How does the fourth angel relate to the third angel?
The fourth angel comes down and joins the third angel’s cry, adding force and strength to the third message.
“Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to earth, and unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message… The work of this angel comes in at the right time, and joins in the last great work of the third angel’s message, as it swells into a loud cry.” {1SG 193.2} “This message seemed to be an addition to the third message, and joined it, as the midnight cry joined the second angel’s message in 1844.” {1SG 194.1}
What are the two parts to the Loud Cry?
The first part is the message from the glorious angel proclaiming the final fall of Babylon: “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” {Rev. 18:1-3} And the second part is spoken by a voice from heaven, calling God’s people out of Babylon so that they do not partake of her sins and receive her punishment: “And I heard another voice 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.” {Rev. 18: 4,5}
What are the two parts to the final warning?
The Third Angel’s Message and the Loud Cry unite in the Final Warning.
“Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard: “Come out of her, My people.” These announcements, uniting with the third angel’s message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth.” {GC 604.1}
What is the difference between “Babylon is fallen” in the second angel’s message of Revelation 14, as given in the summer of 1844, and “Babylon is fallen” in the Loud Cry of Revelation 18?
The churches (Babylon) fell in 1844 by rejecting the first angel’s message. But the Loud Cry announces that the churches have fallen completely by rejecting, not only the first message, but all three of the messages.
“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] 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 whole chapter [of Rev. 18] shows that Babylon that has fallen is the churches who will not receive the messages of warning the Lord has given in the first, second, and third angels’ messages.” {2SM 68.1}
Babylon is become: “the habitation of devils,” “the hold of every foul spirit,” “and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Explain each of these elements.
First, Babylon is “the habitation of devils” in that the people in the fallen churches are under the control of evil angels, with some even believing in spiritualism. “A belief in spiritual manifestations opens the door to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, and thus the influence of evil angels will be felt in the churches.” {GC 603.2} Second, it is from Christ alone that we obtain pure, holy, loving spirits; our natural spirits are vile, formed in the image of Satan. So, if the fallen churches have in essence rejected Christ, He cannot impart His loving spirit, and the churches will literally be full of foul-spirited people. Finally, Babylon is a cage that houses “every unclean and hateful bird” in that those in the churches have not had their hearts cleansed and renewed by Jesus; they are unclean and still in their sins.
List and explain the sins of Babylon, as stated in Revelation 18.
1. The first sin is Babylon’s false doctrines—“the wine of the wrath of her fornication”—of which she has forced all nations to drink. She has spread her false doctrines about Sunday worship and the immortality of the soul all over the world and has caused as many people as possible to accept them. Babylon and those who follow her have committed fornication with these doctrines, preferring them over the truths of God’s Word.
“The wine of Babylon is the exalting of the false and spurious sabbath above the Sabbath which the Lord Jehovah hath blessed and sanctified for the use of man, also [it is] the immortality of the soul. These kindred heresies, and the rejection of the truth, convert the church into Babylon. Kings, merchants, rulers, and religious teachers are all in corrupt harmony.” {2SM 68.2} “But the man of sin, exalting himself above God, sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself to be God, thought to change times and laws. This power, thinking to prove that it was not only equal to God, but above God, changed the rest day, placing the first day of the week where the seventh should be. And the Protestant world has taken this child of the papacy to be regarded as sacred. In the Word of God this is called her fornication.” {7BC 979.7} “These and kindred errors are presented to the world by the various churches, and thus the Scriptures are fulfilled that say, ‘For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ It is a wrath which is created by false doctrines, and when kings and presidents drink this wine of the wrath of her fornication, they are stirred with anger against those who will not come into harmony with the false and satanic heresies which exalt the false sabbath, and lead men to trample underfoot God’s memorial.” {TM 61.3}
2. Babylon’s second sin is making alliances with political powers and uniting the church with the state. This is how “the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her.”
“…confederating with the kings and great men of the earth,…” {1MR 353.4}
3. Her third sin is selfishly misusing the blessings that God has given her—“waxing rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” Christ was self-sacrificing and humble, and His followers should be the same way. But Babylon exalts herself and lives extravagantly, displaying a character completely foreign to the meek and lowly Savior.
“Extravagance in the use of means, selfishness, heresies, have taken the world captive. For centuries satanic agencies have been at work. Will they now give up without a struggle (MS 172, 1899)?” {7BC 985.3} “Only by a life of simplicity, self-denial, and close economy, is it possible for us to accomplish the work appointed us as Christ’s representatives. Pride and worldly ambition must be put out of our hearts. In all our work the principle of unselfishness revealed in Christ’s life is to be carried out.” {ST,December 15, 1909 par. 11}
When do Babylon’s sins reach unto heaven?
Babylon’s sins reach unto heaven when God’s Law is ultimately desecrated by the enforcement of a national Sunday law.
“When do her sins reach unto heaven [Rev. 18:2-5]? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation.–ST June 12, 1893. {LDE 198.5} “God keeps a record with the nations. The figures are swelling against them in the books of heaven, and when it shall have become a law that the transgression of the first day of the week shall be met with punishment, then their cup will be full.” –7BC 910 (1886).
Why does Revelation 18 say that Babylon receives the plagues?
Babylon receives the plagues because she has filled up her cup of woe and now must drink it in the seven last plagues.
“…that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Why does she receive these plagues? “For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” (Rev. 18:4, 5)
If you are honestly serving God, what difference does it make which church you belong to [according to Revelation 18]?
If you know that the church you belong to is rebelling against God, staying a part of it would in a sense be condoning the evil taking place, even if you yourself are a true believer. To be a true follower of Christ, we must give all for Him; but if we are not willing to give up our membership in a particular church, than we aren’t really following Him. Also, the destruction of Babylon is a “packaged deal”—Babylon and whatever is “inside” of her is burned. “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4) It’s like this: if you insist on staying inside of a building that is being demolished, you will be destroyed with the building. Even though the demolition crew did not plan to destroy you, they ended up doing so because you refused to leave the building.
Why are there only two distinct calls made to the churches?
It could be that the first distinct call was made to announce that the churches had fallen by rejecting the first angel’s message. They were no longer blessed of God, but rather had become the third part of Babylon. Now notice that when the fall of Babylon was announced the first time, the call to come out of her was implied, not directly stated; perhaps this was because there was still quite a bit of time for people to come out. But the second distinct call announces the complete fall of the churches by their rejection of all three messages, and it is coupled with an urgent call for God’s people to come out of Babylon. Time is running out; the churches will move toward a national Sunday Law; probation will close, and the seven last plagues will fall upon Babylon. If people do not want to be “partakers of her sins” and receive “of her plagues,” they must leave Babylon now.
When is the Loud Cry supposed to be given?
The Loud Cry is to be given right now, at this present time.
“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}
What is it that gives power to the Loud voice [Cry]?
The true believers of God (us hopefully!) give the Loud Cry, and it is the Latter Rain that gives them their power.
“At that time the “latter rain,” or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.” –EW 86 (1854). {LDE 186.4}
Cara's Weblog 
Awesome post, Cara. Good job, and Rubrics 6. Have a great summer 🙂