The Great Commission was given to saints, not angels. Whenever the biblical Gospel is preached, Jesus Christ Himself is offering salvation to the sinner. The Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to bring conviction and conversion to the hearer. When the rapture takes place, the church witness ends. God will send the two witnesses and they will be killed by the Antichrist at the end of 3½ years. During the second 3½ years, before Christ returns to judge the world, there will be the trumpet and vial judgments. There will still be many who need to be saved during this 7-year Tribulation period. Since the church has been raptured, God will send an angel (Rev 14:6) to preach the Gospel. Without the Gospel, there can be no salvation.

1. The Word (Rev 14:6-7)

The angel will preach for man to fear God and give glory to Him. This is because time is running out and there is no time to procrastinate. The first coming of Christ was for the church, but the second coming of Christ will be with the church. Christ will soon come as a conquering Messiah. When that happens, man’s state will be sealed forever. God is the One living and true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and these domains belong to Him. There must be a deep sense of urgency when we share the Gospel. We must not add to, or subtract from, it. The sharing of the Gospel and the conviction of the Holy Spirit must both be present for salvation. We must not presume that the Holy Spirit will convict every time a sinner hears the Gospel. The angel will be sent by God to take our place because we will then be in glory.

2. The World (Rev 14:8)

Babylon, the capital city of the Antichrist, will be destroyed. The name Babylon comes from Genesis 11, where Nimrod led the first ecumenical movement soon after the global flood. The Babylon in Revelation 14:8 will be the second attempt to form the one-world system. The religious, political, and ecumenical capital will come crashing down. The angel will be preaching the Gospel in a world that the evil one can no longer use Babylon to seduce the world and threaten sinners to have its mark.

3. The Warning (Rev 14:9-11)

If man does not want to hear the Gospel, he will have to bear his own sin, and will suffer great torment in hell.

Today, we must make sure that we are attending a church that is biblical, and that we have the mark of the Lord Jesus Christ on us.