Revelation 14:8, commentary and pictures

The second angel announces that Babylon, meaning confusion for false and apostate religion, has suffered a spiritual and moral fall from God. It stands in fixed order as the second of three inseparable proclamations, between the first angel's everlasting gospel of judgment and worship of the Maker and the third angel's warning against worshiping the beast. That fall began in the summer of 1844 when the churches rejected the Advent warning, and it is progressive as they conform to the world, becoming complete only in the full condition described in Revelation 18. Its wine is false doctrine taught as commandments of men, centering on exalting a spurious Sunday sabbath above God's seventh-day memorial of creation with kindred heresies like natural immortality, eternal torment, and setting aside His law. Making all nations drink is forcing men to accept that counterfeit as a test of loyalty, stirring rulers who have drunk the heresies to anger against dissenters in worldwide enforcement. The announcement is to be repeated with added detail by the angel of Revelation 18, swelling to the loud cry that exposes Babylon become the habitation of devils and calls God's people still within her to come out lest they share her sins and plagues.

Wording and Threefold Order

The word rendered followed means accompanied or went with, not merely came later in time. The second and third messages go with the first, arising in sequence but once proclaimed continuing together as one connected, inseparable threefold message. It is present truth to be proclaimed at this time together, not to be eclipsed by other fancied specialties, and its force and efficiency continue as long as time is given for repentance. It is connected and bound together so that one cannot be carried without the other, and it must not be made light of. The first, second, and third are linked and continue to have power in religious life, with the third angel flying in heaven representing the work of proclaiming all three in warning that Christ is coming again with power and great glory.

The verse is the second angel's proclamation standing in fixed order after the first angel flying in heaven with the everlasting gospel to every nation and calling all to fear God, give Him glory, and worship the Maker of heaven and earth and sea because the hour of judgment has come. It stands before the third angel's loud warning that worshipers of the beast and his image who receive his mark will drink God's wrath and be tormented, while the saints keep God's commandments and the faith of Jesus. It is the fall of Babylon as a great city because she made all nations drink of her corrupted teaching, a worldwide announcement that is part of the last message of mercy to be given to all the inhabitants of the world. It is present truth for this time with the first and the third, the third succeeding the first and the second, to be proclaimed with a loud voice of increasing power as the great final test approaches. That presentation with all it embraces is the work of the remnant people in these last days, giving the trumpet a certain sound, maintained in all its increasing importance to the close of probation, brought to the churches and made clear, definite, and intelligible to reasoning minds as the prominent warning.

The three symbolize a united work of proclaiming the first, second, and third messages, which remain living truth to shape the religious experience of God's people as long as time lasts, despite strong religious opposition. They are linked in proclaiming present truth to a perishing world, symbolizing work to be done by all who believe them, with enduring truth to be proclaimed with increasing power and with influence that will continue to deepen and widen. Their truth will not decrease but will increase in force and importance down to the close of God's work on earth, to be carried to the world in clear, straight lines and in its distinctive features, with no time to lose. Having been received as light they will be proclaimed again with distinct power as the third message is proclaimed and the earth is filled with the knowledge of salvation. The second message remains a present truth continuing its work until the close of earth's history, running parallel with the message that follows it, its light joined with the light of the first and third angels in the final illumination represented by the angel of Revelation 18:1.

The verse belongs to Revelation 14:6-12 as part of the threefold warning that prepares the inhabitants of the earth for the Lord's second coming, presenting truths concerning Christ's mediation and the enduring claims of God's law. In itself it gives no further explanation of Babylon's fall or the wine of her fornication beyond announcing corrupted teaching and false worship and its consequences. It is the principal work for this time to prepare a people brought into working order, carrying blessing on those who read, hear, and do its truth, warning the world of the conflict in which every individual will have a part. It is true missionary work bearing truth to all nations with most decided character, followed by the next great event shown in Revelation 18. It belongs to the special movement connected with the past and the future and with Christ's closing work in heaven and His people's work on earth, a solemn warning the church was to understand and give to the world before Christ's advent beyond the first warning that the judgment had come.

First Proclamation in 1844

The announcement began to apply in the summer of 1844, especially to the churches of the United States where the warning of the judgment had been most widely proclaimed and rejected, and its first giving belongs to 1841 to 1844, a time of the greatest religious interest since the Reformation. About fifty thousand withdrew from those churches under its call, and many left the fallen churches as a result of its declaration. Their refusal brought a real but incomplete moral fall, for the fall then begun is progressive as churches conform to the world and reject testing truth, becoming complete only at full union of church and world throughout Christendom in the condition of Revelation 18, so its complete fulfillment is still future.

Miller and his associates delivered the foretold first and second messages at the appointed time in 1840 to 1844, startling the world from apathy. Their mistake about the event, and their failure to understand that further proclamations had to come before the Lord's return, did not make the work an error, for the messages accomplished the work God intended. Had that further light been seen they would not have given the proclamation as they did, yet the third message afterward sheds light upon the past, revives hope, and joins the first and second to make ready a people to stand in the great day of preparation.

The message was given in connection with the midnight cry, Behold the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him, and brings about the setting of the parable of the ten virgins. Light concerning it spread in every part of the land, from city to city, village to village, and into remote country regions, reaching the learned and talented as well as the obscure and humble and arousing thousands. It was proclaimed with power as the midnight cry, awakening God's waiting people and stirring many to seek a personal living experience rather than rely on one another.

Churches that opposed the heavenly light of the first message fell from favor and placed themselves where they could not see the light of the second. God's oppressed people accepted the declaration that Babylon had fallen and left those churches, with a large company of living witnesses going out because they preached the second appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven. In places the message was forbidden, yet its heart-searching call moved many to leave, and the midnight cry enabled Advent believers to leave the churches before the tenth day and brought them to the seventh month of 1844.

Its power and glory came from heaven under the attending Holy Spirit, but denominational churches opposed it with prejudice, ridicule, sneers, criticism, and almost crushing influence, treating believers as heretics disturbing the peace and turning out those who held fast. Many bent under opposition and yielded faith to preserve unity and place, while those who could not conscientiously yield were expelled. Those who saw the light and rejected it were left in darkness and rejected by God, and those who accepted and received the Holy Spirit and afterward renounced their faith and pronounced their experience a delusion or the devil's work rejected the Spirit so He no longer pleaded with them and were shut out from the third message. Those who never saw the light bear no guilt for its rejection, though those who despise it may keep a form of godliness while taken captive by Satan's delusions.

It was proclaimed with power together with the first message in the cities of the East — Portland, Maine, Boston and the many towns round about, New York City and the populous cities close by, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington — where believers then stood as a separate peculiar people, and also in the cities of the South and the East and the West. Those same cities must now be worked anew with the third message proclaimed with power, not by human capability alone but in the Holy Spirit by capable men who talk the truth, live the truth, and pray the truth, trusting wholly in God with perseverance that allows no slackening. God then moves upon hearts to convict and convert, holy angels second the labors, and many souls will be saved, for those who know present truth are held accountable if the cities are left without warning.

Events to transpire under the first and second messages were delineated in the special light of the seven thunders but were sealed up and not to be written, because faith must be tested, and the first and second were to be proclaimed and do their specific work before any further light was revealed. Daniel's prophecies have their proper place in the first, second, and third messages when the little book is unsealed. That unsealing was the message in relation to time, reaching from 1842 to 1844 with the longest reckoning to the autumn of 1844, after which there is no definite tracing of prophetic time.

After the disappointment the cry brought light and renewed hope, uniting disappointed believers and leading them to look again eagerly for His appearing and join the call that the Bridegroom is coming. They understood they were in a waiting time and must patiently await the fulfillment of the vision, for the evidence that led them to expect Christ in 1843 also led them to expect Him in 1844, though disappointment weakened the faith of many and others remained sorrowful and spiritually inactive. The first and second messages became clearer as believers studied their true position and followed Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary by faith, which prepared them to receive and proclaim the third message pointing to the most holy place. Received in their order, these messages serve as an anchor keeping those who understand them from being swept away by delusion.

Identity of Babylon

Babylon means confusion and stands for false, apostate religion. The woman holding the cup is a church, for a virtuous woman pictures a pure church and a vile woman pictures an apostate church. Her fornication and the drinking of her wine mean spiritual unfaithfulness, turning from loyalty to Christ to give love and trust to worldly things, separating from God and trampling His commandments and breaking the covenant bond pictured as marriage.

Babylon includes religious bodies that were once pure but became corrupt by clinging to her doctrines and traditions, sacrificing truth and God's approval and seeking unlawful alliance with the world for worldly favor. It cannot refer only to Rome, which had already been fallen for centuries, but also applies to Protestant churches that followed Rome's example. The name confusion aptly describes churches that claim the Bible yet are divided into many conflicting sects with differing beliefs. The announcement belongs to special closing light proclaimed since the beginning of the messages of Revelation 14 to every nation, kindred, tongue and people, declaring the spiritual and moral fall of the professed Christian churches that have become a persecuting power against those who keep God's commandments and have the testimony of Jesus, a great and solemn work marking the time for the Lord to vindicate His law.

The fallen churches are the corrupt churches of Christendom, nominal bodies in which coldness and spiritual death reign. Having rejected the testimony of God's word they no longer constitute the true church, which is only the assembly of those who have the word and are purified by it as the pillar and ground of truth, so proclamation of their fall justifies separating from former connection. Though professing to follow Christ they grow increasingly corrupt after the second angel's proclamation and become indistinguishable from the world. They retain only a form of religion without true godliness or changed heart, preferring impressive pleasing words and smooth preaching that leaves sinners unmoved to the simple humble Bible way and plain truths of Scripture, substituting human sayings for God's word. As a body they are under Satan's influence in the service of Satan, with worldly friendship standing against God so that truth brought against that spirit provokes persecution, and by rejecting the first and second messages they cannot receive the third or understand Christ's ministry in the most holy place, offering prayers to an apartment He has left and left vulnerable to Spiritualism and false reformations appearing as God's work.

Rome is apostate Babylon because of its corruptions, as the Waldenses declared at risk of their lives by resisting supremacy and image worship and keeping the true Sabbath even under persecution. The warning concerns all fallen churches including the Roman Catholic Church. It must be given without attacking other denominations or needlessly provoking prejudice, but by presenting truth clearly and powerfully so error is exposed by contrast.

Babylon is the fallen denominational churches, not God's chosen commandment-keeping people. God's people are those He has made repositories of His law, loyal and true to His Sabbath, bearing His image and immortal principles with noble Christlikeness, preserving the seventh day as the memorial of creation kept as rest and worship for close relationship with God, separate and peculiar from the churches around them that transgress His commandments. They refuse the mark of the beast and show patience through trying time even if faithfulness costs life, in contrast to the fall of Babylon. The churches that will not receive the warnings of the first, second and third messages refuse truth and accept a lie and are thereby converted into Babylon, with kings, merchants, rulers and religious teachers in corrupt harmony.

Many of God's people still remain in these churches, as shown by the future call to come out of Babylon. They are walking in all the light they have and doing something in Christian help work, but they do not yet understand this last message of mercy now being given to the world. They would do much more of that work if they understood those truths.

Nature of the Fall

The announcement declares a spiritual and moral fall, an apostasy from God on the part of the professed Christian churches. Churches that rejected the first angel's message refused a last merciful warning meant to expose their worldliness and backsliding and call them to prepare for Christ, and then sought friendship with the world. Proclaiming this fall is a great and solemn work that stands out very clearly, yet the churches refuse the message, and the announcement marks the time for the Lord to vindicate His law.

The fall began in the summer of 1844, especially where the judgment warning had been widely heard and rejected, bringing a real but incomplete moral decline and rapid spiritual decay. That rejection did not fulfill the verse completely, for the fall is progressive as churches across Christendom conform to the world and grow indifferent to the testing truths for their time. It becomes complete only when apostasy culminates in full union of church and world throughout Christendom, reaching the condition described in Revelation 18, so complete fulfillment is still future. From that point the fallen bodies grow increasingly corrupt while still claiming Christ's name, becoming indistinguishable from the world, preferring smooth preaching that leaves sinners unmoved, and substituting human sayings and mere profession for the plain truths of God's word.

Those who rejected the light went into darkness, and that darkness was very great, bringing coldness and spiritual death to reign in their midst. Having rejected the first and second messages they cannot receive the third message nor understand Christ's ministry in the most holy place, but offer prayers to an apartment He has left. This does not mean the world was doomed or that no more sinners could be converted. Left spiritually darkened, they are vulnerable to Satan's deceptions, including Spiritualism and false reformations that appear to be God's work, because they would not follow the Word in the humble Bible way but got above the work and sought something new and pleasing to man.

Hearing this gospel work brings testing and trial according to the light received, and those privileged to hear yet refusing to be enlightened throw away their last chance. It belongs to the last message of mercy for a fallen world and to the greatest and most glorious work God honors. Even an angel's message will not awaken those who refuse the plain truths of God's word, even as God's judgments are coming. The shaking exposes those unwilling to stand firmly for truth and freely sacrifice for God.

The sins exposed are the church fallen because of errors and sins and rejection of truth sent from heaven. They include enforcing religious observances through civil authority, the inroads of Spiritualism, and the rapid advance and growth of papal power. They include trampling the commandments of God and one precept of the Decalogue, denying the Sabbath instituted by God, reverencing a man-made idol Sunday sabbath, and the world in partnership with the professed churches making void the law of Jehovah. With every rejection minds grow darker and hearts more stubborn until entrenched in infidel hardihood, persecuting those who hold God's precept sacred, setting Christ at naught by contempt for His Word and His people, removing restraint from the carnal heart, making profession a cloak for iniquity, and opening the door through belief in spiritual manifestations to seducing spirits, doctrines of devils, and the influence of evil angels in the churches. The warning that exposes this neglect of duty arouses conscientious scruples the professed Christian world does not wish to have disturbed.

Wine and Forced Drinking

The wine of the wrath of her fornication is her false doctrines, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. It is a corrupting, miseducating mixture, as silver mingled with dross, that replaces truth with delusion, superstition and apostasy and spiritually intoxicates the nations. She has spread these errors far and wide until all nations drink them.

Central among that wine is giving the world a false, spurious Sabbath instead of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The true Sabbath is God's seventh-day memorial of creation, plainly told in Exodus 31, and Sabbathkeeping is the sign of the loyalty of God's people. The counterfeit is a day with no sanctity exalted above God's holy and sanctified day, a child of the papacy accepted by the Protestant world as sacred. The man of sin exalted himself above God by changing the rest day from the seventh to the first, and by sanctioning Sunday and refusing God's sign the churches separated from God and led the nations to dishonor His law.

Kindred errors in the cup include repeating the lie Satan first told Eve in Eden about the natural immortality of the soul. That lie supports Spiritualism and its train of purgatory, prayers for the dead, invocation of saints, denial of the resurrection and Judgment, eternal torment portraying God as cruel, and Universalism. With them go denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem, a temporal millennium of peace and prosperity before Christ comes, and claims that God's law ended at the cross and that Sunday replaced the fourth-commandment Sabbath.

Friendship with the world corrupts faith through unlawful alliance with earthly powers, and Babylon in turn corrupts the world by teaching doctrines contrary to plain Scripture. The charge falls where churches lead people to rely on creeds and church teachings instead of the Bible, suppress the Word, and denounce sound biblical teaching as heresy. It is giving the nations the wine when men claim liberty to cancel God's decisions and when higher critics put themselves in God's place to review, revise and endorse His Word to fit popular heresies and human practices. So presented as a cup to all nations, the wine confuses will and mind so that thousands and millions who would keep God's commandments and walk in the path cast up for the ransomed refuse full obedience and remain impenitent.

Making all nations drink is forcing men to accept the spurious Sabbath. That coercion makes the counterfeit Sabbath a test of loyalty in the conflict over worship and obedience to God's commandments. When kings and presidents drink that poisonous wine of error they are stirred with anger against those who will not harmonize with the false and satanic heresies that exalt the false Sabbath and trample God's memorial. After the example of the Papacy, men in authority in the so-called Christian world will enact laws controlling conscience, and every nation will be involved in that worldwide enforcement.

Final Repetition and Call

The fall announced here was first proclaimed in the summer of 1844, and it is to be proclaimed again with added detail about the corruptions that have entered the religious organizations since that time. That repetition is the message of Revelation 18 given by the angel who lightens the earth, uniting with the third angel's message to form the final warning and swelling into the loud cry. It is a startling revelation of the true position of churches that have drunk deeply of corrupting influence and in the last days make void the law of God in an age of open and universal contempt for His law. It is to be given by those who have light and knowledge of the Word, rising with the loyal to proclaim the third message.

By the time of the repetition the religious world is in a terrible condition, with minds darker and hearts more stubborn through every rejection of truth until entrenched in hardened unbelief. One precept of the Decalogue is trampled upon and those who hold it sacred are finally persecuted, Christ is set at naught by contempt for His Word and His people, and the teachings of Spiritualism are accepted so that restraint on the carnal heart is removed. Profession of religion becomes a cloak for iniquity, belief in spiritual manifestations opens the door to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and the influence of evil angels is felt in the churches. As Jesus cleansed the temple at the beginning of His public ministry and again near its close, so the last warning gives the second message and then repeats it with greater power. As God called Israel out of Egypt that they might keep His Sabbath, so He calls His people out of Babylon that they may not worship the beast and his image but keep His Sabbath instead of the spurious sabbath exalted by the man of sin who thought to change times and laws and set himself above God.

After truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, amid confusion and false claims to light and removal of landmarks and attempts to tear down the pillars of faith, a more decided effort is made to exalt the false sabbath by oppressive law to obliterate the knowledge of God. When Satan is working with lying wonders, the mighty angel who lightens the earth with his glory proclaims the fall again and calls upon God's people to forsake her. The repeated proclamation declares in fuller form that Babylon has become the habitation of devils and foul spirits, and this will be fulfilled so the earth will know that Heaven rules. Her sins have come into remembrance before God, and soon she will receive double from His hand for all her sins and iniquities. Its final proclamation is the last solemn warning before her fearful doom, preparing God's people for the hour of temptation.

At that time it is a life and death question of the highest importance, to be presented with boldness and power with no toning down or muffling of the truth. It belongs to the light already received calling for a decided stand on the side of truth, soon to be fulfilled during the proclamation of the third message with great power. Those who hold the beginning of their confidence firm to the end will be wide awake, and during the loud cry the church will diffuse the knowledge of salvation so abundantly that light is communicated to every city and town. The earth is filled with the knowledge of salvation and of God and His glory, and the light of present truth flashes everywhere through consecrated human agencies graciously and universally blessed by the Spirit. It goes with the repeated first message proclaiming the second advent to the world, received with power from the angel that came down from heaven having great power by those who follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes. It leads to Christ coming with power and great glory with all the holy angels, when there will be light in every dwelling of the saints and Christ the Redeemer will be admired by all who received Him.

The announcement is joined to the call for God's people to come out of Babylon so they will not share in her sins or receive her plagues. As the exiles fled literal Babylon and returned to the promised land, those who fear God are to withdraw from spiritual Babylon and will ultimately stand in the new earth, the heavenly Canaan. The fall is progressive, as churches depart farther from truth and ally themselves more closely with the world until the foretold condition is fully reached through rejection of the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6-12. At that time God's people still within her will be called to separate from her, and those who love God and are appointed by God will recognize His voice, receive heavenly light, and heed the call. The second message is thus one of two distinct final calls to the churches, the other being the heavenly voice commanding God's people to come out.

In its first application the message of the fall and the call to come out were one message preached together, and the midnight cry awakened many believers to leave the churches before the tenth day and brought them to the seventh month of 1844. The warning is now a last message to be carried to people in the cities, including those in fallen churches who are ready to respond. They are to be reached through personal work, opening the Scriptures and praying from house to house.

The verse belongs to the prophecies of Revelation 12 to 18 that are being fulfilled, leading to the very last call to the churches in Revelation 18 that is now to be given. It is part of the last message of mercy committed to Christ's servants when He entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary to perform the closing work of atonement, distinguishing His church at His appearing. Together with the rest of Revelation 14:6-14 it is to go to every nation and kindred and tongue to take out a people for His name, in which worldwide proclamation the parable of the mustard seed reaches a signal and triumphant fulfillment as the little seed becomes a tree and the earth is lightened with His glory. It is the final warning calling people to recognize the closing hours of probation and prepare to meet God. It is the last message to be given before the Lord comes, and immediately after its proclamation the Son of man is seen coming in glory to reap the harvest of the earth. That harvest follows the very last call, before the beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into the lake of fire, the dragon is bound and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, the wicked are resurrected and Satan and all the wicked are finally destroyed, and Christ triumphs and reigns on this earth.

Gospel and Doctrinal Setting

Revelation 14:8 belongs to the last message of mercy and the last truths to be given before the Lord comes, committed to His servants when He entered the most holy place to perform the closing work of atonement, and immediately after its proclamation the Son of man is seen coming in glory to reap the harvest of the earth. Together with its companion messages it proclaims the everlasting gospel everywhere, tests the world, and, received and acted upon, prepares a people to stand in the great day of God. It is infallible and the great decisive test for the whole human family, to be kept in the mouth as a hammer to break flinty hearts and as fire to consume dross and rubbish of error and sin, while Satan seeks to switch men into side-issue bypaths and false waymarks. It presents a special work of purification and putting away of sin among God's people while the investigative judgment goes forward in heaven, preparing Christ's followers to be ready for His appearing.

With the first and third it is the everlasting gospel, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus and the testimony of Jesus, to be held high as a banner and proclaimed with no feeble voice. The third embraces the first and second, belongs to the closing scenes of earth's history, and sets the final conflict between those who keep God's commandments and those who make void His law. Heralded by an angel flying in the midst of heaven, it loses none of its force in onward flight but ever increases in strength and power until the whole earth is lightened with its glory and filled with God's glory. It presents Christ's mediation, the perpetuity of His law, and the Sabbath question so plainly that hearers discern the duty of obedience, and to meet the Lawgiver over His broken law men must magnify and honor that law.

It anchors and shields those who understand it from Satan's delusions, pointing them to the Most Holy Place in the heavenly sanctuary, while the wicked who do not understand are divided from the righteous. The first, second, and third are connected truths given by God as a whole and received in their order; those who have not experienced the first and second must receive them from those who have followed them, and those who accept only part must gladly receive all or have no share in the matter. Establishing and maintaining institutions and carrying forward every line of work serve the purpose of preparing a people to remain true to God during the investigative judgment.

Sabbath observance visibly distinguishes God's people from the world as the sign of loyalty told in Exodus 31, showing conformity to God's law and non-assimilation with the world. Babylon's wine is the acceptance and forcing of a false spurious Sabbath with no sanctity in place of God's seventh-day Sabbath, making that counterfeit a test of loyalty bound up with worship and obedience to the commandments. The message warns of punishment for religious bodies that reject light and truth and combine with Satan in masterly effort against God's truth, calling God's people to fight bravely on the side of Christ in the last battle between darkness and light and to understand antichrist lest they stand on his side.

Its substance is the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, justification through faith in the Surety, and the righteousness of Christ received and made manifest in obedience to all the commandments. It is one of the broad outlines of eternal truth with righteousness through a crucified and risen Saviour and the faith of Jesus, not a detached loose doctrine but linked with other truths as one string of precious gems with the person and work of Christ as living center, forming one grand practical whole for salvation by faith that sinks self into dust. It directs eyes to His divine person, merits, and changeless love, with all power in His hands to impart His righteousness to the helpless agent, presenting the Lamb slain on the throne dispensing covenant blessings purchased by His death and pleading in heavenly courts with undiminished efficacy, so the law is never talked without preaching Christ. Given with power as saving gospel truth with a clear certain sound before probation closes, it stems moral corruption, restores God's moral image in man, draws hearts together, lays duty on every believer, sanctifies the soul, beautifies and ennobles individuality, and with the Laodicean call to buy gold, white raiment, and eyesalve brings repentance of lukewarmness, confession, restitution, and a new song of His matchless love. Those who preach this last mercy must present Christ as the sinner's refuge and teach repentance, faith, and the plan of salvation, for many do not know the gospel.

Daniel and Revelation prove this truth for the time of trouble, with Revelation complementing and unsealing Daniel to earth's last scenes; the prophecies of Daniel and John interpret each other and by fulfillment in these last days explain themselves as witnesses. Its study and belief are important for meeting trials that test loyalty, its truth is essential to salvation and requires earnest consecrated study under the Spirit, and its proclamation requires a different order in educating children and youth and training laymen of every tongue by prayer, humility, and organized work to explain, convict, convert, and save. Its proclamation is the burden of God's work in the last days and a work for ministers and every church member at this stage of earth's history.

Its prophetic place at the time of the end just before the day of God is fixed and not still future, explained at the appointed time through God's guidance; gathering its truths without giving that place misleads about where they belong and about the signs of Christ's coming and the end of the world. To search Scripture for proof they are still future misreads as the Jews misread prophecies of Christ's appearing, ascribing His glorious second appearing to His first advent while He stood among them though having Moses, Daniel, Isaiah, and the prophets. No one is excusable for setting aside these special present truths due at the very close of history to preach Christ alone, for none can preach Christ as He is in Jesus without presenting present truth amid important developments. Scientific spiritualistic philosophy takes minds away from the message and puts strong men under a spell as foolish virgins associating with those taught by the deceiver for a campaign of unbelief.

It is the solemn threefold gospel warning and last call, far-reaching as eternity, to be proclaimed simply in the Spirit's power without outward display throughout the world including most difficult fields and sinful cities where unheard. Like Noah's preaching before the Flood it warns, tests, and proves the world, calling those who see its light to turn from transgression to obedience to God's law before the Lord punishes transgressors of the Ten Commandments. It is the all-important work for this time that nothing may hinder, the last warning with the final invitation to the marriage supper to be given by the remnant representing truth for their time, an old truth to be proclaimed without hesitation with power to convict and convert. Knowing these grand soul-saving truths lays solemn duty to awake from indifference and tell the uninstructed before the day of Christ, to fit a people for His coming in clouds with power and great glory.

Worldwide Proclamation Mandate

Revelation 14:8 is the second of three messages that must reach people throughout the world before Christ's second advent, declaring that Babylon has fallen because she made all nations drink the wine of her fornication and wrath. It is one of the special truths to be proclaimed with a loud voice to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, as great present light on the near advent to all inhabitants until everyone has heard and decided. This great sacred solemn work involving tremendous issues is to be continued till the close of earth's history as urgent last mercy, with all coming into harmony in the time for fearing God and giving glory to Him. It belongs to the chapter outlining the work of God's people in the final days to proclaim and practice the everlasting gospel clearly, growing in importance as history nears its close, with the crisis right upon us and only a moment left before the end comes when the warning has gone out. It announces Babylon's fall and exposes her corrupting influence leading all nations into spiritual unfaithfulness, presenting light revealed by Christ for the last days concerning then-existing wickedness and the mark of the beast, to be proclaimed to everyone before opportunity for labor ends.

The angels symbolize God's people enlightened by the Holy Spirit and sanctified through the truth, who accept God's messages and go out as His agents to warn the world in their appointed order. They proclaim the truth appropriate for the times with pen and voice, not in a tame spiritless way and not as a literal heavenly voice, but openly, earnestly, rapidly and with increasing power in demonstration of the power of God without shame, hesitation, cringing, or covering its origin and purpose. These are clean-cut special truths fraught with eternal interests that have separated God's people from the churches and the world into sacred nearness to Himself as depositaries of His law and prophecy as a sacred trust, not to be made less prominent to follow counsels of unbelievers. From a very small missionary beginning great results are accomplished in a heavenly sphere beyond human ambition, producing impressions so powerful that truth is separated from rubbish of error in unblemished beauty amid lofty solemn refining grand scenes. As light of the world every soul accepting Jesus is actuated by His love and sacrifice to preach the gospel to every creature throughout length and breadth of earth, moving triumphantly to elevate, ennoble, purify and dignify, linking earth to heaven and lifting the cross with new vigor revealing the unlimited sin-pardoning power of the Saviour in the heart of the broken law, with nothing permitted to hinder this all-important work for time and eternity.

Flying means swiftness and urgency requiring the go-forward principle instead of pull-back caution over means, with forward movement, far-seeing judgment, educated and disciplined talent, and thrusting workers two by two into dying churches and new places to visit families and warn the world. The first, second, and third angels' messages are to be repeated in prophetic order as the binding-off message preparing a people for the coming of the King, giving the certain sound with assurance under the Holy Spirit while binding up the law among disciples. That certain sound is to meet the emergency of honest souls in all large cities and over the land who are confused by strange religious developments and stand in uncertainty waiting to hear, a warning now twenty years behind that must now be heard. Carrying it to large cities and new fields demands determination, earnest plans, releasing workers tied where many interests center to go as missionaries, and supporting the living preacher where wisely expended labor will be effective, with true ministers of sanctified common sense dealing with minds and not fables, sanctified hearts, wisdom to plan amid harder conditions from past neglect, and complete consecration of soul, mind, and body including the great city work. The printed page alone cannot accomplish it, requiring many men and women with ability to preach and teach who explain Scriptures, pray, appeal, live the truths, and associate with people under the Spirit while angels impress minds and hearts, so one living discourse does what many publications could not.

Proclaiming includes publishing institutions cooperating with the ministry of heaven's delegates to send forth the terrible denunciation against Babylon for making all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. It is every man's appointed work, each asking what he can do, laboring in needy home fields where ignorance and destitution remain instead of sending all means to foreign lands, and where entrance to churches cannot be gained giving it in camp-meetings. It is spread by scattering broadcast tracts, leaflets, and books containing the message for this time through workers and colporteurs circulating publications everywhere, standing with unswerving faith in Israel's God and leaning on the living God rather than men, helping carry the last warning to those who might otherwise never hear. Judicious literature distribution belongs on trains, streets, ships, and mails with house to house Bible opening, yet without personal explanation, prayer, and godly association the printed page alone cannot do the work.

Health reform is the entering wedge for the truth of the gospel, as closely connected with the third angel's message as the hand is with the body, because violating natural law by depraved appetite and lustful passion violates God's law, and its light shines so men realize the sinfulness of breaking laws established in their very being. Medical missionary work supports the message proclaimed to a fallen world, as its right arm, with faithful physicians, managers, and workers in any line doing the work of the message so its sound goes to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people while angels join, awakening joy and melody in hearts freed from suffering until thanksgiving arises from receivers of precious truth. Sanitariums placed near cities and medical missionary work are most important agencies God has given to advance God's closing warning work now to be sounded in densely populated districts to enlighten the world, with opening providences requiring clear spiritual discernment to understand and keep its great object in sight as the great crisis stands just before us. It is not to be given in abrupt declarations of any phase of faith but preached as truth as it is in Jesus with brightness and special radiance from the Sun of Righteousness, dwelling on Christ's lessons and practical godliness under the Spirit with confidence and love, where simplest humble testimonies expressing God's love touch hearts and show doctors, nurses, and workers combined to represent truth in character. Such establishments must not eclipse, distort, or hinder the message by absorbing funds so it is hindered, for those are not required.

Work in the cities is to be regarded as of special importance as a long-delayed warning now to be proclaimed both in lands far off and neglected places close by where multitudes dwell unwarned and unsaved. The second angel's message must now be united with the third and proclaimed with great power and a loud voice in cities large and small, especially large cities, exalting truth to prepare a people for the coming King because time is short. It is to be carried by carefully selected workers laboring two and two in harmony with counsel of experienced leaders under Christ's direction and commission, given to cities of the East and carried city to city and town to town shining light on the near advent, which some receive gladly while others turn away losing hold on God and truth. Families are not to settle in their turmoil and moral demoralization but work from outposts by preaching, healing, sanitariums near cities, schools, camp meetings, and memorials, reaching far-off lands including Central Europe, Sweden, Italy, Australia, England, Melbourne, and Washington with its Sabbath proclamation. In Central Europe the message of Revelation 14:6-12 is to have final extended proclamation where work done prepares way and agencies for great conflict in behalf of present truth, as everlasting gospel with Sabbath truth in connection with the second coming and related doctrines preached with energy despite opposition of pastors, privations, financial difficulties, and language barriers, triumphing and calling out a people prepared for Christ's return with companies and families accepting and remaining faithful.

Carrying it forward successfully requires order and system in God's church on earth in keeping with heaven's order. It calls for a missionary spirit leaving churches to go into the field, adding new territory to the Lord's kingdom, planting the standard in towns and cities never hearing truth under the Spirit's true working on character, continuing essentially in new fields so many may be saved. This requires faithful stewardship of tithe reserved for sustaining ministry and missions rather than diverted to church expenses, guarded use of means not used largely in few places nor in commercial enterprises, with more church buildings and missionaries including work for the colored people by converted workers as faithful ministers and teachers. Bearing this testing message in home and foreign fields shows its high dignity by establishing sanitariums, schools, and publishing houses in new fields with genuine medical missionary work, annexing territory, raising churches, adding souls, requiring adequate funds and laborers to support providentially opened missions and support for aged workers, with division of forces into unentered territory.

Church members young and old should be educated to go forth to proclaim the last gospel message for this time, with young men and women trained as laborers together with God imbued with love for souls and taking up the work to which God calls them. The Lord will send forth men taken from the plough, from the vineyard, and from various other branches of work, with cultivated talent and whole-hearted unselfish workers laboring earnestly, seriously, and cheerfully putting whole heart into sounding the note preparing Christ's way. Those proclaiming in humility are accompanied by angels teaching how to lift the voice in prayer, raise it in song, and proclaim the message, with song one of the most effective means impressing spiritual truth and often unsealing springs of penitence and faith. Those receiving the Holy Spirit's quickening influence and seeking to teach others have refreshed minds presenting new strangely beautiful words in prayer, song, and speaking the Word, while older experienced workers understanding these messages are precious and are to husband strength and connect in labor to bring strength to the cause.

Its proclamation is continually confronted with obstacles as Satan and evil men combine to work disaster, deception, and ruin while large fields and regions beyond open in highways and byways. Giving this last message of mercy is urgent work requiring wakefulness, perfect unity among servants, quick seizing of providential advantages, and prompt forward action, with many watching carriers and voices from unexpected quarters urging it forward before Satan hinders. God and Christ and heavenly angels work with intense activity to hold back Satan's wrath so God's plans are not thwarted, restraining wrath and holding the four winds in the lull before the storm while nations are confused. This belongs to the last days on the threshold of solemn events just before the unprecedented storm when kingdoms are shaken and the end is near, when church and state united restrict liberty and exalt Sunday, and it is time for God to work with desolation plain to the God-fearing student of prophecy as crisis comes as a thief in the night.

Watchmen and sentinels, in a special sense presidents of conferences and men in responsible positions, are entrusted with giving the last note of warning to a perishing world in earnest and not with a tame spiritless message. They must set in operation every possible means by which members may learn to work for the perishing, with experienced teaching the inexperienced as they pray together and search the Word together. Carrying it requires God's people to blend harmoniously in service and work in Christ's lines, some going to calling missionary fields and others unable to go helping with means to support the work.

Faithful Response and Opposition

Receiving the truth lays responsibility to act upon it and help carry the warning to others, to study Scripture diligently, to awake to responsibility, and to show genuine faith and spirituality by works rather than mere theory. It is present truth to be carried amid opposition and persecution, the principal work for this time to prepare a people in working order, bearing blessing on those who read, hear, and do it and warning of a conflict in which every individual will have a part. Those who hear it must not assimilate with the world nor treat these special warnings as secondary to medical missionary work, but must leave worldly practices and be separate and distinct, keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, refusing confederacy, counsel, or contracts with unbelievers on vital interests. To repress this truth to carry another banner leaves God's banner trailing in the dust and diverts money, talent, and means designed to prosper His work for His chosen loyal commandment-keeping people.

It is a message of mercy and warning sent just before the great day of God to test all nations and prepare people for the day of the Lord, calling them back to obedience to God's law and to carry its light to the world. The breach to be identified by teaching and example is the change of the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first. It stands in ordered sequence as the second of the three angels' messages, an essential link in prophetic history leading to the present whose fulfillment is shown through historical events figuratively portraying events to the close of earth's history. It is to be heeded now amid surrounding adulterated Christianity by turning to the Lord in obedience to His commandments rather than walking in the way of neighbors blinded by sophistries, repenting and doing the first works, valuing eternal life above gaining the whole world, and changing course for one's own soul and for children. Proclaiming it is an entrusted duty demanding faithful self-sacrificing service even at the cost of life, bearing living testimony as witnesses while advancing steadily without fear of enemies, showing kindness to the disloyal, depending humbly, holding firm confidence to the end, and resisting temptation by watching and prayer.

Those who bear the last warning must live its principles and show by conduct that they believe its sacred truths and honor God's law, with pure hearts and clean hands rising above worldly standards in view of short time and coming judgment. A weak reformation and a life that does not reflect belief undermine the message, and indulgence of appetite and passion in eating and drinking clouds the mind, weakens physical and moral strength, and diminishes power of witness. Temperance, self-control, and practical godliness with health of body, mind, and spirit preserve efficiency for this most exalted work that decides destiny, while scoffers and unbelievers cannot stop it and each must stand in personal integrity as Noah warned before the Flood.

The message calls for humility and surrender, walking humbly to see salvation, living in the world without belonging to it with modest dress, words, actions, and pilgrim spirit distinct from the world in thought, conversation, and dress. It reaches every oath-bound alliance and secret society, calling God's people out from worldly ways to self-denial in clothing and needless spending, with surplus means used to employ workers rather than spent on unnecessary things, story magazines, or cheap literature. United work with heart, mind, influence, and money is to support laborers in the field, for the wants of the cause and of the poor test character and develop moral perfection fitting for translation.

The first, second, and third messages together form a firm platform and solid immovable foundation of established faith with God as Master Builder, dearly purchased through suffering and severe conflict as God led step by step. True understanding of the second message is of vital importance because destiny hangs upon how it is received, and it is to be guarded firmly with no countenance to those who would unsettle it, move a block or stir a pin, find fault and wish improvements, or step off to declare it laid wrong. Those who complained and left are to cease complaint and with humble look step back upon it in firm union, cherishing and feeding upon this essential truth for strength and readiness for the Son of Man in the clouds, while theories that uproot it divert minds from what is essential.

Workers must stick to this infallible decisive test for the whole human family and let truth do its work as a hammer to break flinty hearts and as fire to consume dross and rubbish of error and sin, keeping it in the mouth to cut away evils while each looks to God to set his own soul in order. The mind must be kept fixed with a certain sound, loins girded and hope to the end, not turned aside to vagaries, with clean vessels and free hands to receive latter rain and then proclaim the commandments of God and testimony of Jesus and press on. Leading and most urgent features must remain central and not be divorced by excessive rescue work, yet gospel and medical missionary work bound together in towns and cities by camp meetings, homes, and humble buildings establish centers of influence; bearers must not entangle with irrelevant theories, hobbies, lesser disputed things, or fables that draw attention away, but teach truth as in Jesus with heart holiness free from selfishness, envy, and jealousy.

Satan seeks to obscure meaning, appointed time and place, and to cast hellish shadow so the remnant shall not clearly discern import, switching men from the track into side-issue bypaths and false waymarks and counterworking with false theories and making void the law. Though the united threefold work remains living truth shaping experience while time lasts and will deepen, widen, and increase in power despite strong religious opposition, it has awakened intense opposition from the religious world. Its proclamation by humble men of faith and prayer with the Spirit's unction lays open Babylon's sins — enforcing church observances by civil authority, inroads of Spiritualism, rapid papal advance — stirring thousands who demand a plain Thus saith the Lord, while popular ministers soothe fears with fables and smooth things and like Pharisees denounce it as of Satan and stir the sin-loving to revile and persecute.

Shepherds who refuse it search Scripture diligently not to learn but to condemn serious searching warnings, resisting whatever does not vindicate their church and refusing to hear or search for light that would change doctrinal views into harmony with truth, since ceremonial worship is valueless while tradition covers truth. Nominal churches stop and anchor at a point refusing further light, then after warning form a confederacy barricaded against it for fear receiving light lets them through a trapdoor into a pit, setting stakes fast and deceived though richest treasures are opened and every mind needs them.

The warning must cut away superstition and priestcraft to have force, with God giving the true perfect sound as it comes to the people, arousing an infatuated deceived perishing world and allowing no mingling of truth and error. Drinking from Babylon's cup means nations commit spiritual fornication by separating from God and trampling His commandments, in contrast to loyal keepers of the commandments and faith of Jesus who refuse the beast's mark with patience even at cost of life. It tells past, present, and future and outlines closing scenes more distinctly and widely than any other message, to be proclaimed urgently and cautiously in understanding of the Lord's will and imbued with His Spirit while God, Christ, and angels restrain wrath.

It exalts God's holy perfect law and never leads to unchastity, moral pollution, or impropriety, so denouncing the church and leaders as backslidden, forsaken, and fallen while breaking the commandments and claiming to be its messengers is fanatical error going to great extremes. Already lightening the earth with glory as the last mercy message, it proclaims readiness for the Son of man in an unexpected hour yet gives no authority to fix His coming in five, ten, or twenty years. Delay shows mercy giving time to warn the unreached in cities, highways, and many countries, to strengthen faith by fulfilled prophecy unto final triumph, and to gather from every kindred, class, and organization of error a people complete in all gospel reforms amid perils where evil seeks to deceive even the elect.

Neglect to proclaim it will bring deep regret, for God's word is fulfilling and the wicked bind themselves as bundles for burning while darkness covers the earth. Nearness of the end requires learning and teaching to stand in God's preparation, carried in America and Europe with enlarged publications and new fields while angels hold the four winds, demanding whole consecration, living faith, prayer, dependence on Christ, and intelligent thorough healthful labor. Untiring effort and deep concern are urgent for the unwarned, with wholehearted cheerful labor, and the time will come when men, women, and youth are imbued with its spirit.

It must be given in highways, new fields, and every church when members awake in unity, love, and prayer with none hindered, by those preserving individuality, keeping influence for righteousness, and cooperating with heavenly beings lest light become darkness. Nothing is to eclipse it nor minor thing bind it in a small circle without access to the people at large, and absorbing work and means must not crowd out God's assigned worldwide work to every nation including men of high standing. Its urgency demands earnest self-sacrificing efforts to save sinners in danger of ruin, even as powers outside the little flock unite to exalt Sunday and enforce it by stringent laws.

Schools must bring a different order, changing study from misleading books and long-accustomed worldly practices, habits, and customs to make the Word the textbook with heart, soul, and will, reforming education of children and youth for these last days. Its study and belief are understandable instruction from Christ through John to the churches, essential to salvation and important for meeting trials that test loyalty, requiring earnest study. Laymen of every tongue and nation, and gospel ministers with every member, are to be trained by prayer, humility, and organized work with economy and Christlikeness to explain Bible truth, convict, convert, and proclaim it with zeal proportionate to light in new territory including Sweden.

Its truths must enter daily life now without slumber, known and done through dependence on God's power, remaining the present burden to save souls and advance the gospel rather than criticize workers or spread weakening reports. The standard of the three messages is holy, and letting it trail in dust through false teaching insults the Lord; watchmen who mislead make souls responsible to search Scripture like Bereans with keen discernment, and those who turn blessing to curse and ignore evidences should tremble lest the candlestick be removed unless they repent. Confession removing divisions lets proclaimers hold fast by faith rooted in Christ, work in fellowship wide-awake to the end, and diffuse salvation till every city and town is lighted and the earth filled with knowledge of God and His glory through consecrated agencies blessed by the Spirit, molding minds for heavenly courts.