Cyberspace Ministry
Our Mission: Revelation 14:6-12
If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 98
Introduction
to the Three Angels' Message
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Welcome to this last section! Let's pray:
Our Father,
The hours we have invested in the study of Your prophetic Word have brought us great
blessings, and we will never be able to thank You enough for the valuable light Your
Spirit has granted us.
May these closing lessons convince us still more, if possible, of the real urgency of
warning the people around us, before the return of Your Son Jesus Christ.
In His precious name we pray.
Amen.
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Revelation 14:1,5
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and
with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their
foreheads. (...)
And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of
God.
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During our lessons, we have seen that, at the end of time, God
will give rise to a group of faithful believers, to preach a final warning message to the
whole world.
Revelation chapter 14 presents these faithful believers, and then goes on with the
proclamation of their message...
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Revelation 14:6
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven.
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Revelation 12:1
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
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The proclamation of this message is represented by an angel
appearing in heaven.
Just as the woman appearing in heaven symbolizes the pure Church, the angel appearing in
heaven symbolizes the group of faithful believers who will announce God's final message to
the whole world.
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Hebrews 1:13,14
But to which of the angels has He ever said: «Sit at My right
hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool»?
Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit
salvation?
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The word «angel» comes from the Greek word «aggelos», which
means «messenger».
The Word of God describes the angels as living beings entrusted with the mission of
announcing the message of salvation to mankind.
The angels are thus the perfect symbol to represent the faithful believers who will
proclaim God's final message to the whole world.
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Revelation 14:6
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth.
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Galatians 2:2,16
And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach. (...) A man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.
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The basis of the three angels' message is the gospel, a word
coming from the Greek word «euaggelion», which means «good news».
This good news is God's offer of salvation in Jesus Christ, given to every human being
here on earth.
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Each one of us is called to take part in the proclamation of the gospel...
«For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for
necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!» (1 CORINTHIANS
9:16)
«For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation
for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just
shall live by faith."» (ROMANS 1:16,17)
«For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on
Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have
not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless
they are sent?» (ROMANS 10:13-15)
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... even if this holy mission is sometimes very difficult to carry out:
«For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will
heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be
turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work
of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.» (2 TIMOTHY 4:3-5)
«Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand (...), having shod your feet with the preparation of
the gospel of peace.» (EPHESIANS 6:13,15)
«But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak,
not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.» (1 THESSALONIANS 2:4)
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Revelation 14:6
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth.
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1 Peter 1:24,25
All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of
the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures
forever.
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.
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The gospel, leading to eternal life, is «everlasting».
But there's more...
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Acts 15:10,11
Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck
of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved in the same
manner as they.
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Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
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The «everlasting» gospel shows that the way to salvation has
never changed.
Under the old covenant, people had to have faith in Him who would come: Jesus Christ.
Under the new covenant, we must have faith in Him who has come: Jesus Christ.
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Isaiah 45:17
But Israel shall be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed or disgraced forever and ever.
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Isaiah 51:6,8
My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not be
abolished. (...)
My righteousness will be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation.
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God offers His salvation, through His Son, to all men, whether
they were born before or after the coming of Jesus Christ here on earth.
All those who seize this offer, through faith in Jesus, will inherit eternal life.
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Revelation 14:6
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.
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Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
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The proclamation of God's last message will be a worldwide work.
All the inhabitants of the earth will hear it, «and then the end will come».
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The proclamation of the gospel must be carried out in the whole world:
«Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority
has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age."» (MATTHEW 28:18-20)
«Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is
baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.» (MARK 16:15,16)
«You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be
witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.»
(ACTS 1:8)
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Revelation 14:6
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.
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Revelation 13:7,8
And authority was given [the beast] over every tribe, tongue, and
nation.
And all who dwell on the earth will worship him.
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The parallel between these passages shows that God's last message will aim at denouncing the apostasy which will soon strike the whole world.
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Revelation 14:6-9
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, (...).
And another angel followed, saying, (...).
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, (...).
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God's final message to the whole world is made up of three parts.
Each part of the three angels' message will be the subject of one of our next three
lessons.
Let's take a moment now to look at a summary of these messages.
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Here is a summary of the three angels' message to the whole world:
To announce the judg- | To
announce the | To warn everyone not to wor-
ment, and to call | fall of Babylon,a | ship the beast,
nor to re-
everyone to worship | religio-political | ceive its mark on the
fore-
the Creator: | apostate
system: | head or on the hand:
----------------------|-------------------|------------------------------
«Fear God and give | «Babylon is fall- | «If anyone worships the
beast
glory to Him, for the | en, is fallen, | and his image, and
receives
hour of His judgment | that great city, | his mark on his forehead
or
has come; and worship | because she has | on his hand, he himself shall
Him who made heaven | made all nations | also drink of the wine of the
and earth, the sea | drink of the wine | wrath of God, which is poured
and springs of wa- | of the wrath of | out
full strength into the
ter.»
| her fornication.» | cup of His indignation.»
(REVELATION 14:7) | (REVELATION 14:8)
| (REVELATION 14:9,10)
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Revelation 13:2
Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.
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When will the proclamation of the three angels' message begin and
end?
To answer this question, we must compare Daniel chapter 7 with Revelation chapters 13 and
14.
Revelation 13 first presents the beast rising from the sea, a beast whose body is made up
of the same beasts as those described in Daniel 7: a lion, a bear, and a leopard.
Let's make a short summary of what we have studied in our lesson «The Beast Rising From the Sea».
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The beast rising from the sea is a combination of four pagan kingdoms:
«Four great beasts came up from the
sea (...). The first was like a lion.
(...) Suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. (...) And there was
another, like a leopard (...). The beast also had four heads (...). Be-
hold, a fourth beast (...), and it had ten horns.» (Daniel 7:3-7)
- First beast : 1 head , 0 horn |==>| In total: 7 heads and 10 horns.
- Second beast : 1 head , 0 horn |==>| «I saw a beast rising up out of
- Third beast : 4 heads, 0 horn |==>| the sea, having seven heads and
- Fourth beast : 1 head , 10 horns |==>| ten horns.» (REVELATION 13:1)
So, the beast rising from the sea displays the same features as the four
preceding kingdoms: Babylon, the Medo-Persian Empire, Greece, and Rome.
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Daniel 7:20
That horn (...) had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words.
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Revelation 13:5
And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.
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Afterward, the books of Daniel and Revelation both go on with the description of an arrogant power, speaking «pompous words», «great things and blasphemies».
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Daniel 7:25
Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
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Revelation 13:5
And he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.
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As we have already seen, this power, symbolized by the little
horn in Daniel chapter 7, and by the beast rising from the sea in Revelation chapter 13,
is the papacy of the Middle Ages.
This power reigned for 1260 years:
- 3½ times = 3½ x 360 days = 1260 days;
- and 42 months = 42 x 30 days = 1260 days;
that is, from A.D. 538 to 1798.
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Daniel 7:26,27
They shall take away [the little horn's] dominion, to consume and
destroy it forever.
Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.
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The two prophecies both have a happy ending.
Daniel chapter 7 indeed announces the fall of the little horn, and then proclaims the
institution of God's eternal kingdom...
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Revelation 14:14
And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
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... and Revelation chapter 14 confirms this happy ending, by
announcing the return of Jesus Christ, as we have seen in our lesson «The Harvest».
However, between the appearance of the apostate power - symbolized by the little horn and
the beast rising from the sea - and the return of Jesus, the books of Daniel and
Revelation describe an important event...
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Daniel 7:25-27
The saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and
half a time.
But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and
destroy it forever.
Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
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Between the 1260-year reign of the papacy, which ended in 1798, and the institution of God's kingdom at the return of Jesus, the book of Daniel indeed announces a specific event: «The court shall be seated.»
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Daniel 7:9-11
I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days
was seated (...).
The court was seated, and the books were opened.
I watched because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking.
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This judgment, described in greater detail in Daniel 7, really
takes place before Jesus' return.
In fact, while the judgment is being performed, the little horn is still committing its
misdeeds on earth.
We have seen that this is the first stage of the judgment, which, since 1844, has been
separating the truly converted believers from the false ones, before Jesus' return.
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Revelation 14:6,7
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.»
----------------------------------------------------
Likewise, between the 1260-year reign of the papacy, which ended
in 1798, and the return of Jesus, Revelation presents a solemn call to the whole world:
«The hour of His judgment has come.»
Revelation thus confirms the vision of Daniel announcing a period of judgment before
Jesus' return.
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Revelation 14:7
[The angel was] saying with a loud voice,
«Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come.»
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This announcement of the coming of God's judgment - which is the
first part of the three angels' message and the subject of our next lesson - indicates
that God's first warning has been given to the whole world since 1844, that is, since
«the hour of His judgment has come».
So the three angels' message is specifically directed at those who live in the time of the
end, and will be proclaimed until the return of Jesus Christ.
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While the judgment takes place, the three angels' message is proclaimed:
The
sequence of DANIEL 7 | The sequence of REVELATION 13 & 14
====================================|====================================
1. Three beasts: a lion, a bear and | 1. Three beasts: a leopard, a bear
a leopard (Daniel 7:4-6).
| and a lion (Revelation 13:2).
2. Beast with ten horns (Dan. 7:7). | 2. Beast with ten horns (Rev.13:1).
3. Arrogant little horn (Dan. 7:20).| 3. Arrogant sea beast (Rev. 13:5).
4. Saints persecuted (Daniel 7:25). | 4. Saints persecuted (Rev. 13:7).
5. A 1260-year reign (Daniel 7:25). | 5. A 1260-year reign (Rev. 13:5).
6. God's judgment in the heavenly | 6. Worldwide proclamation of the 3
sanctuary (Daniel 7:9-13,26). | angels'
message (Rev. 14:6-12).
7. Institution of God's kingdom and | 7. Return of Jesus gathering God's
the saints' reign (Dan.7:26,27). | people (Revelation
14:14-16).
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Revelation 14:6
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.
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Revelation 10:10,11
When I had eaten [the little book], my stomach became bitter.
And he said to me, «You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and
kings.»
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Besides, the beginning of the three angels' message refers to Revelation chapter 10 and the understanding of the book of Daniel, that our lessons situated in 1844.
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Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
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So, since 1844, the judgment has been going on in the heavenly
sanctuary, with the case of each believer being reviewed, in order to determine whether
the conversion of each believer is true and sincere, or whether his name must be blotted
out from the Book of Life.
God wants us to know that the moment is solemn, because the hour of His judgment has come,
and this is why He gives us a final call: the three angels' message.
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2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
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1 Timothy 2:3,4
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
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With the three angels' message, God warns us against Satan's traps in the last days, because if these traps deceive us, we will lose eternal life.
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1 Peter 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
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We really do live in the last days.
Let's give heed to the three angels' message, so that we may all receive God's
incorruptible inheritance.
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Revelation 14:6,7
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...
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Our next three lessons will help us understand the content of the
three angels' message.
Then, it will be for us to put into practice the things which are written in these
messages, and, just as God asks us, share them without delay with the people around us.
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Let's thank God:
Lord,
We know that the return of Your Son is really imminent, and that we must seriously prepare
ourselves for it.
To assist us in this important preparation, You gave us a final warning, especially
designed for the last days: the three angels' message.
Please help us to properly understand this message and its impact for each one of us, so
that we may avoid the traps Satan is preparing for us, and inherit eternal life when Jesus
returns.
In His precious name we pray.
Amen.
The test of Lesson 98 is waiting for you!