THE CLOSING MESSAGES.—NO. 18.
By R. F. Cottrell
We come now to examine the third angel’s message. It is the last warning to men in a state of probation. This is evident from the facts that it predicts the close of probation by the terrible threatening of unmixed wrath to all who disregard it, and that it is immediately followed by the coming of the Son of Man. “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, 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; and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever 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. Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. xiv, 9–12. This fearful message is a merciful warning, expressly designed to prepare the people of God for their last conflict with the powers of darkness; enabling them to stand in “the hour of temptation” and fiery trial, when the “image of the beast”—the last of the three great persecuting powers—shall wage a war of extermination against them unless they abandon the truth and service of God, and yield to his authority by worshiping the former beast and receiving his mark, a thing directly opposed to the will and worship of God. This is evident from a comparison of the warning of the third angel, quoted above, and the predicted persecuting acts of the image, described as follows: “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads, and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Rev. xiii, 15–17. Here is the conflict which is yet to be met by the people of God; for the past history of the world does not furnish us with its fulfillment. Another persecuting power (not the Roman papacy, but something resembling it—the image of the beast), will say to all, You shall worship the beast and receive his mark, or be killed; while the voice of God in the third angel’s message, denounces the wrath of God without mixture against all that obey this mandate of the image. Men will be obliged to make a choice. They will have to brave the fury of men in power, clothed with a little brief authority, or receive the unmixed wrath of God. And that the people of God may be prepared for the fierce onset that shall be made against them, the warning message of God is sent before the crisis, and while the way is being prepared for it. The warning must be heeded now, for security against the danger when it comes. Men must now learn in what consists the worship of the beast and the reception of his mark, that they may be prepared to reject his authority and prove themselves loyal to the authority of God. The unparalleled denunciation of the “third angel” furnishes evidence leading, infallibly, to two important conclusions: 1. That there will be exceeding great danger that it will be disregarded, if it were possible, even by the very elect. That it requires a denunciation so terrible to arouse and save men—save them from the fatal mistake of preferring the worship of the beast to the worship of God—is unmistakable evidence that the tendency of the times and the current of popular opinion will be almost irresistibly strong in favor of the requirements of the beast, and that that institution which is denominated the mark of the beast, will be almost universally observed by those who have a form of godliness, but deny the power; for none but professors of religion ever have been, or ever will be, the instigators of a persecution against the true people of God. God does not threaten and alarm men unnecessarily. But his last message to men is fraught with terror unequaled and unprecedented in all his word. Therefore the danger that they will disregard it, and be found doing the very thing he warns them against, will be exceedingly great. 2. The second conclusion which we necessarily infer from so terrific a threatening is, that, at the time it is given, men can, if they will, learn the meaning of the terms of the message, i. e., they can learn what is meant by the worship and mark of the beast, the commandments of God, &c. God does not threaten and punish men for doing certain things, when it is utterly impossible for them to ascertain the meaning of his language, and what are the things forbidden; but he does threaten, and will punish men, for worshiping the beast and accepting of his mark. Therefore they can, if they will, learn what it is to worship the beast, and to receive his mark. The evidence will be so clear, when this message is given, that there will need to be no guessing as to what the mark of the beast is. It will be made so perfectly clear that there will be no reasonable ground for mistaking, and men will be left without excuse. But it will need investigating; and those who will not have interest enough to investigate it, will perish for want of knowledge; yet the throne of God will remain spotless and pure. Prophecies given in descriptive symbols, like portions of Daniel and of Revelation, are not designed to be fully understood at the time they are given. But in the process of the fulfillment the meaning is developed. The things described under the symbols appear and fulfill the description so perfectly that all is plain. The third angel’s message was prepared in prophecy for the last generation of men. It was designed to test the people at the very close of probationary time. It was to be fulfilled just before the day of wrath and the second advent of Christ. It is not to be expected that its language will be fully comprehended till the time has arrived for its predicted warning to be given. If the time has come, as we believe it has, the terms of the message are understood. A movement is now taking place which claims to be the fulfillment. A warning is now being proclaimed which professes to be the warning foretold in this prophecy. If this is the true warning—the true fulfillment of the prophecy—then the terms of the message—the worship and mark of the beast—are rightly understood; otherwise, it is a spurious fulfillment. On the other hand, if the terms of the message are truly understood, as we trust will fully appear, then the time has fully come for this solemn warning to be given. And if the time has come, it is being proclaimed; and hence the only warning now being given as the one foretold in this prophecy, is genuine. It is from Heaven, and not of men. This matter deserves a careful and prayerful investigation.