Three angels appear, serving as messengers of God and foreshadowing the final events. The first, clearly visible high in the sky, proclaims a universal message: conversion is urgent (cf. Acts 14:15; 1 Thess 1:9), for the hour of judgment has arrived. The second angel, to emphasize the urgency of conversion, declares the final judgment on Babylon as already accomplished, which will be described later (18). The third angel reveals the ultimate fate of those who worship the beast.