Revelation 14:6 – Revelation 15:6

Three Angel’s Messages and the Close of Mercy

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Jesus grants a period of 3 ½ years to the Two Witnesses to give people a chance to understand what the kingdom of God is all about. It takes time to understand the plans, the ways and the character of Jesus.

We know that about –60 days after the global earthquake occurs, the composite beast will arise. In its effort to appease God’s wrath, it will demand that people worship God according to various traditions in various nations. It will persecute those who accept the testimony of the 144,000.

 

The people of Earth will be trapped between two demands. The demand of Jesus and the demand of Babylon. The juxtaposition of those two demands will test the living.

 

Our choice will reveal our faith and love for God.

 

Revelation 3:10   Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from [through] the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.”

 

Three Eternal Truths

 

The first angel’s message is called the eternal or everlasting gospel because it contains three truths:

 

The first truth is this: Jesus is God. He is co-eternal and equal with the Father in every way.

 

Jesus is worthy to rule over the universe as Sovereign God as is the Father. The Father affirmed this stunning truth in 1798 when He turned the throne over to Jesus.

 

Ephesians 1:9   And he [the Father] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

 

Ephesians 1:10   to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment – to bringall things in heaven an don earth together under on head, even Christ.”

 

The Father has put everything under Jesus to tell the universe that Jesus is an equal with Himself! So, the demand: Fear God and worship Him as it pertains to Jesus Christ in not in conflict with the position and authority of the Father.

 

The second truth in the eternal gospel is this: Jesus Christ is our Creator and Judge. He holds every created being accountable for his actions. This is why the first angel’s message says, “…give Him glory for the hour of His judgment has come.” The Judgment Bar of Christ is based on the rule of law. His royal law is the Ten Commandments. Jesus is the Author of the Ten Commandments. He wrote them with His own finger and He spoke from Mt. Sinai with His own voice.

 

He requires every human being to obey and fulfill these commandments – no one is exempt. When a person refuses to obey and fulfill the Ten Commandments, he shows contempt for the authority of Jesus.

 

Notice Paul’s words: 

 

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.

 

2 Corinthians 5:11   Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men [to do the same]….”

 

Discussion:   This is the most importance difference between obeying and fulfillingthe law. At no time in Earth’s history has obedience to the Ten Commandments produced salvation from sin and this remains true during the Great Tribulation! Sinners cannot obeythe Ten Commandments and expect to receive salvation.

 

Some Christians who observe the seventh day Sabbath think that the great test coming upon the world during the Great Tribulation is one of obedience, that is, obeying the 4^th commandment. In simple terms, many Sabbath keeping Christians think that God is going to test mankind to see who will keep the Sabbath and who will not.

 

The end result is that those who obey the Ten Commandments, specifically the fourth commandment, will be saved and all others will be lost. This is not the case at all! The Bible does not teach this.

 

If this were the case, salvation would come through obedience and not through faith in Christ. If salvation came through obedience, Jesus would not have needed to die on the cross. So let’s make sure that we correctly understand a very important topic that concerns the Great Tribulation:

 

Yes, Jesus requires obedience of His followers.

 

John 14:15   “If you love me, you will obey what I command.

John 15:14   You are my friends if you do what I command.

 

Even before sin began, Jesus put Adam and Eve under the obligation of the law.

 

Genesis 2:16   And the Lord God (Jesus) commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;

 

Genesis 2:17   but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

 

Everyone created by Jesus, including the angel’s, were put under the obligation of the law. If this were not the case, there would be no sin because sin is lawlessness, a violation or disregard for law and order. (1 John 3:4)

 

The Ten Commandments are not ten suggestions. They are divine laws and Jesus commands that everyone obey them, but not for the purpose of achieving salvation.  The Ten Commandments were designed to do two things for human beings:

 

First, on a secular level, the Ten Commandments were designed to produce social order. Jesus gave us the Ten Commandments to that mankind could live together in a healthy and prosperous way.

 

If everyone obeyed the Ten Commandments, there would be good within and among families that make up every nation. Nations prosper when a majority obeys and exalts the divine principles expressed in the Ten Commandments.

 

The Ten Commandments also serve a second purpose: Once a person is born-again, he relates to the Ten Commandments in a very different way than before. A born-again person discovers the Ten Commandments to be expressions of what his heart would do if he loved God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself.

 

In other words, the royal law reveals that a pure heart of love would naturally do! For example:

 

If a man obeys the 7^th commandment that forbids adultery because the law demands it, his family, his children and even his coworkers will be blessed. There’s no scandal or bitterness caused by unfaithfulness.

 

But, after awhile, let’s suppose this man’s lust overcomes him and he violates the 7^th commandment.

 

The social benefit of the 7^th commandment is lost. His children are crushed. His coworkers are upset because he can’t do his job. His wife is angry and sues him for divorce. And in the divorce, she gets the elevator and he gets the shaft.

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