Here, then, we have a symbol of the church of God in the latter days standing distinct from the great apostasy.
6. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7. Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.
Another phase of the last reformation is here brought to view—its communicative genius. It not only stands clear from the apostasy, but it sounds the warnings of God and proclaims his message. The first messenger had a very important message to deliver, even "the everlasting gospel." His message was not limited to the inhabitants of "the earth"—the Apocalyptic earth—only, but included "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," showing that it was of universal importance. It was not a new gospel, but the everlasting gospel, the same gospel preached before the long period of apostasy. There is one phase different, however, and that is that the nearness of the second coming of Christ is a leading feature; the messenger with loud voice warns the people to prepare for the awful judgment just at hand by turning to "worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." The apostle Paul cautioned the Thessalonian brethren not to entertain the idea that the advent of Christ was then near at hand, for it could not come until after the great period of apostasy that he predicted; but here is a messenger now claiming that the "hour of his judgment is come"—an event just at hand. He carries his special message to all people; for Jesus declared, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matt. 24:14. This represents the restoration of gospel truth in the reformation that was begun about the year A.D. 1880 and that is now being carried to all nations by a holy ministry.
The nature of this restoration work is clearly shown. Its leading feature is its missionary character, the proclamation of the pure gospel to "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." Since the days of the apostles the whole gospel has not been boldly declared and carried forward with burning missionary zeal. Romanism and Protestantism have conducted their missionary work and, according to chap. [16:14], their sphere of influence will extend throughout "the whole world"; but here is clearly set forth the fact that God has authorized another universal message and world-wide work wholly distinguished from all others. The contrast between the worshipers of the beast and his image and those composing the redeemed company on Mount Sion is so clear, also the nature of the work done by each, that we can not possibly identify them as being one.
This work of conducting a world-wide missionary enterprise may appear to be a gigantic task, but the seeming impossibility vanishes when we consider the fact (to be more fully developed hereafter) that God calls into this service all his people who are yet under the sectarian yoke. With this great host already dispersed over the world, the work of making known this last message can and will be accomplished.
The positive statement that the hour of his judgment is come shows that the end is exceedingly near; hence the second and third angels must follow the first in the closest proximity possible in order to introduce their messages before the wrath of God is poured out upon apostate Christendom. The time is so short that these three messengers can not possibly refer to three distinct reformations in the world; hence they must signify three important phases in the one last reformation that carries the gospel to all nations in the short period of an "hour," which time also includes the final judgment.
A careful study of these three messages will show that they are inseparably connected. The second cry was against Babylon, that she had fallen. Rev. [18:1, 2] proves this fall of Babylon to be a moral one—a giving away to ungodliness, iniquity and all manner of deception. According to chapter 16:19 the great city of Babylon is composed of three parts, being a confederation of the dragon[10] (heathenism), the beast (Catholicism), and the false prophet (Protestantism). Chap. [16:13, 14]. It is evidently to this latter division of Babylon that this second message applies; for Paganism was always a false religion, and Catholicism was always a corrupt one, during whose reign the church of God, as already shown, was separate. Protestantism, then, was the only part of the great city that could fall morally or spiritually. During the space of three hundred and fifty years, from the formation of the first Protestant creed, she held reign and authority over the people of God, who were scattered among her hundreds of opposing sects.
Footnote 10: [(return)]
That the dragon should be a part of great Babylon seems at first improbable; but in this statement reference is made, not to the dragon in his original, or Pagan, state, but to the form in which he is manifesting himself in these last days to deceive the nations, working in conjunction with apostate Christendom. This phase of the dragon power which brings him into harmony with, and, in reality, a part of, modern Babylon, will be more clearly understood when we come to consider the three unclean spirits that come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (chap. [16:13, 14]), and the release of the dragon in chapter [20:7-9].