The Third Angel’s Message

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT IS THE MARK OF THE BEAST?

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The thirteenth chapter of Revelation, and the first five verses of the fourteenth chapter presents a connected chain of past, present and future events, down to the complete redemption of the 144,000, when they will stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb. Then the sixth verse of the fourteenth chapter introduces the second advent message, and commences another chain of events relative to the successive messages which were to be proclaimed to the people of God, down to the time when “the vine of the earth” will be cast “into the great wine-press of the wrath of God.” Those who live in the time of the fulfilment of much of the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Revelation, can see that the division of them should be between the fifth and sixth verses of the fourteenth chapter. St. John was shown the Papal beast, his blasphemy, and his power over the saints for 1260 years, which reached to within about fifty years of the present time; he also saw the image beast arise, his deception and miracles, and his oppression of the saints in their last mighty struggle in the time of Jacob’s trouble, which is just before us, as recorded in the last eight verses of the thirteenth chapter; and how natural it would be for him while viewing the waiting saints in their last struggle with the image beast, to follow them but a step further, and behold them on Mount Zion with the Lamb, in victory, purity and glory, as recorded in the first five verses of the fourteenth chapter. It is very plain that the fifth verse ends that chain, and that the sixth verse introduces our second advent experience. All advent believers agree that the first angel’s message, [Revelation 14:6, 7] was to be fulfilled in the proclamation of the second advent of Christ to the church and world. If this position which is so generally taken, is correct, then the other angels’ cries certainly represent so many distinct messages to be proclaimed to God’s people in this mortal state. No one will take the ground that the first message was to reach to the coming of Christ, and that the others which “followed” will be proclaimed after the second advent; no, no, for every candid person will see and admit, that if the first angel’s cry was designed to represent the proclamation of the coming judgement, the other angels’ cries also represent so many distinct messages to be given to God’s people before their change to immortality. Many reject this very clear and natural position, because if they admit it, they will have to acknowledge that the great leading movements in our past experience, such as the proclamation of 1843, the fall of the churches or Babylon, and the midnight cry in 1844, were the work of God, and a perfect fulfilment of his pure word. Such are destitute of any rule by which they can interpret Revelation 14:6-18. That we may better understand the third angel’s message, let us take a brief view of the first and second. TTAM 1.1