W.L. Crowe (1866-1924), a member of the Church of God Abrahamic Faith, wrote an anti-Mormon book entitled The Mormon Waterloo in 1902. In it, he attempted to counter a number of "proof-texts" from the Bible Latter-day Saints used, and continue to use, to support our claims. As I think it is important for Latter-day Saints to be familiar with attempted counters to our claims (and I doubt many have interacted with this particular denomination or similar ones, and the eschatology underlying their approach to the book of Revelation), I am reproducing his attempt to answer the "Mormon" appeal to Rev 14:6:
On these claims we would remark first; that the aionion glad
tidings, (Diaglott), of Rev. 14, could not refer to the gospel of Christ
restored, for the two messages are entirely distinct. The gospel of Christ was
glad tidings of a kingdom, preached first to the Jews, and after that to the
ten tribes and Gentiles, to take out officers, to rule in the future kingdom of
God. Matt. 4:17; 10:5-9; 28:19, 20; Acts 15:13-19; 1 Cor. 6:2, and Rev. 5:8,
10, etc.
But the messages of Rev. 14 are glad tidings only to the
righteous. First: that “the hour of judgment has come.” This was not preached
in Jesus’ time, and therefore is not a “restored gospel,” but is a distinct
message for the end of this age, and not yet announced; for part of the saints
will be caught away from the earth before that judgment, with its “unmixed
wrath” begins. Rev. 3:10; 14:9; Gen. 21:36; Matt. 24:40, Rev. 17:12, etc.
The second angel’s message, as contained in this age lasting
gospel, announces the fall of the mystical Babylon of Rev. 17. This could not
be a “restored gospel,” for Babylon—the Church of Rome and her daughters . .
the Protest sects—had not yet arisen when Jesus did his preaching. Neither does
Rev. 17 show Rome of the past, but a resurrected Papacy in the coming hour of
judgment. See Rev. 17:1, 8, 12. Hence the folly of calling this a “restored
gospel.” . . . The third announcement of this age lasting gospel is a warning
against the mark of the beast, and the unmixed wrath of God, which cannot be
till our mediator has left heaven. For while Jesus is in heaven there will
always be some mercy mixed with wrath. It is in that coming hour of judgment
that men will call and God will not answer. This is yet future, and so is that
boycott of nations referred to in Rev. 13:15-18, when no man can buy or sell
unless he can give the sign of mark of that secret confederacy of the dragon,
beast and false prophet—Russia and all Catholicism, and Turkey and China
against Anglo-Israel. This beast is a future confederacy, and the mark not yet
given hence Smith did not preach this part of the age-lasting gospel. See on
the futurity of this work, Rev. 13:13, 16; 14:10, 14, 15; 20; 16:10; 17:1, 8,
12, 16; 18:17, etc. (W.L. Crowe, The Mormon Waterloo: Being a Condensed and
Classified Array of Testimony and Arguments Against the False Prophet, Joseph
Smith, his Works, and his Church System and Doctrines: Based upon Standard
History, Science, the Bible and Smith Against Himself [St. Paul, Nebr.: 1902],
135-36)
Further
Reading
Defending
the Latter-day Saint Interpretation of Revelation 14:6-7
