Three Angels' Messages
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The Three Angels' messages are the messages given by three angels in Revelation 14:6-12. The Seventh-day Adventist Church teaches that these messages are given to prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus Christ, and sees them as a central part of its mission.
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[edit] Messages
[edit] First Angel
"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, 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.'" (Revelation 14:6,7 KJV)
The first angel's message is a prophecy that states that the gospel will be preached to every nation on earth.
[edit] Second Angel
"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.'" (Revelation 14:8 KJV)
The second angel's message is a call to repentance. Broadly taken, it is a call to Christians everywhere to leave their sins ("Babylon") behind them and give them up.
[edit] Third Angel
"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, the same shall drink 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: and the smoke of their torment will ascend for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.'" (Revelation 14:9-12 KJV)
The third angel's message is a warning to the people of the earth, not to worship the beast or his image. (The "beast" and his "image" were introduced in chapter 13 of Revelation.) Those previous verses are the source of the famous mark of the beast.
[edit] Seventh-day Adventist interpretation
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has traditionally believed that it is the remnant church of Bible prophecy, and that its mission is to proclaim the three angels' messages.
- "The universal church is composed of all who truly believe in Christ, but in the last days, a time of widespread apostasy, a remnant has been called out to keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This remnant announces the arrival of the judgment hour, proclaims salvation through Christ, and heralds the approach of His second advent. This proclamation is symbolized by the three angels of Revelation 14; it coincides with the work of judgment in heaven and results in a work of repentance and reform on earth. Every believer is called to have a personal part in this worldwide witness."
- Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church [1]
- "In accordance with God’s uniform dealing with mankind, warning them of coming events that will vitally affect their destiny, He has sent forth a proclamation of the approaching return of Christ. This preparatory message is symbolized by the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14, and meets its fulfillment in the great Second Advent Movement today. This has brought forth the remnant, or Seventh-day Adventist Church, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
- Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual[2]
The image of three angels circling a globe is the church's former symbol. The current logo of the Seventh-day Adventist church has three flames encircling the globe, representing the Holy Spirit; the threefold flame is also a symbol of the three angels.[3]
[edit] Historic interpretation
According to the understanding of the Adventist pioneers, the first angel's message occurred during the two decades prior to the spring of 1844. The message of the imminent second coming of Jesus preached by the Millerite movement then fulfilled the prophecy of the first angel's message. The second angel's message was then preached during the summer of 1844, which was preceded by a significant number of Millerites leaving the movement, and resulted in large numbers of Christians leaving their churches ("Babylon") and joining the Advent movement.[4]
The third angel's message is based on the idea that the "Seal of God" (Revelation 7:2) is the Sabbath commandment of the decalogue. Therefore, the "mark of the beast" is the opposite, or the keeping of Sunday as the Sabbath. Hence the close of the message, "here are they that keep the commandments of God." It is a point of emphasis among Adventists that the mark of the beast has not yet been given out.
[edit] Standard view
When Jesus did not return in 1844 as expected by the Millerite movement, the resulting Seventh-day Adventist movement came to see itself as the remnant of God and believed that their mission was to preach the three angels’ messages again.
The first angel's message is the “everlasting gospel”, namely the “good news of God’s infinite love”. It is also a warning that the investigative judgment has begun and a call to worship the Creator of the world, specifically in the keeping of the Sabbath commandment. “The first angel’s message … calls for the restoration of true worship by presenting before the world Christ the Creator and Lord of the Bible Sabbath [which is] the sign of God’s Creation.”[5]
The second angel's message is a call to those in Babylon to “depart from her” (cf. Revelation 18:4). Adventists traditionally believe that Babylon represents the apostate church, which they identify as Roman Catholicism as well as Protestants who have rejected the truth. “This prophecy of Babylon’s fall especially finds its fulfillment in the departure of Protestantism at large from the purity and simplicity of the everlasting gospel of righteousness by faith that once so powerfully impelled the Reformation.” This explains why Adventists often aim their evangelism at Christians in other churches as well as non-Christians. “The message of the fall of Babylon … calls on those of God’s people who are still in the various religious bodies comprising Babylon to separate from them.”[6] However, Adventists have also made it clear that there are currently many true believers in “Babylon” who worship God sincerely, including Roman Catholics.[7][8]
Theologian Ángel Manuel Rodríguez explains the mission of the remnant in terms of the second angel’s message: “The end-time remnant is described in Revelation as having a God-given mission and a particular message to the whole world. They are to call the people of God to come out of Babylon, that is to say, to join the historical, faithful and visible end-time remnant of God.”[9]
The third angel’s message is a solemn warning against observance of Sunday as a sacred day, which Adventists have historically interpreted as the mark of the beast. “Those who reject God’s memorial of creatorship—the Bible Sabbath—choosing to worship and honor Sunday in the full knowledge that it is not God’s appointed day of worship, will receive the ‘mark of the beast.’”[10] It should be emphasised that Adventists believe that the mark of the beast will only be received at a future date, when every person on earth is made aware of their obligation to keep the Sabbath; in other words, Christians who currently worship on Sunday do not have the mark.[11]
[edit] Progressive view
Progressive Adventists typically reject the claim that the three angels' messages find unique fulfillment in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In common with the traditional Adventist view, they typically agree that God's leading was behind the Adventist movement. Although all Adventists agree that God has led many Christian movements in history,[12] progressives do not assign Adventism a "preferred" position. Their view may be contrasted with certain of the harsher critics who do not see God's leading behind the movement at all.
Progressive Adventists such as Steve Daily have challenged the traditional understanding of the Remnant, preferring to widen the concept to include Christians in non-Adventist churches.[9] The traditional Adventist interpretation of the mark of the beast (i.e. Sunday worship) is also rejected by many progressive Adventists.[13] These developments necessarily call for a reinterpretation of the second and third angels' message; a widening of the remnant removes the impetus to call Christians out of Babylon and warn them against worshiping on Sunday.
[edit] Culture
The concept appears in the title of the Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN). The song "Three Angels" appears on Bob Dylan's album New Morning; an unrelated "Three Angels" appears on the album Picture of Health by The Headstones.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ The Logo and its Meaning. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ Ellen G. White. The Great Controversy, chapters 20 & 21, pages 355-390.
- ^ (2005) Seventh-day Adventists Believe (2nd ed). Ministerial Association, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 192-194.
- ^ (2005) Seventh-day Adventists Believe (2nd ed). Ministerial Association, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 194-195.
- ^ (1957) Questions on Doctrine. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 197-202.
- ^ How Seventh-day Adventists View Roman Catholicism. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Administrative Committee (ADCOM) (April 15, 1997).
- ^ a b Ángel Manuel Rodríguez (2002). The Remnant and the Adventist Church. Biblical Research Institute.
- ^ (2005) Seventh-day Adventists Believe (2nd ed). Ministerial Association, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 196.
- ^ (1957) Questions on Doctrine. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 183-186.
- ^ For example, George Vandeman's book What I Like About...: The Lutherans, The Baptists, The Methodists, The Charismatics, The Catholics, Our Jewish Friends, The Adventists: Rescuers of Neglected Truth, in which he sees many groups restoring certain of God's "truths"
- ^ Ron Corson. Progressive and Traditional Adventists Examined. Adventist Today.
[edit] Other resources
- "The Remnant and the Three Angels' Messages" by Hans LaRondelle in Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology, vol. 12 of the Seventh-day Adventist Commentary Reference Series
[edit] External links
- "Prophetic Basis of Adventism" by Hans K. La Rondelle. Adventist Review, June 1 - July 20, 1989
- 3ABN official website
