The Second Angel’s Message

And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Revelation 14:8).

This second angel’s message is a warning to the world about the false teachings of Babylon, which is described as a woman who was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication (Revelation 17:4). A woman in Bible prophecy represents a church (Ephesians 5:25). Therefore, Babylon represents a religious power. This is the very same desolating power described as the little horn in Daniel 7.

The Bible goes on to say that upon her forehead, a name was written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots, and of the Abominations of the Earth (Revelation 17:5). The woman I saw was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (Revelation 17:6).

The Roman Church, as foretold by prophecy, had persecuted the people of God for 1,260 years when its reign was temporarily ended in 1798. But this church would go on to have “daughters,” other churches that would follow her example. Ironically, the churches that came out of the “mother” church of Catholicism are the Protestant churches.

In holding on to the errors of the mother church, such as Sunday sacredness and infant baptism, the Protestants became like her, no longer protesting her false doctrines. In rejecting the message of the first angel, in rejecting the law of God, the Sabbath, and the judgment message, these churches place themselves on the side of the little horn, worshiping God in vain teaching as doctrines the commandments of men’” (Matthew 15:9).

Babylon and her daughters are described under different symbols in Revelation Chapter 13. John stood upon the sands of the sea and saw a beast rise up out of the sea having seven heads and 10 horns (Revelation 13:1). The description of this beast, the number of heads and horns, is similar to what Daniel saw. The beast John saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, his mouth like the mouth of a lion, and the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority (Revelation 13:2). Whereas Daniel saw this power as four separate beasts (Daniel 7:1–7), John saw this power as one composite beast. It had a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given to continue for 42 months (Revelation 13:5), the exact same time period as the 1,260 years of Daniel 7.

It opened its mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, tabernacle, and the angels who dwell in heaven (Revelation 13:6), just as the little horn of Daniel 7. However, John saw that this beast would receive a mortal wound (Revelation 13:3). This occurred at the end of the 1,260 years when, in 1798, France took the pope captive and abolished the papal state. But we are also told that the deadly wound would be healed and that the whole world would again follow after the beast (Revelation 13:3). We will come to the wound healing shortly.

Soon after the wounding of the beast called “Mystery Babylon,” the book of Revelation records another beast coming up out of the sea, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon (Revelation 13:11). Since a beast represents a nation, this beast would be coming upon the scene during the late 1700s around the time of the wounding of the first beast and would be lamblike, or peaceful, in appearance. Only one nation really fits the characteristics of this kingdom—the United States.

The prophecy speaks of the lamblike nature of this beast, and since the lamb is a symbol of Christ, it speaks to the “Christian” element of this nation, namely, Protestants, the “daughters” of the Roman Church, who at one time had made bold protest against the mother church but soon became, in essence, just like her by promoting her erroneous teachings.

While the French Revolution was based on a denial of God because of the tyranny of the papacy, the American Revolution, occurring at just about the same time, was based on the Bible and religious freedom from the tyranny of the papacy. This second beast, however, while appearing like a lamb, speaks like a dragon and has all the power of the first beast before him (Revelation 13:12), the papacy.

In an amazing prediction, the Bible reveals that Protestant America would seek to recreate the country to be run by religion, just as the Catholic Church had done during the Dark Ages. And just as Satan had used the atrocities of Catholicism during the Dark Ages to anger the people and to pave the way for Atheism to take root, he would use Atheism to anger Protestants in America into eventually forcing religious rule upon the people and, ultimately, the Bible predicts, upon the world, through military and political might.

The wine of Babylon is specifically designed to bring about spiritual drunkenness. Notice the warning of Proverbs 31: “Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys … It is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted” (Proverbs 31:3–5). Those who drink the wine of Babylon are drunk on the wine of the harlot and her daughters, “forgetting” the law and what God said to remember—specifically, the Sabbath day.

The warning of the second angel is a call to come out of the fallen churches that cling to the error of the mother church. “After these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory (Revelation 18:1). And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird (Revelation 18:2)! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury (Revelation 18:3).’ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues’” (Revelation 18:4).

While the first angel’s message points to the truth of God and the Bible, the second angel’s message reveals the errors of Babylon. As millions have learned of these errors through the preaching of the first and second angels’ messages, they have indeed come out of Babylon to join the remnant of God, those who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12). Those who heed the second angel’s message escape Babylon, just as God delivered ancient Israel out of the captivity of Egypt.

And God has millions of sincere people in these fallen churches, people who are living up to all the light they have. Yet many of them realize that some things are not quite right with what their pastors are teaching. They are waiting for clarity and, upon hearing the preaching of the first and second angels’ messages, they will obey God’s call to come out. They will separate from that which separates from God!

Pastor Anthony Nix

Anthony serves as the Pastor For Anderson Seventh-day Adventist Church in Anderson, IN. A charismatic communicator with a message that motivates discipleships to Jesus, Anthony teaches on a variety of topics, emphasizing God’s unfailing love and His desire to be in relationship with His creation. He is a graduate of Southern Adventist University. Anthony and his wife Nayeli have three beautiful and loving children.