3) Babylon fell, burned, the saints await their rescue, the 144,000 are called out to be sequestered for preparation in fulfilling their jobs. Rev. 6:5-6, Rev. 8:10-11, Rev. 12:5-6 (Rev. 13:6-10), Rev. 18:4.
Rev. 18:4, And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Again, only three individuals participate in the Book of Revelation, which are the Savior, the angel, and John (Rev. 1:1). There are also groups of individuals, such as the 144,000 standing with Christ at Rev. 14:1, as well as the saints at the wedding of Rev. 19:5-8 and the saints of the harvest in Rev. 14:14-16.
However, regarding the three main participants, they are repeated multiple times throughout the text, such as in Chapters One, Five, Ten, etc., to name a few.
Thus, in Rev. 18:4, the individual calling the 144,000 his people is either the Savior, the angel, or John.
- The angel is noted throughout the book as the one with the loud or great voice.
- The Savior is noted by the trumpet (Rev. 1:10, 4:1), the voice from heaven (Rev. 4:1, 10:8), and the one in the midst (Rev. 5:6, 6:6).
- However, John is referenced most generally by no designation at all. In Rev. 16:4-7, he is called the angel of the waters, whereas in that verse, the angel of Rev. 1:1 is called the angel of the altar.
Understanding the metaphorical designations of these three individuals helps to make the Book of Revelation easier to read.
Therefore, in Rev. 18:4, the individual calling his people to come out of burning Babylon is John. And this call comes before the plagues of Rev. 6:4 and Rev. 18:8.
Also, the people being called out of burning Babylon are the 144,000 who are the sickle of the harvest and winepress in Rev. 14:14-20. These are sealed (Rev. 7:4-8) at the marriage (Rev. 19:5-8) in preparation to harvest the saints of God (Rev. 14:14-16) and gather the beast and his armies to the winepress (Rev. 19:19-21, 14:17-20, 9:13-21).
The only cross-referencing needed to understand the Book of Revelation is between the four storylines contained within the book. To cross-reference outside the Book of Revelation is to not find the prophecy.