
This is not the second coming yet — for the rejection by the major religious groups is still future and the call to come out must still be given.

Acts 17.31
For God has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
Romans 2.15
Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness... In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

The call for us to glorify God, comes with the judgment message. The investigative judgment determines who is worshiping the beast and the dragon which thinks to change God's times and laws, and who is worshiping God the Creator and Ruler of all things.

Daniel 7.9-10
I beheld till the thrones set up, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. Daniel 7.25,26,22
And he (the beast/ horn power) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(1260 years) But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
And judgment was given in favor of the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

The Psalms give us a similar message depicting the call to worship, with focus on the sanctuary and the judgment:

Psalm96.6-13
Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give unto the LORD, O ye 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. Say among the heathen that the LORD reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad ...before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

We see this message "The hour of His judgment is come" proclaimed after the call is made in Revelation 11:18-19 by the 24 elders which sat before God saying, "Thy wrath is come and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should give reward to your servants the prophets and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great, and destroy them which destroy the earth." But note, this is not the second coming for the next verse tells us that "The temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament."

The ark of the testament is the ark which contains the ten commandments and the mercy seat. These holy commandments must be once again brought fully to the attention of the people. The Sabbath must be proclaimed. The call for judgment fixes the gaze upon the temple in heaven and brings to view the Most Holy Place. This took place at the end of the 2300 days, when the sanctuary was to be cleansed. At that time the prophetic periods ended and the seventh angel began to sound. Since 1844, the people of God have seen by faith, the open door in heaven, and the ark of God's testament within. The ark was called the ark of the testament, because it was made for the express purpose of containing God's law.

Worship Him Who Created the Heavens and the Earth

The judgment message comes with an appeal to worship the Creator God!

The antidote to the evolutionist theories, the antidote to Sunday. The chief reason that God deserves worship — because HE CREATED US! We are His by virtue of His having made us. We turned traitor, in rebelling against His governement, but He bought us back, taking the punishment for our treason. Now the angel calls for us to come back!

The gospel opened the way. The judgment determines if we follow in that way. And our whole hearted response is shown by our worship of the CREATOR GOD!

So we see the apocalyptic emphasis on godly fear, giving God glory, and on worship. Yet why is it all in the context of Creation? Is it not enough just to worship?

Psalms 95.6-11 (quoted in Hebrews 3)
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice,
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:.. they should not enter into my rest.
Exodus 20:8,11, Genesis 2:3
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy...for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it...and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.

Come let us worship our Lord and Maker!

In the context of Creation this must undeniably include the worship of the Creator on the day He set aside as a memorial of Creation! When He ended His work which he had made," when He rested and blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.

This is not a call to formal "putting in of time" a ritual list of do's and don'ts to be done on a specific day.

No this is a special day to put all secular business on hold and spend it with Christ.
This is a date with our Creator God.
A day to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
A day to find renewal in Him for the conflicts and responsibilities ahead.
This is a day to remember God our Creator!

To claim the freedom to worship how and when we please — as if we are the one's offering any gift of our choosing to the Lord is to flaunt our own importance in the face of God.

God says — Give me the seventh day — We say, pardon me Lord, we are now free to do it our own way, just count yourself lucky if we give you an hour or so on Sunday. —

That, dear people is what constitutes the mark of rebellion. Rebellion is when we know exactly that the Lord wants a date with us on the 7th day of each week, but we refuse.

As we move into the issues involving the the Sabbath and the three angel's messages it will be seen that in the end rebellion against God's Sabbath will be rebellion against the very authority and Lordship of our Creator and Savior.

THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE

This is the most solemn warning that the Bible contains. The first and second angels in this series have clearly established the points of truth which will be the controversy for this age. Now the warning message comes of the great counter movement which will be initiated by the master deceiver and enemy of truth. He will work through, what appears to be religious systems, combined with political powers to enforce a false worship system. The rejection of the truth of God leaves men the captives of Satan, and the subjects of his deception. (See 2 Thess. 2:9-12) The greater the light which men reject, the greater the power of deception and of darkness which will come upon them. The first two angels were sounded as warning, the world rejected the message and sets up a massive counter system of false worship. Now we have the third angel proclaiming that any who join this false worship will suffer the wrath of God. It is a fearsome warning. One that behooves every honest seeker of God to study and be warned.

ISSUES INVOLVING THE SABBATH AND THE ANGEL'S MESSAGE

1. God is the rightful ruler of the universe. He created and He maintains it. He is the author and sustainer of all life.

Isaiah 42:5,8 This is what God, the Lord says, He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it...I am the Lord; that is my name! I WILL NOT GIVE MY GLORY TO ANOTHER OR MY PRAISE TO IDOLS.

2. Satan sought to usurp God's position as ruler of the universe:

Isaiah 14:12-14 How you have fallen from heaven O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth...for you said in your heart" "I will ascend to heaven: I will raise my throne above the throne of God...I will make myself like the Most High.

3. God alone is worthy of worship--because He is our Creator and our Redeemer.

Rev. 4:11,5:11-14 ..They WORSHIP Him who lives for ever and ever and say, You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being...Worthy is the Lamb who was slain...the four living creatures said "Amen" and the elders fell down and WORSHIPED Him.

4. Satan seeks to gain the worship due only to God.

Rev. 13:4 Men WORSHIPED the dragon (Satan) because he had given authority to the beast, and they also WORSHIPED the beast . . .all the inhabitants of the earth will WORSHIP the beast--all whose names have not been written in the Lambs book of Life.

5. Worship to God is based on love and free choice

Ps 100 Worship the Lord with gladness...For the Lord is good and His love endures forever.
Joshua 24:15 Choose you this day whom ye will serve;. . . as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

6. Worship to Satan is based on deception and force.

Rev. 12:9.17 The great dragon...Satan deceives the whole world... he is angry with the woman (God's true church) and goes to make war with the remnant of her seed (last people of the true church)
Rev. 13:14-15
Working through the two beasts to which the dragon gives power, great miracles are performed to deceive the people and "all who do not WORSHIP the image would be killed.

7. Worship involves more than just coming together to sing and pray, it involves allegiance, loyalty and obedience.

Luke 4:8 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou SERVE.
Jeremiah 7:9-10 Do you think you can steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, worship Baal and follow other gods you have not known and then come and stand before Me in my temple which bears my name, and say, "We are safe"?...I called you, but you would not listen...Therefore...the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you I will (destroy) (Do you think you can violate the commandments then come into church and stand before God and claim salvation?)

8. The issue is WHO WILL WE WORSHIP.
The evidence of Who we worship shows in our lives.

1 John 2:4-6 He that says, "I know God but does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him....This is how we know that we are dwelling with Him. For he that says He dwells with Him ought also to walk even as he walked."

John 8:31-47 Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching you are really my disciples. Then shall you know the truth and the truth will set you free...Everyone who sins is a slave to sin...if the Son set you free you will be free indeed. You say you are Abraham's descendants, yet you are ready to kill me because you don't want to listen to my teachings. ...you belong to your father, the devil and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth for there is no truth in him.

9. Special sign of allegiance: At the very heart of the ten commandments is a command that has to do with worshiping our Creator God. Worship of God as our Creator is at the very heart of the Great Controversy as we have seen so far in this study. Worshiping our Creator God involves obedience to his commands. The saints of Revelation who resist the advances of the beast and His image and escape the damnation pronounced upon them, are they that keep the commandments of God.

Exodus 20:8-11,Gen2:2
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy--for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them and he rested the Sabbath day. He blessed it and sanctified it.

Revelation 14:7 (The angel's message) Worship Him who made heaven and earth the sea.

10. Special sign of Satan's counterfeit worship. A sign that claims that God's law can be changed at will. This sign is SUNDAY.

The Catholic Record of London, Ontario Sept. 1, 1923
"Sunday is our MARK or authority....the church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.

A Doctrinal Catechism by Stephen Keenan
"Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which ALL MODERN RELIGIONISTS agree with her, she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the seventh day."

Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine by peter Geiermann
"Of course the Catholic church claims that the change was her act. And the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters."

11. In the last days Satan will make a last great effort to get as many people worshiping him as possible. However his reward to his worshipers is devastation.

1 Peter 5:8 Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour.
Rev. 12:12 Woe...for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath, because he knows he has only a short time.
Rev. 13:3-4 The deadly wound was healed, and all the world wandered after the beast and they WORSHIPED the dragon.

12. As "Christian" nations sink deeper and deeper into sin, God "gives them up" or withdraws His Spirit allowing sin to have it's full reign.

Romans 1:18-31
Since what may be known about God has been made plain...can be clearly seen, being understood...men have no excuse...yet they refuse to glorify God...Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts....they exchanged the truth of God for a lie...because of this God gave them over to shameful lusts....

. 13. Because they refused God's truth, God allows a strong delusion to sweep over them.

2 Thess. 2:3-12
Don't let anyone deceive you (Christ will not come) until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed...He will set himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God...The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with t he work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so are condemned because they believed not the truth but delighted in wickedness.

14. The stage is now set for Satan's grand final attempt to get the whole world to worship him. This involves getting everyone to worship on his "day" for this is his mark that he has greater authority than God. The mark of the beast is a direct attack on God's commandments, and will be enforced by deception and force.

Revelation 14:4-12
144,000 saved individuals are characterized as those who were not defiled with women (false churches and their teachings) they follow the Lamb everywhere (no matter how difficult or how much opposition) and in there mouth is no deceit (deceit is the nature of the beasts).
The first angel makes a direct call to worship — WORSHIP HIM WHO MADE HEAVEN and earth and the sea (The Creator is the only one worthy of worship— the Sabbath is His memorial and sign that we recognize Him as our Creator, Lord and Redeemer)
The third angel warns of a counterfeit worship that will not lead to the promised peace but it leads to everlasting death. They receive the mark of the Beast (Sunday is the mark that shows a claim to authority over God and over His law.)
Those who do not receive the beast mark are they that KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND HAVE THE FAITH OF JESUS.
Revelation 22:14 Everlasting life is awarded all those who hold onto God's commandments as He gave them, who are cleansed from sin (which is the transgression of the law) by the blood of the Lamb.

15. COME OUT
Most churches now teach that God's commandments are no longer binding on Christians, for sinners yes, but not for Christians. The love of God is preached without mention of obedience to His laws. The law of God is observed only as it relates to "showing love to others" and relating to the perceived good of the majority rather than the will of God. Having removed obedience as a requirement in sanctification, churches are appalled with the resulting moral decline. Now they seek to force morality by having government pass laws. They desire the "altered" ten commandments to be put up in courtrooms to "restrain" the criminals. The Christian Coalition is very vocal in promoting this. Churches are working to unite so they can influence government to carry out their agendas.

But the power of those commandments is not in the stone, or paper they are printed upon, the power of those commandments is when the Holy Spirit writes them upon the heart where they are seen as a "delight" by the true Christian.

Revelation 18:1-4 Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit...all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication(false doctrines) and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her (political/religious entanglements).. Come out of her my people that you do not take part in her sins and that you do not receive her plagues.

16. Everyone will be required to worship according to Satan's plan which he establishes through his beast powers. Miracles, signs and wonders, show of power, etc, will all play a part in sweeping the world into this counterfeit worship. Don't think it will be an obvious delusion. There will be much talk about Jesus, the cross, and other wonderful sounding "truths", but they will be mixed with DISOBEDIENCE to God's law, thus defying the very LORD they say they are worshipping.

Revelation 13.13,14
And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

17. Those who are not deceived and refuse to bow to the false worship will have economic sanctions placed against them and be in danger of their very lives.

Revelation 13.15-17
As many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18. The mark of the beast is a serious offense against God--it is a direct challenge to His authority. People do not lose their salvation by buying and selling, they lose salvation because they violate God's covenant with them, they rebell against His law and His Sabbath. They have put their own immediate needs above their worship of God. Though Christ died to save them, they refuse to walk WITH HIM in the path of obedience.

Ezekiel 22:6,8,12,21
Behold all your leaders use their power to shed blood...you have despised my holy things and have profaned my Sabbaths...you have forgotten Me, says the Lord... So Is will gather you for the fire....
Revelation 14:9,10 If anyone worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same will suffer (eternal damnation)

19. Blessing pronounced on:
Revelation 14.12
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Psalms 103.18,19
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens.

20. Sabbath continues in the world made new.

Isaiah 66.22,23
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which Is 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.

Revelation 14:12, 22:14
Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

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