Aunty, are the three angels of Revelation 14 still important to Adventists now?

27 May 2024  |

Dear Aunt Sevvy,

Why does the Adventist Church focus so much on the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14? Was this just important in the mid-1800’s or is it still important today?

Signed, Prophecy Seeker

Dear Seeker,

Aunty remembers a Sabbath School class where the teacher asked, “What is the most recognizable symbol of the Adventist Church?” Immediately several voices cheerfully chimed out, “The three angels!” He then said, “Without looking at your Bible, describe what the three angels mean.” Someone quickly said that it was about Jesus’ second coming, but the teacher insisted that they actually give him the meaning of the first, second, and third angels.

Embarrassed silence. 

As ubiquitous as the three flying angels are, many—maybe most—Adventists can’t, off the top of their heads, tell you why they’re important. So a quick primer:

1. “The hour of his judgment has come,” so “worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water” was understood by the pioneers as the beginning of the investigative judgment in 1844, and the Sabbath as a memorial of God as creator.
2. “Babylon is fallen” was understood by the pioneers to mean that all other Christians had turned apostate by adopting some of Roman Catholicism’s doctrines, notably worshiping on Sunday. Twinned with Revelation 18:3-5, “Come out of her, my people,” this was a declaration of Adventist separatism and superiority.
3. The third angel announced the mark of the beast, which the pioneers identified as Sunday-keeping. Read alongside Revelation 13:17, it meant that those who kept Sabbath would be persecuted by being prohibited from buying and selling—but those who kept Sunday, God would ultimately destroy with great fury.

So the investigative judgment and the Sabbath, separation from and rejection of other Christians for their wrong doctrines, and persecution for keeping Sabbath: these ideas were very meaningful to the early Adventists. 

Now that you know what they mean, you can decide for yourself: are these symbols important to you now?

Aunt Sevvy

Aunt Sevvy has collected her answers into a book! You can get it from Amazon by clicking here.

You can write to Aunt Sevvy at DearAuntSevvy@gmail.com. Your real identity will never be revealed. 

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