The mention of the three angels’ messages immediately stirs the Adventist camp. A great majority recognize and embrace the messages as one of the doctrines defining the identity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Nearly all Church mission statements, at any level of the Church, including institutions, reference Rev. 14:6-12.
Yet, there are remote corners of the Adventist camp that groan when the messages are mentioned. In these corners reaction varies from outright denial of the interpretation to excess worrying over the reaction of the proclamation.
There are those standing on the edges of the three angels’ messages landscape. The debate is over the proclamation. Hovering on one side are those calling for a scalding, in-your-face revelation of the beast, the mark of the beast, and the fire and brimstone awaiting those choosing the mark of the devil’s authority. On the other edge come voices of those clothed in what appears to be the sophisticated and academically superior armor of new light. They demand the old identities of Adventism be revised or even thrown-out and claim a smooth message resonating with the collective wisdom of the world will usher in a great harvest where an invented new grace negates the need for repentance, reform, and holy living.
The Right Focus
Is it not time to call for a three angels’ messages reset? The edges of the Church must draw together. The proclamation of the three angels’ messages is not optional (see sidebar). Too long have the edges of the Church interpreted these messages as bad news. One edge wants to fling what they see as bad news in the face of the world and the other edge wants to eliminate or change what they perceive as bad news to no news. The edges have chosen the wrong focus.
These three messages are not bad news; but rather, they are good news. The Three Angels’ Messages Committee at the General Conference is moving forward to energize this reset. All Seventh-day Adventists are called to pray, study, and with divine urgency re-shake their perception, asking themselves, “Do I see and embrace the good-news-hope of the three angels’ messages?”
Divine counsel from Ellen White provides that from which both edges of the debate can benefit:
- “The proclamation of the first, second and third angels’ messages has been located by the Word of inspiration. Not a peg or pin is to be removed” (Selected Messages, Vol 2, 104.2)
- “We should not, upon entering a place, build up unnecessary barriers between us and other denominations, especially the Catholics, so that they shall think we are their avowed enemies. We should not create a prejudice in their minds unnecessarily, by making a raid upon them. . . From that which God has shown me, a great number will be saved from among the Catholics” (Man. 14, 1887).
Research Reveals
Research from the world survey conducted by the General Conference’s Office of Archives, Statistics and Research[1] indicates a small percentage of Seventh-day Adventists are unclear on how to embrace the distinctive identifying doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, including the themes of the three angels’ messages. If the proclamation of the three angels’ messages is the work of the Church just before Jesus comes the second time, would it not be in the interest of every member to relook at the good news of these vital messages?
Reviewing the Messages
One of the primary purposes of the three angels’ messages found in Rev. 14:6-12 is to know and to identify the characteristics of God’s remnant people. These characteristics include:
- They have the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14:12).
- They keep the commandments of God (Rev. 14:12).
- They are guided by the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of Prophecy (Rev. 12:17 and 19:10).
To strengthen our understanding of each of these vital messages, let us take a few moments to consider them one by one.
The First Angel
Overview: God’s end-time remnant church will proclaim Jesus’ life, faith, sacrifice, love, mercy, grace, righteousness, and victory to everyone. All people will know that God’s judgment is real and happening now (see Rev. 14:7). Everyone will be called to give the Creator God glory and recognize the Sabbath as the mark of the true gospel.
For deeper study:
- Everlasting Gospel: John 3:16; Rom. 1:16; 16:25-26; Col. 1:26-27
- Fear God: Deuteronomy 6:24; 10:12; 1 Sam. 12:24; Psalms 33:8, Prov. 16:6
- Give glory to God: Psalms 29:2; 96:8; Rom. 4:20-22; 1Cor. 10:31
- Worship the Creator: Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15; Mark 2:27; Rev. 4:9-11
The Second Angel
Overview: The second angel announces the collapse of a false gospel and system of worship. The true gospel triumphs. End-time Babylon is a global apostate religious power, a threefold union, composed of Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Spiritualistic forms of false worship.
For deeper study:
- Babylon has fallen: Rev. 13; 17:3-7; 18:4-11
- Collapse of the false gospel: Rev. 18:4-11
- Triumph of the true gospel: Dan. 7:27; Matt. 24:14; Rev. 14:12
The Third Angel
Overview: The third angel warns against worshiping the beast and his image. The beast represents the papacy, and the image of the beast is formed when the United States makes and enforces laws for the observance of Sunday. The mark of the beast is received when Sunday is observed as the day of worship because it is commanded by law. As a final part of the judgment, evil and all who cling to it will receive its justice and be destroyed by fire—unquenchable until only smoke remains, the effects of which are eternal.
For deeper study:
- Warning against Worshiping the Beast and His Image: Rev. 12:17; 13:1-18; 18:1-5
- Christ is uplifted and a people is prepared: John 12:32; Rom. 3:22-26; 8:1-4; 1 Cor. 1:2, 7-8; 1 Thess. 5:23-24; 2 Thess. 1:10; Titus 3:5-7; 2 Peter 3:10-12; Rev. 12:17; 14:12
- Smoke…day and night: Ps. 37:20; 68:2; Isa. 34:10; Mal. 4:1; Matt. 3:12; Jude 6-7
Study to Show Thyself Approved
When Kellogg realized that most people had heard of Cornflakes, but few had tasted them, they came up with a slogan: “Taste them again for the first time.” Taste the three angels’ messages again, maybe for the first time. Urgently study these themes of Revelation 14:6-12, using the Bible as the infallible standard of truth. Complement your study with the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary and reference to the Three Angels’ Messages Committee website: threeangels.info, where you can review many helpful resources, including the Biblical Research Institute’s summary sheet: “Three Angels’ Messages.”
Good News
Not long ago my wife and I were part of an off-road 4-wheeler group traveling across the rugged back country of Utah. Carefully, we crept down the wall of a huge gorge as we prepared to cross a small stream. Just as we were beginning to relax, we rounded a hairpin curve and found a sign at the bottom of the canyon: “WHEN FLOODED TURN AROUND DON’T DROWN”. Not one of our nine members whined about that sign. No comments were made criticizing those who posted and proclaimed such a negative message. Each person looked that stream over very carefully. And though it looked like the sign had been there for many, many years, and though there was only 3 inches of water in the stream at the time, the signs of a raging torrent were strewn high up on the bank of that little stream. To all, the sign was good news. That old Utah sign made me wonder what Noah’s sign looked like (see Matthew 24:37-39).
Proclamation: Getting Started
Recently, the world church has focused on three major objectives for the proclamation of the three angels’ messages:
1) To communicate to the Church an accurate, clear definition of the three angels’ messages.
2) To develop new and meaningful resources for all church members, and materials that can easily be understood by all people.
3) To encourage and facilitate partnerships initiating multiple plans of proclamation.
The revival of commitment and urgency are among the Church’s greatest needs. How do we get started? Prayer and Bible study must be the constant companion of the proclamation initiative. With the Holy Spirit all things are possible.
Materials are being developed by multiple departments and entities of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in order to provide resources for every corner of the Church. A great place to find these helpful materials, plans, and witnessing ideas is at threeangels.info. New materials and plans are posted regularly on this website. Current materials already available or being developed include a two-part program called “Three Angels’ Messages One Million.” This includes theThree Angels’ Messages Global Proclamation – for proclamation communicators (in process) and The “Digital Missionary Movement” (system of coordination of Digital Missionaries, available now).
Additional Resources
- “Three Cosmic Messages” video series by Pastor Mark Finley (available now)
- The Score Project – Proclamation material and study guides in 50 languages previously unpublished by the church (in process).
- Great Controversy Project 2.0 – Missionary book of the year for 2023 and 2024
- Missionary Book of the Year for 2022, The Final Hope: Three Messages For an Anxious World, by Clifford Goldstein (available now)
- Biblical Hermeneutics Seminar Video Presentations from the Biblical Research Institute, featuring BRI and other scholars (available now).
- Biblical Hermeneutics: An Adventist Approach, Frank M. Hasel, Editor, Biblical Research Institute (available now).
- Three Angels for Kids – (K-12) curriculum for elementary and secondary (available now)
- “Morning is Coming”— three angels’ messages presented by 300 young preachers in 30 languages (available now).
- The Three Angels’ Messages – a new compilation by the Ellen G. White Estate (in process)
- Three Angels’ Messages for Children – Interactive and age appropriate (in process).
- ” Voice of Youth 1000″ – young people preaching the Three Angels’ Messages – (available now)
- Sidewalk Evangelism – Placing workers on the sidewalks in 100 of the world’s largest cities to invite millions to Three Angels’ Messages Bible studies (in process)
- Twelve Bible Study Lessons on the Three Angels’ Messages – Designed for women seeking involvement. These materials can be used digitally or in face-to-face meetings (available now through the Women’s Ministries Department).
- The Elijah Message – Where are the Elijahs? How families can be involved in proclaiming the Three Angels Messages (available now).
- Ministerial Association: Hosts and maintains the website info (available now).
- Biblical Research Institute (BRI): Bible conferences for theology professors, globally, providing printed and electronic BRI material for essential doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist church (ongoing).
- Geoscience Research Institute/Faith and Science Council: A wide-range of programs, materials and events can be found advancing the Biblical description of God as the Creator at grisda.org and at creationsabbath.net (ongoing)
God has raised up an end-time people and given them a specific assignment. Please pray that we will all be guided by the Holy Spirit and pray that God’s end-time people will be appropriately bold ambassadors of the kingdom. The signs are all about us!
“In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import – the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention” (9T 19).
Footnotes:
[1] “2017-2018 Global Church Member Survey Concerning the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Reach the World 2015-2020 Strategic Plan: Meta-Analysis Final Report,” Oct. 2, 2018, https://bit.ly/AdventistGlobalMemberSurvey
Michael L. Ryan is an assistant to the president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and a member of the Montrose Church in Colorado.
