Another angel (Revelation 18:1) joins the third angel to give added power to the proclamation of the warning against the beast and his image. The second angel's message is repeated with the statement of the additional corruptions that have entered the Christian churches since the beginning of his work in 1844. Revelation 18:2, 3. The work of this angel began with the proclamation of the message "Christ Our Righteousness" in 1888, which is to lighten the earth with the glory of God. Exodus 33:18, 19; Haggai 2:9, 7; Colossians 1:27; Habakkuk 2:14.
The rejection of this message led to open apostasy among the Advent people when the requirements of men were openly placed above the commandments of God. The work of this "other" angel, together with the continued presentation of the message to Laodicea, leads to the outpouring of the "Latter Rain" and the proclamation of the final warning with a loud voice ("Loud Cry"). This prepares the people of God to stand in the final test before the close of human probation and during the time of Jacob's trouble. Revelation 3:14-20; Daniel 12:1; Jeremiah 23:6; Hosea 6:1-3; Joel 2:23.
The coming of the "other angel," to strengthen the third angel's message, became necessary because this message was rapidly losing its power in the hands of the people to whom it had been first entrusted. Habakkuk 2:14; Isaiah 60:1, 2.
"I know that a work must be done for the people, or many will not be prepared to receive the light of the angel sent down from heaven to lighten the whole earth with his glory."—Testimonies to Ministers, pp. 468, 469.
"Those who can ignore all the evidences which God has given them, and change that blessing into a curse, should tremble for the safety of their own souls. Their candlestick will be removed out of its place unless they repent. The Lord has been insulted. The standard of truth, of the first, second, and third angels' messages has been left to trail in the dust."—Selected Messages, bk. 2, p. 394.
Therefore: "Another mighty angel [was] commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. . . .The work of this angel comes in at the right time to join in the last great work of the third angel's message as it swells to a loud cry."—Early Writings, p. 277.
"[Revelation 18:1, 2, 4 quoted] This scripture points forward to a time when the announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of Revelation 14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message was first given, in the summer of 1844. . . . God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His judgments these faithful ones must be called out, that they partake not of her sins and 'receive not of her plagues.' Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon."—The Great Controversy, pp. 603, 604.
"The third angel's message must be strengthened and confirmed. The eighteenth chapter of Revelation reveals the importance of presenting the truth in no measured terms but with boldness and power."—Evangelism, p. 230.
"Satan has laid every measure possible that nothing shall come among us as a people to reprove and rebuke us, and exhort us to put away our errors. But there is a people who will bear the ark of God. . . . The truth will not be diminished or lose its power in their hands. They will show the people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins."—Testimonies to Ministers, p. 411.
Preparation for the Latter Rain
"I was shown that the testimony to the Laodiceans applies to God's people at the present time, and the reason it has not accomplished a greater work is because of the hardness of their hearts. But God has given the message time to do its work. The heart must be purified from sins which have so long shut out Jesus. This fearful message will do its work. When it was first presented, it led to close examination of heart. Sins were confessed, and the people of God were stirred everywhere. Nearly all believed that this message would end in the loud cry of the third angel. But as they failed to see the powerful work accomplished in a short time, many lost the effect of the message. I saw that this message would not accomplish its work in a few short months. It is designed to arouse the people of God, to discover to them their backslidings, and to lead to zealous repentance, that they may be favored with the presence of Jesus, and be fitted for the loud cry of the third angel. As this message affected the heart, it led to deep humility before God. Angels were sent in every direction to prepare unbelieving hearts for the truth. The cause of God began to rise, and His people were acquainted with their position. If the counsel of the True Witness had been fully heeded, God would have wrought for His people in greater power. Yet the efforts made since the message has been given, have been blessed of God, and many souls have been brought from error and darkness to rejoice in the truth."—Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 186.
The Loud Cry
The Loud Cry of the third angel had its beginning with the coming of the angel of Revelation 18 in 1888. Its culmination will not be seen until the fullness of the Holy Spirit is poured out in the Latter Rain. Revelation 18:1-4.
"While Satan is working with his lying wonders, the time has come [that was] foretold in the Revelation, when the mighty angel that shall lighten the earth with his glory will proclaim the fall of Babylon and call upon God's people to forsake her."—Selected Messages, bk. 3, pp. 406, 407.
"The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth."—Ibid., bk. 1, p. 363.
"All who are laborers together with God will contend most earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. They will not be turned from the present message, which is already lightening the earth with its glory. . . . We are to sound the messages of the [three] angels, which are represented as flying in the midst of heaven, with the last warning to a fallen world. . . . [Revelation 18:1-5 quoted]. Thus the substance of the second angel's message is again given to the world by that other angel who lightens the earth with its glory." —Ibid., bk. 2, pp. 114-116.
"The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. Here are 'the times of refreshing' to which the apostle Peter looked forward when he said: 'Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out [in the investigative Judgment], when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus.' Acts 3:19, 20.
"Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works, with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand."—The Great Controversy (1888 edition), pp. 611, 612.
The Voice From Heaven
In connection with the proclamation of the threefold angels' message, another voice from heaven (under the power of the Holy Spirit) is heard through that movement represented by that mighty angel. Before probation closes, he makes the final call to God's faithful people still in Babylon to come out of her before the plagues of God are poured out upon her. Revelation 18:4, 5.
"As foretold in the eighteenth of Revelation, the third angel's message is to be proclaimed with great power by those who give the final warning against the beast and his image: [Revelation 18:1-6 quoted].
"This is the message given by God to be sounded forth in the loud cry of the third angel."—Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 118.
"Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6‑12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion. This message is the last that will ever be given to the world; and it will accomplish its work. When those that 'believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness' (2 Thessalonians 2:12), shall be left to receive strong delusion and to believe a lie, then the light of truth will shine upon all whose hearts are open to receive it, and all the children of the Lord that remain in Babylon will heed the call: 'Come out of her, My people' (Revelation 18:4)."—The Great Controversy, p. 390.
"God still has a people in Babylon . . . [and] these faithful ones must be called out. . . . Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from Heaven, lightening the earth with his glory, and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard, 'Come out of her, my people.' As these warnings join the third angel's message, it swells to a loud cry."—The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, p. 422.
"God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he raises an excitement in these religious bodies, that those who have rejected the truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working for the churches. But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen churches, and take their stand with the remnant."—Early Writings, p. 261.
"The third angel's message must go over the land, and awaken the people, and call their attention to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Another angel unites his voice with the third angel, and the earth is lighted with its glory. The light increases, and it shines out to all the nations of the earth. It is to go forth as a light that burneth. It will be attended with great power, until its golden beams have fallen upon every tongue, every people, and every nation upon the face of the whole earth. Let me ask you, What you are doing to prepare for this work? Are you building for eternity? You must remember that this angel represents the people that have this message to give to the world. Are you among that people? "—The Review and Herald, August 18, 1885.
"The question of most vital importance for this time is, 'Who is on the Lord's side? Who will unite with the angel in giving the message of truth to the world? Who will receive the light that is to fill the whole earth with its glory?' "—Ibid., November 5, 1889.
Preparation for Jacob's Trouble
"As the members of the body of Christ approach the period of their last conflict, 'the time of Jacob's trouble,' they will grow up into Christ, and will partake largely of His Spirit. As the third message swells to a loud cry, and as great power and glory attend the closing work, the faithful people of God will partake of that glory. It is the latter rain which revives and strengthens them to pass through the time of trouble. Their faces will shine with the glory of that light which attends the third angel."—The SDA Bible Commentary [E.G. White Comments] vol. 7, p. 984.
" 'The commencement of that time of trouble,' here mentioned does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the 'latter rain,' or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out."—Early Writings, pp. 85, 86.