Behind the second angel John now spotted a third heavenly messenger. By God’s estimation, the inhabitants of the earth need to hear more than what the first and second angels had announced. The implication is that the announcement of the second angel did not prompt earthlings to “fear God, give him glory…and worship him.” In other words, earthlings drunk on Babylon’s wine continue to worship the beast per Revelation 13:12.
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,