The 3 Angel's message con'td.

 

Let us take a look at the message from the first angel. There are three phases of the judgment mentioned in the Scriptures: the investigative judgment, preceding the second advent; the judgment of the lost world and wicked angels by Christ and the saints during the one thousand years following the second advent; and the executive judgment, or punishment of the wicked at the close of this period. The investigative judgment takes place in heaven before Christ comes, in order to ascertain who are worthy to be raised in the first resurrection, at His coming, and who among the living are to be changed in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trump. It is necessary for this to take place before the second advent, as there will be no time for such a work between the coming of Christ and the raising of the righteous dead. The executive judgment on the wicked occurs after their cases have been examined by the saints during the thousand years (Revelation 20:3,4; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3). The investigative judgment is that which is announced to the world by the first angel's message.

 

The prophetic view of the judgement was given to the prophet Daniel.

 

"I beheld till the thrones were cast down[placed], and the Ancient of days did sit: . . . thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:9,10.

 

The second angel

 "And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."  Revelation 14:8.

ANCIENT BABYLON

In the old testament we are given a prophetic warning regarding the fall of ancient Babylon, "Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul; be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; He will render unto her recompence."  Jeremiah 51:6.

At the time of the fall of the Babylonian Empire to the Medes and Persians, we are told how Belshazzar and his court defied the true God, "They brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of god which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.  They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone."  Daniel 5:3,4.

The gospel of the kingdom was preached in Babylon through Daniel, and Nebuchadnezzar was brought to acknowledge and to worship by his experience.  But after Nebuchadnezzar's death his successors failed to profit by his experience.  The climax was reached when Belshazzar used the sacred vessels from the house of God, dedicated to His worship, in which to drink the Babylonian wine of idolatrous worship.  Then came the handwriting on the wall, the fall of ancient Babylon, and the death of Belshazzar.  See the Steps to Life Bible studies.

Notice how Babylon had caused the whole earth to become, "Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand, that made all the earth drunken; the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad."  Jeremiah 51:7.  Through the centuries the astrological beliefs of the Chaldeans of Babylon eventually "penetrated as far as India, China, and Indo-China, where divination by means of the stars is still practised. . . In the opposite direction they spread to Syria, to Egypt, and over the whole Roman world."  Franz Cumont, Astrology and Religion Among the Greeks and Romans.

 

Third Angel's Message

 

A WARNING AGAINST FALSE WORSHIP

 

Notice how these messages fit together into a threefold message, "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice."  Rev. 14:9, first clause.  Their apostasy from the true worship of God is then described, "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand."  (Same verse, last part.)

 

What is to be the fate of those who, instead of worshiping God, engage in this false worship?  "The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."  Rev. 14:10,11. (See Isaiah 33:13; 34:1-10; Hebrews 12:29.)

 

How are those described who heed this warning?  

 

"Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."  Rev. 14:12