The First Angel's Message

Notes

1. Jewish writers tell us that the purpose of this blowing of trumpets was to announce the day of judgment as at hand, so that the people might prepare for it.

2. "In 1833 William Miller received a license to preach in the Baptist Church, of which he was a member, a large number of the ministers of his denomination also approving his work." This work was the preaching of the Advent doctrine. Also in that year "the last of the three signs in the sun, moon, and stars appeared, which were promised by the Saviour as tokens of His second advent. 'The stars shall fall from heaven.'"—Great Controversy, pp. 332, 333. From that time on until 1844 the judgment message was preached with increasing power.

3. This message is coincident with the message of Rev. 14:6, 7, till the autumn of 1844, when the Advent people experienced their bitter disappointment. It contains the phase of definite time that was connected with the first angel's message prior to that disappointment. The message of Rev. 10:1-6 closed in the autumn of 1844, because the light which came from the study of the sanctuary explained the disappointment, the work to be done at the end of the 2,300 days, and the nature of the message to be given after its close. See Rev. 10:7, 11; 14:6-12; and "Christ Our Advocate," pp. 73-81.

4. The time referred to can not mean ordinary or common time, for succeeding days are mentioned in the next verse. Neither can it mean probationary time, for another message is yet to be given. Verse 11. Being connected with prophecy, it would, most assuredly, be prophetic time.

5. The mystery of God is the gospel. See Eph. 1:9, 10; 6:19; 1 Tim. 3:16; Col. 1:27. The finishing of the mystery would be the close of the proclamation of the gospel, the completion of the work which it was designed to accomplish. According to the above texts, that work is the placing of "Christ in you," "God manifest in the flesh." When this is fully done, then the "mystery of God" is finished. But this, as we have seen, is the very result that is reached in the great work called the cleansing of the sanctuary. In that Christ brings His work as priest to an end; He finishes His mediation, cleanses His people, decides the cases of all mankind, and concludes the work of the gospel. The closing work of the gospel on earth is coincident with the closing work of Christ as priest in the heavenly temple. See "Christ Our Advocate," page 98.