A Striking Prophecy by George I. Butler

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 21, 1909

A Striking Prophecy

By George I. Butler

GEORGE I. BUTLER

“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 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: 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. 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. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Rev. 10: 1-11.

This most striking parenthetical prophecy is worthy of careful study. At some length we have considered the glorious announcement which we call “the first angel’s message.” After a little study, it must be evident that this view in chapter ten, and the message of Rev. 14: 6, 7, cover the same ground. Both bring to view the same work, and the close of a grand prophetic period. In chapter ten we find the declaration that [prophetic] time has closed. In the first message the statement is made, “The hour [or period] of his judgment is come,” which takes place, as we have seen, at the end of the twenty-three hundred year-days. Both heavenly messengers bring to view the great God and his work of creation, and his connection with the great crisis when prophetic time closes, and the grand assize of the final judgment begins. Both also clearly show that another important work connected with the closing epoch of earth’s history follows the announcement of the close of prophetic time and the judgment proclamation, as is brought to view in the second and third angels’ messages, and in the statement, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” There can be no doubt that these both refer to the same work.

But we will notice additional points of interest in the scripture quoted at the beginning of this article:—

“The little book open.” Doubtless multitudes in past ages have read of that little book open in the angel’s hand, without the slightest comprehension of its meaning. What idea could they gather from the expression? Yet to the Bible student familiar with the great system of present truth, it has a wonderful force. We must not forget that the Bible is a composite volume, made up of sixty-six smaller books. Out of all this number of comparatively small books there is only one which was said to be “sealed” up for a specified period. That is the book of Daniel the prophet. “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.” “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” Dan. 12: 4; 9. How clear it is that the “little book open” in the angel’s hand is none other than the book of Daniel! It follows, therefore, that when this proclamation made by the angel in Rev. 10: 6, went forth, “the time of the end” was reached.

Another interesting point is this: in the book of Daniel all the great connected prophetic periods are found. By connected prophecy we mean that in which the events predicted occur in consecutive order, as in Daniel’s great empires brought to view in the image of chapter two, and in the vision of the beasts in chapter seven. When one event has been fulfilled, we know what is coming next. In the book of Daniel we have the time periods of twelve hundred sixty year-days, the twenty-three hundred year-days, and several others. This book was said to be sealed up in the sense that it could not be fully understood till a definite time was reached, called “the time of the end.” Then God sends a flood of light upon the sacred page, and his servants who have an earnest desire to understand what had been recorded for their instruction, by prayerful, reverential study can ascertain the meaning. When the time comes for the message to be given, the heavenly messenger comes with special light to the Lord’s people, even as Christ proclaimed in the early period of his ministry. “The time is fulfilled.” Mark 1: 15. The prediction made by the angel (Dan. 9:25) was now completed, and the Messiah entered upon his wonderful work. So it was in

the great advent proclamation, when the twenty-three hundred year-days were fulfilled, beginning B. C. 457, at the going forth of the decree by Artaxerxes, king of Persia, to restore and build Jerusalem, and terminating in A. D. 1844. The great advent message was fully entering upon its work of warning the world of Christ’s coming.

The little book was now unsealed. That book, more than any other of the books of the Bible, furnishes the clearest evidences of the advent faith. Other writings corroborate them. The experiences of the advent people are wonderfully portrayed in the scripture we are considering — Revelation 10. “The voice which I heard,” says John, “said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel. . . . And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up.” Here John stands as a representative of God’s people in the last days, personating them. His experience in eating the little book represents theirs in the fulfilment of the prophecy. The eating of the little book represents the absorbing interest with which its contents were appreciated and digested. Jeremiah passed through a similar experience: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.” Jer. 15: 16. None but those who were living in 1844 can ever understand the joy of the believers at the soon coming of Christ, as revealed to them in the great advent movement, which went to all portions of the globe at that time. Perhaps there never was a more ardent, devoted people than those who loved and longed for the coming of their dear Saviour. Their hearts were full of his praises. The world of unbelievers and the formal churches, who hated the advent message, despised them and derided them, but the believers were longing for the appearing of their Redeemer. The message to them was sweet as honey.

The time passed, and a wonderful change came over the large number of believers. The world and cold-hearted professors rejoiced. They ridiculed and taunted the disappointed ones. All sorts of lying stories were set afloat concerning them. That old falsehood about the believers making ascension robes was told everywhere, and generally accepted as truth. Although a five-hundred-dollar reward has for many years been offered for a single instance of the kind, the money has never been called for, as no proof from disinterested persons could ever be obtained.

The writer was about ten years old at the passing of the time. Never will he forget the night the coming of the Lord was expected. The believers in Waterbury, Vt., were assembled in a religious meeting, most earnestly seeking God in solemn worship. A host of scoffers surrounded the house, firing guns, screaming, and blaspheming. No such thing as an ascension robe was ever dreamed of. To the believers it was indeed a most bitter experience. The cup of disappointment had to be

drained to the very dregs. For days, weeks, months, and years the believers had to endure the opprobrium cast upon them because of this disappointment. But those true believers who had drunk in the precious advent truths, and felt the blessedness of the advent hope, could never give it up. Their heavy cross only made the hope of his coming dearer to them. They felt that they had served the Lord in proclaiming these grand truths, and they clung to their hope, earnestly studying the blessed Word, and praying for light. And they prayed not in vain. The last verse of chapter ten shed light upon their minds: “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” This same advent people had a further work to do. So in the prophecy of Rev. 14:6, 7, they found another message followed the one proclaiming the hour of his judgment come. When they saw this connection, their hearts revived. God’s truth shone out brighter than ever. Their work had been no failure. It would yet prove a grand success.

Bowling Green, Fla.