Revelation 10:9 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.
That which took place in 1844 is another example of what is being referenced in the experience of Jonah, and John, for there was great disappointment, and those who were sent to deliver the message did not fully understand all of the details and fine print, just like John and Jonah didn’t. Like John, Jonah, and all twelve of Christ’s disciples, those who preached the advent message were the ordained instruments of God, and they faithfully did their work.
However, their credibility must never be questioned because it was The Lord who sent them. [Life Sketches 88, pp152] The voice of Brother Abbot rung through the hall in notes of warning to the world. He repeated the evidences of the soon coming of Christ, and that vast crowd listened in sacred silence to his stirring words. The Holy Spirit rested upon the assembly. Heaven and earth seemed to approach each other. The meeting lasted until a late hour of the night.
The power of the Lord was felt upon young, old, and middle aged. Some Methodists and Baptists who were present seemed to fully unite with the spirit of the meeting. “As we returned to our homes by various ways, a voice praising God would reach us from one direction, and, as if in response, voices from another and still another quarter, shouted, ‘Glory to God, the Lord reigneth!’ Men sought their homes with praises upon their lips, and the glad sound rang out upon the still night air.
Revelation 10:10 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.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!