July, 04, 2026 Sabbath-School Review

Derek West

Source material: Three Angel’s Message, Audio Study, 22-Nov-2013

We have progressed into five MSC audio studies pertaining to the Three Angels’ Message series, the latest of which is entitled, Third Angel’s Commission.  Added commentary of at least two points of doctrine will be my focus in this blog.  The first is, the Bible justification for special emphasis on the Three Angels’ Message. The second is Peter’s symbolic and prophetic role in the Gospel Dispensation.

We assumed that the Church received its highest commission to declare the Gospel internationally in AD 33.  The Bible and this blog accept that Matt 28 conclusion and give more Bible clarity to the narrative.  We discern a 2000-year span of Church educational development, and this allows us to anticipate its fruition today, at the end.  The term, fruition has exact implications: Its root word is fruit, and by Jesus’ promise, we can with certainty know that the full meaning of Christian evangelism can only be discerned at the end of that long span of successful Gospel depensation.  After all, such was Father’s prescribed orchestration of the Holy Spirit when He mandated that the Spirit’s work is to be validated —not in the beginning or the roots of the proverbial tree, nor in the middle, its branches and leaves but— in its mature fruit.  The fruit of the tree comes at the end of its growth.  The Lord said,

“​ ³² And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. ³³ Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.” —Matt 12: 32-33

Therefore, only today can we measure the Gospel fruit.  What is always left underemphasized is the Lord’s educational syllabus and the standard.  Our impatience and short lives have clouded our judgments.  Thus, our best attempts to promote the Gospel have been presumptive and frivolous: The Church was symbolized by the woman, and she needed the authority of a symbolic man on earth, the son of man, to project the Lord’s authority over her Gospel work.  Until his arrival, she had to walk by faith that Jesus tenderly presided over her success.  And He did; however, His invisible influence exasperated the patience of men with little faith.  Also, the Lord during His ministry on earth commanded our adherence to all His teachings expressed in the time of His three-and-one-half-year’s work.  Failure in that requirement also frustrated our walk in the faith.  This means that Disciples were not permitted to ignore any of His words. Evangelists without full fidelity to the Bible are akin to the nominal Adventist Church today, a frustrating tree that, at the long end of her growth history, is full of leaves, but not fruit. 

The Three Angels’ Message (3AM), opened to the Christian Church in 1844, started the period of growth foliation in the faith, the time when the tree matures her fruit.  This deeper aspect of the Gospel is expressed in the First Angel’s Message; it elaborated on the duty of the everlasting Gospel.  Let us reread it:

“​ ⁶ And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, ⁷ Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” —Rev 14: 6-7

This commission is specific and isolated to the SDA faith; she is the first to lay claim to this duty showing that the Gospel was to begin to bear its fruit.  And beyond her 1844 emphasis, at the end of her 182-year growth and development, today in 2026, she now is postured to be the only bastion in world history that can complete this, the Holy Spirit’s mission.  Good thing too because the world has reached its largest population today.  So, we can no longer ignore the significance of the Adventists’-182-year period of growth and Christian development because only she —and no other church— has produced a band of believers who can define the identity, aka, the name of the Lord, so as to give to Him  credit for creation as the First Angel required.  Such is the Holy Spirit’s magnificent fruit.  Yet there is more: Adventism, as expressed through her final growth in the Mustard Seed, reveals knowledge of the Father and does so by proving Him, the Father, to be a distinct personage from Jesus and Christ.  Beyond that, such is Bible and Testimony-of-Jesus affirmed because Christ, at the command of Father, said that only in the last day shall we be taught of God (See John 6: 38-45).  This fact then not only reveals the necessity of the 3AM and the wisdom for its delayed broadcast, but it also exemplifies the emergence of the son of David as the primary light of the world by virtue of Derek West, the Mustard Seed, the Revelation-three-defined overcomer.

A special burden comes with this clarity of doctrine: the burden to defeat the antagonistic counter claim of egotism.  This leads us to the second point of emphasis that shall, with this blog, slowly become clear: the place of the Lord’s iconic Church commissioner, Peter, and his properly defined participation and leadership in this work.  But we are faced with a challenge that this blog must address: The ears of the disciples, now sharpened and unclogged, can hear the charge against Derek’s bold claim to be the highest on earth of all in Christianity, indeed, of all religion, and as saints keen in discernment, they anticipate the world’s indictment of self-exaltation.  After all, many Christians know that the Testimony of Jesus condemns men who exalt themselves. Remember, the Lord said, 

“¹¹…But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” —Matt 23: 11-12. 

The flaw in the judgment of all antagonists of the Mustard Seed is that yesterday, the church, in dullness of audio acuity, did not hear these Matt-23 words with precision. In fact, elsewhere in Matt 13: 13-15, the Lord clarified our faltering audio acuity calling it dullness of hearing.  The Church ever so zealous to feign humility, only heard half of this, Father’s Matt-23 law; she did not garner from that lesson that, though humility is virtuous, the text promises that one man would be greatest among the disciples, and we are to let him become our servant.  What good is the obedience of humility if it means the humiliation of God, before His universe, by rejecting the star whom He has deemed worthy of exaltation?  The Mustard Seed’s humility and servitude has been made manifest by his 70 years of studious and dutiful mastery of the Testimony of Jesus, a discipline that all others have ignored these past 2000 years —some examples of this will follow— thus, we have been left with a spirit of false humility.  It has been a spirit that has compelled us to teach with half-baked presumptions and resolutions.  I say, half-baked because we ignored the Lord’s full exegesis about the subject of exultation, specifically one found in the Psalms.  Remember, Jesus promised to fulfil all the prophecies given in the Psalms (See Luke 24: 44).  Again, dutiful to honor the Testimony of Jesus, the Mustard Seed, does not, by his claims of high heavenly honor, exalt himself in violation of the principle of Matt 23.  Allow me to quote the caveat from David that heretofore all have missed:  He wrote,

“​ ³ I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, ⁴ Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. ¹⁸ For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king … ¹⁹ Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I HAVE EXALTED ONE chosen out of the people. ²⁰ I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: ²¹ With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.” —Ps 89: 3,4, 18-21

How silly it is for some to counter the impact of this prophecy by assuming that the “holy one” of this Text is a reference to Christ: how dull must be one’s ears and how stupid must be the mind that teaches that this promised man of the Lord’s exaltation expresses a commitment by Christ to exalt Himself?  But here is the essential lesson that all need to know: If the Lord claims to have exalted one chosen out of the people, he whom the Lord calls His holy one and whom He also calls the second David —for He says ‘then thou spakest in vision to (David) saying, I have exalted David.’— then the summary conclusion is unimpeachable and unassailable.  It is proof positive that the David of Christ’s intended exaltation is raised up and established by Christ —not by the tawdry efforts of that man— therefore the antagonist of the Lord’s star of David cannot accuse him of exulting himself.  Such is vital to understand the 3AM so I continue to elaborate by saying this vision of David’s son is buttressed by the record of 2Sam 7: 11-19.  It shows that the exultation of the second David was revealed IN VISION —not TO Christ but— BY Christ and to the prophet Nathan who in turn represented it to the actual and ancient man, David, telling him about his future son.  He said,  

“​ ¹² And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ HE SHALL BUILD AN HOUSE FOR MY NAME, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever … ¹⁶ And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. ¹⁷ According to all these words, and according to ALL THIS VISION, so did Nathan speak unto David…” —2Sam 7: 12-17

And more than that, Derek West, it bears repeating, is the only one to build a house for Christ’s name: None other —in the history of the Universe— have differentiated between Jesus, Christ, Father, and the Holy Spirit.  In this we see more clearly the link to the 3AM: You can never build a house for Christ’s name —let alone be worshipful of Him— if you teach that He is the same person as Jesus, Father, and the Holy Spirit thinking that they all share the same identity.  Why have all Christians represented the Gospel so incorrectly requiring these past 2000 years of growth?  Is it no wonder that only today can it be correctly promulgated?  It is in part due to the lack of Peteresque manhood.  They have all feared the “black-eye” to result from the ensuing fight when their antagonist accused them of teaching polytheism, the world’s stinging indictment of worshiping multiple gods.  They tremble for fear of being accused of false teachings and heresy.  They never thought to anticipate the fruits of the Spirit or Bible victory: that it was their mission to deliver the “black eye” to their detractors.  Of course, this charge and this fear has festered among all Christian teachers these past 2000 years because of dullness of hearing or stupidity.  Had they been more diligent to investigate the Testimony of Jesus, they would have seen that the charge of heresy was bogus.  Honoring and worshiping Jesus and Christ is not an offense or a dishonor to God because God awarded, Jesus, Christ, the Holy Spirit and the son of David with power of attorney to receive honor with Him as the very Highest.  In other words, until the last day when the son of man reveals the Father, as promised by the Father, He gave Jesus, Christ, and now David the power to speak His words for Him.  Father knew that the relay of His word, in this manner —specifically the presumption that Christ is God— would, until the hour of spiritual graduation, have more credibility to Sesame Street saints of dullness of hearing if, during the age of immaturity, they presumed Jesus and Christ to be God.  God did not object: This was His strategy.  This facet of the Testimony of Jesus has been proven in many places but most notably, in John 5: 19-37.  Simply put: To honor the Father means to honor the Son/son as if He were the Father.  But the most salient point is the boldness required to make this claim: It requires manhood —as apposed to the womanhood or effeminacy— in Church leadership. 

Again, David quotes Christ to say, ‘I have exalted one chosen from among the people, I have found David…’  This makes Derek West, he whom Christ promised to exalt from the masses of the people, exalted to be the designated Third Angel of Rev 14, the personality upon whom the “Mighty Angel”, Christ shall descend.  His Gospel declarations then, in educational substance, executes the clarion gospel call of Matt 28, the one given to the original 11.  Therefore, the Three Angels’ Message (3AM) deserves the special emphasis that Adventists have given it above all other Gospel declarations.  It is the teaching of “all things” that Christ declared through Jesus by the promised power of the Holy Spirit. Of this, how can we be definitive and certain? We can because the Mustard Seed, Derek’s ministry does what no others do: As so proven again by this blog, it reminds you of all things that Christ, as hidden upon Jesus, revealed to the disciples while He was yet present with them.

“​ ²³ If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. ²⁴ He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. ²⁵ These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. ²⁶ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” —John 14: 23-26

Here you go, the simple test of divine inspiration: Does the messenger remind you of all things which Christ spoke anciently while He, Christ, yet hid upon Jesus and spoke to His disciples?  It is therefore no coincidence that which Rev 1: 1-5 proves: That before the Father revealed Revelation’s themes to the disciple John, the Father transferred them to Jesus; then Jesus gave it to the Comforter.  The Comforter, aka, Jesus’ angel, in turn revealed those themes to John and, after so doing, He told John that its messages were not to be opened by John but by one who has an ear to hear the teachings of its themes: He is the blessed.  Until so done, the 3AM, integral to the Book of Revelation, was not to be understood. 

How neat then!: The son of David is promised to be this light revealing messenger.  How should men benefit from His enlightenment?  It is easy, Christ exalts Him for this duty.  Therefore, He, David does not exalt Himself.  However, if he were so timid to be shy and not declare his office even after being exalted by Christ then such would be the real offense and sin, one condemned in the Testimony of Jesus. After all, Christ, amidst all His wisdom and light, mandated that an ordained one must distribute meat in due season.  He said,

“​ ³³ No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.” —Luke 11: 33

 Thus, fearless of the accusation of self-exaltation, he, the son of man is determined to reveal to the world his very own nomination and election by God.  To do otherwise by some twisted concept of modesty is to ignore the Holy Ghost’s mission and promise to remind us of Father’s words. 

But men, just like the Mustard Seed, are shy and timid.  Therefore, to clarion the claim of divine favor and do so to the world is to swim against the current and make oneself a target of ridicule.  But no matter how daunting, David must ignore self-esteem, suffer humility, and declare to the world Father’s testimony even if those messages appear to be self-flattering Why have Christians historically cowered under such fear? Because they were spiritually weak or effeminate.  Peter was no different as proven by his fear to publicly align himself with Christ: He denied Him thrice.  By this we can see that Peter was used by the Lord as a proverb, an icon, one in need to be converted, and David was to be that iconic man of his, Peter’s conversion.  To understand this process, we must strip away inherited concepts and attribute to the process of conversion a different connotation: It means to become a different man, a man of higher estimation. Ergo Peter, by metaphor, is converted to become David.  It is not unlike currency exchange.  Thus, just as David had his counterpart —his David— Peter’s duty would be fulfilled in a futuristic icon of Peter.  And, once converted he, his icon, would strengthen his brethren.  The Bible put it best:

“​ ³¹ And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: ³² But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” —Luke 22: 31-32

More proof that Peter represents the son of David comes by way of our Christmas carol: The son of Jesse, aka the little town of Bethlehem, was promised to receive the strength of the Lord after being born of a pregnant, proverbial woman of prophecy, the SDA Church.  This is to occur when Jesse’s son is to feed in manhood, or in the strength of the Lord.  It says,

“​ … ² But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel …  ³ Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth:   then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.  ⁴ And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.” —Mic 5: 2-4

Is not this, by use of different terminology, the exact prophecy given to ancient Peter in Matt 16, the promise of the Lord’s strength?  Can a man find more strength to teach than in the strength of the Lord?  Does not feeding in the Lord’s strength also express an amplification of the Gospel declaration?  What about majesty?  Is their more majesty among men than that of the Lord, the majesty to bind in heaven that which is bound on earth and visa versa?  And for Jesse’s son to stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, is not that the same as Father telling Peter that he would have victory over hell and be given also the keys to the kingdom? 

Ancient Peter never rose to this height; in fact, Paul was ordained to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, according to Rom 11: 13.  True to form and to promise, and even more importantly, true to the Testimony of Jesus, Christ spoke to us in proverbs with the promise to make His word plain in the last day.  Which means that, for the last 2000 years of the Gospel declaration, the Christian movement has been weak, timid, and powerless.  These attributes manifest Church-on-earth management by the softness of a nurturing woman and not the fervor and austerity of true manhood.  Thus, so did Paul exclaim the Christian age of futility before she was to receive her manhood, and I quote:

“​ ¹¹ And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: ¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: ¹⁴  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive…” —Eph 4: 11-14

 Until the perfect man emerges, we cannot have clarity on the 3AM for it demands that we glorify God and worship Christ, the creator of heaven and earth.  And, until the end of the Gospel dispensation, we have no unity of the faith; we have no knowledge of God unto the perfect man; thus, we are tossed to and fro.  The church needs her husband.  She needs the Third Angel —he who is not Christ but who is to be united with Christ, united with His strength.  He, the Third Angel, the Mustard Seed, is the antitypical Peter: What he binds on earth is to be bound in heaven.  Such sounds like the pre-eminent authority —not of a stalked and hunted woman but— of a man of valor. 

Clearly then, a new thing occurs in the earth: Paul’s work projected the eventual rulership on earth by a perfect man.  Speaking of this conversion, the Bible calls it a new thing:

“​ ²² How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.” —Jer 31: 22

How does this occur?  It is the proverbial virgin birth, also to be defined as the SDA Church, Zion who brings forth the deliverer.  He, like a sincere husband, protects the church from the ravages of hell.  This is the day when proverbial Peter is strengthened.  Thus, Paul graces the feminine side of the church, the helpless and fleeting woman, she who was subjected to being tossed to and fro and carried about with cunning craftiness: graces her with the mission to nurture through apostles, prophets, evangelists, etc.  He aided her by his counsel to exhibit faith in Jesus’ provisions.  And this counsel successfully brought the church to the hour of her rescue.  The perfect man develops out of that woman to put a final stop to the hounds of hell and their abuses of her.  He orchestrates the harvest of souls; he is given the commission to declare the everlasting Gospel; he thrust in his sickle to reap in the face of hell’s opposition.  For David promised us of his son, also called by him, David,

“​ ¹⁸ For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king … ¹⁹ Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst … I have exalted one chosen out of the people. ²⁰ I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: ²¹ With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. ²² The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. ²³ And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. ²⁴ But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted … ²⁷ Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.” —Ps 89: 18-24, 27

Praise God, the church, aka, the woman needs no longer to flee into the wilderness from her enemies; God has given her a protectorate and champion, her man.

Derek