The Three Angels’ Messages

“Come out of her, My people”

God has a people in Babylon—Of Babylon, at the time brought to view in this prophecy, it is declared: “Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Revelation 18:5. She has filled up the measure of her guilt, and destruction is about to fall upon her. But God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His judgments these faithful ones must be called out, that they partake not of her sins and “receive not of her plagues.” Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard: “Come out of her, My people.” These announcements, uniting with the third angel’s message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth.—The Great Controversy, 604 (1888, 1911) 3AM 148.1

The majority of Christ’s true followers are still in Babylon—In the eighteenth chapter of the Revelation the people of God are called upon to come out of Babylon. According to this scripture, many of God’s people must still be in Babylon. And in what religious bodies are the greater part of the followers of Christ now to be found? Without doubt, in the various churches professing the Protestant faith.... 3AM 148.2

Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from God that exist in the churches which constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ’s true followers are still to be found in their communion. There are many of these who have never seen the special truths for this time. Not a few are dissatisfied with their present condition and are longing for clearer light. They look in vain for the image of Christ in the churches with which they are connected. As these bodies depart further and further from the truth, and ally themselves more closely with the world, the difference between the two classes will widen, and it will finally result in separation. The time will come when those who love God supremely can no longer remain in connection with such as are “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” 3AM 148.3

Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6-12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion. This message is the last that will ever be given to the world; and it will accomplish its work. When those that “believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:12), shall be left to receive strong delusion and to believe a lie, then the light of truth will shine upon all whose hearts are open to receive it, and all the children of the Lord that remain in Babylon will heed the call: “Come out of her, My people” (Revelation 18:4).—The Great Controversy, 383, 390 (1911) 3AM 149.1

Many on the verge of the kingdom—The Lord has His representatives in all the churches. These persons have not had the special testing truths for these last days presented to them under circumstances that brought conviction to heart and mind; therefore they have not, by rejecting light, severed their connection with God. Many there are who have faithfully walked in the light that has shone upon their pathway. They hunger to know more of the ways and works of God. All over the world men and women are looking wistfully to heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from souls longing for light, for grace, for the Holy Spirit. Many are on the very verge of the kingdom, waiting only to be gathered in.—Testimonies for the Church 6:70, 71 (1901) 3AM 149.2

Make no sweeping denunciation—God has jewels in all the churches, and it is not for us to make sweeping denunciation of the professed religious world, but in humility and love, present to all the truth as it is in Jesus. Let men see piety and devotion, let them behold Christlikeness of character, and they will be drawn to the truth. He who loves God supremely and his neighbor as himself, will be a light in the world. Those who have a knowledge of the truth are to communicate the same. They are to lift up Jesus, the world’s Redeemer; they are to hold forth the word of life.—The Review and Herald, January 17, 1893 3AM 150.1

No judgments sent without a warning—The God of heaven will not send His judgments until the people are warned. He calls His watchmen to give the warning in a distinct, decided manner. His ministers are to extend the message of warning. The watchmen must give the trumpet a certain sound in messages of warning. He will not close up the period of probation until His watchmen give the warning in a distinct message proclaiming His law. This work must go forward in a distinct, magnified manner. The message of the third angel will be distinctly proclaimed, and the law of God will come to the people in a decided message.—Manuscript 63, 1910 3AM 150.2

Two distinct calls to the churches—When Jesus began His public ministry, He cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Almost the last act of His ministry was to cleanse the temple again. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches: the second angel’s message, and the voice heard in heaven, “Come out of her, My people.... For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” [Revelation 18:4, 5.] 3AM 150.3

As God called the children of Israel out of Egypt, that they might keep His Sabbath, so He calls His people out of Babylon that they may not worship the beast nor his image. The man of sin, who thought to change times and laws, has exalted himself above God by presenting this spurious sabbath to the world. The Christian world has accepted this child of the papacy, and cradled and nourished it, thus defying God by removing His memorial and setting up a rival sabbath. 3AM 150.4

After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, at a time when every conceivable power of evil is set in operation, when minds are confused by the many voices crying, “Lo, here is Christ,” “Lo, he is there” [Mark 13:21], “This is truth,” “I have the message from God,” “He has sent me with great light,” and there is a removing of the landmarks, and an attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith—then a more decided effort is made to exalt the false sabbath, and to cast contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has blessed and sanctified. 3AM 151.1

This false sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law. Satan and his angels are wide awake and intensely active, working with energy and perseverance through human instrumentalities to bring about his purpose of obliterating the knowledge of God. While Satan is working with his lying wonders, the time has come, foretold in the Revelation, when the mighty angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory will proclaim the fall of Babylon, and call upon God’s people to forsake her.—Letter 1f, 1890 (November) (Selected Messages 3:405-407) 3AM 151.2

Extremity of God’s people is His opportunity—The prophet says: “I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.... And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” When do her sins reach unto heaven? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation. Then the extremity of God’s people is His opportunity to show who is the governor of heaven and earth. As a satanic power is stirring up the elements from beneath, God will send light and power to His people, that the message of truth may be proclaimed to all the world.—The Signs of the Times, June 12, 1893 3AM 151.3

Many will respond and come to the front of the ranks—There are many souls to come out of the ranks of the world, out of the churches—even the Catholic Church—whose zeal will far exceed that of those who have stood in rank and file to proclaim the truth heretofore. For this reason the eleventh hour laborers will receive their penny. These will see the battle coming and will give the trumpet a certain sound. When the crisis is upon us, when the season of calamity shall come, they will come to the front, gird themselves with the whole armor of God, and exalt His law, adhere to the faith of Jesus, and maintain the cause of religious liberty which Reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives.—Manuscript 30, 1889 (June) (Selected Messages 3:386, 387) 3AM 152.1

Rapidity of conversions will surprise the church—There will be an accumulation of divine agencies to combine with human effort that there may be the accomplishment of the work for the last time. The work will most assuredly be cut short in a most unexpected manner. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and no one will be able to say when the movings of God’s Spirit will be realized or what direction or through whom it will manifest itself. But I speak not my own words when I say it will pass by those who have had their test and opportunity and have not distinguished the voice of God or appreciated the movings of His Spirit. There will be thousands converted to the truth in a day, who at the eleventh hour see and acknowledge the truth and the movements of the Spirit of God. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed.” [Amos 9:13.] 3AM 152.2

The accessions to the truth will be of a rapidity which will surprise the church. God’s name alone will be glorified. Finite man will wonder and adore. The church is now highly privileged to bear a vigorous part as active agents with heavenly instrumentalities. Every Christian now should become men and women of intercession with God. They will evidence how much they love Jesus and the soul that He has purchased with His own blood.—Letter 43a, 1890 (December 18) 3AM 153.1