The angel’s message is addressed to those who live on the earth, who are the unbelievers which includes every nation, tribe and tongue. The gospel is the good news of salvation by grace, through Christ’s sacrificial life, death and resurrection (Jn. 3:16-17; Rom.1:3-5; 3:23-24). But here the angel says: “Fear God, Give glory to Him. The hour of His judgment has come, and Worship Him” as the Creator.” To “fear God” is to depart from evil and reverence Him (Ex. 20:20; Pro. 3:7; 14:16, 27; 16:6).
The angel’s warning would have caused very less effect on the people. By this time the people would have experienced the devastating Seal and Trumpet judgements. The earth will have been devastated by a worldwide wars, famines and earthquakes, eventually they will realize those disasters are God’s judgements (6:15-17). Yet people would be rebellious and will not repent for their sins or turn from Antichrist.This is the judgment that was described in(Dan.7:9-10). The purpose of the judgment is to vindicate God’s people and condemn the powers that are persecuting them. The angel bids mankind the “worship” God as the Creator of all things which is a contrasts with the warning against worshiping the beast and his image in the third angel’s message (14: 9-11). The first four commandments of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:3-11) are at issue here. The beast’s demand for worship is a violation of the first commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3. Worshiping an image (14: 9,11) is a violation of the second commandment against the worship of images (Ex.20:4-5).
The Second angel: (Pronouncing judgement): (14:8)
The second angel does not preach the gospel the good news, but pronounces the bad news of judgement. The message of the second angel is “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.” The repetition indicates certainty of Babylon judgement. Babylon in this passage refers not just to the city, but to Antichrist’s worldwide political, economic and religious empire.
Further the Babylon personified as a harlot in (17:1-5) is described “she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” The world will be intoxicated and seduced by the Babylonian false religion headed by Antichrist. All the sinners would greatly rebellious and turn towards the Antichrist because of her seduction, immorality and idolatry.
The third angel: (Promising damnation) (14:9-11):
All the 3-angels’ messages seem to be very logical and chronological. Our God is righteous and just and judges the people because they rejected Him. That’s why everyone sentenced to hell will be without excuse (Rom. 1:20-21).
The message of the 3rd angel is to anyone who “worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand.” The angel warns them that terrible fate is awaiting them. Once again God graciously calls all the sinners to repent and turn towards Him.
Yes those who drank the wine of the harlot of Babylon will also drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger. This means that the full fury of the God’s wrath so long restrained will be unleashed upon the sinners (Job. 21:20; Isa.51:17,22; Jer. 25:15).
The horrifying fate is awaiting the person who drinks the wine of the wrath of God is to be tormented with fire and brimstone. Fire and brimstone are often associated in the Scripture with divine judgement. Further the word of God says, the torment would be endless and ceaseless infliction and unbearable pain. A picture of this ceaseless torment is given in (Lk. 16:23ff) of the Rich man and Lazarus story where the rich man is tormented in Hades. Hell is the final resting place of the unregenerate which is described as the “Lake of Fire” which burns with brimstone (19:20; 20:10; 21:8).
Further the 3rd angel declares that there would be no rest for the souls in hell who are subjected to eternal torment (2 Thess. 1:9; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 3:12).
So all the 3-angels deliver God’s last and final call to repentance before the final judgement falls and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ for the second time. However, the Lord’s gracious call go unheard because “men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”(Jn. 3:19).