Seems to me eating the "little book" symbolized the Millerite Movement and the resulting Great Disappointment. It sounds like you're saying the "little book" is specifically the prophecies of Daniel. Did I misunderstand you?

Aren't they connected?

Wasn't it the prophecies in the book of Daniel with its timelines that the Millerites "ate" and which were so sweet but then turned bitter?
Didn't the Millerites also build their case on the first two angels in Revelation 14?
They were "eating" the prophetic messages and it was "sweet"?

But now we must ask, "Why did something sweet turn bitter"?

Are the prophecies pointing to something "bitter"?

No, it was their misunderstanding of the prophecies to which all these time lines pointed that caused the bitterness. The timelines are all pointing to the final work of Christ in judgment and the finishing of the mystery of God.
They needed further light, fuller understanding, on the prophecies they had "eaten".

They needed the truths connected with the sanctuary.

I don't see how the "little book" can symbolize the prophecies of Daniel. There is nothing in the book of Daniel about the Millerite Movement and the Great Disappointment. Which is why I'm leaning toward believing the seven thunders describe the events that transpired between 1842-44. I don't foresee the Remnant Church making mistakes in the future. I anticipate them proclaiming the 3AMs in accordance with the prophecies.

The little book isn't the Millerite movement. The little book CAUSED the Millerate movement.

They took the little book and ate it.
What does that mean?
It means they studied it, contemplated it, were convicted by it.
That little book said "Unto 2300 days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed". They studied Daniel and figured it out that those 2300 days would end in 1844.

They were overjoyed with the thought that Jesus would come at that time. That was the sweetness.

Their mistake was misunderstanding the SANCTUARY JUdGEMENT Message within those porphecies, which lead to their disappointment.

To eat a book
signifies, in the figurative language of the Scriptures, to receive its teachings into the mind and heart. Jer. 15 :16; Eze. 3:3.

From "Bible Readings 1889" p.99-100



And from the RH, Feb. 18,1858
Doesn't mention the author though probably either James White or JN Andrews.



And from the RH, August 13, 1861
by U. Smith



Ellen White wrote:

Dedication, thank you for posting all the quotes. It's very helpful to know what our pioneers believed. I should have mentioned that I believe eating the "little book" involved a misunderstanding of the prophecies of Daniel. Do you think "thou must prophesy again" is a continuation of eating the "little book" which began in 1842? And, if the seven thunders describes events which transpired between 1842 and 1844, why do you think they have continued to play out?

To eat a book signifies, in the figurative language of the Scriptures, to receive its teachings into the mind and heart.

Yes, they continued to "eat" the prophetic messages revealed in Daniel and Revelation, else how could they prophecy again? How could they have "measured the temple" and found the sanctuary doctrine. They compared the prophetic books to the rest of scripture and came to a fuller understanding.


Do you believe Revelation 10 is only a history lesson on the people who experienced the disappointment?

Do you believe the thunders just spoke of their disappointment?

It seems you are hung up on one phrase from EGW and don't look at the broader scope of what she was saying.
EGW also mentions that they had to pass the "test" before further light would be revealed. She makes it clear that Christ stood and --"He cries with a loud voice. He is to show the power and authority of His voice to those who have united with Satan to oppose the truth."

What does that mean?


If the thunders are merely telling the events of 1842-1844 they don't mean anything to anyone. The Millerites didn't understand them so they were no good them, and for us they just mean there was a disappointment back then -- (but that is already told by the "sweet to bitter" part) so we might as well just throw the thunders out and not discuss them anymore -- they are simply superficial words in scripture .

Now -- I don't believe the last sentence that I wrote.

I believe the thunders announce Christ's judgment and show the sequence of judgment.

The judgment was announced by the first angel of Rev. 14 whose message was first preached just prior to 1844.
The Millerites, though they accuratedly predicted the time, did not understand the full scope of God's judgment sequence. "The hour of His judgment is come" started with investigative judgment, and deals with the "finishing of the mystery of God" -

Had the Millerites understood the thunders they would never have taught that earth's clocks would stop on Oct. 22, 1844. They would have realized that a rather lengthy time lay between the commencement of judgment in the heavenly courts and the execution judgment.

The whole movement of 1844 was appointed by God to alert the world to the beginning of the endtime judgment.

The first four thunders are part of "the finishing of the mystery of God" -- a great appeal to people to be prepared for the end of probation.

1st thunder -- began prior to 1844 -- announcing the time for judgment had come (1st angel Rev. 14)

2nd thunder -- began prior to 1844 urging separation from falsehood (2nd angel of Rev. 14)

3rd thunder -- very strong warning on the judgments to fall on those who do not keep the commandments of God nor have the faith of Jesus, but follow the beast instead.

4th thunder -- Another angel joins the first three with urgent cries to separate from mainstream religion because it has given itself over completely to spiritualism. (Rev. 18:2-4)

The last three deal with the executive judgment.

5th thunder --
(fourth angel of Rev. 14)
14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

This very likely includes the announcement of the day and hour Christ is to "reap" the earth!

Thunders

Just some quotes to a sense of meaning on "thunders".

[quote]Said he, "All the thunders and lightnings of Mount Sinai would not move those who will not be moved by the plain truths of the word of God, neither would an angel's message awake them." {EW 50.3}

"the remnant followed Jesus into the most holy place and beheld the ark....The commandment reads as when spoken by the voice of God in solemn and awful grandeur upon the mount, while the lightnings flashed and the thunders rolled. {EW 255.1}

"The papal thunders were soon hurled against him.{GC 85}

"The thunders rolled and the lightnings flashed from the opening heavens, and a voice came therefrom in terrible majesty, saying, "This is my beloved Son,"


" The thunders of God's word startle him from his lethargy, and he calls for mercy in the name of Jesus. RC 64

"His righteous thunders gather. His vivid lightnings flash; it is the wrath of the Lamb.. {BEcho May 30,1898}

In this particular case I suspect John's eating the "little book" as he was receiving the Revelation symbolized the bitter-sweet experience of the Millerites between 1842 and 1844.


True, Jesus permitted them to discover the truth after He tested them. However, I suspect "thou must prophesy again" means, "Now, go and share the truth about Jesus entering the MHP in 1844."


I'm hoping studying with you will help me arrive at an answer to this question.


Same answer as above.


I suspect Jesus' position on sea and land and John's eating the "little book" symbolize different realities.


John was told not to write them so that the Millerites could be tested. There are several fulfilled prophecies in the Bible. Just because they are fulfilled it doesn't mean they are useless. We can learn much from how God has led the church in the past.


Since the Millerites were not teaching the truth, how can we say they were fulfilling the first angel's message?


Did the Millerites preach the truth in accordance with the second angel's message? Did they say the RCC is fallen?


Do you know of any pioneers who believed as you do? If so, how did they establish it?

That was already answered --
The book itself did not prophecy the bitter/sweet experience, the book prophecied about timelines leading to the "cleansing of the sanctuary". It prophecied about "times, time and a dividing of times". It prophecied about 1260, 1290 days and 1335 days.

The Angel showed that these time-prophecies were open, and at an end.







Of course -- that's what I've been pointing out. What was to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days? The work of judgement commenses in the Most Holy Place.

Daniel 7's thrones are set up, the Ancient of days takes His seat, the vaste numbers of angels surronding Him, the books are opened the court is seated, Christ is brought before the court...

Revelation 10 and the first verse of 11 tells us what they were to prophecy --

"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. And there was given
me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise,
and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that
worship therein."

The TIMELINES pointed to the beginning of judgment.
The message was "the hour of His judgment is come".
They had the right time.
They had the right message.
They just didn't understand it correctly.

They were to study the heavenly sanctuary --
MEASURE (which implies judgment)
the temple
the altar
the worshippers

That is what Lev. 16 (the day of atonement)
cleanses.
The temple. the altar, the congregation.

This is what is meant by "in 2300 days then shall the sanctuary be cleansed" Dan. 8:14



Why would this be the introduction of the scene if it's speaking of something else. I don't think it's speaking of something else. When one follows the theme of the judgment through the prophecies it becomes clear that at the end of time, Christ moves into "finishing the mystery of God" by entering the judgment room of the heavenly sanctuary where the ark, with the commandments of God are seen.

This was the message of the Millerites "The hour of His judgment is come" (Rev. 14)(though they didn't understand it any more than the disciples understood the message they were given to preach "the kingdom of heaven is at hand")



But if it's just that the people would be disappointed and had to prophecy again, the thunders weren't sealed at all, because in the very next verses the disappointment is predicted.
Thus sealed thunders become irrelevant.
The thunders told the truth about what was to begin at the end of the timelines -- the beginning of the judgment and the sequence of God's judgment as the mystery of God was finishing.

I don't believe the thunders were about the disappointment at all -- they were about the real meaning of the timelines pointed to, the beginning and sequence of judgment which began with first and second angel's messages.

The reason they were "sealed" is because the full impact of "judgment" would have been lost (as it is in Adventism in general today) if they merely taught that Christ moved from the "holy" to the "most holy".

The high impact of "Christ is coming" moved them to understand the importance of "being right with God NOW".

A hundred years is like nothing to an infinite God -- CHRIST IS COMING, He is "finishing the mystery of God" the final moments of earths probation.



What do you mean they weren't teaching the truth?
They didn't understand the WHOLE truth, but they were still preaching truth.

1. They were preaching the truth about time.
2. They were preaching the truth about HOW Christ would come.
3. They were preaching the truth that the "hour of judgment is come".

The only thing they misunderstood was that the sanctuary to cleansed at the end of the timelines was not this earth by fire. The timelines pointed to the beginning of the judgment in the heavenly courts.




Babylon is far more than RCC as you can read in GC chapter 21.
And yes, the Millerites preached the message -- you'll find statements in the Advent Herald (millerite paper) like this one from Aug. 1844.
"BABYLON in the Revelation is Rome, not only
upon account of Rome's being guilty of usurpation
tyranny, and idolatry, and of persecuting the
Church of God in the same manner as the old literal
Babylon was,...."

The first and second Angels' Messages STARTED prior to 1844, but they are not completed ---

Concerning the 2nd Angel:

Dedication, thank you for answering my questions. I hear you saying the seven thunders are spelled out in the Revelation. We agree the Millerites were right about the date but wrong about the event. We also agree the first angel's message points to the "hour" of judgment, the second angel's message says Babylon is fallen, and the third angel's message warns people not to receive the mark of beast.

I suspect preaching the three angels' messages and actually fulfilling the prophecy are two different realities. The prophecy literally describes the 144,000 numbered and sealed saints preaching the three messages during the mark of the beast crisis. That experience is still future.