THESE angels are either literal or symbolic. As preaching messages of gospel truth to mankind has not been the work of literal angels, we conclude they are symbolic. They are symbols of religious teachers, who teach on earth a corresponding message.—The first has the “everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth.” The angel that John saw in heaven is a symbol of a class of men who preach to their fellow-men the everlasting gospel.—The angel testifies that the hour of God’s judgment “is come;” therefore he does not symbolize that class of religious teachers who prophesy a temporal millennium before the judgment. He symbolizes that class who teach that the period to expect the judgment “is come.” And the proclamation of the coming of Christ to judge the quick and dead, that has been given, the last fifteen years, is a perfect fulfillment of the first angel’s message. Rev. xiv, 6, 7. All the angels of this chapter are, of the same character; that is, they with their messages, are symbols of proclamations given in this mortal state. If we admit that the first angel symbolized the Advent movement in the past, to be consistent, we must also admit that there are important messages of truth to be given after the great movement on the Advent question. It is a fact that the Advent body was once united in the belief that the proclamation of Christ’s coming, as taught by Wm. Miller and others, was a fulfillment of the first angel’s cry. It is also a fact that the Advent body, with few exceptions, has believed that the movement relative to the nominal churches, when the Advent people left them by thousands, was a fulfillment of the second angel’s message. Then why not now expect the third angel’s message?—We certainly should if our former positions were correct. A portion of the Advent body have followed down the track of prophecy to the cry of the third angel, and see the providence of God now moving out a people on the important truths of the third angel.—“Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus,” [Rev. xiv,] are important items of this message. A Sabbath reform necessarily follows the proclamation of the commandments of God at this time. The advent people generally believed that we were living in the period of the fulfillment of the angels of Rev. xiv, till the claims of all the commandments of God, in the third angel’s message, was urged upon them. Since that time many of them have left their former position; some place these angels in the past, while a few others put them in the future age. It is to be feared that the Sabbath cross prevents many of our Advent brethren from embracing the natural and consistent view that this is the period for the third cry. The fact that it follows the other two, which are now in the past, and also the fact that “here” is a portion of the Advent body keeping the commandments of God, not excepting the fourth, is good evidence that this is the period to expect the loud cry of the third angel. O Lord, speed it on! We give the following from the Advent Harbinger, of June 30, 1849, which gives the real position of the Advent people generally, of the angels of Rev. xiv, up to that time. The Harbinger says:— “We offered some reasons last week for dissenting from the supposition that the important message proclaimed by the angel in this text [Rev. xiv, 6, 7] is exclusively confined to ‘the Advent question.’ We purpose now to show, provided that what is called the ‘Advent question’ is the sole proclamation of this angel, that it was not the only proclamation that was to be made at the closing up scenes of the gospel dispensation. Some have seemed to overlook the important fact, that there are other messages, which follow in quick succession, the one under consideration, and that they are no less imperatively given, important in their character, and fearful in their threatenings, than is the first. “It will be observed, that the message of the ‘everlasting gospel’ closes with the seventh verse; and that the next verse gives another message in the following words: “‘And 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.’ “Now, if the first angel and his proclamation, denote a certain class of ministers and their message to the world, we cannot see why the second angel and his proclamation may not signify another class of ministers, with another message to the people. It most certainly does. But this is not all; for there is another angel, that follows the one already named, with another most imperative and fearful message, in the following words: “‘And the third angel followed them, [the other two,] saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.’ “A more fearful message than this is not found in the Sacred Volume. Like the first, it is uttered with a loud voice. It calls upon all men not to engage in worshiping the beast, &c., while the first demands that worship be paid to God. The first proclaims the hour of God’s judgment come, and the last proclaims to every Anti-christian worshiper, that he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone. The last relates to a time of sore trial, when it will be necessary for their salvation, for the saints to call into exercise their patience, and the faith of Jesus; for great will be their conflicts, and there will be comparatively no faith in the land. Such will be their trials in this respect, that it will be blessed to die in the Lord.—That this message covers the perilous times just before the advent of Christ, seems certain, from the fact, that the account that follows speaks of one ‘like unto the Son of man,’ seated on a white cloud, with a sharp sickle in his hand, with which he reaps the harvest of the earth. “These important facts conclusively settle the following points: 1. That this last message is located in the last moments of time. Indeed, it is the last message to an idolatrous church, before the coming of their rejected Lord. We do not suppose, however, because it is the last message, that it is the only one that should be proclaimed in the last days. The other two, doubtless, run parallel, and should be proclaimed with it; and all other Bible truths, as duty may demand. 2. That it is of equal importance with the first and second which precede it. It is not reasonable to suppose that the less important would be given last; and, besides, the character of the last message places it at least on par, in point of importance, with any message of the Bible. Carefully compare it with any other, and decide whether we judge correctly or not. If it is of this high importance, then it should be proclaimed with as loud voice as the first: and let any one beware how he attempts to still the cry.—It is the voice of God, through his messengers, and must and will be heard. Amen.”