BACK TO THE THREE ANGELS’ MESSAGE
Let’s briefly review what you have learned so far about the three angels’ messages of Revelation chapter 14:
1st Angel’s Message (Revelation 14:7) - Fear (reverence) God, judgment is now, and only worship the Creator God who gives us His blessed and holy seventh-day Sabbath.
2nd Angel’s Message (Revelation 14:8) - Babylon is fallen! Babylon means confusion and represents all who teach and live by the doctrines and commandments of men rather than God. Papal Rome, including all apostate Christian religions, false non-Christian religions, and pop-culture are all part of “Babylon.”
3rd Angel’s Message (Revelation 14:9) - All those who are in Babylon will worship the beast and his image, and will receive the mark of the beast. The beast, represents Papal Rome. The image of the beast represents all apostate churches who unite with the beast in principle and the main doctrine of the mark of the beast. United States of America is the lamb-like beast in Revelation 13:11-17 that will make the image of the beast.
This is worth repeating, all those in spiritual Babylon, drinking the wine of false doctrine, WILL worship the beast and its image and receive the mark of the beast. Both the beast and the image of the beast are automatically a major part of Babylon. As you already know, the image of the beast looks like the original, like a daughter. This mother and daughter relationship is confirmed in Revelation chapter 17. In summary, there is a woman sitting on a red beast that fits the description of the dragon in Revelation 12:3 and the leopard-like beast of Revelation 13:1, 2. This woman is a corrupt and false church system. This false church system is easily identified as Papal Rome, in its religious role. This red beast is Papal Rome in its governmental monarchical role empowered by Satan. This woman is known as a mother. In Revelation 17:5, this woman is known as the “MOTHER OF HARLOTS.” This means that this woman has daughters who are harlots or who have also forsaken the true worship of God. Isaiah 1:21 says, “How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.”
What are the names of the woman sitting on the beast?
Revelation 17:5 - “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
The forehead again denotes the character. The character of Papal Rome is mystery. They are very secretive. Papal Rome is affiliated with many secret societies. They are Babylon the Great, because they are the head of Babylon, confused false doctrine. They also are the mother of harlots. Harlots are all apostate churches who have “fallen away” from Bible truth. They have disconnected themselves from the Head, Jesus Christ. The daughters of Babylon are those who look like their “mother” Babylon; they are the image of the beast, all apostate Christian churches. Papal Rome believes that they are the “universal” church of all Christian religions. Papal Rome views Protestants as wayward “children” who left their “mother.” But today many Protestants are no longer protesting the apostasy and false doctrines of Papal Rome, they have unified with her.
To understand the counterfeit message you must understand the true message found in Revelation 14:6-12. In summary, the message is about the true worship of God and giving glory to God our Creator who made the heaven, earth, and the sea. It is a message about the everlasting gospel, and a calling out of God’s people from those who have fallen away or rejected truth, and making known the results of those who stay in false worship will be the wrath of God.
Did you know at the very end of time there will be a counterfeit three angels’ message that will come from all those in Babylon? This false system is described in Revelation 16:13 and 14 during the “seven last plagues.”
13 “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
This is a perfect description of many of the things you already learned about the dragon, the beast, image of the beast, and Babylon. The three unclean (not pure) spirits like frogs are the false three angels’ message that leaps out the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. All three make up Babylon. In the Greek, a false prophet is a “pretended foreteller” or “religious impostor.” - Strong’s Greek Dictionary
There is no middle ground. You are either following Bible truth or in Babylon. Those who are not abiding in Christ and are not obedient to all of His commandments will be in one of the three parts of Babylon; the beast, image of the beast, or the dragon’s other non-Christian systems.
All those in Babylon try to counteract the true three angels’ message by working miracles in order to deceive the world leaders and the people on the Earth. In 2 Timothy 3:8, 9, Paul compares those who are opposing God’s true work in the last days to those who opposed Moses. It says, ⁸“Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. ⁹But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.” Just like Satan used the magicians to counteract the work of Moses to Pharaoh, Babylon will try to counteract the work of God’s servants in the last days. But in the end the folly of those in Babylon will be manifest to the world and God’s truth will continue to go forward with even greater power.
Opposing God's truth is foolish. When the Pharisees were trying to stop the disciples from giving the gospel, Gamaliel told them in Acts 5:38, 39, 3⁸“And now I say unto