The Sabbath and the Three Angel’s Message
The Sabbath and the Three Angel’s Messages
The doctrine of the Sabbath is indissolubly linked with each of the Three Angel’s Messages of Revelation 14:6-12. They cannot be separated. In this study I will endeavor to show how this is the case. The Sabbath was created in perfect Eden, shortly after mankind was created. It was given to them as a day of rest, to pause from all their labors, even in a perfect world, and to reflect on the goodness and love of God.
Of the two institutions that Adam and Eve took with them after their fall, the Sabbath was one; marriage was the other. When the Millerite movement was happening, the Sabbath wasn’t the issue that they were concerned with. Eventually, however, God brought it to the attention of His people.
She believed the Sabbath from the Scriptures, then God showed her more specifics in vision, as well as Scripture. God showed her that the Sabbath is so important, that it will be the central issue of the last days, especially when the Sunday law is more agitated. More issues and new issues are being agitated causing the loss of more and more freedoms, bringing this world to the precipice of the Time of Trouble such as never was.
Consider:
“I believed the truth upon the Sabbath question before I had seen anything in vision in reference to the Sabbath. It was months after I had commenced keeping the Sabbath before I was shown its importance and its place in the third angel’s message.” — (Manuscript Releases, Vol. 8, p. 238.)
“Separate the Sabbath from the messages, and it loses its power; but when connected with the message of the third angel, a power attends it which convicts unbelievers and infidels, and brings them out with strength to stand, to live, grow, and flourish in the Lord.” — (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1 337.)
It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord. God says: “Them that honor Me I will honor.” 1 Samuel 2:30. — (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 356.)
THE SABBATH AND THE FIRST ANGEL
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach 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.” — (Revelation 14:6-7, KJV.)
The first thing we need to point out here is that the first angel is said to have the Everlasting Gospel with him, to preach to everyone on earth. Therefore, since the Sabbath is included in this message, and the message is the Everlasting Gospel, it is not secondary to the Gospel, but in fact, is part of the Gospel itself. It stands to reason, then, that anything in verse 7 is to be considered at least a part of the Everlasting Gospel. So what, then, is included in verse 7?
The first thing the angel actually says is to fear God. Now, Thayers Greek Lexicon gives us a fascinating definition. We typically point out that this word for fear means to reverence God. We are not to be afraid of God, but to lovingly reverence Him. But it is deeper than that. Thayers defines it like this: “to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience.”
Therefore, first and foremost, the first angel’s message is a call to obedience, to loving obedience to the God of all creation. The condition of eternal life now is the same as it has always been: perfect obedience to God’s Law. We can, of course, only do this through the grace of God, and faith in Jesus, but it is still the condition of eternal life. Anything less than perfect obedience will not be accepted.
Consider:
“The blessings of the new covenant are grounded purely on mercy in forgiving unrighteousness and sins. The Lord specifies, I will do thus and thus unto all who turn to Me, forsaking the evil and choosing the good. “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” All who humble their hearts, confessing their sins, will find mercy and grace and assurance. Has God, in showing mercy to the sinner, ceased to be just? Has He dishonored His holy law, and will He henceforth pass over the violation of it? God is true. He changes not. The conditions of salvation are ever the same. Life, eternal life, is for all who will obey God’s law....
“Under the new covenant, the conditions by which eternal life may be gained are the same as under the old—perfect obedience. Under the old covenant, there were many offenses of a daring, presumptuous character, for which there was no atonement specified by law. In the new and better covenant, Christ has fulfilled the law for the transgressors of law, if they receive Him by faith as a personal Saviour. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.” Mercy and forgiveness are the reward of all who come to Christ trusting in His merits to take away their sins. In the better covenant we are cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ.” — (Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 931.)
The next command in Revelation 14:6 that we come across is to give glory to God. This word means things like, "to give...of one's own accord to give one something; to give over to one's care, intrust, commit; to give or commit to some one something to be religiously observed; to give what is due or obligatory; to give to someone as his own, i.e., as an object of his saving care, to give one to someone, to follow him as a leader and master, to give one to someone to care for his interests, to give one to someone to whom he already belonged, to return…"
So what does this first angel’s message have to do with the Sabbath? Well, as we have already discovered, to fear God means reverential obedience, and we cannot glorify God by living in disobedience to any of His Commandments. To repeat:
“It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord. God says: “Them that honor Me I will honor.” 1 Samuel 2:30." — (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 356.)
The Sabbath is the testing Truth for this time. The vast majority of Christianity is deceived by the idea that Sunday is the Christian Sabbath. They reject anything that shows them this isn’t true. No amount of proof will convince most of these people. However, they must be told anyway.
In Exodus 16 we find the story of God sending quails and manna to Israel. God commanded that only enough manna should be gathered for each day, until it came to the sixth day of the week, what we call Friday. On that day, God said, they were to gather enough manna for two days. Why? Because the Seventh day of the week is the Sabbath, and it is not to be wasted in cooking.
Some people, however, did not listen, and went out on Sabbath morning to gather manna. However, they found none. Then God said to Moses,
“How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” — (Exodus 16:28-29.)
This shows us that the Sabbath Commandment was in effect even before the Ten Commandments were verbalized and codified by God on Mount Sinai. In addition, we find in Genesis 2 that the Sabbath was created in perfect Eden, where no Jews were present.
Observe:
“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” — (Genesis 2:2-3.)
Why is it so important for Seventh-day Adventists to never cease studying the Sabbath? I mean, we’re Seventh-day Adventists. We know when the Sabbath is and that we shouldn’t do unnecessary work on that day and that’s all we need to acknowledge, right? Wrong. Dead wrong.
It is incredibly easy for us to fall into the deception that all we need to do is acknowledge the truth, and we will be saved. We seem to think that going to church for 3 or 4 hours a week is all that’s necessary for salvation; that we can live like Babylon, however we want for remaining almost 170 hours of the week.
However, if we do not study, we will not understand the reasons for our faith, and we will be swept away by whatever deceptions of the end time that tickle our fancy. Moreover, the Bible tells us in Ezekiel why the Sabbath is so important.
“And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them…I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” — (Ezekiel 20:11-12, 19-20.)
The Sabbath is God’s end time seal for His people. It always has been His seal, but in these last days, it is especially the case, since it is the one Commandment most supposed Christians like to reject and forget. But we will talk more about this aspect when we get to the third angel’s message.
Here in the first angel’s message, we see a distinct and evident picture of the Sanctuary Message. Fear God, and give glory to Him. Why? Because the hour of His judgment has come. When the way to the Holy Place of the Heavenly Temple was closed, the door to the Most Holy Place was opened, and God’s Law was made known to the world in such clarity and power as had not been witnessed for hundreds of years.
Any judgment has to have a standard of morality, or it’s not judgment. Any court system that condemns a person to prison or to the death sentence has a standard by which they judge the poor soul by. If not, then it is just arbitrary lawlessness. That said, most of Christianity seems to live by such a state of arbitrary lawlessness, since they have absolutely no basis for their belief that God’s Ten Commandment Law was done away with.
Let us notice here what God said through His prophet Ezekiel. If a man obeys His Laws, they shall live, but not just live; live in them. This includes the Sabbath. We see this in the very next sentence of the above passage from Ezekiel 20. God Himself says that those who obey will live. Then God Himself especially brings out the Sabbath as the Commandment that is also the sign that those who obey are His people.
This is marriage language, in addition to being judgment language. When I celebrate my anniversary with my wife, I do so with her on that date, August 5, and only with her. The Sabbath is a true Christian’s proof of who He serves, if he observes it correctly.
God is saying here in this passage from Ezekiel that His people are noticeably and distinctly His when they keep His Commandments, especially the Sabbath, with it being the sign, or seal, or proof of this above all other Commandments.
Ellen G. White saw this very concept in vision:
“The Lord gave me the following view in 1847, while the brethren were assembled on the Sabbath, at Topsham, Maine.
“We felt an unusual spirit of prayer. And as we prayed the Holy Ghost fell upon us. We were very happy. Soon I was lost to earthly things and was wrapped in a vision of God's glory. I saw an angel flying swiftly to me. He quickly carried me from the earth to the Holy City. In the city I saw a temple, which I entered. I passed through a door before I came to the first veil. This veil was raised, and I passed into the holy place. Here I saw the altar of incense, the candlestick with seven lamps, and the table on which was the shewbread. After viewing the glory of the holy, Jesus raised the second veil and I passed into the holy of holies.
“In the holiest I saw an ark; on the top and sides of it was purest gold. On each end of the ark was a lovely cherub, with its wings spread out over it. Their faces were turned toward each other, and they looked downward. Between the angels was a golden censer. Above the ark, where the angels stood, was an exceeding bright glory, that appeared like a throne where God dwelt. Jesus stood by the ark, and as the saints’ prayers came up to Him, the incense in the censer would smoke, and He would offer up their prayers with the smoke of the incense to His Father. In the ark was the golden pot of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of stone which folded together like a book. Jesus opened them, and I saw the ten commandments written on them with the finger of God. On one table were four, and on the other six. The four on the first table shone brighter than the other six. But the fourth, the Sabbath commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart to be kept in honor of God's holy name. The holy Sabbath looked glorious—a halo of glory was all around it. I saw that the Sabbath commandment was not nailed to the cross. If it was, the other nine commandments were; and we are at liberty to break them all, as well as to break the fourth. I saw that God had not changed the Sabbath, for He never changes. But the pope had changed it from the seventh to the first day of the week; for he was to change times and laws.
“And I saw that if God had changed the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day, He would have changed the writing of the Sabbath commandment, written on the tables of stone, which are now in the ark in the most holy place of the temple in heaven; and it would read thus: The first day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. But I saw that it read the same as when written on the tables of stone by the finger of God, and delivered to Moses on Sinai. “But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God's dear, waiting saints.” — (Early Writings, p. 32-33; emphasis mine.)
Once again:
“It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord. God says: ‘Them that honor me I will honor,’” — (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 356.)
When we compare what Jeremiah has to say, we see even more of the importance of keeping the Sabbath. God spoke through this prophet and promised great blessings on those who keep the Sabbath according to His Word.
“Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein; Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever. And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the Lord. But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.” — (Jeremiah 17:21-27.)
Many, however, do not want to keep the Sabbath. Some do in a legalistic sense, antsy for the sun to go down so they can do whatever worldly activity it is they want to do. These fail to realize that this is not how to keep the Sabbath. Wanting to do secular activities on the Sabbath is just as bad as actually doing them on the Sabbath.
“Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?” — (Amos 8:5.)
We cannot give glory to God when we trample His Sabbath, just as we cannot show love to our spouses by cheating on them with others. When we disobey the Fourth Commandment, this is exactly what we are doing. We are robbing God of the glory that is due to Him. Why is God deserving of glory?
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” — (Revelation 4:11.)
“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.” — (Revelation 15:3-4.)
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” — (Revelation 5:9-14.)
God is worthy to receive glory from us because He is our Creator. Not only this, but because of the plan of redemption, God is worthy to be glorified. Jesus, being eternally and voluntarily submissive to the Father, requested permission to follow through with the plan of salvation. We are told it was a struggle for the Father to say yes. But God so loved the world, that He was willing to sacrifice His beloved Son to secure redemption for those who repent. (Early Writings, p. 151, par. 3 & The Signs of the Times, January 30, 1879, par. 5.)
But because the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, went through with it, this is another reason they are worthy to receive glory and our worship. What an amazing Love is this. How could we not want to glorify God when He has done so much for us?
The first angel also directly quotes from the Fourth Commandment. I’ve heard it said that things like the Sabbath and the Three Angel’s Messages are secondary to the Gospel. However, these messages are introduced as being the Gospel, and the first angel takes a direct quote from the Sabbath Commandment. Therefore, anything contained in these three messages are a part of the Gospel, including the Sabbath, as well as obedience to it and all of the Ten Commandments as well.
We must be careful to rightly divide the Word, and to study to show ourselves approved unto God. The moment we start making unbiblical claims, we put ourselves on dangerous ground.
Let us consider the following comparison:
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” — (Exodus 20:8-11; emphasis mine.)
“Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, [worship and obedience] and give glory [proper Sabbath keeping] to him; for the hour of his judgment [the Sabbath is part of the 10 Commandment Standard Jesus uses to judge us and our fidelity to Him] is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” — (Revelation 14:7; emphasis and added comments mine.)
Why should we keep the Sabbath Commandment? It is for the very same reasons mentioned above as to why we should glorify God. Indeed, proper Sabbath keeping and obedience will do nothing less than glorify the King of kings. The Godhead is worthy to receive worship, honor, and glory, because of these acts of creation and redemption.
We owe to God our best. Nothing less will do. He will not accept anything less than full surrender. And indeed, what reason has God given us to give Him anything less? Absolutely no reason at all. God deserves our worship, and to receive glory from us because of who He is and what He has done for us.
THE SABBATH AND 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.)
In the 1830s and 1840s, most of Christianity rejected the message that the Millerite movement was preaching. There were not many who were interested in the Second Advent of Jesus. And when the truth was revealed that Daniel 8:14 wasn’t talking about the Second Coming, but instead was referring to the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary, there were even less people interested.
In the ancient day of atonement, the Israelite Temple had to be cleansed. It was the only day of the year when a priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and even then it could only be the High Priest. Everyone, including the High Priest had to confess and forsake every known sin, and search there heart to see if there were more. If he went into the Most Holy Place without doing this work of confessing and heart searching, he would be struck down. Sinners cannot live in the presence of a holy God.
When this message came to the forefront in the mid-1800s, it also brought back to the view of many, that the Sabbath of the Fourth Commandment, the seventh day, was still binding; that Sunday had no foundation in the Bible for being kept holy. Most of American Christianity rejected this truth.
Thus, when Jesus moved from the Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary to the Most Holy Place, the vast majority of American Protestants refused to move, by faith, with Him. Only the handful of people that eventually came to identify themselves as Seventh-day Adventists moved, by faith, with Jesus to the Most Holy Place.
Because these so-called Christians rejected the truth that God had made known to them, they became part of fallen Babylon, as Revelation 14:8 describes. Consider the following quotes from Ellen G. White. They are somewhat lengthy, but necessary to the discussion at hand.
“I saw the Father rise from the throne, and in a flaming chariot go into the holy of holies within the veil, and sit down. Then Jesus rose up from the throne, and the most of those who were bowed down arose with Him. I did not see one ray of light pass from Jesus to the careless multitude after He arose, and they were left in perfect darkness. Those who arose when Jesus did, kept their eyes fixed on Him as He left the throne and led them out a little way. Then He raised His right arm, and we heard His lovely voice saying, “Wait here; I am going to My Father to receive the kingdom; keep your garments spotless, and in a little while I will return from the wedding and receive you to Myself.” Then a cloudy chariot, with wheels like flaming fire, surrounded by angels, came to where Jesus was. He stepped into the chariot and was borne to the holiest, where the Father sat. There I beheld Jesus, a great High Priest, standing before the Father. On the hem of His garment was a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate. Those who rose up with Jesus would send up their faith to Him in the holiest, and pray, “My Father, give us Thy Spirit.” Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost. In that breath was light, power, and much love, joy, and peace.
“I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, “Father, give us Thy Spirit.” Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan’s object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God’s children.” — (Early Writings, p. 55-56.)
“Many and earnest were the efforts made to overthrow their faith. None could fail to see that if the earthly sanctuary was a figure or pattern of the heavenly, the law deposited in the ark on earth was an exact transcript of the law in the ark in heaven; and that an acceptance of the truth concerning the heavenly sanctuary involved an acknowledgment of the claims of God’s law and the obligation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. Here was the secret of the bitter and determined opposition to the harmonious exposition of the Scriptures that revealed the ministration of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. Men sought to close the door which God had opened, and to open the door which He had closed. But “He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth,” had declared: “Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.” Revelation 3:7, 8. Christ had opened the door, or ministration, of the most holy place, light was shining from that open door of the sanctuary in heaven, and the fourth commandment was shown to be included in the law which is there enshrined; what God had established, no man could overthrow.” — (The Great Controversy, p. 435.)
The second angel tells us that Babylon is fallen, and repeats is fallen twice. This prophecy has not reached complete fulfillment, as there are still many within the confines of spiritual Babylon that live up to all the truth they know. When the call of Revelation 18:1-5 is made to come out of Babylon, these will obey the call and then Babylon will be completely fallen.
Babylon is primarily the Roman Catholic system of religion, especially the Vatican, but it also includes every other false religion in this world. Roman Catholicism is the whore of Revelation 17, and the mother of all apostate protestant denominations, which is all of them outside of the Seventh-day Adventist church.
This is not arrogant to say, because it is the truth. Many will claim this is arrogance, but the Seventh-day Adventist denomination is the only one that has not rejected God’s truth. And going by God’s prophecies, it never will. We are the final movement that God will ever raise up to spread the Gospel. When all the other denominations rejected the Great Awakening and the truth God sought to reveal to them, they became fallen. They still continue to reject the truth to this day.
This word in Revelation 14:8 for fallen, is an interesting word. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines it as: “to fall, to be thrust down; to fall under judgment, come under condemnation; to be prostrated; the dismemberment of a corpse by decay; used of suppliants and persons rendering homage or worship to one; to fall out, fall from i.e. shall perish or be lost; fall into ruin; to be cast down from a state of prosperity, to fall from a state of uprightness; to lose authority no longer have force of sayings, precepts; to fail of participating in, miss a share in…”
Because these Christians rejected the Sabbath truth, and others, they became fallen. God could no longer work through their churches. In fact, as the above quote from Early Writings declared, when Jesus left the Holy Place, these Christians didn’t, and Satan came and took the vacant spot, becoming the leader of these now apostate Christians. It’s a sobering and sad thought. But it is reality and truth. This is what happened.
Catholicism ingrained in their adherents for over 1,000 years that Sunday was the Sabbath, and when it came time to see the truth of the matter, many were so set in this false doctrine, that they rejected the true seventh day Sabbath. This is how they become the prostitute daughters of the mother harlot of Revelation 17.
In the New Testament, the phrase, “that great city,” is used seven times, all of them in Revelation, and six of those times, it is referring to the system of false religion. Revelation 17:18 connects this phrase with the harlot woman earlier in the same chapter, thus helping us to see that the prophetic city of Babylon and the Harlot woman of end time Bible prophecy are one and the same.
Catholicism claims the responsibility for changing the Sabbath, which happened around the year 321 AD, by the Roman emperor Constantine. Therefore, it was not actually catholicism, as much as they may pride themselves on the act. Because they rejected the Sabbath, and Bible prophecy in general, they became fallen, and eventually led most of Christianity down the same path.
In fact, Daniel 8:9-12 prophesied that this would happen. Because of all the compromises made with paganism, and all the heresies they allowed in, catholicism did, in fact, cast the truth to the ground. They invented so many false doctrines and superstitions that they used to milk all the “common people” out of their money, and this is how the Vatican and her priests became super rich. To this day, the Vatican is one of the wealthiest, if not the top wealthiest, organizations in the world.
There is so much confusion in the Roman Catholic Church system, that the Bible rightly calls it Babylon, that great city. The only other pagan city in the Bible that is called by the same phrase, that great city, was Nineveh, the city Jonah was commanded to go preach at. The phrase is used in Jonah 1:2, Jonah 3:2, Jonah 4:11. What is interesting is the word for city can also mean excitement, anguish, or terror, according to Genesius’ Hebrew Chaldee Lexicon.
When we couple that meaning with Revelation 18:2-7, we get a fascinating picture. Consider these passages and excerpts:
In the time of its temporal prosperity Nineveh was a center of crime and wickedness. Inspiration has characterized it as “the bloody city, ... full of lies and robbery.” In figurative language the prophet Nahum compared the Ninevites to a cruel, ravenous lion. “Upon whom,” he inquired, “hath not thy wickedness passed continually?” Nahum 3:1, 19.” — (Prophets and Kings, p. 265.)
“And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 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. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” — (Revelation 18:2-8.)
When we compare ancient Nineveh with prophetic end time Babylon, primarily Roman Catholicism, we see interesting parallels. Both are described as being full of crime and wickedness. Both led copious amounts of people to their spiritual doom. Eventually, God sent Jonah to Nineveh because there were those who wanted something better. They were hungering for a more satisfying and fulfilling religion.
Therefore, in His mercy, God called His prophet to go preach the Gospel to them. Part of this message included the warning that if they did not repent, the entire city would be destroyed.
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.” — (Jonah 1:2.)
“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.)
But then Jonah ran away and found himself on a ship going the wrong way. Again, God, in His mercy, was not done with His prophet and sent a storm. Jonah was thrown overboard, swallowed by a fish, then regurgitated by the same giant fish. God spoke to Jonah once again:
“Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.” — (Jonah 3:2.)
“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.” — (Revelation 14:7.)
When Jonah was back on dry land, he immediately obeyed God’s call. He went to that rather large city to fulfill his mission. Once Jonah entered the city of Nineveh, he began to preach against it.
“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” — (Jonah 3:4.)
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 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. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” — (Revelation 14:9-12.)
The great city of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. When the Loud Cry of Revelation 18:1-5 goes forth, also known as the Latter Rain, many will heed the message and leave Babylon to join God’s remnant Seventh-day Adventist Church. They will realize they have not been keeping the proper Sabbath, among many other things, and they will repent.
Just as the people of Nineveh didn’t realize God’s Law had been tampered with, and many didn’t even realize there was a God, many in the end time don’t realize that God’s Sabbath was hidden by an attempted change 1700 years ago. As long as they keep drinking the wine of Babylon, it will be quite difficult to sober them up to the Truth.
And just as the Ninevites didn’t realize God’s Truth because Satan had deceived them with his own false doctrine, most people over the past 1,500 years are deceived in the same, or a similar way. In Bible prophecy, wine is a symbol for blood, covenants, and doctrines (true or false.) (See: Isaiah 65:8; Joel 2:19; Luke 5:37; Luke 22:17, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:25.)
The Amplified Classic version of the Bible puts it this way:
“Then another angel, a second, followed, declaring, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She who made all nations drink of the [maddening] wine of her passionate unchastity [idolatry].” — (Revelation 14:8, AMPC.)
What is interesting to note, is that Ellen G. White specifically connects Babylon’s fall to their rejection of the true Sabbath. Indeed, it would be the same as a husband or a wife rejecting their wedding vows and going in search of other lovers. God has given us the Sabbath as His wedding vow to us. Ezekiel 20:12, & 20 specifically says the Sabbath is the sign we belong to God, that we may know it is Him that sanctifies us.
Consider this quote:
“God denounces Babylon ‘because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ This means that she has disregarded the only commandment which points out the true God, and has torn down the Sabbath, God’s memorial of creation.
“God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh, sanctifying this day, and setting it apart from all others as holy to Himself, to be observed by His people throughout their generations.
“But the man of sin, exalting himself above God, sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself to be God, thought to change times and laws. This power, thinking to prove that it was not only equal to God, but above God, changed the rest day, placing the first day of the week where the seventh should be. And the Protestant world has taken this child of the papacy to be regarded as sacred. In the Word of God this is called her fornication.
“God has a controversy with the churches of today. They are fulfilling the prophecy of John. ‘All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ They have divorced themselves from God by refusing to receive His sign. They have not the spirit of God’s true commandment-keeping people. And the people of the world, in giving their sanction to a false sabbath, and in trampling under their feet the Sabbath of the Lord, have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. — (Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 979.)
Soon, as the Bible says, the kings of earth will commit fornication with Babylon. (Revelation 17:2; Revelation 18:9.) This will be done by joining with the Vatican in proclaiming and enforcing Sunday laws across the planet. They will only rule for a short time, however. The time of trouble will not be long, for the sake of God’s people.
THE SABBATH AND THE THIRD ANGEL
“I believed the truth upon the Sabbath question before I had seen anything in vision in reference to the Sabbath. It was months after I had commenced keeping the Sabbath before I was shown its importance and its place in the third angel’s message.” — (Manuscript Releases, Vol. 8, p. 238.)
“Separate the Sabbath from the messages, and it loses its power; but when connected with the message of the third angel, a power attends it which convicts unbelievers and infidels, and brings them out with strength to stand, to live, grow, and flourish in the Lord.” — (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1 337.)
It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord. God says: “Them that honor Me I will honor.” 1 Samuel 2:30. — (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 356.)
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 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.
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” — (Revelation 14:6-12.)
The third angel’s message begins with the warning against worshipping the beast and his image, and receiving the mark of the beast. But what does this have to do with the Sabbath? How does it fit into this final angel message? Simply put, Satan counterfeits everything that God does. God has a seal; Satan has a mark. Before we get to that, however, we must discuss who the beast is, who the image of the beast is, and then we will quickly figure out and understand what the mark of the beast is.
Who is the beast, also known as the antichrist? There are many identifying descriptions that fit only one organization throughout all of history. We will focus on the ones found in Revelation 13 for the purpose of this study. (These points are also quoted from the Amazing Facts Bible study on the subject. The explanatory italicized bullet point descriptions between each number are my own explanation.) They are as follows:
1. It rises from the sea (Verse 1).
• Water in Bible prophecy symbolizes densely populated areas. (Revelation 17:15.) The Vatican rose from a highly populated area.
2. It is the composite of the four beasts in Daniel 7 (Verse 2).
• The Vatican has characteristics and practices from each of the pagan empires that were recorded in Daniel 7, such as idol worship.
3. The dragon gives it power and authority (Verse 2).
• Satan is the real power behind the Vatican. The pope is merely his frontman.
4. It receives a deadly wound (Verse 3).
• In 1798, France sent soldiers to take the pope captive. Many thought the Catholic Church would fizzle out and die. They have not since enjoyed the same level of power that they used to.
5. Its deadly wound is healed (Verse 3).
• Building on the previous point, this deadly wound is in the process of being healed. In fact, verse 3 also says that it is healed to the point that “all the world wondered after the beast,” and they went so far as to worship the dragon and the beast.
6. It is a strong political power (Verse 3).
• The Vatican has been a political power for well over 1,000 years. In today’s modern world, they are officially their own country.
7. It is a strong religious power (Verses 3, 8).
• Not only are they their own nation, but they are the largest religious system in the world, boasting over 1 billion adherents to their heresies.
8. It is guilty of blasphemy (Verses 1, 5, 8).
• Blasphemy in the Bible is defined as claiming to be God and claiming the right to forgive sins. That Vatican and their priests claim to be able to forgive sins, and the pope claims to be God on earth, Jesus under the veil of human flesh.
9. It wars with and overcomes the saints (Verse 7).
• For many centuries, the Vatican persecuted God’s true, faithful people. It is estimated that the Vatican martyred between 50,000,000 to 150,000,000 people.
10. It rules for 42 months (Verse 5).
• Using the day for a year principle, 42 months in Bible prophecy comes out to 1,260 literal years. Sure enough, the Vatican fits this point, too. This time period began in 538 AD, when they destroyed the last of 3 kings that Daniel 7 prophesied they would do. It ended, exactly 1,260 years later, when France took the pope captive in 1798 AD.
11. It has a mysterious number—666 (Verse 18).
• Building on point number 8, one of the titles that the pope claims for himself is Vicarius Filii Dei. When we take these as Roman Numerals, they add up to 666, further confirming that the Vatican is the beast/antichrist power of the last days.
The papacy is unmistakably the end time beast/antichrist power of the last days. They are nothing more than a front man for the devil as some companies are merely facades for money laundering schemes. But what is their mark? What do they claim they had the right to do?
Observe carefully:
“Of course the change (from Sabbath to Sunday) was her act…and the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.” — (signed by H.F. Thomas, Chancellor for Cardinal Gibbons, in a letter dated November 11, 1895.)
“Sunday is our MARK of authority…the church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.” — (Catholic record of London, Ontario, September 1, 1923.)
As we have already stated, anything that God does, Satan tries to counterfeit. God’s seal is the seventh day Sabbath, that was created at the end of creation week, and instituted as an eternal statute. Satan has set up his false sabbath, Sunday, the first day of the week. This will become the Mark of the Beast, soon. It is not yet the Mark of the Beast because it is not yet enforced by United States law.
We find the image to the beast mentioned in Revelation 13, when the Bible prophecies the rising up of the USA and its role in end time prophecy/events. The image to the beast is apostate protestantism controlling the government of this country to the point that they will pass a national Sunday law.
To review, the end time beast/antichrist is the Papacy; its image is apostate protestantism controlling the USA government; the mark of the beast is when Sunday sacredness will be mandated and enforced by law.
You see, Satan knows how important the Sabbath really is. He knows that of all Ten Commandments, the Sabbath is the only one that mentions God’s name, and declares Him as the Creator. Ezekiel 20:12 adds to that by pointing out the fact that the Sabbath is also proof that God is our re-creator. This is why Satan has worked so hard and so untiringly to obliterate the Sabbath from human memory and understanding. So why don’t we work hard and untiringly to show the world how awesome the Sabbath is?
The Sabbath is also the only Commandment that contains the elements of a seal. Any seal contains three elements:
1. Name
2. Title
3. Territory
Let’s apply this to God and the Sabbath Commandment.
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord (Name) made (Creator) heaven and earth(Territory), the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” — (Exodus 20:8-11.)
1. The Lord
2. Creator
3. Heaven and Earth
When we back up to Revelation 7, we see the seal of God mentioned, and the time of trouble is held off till the work of sealing God’s people is completed. We also see a very similar thing happening in Ezekiel 9. After all, God is merciful, and will not send judgments on anyone until they have fully rejected the truth, or unless it is the only way in which they will return to Him. However, when it comes to the time of trouble, every human will have made their final decision. At that point, God’s judgments will be poured out unmixed with mercy on the wicked who heard the Gospel, but knowingly rejected it.
Consider:
“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.” — (Revelation 7:1-4.)
“He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.” — (Ezekiel 9:1-7.)
Now that we’ve learned what it means to be sealed by God or not sealed by God, let us consider for a few moments how the Sabbath fits into this picture of the Third Angel’s Message. Ezekiel gives us another vital text for this topic and for how the Sabbath fits hand in glove with Revelation 14:9-12.
Consider:
“And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them…I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” — (Ezekiel 20:11-12, 19-20.)
The Sabbath is God’s seal, and the third angel’s message is a warning against accepting the mark of the beast. We will come to an point when those who serve God will clearly be contrasted with those who do not serve Him.
The Third Angel’s message ends with a message of righteousness by faith. In Revelation 14:12, the saints are described as patient. In fact, in the Greek, the word for patient means, “cheerful (or hopeful) endurance…” The time of trouble that is described in the verses preceding this, verses 9-11, will be the most trying time of the entire history of the earth. God’s people must cheerfully be patient.
They are also described as those who keep the Commandments of God. There are two very important things with the word for keep. First, it is a present active participle. This means that it is continuous action. It doesn’t stop. Through the faith God has given them, they are enabled to keep His Commandments.
In the Greek, the word for keep means, “to guard by keeping the eye upon,” or “to attend to carefully, take care of.” This is the same word that Jesus used in speaking to the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, when He said to the young man, “ if you wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17.)
Why is this word used? The Ten Commandments are the character of God. When we keep His Commandments, we are keeping our eyes upon Him. We cannot keep His Commandments without faith in Him, and without keeping our eyes upon Him. If we are loyal to Him out of love for Him, we will keep His Commandments.
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” — (John 14:15.)
Who are those today who keep the Commandments of God? Who has God entrusted the knowledge of His Law to? It is the Seventh-day Adventist people. This is the only denomination upon the earth who keeps God’s Commandments, and has the faith of Jesus. We see this sentiment of Revelation 14:12 earlier in Revelation:
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” — (Revelation 12:17.)
The vast majority of the Christian world today claims that the Law of God was done away with. They claim that it was nailed to the cross. They use the Scriptures that say the Ceremonial Law was done away with to support their claims. However, this simply does not work. When one does a careful and unbiased study, they find that it was the Ceremonial Law that was done away with, not the Ten Commandments.
Revelation 12:17 also brings out another point. It describes God’s last day people as having the testimony of Jesus. But what is this?
Observe:
"And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” — (Revelation 19:10.)
When we combine Revelation 12:17, Revelation 14:12, and Revelation 19:10, we find three identifying characteristics of who God’s people are. They keep His Commandments; they have the faith of Jesus; and they have the gift of prophecy. We preach His Law to the world; we preach righteousness by faith; and we believe in the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White, that she is God’s prophet to His last day chosen people.
“ ‘The faith of Jesus.’ It is talked of, but not understood. What constitutes the faith of Jesus, that belongs to the third angel’s message? Jesus becoming our sin-bearer that he might become our sin-pardoning Saviour. He was treated as we deserve to be treated. He came to our world and took our sins that we might take his righteousness. And faith in the ability of Christ to save us amply and fully and entirely is the faith of Jesus.
“The only safety for the Israelites was blood upon the doorposts. God said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). All other devices for safety would be without avail. Nothing but the blood on the doorposts would bar the way that the angel of death should not enter. There is salvation for the sinner in the blood of Jesus Christ alone, which cleanseth us from all sin. The man with a cultivated intellect may have vast stores of knowledge, he may engage in theological speculations, he may be great and honored of men and be considered the repository of knowledge, but unless he has a saving knowledge of Christ crucified for him, and by faith lays hold of the righteousness of Christ, he is lost. Christ “was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). “Saved by the blood of Jesus Christ,” will be our only hope for time and our song throughout eternity.” — (Selected Messages, Vol. 3, p. 172.)
"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.”
“The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders [E.J.] Waggoner and [A. T.] Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God.
“Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family. All power is given into His hands, that He may dispense rich gifts unto men, imparting the priceless gift of His own righteousness to the helpless human agent. This is the message that God commanded to be given to the world. It is the third angel’s message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure.
“The message of Christ’s righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the glory of God, which closes the work of the third angel.
“The last message of mercy to be given to the world is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.” — (Last Day Events, p. 199-200.)
This is the message of righteousness by faith that we teach. We cannot make ourselves holy. Yes, God expects us and commands us to be perfect before we are allowed into Heaven. But this can only be done through faith in Jesus, and cooperation with the Holy Spirit’s efforts to sanctify us. Jesus came to show us what we can be, and indeed, what we must be in order to be saved, and His death makes that salvation possible.
