God is love. Because God loves us, He also lets us know when danger is coming. He has to tell us about what will happen in the future, because saving us is the most important thing to Him.
God told people in Noah's time that a flood was coming because of all the wicked behavior. Noah told the people to turn away from their sins and tell them about a holy plan to save them from the destruction that was coming.
Three angels symbolically proclaim the final message from heaven to earth in the book of Revelation:
• First angel - Has the everlasting gospel
• Second angel - Babylon is fallen
• Third angel – Punishment for those who worship the beast, and his image, and receive his mark
Revelation Chapter 14 verse 6 to 7
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Another word for angel is messenger.
The first angel is preaching the gospel, but Mark 16:15 states that people, not angels, should preach it. This is yet another proof that the angels in this context are God's people.
As Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations; and then the end will come," the sky covers the whole earth, showing that the word is for everyone (Matthew 24:14). This is further evidenced by the message's mandate to reach every country, kindred, tongue, and people. And since it is a message for the whole world, there needs to be a way to spread it.
Through satellites, the message is now being spread "in the midst of heaven". People use satellites for TV, social media, the internet, and other purposes. This allows people to spread the faith globally without having to leave their homes.
The gospel is the plan for salvation. It is founded on God's love. Its goal is to save us from sin and death and restore the righteousness of God's character in our lives. It is based on faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and continues to intercede for us.
The first angel’s message also issues a three-fold call to:
(1) “fear God,”
(2) “give glory to Him,”
(3) “worship Him who made heaven and earth.”
"Fear God" refers to honoring Him rather than fearing Him as an enemy. In the Bible, He introduces Himself as a loving Father and a trustworthy friend (Matthew 6:9, Isaiah 54:5, John 15:15).
To give glory to God means to live solely for Him, in accordance with the principles (1 Corinthians 10:31). The first angel encourages us to spend our lives in every way that honors God and reveals His loving character to the world.
The admonition to "fear God and give glory to Him" is because "the hour of His judgment has come." So we can see that God, in His mercy, has provided the message of victory over sin, and warns people to prepare to stand during the time of judgment.
The fourth commandment is the only other place in the Bible where God is to be worshiped because He created heaven and earth, as well as the sea.
Exodus 20:8, 11 - “8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
So, while the world is asked to worship the beast (the pope, see Revelation 13) and worship on Sunday (the day he has selected), there will be a faithful remnant who will rise up in the face of overwhelming opposition and preach the Sabbath message, the message of true worship of God.
What is important is that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath day.
Matthew 12:8 - “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.”
Revelation Chapter 14 verse 8
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
The second angel's message heralds the fall of modern Babylon and invites God's people to leave the corrupted city.
The name Bab-ilu (Babel, or Babylon) meant "gate of the gods" in Babylonian, but the Hebrews linked it negatively with balal, a word in their language meaning "to confuse." (Genesis 11:9)
Nimrod founded Babylon. (Genesis 10:10; 11:1–9). From the outset, the city represented disbelief in the true God and resistance to His will (Genesis 11:4–9), with its tower serving as a monument to apostasy, a bastion of revolt against Him. The prophet Isaiah names Lucifer as Babylon's invisible king. (Isaiah 14:4, 12–14).
In reality, it appears that Satan intended to make Babylon the focal point and agency of his great plan to achieve control over the human race, while God intended to work through Jerusalem. Thus, throughout the Old Testament, the two cities represented the powers of evil and good at work in the world. The builders of Babylon desired to establish a government completely independent of God, and if He had not intervened, they would have succeeded in eliminating righteousness from the earth (Daniel 4:17). For this reason, God chose to destroy the structure and scatter its creators (Genesis 11:7-8) over a millennium of collapse and subjugation to other nations followed a fleeting period of success (Isaiah 13:1 and Daniel 2:37).
Nebuchadnezzar II rebuilt Babylon, making it one of the wonders of the ancient world. (Daniel 4). His aim to establish his rule global and eternal (Daniel 3:1; 4:30) was successful, and the new Babylonian Empire surpassed its predecessors in splendor and might. (Revelation 2:37–38; 4:30) However, he grew pompous and harsh. It conquered God's people and threatened to undermine His plan for them as a nation. In a dramatic series of events, God humbled Nebuchadnezzar and he surrendered to His will. Over the ages, the city steadily lost its importance, and by the end of the first century A.D., it had nearly vanished.
Ever since the fall of ancient Babylon, Satan has endeavored, through one world power after another, to govern the world, and would most likely have succeeded had it not been for frequent cases of divine intervention (Daniel 2:39–43). Unquestionably, the Middle Ages' papal defection marks his most nearly successful attempt at dissolving the church (Daniel 7:25).
The Roman Empire had absorbed the religious customs of Babylon.
Christians were already referring to the city and empire of Rome as Babylon towards the end of the first century A.D. (1 Peter 5:13).
God has long identified Babylon, both actual and symbolic, as his traditional enemy of his truth and people.
The Babylon of Bible prophecy represents the false religions on our planet, including those apostate Christian churches that blend the false teachings of paganism with the truth of Scripture. Babylon represents worship systems that reject the Bible's clear truths. Nevertheless, there are sincere Christians in Babylon because they have no other option. God does not criticize them for what they do not know, instead, he orders them to flee Babylon, ensuring that they are not part of her collapse. Revelation 18:1–5 provides this crucial lesson.
Repetition emphasizes the point of view. It could also suggest that Babylon has fallen twice, both literally and spiritually. John uses the all-encompassing word Babylon to characterize all religious organizations and movements that have deviated from the truth. This fact forces us to see this "fall" as both cumulative and progressive.
Spiritual fornication/adultery includes any form of idolatry.
Jeremiah 3:1 - “They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.”
Hence, spiritual fornication is a forbidden link between the church and the world, or between the church and the government. When the church seeks the state's support, she abandons her lawful husband (Jesus Christ). She commits spiritual fornication via her new relationship (James 4:4).
The universal substitution of human laws for God's rules, as well as the state execution of religious pronouncements, will be evident.
Most of the earth has embraced the false ideas and policies of Babylon.
Revelation Chapter 14 verse 9 to 13
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
People who drink Babylon's fornication wine (verse 8) will drink God's wrath wine. The warning is plain and straightforward.
The seven last plagues strike those who worship the beast and his image (Revelation 16:2). Furthermore, these followers of the beast rise in the second resurrection and bear their punishment (Revelation 20:5, 11–15).
The situation draws attention to the terrifying struggle that was being waged against the beast and his image. The remnant will be subjected to all possible means, including the threat of death and boycott, in order to coerce them into joining the cause that is being promoted by the second beast. Revelation 13:11–17 says that at the same time, Satan will operate with all of the "deceivableness of unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:10; Matthew 24:24), giving the impression that the power of God is being displayed in the movement.
The beast will persecute Christians who follow all of God's commands. They are labeled as legalists and ignore the fact that Christ stated that if you love Him, you must fulfill His commandments (John 14:15).
Romans 3:22 - “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference”
The faith of Jesus and the keeping of the commandments are two critical parts of Christian life. God's commands are a reflection of His character. They define the divine ideal of righteousness that God desires for man to pursue but that he cannot achieve in his unregenerate state. "The carnal mind... is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." (Romans 8:7). Despite his best efforts, man continues to fall short of God's glory. (Romans 3:23.) But Jesus came to restore mankind to the divine image. He came to show men what the Father is like, thus strengthening the moral code. Through His strength, men are able to keep the divine criteria (Romans 8:3–4), reflecting the divine image.
The remnant church thus honors and obeys God's commands, not in a legalistic sense, but as a revelation of God's and Christ's character, which dwells in the heart of the faithful believer.
Galatians 2:20 - “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Jesus appearing on a cloud is a symbolic representation of Christ's coming (Matthew 24:30).
The color of the wine looks like blood and therefore the word "winepress" is a good representation.
The image most likely originates from Old Testament prophecies that describe the destruction of God's enemies outside of Jerusalem (Joel 3:12-13).