The Last Work of Salvation
THE ENTIRE WORK of salvation in the Christian era is written in the Book of Revelation. The first work of salvation was that which was led by the Lamb:
"THEN I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. …These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the Lamb." (Rev. 14:1,4, New King James Version)
The first fruits numbering 144,000 were with the Lamb and redeemed from among men. The Lamb referred to is our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:29) and those redeemed are members of the Church of Christ that was purchased with His blood (Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). The 144,000 who were assured of salvation belong to the 12 tribes of Israel and were, therefore, Jews:
"Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
"James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelves tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings." (Js. 1:18,1,NKJV)
The Jews who became members of the Church of Christ in Judea (Gal. 1:22, Lamsa Translation) were the first fruits of the first work of salvation in the Christian era.
The second work of salvation
The next work of salvation was that of the first angel:
"Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on earth - to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people -
"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." (Rev. 14:6-7, NKJV)
The angel referred to is an angel of the Church ["To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,…" (Rev. 2:1, NKJV)], meaning, a minister:
"Angel, Literally ‘messenger:’…(2) A minister or pastor of a Church, Rev. 2:1." (Crudence Comple Concordance to the Old and New Testament, p. 16)
The prophesied angel in Revelation 14:6-7 is a preacher of the gospel, preaching to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. His aim is to give glory to God. Apostle Paul was the fulfillment of this prophecy since he preached to the Gentiles that they should turn to the living God and that God had appointed a day in which He will judge the world (Acts 14:14-15; 17:22, 27-31). He converted the Gentiles to the Church of Christ (Rom. 15:16; 16:4,16). His preaching function was the second work of salvation.
The second angel
The work of commissioning that followed the first-century Church of Christ was that of the second angel who testified "Babylon is fallen":
"And another angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen’." (Rev. 14:8, NKJV)
The fulfillment of this prophecy about the second angel is Martin Luther who was foremost in initiating the Reformation Movement within the Catholic Church in the 16th century.
The Babylon referred to is the "dwelling place of demons" (Rev. 18:2). It also refers to the "MOTHER OF HARLOTS who sits on many waters" (Rev. 17:5,1). The "many waters" on which Babylon sits are "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues" (Rev. 17:15). We know that a harlot is a woman of ill-refute. Thus, Babylon is the mother of harlots or women of ill-refute and she sits on many waters or is universal.
The true Church, on the other hand, is likened to a chaste virgin (II Cor. 11:2). Babylon, the "mother of harlots," is also a church, but not the true Church.
The name "Babylon" is synonymous with Rome (The Papal Encyclicals, p. 34; The Question Box, p. 143). The church that bears the name "Rome" and is universal is the "Babylon" referred to in the Book of Revelation as "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS," the habitation of demons. Which Church has the name Rome and is universal? James Cardinal Gibbons testified thus;
"The word Catholic Church alone deserves the name of Catholic is so evident that it is ridiculous to deny it. Ours is the only Church which adopts this name as her official title.
"The word Catholic, or Universal, signifies that…she is diffused over every nation of the globe, and counts her children among all tribes and peoples and tongues of the earth." (The Faith of Our Fathers, p. 24)
Thus, the Babylon is the Roman Catholic Church. This is the church that is universal as Catholic authorities themselves admit and is, therefore, the one mentioned by the second angel as "Babylon is fallen"
That "Babylon" or the Catholic Church is fallen means it is without foundation (Lk. 6:49, NKJV) or is not founded on the Lord Jesus Christ who is the true foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20-22, Ibid.).
The fact that the Catholic Church is not founded upon Christ but upon Peter (Apostles’ Creed, p. 216) proves that it turned away from Christ.
The second angel or messenger, Martin Luther, testifies that the Catholic Church is fallen. His attempt to reform the Catholic Church though failed.
The Roman Church held on to unscriptural teachings and continued in its apostasy. This Church, being the mother of harlots, and various Protestant churches that emerged from her are not God’s work of salvation. God, therefore, has appointed the reemergence of the true Church of Christ in these last days that His work of salvation may continue.
The last work of salvation
The prophecy written in the Book of Revelation reveals the last work of salvation led by the third angel:
"Then a third angel followed them, saying with a load voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,…" (Rev. 14:9, NKJV)
The work of the third angel or messenger is to warn people who received the mark of the beast on their forehead or on their hand. He is to execute God’s work of salvation until the time of harvest (Rev. 14:14-15) or until the end of the world (Mt. 13:39).
The signs indicating that the end of the world is at hand are wars, famines, earthquakes, and sufferings (Mt. 24:3, 6-8). These signs signal that the end is near (Mt. 24:33). The work of the third angel will extend up to the end of the world because he is the messenger of God from the ends of the earth as prophesied by Isaiah:
"You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called you from its farthest regions, and said to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away’." (Is. 41:9, NKJV, emphasis ours)
The fulfillment of the wars mentioned in the prophecy that would involve nations were the First World War and the Second World War. The First World War broke out on July 27, 1914, marking the beginning of the period ends of the earth or the time when the end of the world is near. We believe that the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the third angel who would begin the work of salvation in this period is Brother Felix Y. Manalo.
The Church of Christ preached by Brother Felix Y. Manalo was registered with the Philippine government on July 27, 1914, concurrent with the beginning of the First World War. There will not be another work of salvation because Brother Felix Y. Manalo is God’s last messenger - his mission is to begin during the time of the ends of the earth and will extend up to Judgment Day (Is. 41:9,4).
As previously mentioned, the third angel would warn those who have the mark on their forehead or on their right hand. This is the mark of Roman Catholics - the "sign of the cross" (The Externals of the Catholic Church, p. 218). Those who have this mark are bound to perdition in the lake of fire, the second death (Rev. 14:9-11;20:14).
The mission of God’s last messenger is to preach the Church of Christ that was redeemed with Christ’s blood (Rev. 14:13; Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). This Church is the last work of salvation before the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.
