p. 9 | The Third Angel’s Message by W. J. Stone

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 12, 1906

The Third Angel’s Message

By W. J. Stone

W. J. STONE

ALL who have been connected with the Seventh-day Adventist work even for a few months, have become very familiar with the term “the third angel’s message.” I think that while we use this expression in speaking of the work in which we are engaged, many of us do not really sense the meaning of the statements found in Rev. 14:6-15. Do we really see and comprehend what John saw? John actually saw in vision the very times in which we are living. He saw the things taking place in the closing scenes of this world’s history, that we see occurring. He saw a message consisting of three parts, yet constituting one great message, going to all the world. The first announces that the hour of God’s judgment is come, and directs the world to the worship of the true God. The second joins it with the proclamation of the moral fall, or apostasy, of the church, showing the cause of this apostasy; and a third warns against this apostasy, and brings back again a people to the true standard of righteousness,—the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

When this work is accomplished, the next scene that passes before his view is that of one like unto the Son of man, seated upon a white cloud, crowned with glory, coming to reap the harvest of the earth. John actually saw a messenger going forth to the earth proclaiming, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” “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.” He saw a people carrying these messages, who were keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. As a people must keep all the commandments to be commandment keepers, this people could not have been the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Lutherans, or any other denomination that disregards God’s holy Sabbath, thus breaking one of his commands. As those who were giving these messages were keeping the commandments of God and had the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy, he must have seen those who compose the Seventh-day Adventist Church, for no other people on earth fulfil these specifications and are giving these messages. Seventh-day Adventists and their work are matters of prophecy. God has raised up this people in fulfilment of prophecy, and if the work of Seventh-day Adventists is not a fulfilment of this prophecy, it can never be fulfilled. But it is a fulfilment. John saw in vision our work as it started in weakness, and he beheld it until it had gone with power to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, the earth being literally lighted with its glory. The Seventh-day Adventist Church and the work it is doing is literally the third angel’s message materialized in all the world, and God will never cast off or spew out of his mouth the third angel’s message; neither will he raise up another people, or call out from this church a people to finish this work. God will purge and purify the church. All will not endure the pruning, and many will be shaken out.

Frequently the idea is presented that God will call out from the Seventh-day Adventist Church a company, or raise up another people, to complete this work. This will never be. I read in regard to this shaking time in “Early Writings,” pages 131 and 132, that “it will be caused by the straight testimony. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause the shaking among God’s people.” Then those who go out or are shaken out are those who rise up against the straight testimony. Again I read: “My attention was then turned to the company I had seen who were mightily shaken. The number of this company had lessened. Some had been shaken out and left by the way.” Notice, those who go out or are shaken out are not called out to do a special work, but are “shaken out and left by the way, and their places were immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks.” The main body, the Adventist Church, goes steadily forward, accepting and heeding the straight testimony. “This testimony must work deep repentance. All who truly receive it will obey it, and be purified.” While some are shaken out and left by the way, others at once embrace the message, coming into the ranks, and the great advent message and work then, as we are told, goes with “great power.”

Be not deceived. God raised up the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to carry

this message to the world, and this church, this people, purified, will go through and complete the work. The devil will deceive and cause some to turn aside from the firm platform, but, brethren and sisters, God is guiding this message, and it has behind it and around it the power of all the heavenly angels. What a privilege to be associated with the heavenly beings in this last message to the world. John in prophetic vision was allowed to behold what mortal eyes can not see. He saw the angels of God as they were connected with this work; and while we may not really see the angels of God with us, we may realize their power; and we do see and have seen this message rise amid great opposition on every hand, going steadily forward, until it has encircled the earth.

“Cast not away, therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Heb. 10: 35-39.