Hello friends, it is now time for a another topic.

For the next few topics we are going to take a detailed look at one of the most "Adventist" teachings we have. It has far reaching implications and goes right to the heart of who we are as a people. It is important that we never loss focus as to who we are or why this church was called into existence in the first place. So we will be studying the THREE ANGEL'S MESSAGE and what it means and how it impacts our lives, as bible believing Christians today.

Revelation 14
The Proclamations of Three Angels
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-- 7saying 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."
8And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon[1] is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
9Then 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, 10he 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. 11And 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."
12Here is the patience of the saints; here are those[2] who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
13Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me,[3] "Write: "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."

Now if you are anything like me that text may seem overwhelming at first, perhaps even scary. But let us stop and take it one part at a time over a few weeks and you will indeed see it is GOOD NEWS!

When I personally joined this church way back in 1990 I heard the term "Three Angel's Message" tossed around alot, but not many people stopped and took time to explain it. Have you ever had that experience? I want to take a little time to make sure we cover that ground and see how it impacts how we live for God. I am sure it will bring up many issues as we go along.

This topic I want to start at the beginning and look at the FIRST angel's message, next topic the second, and then that following topic the third.

So lets start taking a look at the first angel's message this week....
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-- 7saying 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."

Basically what we are looking at this week is What is the First Angel's Message and what does it mean to us a church. Here is some questions that might help us achieve this....

What is an Angel? And how is that term being used here? Secondly what does it mean in this text when it says FEAR GOD, And His Judgment has come? How does this relate to what we teach as a church regarding 1844 and the Millerite message? How does this impact our mission as a church and how we live our lives?

Why is it a message for ever Nation, Tribe, Tongue and Peoples? Why is God named as the Creator in this verse? What is it trying to tell us?

I am excited to be sharing this study of the First Angel's Message with you all. I look forward to conversing on this topic as we "re-connect" as a list with this defining Adventist understanding.

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~VINCE~ IN ~CHRIST~
SDA-TODAY moderator

This restless world is just illusion
All at once, there’s a message from above
This senseless world of mass confusion ....
In the name of love
There’s a message from above ... (Sammy Hagar 2000)

I embrace the SDA historical interpretation of the 3AM's. Ellen's explanation in the GC is unsurpassed. I accept it 100%.

And I also embrace a future final fulfillment of the 3AM's. Perhaps that view is beyond the scope of this study, I don't know. But if this thread is open to study it from a broader perspective here it is. Otherwise you're welcome to delete this post, no worry.

Rev 12-14 and beyond seems to suggest a chronology involving, as a minimum, the end time forces of good and evil. Rev 13 ends with the USA and Europe influencing the world to enforce the observance of the Sunday Sabbath. Rev 14 opens with the 144,000 and the 3AM's suggesting that they sound the final warning before human probation closes.

If the prophecy says the 144,000 give the final warning during the Sunday crisis, then the 1st angel's message would seem to concern the "[final] hour of judgment" which has come, that is, the IJ of the living.

Food for thought. What do you think?

Is it safe to suggest that the 3AM's as recorded in Rev 14 describes the 144,000 proclaiming the final warning during the Sunday crisis just prior to the close of probation?

Or is it better to stick with the historical view, which says the prophecy depicts the Millerite Movement?

What is the First Angles Message?

First and foremost a proclamation of God's love for His people No matter what church they are in. It is Part one in a 3 part plan to call God's people back to Him for the last events of history.

The wording can seem scary to some, that is why it is important to stress it is all about love. God loves us too much to allow us to be kept away from Him in false systems of a religion. So in the first Angles message He starts His great call to us to Come out of the world and back to Him. Let us now take a look at how He goes about doing it.

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--

Part A) is to send a Angel or MESSENGER to God's People to alert them and awake them that God Has something to say to us all. Look at the wording here. It really is awesome, GOD IS LEAVING NO ONE OUT OF THIS MESSAGE. It is an INCLUSIVE message to anyone and everyone on the Earth. That shows God does care and love everyone on the earth both who know him and don't! This message is for everyone. That is GOOD NEWS!

7saying with a loud voice...

This this message is proclaimed loud, it is not a secret. God wants you to know the news he is bringing you. In other words, sit up, and pay attention this news is Important, it is NOT something to sleep thru. It has meaning and impact for your life.

"Fear God and give glory to Him..."

The phase "fear God" is often used in the bible. It means "take a look and see how AWESOME GOD IS" HE is quite Awesome is He not? Look at Him, have an EXPERIENCE WITH HIM. The Word GLORY in scripture often refers to Showing God's character, reflecting who He is to the world at large. So we can see God is calling all his people to have a LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE WITH HIM, One that will enable Him to use you to display His love as a testimony that gives Glory to God. How wonderful, that God wants to have such a relationship with us that he is willing to use us to show the universe who He is and how He loves. Stop and think about that sometime, it truly is a wonderful mind shifting thought.

"...for the hour of His judgment has come;"

Now this is the part that gets people all fired up and worried. Dear brothers and sisters, it is my honest prayer that if we take anything away from this study of the three angles massage it is that God's Judgment is NOT bad news... In fact God's JUDGMENT IS GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!

How can I say that? Simple, in this case the verdict as come back before the trail has began!!!! And the VERDICT IS NOT GUILTY, BY VIRTUE THAT THE PENALTY IS PAID IN FULL BY THE LAMB OF GOD!

Let me ask you would you be afraid to go on trail if your advocate, or lawyer came to you and said, "look I talked to the Judge and because you hired me as your representation, He has given His word He will find you NOT GUILTY"? No, there would be no need to worry, it would be a done Deal. Such is the case now. The only thing in question is have you hired the right advocate or lawyer who can win your case? Have you accepted Jesus Christ in your life and His substitute for your sinful life?

"...and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."

God is in this verse making it clear to you that you must get the right advocate, the right lawyer, the right GOD. The one who is the TRUE God, the Creator God. Why is he making this point? He wants you to be clear as to whom He is. The Creator is the REDEEMER. HE wants to point you back to Him because there is a FALSE system of worship that is pointing to a FALSE gOD. And False god's have no power to save. The real God of Heaven, the Creator and now redeemer wants a real relationship with us and as Scripture points out He is Jealous God ( Exodus 34:14, Deu 5:9, Josh 24:9, Eze 8:3) and will not share us, He knows no man can serve two masters (Mat 6:24, Luke 16:13), So He is Calling you to Him now!


Prophetically Speaking This message was First sounded with the Millerites at the end of the Prophetic time line Adventists call 2300 day Prophecy. Which brought about the begging of the Cleansing of the Sanctuary spoken about in the Book of Daniel. It marked to moment in time when Christ moved from the Holy place in the Heavenly Sanctuary to the MOST HOLY to begin the final Phase of His Ministry, the Work of JUDGMENT (which is GOOD NEWS) or as Adventist call it, the INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT. ("...for the hour of His judgment has come;")

Hence forth the result of the first massage is we now live in the very last time period before the complete Cleansing of the Sanctuary and the LONG PROMISED Return of our Lord JESUS Christ!
John 14
1
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Do you see why now this is GOOD NEWS??????? I will have more on this Cleansing of the Sanctuary and how it relates to the First Angel's Message is a future post this week. I hope this has been as much a blessing for you to read as it has been for me to write.

Vince

[This message has been edited by Vince (edited June 11, 2001).]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike Lowe:
Is it safe to suggest that the 3AM's as recorded in Rev 14 describes the 144,000 proclaiming the final warning during the Sunday crisis just prior to the close of probation?
Or is it better to stick with the historical view, which says the prophecy depicts the Millerite Movement?

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Before it is all done and said it very well might apply to both. The first Angel's Message is still being proclaimed today. Still for the purpose of this thread let's stick with the tradtional use, which is indeed correct beyond question.

Vince

Here is a thought by thought explanation of the First Angel's Message as found in the SDA Bible Commentary.

6. I saw. A new scene begins. Chronologically the events represented in this vision precede those represented by the vision of vs. 1–5.

Another. Gr. allos, another of the same kind. Important textual evidence may be cited (cf. p. 10) for the omission of this word. Many angels have already been mentioned (chs. 1:1, 20; 5:2; 7:1; etc.), so that the designation "another" is not necessary.

Angel. This is a symbolic vision. The angel represents God’s saints engaged in the task of proclaiming the everlasting gospel, especially the features mentioned in this verse, at a time when the "judgment is come" (v. 7). It is, of course, also true that literal angels assist men in the task of proclaiming the gospel, but this is not the predominant idea here.

Midst of heaven. The angel of ch. 8:13 was also seen flying through the midst of heaven. The area of flight indicates the worldwide nature of the angel’s work and message. The work grows and develops until it is brought to the sight and hearing of all mankind.

Everlasting. Gr. aioµnios (see on Matt. 25:41). The Scriptures elsewhere speak of the "glorious" gospel (2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Tim. 1:11), but only here is the word "everlasting" used in connection with the gospel of the grace of God. There is but one gospel to save men. It will continue as long as there are men to be saved. There never will be another gospel.

Gospel. Gr. euaggelion (see on Mark 1:1).

To preach. Gr. euaggelizoµ, "to proclaim good tidings," a verb form related to euaggelion (see above). Compare the use of euaggelizoµ in Rom. 1:15; 10:15.

Dwell on the earth. As indicated by the following phrases, a worldwide proclamation of the gospel is here envisioned.

Every nation. The universality of the message is emphasized by this and the following phrases.

Kindred. Or, "tribe."

7. Loud voice. The message of both the first angel and the third angel are given with a "loud voice" (v. 9). The loud voice indicates that the message will be proclaimed so that all may hear. It also emphasizes the importance of the message.

Fear. Gr. phobeoµ, "to fear," "to reverence." Phobeoµ is used here not in the sense of being afraid of God, but in the sense of coming to Him with reverence and awe. It conveys the thought of absolute loyalty to God, of full surrender to His will (cf. on Deut. 4:10).

God. The message to fear God is especially timely in the period represented by the preaching of this angel, for men are worshiping gods of materialism and pleasure and many others of their own and devising.

Glory. Gr. doxa (see on Rom. 3:23). Here doxa doubtless signifies "honor," "praise," "homage." Compare Ps. 115:1; Isa. 42:12; 2 Peter 3:18; Jude 25.

Hour. Or, "time," not a literal hour. Compare this use of "hour" in John 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28; Rev. 14:15. Conceived of in this way, it is possible to understand the phrase "hour of his judgment" as referring to the general time when the judgment will take place and not as necessarily referring to the precise moment when the judgment begins. Thus it is possible to say that the first angel’s message was proclaimed in the years preceding 1844 even though the actual work of judgment had not yet begun (see below on "judgment").

Judgment. Gr. krisis, "the act of judging," contrasted with krima, "the sentence of judgment" (see on ch. 17:1). Seventh-day Adventist expositors understand the judgment here mentioned as that which began in 1844, represented in type by the cleansing of the earthly sanctuary (see on Dan. 8:14). That the reference here is not to the executive judgment at the coming of Christ when all receive their rewards, is seen by the fact that the messages of the three angels (Rev. 14:6–12) precede the second coming of Christ (v. 14). Furthermore, the message concerning the judgment is accompanied by an appeal and a warning that reveal that the day of salvation has not passed. Men may still turn to God and escape the wrath to come. Historically, the preaching of William Miller and his associates in the period from 1831 to 1844, concerning the close of the 2300 days in 1844, may be regarded as marking the beginning of the message of the first angel (see F. D. Nichol, The Midnight Cry, p. 284). But that message has had validity ever since and will continue to have until the curtain falls on man’s opportunity for salvation.

Is come. Or, "has come."

Worship. Gr. proskuneoµ, "to do homage," "to worship." The worship of God is in contrast with the worship of the beast (ch. 13:8, 12) and that of its image (v. 15). In the crisis soon to come, the inhabitants of the earth will be called upon to make their choice, as did the three Hebrew worthies in days of old, between the worship of the true God and that of false gods (Dan. 3). The message of the first angel is designed to prepare men to make the proper choice and to stand firm in the time of crisis.

Made heaven, and earth. The Creator of the universe is the true and only object of worship. No man, no angel, is worthy of worship. This is the prerogative of God only. Creatorship is one of the distinguishing features of the true God in contrast with false deities (Jer. 10:11, 12). The appeal to worship God as Creator has become especially timely in the years following the initial preaching of the first angel’s message because of the rapid spread of the theory of evolution. Furthermore, the call to worship the God of heaven as Creator of all things implies that due heed be given to the sign of God’s creative works—the Sabbath of the Lord (see on Ex. 20:8–11). If the Sabbath had been kept as God intended, it would have served as a great safeguard against infidelity and evolution (see Acts 14:15; PP 336). The Sabbath will be a point especially controverted in the closing crisis (see on Rev. 13:16).

Amen. Yes, the first angels messages is full of encouragement. God is good.

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike Lowe:
Amen. Yes, the first angels messages is full of encouragement. God is good.

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See Mike, we can agree!

God is good, all the time! And the 3 Angel's Message expresses the beautifully!

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~VINCE~ IN ~CHRIST~
SDA-TODAY moderator

The Spirit is constantly seeking to draw the attention of men to the great offering that was made on the cross of Calvary, to unfold to the world the love of God, and to open to the convicted soul the precious things of the Scriptures. {AA 52.4}

Is it safe to suggest that the 3AM's, as recorded in Rev 14, describes the 144,000 proclaiming the final warning during the Sunday crisis just prior to the close of probation?

Or is it better to stick with the historical view, which says the prophecy depicts the Millerite Movement?

In case anybody isn't aware of it, this weeks Sabbath School lesson is on this very topic and can also be found being presented in the Sabbath School forum.

__________________________
In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl