The seventh angel, the last of the seven trumpet angels, had been supposed to be the same as the “last trump,” which will awake the righteous dead. But many among the Adventists were about this time taking a different view of the subject. The six former trumpet angels were symbols, and each had occupied a period of time, during which a series of events took place. Why not the seventh be a symbol covering a period of time, during which a series of events might also transpire?

But the scenes connected with the last trump mentioned by the apostle, are represented as transpiring “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” Not so with the events under the sounding of the seventh angel. “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel,” is the testimony of Rev. x, 7. As this entire chapter has a direct bearing upon the subject of the great Advent movement as symbolized by the three messages of Rev. xiv, I will here give it with a few brief remarks of application.

“And I saw another mighty angel come down from Heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to Heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever and ever, who created Heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.” Verses 1-6.

I will briefly call attention to the following points in the above quotation:

1. The angel, in a most solemn manner, swore that there should be time no longer. This does not mean that with the oath of the angel, time, as measured by days, months and years, would cease; for the next verse speaks of the “days” of the voice of the seventh angel. And even from the second advent of Christ and the resurrection of the just, a thousand years are marked as reaching to the resurrection of the unjust. In fact, while the earth and the sun and moon shall endure and continue their revolutions, so long will there be days, months and years. And there is no scripture evidence that these bodies will ever cease to exist. The oath of the angel, therefore, must refer to prophetic time.

2. The angel holds in his hand, as he swears upon the subject of time, a little book open. It may be inferred from this language, that this book was at some time closed up. This was true of the book of Daniel. “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Dan. xii, 4. It was to be sealed only to the time of the end, when it was to be opened, knowledge of the subject of which it treats should be increased, and many run to and fro in the Scriptures and obtain knowledge upon the subject. If this open book in the hand of the angel represents the unsealed book of Daniel, how forcible the application of his solemn oath to the manner in which the close of prophetic time was proclaimed in 1844.

The oath of this angel must be regarded as a symbol of a most solemn and positive message proclaimed by the servants of God. His right foot upon the earth, and his left upon the sea, represent its extent, and shows that it was to be borne to the people by sea and by land. The prophet continues:

“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God shall be finished, as he hath declared to his servants, the prophets.” Verse 7.

Why introduce the sounding of the seventh angel thus, unless his sounding commenced with the termination of the prophetic time? He is to continue his sounding a period of days, probably prophetic, meaning years, and in the beginning of his sounding, or during the first portion of the period of his sounding, the mystery of God is to be finished. This mystery is the gospel considered with especial reference to the means by which its blessings are secured to the nations of the earth. It is something which, before the apostles’ days, even from the foundation of the world, was not made known as it was then revealed. Rom. xvi, 25, 26; Eph. iii, 3-5. It was known that the woman’s seed should bruise the serpent’s head, and that in Abraham and his seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed; but how this was to be accomplished was not understood till more fully revealed at the first advent of the Saviour, and set forth by the preaching of his apostles. Before this it was not seen that when the Redeemer should be manifested to the world, all walls of partition shall be broken down, all distinctions be obliterated, and Jew and Gentile, male and female, bond and free, be on equal terms and in equal measure blessed in him. Hence Paul presents as the distinguishing feature of the mystery of God, the fact “that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel,” and that in Christ all might be gathered together in one. Eph. iii, 6; i, 9, 10. Hence we more fully define the mystery of God to mean the great plan of salvation, as it centers in the work of Christ, and is revealed in the New Testament. See also Eph. vi, 19; Col. iv, 3; and Gal. i, 11, 12, compared with Eph. iii, 3.

The finishing of the mystery of God is the completion of the great plan of salvation in connection with Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. In the type the yearly round of service was finished on the tenth day of the seventh month. In the antitype Christ entered the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary at the end of the 2300 days, to finish the great plan of salvation. The mystery of God was to be finished, as he had declared by his servants, the prophets; and the cleansing of the sanctuary spoken of by the prophet Daniel, is only another expression signifying the same thing as the finishing of the mystery of God. Hence the seventh angel began to sound at the close of the 2300 days, in 1844, when the cleansing of the sanctuary, or the finishing of the mystery of God, commenced.

A series of events to occur under the sounding of the seventh angel is mentioned in chapter xi. After the announcement, in verses 15-17, of his sounding, during which period all earthly kingdoms are to pass into the hands of the King of kings, an event which interests both earth and Heaven, and calls for the grateful thanks of the good of both worlds, this series is given as follows:

1. “And the nations were angry.” This is supposed to have reference to the political commotions and wars of the nations, which the prophets of God have described as marking the closing hours of probation.

2. “And thy wrath is come.” This has reference to the seven last plagues, which will be poured out immediately following the ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary.

3. “And the time of the dead, that they should be judged.” This is not the investigative Judgment of the righteous. That closes with the ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. It is the Judgment of the wicked dead. We are therefore carried forward in this third event to the time of Christ’s appearing in the clouds of heaven, and the resurrection of the just, when he and they will sit in Judgment on the cases of the wicked during the one thousand years.

4. “And that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants, the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great” It is true that all these receive immortality at the second coming of Christ, at the commencement of this great Judgment period; but their reward embraces the promised inheritance, the new earth, which will not appear till the close of the one thousand years. “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” Then, at the close of the one thousand years, will the prophets, the saints, and all who fear the name of God, both small and great, receive their full reward.

5. “And shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth.” This is also the period of the final destruction of God’s enemies, who have taken part in destroying (corrupting, margin,) the earth. And here closes the sounding of the seventh angel, or the third woe. The prophet still continues:

“And the voice which I heard from Heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go, and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it my belly was bitter.” Verses 8-10.

In this highly-figurative portion of the prophecy, John, in receiving the little book from the hand of the angel, represents those who received the doctrine of the coming and kingdom of Christ, as proclaimed in connection with the time, based upon the prophecy of Daniel. His eating the little book, and enjoying its sweetness, represents the holy delight with which they feasted upon the gospel of the coming kingdom. In the symbol, the little book in the mouth of John was as sweet as honey. “What is sweeter than honey?” And what could feast the consecrated soul, imbued with the love of Jesus, as the news of his soon return in glory, with all the holy angels, to redeem those who loved and looked for his appearing?

But in the symbol there is a change from the sweetness of honey to bitterness. This represents the change from the joy of bright hope to the painful sadness of disappointment, experienced by believers at the passing of the time. The hope and faith had been to them an anchor in the storm, a shield in the fight, and their exceeding joy all the day long; and as they drew near the point of expectation, their hopes grew brighter, their faith stronger, and their joys were complete. The time passed; and only those who felt it can form any idea of the bitterness of that disappointment. Probably there never has been a time since the crucifixion, that the high expectations and bright hopes of the disciples of Jesus, have been so completely crushed as at the passing of the time in 1844. And the feelings of the many thousands of disappointed ones were like those expressed by Mary: “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.”

A good degree of relief, however, very soon came in the well-defined position that there was a time of waiting for the Lord, and trial of faith, after just such a disappointment as believers had experienced. And with it came also the general impression that our work, in bearing testimony to the world, was finished. The solemn announcement of the hour of God’s Judgment, in the first message of Rev. xiv, had been made. The stirring testimony in reference to the condition of those who rejected this message, and still clung to a corrupted Christianity, symbolized by the second message, had been borne. Everywhere among believers had been heard the solemn cry, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen.” “Come out of her my people.” And these messages were clearly seen to be in the past.

But when was the third message to be given? This is one of the series, all of which are to be given in the history of God’s people in this mortal state. This is as distinctly marked in the prophetic sketch of Rev. xiv, as the first and second messages are. And although the disappointed ones felt for a time that their work in warning the world was done, yet God designed to roll upon them again the burden of his work, and they go forth and proclaim the third message. This work, dear reader, is most clearly pointed out in the remaining verse of the chapter upon which I have been commenting: “And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

To prophesy sometimes means simply to teach, as in 1 Cor. xi, 4, 5; xiv, 3, 24; Matt. vii, 22. In the first and second messages the prophecies had been opened to the people, and they had been taught the solemn and stirring truths relating to the Judgment. Believers had come up to the time of expectation with a testimony for the people, and the burden of the work upon them. The time passed, and with it also passed from them the burden of the work, and they suddenly found themselves destitute of any message for the people. They felt that their work was done for the world. In that position they should have waited until the great truths connected with the third message were seen by the light of the heavenly sanctuary, and the Spirit of God impressed them with the new work before them, to proclaim the third message, expressed by the prophetic words, “Thou must prophesy [teach the people] again.” This brings me to consider briefly the three messages of Rev. xiv.