By John Thiel, Second Angel’s Message, study 3, mp3

Revelation 14:8 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.

This message applies after the first angel’s message has been given and the reaction of those who heard the first angel’s message which called forth the second angel’s message. They are addressed as Babylon. Babylon is fallen. Why the term Babylon?

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 Woman Sitting On a Beast

In prophetic symbolism a beast is a nation and a woman is a church. The church that is the mother of harlots is in connection with a particular empire. Babylon is applied to a harlot church. She is referred to as the mother of harlots. In Revelation 14 we read that she is a city;

Revelation 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

That great city that reins over the earth is a capital city.

Revelation 17:9 And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

What is that great city that sits on seven mountains? Rome; the Vatican within Rome where the woman sits, a church, the mother of harlots as well as a spiritual church she became a harlot in the following sense;

Jeremiah 6:2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate [woman].

The daughter of Zion, the church Zion is a comely and delicate woman.

Isaiah 33:20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle [that] shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

Zion is a city, connecting the church with a city. The capital city of God’s Jewish church is Zion.

Isaiah 1:21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

This is what God expresses with regard to the woman Zion the city. Babylon is the mother of harlots; a church that was once a faithful city and now has become a harlot. This is amplified;

It was by departure from the Lord, and alliance with the heathen, that the Jewish church became a harlot; and Rome, corrupting herself in like manner by seeking the support of worldly powers, receives a like condemnation. GC 382

How has the faithful city become a harlot?

What was the origin of the great apostasy? How did the church first depart from the simplicity of the gospel? By conforming to the practices of paganism, to facilitate the acceptance of Christianity by the heathen. The apostle Paul declared, even in his day, The mystery of iniquity doth already work. 2 Thessalonians 2 7. During the lives of the apostles the church remained comparatively pure. But toward the latter end of the second century most of the churches assumed a new form; the first simplicity disappeared, and insensibly, as the old disciples retired to their graves, their children, along with new converts,  came forward and new-modelled the cause.–Robert Robinson, Ecclesiastical Researches, chapter 6, par. 17, p. 51. To secure converts, the exalted standard of the Christian faith was lowered, and as the result a pagan flood, flowing into the church, carried with it its customs, practices, and idols. –Gavazzi, Lectures, page 278. As the Christian religion secured the favor and support of secular rulers, it was nominally accepted by multitudes; but while in appearance Christians, many remained in substance pagans, especially worshiping in secret their idols.- GC 384

This how the faithful church becomes a whore. The expression of the second angel Babylon the great is fallen, is applicable to a church that was once faithful and has become a harlot.  The second angel’s message applies specifically to the period of time in which the first angel’s message had just been given after 1798 in 1833. Therefore, what is this Babylon?

The message of Revelation 14, announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt. Since this message follows the warning of the judgment, it must be given in the last days; therefore it cannot refer to the Roman Church alone, for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries. And in what religious bodies are the greater part of the followers of Christ now to be found? Without doubt, in the various churches professing the Protestant faith. At the time of their rise these churches took a noble stand for God and the truth, and His blessing was with them. But they fell by the same desire which was the curse and ruin of Israel–the desire of imitating the practices and courting the friendship of the ungodly. Thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown. Ezekiel 16 14, 15.  GC 383

Ezekiel 16:8 Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time [was] the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

This was the pure Jewish church in its early days.

Ezekiel 13:15 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment [was of] fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. 14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty for it [was] perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD. 15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pourest out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

This is what happened to Israel of old, she became a harlot. As she became a harlot and the Roman church became a harlot after early Christianity began to be re-modelled, so now the Protestants who had started off well, are following suit as well. What happened to the Jewish church, happened to the Roman Church?

Babylon in 1833 to 1844

As the founders, those who possessed the true spirit of reform, pass away, their descendants come forward and new-model the cause. While blindly clinging to the creed of their fathers and refusing to accept any truth in advance of what they saw, the children of the reformers depart widely from their example of humility, self-denial, and renunciation of the world. Thus the first simplicity disappears. A worldly flood, flowing into the church, carries with it its customs, practices, and idols. GC 385

The first angel’s message was given and it was rejected. As per the prophecies of the Jewish church, you also discover the prophecies of the Romish church. Is there prophecy in reference to the Protestant churches that went astray? Is there a parallel connection of a church that becomes so renown that it becomes a political arena like the other ones did and prophecy would reveal that in reference to the Romish church?

Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.  2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.  3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast.

Here is a prophecy of the rise of pagan beastliness and papal beast and then one of its heads was wounded to death. In 1798 the papacy received a deadly wound under Napoleon Bonaparte and the pope was taken and died in exile.  Prophecy deals with a deadly wounded inflicted on the papacy in 1798. How was this deadly wound healed?

Revelation 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.  11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.  13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,  14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.  15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.  16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their forehead.  17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Revelation 13 reveals another beast.  Just at the time the papal beast was lead into captivity, he beheld another beast coming up out of the earth.  This other beast was responsible for the deadly wound to be healed as he causes the entire world to worship him. Therefore his deadly wound was healed again.  This other beast arises out of the earth and does all the kind of things that the papal beast was doing before. This empire is able to restore the life of the head (papacy). What was this beast? What was a world power that was arising in 1798? Here is the documentation regarding the rise of this power.

Here New England was born and its first baby cry was a thanksgiving to the Lord. The settlement in America Another permanent settlement was made in James Town in 1607. In process of time other settlements were made and colonies organized which were all subject to the English Crown. Daniel and Revelation page 536.

The pilgrims went to America which was not a nation and out of the ground arose this beast. The population of these colonies according to the publication of August 1855 amounted in 1701 to 262,000; in 1749 1,046,000; in 1775 2,803,000. Then commenced the struggle of the American colonies for independence.

American Colonies Fight for Independence

1776	They declared themselves a free and independent nation
1777	Delegates from the 13 original states in Congress assembled adopting articles of confederation.
1783	The war of the revolution closed with a treaty of peace with Great Britain whereby the independence of the United States was acknowledged and territory.
1787	The Constitution was framed and ratified
1 March 1789	The Constitution went into effect.
1798	A nation had been formed out of the ground. That nation became such a powerful nation that prophecy refers to it

Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.

Reference is made to this period of time. The time prophecy culminates in 1798. Verse 26 is a prophecy where the fatal wound was inflicted and from the time of the hour of judgment in 1798 was when the papacy received the deadly wound and in 1833 was the hour of the judgment. For 35 years the announcement was made (1798 – 1833). This is the commencement period of the first angel’s message which was rejected and the nation where it was rejected. The city, the kingdom of Protestant America comes into light.

William Miller presented the first angel’s message and Protestants were tested by the message of the judgement hour and they rejected it. In the judgment Jesus begins to judge all who have named the name of Christ and he is now including in His judgment Babylon and the Protestants that fell. As Protestantism falls, the rise of the USA as a nation comes up. The Protestant people rise up a nation. What is written about this beast which arises?

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 

Horns in prophetic symbolism represent within the nation, forms of government. The forms of government in the USA became Protestantism and Republicanism.

And he had two horns like a lamb. The lamblike horns indicate youth, innocence, and gentleness, fitly representing the character of the United States when presented to the prophet as coming up. in 1798. Among the Christian exiles who first fled to America and sought an asylum from royal oppression and priestly intolerance were many who determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and religious liberty. Their views found place in the Declaration of Independence, which sets forth the great truth that all men are created equal. and endowed with the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And the Constitution guarantees to the people the right of self-government, providing that representatives elected by the popular vote shall enact and administer the laws. Freedom of religious faith was also granted, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. GC 441.1

Just like Israel had a secret of its power and prosperity.

The oppressed and downtrodden throughout Christendom have turned to this land with interest and hope. Millions have sought its shores, and the United States has risen to a place among the most powerful nations of the earth. {GC 441.1}

How much we know that today. What does the prophecy indicate? That ultimately it will speak as the dragon. It is included with Babylon of ancient times. Paganism. She became a harlot church, a lamb and a dragon. That is what the second angel’s message is pointing at. Babylon the great is fallen, that great city that made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of God.

Revelation 14:8 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.

What is the wine of the wrath of her fornication?

Isaiah 29:9 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.  10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. 11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which [men] deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee and he saith, I cannot; for it [is] sealed. 12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee and he saith, I am not learned.  13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men

They are drunken by the doctrines that are not established by the Word of God and because they cannot understand it, they are drunken and bewildered. They teach the doctrines of man instead of the doctrines of God. That is the wine of Babylon. The doctrines that she teaches that make people dizzy and confused like alcohol does.  It’s called Babylon because a person who is drunk babbles.

Babel, Tower of Babel – (Genesis 11:1-11) a tower built by Noah’s descendants (in Babylon) who intended it to reach up to heaven; God foiled them by confusing their language so they could no longer understand one another. The word “Babylon” means “confusion, gate of Bel”. The Greek mode of spelling what is in the Hebrew is uniformly “Babel”.

The fallen denominational churches are Babylon. Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God’s holy and sanctified day. 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

The Wrath of Her Fornication

People get angry if you don’t agree with them. Those false doctrines that we don’t agree with becomes the wrath of her fornication. The message of Revelation 18 is applicable to the Protestant churches.

Many of the Protestant churches are following Rome’s example of iniquitous connection with the kings of the earth.–the state churches, by their relation to secular governments; and other denominations, by seeking the favor of the world. And the term Babylon.–confusion–may be appropriately applied to these bodies, all professing to derive their doctrines from the Bible, yet divided into almost innumerable sects, with widely conflicting creeds and theories. GC 383

This is the consequence of the wine of Babylon, widely conflicting set of doctrines and creeds.

Revelation 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.  11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.   12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.   13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,  14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.  15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.   16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:   17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 

What does America Protestantism do?  Here you have the same treatment of those who would worship God in truth being persecuted just like Israel persecuted Isaiah and Jeremiah.  The papal church persecuted the Christians and now the same happens in Protestant America ultimately.  It has capability to do miracles to such as degree that the can bring fire from out of heaven. The miracle working technology that America has such as telephone, electricity and robots. The USA has been depending upon for her miracles by the rest of the world. Fire came out of heaven over Hiroshima via the atomic bomb which exploded from above and fire came down to the earth.  To qualify these three powers – the dragon, the beast and the false prophet we read Revelation 19.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

The false prophet has another name, this is none other than apostate Protestantism, and the USA is here called a false prophet. The image of the beast that the USA creates is identified.

Revelation 17:3 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

What was the beast that they had an image to it? Combination of Church and State. The church (the woman) sits and pulls the reins of the state keeping it under control. America will create the same thing.  They will combine church and state. Apostate Protestantism working through Republicanism.

GC 443 When the early church became corrupted by departing from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, she lost the Spirit and power of God; and in order to control the consciences of the people, she sought the support of the secular power. The result was the papacy, a church that controlled the power of the state and employed it to further her own ends, especially for the punishment of heresy. In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church to accomplish her own ends.

That is the image of the beast.

GC 445.1 When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.

As you look at the situation of churches working through politics, you know what is actually transpiring.

Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.  16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads. 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

The ultimate fulfilment of Daniel 7 is identified.

Daniel 7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.

The activity of protestant America together with the papal church is actually signing its death warrant, it is actually losing. The ultimate fulfilment is Armageddon.

Revelation 16:13 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.  15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watched, and kept his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.  16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

This is where the prophecies culminate ultimately in paganism, Catholicism and apostate Protestantism (false prophet) in between the rise of America and its influence to heal the fatal wound of the papacy. As the process of time brings about the results there is a situation that develops.

Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 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.  3 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.

Another prophecy that is included ultimately among the three angel’s messages from the point in time of the rise of apostate Protestantism when they rejected the message of the first angel’s message.  From that time onwards things get worse and worse until the final culmination. As we look at the in between time period, we are looking at where all nations are now part of it not just America. During this development of the churches getting worse, Babylon becomes the cage of every unclean and hateful bird. As this is going on, another protestant church is endangered as well. All the churches become involved including this one.

Matthew 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.  48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;  49 And shall begin to smite [his] fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;  50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of,  51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

During this period of time, be also ready. We are to give meat in due season. He is still preaching, he is still a servant, but in his heart he says the Lord delayeth His coming.  Just as the other churches are getting worse, he will have his portion with them. That is another protestant ministry that goes down with all the other protestants.  We read about this very church.

The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation, a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. TM 265

If most earnest vigilance is not manifested at the great heart of the work to protect the interests of the cause, the church will become as corrupt as the churches of other denominations. 4T 513

It is in Matthew 24 in prophecy that such a thing will happen. The second angel’s message is apostasy uniting with the nations and politics to become a harlot. Israel, Rome and apostate Protestantism in the USA.

Amen.