The Fourth Angel

In Revelation 18 we find two great spiritual powers in a worldwide conflict. On the one hand, we read of “another angel [coming] down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory” (Revelation 18:1). On the other hand, that Babylon the great is fallen.

The angel of Revelation 18 symbolizes a powerful movement assisted by the Holy Spirit. His mission is to give the last warning to the whole world in opposition to the great Babylon, a symbol of all the fallen churches which opposes the work of God and spreads poisoned doctrines among the inhabitants of the earth.

Actually, these two great powers bring opposing principles. Babylon started with Babel, a human effort to contradict God’s plan. It is a fit symbol of salvation by human works. God had promised that He wouldn’t send another flood to destroy the earth. The inhabitants of Shinar disbelieved God’s promises and decided to protect themselves edifying the tower.

The angel of Revelation 18 has a very different message. God is just and faithful to fulfill His promises. The essence of this message is justification by faith and the righteousness of Christ.

Just four years after the historic General Conference held in Minneapolis in 1888, the servant of the Lord identified the coming of the fourth angel with these words:

“The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth. For it is the work of everyone to whom the message of warning has come, to lift up Jesus, to present Him to the world as revealed in types, as shadowed in symbols, as manifested in the revelations of the prophets, as unveiled in the lessons given to His disciples and in the wonderful miracles wrought for the sons of men. Search the Scriptures; for they are they that testify of Him.

“If you would stand through the time of trouble, you must know Christ, and appropriate the gift of His righteousness, which He imputes to the repentant sinner.”1

The purpose of this message is to convince people that all self-sufficiency must be put aside, and that we need to trust only in the Lord for our eternal salvation.

The movement under the direction of the fourth angel brought this message to those present at Minneapolis, but it was not successful. At the finishing of the work of the gospel, under the power of the latter rain, again this truth will be exalted to benefit the whole world.

“None but God can subdue the pride of man’s heart. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot regenerate ourselves. In the heavenly courts there will be no song sung, To me that loved myself, and washed myself, redeemed myself, unto me be glory and honor, blessing and praise. But this is the keynote of the song that is sung by many here in this world. They do not know what it means to be meek and lowly in heart; and they do not mean to know this, if they can avoid it. The whole gospel is comprised in learning of Christ, His meekness and lowliness.

“What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself.”2

This is the essence of “the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12). This is the message of the fourth angel. This is our message!