REVELATION 14 by S. N. H.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 12, 1901

By S. N. H.

S. N. H.

In the closing part of Revelation 13 John saw the Church brought into deadly conflict with the Beast and his Image, and the worship of that Beast enforced on pain of death. But looking beyond the smoke and din of battle, he beholds, in the first four verses of chapter 14, the company of the believers upon Mount Zion, with the Lamb, having, instead of the mark of the Beast, the “Father’s name written in their foreheads.” They all had harps, and were singing a song that no one could learn but the one hundred and forty-four thousand. As to who they are, and from what period of the world’s history they came, there is no question; for the record says they “were redeemed from the earth.” “These were redeemed from among men.” Enoch and Elijah are the only ones who have ever been translated from the earth. But here is a company translated from among men—not from their graves, but from among men. There is but one such company referred to in the Scriptures, and they are the ones caught up with the innumerable company who are taken up from their graves. I Thess. 4:17; 1 Cor. 15:51. These “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” There is no guile found in their mouth; for they are without fault before the throne of God. Verse 5; Zeph. 3:12, 13.

These have been educated and disciplined in trial. They lived out an unpopular truth. They were purified in the furnace of affliction. For the truth’s sake they endured opposition, hatred, calumny. They endured self-denial and bitter disappointments. They “have come from garrets, from hovels, from dungeons, from scaffolds, from mountains, from deserts, from the caves of the earth, from the caverns of the sea. On earth they were destitute, afflicted, tormented.” But now they are beyond the reach of Satan and his emissaries.

The warning of verses 6 and 7 is significant. By the purity, the glory, and the power of an angel from heaven, God represents the character of the work of this message. And the angel’s flight “in the midst of heaven,” the “loud voice” with which the warning is uttered, and the promulgation to all “that dwell on the earth,” “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (verse 6), give evidence of the rapidity and extent of the movement. The message of salvation has been preached in all ages; but this message is a part of the gospel which could be proclaimed only in the last days; for only then would it be true that the hour of judgment had come. The prophecies present a succession of events leading down to the opening of the judgment. This is especially true of the book of Daniel. But that part of the prophecies that relates to the last days, Daniel was bidden to close up and seal till “the time of the end.” Dan. 12:4. Not until we reach this time could a message concerning the judgment be proclaimed, based on a fulfillment of these prophecies. But at the time of the end, says the prophet, “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” The great apostle to the Gentiles preached that the day of judgment would come (Acts 24:25); but this message is, “The hour of His judgment IS come.” The prophecies of Daniel formed the bases of this proclamation. It culminated in A. D. 1844.

“As the churches refused to receive the First Angel’s Message, they rejected the light from heaven, and fell from the favor of God. They trusted to their own strength, and by opposing the first message placed themselves where they could not see the light of the Second Angel’s Message. But the beloved of God, who were oppressed, accepted the message, ‘Babylon is fallen,’ and left the churches.

“Near the close of the Second Angel’s Message I saw a great light from heaven shining upon the people of God. The rays of light seemed bright as the sun. And I heard the voices of angels crying, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him! This was the midnight cry, which was to give power to the Second Angel’s Message. . . . In every part of the land, light was given upon the Second Angel’s Message, and the cry melted the hearts of thousands. It went from city to city, and from village to village, until the waiting people of God were fully aroused. In many churches the message was not permitted to be given, and a large company who had the living testimony left these fallen churches. . . . The message was heart-searching, leading the believers to seek a living experience for themselves. They knew that they could not lean upon one another.”—“Early Writings,” pages 101, 102.

It would be impossible to frame words so that the reader would form any correct idea of those times. Thousands upon thousands left the churches, and looked for the Lord. It was the sweet experience referred to in chap. 10:9, 10. Prophecy was fulfilled, but the Lord did not come. A more solemn message was to be proclaimed—the Third Angel’s Message. Rev. 14:9-12.

“As the ministration of Jesus closed in the holy place, and He passed into the holiest, and stood before the ark containing the law of God, He sent another mighty angel with a third message to the world. A parchment was placed in the angel’s hand, and as he descended to earth in power and majesty, he proclaimed a fearful warning, with the most terrible threatening ever borne to man.”—“Early Writings,” page 116. Read the entire article on The Third Angel’s Message. Those who neglect or reject this solemn warning will not only drink of the unmixed wrath of God contained in the seven vials poured out in the seven last plagues, but will also go into the lake of fire at the end of the one thousand years. In the loud cry of the loud cry, which the Church is now entering, the message of Rev. 18:1-5 will be given. It will be the last call this world will ever hear. It is a warning against worshiping the Beast and his Image. It is the last struggle the people of God will have in this world. The precious will be separated from the vile by the truth this message contains. The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus is the platform of the people of God in these times. To-day mercy lingers. Soon it will be too late. Reader, shall you and I be prepared to be sheltered in the day of God?

*(To be concluded.)