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The Story of the Seer of Patmos

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    CHAPTER XI. THE VOICE OF A MIGHTY ANGEL

    The prophet John watched the sounding of the sixth trumpet, and saw the woes and terrors of national strife, and the darkening of the earth by the smoke from the “bottomless pit.” He saw men buried beneath the weight of their own sins, and although the Son of God was waiting, like the father of the prodigal son, for the return of the sinful, yet they repented not of their murders and sorceries, their fornications and thefts. Justice and mercy are inseparably mingled in the dealings of God with man, and great woes call forth from Jehovah a great overflowing of His love. So when the world lay in darkness, unmindful of the voice of God which they might have heard in the very din of battle or the councils of nations, there came to the world a most thrilling message. John heard this message before seeing the further events of the third woe.SSP 180.1

    There came from heaven a mighty angel clothed with a cloud. He was an ambassador from the courts of Jehovah, and his might corresponded MarginBlow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand. Joel 2:1.
    They shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward.
    And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness. Isaiah 8:21, 22.
    Luke 15:11-22.
    Revelation 16:9.
    Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Psalm 89:14.
    Habakkuk 3:2.
    Revelation 14:6, 7.
    Romans 10:15.
    How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Isaiah 52:7.
    responded with the court which he represented and the power and extent of the message which he bore. He was resplendent with the glory of the King, from whose presence he came. His face shone with the brightness of the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire. Here is a description of creative power; and the King’s message which he came to deliver had in it the power, the brilliancy, and the light of Him who spake, and worlds stood forth. But the glory, lest it should dazzle men’s eyes, was veiled with a cloud. As God covered Himself with a cloud, lest Israel beholding His brightness should be slain, so the glory of the message of the mighty angel was softened for mortal eyes by the cloud which clothed his form. Men living in harmony with their Maker are permitted at times to see the cloud withdrawn, and to behold more and more of His grandeur. In eternity only, the fullness of the message will be comprehended. Breadth of experience in the things of God, measures the ability of each individual to penetrate the cloud.
    SSP 180.2

    “And a rainbow was upon his head.” A rainbow encircles the throne of God, but the carnal eye will see little significance in the fact. To the one from whose eyes the veil has dropped, there is an infinite depth of meaning in the rainbow about the angel’s head, and the appearance of the bow in our own heavens is, to the spiritual soul, a reminder of the everlasting covenant made in heaven. The divine historian gives the story of the rainbow as it appears in our heavens. Back in eternity, God and Christ covenanted for the redemption of the race, if man should sin after his creation, and so separate from his Maker, and the bow about the throne MarginAnd 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. Revelation 10:1.
    He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. Matthew 10:40.
    His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. Daniel 10:6.
    Psalm 33:6, 9.
    Genesis 1:1-3.
    Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights. Exodus 24:18.
    1 John 2:20, 27.
    Matthew 17:1-5.
    Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. John 1:16.
    Ephesians 1:7, 8.
    Colossians 2:9, 10.
    1 Corinthians 2:14-16.
    As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. Ezekiel 1:28.
    Acts 9:18.
    The bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. Genesis 9:12-17.
    Genesis 6:18-20.
    Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place. Isaiah 57:15.
    The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8.
    was made the token of the covenant. Ever since, it has had its place about the throne, and it became an eternal token of the redemption of man. Angels and beings of unfallen worlds behold the bow, and bow in reverence to the One on the throne. But the human eye cannot look into heaven, so when the Lord saved Noah and his family from the flood, He placed this same sign in the clouds of earth as a token of redemption. Like a little piece of heaven transported to the earth the bow is a reminder to man that God has toward him constant thoughts of peace and thoughts of righteousness. But the story is yet more wonderful; for God not only looks upon the bow about the throne, and is reminded of man; but He looks upon the bow in the clouds, and is drawn in heart toward earth. Every cloud that floats in the sky contains a bow. The cloud may appear dark and threatening to us; but the sun shining upon the other side forms the bow, and God looks upon it, and “remembers the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature,” the covenant that makes “you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.” Every cloud should be a reminder to us that God is willing to help and strengthen us. If sunshine floods the path of mortals, its glory is God’s smile. If through tears we look heavenward, the light, shining through the drops on our eyelashes, MarginPsa. 103;19, 2o.
    For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
    My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah 54:9, 10.
    It shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
    And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you. Genesis 9:14, 15.
    For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11-13.
    Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
    Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20, 21.
    forms the colors of the rainbow of promise. So near is God to man. The rainbow about the mighty angel’s head, shows the loving kindness of the Father, and pledges redemption in the message that he brings. The insignia of earthly potentates sink into insignificance before those worn by the messenger of the King of kings. Jehovah was in the burning bush by the wayside; the same God, with ten thousand of His saints, proclaimed His fiery law from Sinai. God revealed Himself to the prophets and writers of the Old Testament, and the same Father of us all spoke through Christ to the apostles, and opened the eyes of the prophet on Patmos. And in order that men may see the oneness of the divine word, the mighty angel binds together the Old and the New Testaments. The one prophet, who, before Christ, gave the date of His first advent, and who also gave the time of His second coming and of the end, was Daniel. Daniel’s prophecy was preeminently a time message, and when he sought to understand the times, which had been revealed to him, he was told to “shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.” The message was not for Daniel to comprehend, but in the time of the end, many would “run to and fro,” knowledge would increase, and the wise, instructed of the Lord, would understand what had for ages been sealed. The period of time which Daniel sought to understand, was the two thousand three hundred days, at the end of which time, the sanctuary would be cleansed. This is the only sealed message of the Word, and yet the last promise made to Daniel, was that he should stand in his lot “at the end of the MarginJeremiah 31:3.
    Isaiah 63:7.
    Psalm 92:2.
    The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. Exodus 3:2.
    Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
    Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1:11, 12.
    Daniel 9:25-27.
    Daniel 8:13, 14.
    Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12:4.
    Daniel 12:10.
    But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. Daniel 12:13.
    days.” John saw the mighty angel descend to earth, having in his hand a little book open. Not closed, not sealed, but open. It was at the close of the second woe, in 1840, that this angel with the open book of Daniel, set one foot on the land and one on the sea. Men were busy with their idolatry, they were heaping gold together, rushing to and fro, neither seeing nor hearing anything, save that which ministered to their earthly desires. Nations were busy with their own schemes, unmindful of the overruling hand of Providence. But the angel’s message embraced the whole earth: standing with one foot on the earth and the other on the sea, “he cried with a loud voice” like the roar of a lion in the forest, and this cry awoke men from their slumber, and startled nations. No man was too humble, no place too secluded; that voice penetrated everywhere. It echoed, and re-echoed through the world. Men might think themselves secure, but the sound shook the very earth, causing many a heart to quake with fear. Though the voice was so penetrating, those who turned their faces toward the divine messenger, saw on his brow, the rainbow of promise.
    SSP 181.1

    Nature herself seemed to respond to the cry; for as the sound rolled through the earth, seven thunders uttered their voices as if in response. It is useless to speculate on the meaning of the thunderings; for while John understood, he was bidden not to write the things which he had heard.SSP 184.1

    The mighty angel, having the little book open in one hand, lifted up the other hand to heaven and “sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, MarginAnd 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. Revelation 10:2.
    Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
    Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
    Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. James 5:1-5.
    As thy servant was busy here and there he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be: thyself hast decided it. 1 Kings 20:40.
    And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. Revelation 10:3.
    Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Ephesians 5:14.
    Isaiah 5:29, 30.
    Revelation 14:6, 7.
    He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature Mark 16:15.
    Jeremiah 25:15, 16.
    Jeremiah 15:6.
    And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. Revelation 10:4.
    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 for ever 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. Revelation 10:5, 6.
    ...that there should be time no longer.” Jewish history was divided into distinct periods by the prophetic writers. The bondage in Egypt was revealed to Abraham; it was also plainly prophesied that the Babylonish captivity would continue seventy years. The birth of Christ was foretold by the prophets, the very year of His baptism was foretold by the prophet Daniel; His crucifixion and rejection by the Jewish nation was also given in an unmistakable way. Christians have taunted the Jews with blindness because they did not see and understand, but the dates which cluster about the life of Christ are a part of the time prophecy to which the mighty angel pointed the world; they are a part of the same two thousand three hundred days which Daniel sought to understand, but which were sealed until the time of the end.
    SSP 184.2

    A few years previous to 1840, men began the study of the prophecies of Daniel, and came to the conclusion that the two thousand three hundred days of the eighth chapter must end in 1844. Thinking that the cleansing of the sanctuary, spoken of in Daniel 8:14, referred to the cleansing of the earth at the advent of Christ, the second coming of the Saviour was, in 1840, and onward, preached with wonderful power throughout the world. In America the movement was led by William Miller, in England, by Edward Irving; in Asia, by Joseph Wolff, a Christian Jew; in Sweden, where the laws prohibited adults from giving the message, children preached. The Spirit of God took possession of the little ones, and their words sank deep into the hearts of men as they proclaimed “the hour of His judgment is come.” “Prepare to meet your Lord.” MarginTime of bondage in Egypt.
    Genesis 15:13-16; Exodus 12:40, 41.
    Length of Babylonish captivity.
    2 Chronicles 36:21; Jeremiah 29:10.
    Baptism of Christ foretold.
    Daniel 9:25; John 1:41 [margin.]
    Acts 10:38; Matthew 3:13-16.
    The year of Christ’s crucifixion.
    Daniel 9:26, 27.
    Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
    Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Acts 2:22, 23.
    John 5:39.
    Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail. Isaiah 34:16.
    2 Peter 3:7-10.
    For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.
    Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
    Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
    Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God. Ezekiel 12:25-28.
    When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased. Matthew 21:15.
    Let these saying sink done into your ears. Luke 9:44.
    Revelation 14:6, 7.
    Amos 4:12.
    SSP 185.1

    In 1838 the termination of the second woe of Revelation 9:13-21 was interpreted to end in 1840. Said those who were proclaiming the second advent: “If the Turkish power ceases in 1840, that may be considered a sign that the correct interpretation has been placed upon the prophetic periods of Daniel, and we may look for the Lord in 1844.” Therefore, in 1840, when the world realized that the Turks had fulfilled the prophecy to the very day, (see chapter X), men of wealth, education, and position, were startled to find that they were nearing events which seemed to foretell the immediate closing up of earth’s history. It was at this time, 1840, that the voice of the mighty angel awoke the earth with the message, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come.” This was a message from the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the sea and all living creatures. And he swore “that there should be time no longer.” The close of the long prophetic period was near at hand. The feet of the messenger were like pillars of fire, and his message burned its way into the hearts of even the most worldly. The sunlight of his countenance lighted up the page of the open book which he held out to the world; men read a new and living meaning in these prophecies. To scoff was to defy God Himself. To remain indifferent was impossible; for men seemed on the brink of eternity. Earthly possessions lost their value; homes were sold and men went forth to proclaim everywhere the coming of the Son of man. Books and papers were scattered broadcast like the leaves of autumn. As Elisha was called from his oxen, so farmers at the MarginThe Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
    For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:2, 3.
    In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves. Ecclesiastes 12:13.
    The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. Zephaniah 1:14-18.
    Revelation 14:6, 7.
    Revelation 10:6.
    1 Peter 4:4, 12, 15.
    That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7.
    Malachi 3:1, 2.
    Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come now. Jeremiah 17:15.
    2 Peter 3:3, 4.
    Joel 2:6-11.
    In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats. Isaiah 2:20.
    The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it. Psalm 68:11.
    1 Kings 19:19-21.
    plow were greeted by strangers with the words, “Prepare to meet your Lord.” So widespread was this truth that school children could be heard repeating the familiar quotation from the prophecy, “Unto two thousand three hundred days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
    SSP 186.1

    The exactness with which the time is given is noted in the seventh verse. After proclaiming that there should be time no longer, the angel said, “But 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.” The seventh trumpet, as is the case with the seventh church and the seventh seal, begins in time, and extends into eternity. It bridges, as it were, the gulf between this world and the next: but when the seventh trumpet shall begin to sound, “the mystery of God should be finished,” as declared by the prophets. The sixth trumpet ended in 1840. Between the sixth and seventh trumpets is a short interval, designated by the word “quickly” in Revelation 11:14, and it is in this interval that the loud cry of the mighty angel was given. The close of the prophetic period was 1844, so that the “quickly” would be the time between 1840 and 1844, and the seventh trumpet began to sound when prophetic time was at an end, that is, in 1844. The mystery of God is the Gospel of Jesus Christ; the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.SSP 187.1

    When the prophecy was more fully comprehended than it was between 1840 and 1844, in other words, when the cloud was pierced by eyes which searched for Christ, the truth in regard to the heavenly sanctuary was discovered. MarginOut of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. Psalm 8:2.
    Daniel 8:14.
    The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
    Hitherto is the end of the matter. Daniel 7:27, 28.
    Daniel 7:17.
    Daniel 2:44, 45.
    But 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. Revelation 10:7.
    Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began. Romans 16:25.
    To make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. Ephesians 3:3-9.
    Hebrews 9:2, 3, 7, 23.
    For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. Hebrews 9:24.
    In 1844 the antitypical work of the day of atonement was begun in the heavenly sanctuary. That is, Christ at that time passed within the veil, to make up the subjects of His kingdom from those who had accepted of the Divine Offering. The investigative judgment was opened, and in the first case decided before the throne, the work of finishing the Gospel was begun, which will be completed when the last name has passed the heavenly court. These events were veiled by the cloud between 1840 and 1844, that men’s hearts might be tested. This period was a testing time, and when it passed, many were shaken out. The sixth and seventh verses of the tenth chapter of Revelation are parallel with the sixth and seventh verses of the fourteenth chapter.
    SSP 187.2

    With joy the advent message that time should be no more went to the world. It was preached to high and low, and the churches throughout the world opened their doors to receive it. But there came a voice from heaven saying, “Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.” The mighty angel did not close the open book when he had once cried, but still stood upon the earth and the sea with the pages open in his hand, and John, symbolizing God’s people, was bidden to take it out of the angel’s hand. John approached the angel with the words, “Give me the book,” and he said, “Take it, and eat it up.” Eating the Word of God implies a careful study until the meaning is fully comprehended. Jesus often used the figure in a spiritual sense, referring to His body and the “bread of life.” Now was the time to penetrate MarginMatthew 22:11-13.
    Luke 19:12.
    The judgment was set, and the books were opened. Daniel 7:9, 10.
    The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:12.
    Counting one by one, to find out the account. Ecclesiastes 7:27.
    Luke 21:36.
    For he will finish the account and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. Romans 9:28 [margin.]
    Luke 22:31, 32.
    For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. Amos 9:9.
    For a great door and effectual is opened unto me. 1 Corinthians 16:9.
    2 Corinthians 2:12.
    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. Revelation 10:8, 9.
    Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the Joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16.
    Ezekiel 3:1, 2.
    Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. Luke 24:45.
    John 6:48-51.
    deeper into the cloud that overshadowed the message. As the time for what was supposed to be the second advent, but which in reality meant the beginning of the investigative judgment, drew near, there was a searching of the prophecies such as had never been before. Then, when the spring of 1844 came and passed, and no Saviour had appeared, there was not only heart searching, but deeper, more intense study of the Word. The delay could not at first be understood; but soon it was seen that the decree of Artaxerxes, in 457 b. c., from which the two thousand three hundred days were reckoned, did not take effect until the year was half gone. This extended the prophetic period from the spring to the autumn of 1844. The joy of those who longed to see their Lord increased.
    SSP 188.1

    The message was, “It shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.” They had tasted the sweetness of the message. The world never before witnessed such manifestations of brotherly love, such sacrifice and such devotion. The autumn of 1844 came and went, and the intensity of the disappointment was beyond description. No earthly inducement ever seemed so sweet as the message of His coming; no disappointment was ever so bitter as that experienced by the believers in the second coming of Christ. The disciples, weeping at the tomb over a crucified Saviour, seemed to drain the cup of bitterness, but a potion no less galling was drunk by the disciples in 1844. “We thought that it was He that would save Israel,” was echoed eighteen hundred years later in the words, “We looked for Him to save us, but He has not come.” In this period of MarginFor the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
    And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear 1 Peter 4:17, 18.
    Proverbs 2:2-7.
    I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.
    Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? Jeremiah 15:17, 18.
    The decree of Artaxerxes.
    Ezra 7:11-26.
    This decree went into effect six months after it was issued. Ezra 7:9.
    Acts 2:44-47.
    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. Revelation 10:10.
    For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Hebrews 10:34-37.
    The Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. Ruth 1:20. 2 Kings 14:26.
    Luke 24:19-21.
    Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.
    We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Isaiah 26:17, 18.
    anguish and disappointment, the churches that had opened their doors for the message, now turned away from those who still clung to the belief in the prophecies and the second coming of the Lord. This closing of the doors, and the rejection of further light, caused the second message of Revelation 14:8 to be proclaimed.
    SSP 189.1

    Many expected that those who passed through the disappointment, would forever sink out of sight, but the angel said, “Thou must prophesy again, before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” This foretells the third message of Revelation 14:9-12, which will go to all the world, increasing as it goes, until it swells into a loud cry.SSP 190.1

    Many peoples, the nations of earth, representatives from every tongue, rich and poor, even kings on their thrones, will hear this last message of mercy which goes to the earth in the beginning of the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The angel’s face was like the sun, and a rainbow was upon his head. The message is one of peace and joy, of mercy and triumph, which begins with the glory veiled, but increases in grandeur until what is begun on earth, mingles with the song of the redeemed on the other shore. As the people of God, by faith followed their Lord into the heavenly sanctuary, the bitter disappointment passed, and they realized that “Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.” MarginWhile they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Matthew 25:10.
    There followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:8.
    And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. Revelation 10:11.
    Revelation 18:1.
    Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.
    And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Jeremiah 15:19, 20.
    Isaiah 57:18, 19.
    Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. Isaiah 66:5.
    Psalm 68:13.
    SSP 190.2

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