End-time events, part 1.

We will now consider some important paragraphs that are associated with the end times. This is 1) The Midnight Cry: the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, which we find in Matthew chapter 25; 2) The three angels message: the end-time message that was first preached by the Millerites ahead of the great disappointment of 1844, which we find in Revelation 14,6-12; 3) The Loud Cry: Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen- who will be preached in the time just before Jesus returns, as we find in Revelation chapter 18; and 4) Jesus’ End-Time Prophecies: The Signs of the Times in Matthew chapter 24 and the parables in Matthew 24 and 25

The Midnight Cry:

The Midnight Cry is linked both to the message of the Three Angels (Revelation 14,6-12) and to the Loud Cry (Revelation 18,1-4), and it is the remnant of her seed who preach this. The Midnight Cry sounded in the early 1840s and led to a great inter-church revival in the United States, and members of all denominations affected by this cry joined the Advent movement. The Advent movement proclaimed the imminent return of Jesus, and this is the Midnight Cry: Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him!

We find the Midnight Cry in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25,1-13. But is it possible to find out who makes up this group that preaches the Midnight Cry? Matthew 25 states that five of the virgins were wise, and five were foolish. But there is a problem: Both these groups –  both the wise and the foolish, fell asleep.

We can therefore exclude the group called the foolish. Why? We shall soon return to this under the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The loud cry is, as we saw above, linked to two other messages – or rather – it is the result of those two messages together. The two messages may sound separately, but then they will not have the same effect as when they sound together as the loud cry. When the Bible mentions a group in particular, the Bible will also give us one or more characteristics of this group. When we know where the two messages stand, we can look for the characteristics of this group.

We read in chapter 14 of Revelation that those who preach the message of the three angels in the end times are explained as the 144,000 who are to be sealed with the seal of God. The chapter begins with the 144,000 to be sealed, before moving on to giving the tasks that these people have been given by God, the message of the three angels. About the 144,000 it says in verse 12 … they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. This verse refers directly to Revelation 12,17 which says … the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to Revelation 19,10 … thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. The qualities of this group are that they keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and have the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of prophecy. Here we also get additional information that can help us, it is the remnant of her seed.

First to the expression the remnant of her seed. Who are they? In chapter 12 of Revelation, we see a woman clothed with the sun, and this is undoubtedly the church as a whole. Then we know the story when Satan went to make war the remnant of her seed, or the church when it was founded by Jesus’ disciples on the day of Pentecost in the year 31, just after Jesus ascended to heaven. Because of this war that Satan is waging against women, almost the entire Christian church has fallen away from the true faith. We must therefore interpret the remnant of her seed in light of this. In verse 17 of Revelation chapter 12 it says that the dragon, who is Satan, became angry with the woman, who is the church, and went to war against the others of her seed, who are those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus // … keep the commandments of God and … // … have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Those who preach the Midnight Cry are the watchmen of the end times, they are the ones who are on duty and keep watching, they are the ones who are watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord. In Ezekiel 33 we find a passage called The Guardian and His Message that begins as follows (verses 1 to 3): Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;

We must also link the Midnight Cry to Revelation chapter 10. This is because the three angels’ message given to the people of God in the end times is a prophetic mission in the same way that the mission Jeremiah received from God: But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I [am] a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Jeremiah 1,7 

Revelation 10 tells us 1) that we are in the end time, or the transition between prophetic time and end time, and 2) that God will raise up a people in this time that He has given a special mandate. In verse 11 of chapter 10 it says: And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. These people must therefore prophesy to the whole world and proclaim to them God’s last warning message.

The Midnight Cry sounded, as I said, initially for the first time just before 1844 during the rise of the Advent movement, and it will sound again just before our Saviour and King, Jesus Christ, returns in all his glory to redeem his faithful remnant. But there will not even be a whisper without you and I shouting it out with a loud voice.

The parable of the wise and foolish virgins, Matthew 25.

As usual, Jesus’ parables are full of symbols, and that was also the meaning, because Jesus told his disciples that they could understand such parables. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive, Matthew 13,10-14

Ezekiel worried that he was constantly prophesying in parables, Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables? Ezekiel 20,49. That the people could not understand what Ezekiel said is probably related to what Jesus said to his disciples. Only those who are citizens of the kingdom of God, the faithful remnant of God, can fully understand parables and prophetic language that is full of images and parables.

Now it is not the case that we will understand everything that is prophesied or spoken in parables only we accept Jesus, but with training, as the disciples received from Jesus, we will begin to understand the parables and we must also learn to know the symbols and images and understand what they mean before we can understand the parables.

In this parable, the Church of God on earth is called the kingdom of heaven, and Christians are compared to ten virgins. They are all waiting for Jesus to come again, and here is Jesus compared to a bridegroom. All the ten virgins have the word of God, which here are the lamps, but it is only a part of them, the wise, who have the Holy Spirit, of whom the oil is a picture. The foolish do not have the Holy Spirit. Since the wait is long, everyone falls asleep, except for the three angels in Revelation 14 and the angel in Revelation 18. These angels are the ones who keep watch and wait for Jesus’ return, and as far as I understand can be none other than those mentioned in Revelation 12,17 the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, which in Revelation 19,10 is said to be the spirit of prophecy.

The very parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25,1-13 is as follows:

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh*; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh**.

Here, there are unfortunately translators who try as best they can to change the text so that we can interpret it at our own discretion. In these verses *comethand **the Son of man cometh have been omitted. This makes the text incomplete, and we can read into the text whatever we want. We find this among others in the following translations * NIV 1984; ASV 1901; Darby Bible 1884/1890;

** NIV 1984; Basic English; ASV 1901; Darby Bible 1884/1890;

As I said, Jesus’ parables are full of symbols, and we must know what these symbols mean before we can understand the parables. We must therefore first find out what these expressions: the kingdom of heaven, the virgins, the lamps, the bridegroom and the oil mean. In this parable, the Church of God on earth is called the kingdom of heaven, and thus embraces all Christian denominations at that time. Many choose to interpret the ten virgins as the whole of Christianity. But it is obvious that there are some who are on duty in the middle of the night when the rest of Christianity has fallen asleep, for how else can there be anyone who can proclaim the Midnight Cry, and shout that the Bridegroom is coming? It is not God’s angels who are to preach the gospel, it is God’s faithful remnant in the end times who has been given the responsibility. We therefore have three groups of Christians in this parable: the vice virgins who have fallen asleep, the foolish virgins who have fallen asleep, and those we can call the guardians, who are scouting for the bridegroom.

The lamps are a picture of the Bible, something we understand from the text in Psalm 119,105: Your word (= the Bible) is a lamp unto my foot and a light unto my path. The bridegroom is without a doubt Christ who comes to redeem his bride. Oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit.

We then get this situation in this parable. All Christians are waiting for Jesus, who is the bridegroom, to return. They all have the word of God, which here are the lamps. Here we must make a division of the Christians: 1) a small group that stays awake, 2) a large group that falls asleep. We can assume that 1) the small group who does not sleep are under the influence of the Holy Spirit and study their Bible in prayer and with zeal. These are the ones who are watching and waiting for the bridegroom to come and cannot be other than the three angels in Revelation 14 and the angel in Revelation 18. These angels can, as far as I understand, be none other than those who are characterized in Revelation 14,12 as: they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus – and in Revelation 12,17 as: the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, which in Revelation 19,10 is said to be the spirit of prophecy. And 2) the large group, where only a part – the wise – have the Holy Spirit, which is here compared to the oil. That is, the wise read the Bible in prayer and thus receive the Holy Spirit, but they are not as persistent as the small group. The foolish do not have the Holy Spirit. They have the Bible, but they may not even open it, at least they do not read it in prayer to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Then, of course, the Spirit of God will be absent in their lives. Because the waiting is long, everyone in the large group, both the wise and the foolish, falls asleep.

Who will God use to preach this message?

In the end, God will raise up men and women who have no formal education, similar to what happened when Jesus chose his disciples. He found them among the unlearned, among the lay people, and among the fishermen. In the same way, when the Midnight Cry is to resound over the earth in the end times, He will choose workers among the man in the street, among people who lack formal civic education, as Ellen G. White says, and by formal civic education is meant relevant theological education. These workers will be endowed by the Holy Spirit. In other words, God will educate his workers by the anointing of the Spirit, not use people who are educated in theological faculties. The Lord will also in this work use children who preach the message as it was done in parts of Europe around 1840, when the message of the first angel was preached.

For this work, God will use the means He Himself considers the only ones usable to proclaim the warning message, and it will amaze us all when we see what means God chooses to use.

When the Millerites began to preach the end-time message, there were many others, independent of each other, who also preached this message, it was also preached by children in Sweden/Norway and other places where it was forbidden for lay people to speak. For children, however, there was no law forbidding children from preaching.

How we should relate to this work, and when this will happen.

It is not up to us to make big and advanced plans for how we would like to perform this work, because God himself will lead his people during this work. God will see to it that His faithful remnant can enter the works He has made ready, and He will use what is best to build, increase, and preserve His People. This will happen ahead of the time when the universal Sunday law comes, and before the persecution of the remnant of her seed really breaks loose. This is when the message of the third angel will rise to the Loud Cry so that the whole earth will be enlightened by the glory of God.

The Midnight Cry sounded for the first time in the time just before 1844 and during the emergence of the Advent movement, and it will sound again shortly before our Saviour and King, Jesus Christ, returns in all his glory to redeem His faithful remnant.

The three angels message:

For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2,3

The whole gospel is embraced in the message of the third angel, and in all our work the truth will be presented as it is in Jesus … // … Let nothing diminish the power of truth for this time. The message of the third angel must do its job of separating from the churches a people who will take their stand on the platform of the eternal truth. Our message is a life-and-death message, and we must make it appear as it is – the power of the great God. We must proclaim it in all its telling power. Then the Lord will do it effectively. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, page 58.)

The world must know that there will soon be a judgment on the peoples of the world, and this is for us to preach. The judgment is foretold in Daniel 7,10 where it says: … the judgement was set, and books were opened. The time when the judgment was to begin is also foretold, and we find it in Daniel 8,14: And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

It was His purpose to awaken the people and lead them to a crossroads where they had to make a decision for or against the truth. (EGW; Early Writings, about W. Miller.)

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, 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. 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. 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, 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: 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. Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14,6-12

Here we meet a number of words and expressions we need to look at more closely.

a)           What or who does the three angels represent or symbolize?

b)           Why are they described as flying in the midst of heaven?

c)            What is the everlasting gospel?

d)           What does it mean to fear God?

e)           What does it mean to give God glory?

f)            What does it mean that the hour of His judgment is come?

g)           What is meant by a loud voice?

h)           What is Babylon?

i)            What does it mean that Babylon has caused all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of their fornication?

j)            Who is the beast?

k)           Who or what is the image of the beast?

l)            What is the mark of the beast?

m)          What does it mean to receive the mark of the beast?

n)           What is the wine of the wrath of God?

o)           What is the patience of the saints?

I will try to answer the questions as we go through the text, but before I go any further, we must look at the first five verses of Revelation 14 and at the same time look at what Isaiah says in chapter 48, verses 1 and 18.

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him a hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. Revelation 14,1-5

The opposite is exactly what Isaiah 48,1,18 describes:

1 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, [but] not in truth, nor in righteousness.

18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

Revelation 14,1-5, which is the introduction to the message of the three angels, and which gives us the qualities of those who preach the message, clearly speaks of those who have their case in order in relation to the word of God, while in Isaiah 48 is obviously about those who rely on man-made systems and/or the fallen church to justify themselves. There are no systems or churches that can save man, nor any people or deeds, only God can do that. Babel/Babylon is mentioned in both of these books (Isaiah 48,14 and Revelation 14,8), and to give the term Babylon a meaning in New Testament literature, this word is derived from Babel, (Tower of Babel) which is a word composed of the words Bab and El which simply means another way to God. Another meaning we attach to the word babel is confusion. This is because God confused the language of the people of Babylon, and in addition it is derived from the mixture of pagan religions that was the case in historic Babylon, which was a real confusion. Here almost all known religions merged. This is extremely interesting, and it is important to keep this in mind when reading about Babylon both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, as we know that the apostles called Rome Babylon (1 Peter 5,13).

The difference between Adventists and other Sabbath-keepers is that Adventists also to a large extent have an understanding of biblical concepts such as: the seal of God, the message of the three angels, the mark of the beast, the sanctuary and the judgment. We find the seal of God in the message of the first angel

The First Angel’s Message Revelation 14,6-7:

Fear God and give glory to Him …

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, Revelation 14,6

Revelation 14,6-7 contains the seal of God, and the message that the first angel tells us is that we are living in the end time or the time of judgment – the investigative judgment, something verse seven says quite clearly: Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come. How, then, can I fear God and glorify him properly? Can I do it at my own discretion as many seem to believe, or is there a definitive answer in the Bible to this question as well? The answer comes in the next sentence, worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. I shall therefore worship him who created the heavens and the earth, the sea and the fountains of water, and with a clear address both to creation and to the fourth commandment, which also contains the seal of God, and says: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy …

Yes, it is so simple, and yet so difficult as to keep all of God’s commandments, which include the Sabbath commandment, which is God’s seal on the covenant he himself made with men, and which is the core of the fourth commandment – in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is. We worship God properly by showing that we recognize God’s authority and keep holy the day God himself chose as his day of rest, no matter what people say.

The message of the first angel reminds us of the eternal gospel, while asking us to worship God as the Creator. God who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water.

God wants us to reform, to restore the church, and reverse the changes that humans made with His word and commandments during the Dark Ages so that God’s truth once again can shine in the darkness as God intended from the beginning. God wants us to keep all His commandments. The message of the first angel tells us that we should especially keep the commandment that honours God as Creator. Verse 7 is quite clear on this: 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 water!

The message of the three angels was first preached by the Millerites before 1844 and the great disappointment.

Their testimony (the Millerites) was given to awaken and powerfully affect the churches and manifest their true character

It is also interesting to note that all the verses in Revelation 14,6-12 are linked to Amos 3,7: Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

a) Here we have an angel flying in the midst of heaven. An angel is the same as a messenger, and in this context we are talking about the church in the last days. It is therefore about you and me.

b) That the angel fly in the midst of heaven means that this is a worldwide event, which appears in the last paragraph of the verse where it says that the gospel shall go out to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people. If we combine this with Daniel’s prophecy that in the end times knowledge shall be increased, we can also add that modern media such as television, radio, internet will be used in connection with the evangelization of the three angels’ message.

c) The everlasting gospel tells us that it is God the Creator that we are to worship, and the everlasting gospel contains God’s boundless love, which is expressed in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, and God’s judgment. A judgment that does not necessarily have to be a sad event, but which for the saved is an event of joy or put another way: The judgment, implied the investigative judgement, is the time when God seals our choices. A choice that arises from our actions.

The Greek word used here for everlasting is aiô´nios (G0166.6) which means perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well): eternal, for ever, everlasting, world (began), and the Greek word for gospel is here evangge´lion (G2098.1) which means to announce good news (evangelize) especially the gospel.

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. Revelation 14,7

d) Fear God or to have awe of God is an essential feature of the biblical relationship with God. The wonderful nature of God, as revealed to us in his name, his ways, and his works, works the fear of God; as well as his exalted position as the God of history, the king of the peoples, and the final judge of the universe (Revelation 15,3-4) (Illustrated Bible Encyclopaedia vol. 2 page 237).

e) Giving God glory means giving God the greatest reverence. Anyone who truly senses his presence will bow to him in humility. (Alpha and Omega).

f) When Jesus entered the holiest (hagia hagion) in the heavenly temple, it was the beginning of God’s judgment, the investigative judgement, and this is described as the hour of his judgment is come.

The expression ê´lthen which has been translated into English with is come, is inflected in the 3rd person plural, aorist, active, indicative, which means that this action that is come is something that describes the facts (indicative) without taking into account how long it lasts (aorist) and refers back to what is come (active).

g) With a loud voice means that the message of the three angels, the everlasting gospel, is to be preached with power and anointing and with the help of the Holy Spirit. Verse seven refers directly back to creation and to the Ten Commandments. This verse also shows that God’s judgment is an essential part of the good news.

Everyone who accepts Jesus as their Saviour has been given wedding garments, and now is the time for us to put on these wedding garments so we can stand before God in judgment and be approved. The wedding garments represent a spotless character that is cleansed and made white in the Lamb’s blood.

and when the churches deviated from him and rejected him, they sadly consulted with Jesus. He turned his face away from the churches and ordered his angels to watch faithfully over the precious souls who did not reject the testimony, because another light was yet to shine upon them. (EGW Early Writings.)

But the faithful and disappointed, who could not understand why their Lord had not come, were not left in darkness. They were induced to re-search the prophetic periods in their Bibles. (EGW Early Writings.)

The Second Angel’s Message, Revelation 14,8:

Babylon is fallen, is fallen …

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. Revelation 14,8

Verse 8 tells us that Babylon is fallen. Babylon represents a religious system and embrace both the Christianity and all the paganism that has been introduced into the Church. It is from Babylon that Christianity has been given false teachings that have led many people to go astray. This is why Babylon is fallen. Babylon also represents all the confusion surrounding the word of God.

If we go to Daniel 7,4-7 and Revelation 13,2, we find the fourth beast described. The fourth beast will be with us until Jesus returns. Daniel describes the first beast as a lion in verse 4, the second beast as a bear in verse 5, the third beast as a leopard in verse 6, and the fourth beast as… dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly … in verse 7. John says in Revelation 13,2 that he sees a beast that looks like a leopard with feet like a bear and mouth like a lion. It is quite certain that this is the same beast that Daniel sees, Rome, which has absorbed all the paganism that Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece brought with them, and in that way Rome is also called Babylon in the New Testament.

This is probably why God raised up people like William Miller, James and Ellen White, just to name a few, to proclaim the truth of our day – the present truth. For as it was at the birth of Jesus, the message of his second coming will not be left to the spiritual leaders of the people, but to the shepherds in the field. It is our task today to preach the everlasting gospel that contains God’s infinite love, which was revealed in Jesus’ death on the cross, and God’s judgment over sin.

Near the end of the second angel’s message I saw a great light from heaven shining on God’s people. The rays of that light was as bright as the sun. And I heard the voices of the angels crying out: Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him! (Matthew 25,6). It was the midnight cry, which was to give power to the second angel’s message. Angels were sent from heaven to encourage discouraged Saints and prepare them for the great work that awaited them. (EGW Early Writings.)

As for Ellen G. White, I want to add what I think about her.

  • When Jesus was about to begin his ministry on earth, God raised up a prophet, John the Baptist, about whom Jesus said in Luke 7,28: For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist .… … That God should raise up a prophet when we were about to enter the end time is nothing but right and reasonable, and this is completely in line with Amos 3,7: Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.. I have not read everything Ellen G. White has written, but what I have read makes me realize that she was something far more than an ordinary prophet, she is the prophet who will lead God’s people out to the last the journey and lead them into the path that leads to the heavenly Canaan.

h) Babylon is another way of naming Rome, something we find in 1 Peter 5,13, and refers to the papacy. It is originally the city of Babylon that is used as a basis, but over time, the various kingdoms have absorbed the idolatry from Babylon. Babylon also represents all the confusion, falsehood, and paganism that have found their way into the various denominations.

i) To make all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication must be understood as Babylon giving false doctrines/dogmas to the whole world, which in this way becomes guilty of infidelity to God and therefore must take part in the punishment of Babylon. Babylon must be punished for seducing great parts of the world’s population, while those who accept Babylon’s teachings are punished for this.

Those to whom this proclamation was entrusted hastened, and the power of the Holy Spirit made the message sound and woke up their discouraged brethren. This work was not founded on the wisdom and scholarship of men, but on the power of God. (EGW Early Writings.)

The message of the third angel, Revelation 14,9-12:

If any man worships the beast …

The third angel represents those who accept the Sabbath and go out to tell the world about keeping God’s law as his eyeball (EGW).

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, Revelation 14,9

As Jesus’ ministry in the Holy Place ended and he passed into the Holy of Holies, and as he stood before the ark containing the law of God, he sent another powerful angel with a third message to the world. A scroll was placed in the angel’s hand and, as he descended to earth in power and majesty, he proclaimed a warning, the most terrible warning ever given to man. (EGW Early Writings.)

The third angel tells us the consequences of not worshiping God. This angel also preaches with a loud voice, (see verse seven). Verse eight mentions fornication, and here we have the explanation of what kind of fornication it is. The worship that God alone is worthy to receive is given to other powers, and here it is Babylon that receives this worship. This is to commit fornication or adultery in the biblical sense.

j) We have defined the beast as the papacy, and here a new expression emerges, the image of the beast.

k) The image of the beast refers to the Sunday laws, the Sunday laws that will be introduced throughout the whole world and enforced upon every human being.

  • In connection with the hurricane Katrina’s ravages, the President of the United States issued a written decree requiring all denominations and houses of worship and all peoples and languages ​​in the United States to unite in prayer on September 3, to pray for the victims of the hurricane in particular and for the United States in generally. It is commendable of the President to urge people to pray, but as the top political and military leader in the United States, he violated the Constitution and disregarded the First Amendment by tying it to a special day, when he made it a federal law, which he in effect did when he signed the document.

l) The mark of the beast is explained as Sunday observance. In the message of the three angels we find a direct connection to God’s fourth commandment, Exodus 20,8-11, which again refers back to Genesis 2,3 when God blessed and sanctified the seventh day of the week. The fourth commandment is the seal, or the mark of God. The devil cannot do anything less, so he has also introduced his mark, and as usual the devil has put his falsification as close to the truth as possible but at the same time chosen that which is diametrically opposed to what God has done. God chose the last day of the week – the Sabbath – as his mark, the devil chose the first day of the week – Sunday – as his mark.

m) In short, receiving the mark of the beast on his hand or forehead means obeying Sunday laws given by humans, and ignoring God’s laws and commandments despite having the knowledge of this.

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. Revelation 14,10

n) The consequences of worshiping the beast and receiving the mark of the beast are also made known in these verses. It is the consequences that are the wine of the wrath of God. This means that God Himself will punish those who break God’s commandments, and the punishment is eternal death, or annihilation.

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. Revelation 14,11

In this verse we find the expression for ever and ever. There are many who misinterpret this expression and believe that it is an eternal punishment of the wicked. However, this does not harmonize with the attributes of God, which are love, grace, and forgiveness. The wicked are punished, but not forever. In Matthew and Luke it is explained that it is the fire that is unquenchable. In other words, no one puts out the fire and in that sense the fire is eternal. The fire goes out when there is nothing more to burn, but the result lasts forever.

In Isaiah 58,12-14 we find one who is called the one who repairs the breach. This is directly connected to the Sabbath commandment, so it is reasonable to believe that it is God’s Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, which is kept by those who here repairs the breach. James White once said of this scripture: The time has come to preach the Sabbath more fully.

And [they that shall be] of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it]. Isaiah 58, 12-14

The loud cry in Revelation 18 is inextricably linked to the message of the three angels. In these verses, everyone is urged to leave Babylon. Charles Fitch, (American preacher 1805-1844), once said: To come out of Babylon is to be converted to the true teachings of the Bible about Christ’s personal coming and kingdom. He could not understand how anyone could avoid the Advent truth and at the same time remain a Christian. If you are a Christian, come out of Babylon! If you want to be considered a Christian when Christ comes, then come out of Babylon, and it NOW! Dare to believe in the Bible.

Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14,12

o) The patience of the saints consists in holding fast to the word of God and keeping watch over God’s commandments no matter what happens around them in the world. It is the little remnant of end-time saints that is mentioned in this verse. These constitute the pure church in the end times. When we see what the Greek word for keep can be translated into English, we see that it is not enough to keep God’s commandments, we must be watching over the commandments, keep them, lift them up. And in particular the fourth commandment which will be especially exposed to the wrath of the world as this commandment contains the seal of God and is the mark of God with which He will ultimately seal his faithful remnant. The Sabbath will be our mark of loyalty in the time ahead.

These messages were represented to me as an anchor for the people of God. Those who understand and accept will be free from being swept away by Satan’s many deceptions. (EGW Early Writings.)

The parallel between the time before Jesus ‘birth and the time we live in now just before Jesus’ return is striking.

When Jesus was born, the scribes and Pharisees had every opportunity to see that the birth of Jesus was imminent, but they were only concerned with their own and did not care to study the prophecies, for they preferred to live in darkness. Only a few shepherds guarding their sheep was thinking that the Messiah soon was to be born. It was these shepherds the angels revealed themselves to in the field outside Bethlehem.

Today, almost all of Christianity, (the scribes and Pharisees) are preoccupied with everything else

than Jesus’ second coming. One is more concerned with the ecumenical co-operation, which is about finding the smallest common multiple for one’s faith and liberalizing the church so that as many people as possible can find their place there without placing burdens on people, ( read; to base their faith on the Bible), and we hear a clear echo from 1 Thessalonians 5,3: For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

This wonderful story from Bethlehem contains an important teaching. It rebukes our unbelief, our pride, our complacency. It warns us to be vigilant so that with our sinful indifference we do not overlook the signs of the times and are unaware of our visiting hours. (EGW Alpha and Omega.)

However, there is a little remnant (a few shepherds) who really care to study the prophecies, and this little remnant will be given the light of life, and the truth of our time will be fully revealed to them.

There are (at least) four characteristics of the true church of God in the end times. This church: … …

… arose after the 1260 years/days that expired in 1798, Revelation 12,14 … …

… keep all God’s Commandments, Revelation 22,14 … …

… has the spirit of prophecy, Revelation 19,10 … …

… preaches the everlasting gospel, Revelation 14,6-12.

The end-time tribulation is linked to the three angels’ message, and the tribulation period is a short period just before Jesus returns. When the plan of salvation is about to end, the tribulation will come upon the earth. It is now that God’s people are given the latter rain so that they can be prepared for the sealing that will also enable the saints to stand firm when the last seven plagues will fall. This will also give them the power to proclaim the loud cry (Revelation 14,6-12 + 18,4). During this period, the  mark of the beast will also be set up, this is the Sunday law (laws) that will affect all people whether we want or not. We must choose side, and this marks the beginning of the last great tribulation, which is the climax of the battle between Christ and Satan. Now man is put to his final test, and as I said, everyone must choose; either we choose to follow God, or we choose to stand on the side of the beast, and thereby those who choose to follow the beast take the mark of the beast. Only those who choose the truth of God escape the last torments and experience the joy of Jesus’ second coming.

It is very clear that the Book of Revelation speaks of two conflicting signs, the mark of the beast and the seal of God. Revelation 7,2-3 tells us that God’s people are sealed before the tribulation.

The Loud Cry:

Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, Revelation 18,1-4.

The loud cry is inextricably linked to the message of the Three Angels in Revelation 14,6-12 – and then especially to verse 8 which was first preached in the time around 1844. Furthermore, it is linked to the Midnight Cry in Matthew 25,6.

When the call to leave Babylon is given again in the loud cry in the absolute end time, it means that many of God’s people are still in Babylon. Therefore, it is important that the call is shouted out with force. Babylon here means all fallen churches and denominations.

The background to the warnings we find above is described in Jeremiah 51,7: Babylon [hath been] a golden cup in the LORD’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

Let us first look at the whole message of the loud cry in Revelation 18,1-4:

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. 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

The phrase Come out of her, my people in verse 4 is an echo from Genesis 3,9, where God called unto Adam and said: Where art thou? This ends in a particular way the ring! This is God’s last warning message to a world that devours all forms of pleasure and selfishness. This also shows God’s infinite and boundless love that runs like a common thread throughout the Bible from the first to the last page and shows us that God has worked for the salvation of men ever since Adam and Eve fell into sin in the Garden of Eden.

Adam means as known, man, and in the Garden of Eden God called to Adam and said: where art thou? What God really said was: man, do you know where you are in relation to your God and Creator? Ever since then, God has called upon Adam – man – where art thou, to make Adam realize where he was, and to understand what he had done and make him return to God. In the last book of the Bible, God continues to call upon mankind: Adam, where art thou? Come out of her, my people, to make the unsaved people realize where they are and to make them turn to God.

The consequences of not obeying God’s exhortation are as follows in Revelation 18,5-8:                    For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong [is] the Lord God who judgeth her.

Here the message of the second angel about the fall of Babylon is preached again, with the addition of the corruptions that have entered the church since 1844. The warning given in Revelation chapter 18 will therefore come at the right time to mingle with the message of the three angels, and then it will rise to the loud cry. According to Ellen G. White, this will be done to enable God’s people for the moment of the tribulation, which when this happens is right in front of them. We must remember that it is not heavenly angels who are to preach the messages, but God’s faithful remnant.

When those in Babylon hear the preaching, they must take a position in relation to it, and then they must make a choice whether they want to or not, and this choice will follow them into eternity. Either they have to choose to get out of Babylon, or they have to stay in Babylon, there is no middle way, there is no other choice. If they choose to come out of Babylon, this implies that they also choose to worship God and keep His Sabbath, the seventh day of the week – our Saturday. If they choose to stay in Babylon, they choose to worship Satan and keep the false Sabbath, the first day of the week – our Sunday.

The loud cry mixed with the message of the three angels can also be said to be an echo from the time when Israel stood just before Canaan and was to take possession of the promised land. Deuteronomy 30,15-20:

See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, [and that] ye shall not prolong [your] days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, [and] that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he [is] thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

This incident from Israel’s entry into Canaan is a type of a future event. Israel was to occupy the Promised Land after being delivered from their slavery in Egypt. The antitype of the end times is that God’s faithful remnant will be delivered from their slavery in their end-time Egypt and take the promised land in possession, their Canaan, when Jesus returns to redeem His people and take them to heaven.

Now, this passage from Deuteronomy 30,15-20 and the loud cry in Revelation 18,1-8 are not the only times God calls his people and gives them a choice between good and evil. This calling God has given His people throughout history, and we find it described in Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Micah:

Jeremiah 21,8:  And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

Ezekiel 18,31: Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Micah 2,10: Arise ye and depart; for this [is] not [your] rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy [you], even with a sore destruction.

Why does God do this? There can be no other reason than that God loves His people, He loves the sinner and wants the lost human race to turn Him. And as in the Loud Cry, and in the Three Angels message as well as in Deuteronomy 30,15-20, we see God’s infinite and boundless love manifested when God extends his hand to help a lost human race. God has done what He can to save the whole world. Now it is up to us whether we will respond positively to God’s call.

Psalm 27,1  [KJV: A Psalm of David]. [KJV: 1]: The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Jeremiah 7,23: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

Jeremiah 29,13: And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.

Both Revelation chapter 14 and chapter 18 state that Babylon has fallen. But what is the reason for this? There are many ways Babylon has fallen through the ages, for there is much Babylon has done to God’s people to make them turn away from the Creator. Now, when the fall of Babylon is connected with the message of the three angels in Revelation 14 and the loud cry in Revelation 18, it lies implicit in this that something will happen in the absolute end time. We Adventists are waiting for a universal Sunday law that reduces our rights to worship God the Creator in the way He has told us to do, and this is exactly where we will find the two great controversies that will be raised shortly. Which day of the week shall we keep holy? Who shall we worship? This Sunday law we are waiting for will require the people of the world to go to Mass on Sundays, and it will be embedded in the law that it will be forbidden to hold services on other days of the week.

We can already see a certain approach to this in many countries around the world, and I can mention two incidents from my family in Peru that date from 2012, and which concern two of my brothers-in-law, who are both Adventists. The first one, who worked in the public sector, received a letter from his employer, the municipality, which clearly stated that it was now mandatory for everyone who worked in the public sector to work a minimum of 48 hours a week, spread over six days, of which Sunday is excluded. Now it must be added that Peru is by definition a Catholic country. The other, who worked as a caretaker in the private sector, was told by his employer that he could no longer take time off on the Sabbath to attend church, as he had always been able to do. Both were put on the same election and both resigned. It is part of the story that God blessed both so that they came out better financially after they resigned their jobs because they were obedient to God’s commandments and would not work on the Sabbath. However, it is not until a universal Sunday law, which forces the whole world to worship the image of the first beast, and which has clearly defined sanctions if the law is not followed, that Babylon has fallen. In Testimonios for the Church vol. 8 Ellen G. White says that Babylon has fallen by forcing people to accept the false Sabbath.

The fall of Babylon is complete.

According to the Spirit of Prophecy, the fall of Babylon is complete when the union of the Church with the world is accomplished throughout Christendom. We must look at this in the light of the king of the north and the king of the south as we saw earlier in Daniel chapter 10, 11 and 12. The merism, which we looked at there, tells us that the king of the north, which is a picture of the Catholic Church, has gathered all denominations under its umbrella, unites with, or rather defeats the king in the south, which is a picture of the secular world, with all its -isms, secularism, existentialism, etc. This is about to be fulfilled in our days. Almost all Protestant denominations have crawled back to Rome through three interesting ecumenical encounters with the Catholic Church.

1) On October 31, 1999, the Lutheran World Federation took a long step towards cancelling the Reformation when they, together with the Catholic Church, chose to sign what is entitled: The Joint Declaration Between the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation on the Doctrine of Justification, better known as The Joint Declaration. This document has been prepared in its entirety by the Catholic Church.

2) Pope Francis visited Lund in Sweden on October 31st, 2016 in connection with a joint Catholic-Lutheran ceremony. This was the next step on the road to full gathering under the Catholic umbrella. The following is taken from http://www.katolsk.no/nyheter/2016/09/informasjon-om-pavens-sverige-besok

  • The Pope’s historic visit to Lund and Malmö takes place on the occasion of Catholics and Lutherans jointly marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) agree that Lund is a good place to mark the Reformation. LWF was founded in Lund in 1947. Lund Cathedral, where the ecumenical service takes place on October 31, has a thousand-year history shared by Catholics and Lutherans. The Lutheran World Federation and the Vatican invite to the meeting on October 31. The host is the Church of Sweden in close collaboration with the Catholic Church in Sweden and the Christian Council of Sweden. The Catholic Church and LWF have been in dialogue for 50 years. It is this dialogue that has led us to this autumn’s historic meeting in Lund and where we are today. A milestone in the dialogue is the document From Conflict to Community Common Lutheran-Catholic commemoration of the Reformation 2017 (from 2013*). There, Lutherans and Catholics express grief and remorse for the pain we have inflicted on each other, but also gratitude for the theological insights we have fertilized each other with. It is against this background and in this spirit that leaders from the Catholic Church and LVF meet in Lund this autumn for the first time ever to mark the Reformation.

3) The approach that took place on the 500th anniversary of Luther’s Reformation on October 31, 2017, when the Lutheran-Protestant churches merged with the Catholic Church in a common Lutheran-Catholic commemoration of the Reformation, is the third step towards a complete obliteration of the Reformation. Below is a small excerpt from the document From conflict to community. Joint Lutheran-Catholic commemoration of the Reformation 2017 *. Report of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Christian Unity. This document is also written by Catholics and only them, but the Lutheran-Protestant churches have accepted, approved and signed this, together with the Catholic Church

Here is the excerpt.

We take as our guide the doctrine of justification, which expresses the gospel message and therefore incessantly serves to direct the whole doctrine and practice of the Church toward Christ (Joint Declaration of the Doctrine of Justification). The true unity of the Church can only be unity in the unity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That the controversy over this truth in the 16th century led to the loss of unity in Western Christianity is one of the dark chapters in church history. In 2017, we must openly confess that we have been guilty before Christ of harming the unity of the Church. The year of remembrance presents us with two challenges: to cleanse and heal the memories, and to restore Christian unity in accordance with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

* Although the document was completed in 2013, it has been used as a basis both for the ecumenical meeting in Lund 2016 and for the Lutheran Jubilee in 2017

It is extremely unfortunate that Lutheran and Protestant churches accept this document. Only Catholic doctrines are the basis for this document, but it is written in such a way that it appears to be an acceptable document for Protestants and Lutherans. The problem is that only the packaging is acceptable. When it comes to the Catholic Church’s view of salvation and justification, Jesus’ deeds are the basis for this. They do say that Jesus died on the cross, and he was obedient until death, but not that He died for you and me. It is His good works, as well as the good works of Mary and all the good works of the saints, that make atonement for your and my sins. Many will now probably say that this is not possible. But let us look at something the Roman Church says about this.

Allan Jones, priest of the Grace Cathedral Catholic Church in San Francisco, writes in his book Reimagining Christianity the following: The Church’s fixation on Jesus’ death as the universal act of salvation must stop. It cannot be as the Protestants say that Jesus died for you. This is a false doctrine.

The Catholic Church thus teaches that Jesus died on the cross, but not for you and me, and that we are not saved by his death. So let us see what the Bible says.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins: Colossians 1,14

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven. Colossians 1,20

In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: Colossians 1,22

Briefly summarized. I am a sinner, and my wages is death (Romans 6,23). So how can I be saved? Only God can save me, for He paid the price for me, and by His blood I am saved.

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrew 9,22

The Bible is absolutely clear that without the blood of Jesus there is no salvation, and we are lost.

As we understand it, the king of the north has gathered all churches, and other religions, under his umbrella, and then only the last act of the union remains – to defeat the secular forces that oppose God, and this is already well underway by the conversations that take place between the church and the non-religious forces. It is only a matter of time before this becomes a reality, just as the Bible tells us it will happen

How can her sins reach unto heaven?

It is said that her sins will reach unto heaven. What does this mean? How can Babylon’s sins reach unto heaven?

Per Lønning, former bishop of the Church of Norway, gives some considerations about this verse in Revelation 18,5 in the book A Year with the New Testament. There he says, among other things, that this verse has over time been used as an invitation to separate with a secular state or a secularized church. It has been primarily to differ from a secularized church that this verse has been used. Then he compares come out of her with how the church changed its attitude to the Roman Empire in a couple of decades from the fall of Jerusalem to when John sat on Patmos and wrote the Revelation, and puts in his book guidelines that it is the physical city of Rome come out of her is referred to. But he cannot see whether it is a spiritual distancing from the city of Rome or a physical distancing from Roman culture and Roman society as a whole. It must be added that Per Lønning was also a research professor at the Ecumenical Research Center in Strasbourg.

It is Babylon, as a symbol of the fallen churches, that the prophecy urges us to flee so that we may not be partakers of her sins. I do not think it matters where in the world we live, even if it is in Rome. Her is also here, as everywhere else where her has been used prophetically, a picture of the church, and here it is the fallen church that is in question, and then all churches that have fallen, not just the Catholic Church. Then there is probably no help just to move out of a city be it the physical city of Rome, of which Babylon is a picture, or any other city. What is needed in order not to partake of her sins that reach all the way unto heaven is that those who hear the call of the three angels’ message and the loud cry get out of the religious system that makes up modern-day Babylon, and turn to the Creator, and enter into Gods end-time church while there is still time.

Because soon, in the near future, when this union between the king of the north and the king of the south has been implemented, and the Sunday law has been introduced, it means that the law of God has been declared invalid by men. This is what makes the sins of Babylon reach unto heaven. When the Sunday law is introduced, it will only be a short time before the door of grace closes, and the choice that each individual has made will remain forever. However, there is a very short period set aside between the introduction of the Sunday law and the day when the door of grace closes. This time is given so that those who hear God’s warning and respond to it can come out of her.

The complete fall of Babylon and the introduction of the Sunday laws combined, bring her sins to reach unto heaven. But why exactly these two events, why are not other things that trigger this?

When the world, led by Babylon, definitively sets aside God’s law by imposing on the whole world the false Sabbath day – Sunday, Babylon’s wickedness and guilt have become complete. God blessed and sanctified the seventh day already during creation. Therefore, this day is important to us because God Himself has said that He will be present in a special way on this very day – the Sabbath. When the law of Sunday is introduced, the world sets aside the law of God, they become what the Bible calls without law. God calls on people to call them out of confusion and out of the world – Babylon. He calls them to distance themselves from what the world does, because what the world does is in opposition to Gods will. He wants to sanctify those who come to Him, and He cannot do so as long as they have their heart in Babylon.

There is no longer any way back, and God will end it all in a very short time because it is the introduction of the Sunday laws that leads to the complete fall of Babylon and that her sins reach all the way unto heaven.