How Does the Fourth Angel Lighten the World?

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.

This is the fourth angel the angel to lighten the world. How does this angel light the world? By the loud cry of the three angels’ messages. Adventists have been waiting for the loud cry to happen. We want to consider this lightening of the earth with its glory. Moses asked God to show him His glory. He expressed character traits to Moses. When the earth is lightened with His glory, it’s not the dazzling brightness like that of Hollywood, it’s the glory which is character. The character of God’s people is to lighten up the world.

Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Who is Jesus referring to? His disciples. You are the light of the world. If his disciples are the light and we take up our cross and follow him, what are we? The light of the world. The Revelation 14 angel is to lighten the world. Actually do it. Christians don’t seem to do it. Here is a prophecy of a company of people actually fulfilling what Christianity is meant to do: to lighten the world. Here, Jesus is walking amongst the candle sticks.

Revelation 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Does God have seven churches? No. He has one church but in seven periods of times. The candle sticks are a representation of the church of God. We want to understand how we can become the light of the world so we first need to understand how the candle sticks get lit.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Here is a communication line. God gave to Jesus, who gave to the angel, who gave to the prophet, who is to give it to the churches. The glory that is to surround the world is the glory of God. That was the first angel’s message. The attitudes that are to be displayed in His people are His attitudes and character.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Jesus Himself is the light of the world. Then he says to the church, you are collectively the light of the world. How does this light come into the world?

John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

John 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

5:32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the angels, the prophet and the church. This is the channel of communication.

Zechariah 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:

4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

4:4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

He wants to know what the candle sticks are. He says, this is the Word of the Lord. Who is the Word of the Lord? Jesus. Not my might, nor by power, but by spirit. Jesus is communicated by the Holy Spirit. People think the loud cry is a huge human effort to evangelize to the world but it’s not by might, not by power, but by His Spirit.

Zechariah 4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?

4:12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?

4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

4:14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

He sees in heaven standing beside God, two olive trees. They empty themselves through the pipes into the candle sticks. The two anointed ones are the Old and New Testament. Combined they are Jesus, the Word. Jesus said the Father is in me and so I want to be in you. When the Father is in between the trees, the trees are taking from the Father and displaying them in living fruit. What is inside the olives? Oil – the Holy Spirit. The Hoy Spirit is what is inside Jesus. The oil flows through into the seven golden candle sticks. We are mere vessels of God.

Exodus 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

God wants to dwell amoung humans. He needs a vessel to be in, a tabernacle. Something that will hold him.

Leviticus 26:11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.

26:12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

Here is a promise for us of how we can be lights for the world. God wants to dwell and walk among you. Walking is movement not stagnant.

2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The Old Testament says ‘among’ and the New says ‘in’. God is proposing that he will travel through us. It says you are the temple. Our human frame is built to hold another entity apart from ourselves. We have to fill it with something. If it’s not God, Satan fills it. That is how we are built. We are pipes.

John 2:18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

Jesus has just cleansed the temple. It was meant to be a place where God could dwell, but it was filled with traffic. Jesus had cleansed it.

John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

2:21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

The temple that he was talking about was only a shadow of our bodies. What was inside of the tabernacle? The candle sticks. We are to be the light of the world. We are to have God dwelling in us.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

We are the temple of God. Which person of the Godhead are we to house? We are the temple of the oil, the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

To habitate God how? Through the spirit. The oil is the element that we can have of the Father. This habitation is where it dwells. It says fitly framed together. We’re talking about a mechanical structure here. We’re using the example of pipes. Here we have a framing of pipes and they are all to be framed together. What’s the use of a pipe by itself? There won’t be any oil in it. It is our privilege by the grace of God to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. But there is an obligation to be framed together.

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

We want to be the light of the world but it must be done acceptably. We must be builded and fitly framed together and part of the piping to illuminate the world. That is what God ordained. Pipes need to be connected together. In doing this we are built up into a holy system of showing forth the praises of Him who has called us from darkness into His marvelous light. There is nothing light or glorious about a pipe. The pipe is the instrument for allowing the fuel for the light to be carried to where it needs to go.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

What was man made from? The dust of the ground. We are dust. But we have inside this earthen vessel a treasure. It is the light, the Holy Ghost, which has illuminated us. Now we have a duty when we have been blessed to pass that blessing on. If we have been inspired by something, we need to pass it on and to keep it flowing. These vessels are earthen, that’s you and me. We need to be connected to each other. We don’t deserve to have God dwelling in our vessel. It is by His grace.

Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Each one of us are created to be used in His lamp work that is to lighten the whole world. God needs each one of us. In His creation we are obliged to show forth this glory. We need to be partakers of the Holy Ghost to be part of the loud cry. If we don’t have the oil, we’re not part of the loud cry. Here is the flow. As we receive we are to pass on and keep gift of the Holy Spirit flowing.

1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

We have an obligation to minister to each other. What is a steward? They look after something. We are stewards of the grace of God, the Holy Ghost. We are privileged and duty bound to connect to one another in order to let it flow. We are the stewards of the manifold grace of God. Many outlets but one inlet. It’s a manifold. Just like in a car. We are stewards and part of this manifold of the grace of God. God has one way. No man has seen God but Jesus has declared Him. He uses angels. Then from angels through to prophets and then the church. How have you gotten to learn of God? Did God tell you? Or did a prophet or a preacher tell you? Who wrote the bible? Prophets or preachers. We need each other.

1 Corinthians 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

All the pipes have different bends, but it’s the same oil flowing through it.

1 Corinthians 12:5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

12:6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worked all in all.

12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

If we get a blessing, the fact that we have it means we have to share that. He’s given it so we can pass it along. This is how God has ordained his missionary work. Then the light lightens the whole world.

1 Corinthians 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

That’s the way of love. If I don’t have the oil in me, the love because God is love, I could preach all day long, have all faith, bestow all good gifts to the poor, if I don’t have this oil, it’s nothing. It’s absolutely useless and any missionary work that isn’t connected with Christian love.

Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

From whom? God is the source. Compacted by that which every joint supplies. The connection of the pipes to make the machine not leek depends on you and me. The candle wouldn’t light up if the machine is leaking. It’s compacted and brought together by that which every joint supplies. We need to supply to one another a support in keeping that oil flowing, to pass our blessing onto one another. Get a blessing in the morning and sharing it with one another. That’s compacting and making sure there’s no leaks. God wants to light up the whole world. He wants to make sure it’s done right. God creates something and it works right. He’s trying to light the world but it’s not going to happen until every joint supplies the compaction to make the seal. I hope this encourages you to compact together so we can make the machinery shine. The fuel can only travel through a certain method. It won’t go any other way. When we all take seriously the need of the Holy Ghost and share all with one another, cultivate love to one another. As we do that, the character of God will be revealed in his people.

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

Isaiah 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

His glory shall be seen upon thee the top of the candle stick. On the top of the vessels will be our character. How we relate with one another. When that happens what will the world do?

Isaiah 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

You’ll be a light set on a hill and people will come to you as the mechanism displays it. It’s a teamwork that people will come to, not one person. A framework that is fitly joined together a workmanship that God has ordained. The vessels bearing the glory of God in their character, together with unity, compacted together.

Amen.