As already shown, the work of preaching the Lord’s truth to the inhabitants of earth has been committed to mankind, 3See Chapter III. and the Lord has promised His blessing on that instrumentality till the “end of the world.” 4Matthew 28:19, 20. So this angel, bearing this message, must be a symbol of a work of preaching time to earth’s inhabitants. The message is proclaimed from a book that is “open,” clearly implying that it had once been closed. These messengers are esteemed of God; for the “bow,” a token of God’s covenant, is over them, and they stand clothed with the light of God’s glory, and declare the message on the authority of the Creator of all things. That which is here declared is a time message, once “sealed,” but now proclaimed from an “open” book. LDT 147.1
The point of time when the loud cry of this proclamation was to be made is a question of interest. It is here placed between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets, which may be seen not only by its position in the Scripture record, but by the message itself, which says: “In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets.” This is conclusive evidence that the time proclaimed in this message is the time extending to the LDT 147.2