June 24, 2021 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Greetings, brothers and sisters! As a Seventh-day Adventist, you have probably heard of the three angels’ messages found in Revelation 14:6-12. After all, these proclamations have been at the heart of the Seventh-day Adventist message and mission ever since the beginning of this movement. These messages are prophetic, illustrating the reliability of God’s Word, and proclaiming the most serious warnings found in Scripture.
The first angel’s message brings the everlasting gospel to the entire world—a call to worship God as Creator and announcing the hour of His judgment. The second builds upon the first, proclaiming that Babylon—a false system of worship that rejects the proclamation of the first angel, accepts the delusions of Satan and unites with the world—is fallen. The third angel’s message brings to light the mark of the beast, in contrast to God’s true Sabbath as the seal of God, urging people not to receive the mark.
As Seventh-day Adventists, we are familiar with the content of these messages, but how often do we proclaim them, other than in public evangelistic meetings?
Ellen White shares this important insight:
“The angels are represented as flying in the midst of heaven, proclaiming to the world a message of warning, and having a direct bearing upon the people living in the last days of this earth’s history. No one hears the voice of these angels, for they are a symbol to represent the people of God who are working in harmony with the universe of heaven. Men and women, enlightened by the Spirit of God, and sanctified through the truth, proclaim the three messages in their order” (Life Sketches, p. 429).
Clearly, we all are called to proclaim these life-saving messages, but how to do so in an angelic way? Here are three practical aspects to keep in mind:
We cannot authentically present a message as true if we ourselves are in doubt. Now is the time to carefully study the three angels’ messages and let their meaning sink in deeply. But head knowledge isn’t enough; they must penetrate the heart.
We are warned that “The enemy will set everything in operation to uproot the confidence of the believers in the pillars of our faith in the messages of the past, which have placed us upon the elevated platform of eternal truth, and which have established and given character to the work. Those who have a hold of the truth theoretically, with their finger tips as it were, who have not brought its principles into the inner sanctuary of the soul, but have kept the vital truth in the outer court, will see nothing sacred in the past history of this people, which has made them what they are, and has established them as earnest, determined missionary workers in the world. The truth for this time is precious; but those whose hearts have not been broken by falling on the rock Christ Jesus, will not see and understand what is truth” (Life Sketches, p. 430).
Friends, let’s believe God’s Word and allow it to do a work of reformation in our own hearts.
The theme of God’s love permeates the Bible. We read in 1 John: “. . . God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (4:16). “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (4:11).
In Luke 10 we see God’s love illustrated in both practical and spiritual ways. When asked “Who is my neighbor?” (vs. 29), Christ responded with the story of the Good Samaritan, who went out of his way to compassionately care for the wounded man’s needs in a very practical way.
Later, we find Jesus at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Martha is annoyed because Mary isn’t helping with the practical aspects of entertaining but is instead listening to the words of Jesus. Jesus gently reproves Martha while commending Mary, who has “chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (vs. 42).
While we must do what we can to relieve pain and suffering, how important to provide “that good part, which will not be taken away,” which flows from the words of Christ, particularly in “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” where we find these messages given from a deep love for all humanity and to be shared in that same spirit.
God has blessed us with many ways of reaching people–even during COVID-19. Many creative methods have been found online through social media, small groups, YouTube, Zoom, and more. Reaching people through literature—print and online—is another very important method of spreading the three angels’ messages. I urge you to share these heavenly messages in every way possible as the Lord leads.
We are told that “In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import–the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, page 19).
Friends, God is changing the hearts of those who hear these marvelous messages. The Holy Spirit moves on the minds of individuals who need to make a decision for Christ, and what a privilege is ours to be used as God’s instruments to reach others for Him! Only by relying completely on Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit will we be able to accomplish anything. God is preparing us for something very unusual that will soon happen—the outpouring of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit. Let the second coming of Christ and His three angels’ messages be proclaimed by every Seventh-day Adventist around the world, because Jesus is coming soon!
Let’s pray together. Father in heaven, thank you so much for sharing the wonderful book of revelation through your servant, John, who understood on that island of Patmos the marvelous things that you were unfolding to him, which we would need to know at this time in earth’s history. Please Lord, help us to proclaim those marvelous three angels’ messages, a Revelation 14 and the fourth angel of revelation 18, calling people back to the true worship of you, as the true God and Lord help us to portray Christ and his righteousness, which really is the very core of those three angels’ messages. Thank you, Lord, for helping us to practically share these messages with others, and thank you, for the promise of Jesus soon return, Will be realized very shortly, we long to see Jesus come, and it is in the name of our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, that we ask all of this, amen.