The Four Living Creatures Throughout the Bible

The Foundation of God’s Triumphant Restoration Plan[s] (Num 2|Ezek 1&10|Rev 4)

Important Reference: The exegetical verse-by-verse commentary of (mainly) Ezek 1 & 10, (-as well as Spirit of Prophecy statements), which underlie the conclusions and applications posted here are presented in detail in this supporting post.

            The mention of the Four, -frankly freaky, Living Creatures in, especially, continuingly in a New Testament context and in direct association with God’s Throne in e.g., Rev 4:6b-11 can lead one to candidly ask: “What is going on here?” To think of God’s Throne as involving animals, namely: a Lion, Ox, and Eagle, and also Man, -animals/creatures which are indeed objects of various form of worship and reverence (as it can be seen today in the emblem and insignias of world countries and seats of government), along with the idolatrous (humanistic) self-worship of man by man, feels like all of this in association with the Throne of God borders on the sacrilegious/blasphemous, or at least a -endorsement/validation of the various forms of paganistic idolatry of men. One would expect such association with adversarial entities towards/against God, as patently seen elsewhere in the prophecies of especially Daniel and Revelation. However these are here deliberately, explicitly, and most prominently, associated with the Throne of God. Well, it happens, that, as with anything else that is mentioned in Bible prophecy, the key to understanding what is being communicated here lies in Biblically interpreting the symbols.

The Message of the Seven Thunders

The Message of the Seven Thunders (John 12:27-32)

.... “Rev 10:4”....

The Unrolling of the Scroll

The “Unrolling of the Scroll” (Rev 5 & Rev 10-11|Dan 10-12)

            In an address to the General Conference on March 2, 1899, Ellen White made a statement that turns out to be quite intriguing when it is considered in a wider and specific context. Speaking on the work of the Church under the Third Angel’s Message (Rev 14:9-11), she said:

“The light that we have upon the third angel's message is the true light. The mark of the beast is exactly what it has been proclaimed to be. All in regard to this matter is not yet understood, and will not be understood until the unrolling of the scroll; but a most solemn work is to be accomplished in our world.”  (GCDB, March 2, 1899 par. 3 - bold emphasis supplied; cf. 6T 17.1 (1900)).

            This statement becomes self-evidently “quite/most intriguing” when it is taken into consideration that Early SDAs, including EGW had been preaching, based on a special revelation and supporting Biblical exegesis that the Mark of the Beast is Sunday Sacredness, particularly when it will be enforced by civil, legislative and law enforcement acts.[1] This was indeed the understanding that was being published and circulated in the writings of EGW (e.g., The Great Controversy (1858, 1884, 1888, [also 1911])), as well as works by other SDA Pioneers such as Uriah Smith in his Daniel and the Revelation. If it is merely said here

Lessons From Waco (1993)

Lesson From Waco 1993 (Acts 17:11)

            From just what I have learned in the past week or so after having stumbled upon a Youtube video on Gun Control (this one) which made a reference to the incident in Waco, TX involving the David Koresh and the (Davidian) Branch Davidians, much can be written up here on how, to my surprise, as it has been for many who have come across this factual information, the Assault and Siege on the Waco Compound was completely unnecessary, and the end result on April 19, 1993 was not “an engineered mass suicide by fire of Koresh and the 80+ people who were there”, but, at the very least, “accidentally” caused by FBI unprofessionalism and (spiteful) exaggerations. There is ample documentation of this available on the internet and a simple, e.g., Google and Youtube search including combinations of key terms such as “Waco”; “Tragedy|Massacre|Assault|Siege”; “Congressional Hearings”; “David Koresh/Vernon Howell”; “Branch Davidians”; etc.  will reveal much information. A short listing of key documentary resources is given here:

Testing the Spirits (1 Cor 12:10)

Evaluating the Prophetic Claims of Various SDAs (1 Thess 5:19-22|1 John 4:1)

            It is easy to notice around SDA circles today various people who are claiming to being directly led by God. All also claim to have Final Events implications. I.e., some claim that God has expressedly led them to conduct a ministry to Finish the Work, others claim that He led them to writing a special prophetic and/or prophecy interpreting message in a book, and at the pinnacle of such claims are those who claim to have received visions and/or dreams from God which have direct implications in regards to the Second Coming. In regards to such claims, and as SDA’s should clearly know due to the life and prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White, God can indeed work in such ways, and that, at His discretion, and so, contrary to the unfortunately basely (i.e., really more pridefully vexatious and/or jealously covetous) quite common reaction to such claims, the due reaction is not to be the summary dismissal of such claims, but as counselled by Paul in 1 Thess 5:19-22, to do an adequately thorough examination of them. The reason why such a, and that, default, ‘due testing of the Spirits’ is indeed important is that, God will indeed call whomever He variously sees is capable/fit, as He has deemed worthy, for such a prophetic ministry, because, unlike humans, He looks on the heart and not on outward appearances and thus will see who is “deserving” to receive such a gift,... and also who is not (e.g., those who are variously ‘rebelling against understood light’).

My First Vision

My First “Vision of the Night” (June 1999)

‘“This Thing is from Me”’ (1 Kgs 12:24 NKJV)

            Before relating the content of my first vision, -which is for a contextualizing basis for the eschatological prophetic expositions presented in this preluding blog post, some summary, pertinent background information will be helpful here to provide the proper temporal and spiritual context of it. (Disclaimer: There is indeed a pertinent contextual purpose with everything that has been included/related. (cf., e.g., CET 134.1))

Note: A copy of some of the documents/(events) cited in this post are available in this PDF document (= 432 pages|68 MB). (These are referred here as [D###] with the ###-number indicating the page(s) number in that PDF document.)

The Shaking in its Biblical Context

The Fuller View of the Shaking (Amos 1:1-{9:9}-9:15)

            The eschatological topic in SDA circles of “The Shaking” is one that is copiously treated in the Spirit of Prophecy and indeed its clear meaning of ‘the sifting out of non-genuine Remnant Believers is well and rightly understood.’ However a most significant and determining aspect of this Biblical subject, which is explicitly based on Amos 9:9.[1] Like any statement made in the SOP, and as modelled in the symbolism in the book and prophecies of Revelation, the exact and full meaning of such a Divinely directed statement is only arrived at when the Biblical context of that statement is exegetically examined.

Nascent Moronisms

A World of Morons - Contemporary Moronisms (Eccl 1:10)

            As History first presents itself as “unfolding, current news”, this blog post discusses certain ‘new developments’ as they first appear to aim to get the right, Theological, or even simply Logical, view of them as soon as possible, before either a wrong course, and resulting wrong actions/reactions are pursued and taken.

A World of "Morons"

A World of “Morons” (Jer 1:5b, 10; 25:15-29ff; 46-51; 52 & Dan 11:41)

“Moronisms” That Shape Our Age.

            A recent comment in this blog post literally started to make my cup overflow in regards to the various ongoing temporal and spiritual dealings with various people, including this Theological Views blog and its related NJK Project. Reading the Scriptural context in which Jesus Christ rebukedly used the self-proscribed (Matt 5:22[1]) term “moron” (Greek moros [Strongs #3474]) in Matt 23:16-17, and also the way that it is used in the OT Septuagint (LXX), is quite determinative as to its true characterizing meaning, as seen here:

Neo-Historical Moronisms

A World of Morons - Historical Moronisms (Eccl 1:9)

As the saying goes: ‘those who do not learn the lessons of history are bound to repeat its mistakes’, and as partly presented in this related post, the state of our present world today is, pun intended, “rooted” in the course of history. And so, to properly understand today’s world and its various “flashpoints” to try to resolve them, it is important to delve into pertinent history. And the very best way to do this is through the lens of Theological glasses, for ultimately, it is God who is overseeing those developments and no matter how erratic they may get, His long ago perfectly wise plans will come to the Triumphant end that He had always planned. So just to be sure to be on the ‘right side of past, and also future history’, having the correct understanding of world history is indeed fundamentally key to, particularly the believer today. And so the following various succinct, (not-actually-chronologically) growing, commentary on various significant, (at least to me), historical events and/or ensuing developments.[1]

Testimony to the Church 3 - Judgement

The Current Judgement of the SDA Church - “Theological Views” Blog

The (SDAs') Judgment 

4T 384-387 = Matt 25:31-46 = Rev 20:11-15

            On the morning of October 23, 1879, about two o'clock, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and I beheld scenes in the coming judgment. Language fails me in which to give an adequate description of the things which passed before me and of the effect they had upon my mind.

            The great day of the execution of God's judgment seemed to have come. [Rev 14:7] Ten thousand times ten thousand were assembled before a large throne, upon which was seated a person of majestic appearance [Dan 7:10~Rev 5:11/20:11].

The Real Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

The Real Outpouring of God’s Spirit (Acts 1:8)

            Especially in recent years, a deliberate emphasis on “Receiving the Holy Spirit” and “Praying for the Latter Rain” has become almost the “catch-exhortation” in SDA circles, and all so that the supposed ‘still impossible mission of the Church can be accomplished.’ It is then believed that the Church will be able to accomplish what it just could not before. Indeed in the Apostolic outpouring of the Holy Spirit, there is a basis for that understanding, however can God’s Spirit accomplish what the Church can do, but does not even try to do? Also whatever God’s Spirit  does, it will still defaulty do it directly, and solely, through Church efforts, and more specifically, in complement of faith-based attempts and endeavors. The real issue at hand here is what must be done today to receive this promised gift of the Latter Rain and what will be its results.

(SDA) Woman Ordination Deliberations

            First and foremost, at the very top here of the ensuing editorial-journalistic commenting on the SDA Woman Ordination Deliberations, I’ll conveniently, but most succinctly, summarily cite what my arrived at “position” on this issue is, -(and comparatively, see the SDA’s TOSC 3-Position final report; see also final documents from here), by stating my understandings, as more fully discussed/presented in the rest of this post, and linked to postings, of its various underlying elements. So, when applicable, the various many Bible and SOP texts and episode which substantiate this position are not here rehashed in this summary. Therefore on:

Furthering The Fundamentals

Fixing, Furthering and “Finishing” the Fundamentals (Matt 5:20)

[Fundamental Belief titles below links to full online expositions (1st Edition, 27 {1980})] - Full PDF Download [(2nd Edition, 28 {2005+})]

            Without fault, at every General Conference Session, a significant part of the Church’s “Official Business” is spent in bringing about corrections to official Church statements as made in the Church’s Manual and in the Fundamental Beliefs. At times much of these corrections are of a tedious, syntactical nature, and not of a purely substantive one. However, as more in depth Bible study shows, the substance of what is presented in particularly here, the Church’s Fundamental Beliefs is in need, where applicable, of a significant Theological revision and expansion, and thus a substantive Fixing, Furthering and “Finishing” of these Fundamentals.

            While the general premise of all of the current Fundamental Beliefs (FB) are indeed acceptably Biblically based,[1] many of the particular stipulations in them, or involved in setting them forth, need to better reflect actual Biblical teaching.

            Furthermore, “Fundamental Beliefs” should not be a mere expression of formal statements, but should also, Biblically/Spiritually, anticipatively stipulate how they are expected to be “Be-lived” in the lives of those who ascribe to them, as naturally resulting practical applications. (See DA 309.1-310.2ff).

Here are some issues with the current SDA Fundamental Beliefs that are in need of such work  (by FB numbers). These issues/ideas have also variously been discussed in further detail in other blog posts:

Theological Views Commentary

Exegetical Theology & Biblical Understandings (2 Pet 3:16)
Special Comments on Statements/Sermons by SDA Preachers (Acts 17:11)
SDA Church Administration (Matt 15:7-9, 12-14; 23:16, 24)

The Sacrifice of Christ

The Sacrifice of Christ - A Deeper Muse {Isa 53:5b, 10a, 11a}

                                   

            When the Sacrifice of Christ on Calvary is preached upon, it is a commonality to hear being expounded a focus on the concrete/tangible penalty for the “wages of sin”, which is Death (Rom 6:23), and even the “Second Death”, which is the end result of Hell fire punishment (e.g., Rev 20:14-15). It may also be, essentially, glibly said that ‘Christ died of a broken heart’ yet there has yet to be a sound substantiation and/or Biblical defence of this assumption; i.e., can it really be concluded that just because ‘Christ died before the two crucified thieves that it was a result of His heart having been “broken.”’ Such a statement may be commonly viewed as being “poetical”, but is it really Biblical. From what the Bible has to say in relation to this most pivotal topic, we can arrive at the proper Biblical View of the depth/extent of what actually happened at the Cross.