Godsloveandlaw's Blog

As SDA we no doubt think of the “Three Angel’s” messages of Rev. 14 as our calling to the world. We have been established and known  largely upon the 3 angel’s of Rev. 14. However, upon closer examination what do we really find there in Rev. 14?  We find SIX angels, with 5 of them declaring a message and one portrayed as “doing” something but yet not speaking. Could it be that the other 3 angels also have very important messages for us as well, especially the 4th angel?  

In Test. for the Church, Vol.6, p.17, we read, ” The light we have received upon the third angel’s message is the true light. The mark of the beast is exactly what it has been proclaimed to be. Not all in regard to this matter is yet understood, nor will it be understood until the unrolling of the scroll..”

As we are so well aware, the Scriptures and the light it bears, is left in God’s hands. When He declares that we should understand “new light” we then see clearly that which is intended for us.

As SDA we have always understood that the 3 angels have been symbolic of three messages of truth proclaimed by the church. Way back in the mid 1800’s, the understanding of  more than 3 “messages” to be given to us,  appears in the book–” Word to the Little Flock” by James White. On page 10-11 it reads, ” All classes of second advent believers agree, that the angel brought to view in the 6th, and 7th verses of this chapter, represents the advent message, to the church and world.”

“If this is true, then all five of the angels brought to view in this chapter represent five distinct messages, prior to the advent, or we are left without a rule to interpret this chapter… The last two angels are messages of prayer. We shall, no doubt, better understand them at the time of their fulfillment.”

 Ellen White confirmed her husband’s light of truth received from God. “God has permitted the precious light of truth to shine upon his word, and illuminated the mind of my husband.” (Test. for the Church, vol.3, p.502)

In Rev.14, we find the following.

1) The first angel speaking in 14:7

2) The second angel speaking in 14:8

3) The third angel speaking in 14:9

The above “messages” are spoken with a loud voice. Obviously they are important messages of truth, needed by God’s people. These are the well-known “three angels message” which we are known for as SDA.

4) The fourth angel’s “cries” his message in 14:15

5) The fifth angel appears to be a “reaping” angel(Rev. 14:17)(14:19). One who gathers the second harvest in the world, known as the “great multitude”

6) The sixth angel appears to be the cry of the 144,000 to the world in the “Loud Cry” period (Rev. 14:18)

Concerning the 4th angel, we see he  cried his message with a “loud cry”. Also we notice that this cry is to Someone who “sat on the cloud”. We also notice that this message is spoken to “One like the Son of Man”. In other words this message is given to our Lord and Savior, King of Kings. The cry here represents that the message of  reproof, corrections and warnings have finally sealed those whom have accepted it and therefore the Lord now is asked to ” reap”. Meaning to fulfill His Ezekiel 9 promise.

Ellen White describes this also, ” “While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14.” (Great Controversy, p.425)

This fourth angel’s message is so important that we should read our last prophet’s words to get a good understanding. In  (Tract 3, p. 47) we read ,   ” Inescapably, therefore, the Lord’s coming to His temple (Mal. 3:1-3), His coming with all His angels (Matt. 25), and His coming enthroned above the living creatures (Ezek. 1), — all three representing the same event as has been shown, — take place at the beginning of the judgment of the living: the time in which the judicial activities of the heavenly sanctuary extend to the earthly sanctuary — the church.

   “And I looked, and behold a white cloud,” exclaimed John the Revelator, envisaging the same coming variously described by Malachi, Matthew, and Ezekiel, “and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Rev. 14:14-16.

   This coming of the Son of man is plainly, therefore, not when the resurrected and the living righteous are caught up together to meet Him in the air: for verses 17-20, following the ones quoted in the paragraph above, reveal that after He came and reaped the earth, “another angel…having a sharp sickle” came and reaped a second harvest before the wrath of God — the seven last plagues (Rev. 15:1) — was poured out upon the wicked.”

So we see that the fourth angel’s message is the proclaiming the “judgment for the living” message. The very same one that is being cried right now! And with the advent of the telecommunication age, is growing steadily. It is none other than the message of the Davidians to us within the SDA church. It is for us to get ready,  the Lord is about to enter the churches “suddenly” (Mal.3:1) to begin the first phase of the judgment for the “living”.

Ellen White further enlightens upon this 4th angel. ” Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory. The light which attended this angel penetrated everywhere, as he cried mightily, with a strong voice, “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.” The message of the fall of Babylon, as given by the second angel, is repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the churches since 1844. The work of this angel comes in at the right time to join in the last great work of the third angel’s message as it swells to a loud cry.” (Early Writings, p.277)

It is important to point out that one of the main focus points of the SRod message is/has been –church corruption, just as is prophesied. Ellen White explains further of this other angel (4th) ” We are to throw aside our narrow, selfish plans, remembering that we have a work of the largest magnitude and highest importance. In doing this work we are sounding the first, second, and third angel’s messages, and are thus being prepared for the coming of that other angel from heaven who is to lighten the earth with his glory.” (Test. for the Church, Vol 6. p.406)

When she spoke those words , she was pointing to our time, right now, as this 4th angel (symbolic of us the messengers) is proclaiming a message that will soon “lighten the earth”.

Let us again review an important aspect of the understanding of the angel messages of Rev.14 . As we’ve learned in our studies through the previous posts–The promised “Elijah to come” has primarily a single purpose in mind. That is to reveal all the pertinent Scriptures and SOP that describes the “great and dreadful” day of the Lord. In other words, the Elijah was to begin the 4th angel’s message of preparation for the aforementioned day which has the purpose of the judgment for the living, as opposed to the prior work of judgment for the dead.Very shortly, the Lord will be moving onto the judging of existing living souls right here on earth! And so many of us don’t realize how close He is to beginning this solemn work.

And as such we know that we, the SDA church,  are the first to experience these judgments and just as importantly–execution of judgments (per Ezekiel 9). In addition to the Rev. 14 evidence,  the important  Scriptures and SOP for this judgment work is (1 Peter 4:17)  and (Test. for the Church, Vol. 5, p210-212).

Our last prophet explains more on (Rev. 14:14-19).

” Here we are again told that there are two reapings, one by the Son of Man, and another by an angel.  The reaping by the Son of Man precedes the reaping by the angel.  “Son of Man,” therefore, gathers the firstfruits, and the angel gathers the second fruits.  (The vines, not the fully ripe grapes, he casts in the wine press.) The Son of Man Himself obviously reaps the firstfruits because His servants (figuratively the angel of the church of the Laodiceans) are in no condition to do such a work, for they themselves are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,” and know it not” (Rev. 3:14-18).

   “Looking down to this very time, the Spirit of Prophecy in Isaiah’s day said:”

Isa. 63:5 — “And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me; and My fury, it upheld Me.”

   “Here you note that when the time came there was not even one among His servants “to uphold” the work of the harvest, and consequently the Lord Himself did the work without them.”

   “For the second reaping, however, He uses His guileless “servants,” the “firstfruits,” the 144,000, as prefigured by the angel with the sharp sickle (Rev. 14:17, 18).  And just as there are two fruits and two reapings from two different places, the church and the world, there are, as shown before, also two ways of harvesting: at first the bad are cast from among the good, and at last the good are called out from among the bad.”  (Timely Greetings, Vol.2 No.44, p.37)

We notice that immediately after the work of the angels in Rev. 14, then there is Chapter 15 where it says, “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.” (Rev. 15:1) Then it is time for probation no more. All rapidly comes to an end the heavenly kingdom is home to the righteous for 1000 years.

So in closing we note that the current and most important work right now is that of our 4th message(angel). We are being shown a decisive message of truth, and then watched whether we accept it and then live it. As in times past, the Lord has always given us what is called “testing truth”. For example, in Noah’s day the test was to accept Noah’s message of warning for the world wide flood to come. In Mose’s time, it was the test of whether the people would obey the 10 Commandments. In Christ’s day, the test was whether the people would accept Him as God’s Son. In Ellen White’s day the test was whether they would accept the Sabbath and sanctuary truth.

Ofcourse the testing truth is also known as the “present truth”. The holy Law of God, the 10 Commandments have remained constant (Psalms 111:7-8) but each generation has met a new challenge, a new “testing truth”. Another way of looking at it is that each generation has had a new “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” and then watched to see if God’s people obey Him or not.

“God means that testing truth shall be brought to the front and become a subject of examination and discussion, even if it is through the contempt placed upon it. The minds of the people must be agitated. Every controversy, every reproach, every slander, will be God’s means of provoking inquiry and awaking minds that other wise would slumber. ” (Test. for the Church, Vol 5, p.453)

Has there been a message from God that has tested us today? Yes there has,  it’s called– The Shepherd’s Rod message, the 4th angel’s  message.

This entry was posted on May 11, 2013 at 4:54 am and is filed under Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, End times, Final Events, Present Truth, The 144. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.