Elias Brasil de Souza
The three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 summarize God's final address to the world. The first messenger brings an invitation to worship God because the hour of His judgment has come. The second announces that Babylon is fallen. And the third warns against worshiping the beast and its image. But behind notes of judgment, destruction, and punishment, lies a message of love, hope, loyalty, obedience, justice, and security. As one looks at these messages against the backdrop of the grand biblical meta-narrative, their relevance for the present life and for eternity becomes compelling. After all, from the perspective of the whole biblical story, each message shows that our personal stories intersect with the big story of God.
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” (Rev 14:6–7).
An angel flying in the midst of heaven represents the Church moving fast and globally to accomplish its God-entrusted mission of proclaiming the everlasting gospel. The “midst of heaven” designates “the point in the sky where the sun reaches its apex or highest point.”1 This is the only time that an angel preaches the gospel, an assignment otherwise given to humans.2 But of course, the angel here symbolizes God's last-day church. That the proclamation is done with a “loud voice” indicates the authority invested in the message (cf. Rev 7:2; 10:3).3 And the qualification of the gospel as “everlasting” indicates that this is the eternal gospel conceived in heaven and announced since time immemorial, which must be proclaimed to every people, tongue, and nation. Biblically defined, the gospel consists of the marvelous announcement that God entered human history to demonstrate His love and offer hope. Jesus Himself thus defined the gospel in those memorable words to Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). A profound representation of the gospel appears in the vision reported in Revelation 5. John was crying because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and thus bring hope amidst the chaos of history. But in his despair, John heard a voice announcing that “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals” (Rev 5:5). But as John turns to see a Lion, he sees a “Lamb as though it had been slain … He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” (Rev 5:6–7). This is the gospel: the Lamb has overcome and through His sacrificial and substitutionary death has provided forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace with God. Not by chance the most common title for Jesus in the book of Revelation is “the Lamb,” which appears twenty-eight times in the book. So, the eternal gospel proclaimed by the first angel must be understood and defined in terms of Jesus as the Lamb of God. This unique message has been qualified as a “stumbling block” to the Jews, and “foolishness” to the Greeks (1 Cor 1:23). To understand why the gospel is both is a stumbling block and foolishness, one must keep in mind that “[i]n different ways and with different emphases all the religions of the world proclaim the possibility of self-salvation by self-reliance or the accumulation of merit; only the gospel proclaims salvation through the merit of Another, who paid the price of sin in a unique, historical act of self-sacrifice.”4
The first angel bears the everlasting gospel, which qualifies the messenger and defines the message. The validity and authority of the message stems from the fact that the angel/church has the “eternal gospel.” The proclamation is loud and clear: (1) “Fear God and give Him glory”5 and (2) “worship” the Creator. Other elements, qualifications, and reasons are present, but the core of the message is: fear God and worship Him.
In an age marked by anxiety and depression, the command to “fear” God may seem off-putting. However, once we understand what “fear God” means, we can experience delight and rejoice in this attitude. The Bible links the “fear of God” not only with reverence and respect for God, but also with joy and delight. In Psalm 2:11 to fear God parallels “to rejoice.” Exodus 15:11 links praise with the fear of God in the acknowledgment that the LORD is “glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders.” Isaiah 60:5 links fear with joy as it promises a radiant future to God's people. And Matthew 28:8 reports that the two women who heard about the resurrection of Jesus, departed from the tomb “with fear and great joy.” Interestingly, the Bible also links the fear of God with obedience to God's commandments (Eccl 12:13; Deut 28:58), a topic brought to the fore in the ethical conclusion to the three angels’ messages (Rev 14:12–13), as noted below.
While the fear and anxiety that afflict contemporary post-Christian western society stem from not fearing God,6 pre-Christian societies are terrorized by fear of demons, misconceptions about God, or the conflicting demands of many supposed gods. Whatever the case, the fear of God is the remedy all need.7 This of course may sound odd, but the gospel both liberates us from our crippling fears, and gives us “a most delightful, happy, and wonderful fear.”8 As one Christian writer put it, “The grandeur of God pulls our focus up and away from ourselves. We wonder at a being greater than us. We therefore diminish. His magnificence distracts us and woos us from our daily self-obsession. We develop a taste for something other than ourselves. At the same time, our thoughts are lifted and cleansed as we consider one who is greater and purer than us.”9
Closely connected and almost equivalent to the fear God is the command to “give Him glory.” To give glory to God, according to Ellen G. White is “is to reveal His character in our own, and thus make Him known. And in whatever way we make known the Father or the Son, we glorify God (MS 16, 1890).10
Let us take a further look at these two closely related commands and the themes of judgment and creation associated with them. First, the announcement that “the hour of His judgment has come” serves as the reason for fearing God. Unfortunately, like the concept of “fearing God,” the notion of a divine “judgment” is often misunderstood. Theological liberalism, for example, pits God's love against God's judgment. Writing on the liberal evisceration of the biblical message of salvation, one Christian theologian thus described such a maimed gospel thus: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.”11 As much as people may despise the idea, divine judgment is intrinsic to God's love and the good news of the gospel. Because God loves justice and abhors evil, it “belongs to the nature of God to do judgment.”12 By announcing that “the hour of His judgment has come,” the first messenger indicates that the judgment takes place as the message is proclaimed. Therefore, this judgment refers to the “pre-Advent ministry”13 of Jesus symbolized by the Day of Atonement (Lev 16), depicted in the vision of Daniel 7:9–14, and timed in Daniel 8:14. In other words, this is the pre-advent judgment: the vindication of those who “fear God and give Him glory.” Such judgment is great news for those who take God's side in the cosmic conflict.
Second, creation points to the quality of God that makes Him worthy of worship: He is the one “who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” When we consider the magnitude and wonders of creation, how should we respond? “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast (Ps 33:6–9). “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Ps 95:6). “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created” (Rev 4:11). Paul says that only fools worship and serve creatures rather than the Creator (Rom 1:22–25).
To conclude this section, it bears noting that the invitation to fear God and worship Him who “made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water” reverberates the Sabbath commandment (Exod 20:11). This connection indicates that the call to worship God as Creator involves the Sabbath command.14 Of all commandments of the Decalogue, the seventh-day Sabbath is the only one built into the fabric of creation; it comes and goes according to a rhythm established by God since the very beginning.15 As such, it stands as the sign of loyalty to God and recognition of His authority. So, as Ellen White stated, the Sabbath “calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour.”16 No wonder, the sign of God's authority will become a point of contention in the final stage of the great controversy (Rev 13:16). After all, the Sabbath-command rests on the love of God for humanity17 and points to Him as the Creator in whom lies our hope as we face the final crisis.
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” (Rev 14:8)
Although the announcement that Babylon is fallen conveys a negative message and thus seems empty of comfort and joy, at close examination it contains bright rays of hope. Before reflecting on the passage in its apocalyptic context, we should remember that Babylon appears very early in the Bible as a center of opposition to God (Gen 11). Babel became a monument of human pride and ambition and “the site of the first organized system of idolatrous and false worship.”18 By building a tower as high as heaven, the builders wanted to make a “name” for themselves. But God came down from heaven confused their tongues and Babylon fell for the first time. What used to be called the “gate of the gods” (bbl) turned into a place of confusion (bll).
Immediately after the fall of Babel, God called Abraham from Ur, which is near Babel. And God made a covenant with Abraham and gave him a “great name” (Gen 12). Abraham's loyalty and obedience to God contrasts with the rebellion and pride of Babel. But ironically enough, the “name” that the builders of Babel wanted to achieve by works, Abraham received by faith as gift of God's grace. Two rival systems of salvation present themselves. One was propelled by human works and promoted by Babel; the other, based on God's grace and received by faith.
Fifteen centuries later, Abraham's descendants broke the covenant, so God sent them back to the place Abraham had left. But in the despair of exile, the words of Isaiah sounded a note of hope: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! (Isa 21:9). Eventually, God's word got fulfilled as Babylon fell into the hands of Cyrus. Indeed, that “Babylon is fallen” sounds like great news; not only because the enemy is no more, but mainly because the way back to Jerusalem lies open; the city of God had defeated the city of man. Indeed, the final words of the Hebrew canon concludes with the decree of Cyrus: “Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!” (2 Chr 36:23). Babylon is fallen; but Jerusalem stands!
Thus, the message of the second angel takes the language and imagery of Old Testament Babylon to announce the demise of end-time Babylon: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Rev 14:8). Babylon appears here for the first time in Revelation and is followed by five other occurrences later in the book (Rev 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). Its designation as “mystery, Babylon” (Rev 17:5) indicates that it must be understood symbolically as a global confederation of powers that proclaim a false gospel and wage war against God's people. According to the Adventist approach, Babylon consists of the dragon (Rev 12), the sea beast (Rev 13:1–10), and the land beast (Rev 13:11–18). In other words, these three powers stand for Satan and the animistic systems with which he controls people, apostate Christianity led by the papacy, and the apostate Protestant world in America. The accusation against Babylon is that “she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” In contrast with the blood of the Lamb that points to the eternal gospel of salvation by faith, the wine of Babylon “represents the false doctrines that she has accepted as the result of her unlawful connection with the great ones of the earth.”19
A question emerges as to the plausibility of such a scenario to taking place. Are current events and developments in the religious and political world pointing towards or away from such a scenario? In this connection a few observations may be helpful. (1) From a theological perspective, Rome claims to rule over the entire world. Vatican II expanded the scope of Roman Catholicism to embrace even non Christian religions. According to its sacramental vision, the Church is the “sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race.”20 Pope Francis, for example, has demonstrated an ecumenical zeal that transcends the borders of Christianity and embraces other religions and even the secular world. He seems to aim at more than Christian unity; apparently he is pursuing “a larger goal that has to do with the unity of humankind.”21 (2) Salvation in Roman Catholicism “is a sacramental journey under the authority of the church and with the help of the intercessions of Mary and the saints.”22 Furthermore, by promoting a spirituality centered in Mary, Roman Catholicism virtually obliterated the centrality of Jesus in the Christian life. (3) The Pope is the leader who can allegedly represent Christianity. As one scholar noted, in “ecumenical circles many are inclined to believe that, in our interconnected world, a global Christian spokesperson would be practically useful for Christianity as a whole. In interfaith circles, some religious leaders (for example, from the Muslim community) go so far as to say that the pope represents the whole of humanity when he advocates for the poor of the world or when he makes appeals for peace. The world, both religious and secular, seems to yearn for a global figure to provide leadership, but no political institution and no international organization seems able to provide such an individual at the moment.”23 (4) In addition, the Vatican exists as both church and state and Roman Catholicism maintains a global presence not only through individuals who profess the Catholic faith, but also through institutions such as hospitals, schools, charities, and other movements and parishes. According to some late statistics the number of Catholics around the world reached 1.329 billion people globally in 2020,24 which makes Roman Catholicism not only the largest denomination within Christianity but also the biggest religious organization on earth. In a recent publication about the efforts of the Vatican to remake Christian Europe in the twentieth century, the author concluded by stating: “Against the wishes of the past century's secularists, the pope—a sui generis sovereign—still wields a megaphone and commands a following. Though the Vatican is neither a nation-state nor a corporation, it remains a political actor of great force.”25
From the above, it seems reasonable to infer that Roman Catholicism is the only global organization capable of playing a leading role in the establishment of end-time Babylon. Should the proper combination of historical, political, religious, and economic conditions arise, it should not take too long for such a system to become fully operative.
However, although the above considerations have focused on Roman Catholicism given its global presence and institutional power to promote a global alliance, one should bear in mind that the core aspect of the system represented by Babylon—reliance on human works rather than God's grace—can be detected in non-Christian religions as well. As one scholar said: “And I ventured to tell this gathering what I have found to be the basic note, the one single chord, of all these holy books—be it the Veda of the Brahmans, the Purana of Siwa and Vishnu, the Qur'an of the Muslims, the Sendavesta of the Parsis etc.—the one basic note or chord that runs through all of them is salvation by works. They all teach that salvation must be bought and that your own works and merits must be the purchase price.”26 Thus, the concept of Babylon applies to every religious movement or ideology that contradicts the eternal gospel of the Lamb.
So, the global proclamation of the second angel that Babylon is fallen represents the last opportunity for people to abandon a system of false doctrines, teachings, and lifestyles that stand in opposition to the gospel of the Lamb. Generally, Adventists have understood this to be fulfilled already in the Christian church's rejection of the first angel's message. But this message continues to be relevant. As Revelation 18:4 says: “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” On the one hand, this message warns that the global confederation of powers will collapse and that people should leave Babylon and turn to the Lamb (Rev 17:14). On the other, it appeals to abandon a defeated system and give loyalty and obedience to Jesus. Thus, the announcement that Babylon has fallen is good news. As the fall of ancient Babylon opened the way for the Judean exiles to return to Jerusalem, the fall of end-time Babylon opens the way to the New Jerusalem. Finally, the Lamb defeats the dragon, and the city of God obliterates the city of man.
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. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Rev 14:8–11).
Like the first angel, the third one also makes the proclamation with a “loud voice.” Like the first, the third message addresses the issue of worship. However, while the first message makes a call to true worship, the third message warns against false worship. In addition, like the first, the third message also announces a judgment. But unlike the first message that speaks of a judgment that has already commenced and will bring vindication to God's people, the third message speaks of the future executive judgment that leads to the destruction of the beast and its worshipers. Indeed, the third angel's message begins and ends with a severe admonition that the those who worship the beast and its image and thus receive its mark will face God's final judgment.
Given the gravity of this message, it is important to identify the beast and the nature of its mark. To understand these issues, one must turn to Revelation 13, which offers a depiction of two beasts. One beast emerges from the sea and exerts dominion for 42 months. It recovers from a mortal wound, blasphemes God's name, opposes those who dwell in heaven, and receives the adoration of those who dwell on the earth. As the vision unfolds, a second beast appears. It emerges from the land and compels those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the first beast and to worship it under pain of death.
At first glance, it appears that the first beast of Revelation 13 incorporates features of the unclean animals portrayed in the vision of Daniel 7. However, upon closer examination it becomes evident that the first beast corresponds to the little horns of Daniel 7 and 8. According to Daniel 7, the little horn speaks against God, attacks God's law, persecutes God's people, and exerts dominion for two times and a half (=42 months, Rev 13:5). In Daniel 8, the little horn exalts himself against the prince of the host and thus misconstrues Christ's sacrifice and His intercessory ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Revelation 13 depicts the first beast as a persecuting power, which blasphemes God and His tabernacle (Rev 13:5–8). It thus seems clear that the sea beast must be identified with the little horns of Daniel 7 and 8.
As for the historical referent of the sea beast and the little horn, historicist interpreters, since the Reformation, have pointed to the medieval church.27 The following characteristics of that entity deserve notice: abandonment of Scripture, the power exerted by the papacy, and the worship system it promotes.
First, Vatican II states that “it is not from Sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore, both sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence.”28 According to Benedict XVI in the document Dei Verbum, “it is the living Tradition of the Church which makes us adequately understand sacred Scripture as the word of God. Although the word of God precedes and exceeds sacred Scripture, nonetheless Scripture, as inspired by God, contains the divine word (cf. 2 Tim 3:16) ‘in an altogether singular way.’”29
Second, the beast blasphemes God, in that it takes the place that belongs to Christ. For example, the Catechism asserts that “the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.”30 In a similar vein, Pope John XXIII stated: “Into this fold of Jesus Christ no man may enter unless he be led by the Sovereign Pontiff, and only if they be united to him can men be saved.”31 The confusing identification of the Pope with Christ remains a major theological tenet of the papacy.
Third, the worship promoted by Roman Catholicism rests on the foundation of the sacraments, which stand in opposition to the biblical gospel. In addition, “the Roman Church exercises the royal, priestly and prophetic offices of Christ in the real and vicarious sense: through the priests who act in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), the church governs the world, dispenses grace and teaches the truth.”32 Thus, by the continual re-presentation of the sacrifice of Christ in the Mass, Catholicism, violates “the uniqueness and soteriological completeness”33 of the cross and Christ's intercessory ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. In contradiction to the biblical gospel according to which the believer receives salvation by faith in Christ without any human merits or mediation, the Roman Catholic system promotes a salvation mediated by the church through the sacraments and facilitated by Mary and the saints. In this system there is no room for “the righteousness of God being imputed by Christ to the believer and thus there can be no assurance of salvation.”34
Fourth, the Roman Catholic worship system culminates in Sunday worship and the celebration of the Eucharist. As the Catechism states: “Sunday is the pre-eminent day for the liturgical assembly, when the faithful gather ‘to listen to the word of God and take part in the Eucharist, thus calling to mind the Passion, Resurrection, and glory of the Lord Jesus, and giving thanks to God who ‘has begotten them again, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’ unto a living hope [SC 106].’”35
One may conclude that given the incongruence of the message proclaimed by Rome with the biblical gospel, other Christians, especially evangelicals, would not be attracted to Catholicism to the point of conversion. However, this has not been the case. During the course of a decade dozens of students, alumni, and professors from a single conservative theological seminary36 converted to Catholicism.37 Interestingly enough, the founder of that institution, the late Norman Geisler, had written books and scholarly articles criticizing Catholicism.38 Several of those Catholic converts published a book telling their experiences in abandoning evangelicalism to join the Roman church.39 Other evangelicals have also “crossed the Tiber,”40 one of them a former president of the Evangelical Theological Society.41 Among several reasons that may attract evangelicals to Rome42 are the similar understanding of life after death and Sunday observance—hallmarks of Catholicism. Belief in the immortality of the soul increases the plausibility of Catholic teachings such as indulgences, intercession of the saints, and Mariology. And the fact that most evangelicals observe Sunday draws them much closer to Rome than a strict adherence to the biblical Sabbath required by the Sola Scriptura principle would allow.
After the above considerations, one may get the impression that the third angel brings only a message of judgment and condemnation against the those who worship “the beast and his image.” Such impression however does not convey the whole truth. In fact, the proclamation of the third angel implies that as the conflict between the Lamb and the beast rages, there is still time for those on the wrong side to turn to the Lamb. Indeed, the warning against beast worship is ultimately a call to worship the Lamb. Only the Lamb can provide justice, security, and assurance of salvation. Ellen G. White must have had this in mind when she wrote: “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.’”43 She also explained: “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.”44 In sum, the third message highlights the fact that unlike the beast and the other powers which compose the false trinity, only the Lamb can provide justice, security, and eternal salvation.
Two significant statements provide an “ethical conclusion”45 to the three angels’ messages, highlighting the contrast between those who follow the beast and those who follow the Lamb. The first statement identifies God's remnant people in terms of their obedience: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Rev 14:12; cf. 12:17). We are called to “patience,” which may also be translated as “perseverance” (hypomonē). This term has been considered the “the key ethical term” in the book of Revelation, appearing seven times in the book (Rev 1:9; 2:2, 3, 19; 3:10; 13:10; 14:12).46 Our salvation is assured once and for all in Christ and is grounded on His merits alone. However, we are called to persevere by keeping the commandments and placing our faith in Jesus.47 Obedience to the God's commandments plays a role in worship as noted in the connection between creation and the Sabbath implied in the first angel's message. Also, by contrast and by implication the mark of the beast must be understood as involving some counterfeit of God's law. In addition, the allusion to the ark in two crucial junctures of the book (Rev 11:19 and 15:5) indicates the crucial role of the ten commandments in the life of God's remnant people as they face the final crisis. However, as noted in the SDABC, “the remnant church thus honors the commandments of God, and observes them, not in any legalistic sense but as a revelation of the character of God and of Christ, who dwells in the heart of the true believer (Gal. 2:20).”48
The second statement shows that the destiny of those who follow the Lamb is different from that of those who follow the beast: “‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them’” (Rev 14:13). Those on the Lamb's side and are committed to the truth of these messages and do not need to fear death. Indeed, in contrast to the worshipers of the beast—who will face destruction, those who follow the Lamb are blessed even in the face of death. That “their labors, and their works follow them” indicates that God keeps a record “of what they did”49 in allegiance to the Lamb and will reward them accordingly as they rise again to receive their recompense. The expression “from now on” points to the “period of the three angels’ messages, which embraces the period of persecution by the beast and its image, when the boycott is imposed and the death penalty passed (see on ch. 13:12–17). Those who go to their graves in this period rest, as it were, a little moment until the indignation be overpast [Isa 26:20]. Then they will be privileged to come forth in the special resurrection preceding the general resurrection of the righteous (see Dan. 12:2).”50 Thus, the section on the three angels’ messages concludes with the ultimate victory of God's remnant people. By the blood of the Lamb, they not only overcome the power and oppression of end-time Babylon but achieve the final victory over the last enemy, death itself (1 Cor 15:26).
The three angels’ messages rest on the foundation of the eternal gospel; that is, the good news that Jesus died for us on the cross so that through faith in Him we can have eternal life.
1. Since the first angel's message focuses on God and the worship due to Him, its proclamation should include an emphasis on God as a loving and personal being who alone can lead us to an experience of true love and hope. The invitation to worship God is predicated on the coming of the judgment and the fact that God is the Creator. Thus, it is important to show the positive aspects of judgment and emphasize that God is committed to providing ultimate and perfect justice. We must bear in mind, however, that unlike the second and third messages, the judgment referred to in the first message—given the chronological frame—is the heavenly vindication of those who follow the Lamb. In this judgment, our trust in God's grace and commitment to Jesus by faith is recognized in the heavenly tribunal where Jesus works as our Mediator and Advocate. Equally important is an emphasis on creation and the recognition of the creator as expressed in the Sabbath commandment. Ultimately, an emphasis on God and the worship He deserves as our Creator and Redeemer should lead us to an increased love for Him and hope in the soon fulfillment of His promises.
2. The second angel proclaims a short but potent message: “Babylon is fallen.” Babylon here recapitulates the tower of Babel and the Babylonian empire. Formed by the dragon, the sea beast, and the land beast, the end-time Babylon will promote a gospel of human manufacture, oppose God's law, and persecute those who oppose its project. Apparently, the dragon will work through the sea beast to accomplish its purposes for the entire coalition. Although the religious and political diversity and interests of the different nations and people groups poses huge challenges to such global unity, the political and religious organization of the Roman church may provide the structure for such a unity to take place. One should bear in mind that every worldview, religious movement, or philosophy that opposes, distorts, or ignores the eternal gospel potentially belongs to the sphere of end-time Babylon. Though, framed in terms of judgment and destruction, the implication is that there is still time to leave the doomed system and join those who follow the Lamb. Therefore, the message to abandon Babylon and give loyalty and obedience to Jesus must reach every nation and people group.
3. With the third message, the subject of worship emerges once again; except that unlike the call to worship the Creator of the first message, the third one issues a warning against worshiping the beast. On another note, like the second angel, the third one brings a message of executive judgment that will result in punishment and destruction of God's enemies symbolized by the beast. Identified with the medieval church given its promotion of a distorted gospel—sacraments, Mariology, intercession of saints, etc.—the sea beast has a mark that identify its worshipers—Sunday. As the seventh-day Sabbath stands as a mark of recognition and proper worship of the Creator, so Sunday worship expresses the authority of the Roman church. Eventually, as the third message warns, that counterfeit worship system will meet its demise under God's judgment. Like the second angel, the negative tone of the third one carries an underlying message of love and grace. After all the warning against worshiping the beast implies a call to worship the One who made heaven and earth. To oppose the false gospel promoted by the beast, the remnant church must uplift the Lamb and proclaim justice, security, and righteousness that only Jesus can give. Like the first and second messages, the third message must be proclaimed globally. Every ethnic or religious group must be reached with the message of salvation by faith, which leads to proper worship and a life of obedience to God.
Given the above considerations, the question emerges as to how the Three Angels’ Messages can be effectively proclaimed to different cultures around the globe. At first glance, such a challenge seems to pose an insurmountable obstacle to the SDA mission. After all, language and imagery related to the messages such as angels, Babylon, and the beast may seem meaningless to pre-Christian cultures and irrelevant to secular or post-Christian societies. However, such a cultural barrier can be overcome at a second glance, as indicated in the following paragraphs.
First, the Three Angels’ Messages must be proclaimed not because they will bring joy and comfort to people but because they are true. Biblically, truth precedes relevance (John 8:31–32). Thus, commitment to the truthfulness of the messages is indispensable to their effective proclamation.
Second, the objection may arise that those events or institutions with roots in the Western medieval times would be meaningless to the current secular West and the pre-Christian cultures. In this regard, it should be noted that prophetic events, though initially restricted to specific times and places, grow to have global implications. Theologians have coined the expression “the scandal of particularity.”51 This expression means that as God's salvation came to humankind, Jesus did not come as a generic human being; instead, he came as a “particular” individual—a first-century Jewish male. It is through such “particularity” (scandalous as it may be) that God attains universal goals (Gal 4:4).
Third, given that humans are created in God's image, there are enough commonalities among them to make cross-cultural communication possible (Gen 1:26–28). As foreign as a biblical concept or idea may appear to specific cultures, there is enough epistemological common ground for it to be properly translated, communicated, and understood, as observed throughout the history of the Christian church. In other words, since the messages must reach “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people,” we need to communicate them in ways that will be appreciated and better understood by each people group—this may include sensitivity to language and culture.
Fourth, there is no cultural or social barrier that the Holy Spirit cannot overcome. As the early church set out to preach the gospel, the message of a crucified Savior was a “stumbling block” and “foolishness” to Jews and Gentiles, respectively (1 Cor 1:23). Nevertheless, the Spirit of God empowered the early missionaries and, despite opposition, prejudice, and persecutions, the gospel expanded from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond within about thirty years. Likewise, the Holy Spirit will empower the remnant church to deliver God's final messages. As Ellen G. White said: “The Spirit of the Lord will so graciously and universally bless consecrated human instrumentalities, that men, women, and children will open their lips in praise and testimony, filling the earth with the knowledge of God and with His unsurpassed glory, as the waters cover the sea.”52
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1 Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2016), Rev 14:6–7.
2 Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2016), Rev 14:6–7.
3 Gerhard Maier, Die Offenbarung Des Johannes: Kapitel 12–22, ed. Gerhard Maier et al., 3. Auflage, Historisch-Theologische Auslegung Neues Testament (Witten; Giessen: SCM R.Brockhaus; Brunnen Verlag, 2018), 146.
4 John R. W. Stott, The Authentic Jesus: The Certainty of Christ in a Skeptical World (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 79.
5 As Gerhard Maier, Die Offenbarung Des Johannes: Kapitel 12–22, ed. Gerhard Maier et al., 3. Auflage., Historisch-Theologische Auslegung Neues Testament (Witten; Giessen: SCM R.Brockhaus; Brunnen Verlag, 2018), 148, noted, “Giving glory to God is nothing other than acknowledging and praising him as God (Rom 1:21).”
6 See George Steiner, Nostalgia for the Absolute (Massey Lectures 14th Ser. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 1974); cf. S. Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1962).
7 Michael Reeves, Rejoice & Tremble: The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 17.
8 Michael Reeves, Rejoice & Tremble: The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 16.
9 Michael Reeves, Rejoice & Tremble: The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 80.
10 Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1980), 7:979.
11 H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America (New York: Harper & Row, 1937), 197.
12 John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans. Henry Beveridge (Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society, 1845), 2:564.
13 Gerhard F. Hasel, “The Resurrection: Myth or Reality?,” Perspective Digest 1, no. 1 (1996): 39.
14 Ranko Stefanovic, Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation, 2nd ed. (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2009), 455.
15 The intrinsic connection of the Sabbath with creation has been recognized by several scholars. Marilyn J. Salmon, Preaching without Contempt: Overcoming Unintended Anti-Judaism (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2006), 24, says: “Sabbath observance is woven into the fabric of creation from the very beginning. As God rested from God's creating, so Israel observes the seventh day as holy, set apart from the ordinary days of the week.” In the same vein, Walter Brueggemann, “Demand and Deliverance: Brueggemann on the Torah,” in Disruptive Grace: Reflections on God, Scripture, and the Church, ed. Carolyn J. Sharp (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2011), 62, asserts that, “the center of the fabric of creation is Sabbath rest, an alternative to the anxiety of production and consumption. Serious Sabbath is not just for a good weekend; it is a nonnegotiable condition for viable life in the world. When societies encroach on the day of rest, creation begins to unravel, personally, socially, and cosmically.” And Derek C. Schuurman, Shaping a Digital World: Faith, Culture and Computer Technology (Westmont, IL: IVP Academic, 2013), 39, states: “The notion of sabbath is intensely countercultural, yet it is firmly embedded in the fabric of creation. Simply stated, ignoring the sabbath commandment is bound to have consequences. Although sabbath legalism should be avoided, thoughtful guidelines and practices can be helpful in safeguarding sabbath rest. Establishing periodic times to disconnect from the Internet and setting aside electronic devices is one way of promoting regular sabbath rest.”
16 Ellen Gould White, The Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1898), 289.
17 Henry Barclay Swete, ed., The Gospel according to St. Mark. The Greek Text with Introduction, Notes and Indices, Classic Commentaries on the Greek New Testament (New York: MacMillan, 1898), 49.
18 Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2016), Rev 14:8–11.
19 Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1911), 388.
20 Catholic Church, “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: Lumen Gentium,” in Vatican II Documents (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2011).
21 Leonardo De Chirico, Same Words, Different Worlds (London: Inter-Varsity, 2021), 44, Kindle Edition.
22 Leonardo De Chirico, Same Words, Different Worlds (London: Inter-Varsity, 2021), 30, Kindle Edition.
23 Leonardo De Chirico, Same Words, Different Worlds (London: Inter-Varsity, 2021), 95-96, Kindle Edition.
24 Catholic News World, http://www.catholicnewsworld.com/2020/04/wow-latest-statistics-show-percentage.html
25 Giuliana Chamedes, A Twentieth-Century Crusade: The Vatican's Battle to Remake Christian Europe (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2019), 320.
26 Max Müller, from a speech delivered before the British and Foreign Bible Society, cited in Der Beweis des Glaubens, April 1901, as noted in Daniel Strange, Their Rock Is Not Like Our Rock: A Theology of Religions (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 7.
27 Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other Reformers identified the beast with the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church. See, e.g., James Durham, A Commentarie upon the Book of the Revelation (Glasgow: Robert Sanders, 1680), 487; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, 4th American ed. (New York: J. Soule and T. Mason, 1818), 728; Revere F. Weidner, Annotations on the Revelation of St. John the Divine, The Lutheran Commentary 12, ed. Henry Eyster Jacobs (New York: The Christian Literature, 1898), 183–184. Cf. R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Columbus, OH: Lutheran Book Concern, 1935), 389.
28 Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum, no. 9, quoted in Mark J. Zia, The Faith Understood: An Introduction to Catholic Theology (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2013), 59.
29 Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini, 17, available at: https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20100930_verbum-domini.html#_ftnref59
30 Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997), 234.
31 Benedictine Monks of Solesmes, Papal Teachings: The Church (Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1962) par. 1556). Quoted in Michael A. Field, “Does Early Church History Favor Roman Catholicism? An Answer to Cardinal Newman's Claim,” Christian Apologetics Journal 6, no. 2 (2007): 53, n. 37.
32 Leonardo De Chirico, Same Words, Different Worlds (London: Inter-Varsity, 2021), 16, Kindle Edition.
33 Leonardo De Chirico, Same Words, Different Worlds (London: Inter-Varsity, 2021), 60, Kindle Edition.
34 Leonardo De Chirico, Same Words, Different Worlds (London: Inter-Varsity, 2021), 151, Kindle Edition.
35 Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997), 302.
36 Southern Evangelical Seminary, Charlotte, NC.
37 Douglas M. Beaumont, ed., Evangelical Exodus: Evangelical Seminarians and Their Paths to Rome (San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 2016).
38 See, e.g.: Is Rome the True Church? A Consideration of the Roman Catholic Claim (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008); Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1995); Should Old Aquinas Be Forgotten? (Matthews, NC: Bastion Books, 2013); Is the Pope Infallible: A Look at the Evidence (Matthews, NC: Bastion Books, 2012).
39 Douglas M. Beaumont, ed., Evangelical Exodus: Evangelical Seminarians and Their Paths to Rome (San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 2016).
40 Scott Hahn and Kimberly Hahn, Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993).
41 For a list of converts to Catholicism, see Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_converts_to_Catholicism
42 By analogy with the geography of Rome, Philippe R. Sterling, “Crossing the Tiber: What's Driving the Evangelical Exodus to Rome?,” Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society 33, no. 64, Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society (2020): 39–57, mentions “seven hills,” i.e., vantage points from which Roman Catholicism may become attractive to Evangelicals: (1) Hill of infallible authority: church Magisterium; (2) hill of historical continuity: apostolic succession; (3) hill of institutional unity: unified, universal, and visible church; (4) hill of spiritual tangibility: sacraments, liturgy, statues, etc.; (5) hill of kingdom theology: mission to serve justice and peace; (6) hill of philosophical theology: Thomism; (7) hill of mystical spirituality: contemplative practices.
43 Ellen G. White, Selected Messages (White Estate, 1993), 1:372.
44 Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1923), 91–92.
45 Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 543.
46 Grant R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 543.
47 Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2016), Rev 14:12–13.
48 Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1980), 7:833.
49 Robert G. Bratcher and Howard Hatton, A Handbook on the Revelation to John, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 216.
50 Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Washington, DC: Review and Herald, 1980), 7:833 (brackets supplied).
51 Thomas C. Oden, Life in the Spirit: Systematic Theology, Vol. III (San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992), 365.
52 Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases (White Estate, 1993), 2:21.