THIRD MESSAGE

“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, 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 holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: “ here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Verses 9-12.KPC 36.5

This message is now going forth. The proclamation is based upon the closing sanctuary work upon which our High Priest entered at the close of the 2300 days in 1844.KPC 37.1

“The temple of God was opened in Heaven,” says the apostle, Revelation 11:19, “and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament.” The ark was a depository of the tables of the testimony, or ten commandments. Exodus 25:21; 31:18. And hence the declaration, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” The faith of Jesus, of course, includes everything contained in the New Testament. The commandments of God must therefore be something separate and distinct from this, and can only refer to the ten which he spoke with an audible voice from the summit of Sinai.KPC 37.2

The very next event in this line of prophecy is thus described by the apostle:KPC 37.3

“And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust, in thy sickle, and reap; for the time has come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Verses 14-16.KPC 37.4

In this person upon the cloud we have a symbol of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, in fulfillment of the promise made by the angels to the men of Galilee, when they said, “This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven” Acts 1:11. Then will his elect be gathered with a great sound of a trumpet. Matthew 24:31. This is, the next great event in this series, for which we are to look.KPC 38.1