11 our prophetic message

OUR PROPHETIC MESSAGE

Lesson 11

KEY TEXT

“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’ ” Revelation 14:6 - 7

The 19th Century reformation began with the study of the End Time prophecies in the book of Daniel; it was led by William Miller.After the great disappointment in 1844, the Adventist Church arose based in the study of the Sanctuary in Daniel’s prophecies.This lesson we are studying the raison d’être and the message of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church today.

The prophetic resurgence of the Church (Rev. 10) The prophetic message of the Church

(Rev. 14:6-12)1. The message of the first angel (Rev. 14:6-7)

a) Fear God.b) The hour of His judgment.c) Worship the Creator.

2. The message of the second angel (Rev. 14:8) The fall of Babylon.

3. The message of the third angel (Rev. 14:9-12) The patience of the saints.

The creation The gospelThe judgment

The judgment message of Daniel 7 and 8 links directly to the great controversy scenario depicted in Revelation 12–14. Here we find the three angels’ messages, which contain the themes of creation, judgment, and gospel (Rev. 14:6–12). These texts present God’s urgent and final call to prepare for the second coming of Jesus.

That angel is Jesus.

The little book is the book of Daniel. Its seal was removed in 1798.

The message John could not write down is the interpretation of the time prophecies in Daniel.

That message was spread both in densely and sparsely populated places.

The sweet flavor is the announcement of Christ’s Second Coming in 1844.

The bitter flavor is the great disappointment that wrong expectation created.

This chapter announces the beginning of the Adventist Church as a prophetic Church.

Our work is to keep preaching to all peoples, nations, tongues and kings.

THE PROPHETIC CALLING

Revelation 10:1

Revelation 10:2

Revelation 10:3-4

Revelation 10:5-7

Revelation 10:8-9

Revelation 10:10

Revelation 10:11

THE MESSAGE OF THE THREE ANGELSThe three angels that raise their voices are a symbol of the last message from God to the world: Revelation 14:6-12.The first angel begins. A second angel joins him while he is speaking. Then a third angel joins them while they are still speaking. Thus the triple message is simultaneously heard all around the Earth.In those final moments of our history, the Church is the voice of God that preaches that triple message.

“The angels are represented as flying in the midst of heaven, proclaiming to the world a message of warning, and having a direct bearing upon the people living in the last days of this earth’s history. No one hears the voice of these angels, for they are a symbol to represent the people of God who are working in harmony with the universe of heaven. Men and women, enlightened by the Spirit of God and sanctified through the truth, proclaim the three messages in their order”

E.G.W. (Selected Messages, vol. 2, cp. 50, pg. 387)

F E A R G O D “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him…”” (Revelation 14:6-7)

The eternal gospel that is preached all over the world begins with a warning: “Fear God”. That phrase has two meanings:

1. Reverent fear. Believing in God (Rev. 11:18) Honoring God (Rev. 14:7) Praising God (Rev. 19:5) Obeying God (Rev. 14:12) Glorifying God’s name (Rev. 15:4)

2. Being afraid. Fearing the verdict in the judgment

(Rev. 14:7)

Fearing God in reverent fear is the right way to worship God. Nevertheless, we are warned that we must fear the Judgment; that fear drives people to seeking the Savior and to embrace the eternal gospel.

THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGMENT “…for the hour of His judgment has come…” (Revelation 14:7)

The message of that angel does not deal with a future judgment, but a present one: “[it] has come”.

“The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18)

We learn from Revelation 11 that the judgment must begin after the testimony of the two witnesses. That testimony lasted for 42 months; that is, 1,260 prophetic days (Rev. 11:2-3)

That prophetic period began in 538 and ended in 1798. As we studied in the last lesson, the judgment began soon after that, in 1844.

When did that judgment begin?

WORSHIP THE CREATOR“…and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” (Revelation 14:7)

The core of Revelation is worship: We worship either the Creator (Rev. 14:7) or the creature (Rev. 13:15)Satan is redoubling his effort to keep us from worshipping the Creator.How could anyone believing in evolution worship the Creator?How could anyone rejecting His Commandments worship the Creator (even if he/she only rejects the Sabbath commandment, the monument of Creation)?Choosing the one we worship is a decision that has eternal consequences.

Who do you worship?

Since the rise of the theory of evolution, it has become particularly important for

us to uphold and affirm our belief in a six-day Creation. This teaching is the foundation of our worship of the Lord as Creator.

The verse that describes God as having “made heaven and earth, [and] the sea” alludes to the Sabbath commandment (Exod. 20:11).

The Sabbath is the central issue in the conflict over God’s commandments. As with no other commandment, the designated day of worship is suited for a test of loyalty because it cannot be deduced

by logical reasoning. We keep it only because God has commanded us to do so.

REFLEXION

Nothing we believe as Seventh-day Adventists makes sense when taken apart from the Lord as Creator, and

nothing in the Bible is as clear a sign of God’s creatorship as the Sabbath.

How seriously do you take the Sabbath?

How can you have a deeper experience with the Lord through obedience to this commandment?

THE FALL OF BABYLON“And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.””

(Revelation 14:8)

Babylon means confusion (Gn. 11:9)The fall of Babylon is a symbol of the alliance between the apostate churches and the political corrupt power in this world.

“The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord, Satan will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;” and they that “received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,” will be left to receive “strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11. Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfillment of Revelation 14:8 is yet future” E.G.W. (The Great Controversy, cp. 21, pg. 389)

The “Patience” of the Saints

The second and third angels’ messages of Revelation are a

warning to all who do not heed the divine call of the first angel’s

message. If people continue on their wrong path, they will par-

take of God’s seven last plagues, which are seen as “the wine of the wrath of God” (Rev. 14:10),

and this wine will be poured out on those who remain in Babylon.

In the Bible, Babylon stands for rebellion against God (Gen. 11:1–9; Jeremiah 50, 51). Babylon arrogantly assumes the place of God and is the enemy of God’s people. By the time of the New Testament, Babylon had become a code word for Rome (1 Pet. 5:13). In the book of Revelation, the harlot Babylon is a religious-political power in opposition to God and to His people and, as such, attempts to control the world. Revelation 13:15–17 describes the “Babylonian crisis” when the beastly powers of Revelation 13 join forces to persecute the remnant of God. Babylon is thus a symbol of the end-time alliance of apostate churches together with the corrupt political powers of the world.

THE PATIENCE OF THE SAINTS“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb… Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus”” (Revelation 14:9-10, 12)The first and second messages are closely related to the third one.

Those who don’t accept the message of the first angel and don’t worship the Creator will drink of the wine of Babylon which the second angel announces.

Those who don’t accept the first and the second messages will worship the beast and his image and will drink of the wine of the wrath of God.

The third message is the last call to worship the Creator, to have faith in Him and to keep His commandments.

God wants to justify, save, free and vindicate His people. He invites us to be patient and to live reflecting the character of Jesus until the day He’ll “give to every one according to his work” (Rev. 22:12)

The message of the three angels calls God’s followers in Babylon to come out and join the faithful and visible end-time remnant of God (Rev. 18:4, 5). Yes, there is still a faithful remnant in Babylon, and they need to hear the Seventh-day Adventist end-time message. As we saw yesterday, Revelation 14:12 clearly depicts God’s faithful remnant. The “perseverance,” or “patience,” of the saints does not describe so much a passive endurance of hostile activities but, rather, a steadfast awaiting of Christ. The believers not only follow the commandments but also proclaim them to the world.

At the same time, the “faith of Jesus” can refer to the believers’ “faith in Jesus” (NASB) and also to Jesus’ loyalty that carries the believers faithfully through. The end of the third angel’s message directs our eyes to Christ. Through His merits and His loyalty, God’s people are able to persevere and keep His commandments. “Several have written to me, inquiring if the message of justification by faith is the third angel’s message, and I have answered, ‘It is the third angel’s message in verity.’ ”—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1, p. 372.

“We must learn to put our entire dependence upon God, and yet we must ever bear in mind that the Lord God has need of every agency

that holds the truth in righteousness. As workers for Christ we are to stand in view of the cross of Calvary,

proclaiming to the world, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

We are to proclaim the third angel’s message with our human voices, and it is to go to the world with power and glory”

E.G.W. (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, cp. 9, pg. 214)

THE SANCTUARY

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