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.