As Advent believers came to understand the Third Angel’s Message in Revelation 14, the rest of Revelation’s prophecies began to become clear as well. The prophecy of Revelation 10, in particular, was associated with the unfolding of the Third Angel’s Message and the experience of the Advent believers. It "gave another picture of God's last message to the world."ⁱ

In Revelation 10, a mighty angel has a little book open in his hand:

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,

And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not (Revelation 10:2-4).

These verses mean that a book—or prophecy—once sealed has become opened or unsealed. According to Revelation commentator Roy Allan Anderson, this passage is referring to a prophecy in Daniel:

The message symbolized by this angel unsealed the book to permit the study of its message. What book could it be? There seems only one answer, for as far as it is recorded, the only Scripture closed or sealed was a portion of the book of Daniel.ⁱⁱ

Anderson is referring to Daniel's instructions to "shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end" (Daniel 12:4). The 2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8 fits this description as a sealed prophecy that would be opened at the time of the end. As we know, the time of the end began in 1798, after which the Millerite movement began to proclaim their newfound understanding of Daniel 8 and the First Angel’s Message of Revelation 14.

No prophetic time is given in Scripture after the 2300-day prophecy. The statement by the angel in Revelation 10:6 that “there should be time no longer” can be seen as a reference to the prophecy of Daniel, which brings us to the end of prophetic time.

In Revelation 10:9 John is also given the instruction to eat the scroll. It is sweet in his mouth but turns bitter in his stomach. To eat the scroll is to internalize it, make it one’s own, and understand it:

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts (Jeremiah 15:16).

The sweetness was a joyful expectation that the understanding of the Word elicited, and the bitterness reflects the disappointment experienced by wrong application. The Advent believers had expected the return of Christ, but He had not come. They thought the last message of warning had been given, but it had not.

Prophesy Again

In Revelation 10:11, the instruction is given, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings” (NKJV).

The word “again” is of significance. The Advent believers thought they were finished prophesying, but they had to prophecy again. And this time, the message to be prophesied again was to reach all the nations of the world.

What was the all-important message that God wanted proclaimed to the entire world? It was the Three Angels’ Messages recorded in Revelation 14, where the instruction is given once again that the message must go to all peoples on the face of the earth.

At the right time, God raised up a remnant from all denominations to preach the Gospel in its fullness to the whole world. This is the remnant that the Dragon would persecute at the end of time, those "which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17).

Who is this remnant?

i. Roy Allan Anderson, Unfolding the Revelation (Pacific Press Publishing, 1974): 97.

ii. Ibid: 98.