At the 2024 Spring Meeting, Ganoune Diop of the SDA General Conference Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department defended his ecumenical endeavors with other religious leaders and his department’s intimacy with the corrupt and un-religious United Nations. Video starts at 3:30:28
In the year 1860 God raised up and organized the Seventh-day Adventist Church with a special message that is to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. This message I’m referring to is the Three Angels Message of Revelation 14:6-12. This message is what makes us who we are as Seventh-day Adventists, and God has entrusted every member of this church to proclaim this message by the power of the Holy Spirit to prepare a people for the soon return of Jesus Christ. In the Spirit of Prophecy we are told that,
“In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and lightbearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import—the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention” (3TT 288.1).
“The most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals have been given us to proclaim to the world. The proclamation of these truths is to be our work. The world is to be warned, and God's people are to be true to the trust committed to them. They are not to engage in speculation, neither are they to enter into business enterprises with unbelievers; for this would hinder them in their God-given work” (3TT 288.2).
In Ezekiel 33:1-11, the work of the watchman was to sound the trumpet, go give a warning message of the crisis that was coming. Brothers and sisters, God has called all of us to be watchmen in these last days in giving the last warning message of mercy to the world, calling men and women to repentance.
Message of the First Angel
The two crucial points are: (1) that it is the “everlasting gospel,” and (2) that it must be preached to every person on the earth. The Three Angels Messages stress the gospel, which makes it plain that people are saved by faith-an acceptance of-Jesus Christ alone (Acts 4:10-12; John 14:6). Since no other way to salvation exists, it is evil to claim that there is some other way.
Satan’s counterfeits, while there are many, include two very effective ones: (1) salvation by works, and (2) salvation in sin. These two counterfeits are uncovered and revealed in the Three Angels Messages. Many, without realizing it, have embraced one of these two errors and are trying to build their salvation upon it-an impossible feat. We must also stress that no one is truly preaching the gospel of Jesus for the last days who does not include the Three Angels Messages.
Four Distinct Points
“Saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’ ” (Revelation 14:7).
A. Fear God. This means we should revere God and look upon Him with love, trust, and respect—eager to do His bidding. This keeps us from evil. “By the fear of the Lord one departs from evil” (Proverbs 16:6). Solomon, the wise man, also said, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all [whole duty]” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
B. Give glory to God. We fulfill this command when we praise, thank, and obey God for His goodness to us. One of the major sins of the last days is unthankfulness (2 Timothy 3:1, 2).
C. The hour of His judgment is come. This indicates that everyone is accountable to God, and it is a clear statement that the judgment is now in session. A number of translations say “has” come instead of “is” come.
D. Worship the Creator. This command rejects idolatry of all kinds—including self-worship—and repudiates the theory of evolution, which denies that God is Creator and Redeemer. (Many books and talk shows stress self-esteem, which can lead to self-worship. Christians find their value in Christ, who makes us sons and daughters of God.)
The gospel includes the creation and redemption of the world by the Lord God. Worshiping the Creator includes worshiping Him on the day He set aside as a memorial of Creation (the seventh-day Sabbath). That Revelation 14:7 refers to the seventh-day Sabbath is made clear by the fact that the words “made heaven and earth, the sea” were lifted right out of the Sabbath commandment (Exodus 20:11 KJV) and used here. Our roots are found in God alone, who made us in His image in the beginning. Those who do not worship God as Creator—no matter what else they might worship—will never discover their roots.
Message of the Second Angel
-“Another angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon is fallen’ ” (Revelation 14:8).
“I saw another angel coming down from heaven. ... And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen.’ ... And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people’ ” (Revelation 18:1, 2, 4).
-The second angel states that “Babylon is fallen,” and the voice from heaven urges all of God’s people to come out of Babylon at once so they will not be destroyed along with it. Unless you know what Babylon is, you could easily end up staying in it.
Message of the Third Angel
“A third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God’ ” (Revelation 14:9, 10).
-The third angel’s message warns people against worshiping the beast and his image and receiving the mark of the beast in their forehead or hand. The first angel commands true worship. The third angel tells of the tragic consequences connected with false worship. Do you know for certain who the beast is? And what his mark is? Unless you know, you could end up worshiping the beast without realizing it.
God’s “present truth” for today is contained in the three angels’ messages. Of course, salvation through Jesus Christ alone is central to these messages. However, the “present truth” of the three angels also has been given to prepare people for Jesus’ second coming and to open their eyes to Satan’s highly convincing deceptions. Unless people understand these messages, Satan could capture and destroy them. Jesus knew we needed these three special messages, so in lovingkindness He has given them. It is not an ecumenical message because it goes against the ecumenical movement. Seventh-day Adventists have been raised up for a special mission in giving to the world the First, Second, and Third Angels Messages. They must not be omitted.
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Musa Nkosi is a graduate from Southwestern Adventist University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. His goal is to use his talents and abilities for the Lord’s cause in the finishing of the work.