The 2nd Angel’s Message & Midnight Cry

May 15, 2009 at 1:32 pm · Filed under Revelation Posts

When was the second angel’s message given?

The second angel’s message was proclaimed in the summer of 1844, after the mainstream Protestant churches made it plain that they wanted nothing to do with the first message. “When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them. The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” [REV. 14:8]…The proclamation, “Babylon is fallen,” was given in the summer of 1844, and as the result, about fifty thousand withdrew from these churches. ” {4SP 232.1} “THE SECOND ANGEL’S MESSAGE HAD ITS INITIAL SOUNDING EARLY IN THE SUMMER OF 1844 IN THE CALL TO THE ADVENT BELIEVERS TO COME OUT OF THE NOMINAL CHURCHES THAT HAD REJECTED THE PROCLAMATION OF THE FIRST ANGEL’S MESSAGE.” {EW 304.1}

Who did the second angel’s message have a more direct application to?

The second message applied directly to the Protestant churches of America, who had rejected the first angel’s message and thus become a part of Babylon. “The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” [REV. 14:8] This message was understood by Adventists to be an announcement of the moral fall of the churches in consequence of their rejection of the first message.”{4SP 232.1}             “ The second angel’s message of Revelation 14 had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid.” {GC 389.2}

Why was the second angel’s message given?

The second angel’s message was given to announce the fall of the Protestant churches and to call the advent believers out of them.         “The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” [REV. 14:8] This message was understood by Adventists to be an announcement of the moral fall of the churches in consequence of their rejection of the first message. The proclamation, “Babylon is fallen,” was given in the summer of 1844, and as the result, about fifty thousand withdrew from these churches.” {4SP 232.1}

What were the consequences to the churches when they rejected the first angel’s message?

Of course the result of the rejection of the first message by the churches was that God rejected them.  But more than that, they became a part of Babylon–the false prophet, apostate Protestantism.  Because they had rejected the light, the nominal churches could not benefit from the greater light that would come in the forms of the second message, midnight cry, and third message.  They would not have an understanding of Christ’s ministration in the  Most Holy Place, and thus would not be able to be benefited by it. “The term “Babylon” is derived from “Babel,” and signifies confusion. It is employed in Scripture to designate the various forms of false or apostate religion. In Revelation 17 Babylon is represented as a woman –a figure which is used in the Bible as the symbol of a church, a virtuous woman representing a pure church, a vile woman an apostate church.”  {GC 381.1} “…These kindred heresies, and the rejection of the truth convert the church into Babylon. ” {1MR 302.2}               “When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the Advent message, the Lord rejected them.” {4SP 232.1} “As the churches refused to receive the first angel’s message, they rejected the light from heaven and fell from the favor of God. They trusted to their own strength, and by opposing the first message placed themselves where they could not see the light of the second angel’s message. ” {EW 237.2}                 “Those who rejected the first message could not be benefited by the second; neither were they benefited by the midnight cry, which was to prepare them to enter with Jesus by faith into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. And by rejecting the two former messages, they have so darkened their understanding that they can see no light in the third angel’s message, which shows the way into the most holy place…and therefore they have no knowledge of the way into the most holy, and they cannot be benefited by the intercession of Jesus there.” {EW 260.1}

What is the “action step” of the second angel’s message?

By rejecting the first message, the Protestant churches became Babylon.   God says, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14).  Since the churches could definitely be called “unrighteousness” and “darkness,” the true people of God should not be “yoked together” with them, but rather should separate themselves (which is exactly what they did).  In other words, the “action-step” was the leaving of the nominal churches by the advent believers.          “This message was understood by Adventists to be an announcement of the moral fall of the churches in consequence of their rejection of the first message… about fifty thousand withdrew from these churches. “ {4SP 232.1} “But the beloved of God, who were oppressed, accepted the message, “Babylon is fallen,” and left the churches.” {EW 237.2}

When was the climactic closing up of the second angel’s message?

The second angel’s message was closed us shortly before the expected date of Christ’s return (Oct. 22, 1844).        “THERE WAS A CLIMACTIC CLOSING UP OF THE SECOND ANGEL’S MESSAGE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING OCTOBER 22, 1844. {EW 304.1}”

What was the Midnight Cry?

The Midnight Cry proclaimed, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6).           “And I heard the voices of angels crying, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him!”  {EW 238.1} This was the midnight cry, which was to give power to the second angel’s message. Angels were sent from heaven to arouse the discouraged saints and prepare them for the great work before them.”  {EW 238.2}

When was the Midnight Cry given?

As the second angel’s message drew to a close, the Midnight Cry was given.    “Near the close of the second angel’s message, I saw a great light from heaven shining upon the people of God. The rays of this light seemed bright as the sun. And I heard the voices of angels crying, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him!”  {EW 238.1}

What was the purpose of the Midnight Cry?

The Midnight Cry gave power to the second angel’s message.  Also, many of the believers were discouraged by the rejection of the first angel’s message by the churches and the opposition that they faced.  The Midnight Cry aroused these brethren, as well as the rest of the Adventists, and led them to seek a living, personal experience in the truth rather than depending on what others believed.                   “This was the midnight cry, which was to give power to the second angel’s message…Angels were sent to the humble, devoted ones, and constrained them to raise the cry, “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him!” Those entrusted with the cry made haste, and in the power of the Holy Spirit sounded the message, and aroused their discouraged brethren. This work did not stand in the wisdom and learning of men, but in the power of God, and His saints who heard the cry could not resist it.” {EW 238.2} “A mighty work was accomplished by the midnight cry. The message was heart-searching, leading the believers to seek a living experience for themselves. They knew that they could not lean upon one another.” {EW 238.3}

For those who had received the first angel’s message, how did the Midnight Cry prepare them to enter with Jesus by faith into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary?

If you didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, most likely you wouldn’t be studying His Word, praying, or seeking His will very much.  You probably would reject the first two angels’ messages and not realize that He moved to the Most Holy Place, and you could not be “benefited by the intercession of Jesus there.” {EW 260.1}  The Midnight Cry prepared the believers to, in faith, move with Jesus into the Most Holy Place by calling them to have a living personal relationship with Him.  By obeying the call, they would be drawn nearer to Jesus, and He could then open to their understanding the truth of His Most-Holy-Place ministration.            “Those who rejected the first message could not be benefited by the second; neither were they benefited by the midnight cry, which was to prepare them to enter with Jesus by faith into the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.” {EW 260.1}                “A mighty work was accomplished by the midnight cry. The message was heart-searching, leading the believers to seek a living experience for themselves. They knew that they could not lean upon one another.”  {EW 238.3}

Just as Jesus cleansed the temple both at the beginning and at the end of His public ministry, so in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. What are the two distinct calls to the churches, and when are these two calls made?

The two distinct calls are the  1) Second Angel’s Message/Midnight Cry and 2) The Loud Cry (of the third angel’s message).  The first call was given in the summer of 1844; the second call should be being given right now until the end of probation.           “When Jesus began His public ministry, He cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Among the last acts of His ministry was the second cleansing of the temple. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel’s message is, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” And in the loud cry of the third angel’s message a voice is heard from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities” (RH Dec. 6, 1892).  {7BC 985.5 }                “THE SECOND ANGEL’S MESSAGE HAD ITS INITIAL SOUNDING EARLY IN THE SUMMER OF 1844 IN THE CALL TO THE ADVENT BELIEVERS TO COME OUT OF THE NOMINAL CHURCHES THAT HAD REJECTED THE PROCLAMATION OF THE FIRST ANGEL’S MESSAGE.” {EW 304.1} “The second angel’s message of Revelation 14 was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States…” {GC 389.2} “The message of the angel following the third is now to be given to all parts of the world. It is to be the harvest message.”  –Letter 86, 1900.  {LDE 208.1}

Why are there only two distinct calls made to the churches?

Jesus opened his public ministry by cleansing the temple; and near the end of His time on earth, He cleansed it a second time. Ellen White connects Christ’s cleansings of the temple with the two distinct calls that are to be given to the churches: “When Jesus began His public ministry, He cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Among the last acts of His ministry was the second cleansing of the temple. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches.” {LDE 208.1} In between the first and second cleansings of the temple, Jesus carried out His mission to earth, and the Jews had time to accept or reject His Messiahship.  Perhaps it is the same in the last days.  The proclamation of the Second Angel’s Message/Midnight Cry was the initial wakeup call to the people in the churches.  The Loud Cry will be the second distinct call.  Perhaps the intervening time is given so that the Holy Spirit can prepare the hearts of as many as possible, so that when the second call is given (now until the end of probation) they will heed it and come out of Babylon.  In summary, perhaps two distinct calls are given in order to give people two chances to make the right choice.

Or in answer to why there are only two distinct calls, I thought about the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:20-31).   When the rich man is in torment, he asks Abraham to bring Lazarus back from the dead and send him to the rich man’s family to convert them.  But Abraham replies,   “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.”  The rich man says, “Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.”   Abraham tells him,  “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”   So, with the people of today, perhaps only two calls are given because God knows that it would be of no use to send more; if they won’t heed two calls (Moses and the prophets), they won’t heed a third call either (one risen from the dead).

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