The Third Angel's Message of Rev. XIV

THE third angel makes his proclamation in the period of the patience of the saints. As the three messages immediately precede the second coming of Christ, this period of patience here brought to view must be the same as that which in many portions of Scripture is located just before the second advent. A few texts must suffice:—

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence 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.

"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience." James 5:7-10.

"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Rev. 3:10, 11.

Isa 25:9 KJV - "And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isa. 25:9.

The period of the patience of the saints is distinguished by the fact that they are keeping the commandments of God. As these are distinguished from the faith of Jesus which it is said that they also keep, we are certain that the commandments of the Father are intended. Thus the New Testament brings to view God's commandments:—

"And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Matt. 19:17-19.

"And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment." Luke 23:56.

Mat 5:17-19 KJV - "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 5:17-19.

Eph 6:2-3 KJV - "Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." Eph. 6:2, 3.

Mat 15:3-6 KJV - "But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Matt. 15: 3-6.

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." Rom. 7:7-14.

The faith of Jesus must signify the precepts and doctrines of our Lord as recorded in the New Testament. Thus "the faith of the gospel " (Phil. 1:27) must refer to the precepts and doctrines of the gospel. "The faith" to which a multitude of the priests were obedient (Acts 6:7), which was resisted by Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 3:8), which was committed to the apostles for the obedience of all nations (Rom. 1:5), which Paul testifies that he had kept (2 Tim. 4:7), and which is to be earnestly maintained, as once delivered to the saints (Jude 3), must refer, we think, to the precepts and doctrines of the everlasting gospel. That the faith of Jesus is used in this sense in Rev. 2:13, we think cannot be denied. "Thou holdest fast my name," says Jesus, "and hast not denied my faith." That this is the sense in which it is used in Rev. 14:12, is further evident from the fact that it is spoken of as kept in the same manner that the commandments of God are kept.

Finally we see the unclean spirits preparing for the great conflict. We see in America the preparation for a universal Sunday Law. We see the papal power aroused to assert that the pope is infallible, and to claim universal dominion over the kingdoms of the world. We hear the warning voice of the third angel, and we see many thousand commandment-keepers arising to obey. These are signs of the times. May the reader regard the solemn warning. We occupy the most solemn and interesting period in the history of the church. The end of all things is at hand; God has given us warning concerning the things which are coming upon our earth. The conflict with the beast and his image hastens. In this conflict the people of God will be proved as were the three Hebrew worthies when Nebuchadnezzar commanded them to worship the image of gold. Read carefully Dan. 3. God saved them by direct intervention, but not till after they had been brought to a terrible extremity. He has promised to interpose for his people, but this will not be till the time of trouble, such as never was, shall have come upon the earth.

The conflict with the beast and his image is inevitable, but the issue of this conflict is not a matter of doubt. God will deliver his people, but it will not be till they are brought to such extremity as to cry day and night to him for deliverance. Luke 18:7, 8.

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Rev. 15:2, 3. God has given this message of warning in mercy to mankind. May he give to each of us grace to heed the solemn warning.