Lessons on Prophecy, Lesson 13

Images of the End (Jonah 3, Revelation 14, Daniel 5)

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Introduction: Many believe that the “Three Angels Messages” of Revelation 14:6-13 are the last message before the Second Coming of Jesus. Revelation reports that angels shared the messages while flying overhead. How does that work? Is it like a slow little plane pulling a banner that has a message? I have always believed that the “angels” are us - those sharing the good news about Jesus’ Second Coming. But is that right? If the angels are not literal angels, but humans, are there several types of humans involved in the work? And why would we exclude actual angels? What do the stories of the Old Testament teach us about how God accomplishes His work of warning on earth? Let’s dive into our study of the Bible and learn more!

I. The Angels Are Humans?

A. Read Galatians 4:12-14. Paul is recalling how the Galatians first responded to him. Did they consider him to be an angel? Did they consider him to be Jesus? (Paul is not calling himself either Jesus or an angel, but he is comparing his gospel message to the work of an angel.)

B. Read Revelation 14:6. If you consult Strong’s Dictionary for “angel” he says the Greek means “messenger” and implies a “pastor.” the B.W. Johnson commentary asserts “any agency that does God’s work or carries His message may be an angel.” What do you think? (I’m certainly not going to dismiss the literal meaning of the angels of Revelation 14, especially since other references to angels in Revelation seem literal. At the same time, Revelation is filled with symbolism.)

1. Is there significance to the angel “flying directly overhead?” Could that be a reference to using satellite transmissions? The Internet?

2. Some suggest flying “directly overhead” and speaking with a “loud voice” (Revelation 14:7) refer to the urgency of the message. If that is true, why is the message called the “eternal gospel?”

II. Imperfect Angels?

A. Read Jonah 3:1-3. Do you recall what Jonah’s attitude has been about going to Nineveh to warn it about destruction? (We are not going to delve into the history contained in Jonah 1, but Jonah was trying his best to avoid sharing the message with the people of Nineveh.)

B. Read Jonah 3:4-5. Is that a remarkable success? This stranger shows up, tells them to repent, and a city that is so big that it takes three days to walk across repents! Is that the result of Jonah, or do you think the Holy Spirit was working with Jonah?

1. What do you think about the statement that Jonah only walked one day in a city that took three days to cross? (Perhaps he stopped in the middle of the city. Perhaps he is still reluctant.)

C. Read Jonah 3:10. What is God’s reaction to the successful work of Jonah? (He decides not to destroy the city.)

D. Read Jonah 4:1-3 and Jonah 4:5. Why is Jonah waiting to see “what would become of the city” when God has decided not to destroy it? (He is hoping that God was persuaded by his plea to destroy the city and vindicate his reputation.)

E. Read Jonah 4:10-11. What kind of a man is Jonah? What kind of a witness for God is he? (He is terrible. He wants to see wholesale death.)

1. Let’s discuss this. Is Jonah like an angel? Is he a messenger for God? (Yes.)

a. Why did God choose him?

2. What does this teach us about sharing the messages of the three angels of Revelation? (You are qualified!)

III. The Armless Messenger

A. Read Daniel 5:1-2. Why is the king using drinking cups from the temple in Jerusalem? (Likely trying to show his superiority to the true God.)

B. Read Daniel 5:4-6. How is trusting in the gods of gold and silver going for Belshazzar? (He is frightened, he turns pale, he cannot stand up, and his knees knock. Other than that, things are fine.)

C. Read Daniel 5:10-11. Has Daniel lost favor in the king’s court? (Yes. The queen has to remember Daniel from the days of King Nebuchadnezzar. “Father” is a general term, Nebuchadnezzar was more likely Belshazzar’s grandfather according to most commentaries that I consulted.)

D. Daniel is called in to read the armless handwriting on the wall. Read Daniel 5:23-28. How is the king’s future looking? Why has it taken such a bad turn?

E. Read Daniel 5:30-31. This message of judgment is brought by fingers! Is this a possibility for the three angels of Revelation 14? Is this an indication that the proclamation of the Three Angels Messages will also be supernatural?

F. Compare Daniel 5:29 with Daniel 6:1-3. How does Daniel move from a high official in the defeated kingdom to a high official in the new realm? (Because “an excellent spirit was in him.”)

1. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit can you come from obscurity to being foremost in a government position of leadership? (Consider Daniel’s life. He was taken as a slave when he was a young man, yet he achieved the summit of status in both the Babylonian and Medo-Persian kingdoms.)

a. How old was Daniel at the time of his Daniel 6 promotion? (He is believed to be over eighty years old. Perhaps even 90.)

IV. Pagan Messengers

A. Let’s look at the historical background of the event we just studied. Read 2 Chronicles 36:18-21. Is this describing how the temple cups and Daniel came to Babylon? (Yes. This is the historical account.)

B. Read Jeremiah 51:57-58 and Isaiah 45:2. Is the fall of Belshazzar a part of prophecy? (Yes! Notice the detail.)

C. Read Isaiah 44:28. What is prophesied about Cyrus? (That he will rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.)

D. In Daniel 5:31 we are told that “Darius the Mede” defeated Belshazzar. Read Daniel 6:28. Are Darius and Cyrus the same person? (Some think they might be, although this text suggests that they are different people. The point for our discussion is that the ruler of the new kingdom - the Medes and Persians - is favorable to Daniel and that he orders the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple destroyed by the Babylonians.)

E. Read 2 Chronicles 36:22-23. Who is God’s messenger here? Who is ordering the rebuilding of God’s house on earth? (This pagan king! He might well have been influenced by Daniel.)

1. Let’s read this back into our understanding of Revelation 14. Is it reasonable to believe that the angelic message is carried by a government official? Or that a government official aids in spreading the message?

a. Is there a general principle to be learned from what we have studied about who God uses as His messengers? (Look again at 2 Chronicles 36:23. King Cyrus specifically attributes to God the “charge” to “build Him [God] a house at Jerusalem.” The principle is that the Spirit of God uses every way to promote His message.)

2. What does the story about God inspiring King Cyrus to rebuild God’s temple in Jerusalem say about the issue of using tax dollars to promote religion?

F. Friend, God can use many means to share His message. One way is to use you! Why not ask, right now, for the Holy Spirit to fill you so that you can promote God’s gospel?

V. Next week we begin a new study on the book of Exodus.

Copr. 2025, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.