The Three Angels' Messages and the Wine of Babylon

Revelation 14:6-12

6 And I saw another angel fly in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

7 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.

8 And 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.

9 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,

10 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:

11 And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

The three angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12 represent a final, threefold gospel proclamation intended to prepare a people for the second coming of ChristGNT 107.8+2. These messages are cumulative and inseparable; while they rise in consecutive order, they blend and sound together until the harvest of the earth is ripeGNT 107.8+2.

🕊️ The First Angel's Message: The Hour of Judgment

The first message is the "everlasting gospel" characterized by a call to "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come" Revelation 14:6-7.

• A Universal Call: This message is addressed to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, signaling a global movementGNT 133.4+1.

• The Investigative Judgment: The "hour of judgment" refers to an investigative work that began in the heavenly sanctuary in 1844, determining who is worthy of the resurrection or translation before Christ appearsARSH November 18, 1862, page 196.27+1.

• True Worship: It calls humanity back to worshiping the Creator of the heavens, earth, and sea, which is a direct reference to the authority of the fourth commandment Revelation 14:7SITI September 2, 1886, page 536.3+1.

• Historical Fulfillment: This movement was strikingly fulfilled by the Advent proclamation between 1840 and 1844, led by individuals moved by the Spirit of God to announce the nearness of the kingdomSLG 17.2+1.

🏛️ The Second Angel's Message: The Fall of Babylon

The second message follows the first, announcing that "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city" Revelation 14:8.

• Reason for the Fall: Babylon falls because she has made all nations drink of the "wine of the wrath of her fornication," which represents unscriptural doctrines and mystical interpretations of the WordBP2 65.3+1.

• Identification of Babylon: Babylon signifies confusion and represents organized religious bodies that have rejected the light of the first angel's message, thereby suffering a moral fallBP2 65.3+1.

• A Call to Separate: This message reaches its climax in a call for God's people to "Come out of her" so they do not participate in her sins or receive her plagues Revelation 18:4BP2 65.3+1.

🛡️ The Third Angel's Message: The Final Warning

The third message is the most solemn warning in Scripture, directed against the worship of the beast and his imageEVRR471+1.

• The Mark of the Beast: It warns that those who receive the mark of the beast in their forehead or hand will drink the unmixed wrath of God in the seven last plagues Revelation 14:9-10TMR 110.1+1.

• The Great Test: The central issue of this message is the law of God, specifically the SabbathSITI December 15, 1887, page 760.3+1. The mark of the beast involves a counterfeit sabbath—Sunday—set up in place of the Lord's seventh-day SabbathDAR 626.5.

• The Remnant Character: Those who heed this message are identified as those who "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" Revelation 14:12TMR 110.1+1.

• Purpose: This message is designed to draw a distinct line between worshipers of God and worshipers of the beast, preparing the saints for the final crisis and the appearing of Christ on the white cloudTMR 110.1+2.

🌟 The Threefold Unity

Although they are three distinct proclamations, they constitute one inseparable, last saving message1MR 57.2+2.

• Living Agencies: The "angels" represent human agents who accept the light and go forth as God's messengers to sound the warning throughout the earthCCh 58.5+2.

• Connection to Christ: The "faith of Jesus" and His righteousness are the core of these messages, which are meant to swallow up all other themesBDOC 11.9+1.

• The Final Harvest: This work will grow in power until the earth is lightened with glory, culminating in the second advent when the Son of man reaps the harvest of the earth Revelation 14:14-162SM 114.1+1.

Yes, the doctrine of the Trinity is indeed considered part of the unscriptural wine of Babylon and a mystical interpretation of the Word that contributes to her moral fallARSH August 29, 1865, page 101.3+2. This teaching is a humanly devised theory that effectively does away with the distinct personalities of God the Father and His Son, Jesus ChristARSH August 29, 1865, page 101.3+1.

🍷 The Wine of False Doctrine

Babylon is fallen because she has made the nations drink of her intoxicating wine, which represents false doctrines that benumb the spiritual sensesEVRR646+1. The Trinitarian view is a specific example of this wine, as it presents a Godhead that the human mind cannot truly comprehend and lacks a solid scriptural foundationARSH August 29, 1865, page 101.3. By harboring such unscriptural doctrines, religious organizations give aid to the enemy and commit treason against the cause they profess to serveAMS June 20, 1895, page 193.5.

🌀 Mystical Interpretations and the Trinity

The rise of Trinitarianism is closely linked to a system of mystical interpretations which rob the Word of God of its literal, life-giving powerAMS July 15, 1897, page 439.1+1.

• A Departure from Literal Sense: Much like the ancient Jewish cabalists, those who hold to these views often neglect the plain, literal meaning of Scripture in favor of "interminable jargon" and "mystical expositions"TTR 333.1+2.

• The Loss of Personality: This doctrine obscures the truth that God is a personal being with a form and that Christ is a distinct individual, the Son of the FatherHHMLD 33.3+2.

• Historical Origins: The doctrine was established and enforced through early church councils, such as the Council of Nice, where the bishop of Rome and earthly governments decided matters of faith instead of relying on the Word of GodAMS September 15, 1892, page 284.14+1.

⚖️ Unscriptural Nature of the Doctrine

The Bible provides a clear distinction between the Father and the Son, which the Trinity doctrine tends to merge or confuseATO 187.19+1.

• The Begotten Son: Scripture speaks of a specific day when the Father said to the Son, "this day have I begotten thee," a declaration that separates Him from the angels Psalms 2:7+1.

• Distinct Beings: While they are one in attributes, character, and power, they are not one numerically; Jesus is not His own FatherTTA 18.3.

• The Role of the Holy Spirit: While the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the three great powers of heaven, the term "person" as applied to the Godhead should not be defined by finite human dictionaries but by the Spirit's own testimony in Scripture7ABC 442.2+1.

⚠️ A Sign of the Last Days

The requirement of a belief in the Trinity has even been sought as a legal test-oath by civil powers, mirroring the "imperial Christian absolutism" that led to the development of the papacyAUSSC 27.3+2. This reliance on man-made creeds instead of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus is a primary characteristic of fallen Babylon Revelation 14:8, 12RCASDA 64.2+1. Adhering to the plain truths of the Bible is the only way to remain sober and avoid being drunken with these popular errorsARSH February 25, 1862, page 101.3+2.