The Sealing Message
A patient who has never been ill finally goes to see the doctor about some health problem that lately started worrying him. And—imagine his shocking surprise—when the physician says to him: “Sorry to tell you, you have only one month to live!”
Even if he did not expect to have to die so soon, he—if he is a responsible man—will start thinking seriously about the things that must be arranged or put in order while he is still around.
We would be sorry for such a man. But we are not sorry for the devil when we read that in the last days of the history of the world he will be filled with great wrath, because “he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Revelation 12:12).
Soon the devil will die. But before he is destroyed, he will be bound, with a chain of circumstances, for “a thousand years” (Revelation 20:2). Knowing this may be true, he is frantically preparing his last acts.
How about us, believers in the threefold message of Revelation 14? Do we realize that we have only a short time to prepare ourselves?
“God requires His people to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. All those who are indifferent and excuse themselves from this work, waiting for the Lord to do for them that which He requires them to do for themselves, will be found wanting when the meek of the earth, who have wrought His judgments, are hid in the day of the Lord’s anger. . . .
“If God’s people make no efforts on their part, but wait for the refreshing to come upon them and remove their wrongs and correct their errors; if they depend upon that to cleanse them from filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and fit them to engage in the loud cry of the third angel, they will be found wanting. The refreshing or power of God comes only on those who have prepared themselves for it by doing the work which God bids them, namely, cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”1
In view of the nearness of the end, do we understand what God wants us to do in connection with the work of the angel of Revelation 18? Are we aware that we are asked to take part in the call to be given to God’s people to leave Babylon in order to join a little remnant that is earnestly preparing for the coming of the Lord? What qualifies us for this work?
“The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord, Satan will work ‘with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;’ and they that ‘received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,’ will be left to receive ‘strong delusion, that they should believe a lie’ (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfillment of Revelation 14:8 is yet future.
“Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from God that exist in the churches which constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ’s true followers are still to be found in their communion. There are many of these who have never seen the special truths for this time. Not a few are dissatisfied with their present condition and are longing for clearer light. They look in vain for the image of Christ in the churches with which they are connected. As these bodies depart further and further from the truth, and ally themselves more closely with the world, the difference between the two classes will widen, and it will finally result in separation. The time will come when those who love God supremely can no longer remain in connection with such as are ‘lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.’
“Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6–12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion. This message is the last that will ever be given to the world; and it will accomplish its work.”2
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils. . . . And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:1–4).
“The third angel’s message must go over the land, and awaken the people, and call their attention to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Another angel unites his voice with the third angel, and the earth is lighted with its glory. The light increases, and it shines out to all the nations of the earth. . . . This angel represents the people that have this message to give to the world.”3
“The Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. There will be those among us who will always want to control the work of God, to dictate even what movements shall be made when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel who joins the third angel in the message to be given to the world.”4
When did the light of Revelation 18 begin to shine upon the way of God’s people? What is the first work to be accomplished by the message Revelation 18?
“The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders Waggoner and Jones [in 1888]. . . . 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. . . . It is the third angel’s message, which is to be proclaimed with a loud voice, and attended with the outpouring of His Spirit in a large measure. . . . God gave to His servants a testimony that presented the truth as it is in Jesus, which is the third angel’s message, in clear, distinct lines.”5
“God has raised up men to meet the necessity of this time who will cry aloud and spare not, who will lift up their voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. Their work is not only to proclaim the law but to preach the truth for this time—the Lord our righteousness. . . . But there are those who see no necessity for a special work at this time. While God is working to arouse the people, they seek to turn aside the message of warning, reproof, and entreaty.”6
How was the light of Revelation 18 received by most church members in 1888 and ever since? Under the loud cry, when the latter rain is poured out, why will many of us who are believers in the threefold message be unable to see the light of Revelation 18?
“For nearly two years we have been urging the people to come up and accept the light and the truth concerning the righteousness of Christ, and they do not know whether to come and take hold of this precious truth or not.”7
“The Spirit of the Lord has been upon His messengers whom He has sent with light, precious light; but there were so many who had turned their faces away from the Sun of Righteousness that they saw not its bright beams. . . . Those who ventured to resist the light that God gave in rich measure at Minneapolis, who have not humbled their hearts before God, will follow on in the path of resistance.”8
“God meant that the watchmen should arise and with united voices send forth a decided message. . . . Then the strong, clear light of that other angel who comes down from heaven having great power, would have filled the earth with his glory. . . . Those who. . . hindered the advancement of the very message that God meant should go forth from the Minneapolis meeting as a lamp that burneth, have need to humble their hearts before God and see and understand how the work has been hindered by their blindness of mind and hardness of heart.”9
“The third angel’s message will not be comprehended, the light which will lighten the earth with its glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory. The work that might have been done will be left undone by the rejecters of truth, because of their unbelief. We entreat of you who oppose the light of truth, to stand out of the way of God’s people. Let Heaven-sent light shine forth upon them in clear and steady rays. God holds you, to whom this light has come, responsible for the use you make of it. . . . The truth has been brought within their reach, but they despised their opportunities and privileges. Messages bearing the divine credentials have been sent to God’s people; the glory, the majesty, the righteousness of Christ, full of goodness and truth, have been presented. . . . We know that God has wrought among us. We have seen souls turn from sin to righteousness.”10
When did the church first benefit from the work of “that other angel”?
“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.”11
“The angel, the mighty angel from heaven, is to lighten the earth with His glory (Revelation 18:1), while he cries mightily with a loud voice. . . . Shall we [not] be wide awake to catch the beams of light which have been shining from the light of the angel who is to brighten the earth with his glory.”12
“The question of most vital importance for this time is, ‘Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will unite with the angel [of Revelation 18] in giving the message of truth to the world? Who will receive the light that is to fill the whole earth with its glory?’”13
“While we bind ourselves to the development of the truth in the past angels’ messages, we are announcing the message of the third angel and of the other angel that follows the third, the second time proclaiming the fall of Babylon.”14
“The tidings that Christ is our righteousness has brought relief to many, many souls, and God says to His people, ‘Go forward.’ . . . In every meeting since the General Conference [of 1888], souls have eagerly accepted the precious message of the righteousness of Christ. We thank God that there are souls who realize that they are in need of something which they do not possess—gold of faith and love, white raiment of Christ’s righteousness, eyesalve of spiritual discernment.”15
“I have traveled from place to place, attending meetings where the message of the righteousness of Christ was preached. I considered it a privilege to stand by my brethren and give my testimony with the message for this time; and I saw that the power of God attended the message where it was spoken.”16
What preparatory work must be accomplished before we can see and personally experience the “brightness, glory, and power” of Revelation 18 under the latter rain? Read Revelation 3:18 and Acts 3:19.
“[In Isaiah 58:8–14] are given the characteristics of those who shall be reformers, who will bear the banner of the third angel’s message, those who avow themselves God’s commandment-keeping people, and who honor God, and are earnestly engaged, in the sight of all the universe, in building up the old waste places. Who is it that calls them, The repairers of the breach, The restorers of paths to dwell in? It is God. Their names are registered in heaven as reformers, restorers, as raising the foundations of many generations.”17
“God calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual reformation. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will continue to grow more abhorrent to the Lord, until He will refuse to acknowledge them as His children. . . . God rebukes His people for their sins, that He may humble them, and lead them to seek His face. As they reform, and His love revives in their hearts, His loving answers will come to their requests. He will strengthen them in reformatory action, lifting up for them a standard against the enemy. His rich blessing will rest upon them, and in bright rays they will reflect the light of heaven. Then a multitude not of their faith, seeing that God is with His people, will unite with them in serving the Redeemer.”18
What assurance do we have that the prophecy of Revelation 18 has already begun to be fulfilled, though the fullness of the light of that prophecy is still forthcoming?
“While Satan is working with his lying wonders, the time has come [that was] foretold in the Revelation, when the mighty angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory will proclaim the fall of Babylon and call upon God’s people to forsake her. . . . The Lord has sent us messages for this time to establish Christianity upon an eternal basis, and all who believe present truth must stand, not in their own wisdom, but in God; and raise up the foundation of many generations. These will be registered in the books of heaven as repairers of the breach, the restorers of paths to dwell in.”19
“The prophecies in the book of Revelation, chapters 12 to 18, are being fulfilled. In the eighteenth chapter is recorded the very last call to the churches. This call is now to be given.”20 May the Lord help us to cooperate with Him in giving this proclamation in spirit and in truth!