Revelation 14:6 –
Revelation 15:6
The Second and Third
Angel’s Messages
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Begin Text:
Last month,
we began studying the seventh prophecy
in Revelation. This prophecy begins
with Revelation 14:6 and ends with
Revelation 15:6.
It is
interesting to me that the seventh prophecy
in Revelation is the salvation
prophecy. I call this prophecy the salvation
prophecy because the three
angel’s messages have been carefully
designed to test the faith of mankind
and those passing the test will
receive salvation.
At fist
glance, you might not think these
three messages say anything about
salvation, but once you understand
their context and application, you
will see how Jesus separates His
sheep from the goats.
The three
angel’s messages will be three
tests of faith.
The living
have to be tested so that God can
seal us according to our choices.
This is unlike the judgment of the
dead. When a person dies, he cannot
make any more decisions every day!
So, in order to judge the living,
Jesus has to put the living through a
series of tests to see who loves
truth without regard for the
consequences.
The three
angel’s messages will be given
during a time of persecution.
Therefore, man’s response to
these three messages will reveal his
love for truth and his faith in Jesus
Christ!
>>Our
actions during the Great Tribulation
will reveal everything that Jesus
needs to know so that he can judge us
according to our works.
Revelation
22:12 “Behold, I am
coming soon! My reward is with me,
and I will give to everyone according
to what he has done.”
Consider
this:
A person is
not saved by works.
A
person’s faith and love is
revealed by works.
2 Corinthians
5:10 “For we must
all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ, that each one may receive
what is due him for the things
done while in the body, whether
good or bad.”
KJV/Ecclesiastes
12:14 “For the Lord
shall bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether it
be good, or whether it be evil.”
The three
angel’s messages bring the
doctrine of “righteousness by
faith” into perfect focus.
Everyone who submits to the three
angel’s messages will be
persecuted, and the only way
through this persecution is through
faith in Jesus Christ.
In other
words, every saint will relive the
experience of Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego.
Daniel
3”14
“….Nebuchadnezzar said to
them, “Is it true, Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego, that you do not
serve my gods or worship the image of
gold I have set up?
Daniel 3:15
Now when you hear the sound of the
horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,
pipes and all kinds of music, it you
are ready to fall down and worship
the image I made, very good. But if
you do not worship it, you will be
thrown immediately into a blazing
furnace. Then what god will be able
to rescue you from my hand?”
Daniel 3:16
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
replied to the king, “O
Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to
defend ourselves before you in this
manner,
Daniel 3:17
If we are thrown into the blazing
furnace, the God we serve is able to
save us from it, and he will rescue
us from your hand, O king.
Daniel 3:18
But even if he does not, we want you
to know, O king, that we will not
serve your gods or worship the image
of gold you have set up.”
This is
the biblical meaning of faith. Obeying
God without concern for the
consequences.
When a person
lives a life of faith, he is given
the most wonderful gift that God can
give a human being – he is given
the righteousness of Christ. Now hear
this: Salvation requires the
righteousness of Christ. There is no
salvation without it.
Romans 1:17
“For in the gospel a
righteousness from God is revealed, a
righteousness that is by faith from
first to last, just as it is written:
‘The righteous will live by
faith.’”
Everyone who
passes these coming tests of faith
will be awarded salvation. Everyone
who passes these coming tests of
faith will be given a perfect wedding
garment, the righteousness of Christ,
-- this righteousness will be sealed
within them. The carnal nature will
be removed!
I am often
asked if a person has to pass all
three tests before he can be sealed?
As I understand the topic, the
answer is “no.” Jesus
doesn’t have to put a person
through three texts to see if he
lives by faith.
During the
Great Tribulation, some people will
be severely tested by the first
message while others won’t find
the first test as difficult. The same
holds true for all three tests. But
together, these three messages will
test the faith of every human being
because Jesus wants to see who loves
Him and His truth without regard for
the consequences.
This is how
the living will be judged. The three
angel’s messages will test the
living.
The seventh
apocalyptic prophecy contains three
elements that occur in chronological
order:
1.
Three messages
v6 – 13
2.
The end of salvation
v14-20
3.
The commencement of the seven bowls
v15:1 - 6
During our
last study, I emphasized a few points
that need to be refreshed in
today’s study:
1.
Three profound messages from Jesus
will be presented to the world during
the Great Tribulation. These messages
will eventually win over the honest
in heart – those who love God
and His truth – and they will eventually
offend and anger those who refuse to
submit to Jesus’ demands.
These
messages will be presented as
nonnegotiable demands from Jesus
Christ and they will offend the world
at first because they are contrary to
what is commonly believed.
These three
messages will pierce religious
darkness like a brilliant searchlight
that is suddenly “switched
on.”
Finally, the
truth about Jesus Christ, the Creator
of Heaven and Earth, will be told all
over the world and His gospel will be
heard and intelligently considered by
everyone living on Earth during a
period of 1,260 days.
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