The Early Advent Movement
1. To what event and time does the close of the sixth trumpet bring us?
Answer: The passing of the independence of the Ottoman Empire into the hands of the powers, August II, 1840.
2. What indicates a short interval thereafter before the beginning of the seventh trumpet?
Revelation 11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
3. What events associated with the seventh trumpet fix the time of its beginning?
Answer: The beginning of the judgment (“the time of the dead, that they should be judged”), and the opening of the most holy in the heavenly temple.
Revelation 11:18-19 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
4. When did these events take place in heaven?
Daniel 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Note: At the close of the 2,300 years, in 1844. (See Lessons Four and Five for account of the 1844 Advent Movement.)
5. As the sounding of the sixth trumpet closed, what view was given the prophet?
Revelation 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:
Note: The preaching of the Gospel is committed to men and not to angels 2Corinthians 5:19. Yet in the symbolism of Revelation angels are repeatedly used to represent evident activities in the church on earth in the preaching of Gospel messages to men. And there is something more than symbolism in this representation, as angels join as unseen helpers in the work of the church for the world Hebrews 1:13-14. Wherever the servant of God on earth goes with the message, with him will angels go, and it may well be that to a mighty angel is committed the general oversight of this or that special movement; for the view we get of heaven shows order and system in the angelic hosts, and in their ministry “for them who shall be heirs of salvation.”
2Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Hebrews 1:13-14 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
6. What did the angel have in his hand? Where were his feet? And Why?
Revelation 10:2 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,
Note: The location of his feet indicates the world-wide proclamation of his message by land and sea.
7. What was the first solemn burden of the message represented by the angel?
Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Note: The time of the end had come, and the thoughts of men were to be directed to the second coming of Christ. The moment was at hand when the last sands of time were to run out from the hour-glass of the last definite prophetic time. No longer would prophetic time-periods point the way in history toward the approaching end. The longest time-period in prophecy, the 2,300 days, or years, of Dan. 8:14 (reaching from the commandment to restore Jerusalem, 547 B. C., to 1844), was now to close. The event was signalized by the great Advent proclamation sounded by land and sea to all the world in the years just preceding 1844. And will be repeated just before the return of Jesus!
8. What book dealing with prophetic time and the latter days was especially opened to the world in the Advent Movement of this period?
Answer: The book of Daniel.
9. What command had been given Daniel regarding the book of his prophecy?
Daniel 12:4 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.
10. In the vision of Revelation-10, what indicates the opening of Daniel’s book of prophecy?
Revelation 10:2, 8 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, 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.
Note: The book of Daniel is the only prophetic book giving the specific time of the cleansing of the sanctuary, the finishing work of Christ’s ministry. It is the only book that was declared shut and sealed to the time of the end. The words in Revelation 10 indicate a book that had been shut, which then was to be opened. The great Advent Movement was based on the opening of the prophecies, particularly of Daniel, to the understanding of men, for the time was at hand. The preaching of these prophecies stirred the world in the 1844 times.
11. What disappointment came to those who first raised the cry of the ending of prophetic time?
Answer: They fully expected the Lord to come in 1844, and the time passed and no coming One appeared.
12. What view in John’s vision foreshadowed this bitter experience in the Advent Movement?
Revelation 10:9-10, 1 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. 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:
NOTE: The cloud suggests obscurity.
13. What view of truth had been obscured to their eyes?
Answer: They thought the cleansing of the sanctuary, at the Close of the 2,300 years of Daniel 8:14, to be Christ’s second coming to cleanse the earth by fire, whereas it was the opening of His final ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Hebrews 8:1-2
Daniel 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Hebrews 8:1-2 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
14. Instead of the year 1844 marking the close of the Gospel message to men, what new commission was given to John as representing the church?
Revelation 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
15. What was to come in the days of the sounding of the seventh trumpet, beginning in 1844?
Revelation 10:7 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.
16. What is the mystery of God now being finished?
Ephesians 3:3-9 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Colossians 1:26-28 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Note: The mystery of God is the Gospel. When its work is finished and Christ closes His ministry for sin, it is evident that all who will be saved at His coming will have allowed grace to finish its work in the heart. To the believer living at the close of probation, the finishing of the mystery means – a preparing of the soul for translation to heaven, the life to be pure, clean, unselfish, holy, every evil disposition overcome by the indwelling of Jesus Christ to bring man into the presence of God the Father again, for this relationship was broken in the beginning.
Genesis 3:8-12 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
"Then, 0 my Lord, prepare
My soul for that grand day.
0, wash me in Thy precious blood,
And take my sins away."
The Bible Students' Library 