Chapter 60 The Little Book
In Daniel 12 and Revelation 10 a little book is seen in prophecy. In Dan 12 the little book is shut:
4 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.
However, in Rev 10 the little book is open:
2 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,
How do we know that the respective books referred to in Dan 12 and Rev 10 are the same book? The circumstances in the context of Scripture referring to these books are very similar. In Daniel, the person talking about the book is Christ, standing on a river:
Dan 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 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.
Dan12:6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
In Revelation the person is also Christ, this time standing with one foot on the ocean and the other on the land:
Rev 10:1 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:
2 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,
Christ is described in several places in the Bible as having legs as pillars of fire, shining as brass. The golden girdle around white linen is another characterising element.
In both these prophetic chapters, Christ raises a hand, or both hands and swears about time and judgement. In Daniel 12:
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Daniel reveals that at the end of the 3.5 years, all these things shall be finished, especially probation. In Rev 10 the seventh Trumpet which is the Close of Probation is focused on:
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 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:
7 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.
Adventists have understood the little book of Dan 12 and Rev 10 to refer to the book of Daniel, with particular reference to the 2300-day prophecy (Dan 8:14). This prophecy was first understood to indicate the Second Avent to be in 1844. This expectation was sweet as honey in their mouths. The Great Disappointment is the bitter-in-the-stomach experience. The voice from heaven warned them of this in the prophecy, and when John ate the book, it turned out as the voice had said:
Rev 10:8 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.
9 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.
10 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.
Christ then tells the Advent people to warn the world of the proximity of the Second Advent:
Rev 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
No matter how Dan 8:14 is understood, the Great Disappointment was real. This then could be one fulfillment of Rev 10. However, the little book of Rev 10 is chiastically related to the scroll with the 7 Seals. In the previous chapter we explored the connection between this scroll and the Book of Life. If the Book of Life contains the names of all the saved, then the little book of Rev 10 contains the names of the 144 000. The little book was closed for Daniel, but open at the sealing of the 144 000 at the outpouring of the Latter Rain. The Book of Life is opened with the 7th Trumpet at the Close of Probation 3.5 years later. Let us look at the meaning of the context of Rev 10 and 11 with this concept in mind:
Why is the eating of the little book sweet in the mouth, and bitter in the stomach? When God pours out His Spirit on the 144 000, they will be elated – God has chosen them, they are sealed, they no longer have the propensity to sin, they are filled with God’s Spirit! Then the arduousness of their task dawns on them, the Spirit makes them aware of what they are in for with the strong possibility of suffering a martyr’s death towards the end of the 3.5 years. This realisation is a disillusionment. This is bitter to their stomachs. What is also bitter is seeing friends and colleagues who should have been part of the 144 000, but opted out, being sealed negatively (red-horse people – chapter 57). The Outpouring of the Latter Rain is an experience of strongly positive and negative emotions.
The command to prophesy before many people and kings and nations and tongues (gift of tongues needed) is their commission during the 3.5 years, bringing the Three Angels’ Messages at the appropriate times (chapters 19, 50 and 52). Rev 11 begins with the measuring of the temple, the worshippers and the altar. The process of measuring is the Outpouring of the Latter Rain (chapter 7). Here the meaning and placement of the 3.5 years is quite clear. The temple is measured, but the outer court must not be measured for another 3.5 years.
If God has earmarked you to be one of the 144 000, and you accept His calling, you will go through this sweet-bitter experience. If you refuse His invitation, you will like Judas exit the upper room, and it will be night for you. Christ chose 12 apostles then, He needs 144 000 now.
John 13:30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
In Daniel 12 and Revelation 10 a little book is seen in prophecy. In Dan 12 the little book is shut:
4 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.
However, in Rev 10 the little book is open:
2 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,
How do we know that the respective books referred to in Dan 12 and Rev 10 are the same book? The circumstances in the context of Scripture referring to these books are very similar. In Daniel, the person talking about the book is Christ, standing on a river:
Dan 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 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.
Dan12:6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
In Revelation the person is also Christ, this time standing with one foot on the ocean and the other on the land:
Rev 10:1 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:
2 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,
Christ is described in several places in the Bible as having legs as pillars of fire, shining as brass. The golden girdle around white linen is another characterising element.
In both these prophetic chapters, Christ raises a hand, or both hands and swears about time and judgement. In Daniel 12:
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Daniel reveals that at the end of the 3.5 years, all these things shall be finished, especially probation. In Rev 10 the seventh Trumpet which is the Close of Probation is focused on:
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 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:
7 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.
Adventists have understood the little book of Dan 12 and Rev 10 to refer to the book of Daniel, with particular reference to the 2300-day prophecy (Dan 8:14). This prophecy was first understood to indicate the Second Avent to be in 1844. This expectation was sweet as honey in their mouths. The Great Disappointment is the bitter-in-the-stomach experience. The voice from heaven warned them of this in the prophecy, and when John ate the book, it turned out as the voice had said:
Rev 10:8 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.
9 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.
10 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.
Christ then tells the Advent people to warn the world of the proximity of the Second Advent:
Rev 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
No matter how Dan 8:14 is understood, the Great Disappointment was real. This then could be one fulfillment of Rev 10. However, the little book of Rev 10 is chiastically related to the scroll with the 7 Seals. In the previous chapter we explored the connection between this scroll and the Book of Life. If the Book of Life contains the names of all the saved, then the little book of Rev 10 contains the names of the 144 000. The little book was closed for Daniel, but open at the sealing of the 144 000 at the outpouring of the Latter Rain. The Book of Life is opened with the 7th Trumpet at the Close of Probation 3.5 years later. Let us look at the meaning of the context of Rev 10 and 11 with this concept in mind:
Why is the eating of the little book sweet in the mouth, and bitter in the stomach? When God pours out His Spirit on the 144 000, they will be elated – God has chosen them, they are sealed, they no longer have the propensity to sin, they are filled with God’s Spirit! Then the arduousness of their task dawns on them, the Spirit makes them aware of what they are in for with the strong possibility of suffering a martyr’s death towards the end of the 3.5 years. This realisation is a disillusionment. This is bitter to their stomachs. What is also bitter is seeing friends and colleagues who should have been part of the 144 000, but opted out, being sealed negatively (red-horse people – chapter 57). The Outpouring of the Latter Rain is an experience of strongly positive and negative emotions.
The command to prophesy before many people and kings and nations and tongues (gift of tongues needed) is their commission during the 3.5 years, bringing the Three Angels’ Messages at the appropriate times (chapters 19, 50 and 52). Rev 11 begins with the measuring of the temple, the worshippers and the altar. The process of measuring is the Outpouring of the Latter Rain (chapter 7). Here the meaning and placement of the 3.5 years is quite clear. The temple is measured, but the outer court must not be measured for another 3.5 years.
If God has earmarked you to be one of the 144 000, and you accept His calling, you will go through this sweet-bitter experience. If you refuse His invitation, you will like Judas exit the upper room, and it will be night for you. Christ chose 12 apostles then, He needs 144 000 now.
John 13:30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
Chapter 60 The Little Book
In Daniel 12 and Revelation 10 a little book is seen in prophecy. In Dan 12 the little book is shut:
4 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.
However, in Rev 10 the little book is open:
2 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,
How do we know that the respective books referred to in Dan 12 and Rev 10 are the same book? The circumstances in the context of Scripture referring to these books are very similar. In Daniel, the person talking about the book is Christ, standing on a river:
Dan 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 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.
Dan12:6 And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?
In Revelation the person is also Christ, this time standing with one foot on the ocean and the other on the land:
Rev 10:1 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:
2 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,
Christ is described in several places in the Bible as having legs as pillars of fire, shining as brass. The golden girdle around white linen is another characterising element.
In both these prophetic chapters, Christ raises a hand, or both hands and swears about time and judgement. In Daniel 12:
7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Daniel reveals that at the end of the 3.5 years, all these things shall be finished, especially probation. In Rev 10 the seventh Trumpet which is the Close of Probation is focused on:
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 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:
7 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.
Adventists have understood the little book of Dan 12 and Rev 10 to refer to the book of Daniel, with particular reference to the 2300-day prophecy (Dan 8:14). This prophecy was first understood to indicate the Second Avent to be in 1844. This expectation was sweet as honey in their mouths. The Great Disappointment is the bitter-in-the-stomach experience. The voice from heaven warned them of this in the prophecy, and when John ate the book, it turned out as the voice had said:
Rev 10:8 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.
9 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.
10 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.
Christ then tells the Advent people to warn the world of the proximity of the Second Advent:
Rev 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
No matter how Dan 8:14 is understood, the Great Disappointment was real. This then could be one fulfillment of Rev 10. However, the little book of Rev 10 is chiastically related to the scroll with the 7 Seals. In the previous chapter we explored the connection between this scroll and the Book of Life. If the Book of Life contains the names of all the saved, then the little book of Rev 10 contains the names of the 144 000. The little book was closed for Daniel, but open at the sealing of the 144 000 at the outpouring of the Latter Rain. The Book of Life is opened with the 7th Trumpet at the Close of Probation 3.5 years later. Let us look at the meaning of the context of Rev 10 and 11 with this concept in mind:
Why is the eating of the little book sweet in the mouth, and bitter in the stomach? When God pours out His Spirit on the 144 000, they will be elated – God has chosen them, they are sealed, they no longer have the propensity to sin, they are filled with God’s Spirit! Then the arduousness of their task dawns on them, the Spirit makes them aware of what they are in for with the strong possibility of suffering a martyr’s death towards the end of the 3.5 years. This realisation is a disillusionment. This is bitter to their stomachs. What is also bitter is seeing friends and colleagues who should have been part of the 144 000, but opted out, being sealed negatively (red-horse people – chapter 57). The Outpouring of the Latter Rain is an experience of strongly positive and negative emotions.
The command to prophesy before many people and kings and nations and tongues (gift of tongues needed) is their commission during the 3.5 years, bringing the Three Angels’ Messages at the appropriate times (chapters 19, 50 and 52). Rev 11 begins with the measuring of the temple, the worshippers and the altar. The process of measuring is the Outpouring of the Latter Rain (chapter 7). Here the meaning and placement of the 3.5 years is quite clear. The temple is measured, but the outer court must not be measured for another 3.5 years.
If God has earmarked you to be one of the 144 000, and you accept His calling, you will go through this sweet-bitter experience. If you refuse His invitation, you will like Judas exit the upper room, and it will be night for you. Christ chose 12 apostles then, He needs 144 000 now.
John 13:30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
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