Not knowing our readers background information we shall try to present the anchor points on this topic so they are easy to understand.

We may start out with some assertions, which we shall not take time to try and proof in all details except to say that a prerequisite on this topic is a belief in the Almighty God.

Having said that we underscore that the true God is not a God with only human qualities or capabilities. The God who is almighty, is that, because he transcends all human capabilities and imaginations. Simply put, He literally can create life - speak it into existence - and he is not limited to clock time or past, present and future. While that is hard for us to understand it is so, because we are like an ant so to speak, which comes up to the leg of an elephant and thinks, wow, I have to run all around this thing, no way to just walk across it, only to arrive at the next leg, and having to walk around that one two and meanwhile never ever knowing what a mighty un-ant-like creature these `legs' belong to. That is about our human situation when we try to understand God. We have to rely on the assertions in the Bible when it comes to this subject.

The Midnight Cry

Let us first talk about the `Midnight Cry'. It is a cry uttered in a situation where people realize that something important is about to happen. They waited so to speak all day for it to occur, but it did not until just about midnight, that is, after they got weary and tired and almost lost their focus on what they were waiting for. - And that is where the effect of this message resides. While it is a "cry" it is also a message which is being `yelled', `cried' or `proclaimed' out loud. It centers on a story Jesus once told on the subject of a wedding. - When Jesus tells these stories He always teaches something important. So let us briefly provide the basic details of this particular story. The reader can look it up in Matthew 25:

25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
25:5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
25:7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
25:11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

To make things worse for them, after they had run down to the store and came back, the bride groom had arrived meanwhile, gone inside the wedding chapel and locked the doors - for you see, this wedding represents the Second Coming of Christ to which we are all invited but must ready ourselves, so we won't get there late and find the door to heaven, to eternal life, locked because we had gotten careless and not occupied ourselves with what God says about those who can be saved into His Kingdom, by reading (studying) about it in the Bible.

There, the "midnight cry" is uttered by those who had plenty of oil, they were prepared for any and all circumstances which might develop, and stood by the door and, yes, they fell all asleep. But then, every once in a while, someone woke up and looked down the path to be the first who would see the bridegroom coming. Unfortunately this sleeping and waking, took longer than half of those who came for the wedding anticipated and their lamps ran out of oil. They set in the dark. They had lost their connection to the Word of God. It was impossible for them to see the bridegroom coming without those lamps burning and providing light - to read the Bible about the Coming of Jesus and thus be prepared. - So they ran off to town to buy more oil. They looked in this and that store. Perhaps they found a band playing some music and they stood and listened to it for a while. Then they met some people and they started talking, laughing and joking around with them . . . and all the while the bridegroom came nearer to the place of His wedding. - When these five virgins (Christians or once believing people) came back, they were too late. The door was closed. Christ had come and they lose out on eternal life because their mind was focused on the joys of this world, disregarding the high price we live for and which will turn out to be the only reality worth living for.

But the other five virgins had plenty of oil. They had gone to hear the messenger of the Lord bring the invitation for the wedding. So they had decided, that, instead of going down to some frivolous entertainment they would attend the wedding. They believed in the Bridegroom who had "married" the church, God's faithful people, who knew that someday He would come and make salvation out of this world of sin a reality. That the groom tarried, they knew, must have a valid reason. Knowing the groom, he probably had to look after a situation requiring to make saving decisions, for His office was that of the High Priest in the sanctuary. It was there that they all had obtained their lamps and oil to start with, plus a healthy dose of trusting and confident faith (Ps. 112:7; Phil. 1:6). They set together all night, they supported the gospel preaching of their church, while the careless wasted precious time and did not exercise faith in the Word of God despite having been told about it ... and so they ... turned away from those uninterested, and they set together, quietly encouraging each other, and trimming their lamps to make the flame last for a long time.

Finally, when they saw Him, they cried out, "The Bridegroom cometh." He is here.

So, the "midnight cry" is this last exclamation - `Look up!' `The Lord is here.'

The Loud Cry

Is the `Loud Cry' a different aspect to what we talked about above? Yes.

While the "Midnight Cry" was a joyous cry, the `Loud Cry" is rung out of the mouth of those who utter it after some anguishing experiences. It reminds me a little bit on the day I uttered an involuntary cry because of a great pain inflicted on me in a physicians office. I knew it was coming but when it happened it was so much worse, that I cried out despite me being quite a tolerant guy when it comes to pain. Perhaps this `loud cry' is something along this line of events.

The Biblical text presenting this "loud cry or voice" reads as follows:

14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

So, when Christians over the ages read this they always tried to figure out what the meaning of these verses were. Not until history revealed who this `beast' was and what the kind of `worship' is, which some offer this beast, did they begin to understand the meaning. Good thing we do not have to talk about these explanations in this short paper, because we present it already here starting with the first angel's message and then the second and third all conveniently presented in the same paper.