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

that EGW was, in a “politically correct” way, simply, open-mindedly, saying that ‘she did not have the final word in these interpretational matters, it must also be said and understood that this “additional light” has clearly yet to come in the SDA Church, as it has continued to preach that exact same understanding and message on the Mark of Beast since these days of SDA pioneers. Whereas many other prophetic interpretations in the Church have had minor tweaks, advances and updates since then, the teaching on the Third Angel’s, Mark of the Beast Message has remained unchanged. Furthermore, since, as alluded to above and related in Note #1, EGW got this Third Angel/Mark of the Beast light directly from an indicative revelation from God, to say that there was to be more light on this, would be saying that God had not been thorough in this indication. She could only truly make such a statement if she did receive a certain additional Divine indication here, such as evidently this light that:

“All in regard to this matter is not yet understood, and will not be understood until the unrolling of the scroll”[2]

Identifying the ‘Scroll to be Unrolled’

            So the imperative question now becomes, what is this prophesied “unrolling of the scroll”.

            First of all, while it is seen in the writings of SDA Pioneers that the expression “the unrolling of the scroll” is one which generally, generically/poetically refers to the ‘unfolding of yet fulfilled (Eschatological) Bible Prophecies’, (see e.g., January 12, 1864 JWe, ARSH 51.18: “when the scroll of prophecy is fully unrolled”), it is still substantively inherent that these involve specific prophecies, or parts of prophecies, which are yet fulfilled. From reading through the writings of EGW and seeing the several prophecies which she saw had yet to be fulfilled, at the topmost of these is seen her most technically allusive claim in regards to the, as discussed below, actually re-fulfilling entire scroll of Rev 5. And right within that 7-Seal Scroll (=Rev 6, 8:1) is also seen a specific point where it can be also most technically allusively seen that ‘the prophetic scroll had abruptly ceased to be unrolled, and that is in its Sixth Seal (Rev 6:12-17) which SDA Pioneers had rightly understood had begun to be fulfilled in their 18^th & 19^th century era with “signs in the heavens” (=Luke 21:25-26|Matt 24:29), but had indeed abruptly stopped at Rev 6:14 (=Luke 21:27-28|Matt 24:30-31). And nestled in between the overviewing understanding here that the next event would be the Second Coming, -and thus indeed is the halting of that Scroll’s unrolling-, there is also the typical SDA Pioneers prophetic understanding that the “Final Conflict” elements stipulated in Dan 11:40-45 (see here) would (resumingly) have their fulfilment here (See 9T 14.2), -and actually upon first the then completion of a Jubilee Era (EW 286.1-2), and also, from a recently discovered 1904 EGW letter (Letter 103, 1904, pp. 5-6; Review and Herald, July 8, 1976 (p. 9); cf. here), her own claiming/commenting on this prophecy in expected future fulfilments which she saw would involves prophetic statements starting as far back as Dan 11:30; thus all making that prophecy, (which actually was (most likely) on a distinct scroll), another applicable and specific background understanding to this “unrolling of the scroll” expression/theme.

            Significantly enough, EGW, manifestly speaking through some degree of direct revelation, also said in relation to the entire Dan 11 prophecy that:

“The prophecy in the eleventh [chapter] of Daniel has nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Much of the history that has taken place in fulfillment of this prophecy will be repeated.”

            Though some would want to not technically see the following inherent implication here (e.g., Stephen Bohr here[10:17-13:22]), ‘a refulfillment of history’ inherently includes a pertinent reapplication of prophetic elements, and that according to new fulfilling elements, and this is manifestly why EGW here went on to go back into this prophecy as far as Dan 11:30 and was claiming a future refulfillment of these, -and, as Bohr goes on to plausibly (i.e., priorly historicistly applicable; see in here) show in his presentation [48:37ff], clearly completely different/distinct from the typical interpretation/fulfillment claims of SDA Pioneer then, such as Uriah Smith’s (1897 UrS, DAR 280.3ff). Indeed EGW surely did not mean that ‘the history of’: e.g., ‘ships coming against ancient/pagan Rome’ would again occur. So it would be many of that prophecy’s elements having another application and that through other fulfillments.

            So it is seen here the expression ‘the unrolling of the scroll” is the expected continuation of prophetic fulfillment, and even refulfillments, and how this pointedly involves (1) the halted unrolling of the Rev 5 Scroll, pointedly at its Sixth Seal (Rev 6:12-17), and how this (2) paramountly revolves around the prophetic statements in the latter parts of Dan 11, from a wider corpus of (3) the other portions of Bible/Eschatological prophecies which have not yet been fulfilled. (cf. Isa 55:8-11) And the interesting thing here is that these rightly, applicably derived  literalistic takes on that seemingly merely generic/poetic expression does reveal quite significant eschatological prophetic understandings.

Scroll Unsealing = Its “Unrolling”

            Lastly at this point, it should be indeed (self-)obvious enough in regards to the overall theme of this study that: a previously sealed scrolled becomes fully/substantively (in regards to its contained, sealed message) “unsealed” only when it has been unrolled. Thus the unsealing of this Rev 5 scroll itself is indeed synonymous with its unrolling; -once its restricting seals have been broken. And as seen thus far above, that Rev 5 Scroll had stopped to be unrolled at its, however already unsealed, Sixth Seal, thus during the unrolling of this Sixth Seal (again at Rev 6:14 to be precise, thus just before the unfolding of “Final Events”).

The Revelation 5 Prophetic Scroll

            The first applicable scroll understanding here is that of the Church History sweeping Rev 5 Scroll, which culminates in the Second Coming. What is fundamentally key to understand about this Scroll is that EGW clearly, “somehow” (i.e., evidently through a direct inspiration), understood it to have a refulfillment in eschatological/“last days” prophecy.

The Special Sealing Configuration for the Rev 5 Scroll

            But prior to validating and fully understanding that, much later and actually cappingly-discussed, SOP light, it is key to first see and understand here from the Bible’s indications that the content of the Rev 5 Scroll most logically could gradually actually, and self-containedly, be understood with each breaking of its 7 Seals. That could not be possible if it was sealed with those seven seals where all 7 had to first be broken to be able to begin to unroll it. It however would be possible if each seal only sealed a portion of that scroll, and that would be the case if each sealed only sealed a leaf of that scroll, thus leading to a scroll configuration that this scroll was a collection of smaller ones rolled over each other. So with each added smaller scroll, a seal was placed over it, and thus also over the lower layer scroll’s seal as per one possible configuration. But another possible configuration which would have itself have all 7 seals visible and accessible on the top most level, and still make it possible that only one seal needed to be broken to reveal the content of one of that collective scroll’s little scrolls, would be if these 7 seals were diagonally staggered instead of being in a straight line as typically seen in artistic renderings of it. (e.g., this one).

            So the Rev 5 Scroll would need to be made up of 7 smaller/little scrolls, each individually sealed and thus forming that larger scroll. Relatedly enough, in Rev 10, a “Little Scroll” (Greek: biblaridion = Strongs’ #974; -a diminutive of biblion (larger “book/scroll” [as discussed later, used in Rev 10:8]) #976) is pointedly and explicitly cited (Rev 10:2, 9, 10), and it is also said to be brought down from heaven by an angel, which would here, joining the related dots, (and as actually later substantiated), involve one of those “little scrolls” from that collective 7-Seal Scroll being brought down to earth and given to God’s People after/upon it first had/having been unsealed in Heaven.

The Reason For Sealing Any, and this, Scroll

            Obviously, just like a “snail mail” letter today is sealed when mailed, a scroll that was sealed in Bible times, most of which were for remote communication as missives, is so that only the intended recipient will be the one who reads its content, and/or so that the document’s content cannot be altered in anyway. It seems to be that both of those intents were the reasons for the sealing of Rev 5's scroll.

            Form the Bible itself, it is in Jeremiah’s Title Deed Scroll in Jer. 32 that we get some background insight into a/this “prophetic sealing”. Obviously the sealing in those times (also) was so that the content would not be changed. Interestingly enough, it is said in Jer 32:11 (cf. 14) that there was both a sealed copy and an open copy. It is also added that the sealed copy contained the terms and conditions of the purchase. Hence in this case, as applicable to the parties affected by a sealed scroll, Jeremiah’s faithless cousin, could not later renege on this transaction when God would restore the land to its former “valuable” state. The present decisions for this transaction, nor its terms and conditions could not be later denied or ignored when things were restored as prophetically promised. Indeed, as later discussed, this purpose of sealing is a concrete notion that is tangibly and theologically/spiritually pivotally involved in the scroll of Rev 5.

            So with the Scroll of Rev 5 drawing from this Prophetically-significant scroll, it can outrightly be also drawn from, indeed even on a purely “non-theological” basis, that the reason why the message in the sealed scroll of Rev 5 was sealed up was because it also contained similar types of “terms and conditions” that must not be changed, or even be seen/known, or understood by anyone other than, firstly, the one who worthy to open that scroll. And as seen in the theologically related, also sealed scroll of the Dan 10-12 prophecy, such a sealing was indeed made for these “reserved understanding” reasons, and that only for the ones who would have insight (Dan 12:3), evidently by them having (as also stipulated in the Exegetically True and Full Laodicean Message): ‘sought to advance [the cause and truth of God]’ (=Dan 12:4 rightly, exegetically translated/rendered). And namely by:

-allowing themselves to be ‘purged to become select’ (= “eyesalve remedy” -i.e., be cured of key intrinsic defects such as being blind which, more than any other defective sense, greatly hampers (i.e., by ca. 80%) ones capability of gaining proper “insight”/understanding -cf. Luke 11:34-36);

-‘purifying and thus having made themselves white’ through ‘acting righteously’  (= “white raiments” = Rev 19:7-8);

-‘(goldsmithly) refined themselves’ (= “gold” -i.e., by acting righteously through ‘combined faith and love’ actions -vs. Dan 12:10 = Rev 3:18).[3]

            Therefore, as seen here from what would be required character-wise to unseal the message of this sealed prophecy, it is clearly seen how, as stated many times on the Bible, that unrighteous and rebellious living leads to a natural sealing of such Testimonies of God. (Isa 29:10-12, 13-14). This is something that is consistently also occurring today in regards to the “Fuller” Sabbatical understanding of God’s Law and, as the Law and Prophecy are indeed intertwinely linked (Lam 2:9b; Ezek 7:26; Psa 19:7; 78:5; Isa 8:16, 20), how this applies to Bible, and also SOP Prophecies (=Testimonies). Indeed for professed followers of Christ today who refuse to truly/fully carry out His Law-Fulfilling, Full Gospel Mandate today, such even more “advanced” Truths remain “sealed” (Dan 12:4, 10).[4]

Reason For 7 Seals for this Prophetic Scroll

            It is also significant to stress that, as it was explained in the Advanced Understanding of Prophetic Symbols in this post, the use of 7 Seals, (and not 10), is because the number 7 in the Bible symbolizes a perfect representation, and not a complete/total one, as the number 10 involves. So with “only” 7 seals being used to seal this scroll instead of 10, though it was thus ‘sufficiently’ sealed, it however was not “completely/totally” sealed. If that had been the case, its content would never have been capable of being known at all, in any related way prior to its complete unsealing. However, as exegetically observed from the corpus of the Bible and SOP, key snippets of its sealed content have been known in some literal or spiritual detail prior to even the time when it was begun to be unsealed. E.g., summarily said here, EGW, as later shown in this post, was given some pointed/literal indication as to certain things that it contained, and also other spiritual insights, indeed as seen in the many, many pertinent snippet comments from her writings that come to help to fully understand the full message of this Rev 5-8:1 Prophetic Scroll episode. Similarly Paul was Spiritually made aware, though he did not understand the precise extended time, of the most detrimental internal issues that would come to occur in the Gentile Christian Church (Acts 20:29-30; 2 Thess 2:3-11), as indeed revealed in the unfolded Church History prophecy of that Scroll (Rev 6:1ff). So the scroll was adequately sealed, but not totally, so that the wise and purified ones, prior to the time of its unrolling, could gain key insight into it.

Identifying all of the 7 “Little Scrolls” of the Rev 5 Scroll                                   

            A (then) recent evangelistic series presentation by Ron Clouzet in Net 2011's Presentation #6 [video at 28:25-40:45ff] where he made what is indeed an exegetically valid OT background identification for this scroll, went on, for me, to open a floodgate of understanding on this issue when studied in more depth.

            Clouzet’s main identification[5] was that this scroll imagery was derived from the scroll of the Law that a new Israelite king was ordered by God to personally make for himself upon their enthronement (Deut 17:18-20 = 2Kgs 11:12; cf. 2 Chron 23:11).[6] While Rev 5's prophetic vision has always been understood, and more than less, (as discussed later in this blog, in terms of the actual time that this vision actually transpired, -i.e., ca. mid 60's-90's A.D. vs. the usually assumed 31 A.D. right at Christ’s Ascension), as Revelation’s Lamb’s Enthronement Scene, the “enthronement” aspects is here, also for reasons later fully discussed, only being surfacely claimed. So though the exegetical evidence indeed points to the ca. mid 60's-90's A.D. dating, a ‘king’s “enthronement”’ understanding (derived from its Ascension association by EGW in the DA 833-835 account) is still applicable in that the two-item/part process involved in the installation of a new king in Israel would have been dichotomizedly done here with Christ first receiving the Crown emblem during the Royal Ceremony at His Ascension (31 A.D.), but only later, in ca. 70 A.D., was He then here, given the second regnal emblem of the Law/Testimony Scroll. As it will be discussed below, this dichotomy was for very crucial and tangible reasons revolving around the delayed physical destruction of the Jews kingdom, Jerusalem, from 31 to 70 A.D. However, as it will also be later discussed, a fully effectuated “enthronement” aspect itself is actually not borne out at a ‘Rev 4 & 5 scene’ stage by the available, exegetical, Biblical evidence.

            As stated and shown above, and as seen in the latest identification addition just above from the Net 2011 presentation, SDA Expositors/Evangelists do have various identifications for this scroll. Summarily first listed here, those thus far not yet or fully mentioned here, potentially additional, and/or already common, understandings are[7]:

- Jeremiah’s Title Deed - A Prophecy (Jer 32)

- Ezekiel’s Scroll of Lamentation, Mourning and Woe (e.g., Ezek 2:9, 10 = Rev 5:1)

- Zecheriah’s Flying Scroll

- Rev 10's “Little Scroll”

- The sealed prophetic portions from Daniel’s prophecies (in Dan 2, 7, 8,10-12)

            So it can fully be formally summarized here that there are (thus far) 6 contributing, advanced identifications, Bible Backgrounds for the necessary “7 little scrolls” making up the Rev 5 scroll. Namely:

1. King's Enthronement Testimony Scroll

2. Ezekiel’s Prophetic (Mandate) Scroll (Ezek 2:9-10 = Rev 5:1)

3. Zechariah's Flying Scroll (Zech 5 = Prelude to Rev 6's 4 Horsemen)[8]

4. Jeremiah’s Title Deed Scroll

5. Rev 10's Little Scroll

6. Unfulfilled & Sealed Daniel Prophecy Scroll

            Of course the typical/normative, individualistic/“Lone Ranger” thing that has been done in SDA circles has resulted in each SDA Presenter having a distinct, single view. This really only has led to “confusion” in the Church as Church members are then not sure of exactly which presented identification to accept as The Truth, however what could have easily been realized, and that, long ago, if a concerted, collaborative approach for Biblical Understanding was instead the norm in the Church (vs. the current sanctimoniously “zealous” individualistic/competitive/“capitalistic” one) was that, as shown in this present blog post, actually all of these identifications are in some significant/contributive way applicable as an understanding background for this prophetic imagery. Indeed elements from each of those above six mentioned identifications have a thematic and/or substantive relation to that described scroll. So it is manifest that God (and not actually ‘the Jewish-minded/thinking John’ as many popularly, spuriously, glibly claim[9]) was here keyly drawing from all of those backgrounds to Himself formulate this significantly conglomerated imagery. Indeed, most interestingly enough, there is, as shortly expounded on, a degree of an underlying foundational “common thread” theme of “Judgement/Eschatological Prophecy” that runs through all of those Scroll backgrounds.

            First of all, with the composition of a book/scroll being a quite involved process, it was only reserved to make a marked and/or enduring testimony of something, including when trying to communicate to a remote audience, which does figuratively apply to future generations. Thus, pointedly in Israel, Formal Statements and Documents, Laws, Prophecies were all conserved by being put in writing. This insured that such facts/testimonies would be remembered, and that, most incontrovertibly/undeniably, accurately.

            Now those significant, contributing, common themes of “Judgement/Eschatological Prophecy” are discussed in detail here:

1. King's Enthronement Testimony

As stated in Deut 17:18-20, the reason why the King was to procure a copy of the Law,

was to serve as an ever present and lasting testimony to him of God’s will, and thus serve to prolong the reign of his household. By direct implication, as repeatedly seen in Israel’s history, a king that did not follow God’s Law was subject to being severely judged by God.

            What is interesting here, in terms of the Prophecy aspect of this “common thread” is that it was primarily the purpose and role of a Prophet to be raised to bring about this “Testimony” of/to the neglected Law and Will of God to, pointedly, a King, during Israel’s Monarchial days. Indeed it was the conduct of the King that usually determined how the rest of the nation of Israel Spiritually behaved.

            Also, as seen in Isa 8:16 the Law is almost synonymously understood with, or even as, the “Testimony”. It indeed bears seamless witness of the other (see e.g., Elijah’s Testimony to wicked King Ahab in 1 Kgs 17:1 which was substantively “simply” based on the Law book statement in Deut 11:16-17; a Law-based correlation that e.g., King Solomon already understood 1 Kgs 8:35; cf. 2Chr 7:13-14)

2. Ezekiel’s Prophetic (Mandate) Scroll - of Lamentation, Mourning and Woe (Ezek 2:9-10 = Rev 5:1)

The mention of this scroll being “written inside and on the back” Rev 5:1 [as accurately

rendered from the Greek in e.g., the NASB], directly links it with the almost verbatimly mentioned statement for the scroll of Ezekiel (Ezek. 2:9-10). As it is explicitly stated in Ezek 2:10 it was a scroll of “lamentation, mourning and woe”, and as seen in particularly the first phase of Ezekiel’s ministry (Ch. 3 to 9ff) which focused on a needed work of admonished reformation in Judah, that is indeed what Ezekiel went on to deservingly speak to God’s people then, all based on what he had fully “ingested” from having eaten that Scroll as instructed (3:1-3ff).

            So here too the notion of a Prophetic-Judgement-ministry, with its indicative prophecies to this end, was also involved here. Furthermore, as it is clearly understood in SDA circles, with the prophecies of Ezekiel also having application in the end times, these are also understood to be Eschatological. Even in Ezekiel’s time, this notion of the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem had inherent Eschatological Judgement overtones. It did indeed so speak of ‘an unimaginable utter end’ (cf. Matt 24:1-3|DA 627.2) in regards to Israel, that it could only be naturally considered as ‘the end of all things’.

3. Zechariah's Flying Scroll

            The Historical context of Zechariah’s Flying Scroll episode is for a judgement on what appeared to be secular commercialism and merchandising developed by God’s People, and with the bold intention of religiously enshrining these practices (Zech 5:10-11). As distinctly expounded upon here, the inevitable result of God’s People also adopting such world economic systems which categorically go against God’s sabbatical socio-economic is that it results in (a) condoned and systematize thievery (= one side of Zechariah’s scroll) and (b) the professed people of God, who are actually not reflecting His Character, thus ‘swearing falsely by His name’  (=other side of the scroll) (Zech 5:3, 4). They are thus ‘taking God’s name in vain’ by manifestly making the claim that this Religious, systematic thievery is according to God’s very will and ways.[10]

            Most non-coincidentally-enough, this same Religio-economic rationale exactly what is dogmatically heard from Christians in regards to the current system of Capitalism, -the darling of Protestants, who, (especially around its inception), claim/believe that it is fully according to God’s will, and that “material prosperity” is an outward sign of one’s favor from God (= salvation). Interestingly enough, EGW only makes one comment on the entire content of Zech 5 and does so, in Ed 144.4, in the context (Ed 141.3-148.5) of speaking against people having corrupt (i.e., unGodly) business dealings, and unjust and oppressive means for becoming wealthy. Interestingly enough, EGW, in 5T 613.1-614.2, “correspondingly” went on to sternly, pointedly rebuke and counsel against the neglect, mistreatment and various abuse of the spiritual and also temporally/physically (= ultimately, economically) needy by making a evidently knowing allusion to the terminology/imagery of the Third Seal in Rev 6:5-6.

            So this “two-sided” violation was wholly violating the Law and, relatedly, Character/Image of God in Man, and thus was deserving of Judgement. As it is unequivocally, explicitly and forcefully said by the commissioned angel on these widely accepted socio-economic perversions all born out of a systematic, secular commercialism: “This Is Wickedness” (Jer 5:8a). So this all indeed was clearly a Judgement of God’s People, as well as, obviously, a Prophecy, and as it was most “wrathful”, it thus involved quite Eschatological (= “utter end”) overtones (cf. Zech 6:8).

4. Jeremiah’s Title Deed (Jer 32:11ff)

            Understanding Jeremiah’s Title Deed Scroll to be also a “Judgement/Eschatological Prophecy” would surfacely not seem to be the case until one indeed takes the entire textual/historical context of Jer. 32 into consideration. Succinctly said here, this context is that the long prophesied judgement spoken of by Jeremiah was just, indeed, beginning to be fulfilled, yet, incomprehensibly enough, the now willfully blind king of Judah, Zedekiah, saw it best to continue to persecute Jeremiah, and had him imprisoned in the King’s court of the guard. He thus futilely still wanted to try to prevent Jeremiah’s prophecies from being fulfilled. (Humanly speaking, and by God’s allowed design, it was indeed “natural” to explain away the approach of the Babylonian armies as something that could normally occur, and thus was not necessarily a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecies. So for Jeremiah to go on to prophecy total doom and destruction, of, even the king, was only “naturally” seen as non-prophetic, but just Jeremiah’s treasonously incitive words. This non comprehension was all the result of this king refusing to admit that his ways had been wrong before God. So clearly he would not see any of these looming events as a judgement of God. Ironically enough, if Judah did not fight against Babylon, as Jeremiah was prophetically exhorting, they would not have suffered destruction. Yet, as this “surface irrationality” would require a faith in God, it indeed would have been sufficient to provide the grace needed to avert destruction. But this completely misguided, unashamed and incorrigible king just wouldn’t begin to spiritually see God’s Will in any of this. (The exact same situation would later happen with the Jews in 70 A.D. and the Roman who, though being made to surround Jerusalem in siege, did not actually want to destroy it, nor its Temple. But, as the pointed statement in Dan 9:26 (see in here) had prophesied, the blindness of the Jews went on to be ‘the cause of this utter physical destruction’.)

            So this context of “Judgement”, and an “Eschatological” type of judgement, is indeed found in this Jeremiah’s Title Deed/Scroll background.

            The “Prophetic” aspect here is seen in the fact that while God was indeed speaking of a deserved destruction then, especially if disobedience still continued, He was simultaneously also hopefully speaking of the restoration that He would later bring about. This is where, in Jer 32:6ff, that Jeremiah’s title deed incident surfaces and, although Jeremiah himself did not understand the feasibility of this restoration after such a predicted, and likely destruction (cf. 32:25, 26), (even at first having had doubts as to whether he had really heard from God (vss. 6 & 8b)), he still trusted God and did as he was told: buying, as an acted out Sign, (and thus a “Prophecy”), the land being  “unloaded” unto him by his, manifestly scared and faithless, cousin. So at God’s instructions, the purchase of this title deed, in this time of Judgement, when the land had indeed ‘lost its value,’ was indeed a Prophecy of God. Although Judah and that generation here, due to their own waywardness, was effectively finished, with most of them likely to die in either this judgement, God Himself was not finished with His, ever grandiosely increasing/advancing, Israel Plans. (Jer 29:10-14). Indeed, with the exile being indeed 70 years, and with mostly adults being the ones who would be engaged in trying to fight of Babylon in the looming war, it was more than likely that, as with the 40-year Wilderness Judgement where only those who were 20 years old and less were spared (Num 14:29-31), similarly here, those who were over 20 years of age, would, most likely, either not live through the war, or not live long enough to see and enjoy this promised restoration. Only those, who like Daniel, were under 20 years would thus “naturally” be spared of either the war or the ensuing protracted judgement, from such (personally utter) failure, doom and death.

            So the common/popular SDA understanding, based merely, and also surfacely/spiritually glibly, on this background in Jer 32, that ‘the Rev 5 Scroll is a “Title Deed to the Earth”’ is not exegetically sound. The exegetically consistent Spiritual notions and contributions from that background instead focus on the faithless unloading of land in God’s Israel at the threat of the first (of would be two) destruction of Jerusalem and it Temple. As it will later be seen in this post, in an expounding of COL 294.1, this is indeed a notion that keyly understood in the SOP. The common SDA understanding also is that the events related in Rev 4 & 5 transpired at Christ’s Ascension, and also that the great crisis related in Rev 5:3 & 4, could only be in relation to the redeeming of the earth, but, as later more fully discussed, that is Temporally, Exegetically, Spiritually, nor Prophetically not actually the issue of this Rev 4-5 & 6-8:1 “New Israel/NT Church Continuing/Unfolding History” scene.

5. Rev 10's “Little Scroll”

            The Eschatological Judgement Prophecy understanding in Rev 10 will not be expounded on in detail now as this is actually the main content of most of this blog post. All that will be said on this now is that these studies indeed fully bear this understanding out and also that it too has pivotal, present-day (i.e. post-Millerite movement) application.

6. Unfulfilled & Sealed Daniel Prophecy Scroll

            The not yet fulfilled portions of Daniel’s prophecies throughout his book can indeed be seen as a contributive, surely Prophetic Scroll here, and with the smaller “little scroll” portion being the single-unit prophecy of Dan 10-12 being later fully shown to be indeed substantively related to the Rev 10 scroll, yet itself more pointedly in regards to the ensuing Rev 11 Two Witnesses events, as well as the other scrolls mention in connection with the Rev 5 scroll, its, including other depending, unfulfilled prophetic portions, rightly is understood to be a sixth scroll background/identification for the Lamb’s Scroll.[11] As this is later discussed in detail, it will not be done so here, however it will only be said here that it does indeed, as later shown, also involve this concept of an Eschatological Judgement Prophecy.

The 7-Scroll “Concerted” Revelation

            With six Scrolls in the Bible being variously exegetically tied, and contributive to, the scroll of Rev 5, and with this scroll having 7 Seals which, this inherently involves that the full message of that Scroll would not be fully grasp until all Seven Seals were broken and each of those individual seals read. And in the SOP, we actually do have a telling revelation in EW 15.2 of what also happens during the opening of that 7^th Seal, where Jesus then still has to do the Sixth Seal related judgement work of verifying if His Professed people are Spiritually ready to be rewarded by Him. (And more widely seen here as that EW 15.2 paragraph involves starts of with the Rev 6:14-17ff prophetic elements, it thus is a representation of what takes place when that Rev 5 scroll is resumed to be unrolled following its previous halting at Rev 6:13.)

            So there is this dependent need of a 7^th Scroll for the full message here to be grasped and that is substantively most fittingly provided by, and indeed in keeping with the “perfect representation” symbolism of the number 7, the Lamb’s Book of Life (which is keyly opened throughout the book of Revelation in both Pre and Post Great Controversy Battle contexts (see Rev 13:8; 17:8[12]; cf. Dan 12:1 || Rev 20:12; 21:27; and is actually thematically same as the (OT) Book of Remembrance (Mal 3:16-18; cf. RH, April 9, 1908 par. 15))  (As understood in the Pre-Advent Investigative Judgement process, those whose name remain after investigation in that book (cf. Dan 7:10), will be saved.).

            So, as such, those now 7 distinct scrolls would, in keeping with the content/message of each seal in Rev 6:1-8:1, [-and do see the discussion of the content/message of the Seven Seals in here (#1-#5) and in here (#6 & #7)], in order be:

1. 1^st Seal (Rev 6:1-2) - King Enthronement’s Testimony Scroll (Righteous Reign Expectation)

2. 2^nd Seal (Rev 6:3-4) - Ezekiel’s (Mandate) Scroll (Peace-Removing Ministry of Warnings of Lamentations, Mourning and Woe. cf. here)

3. 3^rd Seal (Rev 6:5-6) - Zechariah’s Flying Scroll (Religious Socio-Economic Judgements)

4. 4^th Seal (Rev 6:7-8) - Jeremiah’s Title Deed (Physical Destructions)[13]

[End of (4) Horses = End of the “Establishment” of God’s People’s following its Physical Destruction in 4th Seal]

5. 5^th Seal (Rev 6:9-11) - Rev 10's Scroll (The now Unsealed Prophetic portions of Daniel (in Dan 2; 7; 8; & 10-12)[14] for “New Light” for then a New, Reformatory Movement Struggling Birthing)

6. 6^th Seal (Rev 6:12-17ff) - The Still Unfulfilled (and comprehendedly further unsealed) Prophecies in Dan 2; 7; 8 & 10-12 (Confrontational War for New Movement Overtaking)

7. 7^th Seal (Rev 8:1) - The Lamb’s Scroll/(Book) of Life/Remembrance (Making Up the Restored Kingdom)

            It has often been rightly pondered by many expositors that there should be an actual content detailing of the scroll when it is finally opened in Rev 8:1, but that is oddly, indeed not the case. However with the above 7-Little Scrolls understanding, it can be seen that the end goal of those Seals is to gradually deal throughout with restoration of God’s Kingdom, pointedly here with His Righteous People Entity, as it/they expectantly rightly started under the 1^st Seal/Scroll but went on the be corrupted as History developed. So really the “thrill” in this 7 Seal Scroll Prophecy is not in the supposedly enclosed content that will be discovered only when all of the Seals have been broken, but actually, as seen in the emphasis in the description of what each opening seal disclosed, “in the chase”, i.e., the spiritual developments during the unsealing. And thus, by the end, the True Believer who has remained in tune with God during these developments, will have no problem “standing”, and not suffer ‘the seething wrath of the Lamb’ (Rev 6:16-17; cf. DA 825.4). Indeed this is a solemn ‘fork-in-the road’ moment that should lead all to carefully check the ‘right-doing’ robe of righteousness that they are wearing (EW 15.2). (See more in this post).

Rev 5 Scroll’s Key “Two-sided Writing”

            A strikingly deliberate, and most significant, descriptive characteristic of the Scroll in Rev 5 is that, as already pointed our, it is said to be ‘written on both sides.’ This is readily indeed seen as “striking and significant” when it is read in combination with the earlier discussed fact that the scroll was purposefully sealed. Logically, if there is writing on the outside of a scroll, these can, at least in the observable parts as it is a rolled up scroll, be deciphered to provide a hint as to what the content of the scroll, and actually manifestly also applying to each of its little scrolls, may be.

            The similar two-sidedly written, spiritually, most explicitly related, scroll of Zechariah that provides the most probable meaning/intent for this symbolic detail. There, in Zech 5:3, it can be seen that one side contains the due punishment and fate of those who are committing man-ward sinful actions, and the other side contains the fate of those who are committing related God-ward sins.[15] So here is seen an allusion to both parts of God’s Law, indeed ‘all of the Law and the Prophets’ (= God’s 2 Testimonies) (Matt 22:35-40), where at least one commandment on each side, namely the 3^rd (Exod 20:7) and the 8^th (vs. 15) are being explicitly broke, -thus surely breaking all of them (James 2:7; cf. here). This ‘disdaining, thus mistreatment of the poor’, and thus ‘blaspheming the name of God’ understanding is indeed the pointed subject-matter of the wider context of James’s inspired exhortations (vss. 1-13).[16]

            Based on this God-ward vs. Man-ward understandings for those two sides of this scroll, it can be naturally understood that it was on the outside of the scroll that the Man-ward, naturally perceivable, subject matter was dealt with, while the details of how this related to God were detailed on the inside of the scroll, where, when rolled up and also sealed, would not be readily understood; indeed until the scroll was unsealed. Then, as, no doubt, not coincidentally clearly warned in Matt 25:45-46, it will be painfully seen that those man-ward slightings were being done against Jesus Himself. (cf. James 2:13). As involved in this total breaking of the foundations of the Law of Love of God, a professed believer tangibly so not loving his fellow brother/man (i.e., both in the Church and/or in the world, especially the needy world (= Luke 10:25-30ff)), really is not at all loving God. (1 John 4:20-21).

            This prophetic episode indeed pointedly applies to God’s Remnant People today, but of course the SDA Church will defensively glibly/knee-jerkedly claim that it is, through, pointedly its various Clinic and Hospital Institutions, Humanitarian Relief Agencies and Mission Organizations, doing this Gospel mandated work, however, as it is thematically expounded on in this related post (Rev 11), indeed based on unequivocal passages in the SOP (e.g., 8T 247.2), the standard of ‘right-doing’ in this matter is ‘what can actually truly be done with the various resources that the Church currently have, and could be using to obtain, and do, even much, much more. Indeed this is all in keeping with Jesus’s own Exhaustively Full Gospel standard (Matt 25:31-46).

            So it is perhaps in this template symbolism of the scroll, and most likely each of its 7 little scrolls being all written inside and out, that it was possible, for some still spiritually worthy persons, to gain some advanced understanding and insight in regards to the content of the scroll as either a whole, or for properly understanding each of its 7 individual little scrolls. And as this symbolism was all directly allusive to the Zech 5 Scroll, and as it was seen here, this pointedly involved Divine socio-economic & righteousness issues then this is here all indicative that in order to get any insight into that Scroll itself as a whole, or any of its 7 composing individual little scrolls, one would have to read and heed those socio-economic stipulations, which can actually be distinctly gleaned throughout the Bible and thus make the one stated in these scrolls most readily recognizable and decipherable.

           

EGW Comments on the Scroll’s content

            Ellen White makes some very interesting statements on the content of the scroll of Rev 5 which are actually best understood with the exegetical understandings presented in this post. A first comment is found in 9MR 7.2/12MR 296.3 (1898) where she says:

                        “There in His open hand lay the book, the roll of the history of God’s providence, the                   prophetic history of nations and the church. Herein was contained the divine utterances, His authority, His commandments, His laws, the whole symbolic counsel of the Eternal, and the history of all ruling powers in the nations. In symbolic language was contained in that roll the influence of every nation, tongue, and people from the beginning of earth’s history to its close.”

            The scope of what is found in this scroll is here said to be quite broad, and as such, it would seem to preclude several of the above listed 7 scrolls as the lone/single fulfillment. However when it is understood, as presented in this post, that the scroll is indeed multi-scrolled (= multi-faceted), with each seal itself being based upon a specific related Biblically mentioned scroll and its specific function in that background’s context, then it can be seen how each of the distinctly cited elements in that above quote do find a certain fulfillment in at least one of these scrolls. Though no explicit proof is stated, this EGW statement seems to be based, to some degree, on some sort of direct revelatory. However it seems that she mixed in with this direct revelation, how she then thought this pointedly should include. So, actually mainly based on the Biblical teaching of God and the Future, where the future is not known, as it does not actually/concretely exist yet, but is only ‘“planned” by God’ (=Isa 46:9-11), I therefore do not Biblically see that a ‘detailing of future history’ could be concretely included in the scroll. Yet, as later fully showed, EGW did indeed understand this scroll to not only have a fulfillment with Jesus Christ in the first century A.D., but also an eschatological one, still future to her own time, it could be understood from her stand point, then in here 1898, that it would by then concretely now include the 1800 years of transpired World and Church history from the First century.

            So the various fulfillments stated in that passage with the above identified 7 most pointedly allusive/contributing, thus likely, background scroll episodes, namely are, [with, first corresponding scroll numbering relisted here)]:

1. King Enthronement’s Testimony Scroll (Righteous Reign Expectation)

2. Ezekiel’s (Mandate) Scroll (Peace-Removing Ministry of Warnings of Lamentations, Mourning and Woe)

3. Zechariah’s Flying Scroll (Religious Socio-Economic Judgements)

4. Jeremiah’s Title Deed (Physical Destructions)

5. Rev 10's Scroll (The now Unsealed Prophetic portions of Daniel (in Dan 2; 7; 8; & 10-12) for "New Light" for then a New, Reformatory Movement Struggling Birthing)

6. The Still Unfulfilled Prophecies in Dan 2; 7; 8 & 10-12 (Confrontational War for New Movement Overtaking)

7. The Lamb’s Scroll/Book of Life/Remembrance (Making Up the Restored Kingdom)

-the roll of the history of God's providence = #7 - God’s dealings with individuals and entities

-the prophetic history of nations and the church = #6 - Both OT & then NT Israel History

-the divine utterances = #1 - Statements of God, all to be carefully followed (Matt 4:4)

-His authority = #5 - Focusedly seen in Creation/Re-Creation Commemorative Sabbatical Seal of God (Rev 10:6-7)

-His commandments = #1 - The Supreme Ten Commandment “Testimony” (Isa 8:16, 20)

-His laws = #3 - Israel’s “Law of Moses” which includes God’s Israel’s health; civil & socio-economic laws

-the whole symbolic counsel of the Eternal = #2 - Bible Prophecies which contain God’s “Plannings” (cf. Matt 13:11)

-the history of all ruling powers in the nations = #4 ([Dan 2:21]; cf. indicted world powers in Jer 46-51 (cf. Amos 1), a major comparative reason why the kingdom of Israel could/should be graciously restored (cf. Jer 51:4-6))

EGW goes on to, seemingly summarily say that: “In symbolic language was contained in that roll the influence of every nation, tongue, and people from the beginning of earth's history to its close.” While this is indeed seen in what she had just listed as the specific contents of the scroll, as explained above, I theologically do not see it as yet including a concrete future “history”. EGW goes on to say in 12MR 297.1 that:

            “As the book was unrolled, all who looked upon it were filled with awe. There were no

blanks in the book. There was space for no more writing. [Revelation 5:8-14; 6:8-11; Revelation 8:1-4, quoted.]”

            This statement pointedly seems to be (entirely) a revelatory-based (i.e., ‘I was shown’) type of comment. While it may seem to be a statement that ‘the future is already fully, concretely written out’, I rather see it as speaking of a planned and most likely expected future. That is, if God allows things to develop as He expects and acts to shape future history as He plans to, in His endeavor to best resolve this Great Controversy, as He indeed knows to be the best. This will however come to be at great costs, mainly in the judgements that He would have to bring upon future professed followers who would come to fail His stringent planned testing of their genuiness/worthiness, indeed just as what occurred with the Jewish nation in the First Century A.D. So this “no blank” and “no space” symbolically implies that, as seen in Bible prophecy, God had the rest of World and Church history perfectly planned out, and there was nothing to change or add to this “plan”, which is recorded in this scroll. (Yet, as seen in e.g., prior possible Second Comings, that would inclusively still leave an opportunity for history to be wrapped up long before a possible longer extension. Still God’s ‘perfect plannings”, as delineated in this scroll, would be fittingly fulfilled as God would then, even supernaturally, work to bring about a fitting fulfillment for those prophetic plans, as e.g., seen by how many OT Israel Prophecies were spiritually applied to the New Israel, NT Church.)

            As seen in the Bible references that EGW goes on to precisely cite in connection with the “great awe” that fell upon those who came to see what was contained in that scroll, which led them to break forth in the showering of Praise on both God and the Lamb (Rev 5:8-14), with, as discussed later, worship only being given to ‘the One who (distinctly) is seated on the Throne.’ (see e.g., Rev 4:2, 9-10; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:9-10; 19:4), it was being acknowledge that the Lamb had indeed been fully justified to do, and receive, all that he was receiving here, because the future history, as prophetically expected/planned in the Church’s dismal Black Horse period, when it nearly, internally died off (Rev 6:8-11), (-a “scroll seal” that is, as seen above, thematically related to the Destruction of Jerusalem in Jeremiah’s time), the future of the Church was indeed bleak and bound to self-destruction. So the worthiness of the Lamb to have this power here was directly attributed to that anticipated future development. This worthiness was similarly also associated with the fact that at then end of the opening of all the seals, there still would not be an end of all things, as expected in the also significant linear (vs. the also significant parallel/structured) flow of the prophecies of Revelation, yet ‘the prayers of the saints would still not be answered’ (Rev 8:1-4). This then opened up the Trumpets series/history/development which, as seen in Church History, now necessitated a confrontational battle against the world and especially this Apostate Church, to overturn its rule and help to re-establish God’s True Movement.

            So the quotings of EGW of these seemingly random, detached passages in revelation did actually have great thematic significance, and were apparently directly shown to her in a revelation, along with that statement.
            -See this commenting on the pointed purpose of the scroll's content.

The Time of the Historical Unrolling of the Rev 5 Scroll

            It is with this timing understanding in mind, (and also the above overarching socio-economic implications), of that Rev 5 Scroll that an otherwise confusing statement by Ellen White makes quite precise sense and is shown to have been directly inspired. Speaking on the choice offered by Pilate to the Jews between Jesus and Barabbas, she says (with its fuller key context):

They hated the high standard of righteousness which Christ continually presented. They saw that His teaching was placing them where their selfishness would be uncloaked, and they determined to kill Him. They hated His example of truthfulness and piety and the elevated spirituality revealed in all He did. His whole life was a reproof to their selfishness, and when the final test came, the test which meant obedience unto eternal life or disobedience unto eternal death, they rejected the Holy One of Israel. When they were asked to choose between Christ and Barabbas, they cried out, "Release unto us Barabbas!" Luke 23:18. And when Pilate asked, "What shall I do then with Jesus?" they cried fiercely, "Let Him be crucified." Matthew 27:22. "Shall I crucify your King?" Pilate asked, and from the priests and rulers came the answer, "We have no king but Caesar." John 19:15. When Pilate washed his hands, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person," the priests joined with the ignorant mob in declaring passionately, "His blood be on us, and on our children." Matthew 27:24-25.  {COL 293.3} 

           

Thus the Jewish leaders made their choice. Their decision was registered in the book which John saw in the hand of Him that sat upon the throne, the book which no man could open. In all its vindictiveness this decision will appear before them in the day when this book is unsealed by the Lion of the tribe of Judah.  {COL 294.1}

That was indeed a most pointed statement as to what was (also) found recorded in the Rev 5 scroll, and it is in the historical context of the destruction of Jerusalem, (and not the end of the world, as some have proposed), that it indeed finds a most clear and fitting fulfillment. For if ‘their decision [i.e., that of the First Century Jewish leaders] will appear before them in the day when this book is unsealed by the Lion of the tribe of Judah’ then this unsealing could be seen to have occurred around the realization of the prophesied 70 A.D. Destruction. Thus it would indeed fall within the above mentioned, unsealing timeline range of between the ca. mid 60's-mid 90's A.D.![17]         

            This 70 A.D. understanding would also indicate that this rejection decision by the Jews was a most foundational and initiating event of the many things related in this Scroll. So the very first entry in this Scroll’s agenda would have been the destruction of Jerusalem. However, without elaborating on this too much, it can also be understood that this agenda items was part of a local/literal fulfillment of the 7 Seals, (prior to its recurred Historical fulfillments on then the Christian Church, God’s New Israel), involving, as local/literal prophetic fulfillment do, Ancient/First Century A.D. Israel. So though the Scroll would still have been only begun to be opened in ca. the 60's A.D., at a time when there begun to be a crisis in God’s Israel with Old Israel doomed to fail and New Israel showing many signs of floundering, as seen in some of the addressed issues in the Epistles, it had begun to have fulfillments, as commonly understood, from the founding of the Christian Church following Pentecost in 31 A.D. However the Rev 6 Seals in this Scroll prophecy were not yet revealed to anyone. It then would have been around the actual fulfillment of the content of the 4^th Seal, the Black Horse Period, (which, as discussed earlier, typologically involves the First Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple at the time of Jeremiah), that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah first began to unseal this Scroll, in an endeavor to secure a Kingdom, with Old Israel having wasted their granted 40-year period of New Covenant probation (cf. Rom 11:11-36).[18]

            It can also be the likely case that the Local/Literal application focused pointedly on the Jewish Christian Church, mostly present merely in Judah/Jerusalem (cf. Luke 21:20-21), as opposed to the much widely-found Gentile Christian Church, founded by Paul. Indeed throughout the New Testament record (e.g., 2 Cor 8; Gal 2:6-21), and as seen in some historical documents, the Jewish Christian existed and operated distinctly than the Gentile Church, mainly because the Jewish Christians continued keeping some aspects of the Law of Moses (e.g., ceremonies and feasts), while Paul, in agreement with the Jerusalem Church’s New Covenant understandings, had taught his Gentile converts that this was optional (Acts 15; Col 2:16-17; the book of Galatians). The book of Hebrews (written by Paul) helps bridge this divide of misunderstanding between these two Christian groups, to the point where post-Hebrews works, as seen in the later non-Pauline epistles, do not have the same Gentile Christian dedication/focus, as seen in Paul own earlier epistles.

            So it is in a now fast-fulfilling of the Local/Literal Wave, (i.e., with the content of the 3^rd to the first part of the 6^th Seal finding a more than less literal fulfillment in that period between ca. 60 to 70 A.D.), during the unwinding of Old Israel, that Jesus, during this time of the 4^th Seal, first began to actually unseal this rolled up Scroll in Heaven, thus revealing for the first time its content to all observers, and then all of God’s Universe saw for the first time that God’s action were indeed all just, leading to the ‘great awe’ related by the SOP. Indeed these prophecies were now clearly seen to be precisely as God had expected them to justly and righteously develop. And so the destruction of the Temple, and especially Jerusalem, which had non-spiritually actually kept on thriving as a city since 31 A.D., and at the time of its destruction had, as Josephus says, “arrived at a higher degree of felicity than any other city under the Roman government” (War, P:4 [#11]) [something that was certainly not the case around the time of Jesus, indeed especially throughout, at least, the procuratorship of Pilate 26-36 A.D.], was indeed self-justified. (cf. DA 597.3[19])

            So just as EGW (evidently “saw”) and said, when Jesus first opened that scroll, thus in ca. 66 A.D., delayed physical judgement then began to be poured out on an impenitent Israel. As EGW says: “So terribly was visited that awful imprecation uttered before the judgment seat of Pilate: "His blood be on us, and on our children." Matthew 27:25.” (GC 32.2) Back in 31 A.D. Israel had chosen to change kings from Jesus to Caesar, and it was pointedly then that Jesus went from the ‘King of the Jews’ to their ‘Lamb to be slain’. But when the ousted King Jesus now came to re-claim His Throne of David and Israel kingdom, with Israel having reach an end point, and with New Israel relatively flickering, upon seizing and open this (also): ‘new King’s Scroll of Testimony’ (Deut 17:18-20), the very first item in that record, then at its local/literal 4^th Seal stage, was manifestly to visit long due judgement upon Ancient Israel, along with a record of their sins then and since then, and this is precisely what transpired right at that time, at that time of ‘vengeance & vindictiveness’ (Luke 21:22 & COL 294.1).[20]

            Indeed with the period from 31-ca. 70 A.D. being a period of probation for Ancient Israel, there really was no need to unroll that prophetic scroll in Heaven as it only contained the prophetic history of what would take place if the Jews persisted on their course of Gospel/Messiah rejection. So when things looked to surely turn out for the worse, Jesus, in ca. 70 A.D. began unrolling this prophetic scroll and it was then seen how the events on earth had indeed gone according to what was prophesied therein, also involving Jewish Christians who could have helped preserved Jerusalem. So judgement was indeed in order and a new course of Church History was begun to be charted out, and indeed at a key time for also Gentile Christians

Choosing Barabbas vs. Christ

            There is a significant spiritual/theological insight to highlight in this local/literal Scroll unsealing event. As the SOP stresses, this pivotal decision to reject Jesus was due to the desire of the Jewish leaders, who inherently were making a choice for all of the people, to maintain their ways of selfishness vs. the opposing ways that Jesus was exhorting and modelling. (See also Paul’s similar pastoral concern in AA 333.1). With, as shown in this post, and variously through this entire blog, selfishness is indeed the chief of sins, and its practice does indeed find many quite tangible, similar, Gospel-of-Christ-opposing application in God’s Church today, namely in various, reverentially entrenched, Capitalistic practices. Therefore, not surprisingly, and quite significantly back then: Barabbas was preferentially chosen over Jesus in that pivotal decision. Barabbas was a ‘notorious robber (Matt 27:16 + John 18:40) and probably not actually a “murderer”. It was only said in Mark 15:7 that ‘he had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection.’ Similarly today, this same type of “Barabbas-preferring”, and also quite pivotal choice/decision is being made, in fact, has been made, in the SDA Church, with, even murderous & murderous-adjacent, the ‘ways of Capitalism’ having been entrenchedly preferred over the Full Gospel and Righteousness of Jesus Christ. So it is indeed not surprising that a prophetic, eschatological fulfillment of this Rev 5 Scroll prophecy is also being, by necessity, re-accomplished today, and indeed for such a similar pivotal reason. (cf. 3SM 415.6-416.2).

            So with now this more in depth understanding of the Rev 5 scroll, which is seen to be multi-faceted, involving 7 types of Bible Scroll. However now, as careful study has shown, what is interesting about all of the above mentions of these scrolls is that they actually all, by their interlinked associations, foundationally refer to one and the same thing, namely Daniel’s sealed (little) scroll (Dan 10-12); that 6th scroll-seal mentioned above. This observation will be demonstrated in the end after the contributing elements of it have been established in detail. What follows is a proving of this deductive observation however, for the sake of space and time, the points made here will not always be presented in the full and documentary details used for the studying of them, however if there are any valid questions in regards to how a conclusion was reached, it can be asked in the comments section below.

The Fifth-, & then (Current) Sixth-, Seal (Little) Scroll from Daniel’s Sealed Prophecies

Ellen White has made the Biblically valid point in AA 585.1 that:

“In the Revelation all the books of the Bible meet and end. Here is the complement of the book of Daniel. One is a prophecy; the other a revelation. The book that was sealed is not the Revelation, but that portion of the prophecy of Daniel relating to the last days. The angel commanded, "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end."” Daniel 12:4.

A more precise translation of Dan 12:4 is:

“But as for you, Daniel, keep these words secret (cf. Dan 8:26), that is, seal up the book until the time of the end. (Then) many will endeavor to go forward/advance, and the knowledge [of these sealed/secreted/concealed prophetic words] will then (naturally) increase.”

            Evidently, the way in which these words were to be kept secret/concealed was in Daniel not seeking to obtain the meaning of them so that he can explain, or relate them in plain expressions, as he probably had many questions. Evidently this secreting was not a command to not publish them. However, interestingly enough all of the major prophecies of Daniel, namely Daniel [2], 7, 8/9 were all explained by God Himself, and at Daniel’s request. (See e.g. Dan 7:19ff; 8:15ff/9:23ff[21]) Daniel 2 is given in parentheses because although explained by Daniel, it was actually a prophecy given to King Nebuchadnezzar. So really only the 3 prophecies of Dan 7 (The Four Beasts), 8/9 (The Little Horn & The 2300 days) and 11/12 (The King of the North vs. South) are understood as revelations given to Daniel, and all extend into the time of the end. Still it is only with/in the prophecy of the North vs. the South (Dan 11:5-12:3) that it is neither given any explanation at all, nor is an explanation granted to a request of Daniel in 12:8 as in other times, but solely, the “conceal and seal” command is repeated. (Dan 12:9; +Dan 12:10; cf. Rev 22:10-11). So he may have understood this statement made right after the completion of that vision in Dan 12:4 to indeed be referring to Dan 11:5-12:3.[22] Following this command, another brief prophetic sequence follows in Dan 12:5-7, 10-12 adding more concealed light to evidently all of the three prophecies of Daniel by making allusions to elements in all of them, namely: “time, times and half a time” Dan 12:7a = Dan 7:25; ‘the shattering of the power of the holy people’ Dan 12:7b = Dan 8:9-14, 24; ‘the purging and refining of many’ Dan 12:9 = Dan 12:3. A, then, all-encompassing statement touching on all of the three prophecies is made in Dan 12:11-12 = Dan 7:8, 19-27 | Dan 8:9-14, 23-26 | Dan 11:5-12:3. It is important to see how the third prophecy of Daniel is an expansion of solely and specifically this ‘battle and persecution’ scene. It is also significant to note that beyond the encrypted mention of a ‘King of the North and South’, the entire prophecy contains arguably no other symbolic elements, but rather all straightforward, mainly socio-theological elements that, as presented here, can be easily understood within the spiritual and temporal context of God’s Israel.[23]

Daniel’s 3 Prophecies = The 3 Angel’s Messages

            With the Bible-based knowledge of how the Three Angel’s messages are to be rightly interpreted and understood, it can be seen that the three prophecies of Daniel identified above are distinctly represented by each of these Messages. Daniel’s first prophecy, Dan 7, focuses pointedly on the work of the Fourth Beast that seeks to change times and laws (Dan 7:25); however a judgement is later set up in the courts of heaven (e.g. Dan 7:10, 22) and the power of that Fourth Beast is broken and its destructions ended and reversed. That is indeed what is heard in the Message of the First Angel in Revelation (Rev 14:6-7) that globally proclaims to all to ‘fear (i.e., obey) God (and, evidently, not this Beast Power) and give Him glory (i.e., reflect God’s character) for the hour of His (prophesied) judgement has come; all evidently simply through the worshipping of Him as the Creator, and thus according to His dedicated Seventh Day Sabbath set time (Gen 2:1-3) and Law of (True) Love (Exod 20:8-11; Matt 22:34-40) for this; and which, when Truly, =“Fully”, done, -thus ‘in Spirit, Truth and Deeds’ (e.g., Rom 7:7-17; John 4:23-24; 1 John 3:18) indeed shields one, by Spiritually (John 3:3ff) sealing them (Rev 3:12; cf. Jam 2:8-11), against such wily/subtle schemes of Satan to hinder the establishment of that Dan 7:14 Kingdom of God (Matt 6:10).

            In the Second Angel’s Message (Rev 14:8) is a succinct, but pointed announcement of the fall of Babylon, as well as a mention of her widely/pervasively diffused wine. Careful Bible students will here see a relation to the religious damages that were done by the Little Horn power in Dan 8:9-14, 23-26. So the work of recovering from these damages as seen in the creation and spread of false teaching is to be done under this Angelic message. Interestingly enough many of these false teachings are exposed by the anchoring proper interpretation of Daniel’s 70 Weeks (Dan 9:24-27) which are a part of this second prophecy of Daniel.

            The Third Angel’s Message (Rev 14:9-12) focuses on the worship of the (evidently authoritatively revived) Beast and the receiving of its Mark, with the antidote being the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Rev 14:12). This Mark of the Beast issue represents the major conflict/persecution point on all of the book of Revelation (see e.g., Rev 13:16-17; (Rev 14:9-11); Rev 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). Similarly the Third Prophecy of Daniel relates solely a major conflict between the King of the North vs. the South. So it can be seen that that prophecy is representative of the Final Conflict, which, as it will be shown later, will revolve, also in Dan 11, around the Mark of the Beast issue.

            A couple of statements by EGW validate this preceding 3AM-(Unrolled) Little Scroll[s] association, all in the light of the little scroll as she says:

“John sees the little book unsealed. Then Daniel's prophecies have their proper place in the first, second, and third angels' messages to be given to the world;” 1 MR 99.2b

and:

“The time has come, the important time when through God's messengers the scroll is being unrolled to the world. The truth comprised in the first, second, and third angels' messages must go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; it must lighten the darkness of every continent and extend to the islands of the sea.” 6T 133.2a[24], [25]

The Sealed Scroll/Portions of Daniel

            So going back to what EGW has said about the sealed portion of Daniel being his prophecies pertaining to the end. It can be seen that these are his three prophecies in Dan 7-12 which all contain elements pertaining to the time of the end. Furthermore, a carful study of the composition of the book of Daniel reveals that Dan 1-6, though it contains the experiences of Daniel with some direct statements of his, it was actually the compositional work of someone else who was writing about the prophet. However starting in Daniel 7, we begin to see pointed first person accounts (i.e., “I” statements), markedly emphasized by “I, Daniel...” statements (see e.g., Dan 8:15, 27; 9:2; 10:2, 7; 12:5) which shows that the content itself there was written first hand by Daniel. Only small dating/introductory (third person) portions were interjectedly added (see e.g., Dan 7:1; (Dan 9:1); Dan 10:1) by, most probably, the person who had composed the first 6 chapters of the book he wrote about the ‘Experiences and Prophecies of the Prophet Daniel’. So the words of Daniel which were sealed were his first hand accounts of the prophecies he had received, thus specifically, indeed Dan 7-12 and not the whole book of Daniel (i.e., +1-6). And with these three prophecies of Daniel given during a 17-year span, i.e.,  in the B.C. years of 553 (Dan 7:1); 551 (Dan 8:1)+ 538 (Dan 9:1) and 536 (Dan 10:1) they were thus probably not recorded by him contiguously on a single scroll, but only later collated into/for a single scroll by that distinct arranger and composer of this prophetic book. But in later prophetic mention, it is most applicable to understand, especially the prophecies of Dan 7-12, as being a single scroll.

This Scroll & its Little Scrolls

            Now, as already alluded to, what is interesting about the mention of the scroll in Rev 10 in relation to the object of this study is that it is deliberately referred to as both a scroll/book (Gr. biblion) Rev 10:8, and as the diminutive of a book: a little scroll/booklet (biblaridion) Rev 10:2, 9, 10. This difference can applicably be understood in the light of its representation of, on one hand the whole book of Daniel, pointedly the sealed parts of the book in  Dan 7-12, as those chapters indeed contain the entirety of Daniel’s 3 major prophecies but, on the other hand, also the specific smaller portions of that sealed scroll/book that deal pointedly with the time of the end in the “little scroll/booklet”, thus ‘a part of that sealed scroll/book’. This dual understanding is indeed reflected in the historical understanding of a large portion of the book of Daniel, even from these three main prophecies that he made, were understood by people who live before the time of the end. That is, these people understood: the identity and succession of the Four Beast in Dan 7 (see Paul’s understanding in 2 Thess 2:3-12; cf. here); the animals preceding the Little Horn power in Dan 8; along with a partial understanding of the Little Horn power itself; the Messianic prophecy in Dan 9; and the small introductory portion of the Dan 11-12 prophecies, namely Dan 11:2-4. However the parts of these prophecies that involved eschatological things (i.e, to be fulfilled in ca. 1798-1844+ developments), including the time elements of those 3 main prophecies, remained sealed mysteries from Daniel’s day up through the Church age until around the late 1700's as many Bible expositors began to progressively rightly understand these time elements,[26] but then most prominently, notably, and much more accurately when William Miller engaged in, starting in 1816, to ‘understand and harmonize all parts of the Bible’, particularly prophecies (=Dan 12:4's: “seeking to advance”). It is commonly, thought that William Miller solely dwelt only on the 70 Weeks/2300 day prophecy, however as the extant prophetic charts that he used in his public meetings show, he dwelt upon all prophecies, particularly in Daniel, having this element of a related/concurrent time, which were now understandable with the discovered day-year principle key. So EGW’s statement that: “The unsealing of the little book was the message in relation to time” (1MR 99.2) is indeed applicably accurate.

Daniel’s Sealed Prophecies and Rev 5's Fifth Little Scroll (=Rev 10)

            The fact that the then opened scroll of Rev 10 is this previously sealed Scroll of containing Dan 7-12 is concretely seen in the comparative descriptions that are found between the Mighty Angel of Rev 10 and the ‘Man Dressed in White Linen’ in Dan 10 (see Dan 10:5, 6;[27] 12:5-7a and Rev 10:1-3).[28] Now it has generally been assumed that this self-evident ‘one and the same’ personage is Jesus Christ Himself. Ellen White has said in regards to these angelic appearances that:

“No less a personage than the Son of God appeared to Daniel. This description is similar to that given by John when Christ was revealed to him upon the Isle of Patmos. Our Lord now comes with another heavenly messenger to teach Daniel what would take place in the latter days.—RH Feb. 8, 1881.

Daniel . . . could not look upon the angel's face, and he had no strength; it was all gone. So the angel came to him and set him upon his knees. He could not behold him then. And then the angel came to him with the appearance of a man. Then he could bear the sight.—2MR 348. (TA 144-145)

The mighty angel who instructed John was no less a personage than Jesus Christ. (1 MR 99)

            However that, Biblically, is not the entire case here. Chiefly, the major indicator that the Rev 10 Angel is not Jesus is seen in the fact that in Rev 10:6 he, as the Angel in Daniel (Dan 12:7), “swears (= “oathmaking” -e.g., Luke 1:73) by another”, namely: ‘One who created all things and who lives forever and ever’ which, in that case, would have to be God the Father (cf. Rev 4:9, 11). The Bible however is (also/actually) clear that all things were (actively) created by Jesus Himself (John 1:3; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2, 10), and also that Jesus Himself also lives forever and ever (e.g., Rev 1:18). So He (still) does outrightly and jointly possess those two attributes of God. (Cf. John 10:30; 14:7-11; 17:21) Thus Jesus should be perfectly entitled to ‘swear of Himself’ as God uniquely can, and does. (Exod 32:13; cf. Gen 22:16ff|Heb 6:13 = “the Angel of the Lord” Gen 22:15 = Jesus). So with Christ there substantively is no “higher/better worthiness” need/reason, as pivotal in oathmaking (cf. Gen 31:53), for making this major oath.

            Also: (1) it is provedly understood that Michael was the OT name of the pre-incarnate Christ[29], and indeed Dan 10:13, 21 and 12:1 all present Michael as a more powerful prince than this, manifestly, ‘angel with a man’s appearance’. In Rev 10(1-3), the Mighty Angel has certain descriptions that are similar to those 9 spoken of the Priestly Christ, actually “one like unto a son of man” (see e.g., Rev 1:12-18) however these are only two out of these 9 characteristics. So this Mighty Angel may have been given these 2 specific characteristic resemblances solely for his particular mission and message to John. (The same goes for the ‘Man Dressed in White Linen’ in Daniel.) (2) In Revelation, Jesus is said to have made the Revelation through an Angel (Rev 1:1 & 22:16) and when a character resembling closely to Jesus is seen in the visions he is, as mentioned above, actually seen by John as “one like unto a son of man” (Rev 1:13 & 14:14)[30] and not quite distinctly, as an Angel, (although an angel can take on a human form, -pointedly when commissioned to do a covert, concretely infiltrating, earthly work. (Cf. also Ezek 9:2b, 3, [10], 11 & EW 279.2)). So the two may not be defaultly or solely identifiable as each other.

            Nonetheless since also in EGW’s time, the word personage, was used to also “characteristically speak” of ‘the exterior appearance; stature; air of a person; the character assumed and/or the character represented’, EGW understanding may not have been strictly said here. I.e., if she had literally meant, that this was ‘Jesus Christ in person,’ she would have most likely rather said: “...was the person Jesus Christ” or straightly “...was Jesus Christ”. However the use of this distinct and meaningful term “Personage” along with the emphasis “no less” seems to rather be trying to endorse someone lesser than Jesus Christ in Person to be as a rightly suitable “representing”/character assuming other person, here this Mighty Angel/Man Dressed in White Linen. So the “appearance, stature and air” of this Jesus-commissioned Angel was to clearly represent the very Person/Actions of Jesus Christ Himself in this multifaceted Divine Commission on Earth. So as it is also resultingly understood of a “personage”, it is ‘a person whose actions and opinions strongly influence the course of events.’ Hence is to be the influential and course-changing actions of this Commissioned Mighty Angel, all rooted in the actual word and will of God.

Second Angel = Rev 10 Angel

            What is most significant about the Rev 10 Angel, which, as seen below is in the context of God establishing a New Church is that in EW 247.1, EGW was shown a depiction which is allusive to the Rev 10 Angel which revealed that:

           

“Another mighty angel was commissioned to descend to earth. Jesus placed in his hand a writing, and as he came to the earth, he cried, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen." [Rev 14:8]”

            The mention of a “writing” being placed in the Mighty Angel’s hand is indeed allusive to Rev 10's angel descending with a writing in its own hand, and also that this likewise is in this context of the Remnant Church birthing, Indeed, as related in EGW’s inspired/prophetic history of the Second Advent Movement, what developed during the transpiring of that Second Angel’s message was that, for the first, the Millerites then began to separate from their former Churches (EW 237-240; cf. EW 240-246ff). So these now Churchless ones began to band together as a new, distinct religious group. And as also involved in this Rev 10's Era, the people in this new group had by then understood much of the previously sealed prophecies in the book of Daniel, but still with some further understandings to be had...when the (Overall Rev 5) Scroll which eventually stopped being unrolled, would resume being unrolled, as people from that group went on to increasingly advance under the further distinguishing, post October 22, 1844 Third Angel Message.

Other Rev 10 Angel Identifications

            The physical and symbolic descriptions and identifiers provided for the Mighty Angel in Rev 10 have led some to readily conclude that it is solely Jesus Christ, however the proper understanding of these symbols (cf. in this blog post), helps to arrive at the intended conveyance in their symbolic use and thus also substantiates the above presented prophetic & historical identification and meaning of that Rev 10 Mighty Angel.[31]

“another strong angel coming down out of heaven”

            John notably says here that he see “another” (Gr. allos) Mighty Angel. As the Greek could say “another” with heteros (= another of a different kind) or also allotrios (another of a strange kind/source), the use of allos indicates that this was a mighty angelic figure that John was familiar with. Indeed the last, and only other mention of him as a “Mighty Angel” in the book of Revelation occurs in Rev 5:2[32], in the throne room scene when a “worthy one” is being searched to open, interestingly enough, also a sealed “little scroll.” So John is seeing another one of these ‘Mighty Angel’ types. In the Bible only two angels have been described, either implicitly or explicitly as such. The first was Michael (“who is like God”) (Dan 10:13; 21; 12:1; cf. Jude 9 and Rev 12:7) and Gabriel (“mighty man of God”) (Dan 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19 - EGW in PK 572 and DA 99.1 say he was the other Angel in Dan 10 (Dan 10:21)). So this angel may have been either one of these, or in the case of Michael = Jesus, whichever angel[33] may have presumably been elevated to the position Gabriel had probably left vacated when Lucifer, who was also called a ‘Mighty Angel’ (PP 35.2; 36.3), and was one of the covering Cherub (Eze 28:14a), rebelled and then was cast out of Heaven (Rev 12:7-9; PP 33-43). Later, when Michael was incarnated as Jesus, Gabriel was probably elevated to fill, at least temporarily, the position of ‘chief of all angels,’ becoming the (interim) “Archangel” as it is said that he was“the angel next in rank to the Son of God” (DA 234.2; cf. Luke 1:19 & DA 99.1 =Rev 1:1; 19:10; 22:8, 9; 5BC 1123: ‘He was sent to strengthen Christ during His Passion’ (Luke 22:43))

            Whatever the specific case here, as an angel is essentially, functionally, a “messenger” of God, their appearance is symbolically synonymous with a Heavenly Message and as such this Mighty Angel can interpretatively be synonymously understood as a “Mighty Message.”

“clothed with a cloud”

Cloud - As explained in this blog post a cloud is tangibly a means to transport humans into the sky/heaven. As such, in religious application, it is by extension a symbol of Christ’s Return. However in more temporal application, it can be tangibly understood as a means of transport for a non-flying creature.

            To be “clothed” with something in the Bible reflects, on the one (religious) hand, a covering of one’s shame, and that because of a known sin, and thus lost, genuine innocence, and thus is a symbol for covering righteousness (See e.g., Isa 59:6; 64:6; Rev 16:15; 19:8; cf. Gen 2:25; 3:7-11 (Rev 3:1b-5a)). Temporally, it is an indicator of the occupation of the one being clothed. In a joining of these two aspects, it represents: ‘through what (occupational) means one effectuates this “righteousness”.’ I.e., this God-permitted-reason-for-the-application-of-Christ’s Righteousness because of a perfect and balanced blending of Faith resulting in good works (See: Gen 15:5, 6, cf. Gal 3:6; James 2:20-24ff, Rom 3:31-4:3ff; Gen 26:4, 5).

            So this Mighty Angel being clothed shows that this is an angel who evidently cannot fly on his own but needs to be wrapped in this cloud in order to fly. As the post-incarnate/resurrection Jesus, being eternally in the form of a man, did indeed need a cloud to fly (cf. Acts 1:9), this could be understood as representing Him. However this is not really a symbol for His Second Coming (cf. Luke 21:27; Rev 1:7; 14:14) pointedly because He here is not coming to take all of the redeemed to Heaven, who will (also) need this “cloud transport’ to get to heaven. (1 Thess 4:17; EW 16). So Jesus here would only need this individualized, custom-fitted transport to fly down from Heaven to Earth.

            Notwithstanding this applicable identification with Jesus, the allusively similar figure who had appeared to Daniel in Dan 10ff, and who was not Michael, the Chief Prince, but another mighty prince from heaven, was, nonetheless, in the form of “a certain man.” (see Dan 10:5ff). So, if he is making a reappearance in Rev 10, he too would have needed such a (personalized) method of transport to earth for this message and mission.

            It is important to note that this Mighty Angel could also, simulatenously, be “embodying” the message that he is relating to those on earth. And thus his being “clothed” with a cloud would be indicating that those who would receive the message would find their ‘shame covering, occupational righteousness in the “fully embodied” work of readying the world for Christ’s Coming. As long as they remained faithful to this tangible task, this occupationally-derived righteousness would remain upon them. However should they relent, cease or improperly perform their assigned occupation, this clothing would normatively, naturally/automatically/logically be removed from them. (cf. Rev 16:15; cf. 3:17). I.e., they would have been “fired” from their given occupation. As EGW says: “Fig-leaves represent the arguments used to cover disobedience. . . . But the nakedness of the sinner is not covered.” (CC 17). Just like an occupation can become determinative of one’s “apartenance,” position, social status, so is done by this heavenly granted, “Second-Coming” covering.

“the rainbow was upon his head”

the Rainbow - As explained in this blog post, the rainbow is a specifically nature-wrought phenomenon used to remind the world of God’s promise that He would not allow water to ever again destroy all living things and the earth (Gen 9:8-17). The use of a definite article with the mention of a rainbow here (i.e., ‘an already known/mentioned rainbow’), would strongly suggest that it is this specific covenantal promise that is being referred to here. So the message mission from this Mighty Angel (i.e., mighty message) would also include this promise. This pointed reminder of the Flood however also strongly implies that conditions were present that could, and should, have warranted a similar judgement at this time, however that was mercifully passed over by God. This symbol instead is to remind the world that a warranted cataclysmic end is at hand and that this is the time to heed the mercy and compassion of God. So this restrained judgement is also a major part of this “mighty message.”

-upon his Head - What is notable here is that the Greek preposition epi (“upon”) is used instead of a logically expected huper (=hyper) (“over”) for such a manifestation as a rainbow. Epi indicates in its meaning a close (physical) connection with the subject/object, if not actual physical contact, whereas huper indicates something that is more remote, while “overhead”, yet still exerting a controlling influence on the subject/object.

            The Head, as explained in this blog post, is the place where the control of the body is effectuated. It is literally the headquarter/governing seat of the body and contains many features which enable it to make decisions that affect and control the rest of the body.

            So with this rainbow being just upon the head of this “mighty message” it can be seen that this “looming but restrained/delay cataclysmic judgement” would be the most controlling “thought” of this message sent down from heaven. It thus represents a judgement message.

“his face was like the sun”

Face - As explained in this blog post, the face is the most readily and prominently identifiable and recognizable part of the body. It is also where what is being thought, felt and processed inwardly can be discerned/discernable, and accurately conveyed, externally to, e.g., someone else.

Sun - The sun, naturally clearly is the most important, non-living, created element in the world. It is the power and energy generator for all life. A such the sun becomes symbolic of ‘what is most important to provide and maintain thriving life in something.’ Mal 4:1-2; shows that the sun can either manifest itself as a destructive agent or as a life-growing and restoring agent. To those who come to “fear the name of God” (i.e., “actually obey God by honouring and reflecting His character), a Sun of Righteousness is instead promised which will provide those most needed healing and fertile growth. So, applied to a religious realm, it can be seen that the sun would indeed be a symbol for righteousness which is ultimately one that can only be provided by Christ, and indeed is only valid if it is of Christ.

            So the strictly religious application of this symbol in this “mighty message” would be that the most outwardly discernable and genuinely conveying the inner thoughts, emotions and feelings should be through a full reflection of Christ Righteousness. As such, the “face” of this message would be most attractive, valuable, and “awing” to the outsider who simply encounter it and/or are contemplatively looking upon it. (Cf. Isa 58:8)

“and his feet like pillars of fire”

Feet - As explained in this blog post, the feet are the means of one to go places and/or means of standing established, always carrying/involving the whole body. So wherever the feet go and/or stand, so will the rest of the body, and, by implication, all of its other distinct parts (e.g., head, face, hands, eyes, etc) will also, go and be established there.

-The fact that this angel tangibly “touches down” on earth vs. a simple, audible, proclamation from heaven, or even just “flying in the midst of heaven” (i.e., halfway between heaven and earth, e.g., Rev 14:6ff) is probably symbolic of how most tangible this particular message and its implementation is to be. In other words, it will not just be a “preached/proclaimed  message” but one that (also) comes to involve a concrete earthly establishment.

Pillars of fire - In the Bible, the following functions can be seen for a “pillar” and a “pillar of fire”:

-Gen 28:17-19, 22; Rev 3:12 - A memorial for, and mainstay in, a building for God’s house and temple.

-Gen 31:44-45, 51-52 - Serve as a witness and covenant.

-Exod 13:21-22; Neh 9:12, 19 - God’s lighting and protective presence in the nights (i.e., when, in nature, the planet has temporarily spun away from the sun)

-1 Tim 3:15 - In relation to the Church -a support structure for truth.

-Exod 14:24 - used to separate fleeing Israelites from threatening Egyptian Armies.

            As solely a “pillar” this symbol shows that this “mighty message” would involve aspects of a memorial, witness, covenant, truth, an indispensable support for God’s Temple/House. As it was seen earlier, fire, can be both an agent for productive good or for destruction. The combination of these two terms, on top of joining the individual meanings of the terms as, summarily, ‘religious components, emblems and practices for good or for evil’, when used in relation to a righteous people, comes to represent a protective shield for God’s people during their “darkest hours,” as well as a light at the unavoidable times, when they, as humans “trapped” on this earth, have to go through the “nights” of the world when the part of the planet where they are has periodically/momentarily rotated away from the sun, and thus cannot directly obtain its various life-contributions needed for productive and facilitated life.

            With this symbol being associated with the feet of this “mighty message”, it shows that wherever this message goes and is established, these “religious covenantal” features will also be present, also protecting God’s people from threatening ploys of the world, particularly during “nights”. It also inclusively shows that it is through this “religious covenantal” aspect that this “mighty message” would be able to move throughout the entire earth, and also firmly establish itself where it “stands”.

            These symbolized concepts of a ‘memorial, witness, covenant, truth, an indispensable support for God’s Temple/House’ are pointedly seen in the Law and especially, Sabbath, of God. Indeed properly understanding and observing it comes to allow all of these features to be established. It is also interesting to see these notions expressed in God’s treatise in Isa 58 of what His true Sabbath should be (i.e., also a physical relief to all those in need in the world). Namely: ‘dawn of (sun)light’ (Isa 58:8a); ‘healing/recovery and righteousness’ (Isa 58:8b =Mal 4:2); thriving over against poverty (=”nights” cf. Rev 21:23-27=14:1-5) (Isa 58:10, 11); building up of holy places (Isa 58:12); ‘turning away of foot (the presence/establishment of oneself) from violating, dishonoring and profaning (“territory/jurisdiction of”) the Sabbath (Isa 58:13); ‘ride on the heights of the earth’ (Isa 58:14a - for, as seen in rockets and jet fighter planes, and “pillars of fire” can enable something to fly, and at that, quite impressive, “heights”). Indeed as consistently seen with all of God’s Creations, and conflatedly reflected in such symbolism, they have both a religious relevance as well as a tangible, practical/realistic functionality.

“and he had in his hand a little book which had been opened”

Hand - As explained in this blog post, the hand serves as the body’s main, and easiest, mean to effectuate virtually everything that the body needs to externally, constructively do. The presence of the, now just opened, little book in it shows that the means of this angel/message of doing what it needs to do is found in the fact that it has a hold of this opened little book, which as we have seen, are the timed and end-time prophecies in Daniel 7-12 (see also below) .

“He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land”

Right Foot - Throughout the Bible, the “right-hand” side of anything is always depicting a side of favor and/or power. This is probably directly due to the fact that most people are right-handed. It thus also shows a position of power and facilitation as a right handed person can indeed to more, and do this better, with their natural hand than the other. Even in term of the feet one can be right-footed. (E.g., try kicking a soccer/foot -ball, and that, with power and accuracy, with the foot you do not usually kick it with.) So this right vs. left distinction also fully applies to the feet, however, symbolically, this deliberate distinction is not seen in merely walking, but actually when trying to effectuate a single foot power/precise effort.

Sea - As it was shown in this blog post, the sea, by natural implication, comes to represent another “level” of grouping of waters (i.e., people) and thus, as the highest known body of water then, represent a “political grouping”. Indeed in the days of the Bible the large bodies of the seas served as a formidable and natural political boundary and border. As technology allowed for them to be more easily crossed, it became necessary for a land nation to seek to also obtain a dominance of the sea in order to maintain a land supremacy. So the sea here, represents a political division, and with the right foot placed upon it, it is thus represented as a “favored” and “empowered” one, and probably, naturally reflexively*, a favoring and empowering one. (*E.g., When a government favors its military and strengthens it through various development and powers, it in turn is empowered by this empowered entity.)

            Conversely the left foot on land (land = where people live, or can live) though also being a place where the “mighty message” will be “established,” it is one that is secondary and less favored and empowered than the other.

            With the planet in those days, being known to be composed of two main areas, namely the vast bodies of waters known as the seas, and land, where people live, it can also be seen how this mighty message was here being symbolically depicted as to be ‘firmly established globally.’

“and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars”

Loud Voice - When one speaks in a simple/normal voice, it is when they are simply interested in certain, already attentive people hearing that voice/utterance/message. However when one speaks in a Loud Voice, they then want other “outliers/outsiders” to hear that message, and if necessary simultaneously also capture their attention. A Loud Voice is also necessary when there is a vast audience before that speaker.

Lion’s Roar - In natural science it is said of the lion and its roar that: “Their repertoire of vocalizations is also large; variations in intensity and pitch, rather than discrete signals, appear central to communication. Lion sounds include snarling, purring, hissing, coughing, miaowing, woofing and roaring. Lions tend to roar in a very characteristic manner, starting with a few deep, long roars that trail off into a series of shorter ones. They most often roar at night; the sound, which can be heard from a distance of 8 kilometres (5.0 mi), is used to advertise the animal's presence.”

            Interestingly enough, the Bible is full of statements for what is to be symbolically understood ‘when a lion roars.’ Amos 3:4 indicates that a lion does not roar unless/until it has captured its prey. Clearly, being “the king of all (land) animals” it would only scare its prey and other animals if it would “advertise” its presence prematurely, (Isa 5:29; cf. the irony in Psa 104:21 where the young lions evidently scare away their prey by roaring at them) thus also doing harm to itself in terms of its survival. Nonetheless, once it has done its prey-capturing work, it does loudly “advertise” its success, thus also reaffirming its superiority (cf. Psa 22:13; 74:4) and also probably calling its youngs to come and feast on the catch. A lion’s roar is also used to speak of successful judgement executed on God’s people. (Jer 2:15) even when self-inflicted (Ezek 22:25; Zeph 3:3) and also even from God Himself (Jer 25:30-34ff; cf. Amo 1:2). However, just like the roaring of a lion is great news to their children/kin, to the ones who fears the Lord, the lion-like, or even, voice roaring of God, is nothing but good news to them, (Joel 3:16; Hos 11:10); and a voice that is fearfully heeded. (Amos 3:8).

            Evidently here once these symbolic aspects of this “Mighty Angel/Message” have been first all presented and properly figured out, it is then that we hear him cry out his message, with a loud, roaring lion-like voice; indeed just as the lion does to indicate that it has been successful in capturing it prey. The Angelic Loud voice quickly recalls the better understood “loud message” of the Other Angel in Rev 18, which also occurs in an interlude portion of the visions of Revelation. (See in this structuring charting). It (Rev 10) may even be a defining/establishing precursor of it (Rev 18).

            With the symbol of a lion being involved here, it should be understood that his message has kingly/kingdom overtones (cf. Gen 49:9; Zep 3:3=“princes”).

and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices

            In this blog post, it has been shown how thunder and lightning are symbolic of God’s voice representing a form of declared and effectuated judgement (for God does not cause His voice to be audibly and discernibly be heard on earth for any trivial matter, but when His people need to so directly and authoritatively hear from him (cf. John 12:27-31). And while the pertinent purpose of this study into Rev 10 here to ascertain the identity of this Mighty Angel is essentially complete, the mention of “thunders” in symbolic connection with the “roaring voice” of this being is also significant here as these notions are all interrelatedly encapsulated in the statement in Job 37:4 which says:

“After it, a voice roars; He [God] thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.”

            So, based on this Theological understanding, it is quite odd that no lightning is seen in this Rev 10 passage, since a ‘for-a-(world)wide/public/general-audience’ (i.e., contra John 12:27-28)  Heavenly voice has been heard (cf. Rev 16:17-18 = GC 636.2-3), however that is more fully a discussion for another topic dealing with these Seven Thunders. It nonetheless is perhaps indicative here that this is indeed not a Divine being who is relating/uttering the ‘worldwide announcing/advertising’ words of this message. Indeed the voice that John later hears coming directly from Heaven and (personally) directing him in relation to this Mighty Angel (see Rev 10:4 & 8) is clearly the sole Divine voice in this episode.

Conclusion

            This comprehensive, exegetical study here indeed leads to the conclusion, that, although this Mighty Angel has many characteristic that are Christlike, and even, Divine-like, this was actually not Jesus Himself, but indeed only a Mighty Angel, which can be understood to be a symbol of a “Mighty Message.” Still this is one that, perhaps solely by the great message that it bears, naturally or by special investiture, has been made to allusively resemble both the personage and authority that Jesus Christ Himself has, hence EGW ready, but Biblically/exegetically incomplete, assertion of an identification as such.

            It is important to keep in mind that the post-incarnation and resurrected Jesus has forever kept His incarnate form (while recovering His prior, laid down, glory), and thus would indeed be seen in the form of a man than in the form of even an angel. So while I conclude here, on these exegetical/Theological grounds that the identifications of the “Certain Man” and “Mighty Angel” to not be Jesus Christ himself, I also see that they are invested with the similitudes of Christ for their specific missions, and thus could be surfacely understood to have been Jesus Christ himself. I rather see this “personage” to be the Angel Gabriel, whose name pointedly means “(Mighty|Strong|Valiant|Vigorous) Man of God”, first appearing to Daniel in then, a now unrecognized form as a ‘certain man dressed in all-white garments’ (Dan 10:5; cf. 8:15; 9:21); now positioned himself in a location, ‘between the banks of a river’, that was evidently occupied by God, perhaps Michael, himself earlier (see Dan 8:16 vs. Dan 12:6). Gabriel was apparently one of the two Chief Princes in Heaven (Dan 10:13) along with Michael who was the Greatest and More Powerful Prince (Dan 10:21; 12:1). In Revelation, this Mighty Angel Gabriel, who may still function in the same/similar position of being right next to the returned Christ (formerly Michael) was sent in Angelic form in Rev 10 to John, for this special pertinent fulfillment of the unsealing of the previously sealed book.

Millerites and Early SDA’s vs. Rev 10:1-3ff

            Having done this identifying study, and confirming here that this passage did indeed have a fulfillment in the experience of Millerites and Early Adventists, it would be interesting to see pointedly how this was based upon the above explanations. (For the sake of time and space, the above identifications will not be restated in detail below). These comments are here made from the present perspective of 166+ years after the fact when history and exegetical/theological/prophetic development have added confirming details and knowledge.

“another strong angel coming down out of heaven”

-The message of the Judgement Hour & Christ’s potential Return committed to the Millerites and later maintained by the organized SDAs, was indeed a “mighty message.” As it will be seen later it also continued the ‘unveiling of the future of the Church’ that had been started in the opening of the little scroll in Rev 5 (as seen in Rev 6). So it is not surprising that the angels committed to these developments are at the very least two “Mighty Angels”. Since Gabriel had begun to relate this judgement prophecy (Dan 8:16, 9:21ff), then it would not be surprising, and actually quite natural, that he is also sent to earth in Rev 10 in order to have it be completed, especially as, in this phase, God’s people on Earth would now be playing an active part in achieving these fulfillments. Hence the depicted need to concretely and literally ‘pass this information/knowledge’ down to them on Earth.

“clothed with a cloud”

-The “mighty sanctuary/judgement message” was one that envelopedly focused on the “Second Coming” theme.

“the rainbow was upon his head”

-Despite judgement evidently being fittingly deserved on the Earth, at that time, this “mighty message” in God’s mercy allowed for many to be saved through it, and if needed, delay the execution of judgement so that ‘all flesh on earth would not be summarily destroyed.’ Indeed this is the “overarching”, and “closely controlling”, “chief/first aspect” of this redemptive judgement message (cf. Rev 14:6, 7).

“his face was like the sun”

-The most visible aspect of the “mighty message” was to focus on the most important thing that one can obtain in the religious realm, namely the Righteousness of Christ. So despite this being a legal and judgement message, this Righteousness was to be its most attractive, most prominently shining, and most recognizable/identifiable part of the “body” that was conveying this message. (Cf. Exod 34:29-35 = RH April 22, 1902|1BC 1109.9; PP 330.2-3; cf. EW 14.1-GC 612.1-EW 36.2). This was all a detrimentally, long-ignored theological and practical notion that Early SDAs were confronted with in the times surrounding the 1888 Message on Righteousness by Faith. (Cf. 1888 560.4)

“and his feet like pillars of fire”

-The means of this “mighty message” of “going place” and “being established” was couched in the symbolized fact that it was to be a message that ‘established covenantal witnessing memorials of truth upbuilding and sustaining the House/Temple of God.’ These are all concepts that are foundationally reflected in observing God’s Sabbath in the Ten Commandments. Indeed, it is mainly the distinctive truth of the Sabbath in the SDA message that has been its main attraction and adherence tenet to those who see and recognize the Seventh-day Sabbath as God’s truth, a memorial of Creation and the cornerstone of God’s Law. And thus the foundation of true worship and for ascertaining other Biblical truths. Indeed when the Sabbath Truth is rejected, most, if not all, of the other distinctive teachings of the SDA Church are also rejected.

“and he had in his hand a little book which had been opened”

-The enabling means of this “mighty message” to do its works is found in the now opened book which is in its hand. Indeed, it was the discovery of William Miller of the time elements in the prophecies of Dan 7-12 which set him off to start, and spearhead, the Great Second Advent movement. These understandings also unlocked the rest of Bible prophecies, i.e., in Revelation, allowing for much more of its symbolic message to be understood and also fulfilled. It is therefore not surprising to see that these major prophecies in Dan 7-12 continue to be the distinguishing and anchoring cornerstone in the SDA Evangelistic Message.

“He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land”

-On top of the surface/general observation that the SDA Church has been able to establish a global proclamation and establishment of this message, just like the seas represent the political grouping of peoples, an undeniable major factor in the functional success, growth and recognized respect of the SDA Church has been in the structured and Biblical organization of its movement throughout the world. This organization in (a General Conference and) Local Divisions, Unions, and Conferences is virtually done along existing political ones. So just as the right (foot) is the choice side for having favor, power and precision, this intrinsic and quasi-political organization has facilitatively enabled the Church to prominently thrive throughout the world. Nonetheless, it has also been successful by historically endeavoring to go and establish a presence wherever it is that people live, hence the left foot on the land (i.e., (foreign) mission fields), with most fields, including the ones in wealthy North America, having started merely as such ‘populace entities’. However whenever it becomes (albeit, financially, from an increase in membership) possible, such missions are established and/or reorganized into more formal and governedly-structured, more than less, self-sustaining organizational entities (i.e., a Conference).

            So while both places (people/mission (left) and formal organization (right)) where the “feet” of this Mighty Message have gone to, and have successfully been, planted, have contributed to its growth, it arguably is the organizational structure that has empowered and advanced the Gospel work and temporal position of the Church. Indeed, looking back into history and even other denominations, it is self evident that the SDA Church would not have the prominent, multi-faceted, unified and organic Global presence that it currently has if early SDAs, and future generations of SDAs, had chosen not to formally organize itself, opting rather to solely operate as independent, local congregations at best, as it was greatly desired by most of them in those early days, fearing to become another “Babylon” (see in e.g., Light Bearers to the Remnant (1979), 86ff). This Spirit-led, Biblical “Gospel Order” organization has come to make the (148-year old) SDA Church be, in terms of denominations, comparable, quantity-wise, only to the (up to ca. 1900-year) Catholic Church which has 48-71X more “members” (i.e., 1,200,000,000 vs. (supposedly) 25,000,000 (17,000,000 baptized)); but actually unmatched on a member-per-member basis. (See statistical comparison chart in this Note[34]). 

“and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars”

-The “mighty message” is finally heard by John when the angel cries out with a loud voice as when a lion roars. In the same way, William Miller began to make his judgement/Second Coming message heard only after he had spent over 15 years (1816-1831) of study (and also hesitation) before he stepped out to ‘tell this message to the world’. Indeed a premature “roar”, i.e., before he was absolute certain of his message, would only have, perhaps irreparably and/or to the loss of many potential believers, damaged his eventual mission.

            Also as with the typical pattern in a lion’s roar, once William Miller opened his mouth to proclaim this deep message, his loud voice was sustainedly drawn out and unrelenting, only tailing off towards the end into smaller, shorter follow up spurts, following the initial disappointment in the Spring of 1843. His initiating roar was reechoed by ‘responding lions’ (i.e., other Millerite preachers around the world), many of which went on to roar right through to the events around October 22, 1844. Then after a period of regrouping following “the passing of time” then, further study led faithful Millerites to ascertain what the full and accurate truth of this message was, and once these truths had been painstakingly ascertained, a continuing “roaring” of that message was once again heard by those who would become early SDAs.

and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices

-Though the Heavenly-sent message of William Miller and Early SDAs did not bring about the expected, “lightning-like” judgement (i.e., Christ’s Glorious, World-Ending Return (cf. Matt. 24:27)), still the effects of the Cleansing Judgement, still in connection with the Second Coming, was clearly heard and understood by those who made the effort to study out the Biblical foundations of that message.

Fifth Little Scroll (=Rev 10) Conclusion and Recap: The sealed prophecies of the book of Daniel began to be unsealed, and thus understood, duly by the ‘righteous ones who were seeking to advance’ (Dan 12:3, 4, 10) and this was done during the time of the advent of the Rev 10 Mighty Angel.

Daniel’s Sealed Prophecies and the Sixth Little Scroll (=Dan 10-12)

            Now in continuing her inspired/prophetic history, EGW makes another similar statement to what she had related in regards to the Second Angel of Rev 14:8 by now saying about the Third Angel and his message that:

“[Jesus] sent another mighty angel with a third message to the world. A parchment was placed in the angel's hand.” (EW 254.1ff)

            Not much also has been said here about the pointed and deliberate descriptions, and clear associations here, but thematic comparisons and exegetical studies show that this is explicitly also echoing the “advent” of the Mighty Angel in Rev 10 who descends with ‘a (just opened) “little scroll” in his hand.’ So it can be understood to also be in relation to this New Church establishment theme, but in a later time, and also in a distinct mandate/mission based on the related  observations in this post about that Third Angel and its various stern Wheat-Tares-Separating judgement work, both in the Church (i.e. that newly established Remnant Church and in the World.

            So while the sealed eschatological prophecies of Daniel began to find fulfillment in the 5th Little Scroll Era, their fullest understanding and fulfillment would transpire only during the subsequent 6th Little Scroll Era, with both Era’s fundamentally involving Rev 10.

            Also here, with such a relation to the Rev 10 Mighty Angel, the Second (=1MR 99.3) as well as the Third Angel’s messages can also be understood to be most prominently associated with the message of the Seven Thunders which are brought forth in Rev 10. (For the Third Angel, this is a “Present Truth” which EGW did not understand as it would only be understood as “the Scroll was further Unrolled” as it has been by today.)[35]

Rev 10 Angel also is the Third Angel

            So, in this overall understanding that (1) the unrolling of the scroll involved the future development of Bible Prophecies which had been halted, and (2) that this was quite delineatedly seen in the Rev 5 scroll, which had a halting by its Pre-Final Events developments in its Sixth Seal, then it can be understood that, first of all to recap: the Rev 10 Scroll represented the first wave of attempted “unrolling” of the prophetic scroll during the Second Advent Movement. The First and, separating, Second Angels messages were proclaimed during that time. Then following the Great Disappointment of October 22, 1844, when the a former Millerites grouping got together to, like William Miller before them, further “seek to advance” (Dan 12:4), the prophetic Scroll was then further unrolled, as the Sixth Series Era of the prophecies of Revelation continued to be unrolled. And it was during that Sixth Era that the Third Angel’s Message was discovered and proclaimed (cf. LS 95-96). That is thus why this theme of Rev 10, and an angel again being given a parchment to make available to the faithful ones on Earth. EGW saw this imagery in the advent/rise of that Third Angel who was waving something (God’s Sabbatical Sealing Message) in its hand. (EW 37.1, 38.1 = Rev 7:1-3).

            And, all Biblical informational and experiential things duly applied here (see 1SM 25.4), it is noteworthy that EGW saw that the Second Angel had received a “writing” (EW 247.1), but the Third Angel was instead given a parchment (EW 254.1). The “parchment” here points more to merely the material of the document itself versus its content (=“writing”). And this is probably because, compared to the Second Angel Message which points out Babylon, the Third Angel message is a little less “written out”. Indeed its content had to be specially revealed by God Himself (LS 95-96) when its time came. And likewise, in its Eschatological extension, its now also Spirit of the Law & Sabbath message (=Matt 5:20) revolving around Christ’s righteous & good works (=Matt 25:31-46; James 2:14-26) had to be “filled in” by those who would be deserving and fitted to proclaim it.

            As the prophetic scroll had abruptly stopped being unrolled during Sixth Era, at Rev 6:14, the scene then shifted to the alternative, Remnant re-organizing and expanding activities of that Commission Third Angel which is related in the interlude between the Sixth and the Seventh Seal. So as with the Fifth Seal fulfillment, the Rev 10 Angel fulfillment here also had a task to (further) establish the Remnant Cause of God, and that to a greater and more expansive degree (=15MR 292.2-4), indeed then involving the full gathering of God’s Faithful ones throughout the 12 Tribes of His Israel, particularly the 10 Northern Lost ones (Rev 7:4b-8ff; =Ezek 11).

            So that is all why that as the Rev 10 revelation flows into its Rev 11 continuation (and, as historicistly interpreted, Rev 10 (=ca. 1840's) indeed cannot be what takes places after Rev 11 (=the French Revolution of ca. the 1790's), but must logically most accurately indeed be a historically sequential continuation of Rev 10), that chapter now becomes, as fully discussed in this post (my very first publicly/SDA released message back on June 26, 2000) a: ‘measurement/evaluation/judgement of the priorly established (Judah-only) Remnant Church Movement in the Historical Rev 10 Era, -all to see if it ‘measures up’ to God’s Restoration Specs (=Ezek 40-43, see Ezek 43:10-12). And if, actually now, since, the SDA Church did not pass that reviewing evaluation, not having developed to what it should fully have by now, (see e.g., here) then a new Remnant Church movement was re-started (=an Eschatological Rev 10 movement), and, as also involved in Rev 11, the former one was, like formerly with the Catholic Church vs. Protestants, rejected, adjudged and dethroned & (at least authoritatively) destroyed by God’s workings. (=LDE 59-61)

            Now those Remnant Judging and Replacing actions were not at all expected to transpire without a base fighting back from the former Remnant Church being rejected, namely here the SDA Church, and that is what relatedly fulfills the Israel North vs. South Civil Warring of Dan 11, which is discussed in this post.[36]

            So the Rev 10 Angel goes on to also deal with themes in the Sixth Seal Era, as its Little Scroll of unsealed prophecies also includes further prophecies which had up to then not yet been understood (i.e., by SDA’s) As this could/would also only be naturally done if/when the faithful/righteous ones (Dan 12:3) in that former Remnant Church would likewise “seek to advance” (Dan 12:4), and thus be purified (Dan 12:10), leading them to survive this Shaking of God’s Church, and all resulting in the realization of God’s Triumphant Church!!

                                   

           

The Scroll in Revelation 5               

            Now as the Scroll of Rev 5 is, as shown above, contextualizingly key to the “Unrolling of the Prophetic Scroll” notion/theme here, it is most beneficial before going on to see the Eschatological applications of Rev 10, for the rebirthing of God’s Remnant Church, to better understand the pivotal significance of that Scroll, which, as discussed later, EGW indeed saw would also have an Eschatological re-application (9T 267.1). Indeed the themes presented in Rev 5 are all key to understanding the causes, reasons, justification and authority behind and warranting that (controversial) New Remnant Church birthing.

            First of all, in a straightforward sequence, Rev 5, which forms a single vision unit with the Throne Room episode of chapter 4, occurs right after the messages to the 7 Churches. In a literal application of prophecy, these were messages that were to be sent to 7 existing churches in John’s day in Asia minor. So it can be seen that this Throne Room episode took place some time around that time, i.e. broadly during the second half of the first century A.D. The whole crisis of ‘not finding anyone who was worthy to unseal this scroll’ can be seen to have a concrete basis on earth in the way in which these 7 churches all had something to fix in their spiritual development. They apparently were not able to do this, markedly culminating with the lukewarmness of the seventh-named Church, Laodicea.

            Indeed, historically, a notable obscurity took place in the Christian Church in the period just after the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. with all of the Apostles except for John having died/been killed. In the Historical fulfillment of the Seven Churches, it is probably around the time that the first Church Era of Ephesus, which lasted until ca. 100 A.D., “abandoned their first love” among other things, and their lampstand was indeed removed (Rev 2:4-6). It is probably during this time that ‘no one was found worthy on earth, nor in heaven [heavenly angels]’ (as apparently a worthy/triumphant human was needed), until a lamb-like figure stepped in. It is easy to see the description of this ‘overcoming Lion of the tribe of Judah, Root of David and the later slain lamb’ (Rev 5:5, 6) figure to be none other than Jesus Christ, however, as it will be shown in several ways, that these descriptions were meant to emphasize certain characteristics possessed and achieved by Jesus Christ, but not limited in application to Him.

The Lion

            First of all, the “Lion from the tribe of Judah” symbolically speaks of ‘a king from the tribe of Judah.’ Judah was indeed the tribe from which the Kings of Israel were to come from (Gen 49:9) and whereas in Old Covenant times, this kingship was passed on “hereditarily”, starting in the establishment of the New Covenant times, obedient faithfulness had overtaken all hereditary default favorings, on top of making believing Gentiles children of Abraham. (cf. Gal 3:28-29).

The Root/Sprout

            Secondly, the ‘root/sprout of David’ would seem to naturally mean ‘one who is a human ancestor of David,’ however if this the understanding, it cannot be said that Jesus Christ fulfills this as He, as a man, was actually not a human ancestor of David (cf. Jesse in Isa 11:1b & 10). As rightly added/clarified in a similar statement in Rev 22:16, he naturally is the descendant [= “genetic race” Greek: genos] of David, as seen in the recorded Bible genealogies (Matt 1:6 & Luke 3:31). It can be rationalized that by divinely pre-existing David, Jesus was thus His “root” however Christ’s statement in Matt 22:41-45 (=Psa 110:1) shows that His divine pre-existence of David was pointedly applicable to His “Lordship” of David and not to his natural ‘ancestral roots.’ Furthermore with David being a king, the second of Israel, and the first from his family, even tribe (Judah [vs. Saul who was from Benjamin]), the only way he could consider someone else to be “his Lord” is if that person had regnal authority over him. That indeed would, albeit, Spiritually be the case with God. However the study of this “root” terminology in the Hebrew of Isa 11:1, shows that the actually meaning here is ‘an offspringing “sprout”’.

            Now, as David was promised by God to be the regnal family in the Kingdom of Israel, even if a period of time passed when the continuance of this line was interrupted (cf. e.g., 2 Sam 7:12-17; Psa 89:3-4; 132:11-12; cf. Jer 33:19-26; Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25), then if his throne was to be restored, it would literally have to be ‘sprouted anew from a replanted seed’, thus through a worthy descendant. As it has been shown, this “worthy seed” could be either a literal descendant or, in the New Covenant era, a worthy spiritual one. So this future sprout/root of David could be understood as a person who enables the Royal line of David to once again “take root”, either naturally or spiritually. Case in point, quite interestingly enough, in Rev 5:5, the “worthy figure”  symbolically presented there is not described as also the “descendant” of David, as Jesus Himself explicitly, (i.e., by name), does in Rev 22:16. So the fulfillment of this element can be fulfilled by any worthy person who enables the Davidic line to once again “sprout”, and that in order to accomplish the, also temporal, “Righteous Branch” plans/work of God stated in Isa 11.

The Work of this ‘Righteous Sprout-Branch’

            Succinctly stated here in regards to the work of this Branch, in a type fulfillement, based on is descriptions in Isa 4, it mirrors Israel’s struggle to break free from Egypt in order to establish God’s Kingdom to thus, similarly, ‘worship Him according to His laws’. (Cf. CC 91 where it is seen that the SOP understands Isa 4 to be in the context of “the great final struggle with the world of evil” = Rev 7:13-17 which typologically occurs between 6^th and 7^th Seal). In Zech 3:8, this Branch is said to succeed the existing High Priest, which is later, in Zech 6:12-13, expounded upon to show that this would be a priest who rebuilds the Temple, and then also becomes a King ruling from his throne. Thus this Branch would be joining the two offices of Priest and King into one, under God, and also thus producing a “Covenant of Peace” as Israel’s Religious and Civil community will finally be united and of the same Godly/Righteous mind.[37] Indeed the end objective of this Branch is to have it be in Israel that ‘Yahweh is Our Righteousness’ (Jer 23:5-6 = 33:15-16; -they have the same Hebrew rendering).

            And so in an eschatological, typical fulfillment, this would be all done by: a call to ‘do what is right according to the Gospel of God/Christ’ and not what is right according to man’s eyes.’ Indeed this is what is to be done in this typical, Exodus, and Mount Zion striving for, (= Isa 4; cf. Rev 14:1-5ff) in the great final GC struggle, which will first lead to God’s people being in a prime position from which to warn the world with the then ensuing clearer warning of the Three Angel’s Messages (Rev 14:6ff).

Why King David?

            It is common and proper knowledge that David was selected by God as the model and emblematic king for God’s Israel, for ever, because he was “a man after God’s own heart,” who really ‘could do no wrong’. (1Kgs 14:8; cf. 11:33b, 38; 15:5 -see substantiating reviewing here.) Indeed though his greatest sin of adultery with Bathsheba and then murder of her husband Uriah, was surfacely most grievous, as seen in his genuine contrite reaction when confronted about it months later by the prophet Nathan (2 Sam 12:13a & Psa 51), he had manifestly done so out of a complete obliviousness that it was “evil”. As he confessed in Psa 51, as expounded on in this forum post[38] he {1} manifestly, honestly  considered that his sin of adultery was the result of him having been psychologically conditioned to accept it as normal by the apparent adulterous relationship of his mother which resulted in his conception. In his own sin, things really unravelled when he {2} honestly sought to “make an honourable woman” out of the now pregnant Bathsheba, and obviously not by her husband who was away at war, {3} tried the most lawful thing of trying to get Uriah to sleep with his own wife to cover things up, but Uriah the loyal and concerned soldier would not do so. And so he sought to have Uriah killed by {4} more than less, quite “lawfully”, putting him on the front lines. After all, {5} other men/husbands/fathers had to be on this dangerous front line, so why not Uriah, who moreover {6} was not even a natural Israelite, but a Hittite. Surely he was here also thinking, why have an Israelite’s life be risked and killed. So the “perfect storm” combination of  these 6 “mitigating” factors are probably the reason why this sin, though great indeed, was not only pardoned by God without a due death penalty on David himself (2 Sam 12:13b)[39] for either this sin of outright adultery and effective murder, but David went on to be considered as the model messianic king. The question however still remains, why David?? What precisely did he manage to do that granted him such an incomparable honor.

            The succinct answer is: David was, at least among Israel’s kings, the first, and one of a very few, if not the only king to ever truly understand and tangible embody the planned New Covenant concept (only years later, in terms of the covenant itself, concretely expressed by God in Jer 31:31-34 (= Heb 8:10) of having God’s Law in the Heart. However this was always something that God had as an objective for His covenant with His People (see Deut 5:29; 32:46; cf. Isa 51:7). It apparently was an insightful, and long realized importance of a “law in the heart” understanding by David (cf. Psa 119:99), and also, naturally, a concrete endeavor to do so, perhaps also expressed in composed Psalms/songs then, that tangibly made him the ‘person after His own heart’ that God was looking for in Israel when seeking to replace the fallen Saul (1 Sam 13:14; 16:7; Acts 13:22). And it may have been this sin of principally adultery, and the chief psychological reason that led to it, that led David to experientially realize for himself that he also needed to have ‘God’s law in his heart’ in regards to his “(erotic) feelings/desires” (Psa 51:10a = the “heart” -see in this post), so that it too could/would keyly be also truly subject to God’s Law. A Spiritual, ‘law-widening/honoring’ (Isa 42:21) understanding that Jesus later fully expressed in/for the New Covenant. (Matt 5:28; cf. James 1:14-15). So as David would have been the first to truly, and the much more fully, comprehend this key concept, it indeed qualified him to be a model of the New Covenant that Jesus the Messiah would later establish. Indeed, with this deep understanding of the reach that God’s Law is to have in its observer, he became the model type of King that Israel should have, as ‘as behaved the king, (usually) so behaved the nation’.

            David did indeed greatly, explicitly expounded on this necessity and benefit of having God’s Law in his heart as seen in the many times he makes various mention of this in his Psalms (e.g., Psa 37:29-31; 40:8; 119:1-2, 34), and it is his mention is Psa 40:8 that is indeed most indicative of the New Covenant implications of this key understanding as this passage is shown in the New Testament to be Messianic (Heb 10:6-9). Just as David had come to understand that it was “prescribed for him” (Psa 40:7) to seek to ‘do God’s will with all of his heart’ and not merely offer sacrifices, this was indeed the cornerstone of the New, Sacrifice-less, Covenant that God would establish. As Paul put it in Heb 7:9, it was being said here that the “old” (sacrifices and offerings) were being put away so that the “new” (doing God’s will with all the heart) be desiringly established instead.

            Today we can find a most tangible application of this extendedly, not yet fully understood and implemented, New Covenant notion, as it is similarly still thought and practised in the Church today by many that all that God requires of them is ‘the paying of tithe and offerings’. God however really desires for people to instead do His will with all of their heart, and as Jesus clearly explained, this will is tangibly seen/demonstrated in active service towards people in various need. (Cf. Isa 58). So surely God is not satisfied with the mere religious ‘tithe and offering’ paying while His Gospel work is neglected and indeed does need a more tangible, hands-on contribution from professed followers of Christ. (= Isa 58:6-7). And as shown in this post, it will only be through a total collaboration by all Church member that such a endeavor will be both achieved/achievable, and also sustainable.

            So it is by having mastered this Key Messianic/New Covenant understanding of having God’s law truly in his heart that David was considered as such an important Royal Messianic figure, and thus so honorably mentioned in Rev 5:5, as the ideal in this pivotal, and desired “sprout”. So it is tangibly thus that David came to be “a man after God’s own heart”. Correspondingly the one who will come to fulfill the eschatological “sprout of David” condition/characteristic should/will also have understood and mastered this ‘law in the heart’ understanding, as it is to fully, also tangibly, apply today.

            Indeed, as stated in Heb 10:1-2 and elsewhere in the NT, mainly also by Paul, the Law was only to serve as a shadow (and “tutor” Gal 3:24-25) of “the good things to come”. It was to help instruct one to come to naturally do this will in the heart. (cf. 2 Cor 3:3). Just like the paradigmly significant difference of someone driving according to the speed limit only because the law says so, rather than “naturally” out of a personal and desired understanding that ‘it is the safe thing to do for both him and others.’ And so, as with the issue of ‘merely doing one’s part by faithfully, paying tithes and offering’, when a loophole is seen, such a legalistic person will exploit it to avoid God’s call on his whole life. So it is indeed no surprise that an SDA Church member today could, on one hand, be sternly reprimanded/lectured/frowned upon, and even unofficially shunned from Church leadership, for knowingly not returning a faithful tithe, but, on the other hand, be cordially slapped on the back despite not being actively involved in tangible work towards those in need.

            The “sacrificing” that God requires and expect today is the true/actual sacrificing of oneself to help those in need. Giving 1/10 of one’s income to the Church is not, by definition, a “sacrifice”. Faithfully giving at least half and more actually is. (Cf. e.g., Luke 3:11; Acts 2:43-45; 4:32-35; 2 Cor 8:7-15). As EGW saw in vision of the endtime application of such sacrificing in EW 57.1, when this is done, such sacrificing ‘did not increase, but decreased and was consumed.’ (italics emphasis hers; -cf. EW 48.1-50.3). Indeed as more members would equally/equivalently participate in such needs-meeting work, starting with the needs amongst global church members themselves so that all members can be contributive to a wider world outreach, the required sacrifice would indeed decrease, and that mainly because, much more will be able to done with much less “capital”/finance disbursements through such Godly collaborations at all applicable levels. But the Church instead prefers to pay the much higher prices of the ruthless Capitalistic system, thus indeed, as shown before, “choosing Barabbas” over Christ.

The Lamb

            After John hears of this overcoming Lion and Root, he looks and sees it within, manifestly the concentric layout of this room, thus “in the middle of the throne (Rev 4:2) (which was in) the middle of the 4 living creatures (Rev 4:6ff), which all in turn, was in the middle of the 24 throne of the 24 elders (Rev 4:4). It is again easy to state that this lamb can only be Jesus Christ, indeed the ‘slain lamb of the world’ (e.g. John 1:29, 36; 1 Pet 1:19); however most indicative as to an identity here, a diminutive word for lamb is used here and with the 26 other mentions of this “lamb-figure” in the book of Revelation. The diminutive Greek word arnion [Strongs #721b], meaning “little lamb”, is used instead of the normative NT Greek word amnos [#286], which is used to speak of Jesus as the sacrificial “Lamb” of God (John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet 1:19). Most interesting is that, when this same John wrote out his Gospel, as many believe, after he had received the visions of Revelation, (no doubt as a result of having been inspired by these revelations which helped him to grasp many of the theological notions that Jesus had expressed during His ministry which evidently had, up to then, also ‘gone over his head’), he also distinctly makes the use of arnion, i.e., in John 21:15, applying it to Christian believers, which Jesus Himself had called “little lambs”. In fact arnion occurring 4 times with this distinction in the LXX OT (Psa 113:4, 6; Jer 11:19; 27:45) is never used in reference to the Israelite’s temple sacrifice offering. Jesus also shows in John 21:16-17 that arnion is synonymous with the Greek word for “sheep” = probaton [#4263b] (e.g. John 10:16) which is consistently also used to symbolically speak of Christian Believers (see e.g., Matt 10:6; 15:24; 18:12; 25:32-33; 26:31; John 10:11, 16, 26-27). Although the “sheep” could be used as a temple sacrifice (see John 2:14-15; Acts 8:32; Rom 8:35-37; Heb 13:20; 1 Pet 2:25), it evidently was not until it was designated/“bought” for this religious purpose, and thus then ceased to merely be a “commodity” (cf. Rev 18:13) and thus became an amnos (“the sacrificial Lamb”) Cf. Isa 53:7 (LXX) - apparently ‘the designated and led probaton became the, (first) sheared (? cf. Deut 15:19) then sacrificed, amnos’.

            So all of this objectively shows that this symbolized “little lamb” (arnion) figure, knowingly, specifically labelled as such by John in the book of Revelation, as seen in his other used of both amnos and probaton in his other written works, could, as seen in its use in John 21:15, potentially apply to any Christian believer. (Similar to how Jesus identified Himself as “the Light of the world” (John 9:5 ~the Sun (Mal 4:2|DA 463.1-464.1) = “Righteousness”); yet also expect His followers to (reflectingly) be the same (Matt 5:14) ‘when He is no longer in the world’ (John 9:5a; = “lesser light” (Gen 1:16b) of the (sun-reflecting, =“Christian Righteousness religion/covenant”) Moon)). What clearly had made this “little lamb” to become worthy of all that it went on to receive, was the fact that ‘it had been slain,’ clearly in a similar way as the ‘designate sacrificial lamb’ (amnos) would be, although, oddly/non-sequiturly, enough “standing up*” here (Rev 5:6) (*discussed below). The use of arnion (“Little Lamb”) instead of amnos (“Paschal Lamb”) here in this “sacrificial setting/imagery” however implies that this “sacrificing” was not expected; and even, that this “Little Lamb” was being sacrificed ‘before it was even aged/established enough (Exod 12:5a) to be so designated’.

“Little Lamb” Identification Conclusion

            So, as with the identification made above for the Mighty Angel of Rev 10, although many Christ-like attribute have been used here to speak of this lamb, this is evidently an identification that is not limited to the personage of Christ, but could typologically be fulfilled by any overcomingly worthy follower of Christ.

            This conclusion leads to other questions in regard to the ensuing worship, because it seems to be repeatedly said in Rev 5:7-14 that this “overcoming little lamb” receives worship, which is indeed something that only God is worthy of, and not even an angel is justified in accepting (cf. Rev 19:10; 22:8, 9). However a careful reading of what comes to transpire following the overcoming of this “little lamb” shows that nowhere is it actually worshipped but, at the most, is merely and deservingly praised by the heavenly host.

            First of all, this little lamb, is seen in a spot ‘between the throne surrounded with the 4 living creatures’ (Rev 4:2-6ff) and the circle of the surrounding throne of the 24 elders (Rev 5:6). So while the 24 elders are said to have ‘fallen down before Him who sits on the throne,’ and worshipped Him who lives forever and ever and creator of all things, casting their crowns before the throne’ (Rev 4:10-11); they are only said to have solely fallen before this slain little lamb, but instead of worshipping him, they, holding a harp in one hand and a golden bowl full of incense (=prayers of the saints) in the other, began to sing a new song of praise for the “purchasing/reclaiming” work of this little lamb. (Rev 5:8-10 - which echoes the sealing and evangelism theme in Rev 7). No notion is made in this new song to any Divine attributes as it was done in the song in Rev 4:11.

            In Rev 5:11-12, a song of praise in now enjoyed by all around this lamb including myriads of angel praising the slain/overcoming little lamb for the ‘power, riches, wisdom, might, honor, glory and blessing’ that he will deservingly receive. Again no notion of divine worship in this act or in the song.

            Then in Rev 5:13 every created thing everywhere join in this praise, addressed now jointly to both the One who sits on the throne and to this little lamb with a heightened song of praise for the height and extent of this, evidently, both deserved, forwardly eternal, blessing, honor, glory and dominion. In the light of this new investiture, in Rev 5:14, the 4 living creatures simply keep saying “Amen”, however the 24 elders now fell down and worshipped. While in many versions, it is not specified who, in the KJV and NKJV, following the manuscript transmission of the Textus Receptus, it is said that it is: “Him that liveth for ever and ever”, (= Rev 4:9), that is specifically worshipped, thus not also the little lamb. As the two had been jointly mentioned in this verse, and given the belief from the early days of the Christian Church that this “lamb” was representative of Jesus Christ who was worshipped as God, this textual evidence seems to be the correct one as it is more likely that an editing of the text would be made in order to (correctively) indicate that the “lamb” also received this worship, rather than a redaction that would actually be indicating the contrary; -taking worship away from the lamb. (The same “pointed worship” occurs in the scene of Rev 7:9-11 [Rev 7:17's here pertinent statement is discussed further below]).

            (It is also interesting to note that these 24 elders may be made up of worthy Bible people redeemed from the earth, and were raised up during Christ’s crucifixion (see Matt 27:52, 53; DA 785, 786)).[40]

            It is significant to point out that the descriptions of the Divine Being of Him who sits on the Throne could easily be descriptive of God the Father Yahweh or God the Son Jesus Christ. (John 10:30). Indeed see this supporting statement in Rev 3:21 promised to any “overcoming” (=Rev 5:5) person from the Laodicean Church (See more here).

The “Standing” Little Lamb

            Another exegetical point of that sheds some more light on this worthily exalted and praised “little lamb” is seen in the fact that Rev 5:6 is more accurately translated to as: ‘I saw ...a little lamb, which had been standing established, through the manner of having been slain.’

            The translation of “standing establish” comes from the lexical fact that the Greek term for “standing” does not only have to describe ‘the physical posture of a person,’ but is also used to refer to things “being/remaining established, set up” e.g., Matt 12:25-26; Mark 13:14; Acts 17:31; cf. Jos 5:13, 2 Sam 20:12; Isa 17:5, also Tobith 5:4 LXX, even “confirmed” (Matt 18:16)) among many more examples). In fact, from my studies, from the known “2nd form” (cf. Stevens, NT Greek, 365) for istemi as istano, it seems to be strictly intended/used for the sense of mere standing (posture) vs. “being established”. This clearly is seen in the book of Revelation as a similar form of the perfect active, nominative neuter singular participle verb of ‘standing’ also occurs in Rev 14:1, however, that exact same grammatical occurrence in 14:1 is written as estos (being from that distinct 2^nd lexical form istano (=mere posture), whereas in 5:6, the 1^st lexical form istemi occurs as estekos (being/standing establish).

            So what was being related here was that this little lamb was not merely “standing up” in the area between the Divine throne and the surrounding throne of the 24 elders, but actually “formally established” there, and that because it had been slain. That is why this little lamb, in this established, pivotal position, i.e., establishedly standing, as it were, between God and Man (represented by the 24 (former human?) elders), is deserving of all that he is shown to be given in that prophetic episode.

The Actual Time of the Lamb’s Enthronement

            At the beginning of this blog post, it was stated, based upon deeper Bible study on the Lamb & Throne topic that, as expressed, the term “enthronement” could only be best expressed in quotations. And, as shown here, albeit somewhat summarily and succinctly, that is because the Biblical exegetical facts show that Jesus was not actually seated on a throne by the initial fulfillment of the Rev 5 vision, nor for most of the book of Revelation, and, in fact, not until, starting from, the “Great White Throne” appearance in Rev 20:11ff.

           

The Promised Davidic Throne

-First of all, in pertinent relation to what has just been discussed about King David’s “precocious” righteous standard for Israel’s Monarchy and God’s Covenant, it was indeed promised to the incarnated Jesus that he would received the throne of His father David (Luke 1:32; cf. Acts 2:30). However due to the, not actually inevitable/necessary, rejection by Israel, Jesus was not able to accomplish this among them. Therefore that earthly enthronement was postponed. However upon, and since His Ascension:

-Jesus, in his initial, first, post-resurrection Ascension, refused the “coronet of glory, and the royal robe” intended by the angels, first wanting His Sacrifice to be approved by the Father. (3SP 202.1).

-A significant exegetical point that was made in this ATS article (pp. 71, 72) by Ranko Stefanovic. (See his further/also substantiating/expounding here [08:00-12:51ff])* was that the Scroll of Rev 5 is not, in Rev 5:1, 7, being said to be “in the right hand” of God the Father who is seated on the throne, but only “at His right (side)” (i.e., ‘the right side of His throne’). With the ‘Great Favor|Authority|Power’ understandings inherent with this “Right Side” notion here, and this being the location from where the Lamb picks up the Scroll, it is more than likely symbolically depicting the worthy ‘seizing of power’ or ‘empowering’ of the Lamb towards this, His own, Throne positioning (=Psa 110:1ff|Acts 2:34-35). This would also entail that this whole ‘Unrolling of the Scroll’ development is both foundational and representative to the power that this Lamb has in unfolding, Great Controversy matters.

            What is also quite significant here is that, in moving to ‘share God’s own throne’ here, and again as any overcoming one (from the Laodicean Church era) can and will do (Rev 3:21), the very first task of Jesus was to, as already presented above, fulfill the King Enthronement (Deut 17:18-20) duties from that Scroll. [Which by the way is very similar to a U.S. President making a solemn oath on the Bible and also towards the U.S. Constitution upon being inaugurated.]. And this very first act by Jesus is straightly derived from just how He had managed to “overcome” as stipulated in Heb 10:7...which also involved the following of a new chartingly implemented (=New Covenant (cf. Heb 8:7-13 = Jer 31:31-34)) course for the cause of God (=Heb 10:1-10)!

* His would be quite significant claim that ‘a kingly throne in Israel was not a single seat, but a couch where someone else could also sit’ is however not supported as he claimed by 1 Kgs 2:19 since the Bible specifies that a second/distinct throne was set up for Bathsheba to sit at Solomon’s right side. So it may actually only be God’s Throne that is “a couch-type” as He inherently/eternally (cf. SR 13.2a) has always shared His Throne with God the Son. (cf. Psa 110:1; Rev 3:21 - “sat down with My father on His throne”. The Holy Spirit, who probably had a physical form before being necessarily tangibly incarnated as a Universe spreading Spirit, probably can never return to that prior physical form, but is nonetheless closely associated with this throne (Rev 1:4; 4:5) and, by having infilled the “little lamb” here (=a Heavenly “Rain/Spirit”Anointing (e.g., Luke 3:21-22; John 20:22-23; Acts 2:2-4; Rev 18:1), also this “charted new development” course for the cause of God. (Rev 5:6ff).

-The NT, as expounded upon in the book of Hebrews, is clear that Jesus is now functioning/ministering as our High Priest in Heaven, with the SOP bearing out the He is fittingly dressed in Priestly attire, indeed as depicted right from the start of the Book of Revelation (Rev 1:12-20).

-The Throne Room of God is represented in the earthly sanctuary as being the Most Holy Place (Rev 16:17; EW 279.2|GC 613.2; cf. TM 157.2 -as with the earthly sanctuary’s MHP, sins are accumulated in God’s very Throne Room).

-Heb 8:1-2 states that Jesus, functioning as our High Priest, has “taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens”, where He is indeed ministering as a High Priest. So this is not necessarily/actually a ‘regnal/monarchial throne seat’.

-Indeed the Ark of the Covenant in the MHP is also the “Mercy Seat” of God. As such it can be understood as Heb 4:16's ‘“Throne of Grace”, where one can obtain mercy’. The access to this throne is made available by Christ’s continual, ministering presence there (Heb 4:14-15).

-The current state of affairs is that, despite the assuring victory of Christ on the Cross, as sin and the Great Controversy is still, in certain necessity, ongoing; as stated in Heb 10:12-13, Jesus is currently waiting until God wraps up the GC and ‘makes Christ’s Enemies (i.e., those who are opposing His Gospel of Righteousness) His footstool.’ (Psa 110:1; Acts 2:34-35; Heb 1:13). And this will come to occur at the Second Coming. (Cf. Phil 2:10; GC 668.4)

-So though the NT often speaks of Jesus as being ‘seated at the right hand of God’/ “in the heavens” (=Heavenly Sanctuary) (Mark 16:19; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3; 8:1; 12:2; cf. Act 7:56), this ‘seating’ currently is not ‘on a throne, as a King’, but as a ministering, “advocating” High Priest. (1 John 2:1).

-‘God the Father, the Almighty,’ is distinctly referred to from “the Lamb”. E.g., Rev 1:4-8 where “the Almighty” (= God the Father) is specifically being referred to. Rev 1:5 indeed shows that it was God the Father, and not Jesus, who was thus being named, thus this is God the Father’s throne (cf. Rev 21:22). (This distinction is also seen in Rev 4:8, as discussed later; cf. Rev 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 18:8*).

*The expression “Lord God” in those passage is, in, (linguistically) pertinently the NT, (Greek: ‘kurios o theos’), referring specifically to ‘God the Father’. (see Luke 1:32, 68; Acts 3:22; Rev 22:3-5).

-So throughout the most, early, parts of the book of Revelation, God the Father and “the Lamb” are always shown to be in distinct positions/seatings in the Throne Room with God the Father being seated on the Throne and “the Lamb” being, though seated, merely at His side, evidently in a Priestly function. (Rev 5:13; 6:16; 7:9-11, 15-17; cf. 14:1-3)

-As it will be later shown in more detail in this blog post, the symbolic figure of “the Lamb” himself is never said/shown early on to receive worship, but only God the Father That is also seen beyond the Throne Room scene of Rev 4 & 5. (Cf. Rev 11:16-17; 19:4)

-It is not until the beginning of the Consummation of the GC, beginning at Christ’s Second Coming, that Jesus Christ, while still in the position of the ‘Right Hand of Power’ (Matt 26:64; Mar 14:62; Luke 22:69) is explicitly said, yet still merely intimatedly in Revelation, to be enthroned (cf. Matt 19:28; 25:31; Luke 22:30; Rev 6:16; 20:4, 11) and His fulfillment of the prophetic “Lamb” figure, is then openly said to receive worship. (In the SOP Christ is said to receive this worship at His Ascension (see e.g., 3SP 203.1; cf. DA 834.4), however that is deliberately not related in the symbolic depictions of the “Lamb” figure in the visions of Revelation. What is related in the SOP is an application of this Figure to Christ, but, as shown in this blog post, it is “knowingly” not its only achievable prophetic application.

-And once all things are in the actual process of being restored, (i.e., in Rev 21ff), the Throne of God the Father and of the Lamb are begun to be jointly spoken of, as well as Jesus Christ the Lamb also being synonymously spoken of in the visions (thus not including non-vision statements as in Rev 1:8) with the prerogatives of the Father. (Rev 21:3-6; 22:1-3 [vs. lone Throne in Rev 4:6].

           

            Only two statements seems to challenge the above exegetical observations, and that namely is Rev 3:21 & 7:17. However, exegesis reveals that they also are in full agreement here:

Rev 7:17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

-The “center/midst of the throne” (Gr. ana meson - literally ‘up to middle’) is said to be problematic by exegetes (BAGD 49) as it actually means ‘something that is ‘in between two entities/parties.’ It is the expresion meson alone that more generally refers to something that is ‘in the midst of 2 or more (distinct) things’. As such the actual/accurate “in between” understanding recalls the pointed position of this Lamb spoken of in Rev 5:6 which was ‘in the place right in between the Throne of God and the surrounding thrones of the 24 elders.’ So the Lamb is not here spoken of as ‘positioned/seated in the midst of this throne’ but just in the position between it and the surrounding 24 thrones.

            So it is from this pointed, “bridging”, position that the Lamb will be shepherding the 144,000 and Great Multitude. (Rev 7:1-9a ff).

Rev 3:21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’

-Grammatically, the aorist tense, used here with the verb “overcame” and “sat”, does not necessarily means, (as commonly assumed), a past tense. It just indicates, in regards to its “tense”, an “undefined” action. Interestingly enough, manuscript readings with a Greek perfect tense for both verbs: (which would then read as: ‘I have overcome and have been seated’), really should have been the “defined” reading, however they are commonly and rightly understood to be incorrect.

In terms of syntax, the aorist here, also being in the indicative mood, apparently is functioning, pointedly in regard to the verb “sit”, as a “proleptic aorist”. As such it is used to: “describe an event that is not yet past as though it were already completed”, and in order to: “stress the certainty of the event”. (Wallace, GGBTB, 563-564). So ‘because Jesus did already overcome at the Cross, He surely will be seated with His Father on His throne.’ Thus Rev 3:21 would read as:

‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also  overcame and am to sit with My Father on His throne.’

This is indeed what is later depicted in the Apocalyptic visions. (Rev 20:4ff). (Only in the SOP application of those prophecies for a potential, special, “fast-tracked”, Historical Wave Era fulfillment, is this Enthronement explicitly depicted to occur earlier with the “son of man on a cloud’ vision in Rev 14:14ff (see e.g., EW 15.2)[41], but deliberately, ambiguously not in the visions of Revelation as it could first have a typological fulfillment.

            Therefore, in summary, the enthronement depiction in Rev 5 is merely an anticipatory one. Indeed because, here, Jesus the Lamb has already overcome, though not yet seated, He is yet still spoken of in such Kingly terms (i.e., ‘the Lion of the Tribe of Judah’ & ‘the (Monarchial) Sprout of David’). And as assuredly such, He is authorized to open this sealed then. Most interestingly enough, this delayed enthronement shown to John in his vision would perfectly explain why (a) he was in such a crisis, as, looking around he did not see the expected Kingly Figure to do so (Rev 5:3-4), and relatedly (b) why after he was told of a present worthy Kingly figure, when he looked to see who this was, he merely saw ‘a lamb as if it had been slain’ (Rev 5:6). Though Jesus had triumphed, and was also indeed worshipped, for the multi-applicational prophetic purposes of the Book of Revelation, as expounded upon in this present blog post, that Formal Enthronement was deliberately not explicitly related.

Why the Lamb is Worthy

            We have of course seen how David is worthily involved in here in the “Sprout of David” mention by having understood the “Law in the Heart” aspect of God’s Covenant. A related question is why is the Lamb worthy? And that is readily answered in the Bible itself in Rev 5:5-6, as the Lamb had overcome, manifestly by having allowed itself to be slain (cf. Matt 26:36-46). The SOP makes an interesting statement on this by saying:

Union of Omnipotence and self-sacrificing love - The Saviour is presented before John under the symbols of "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" and of "a Lamb as it had been slain." Revelation 5:5, 6. These symbols represent the union of omnipotent power and self-sacrificing love. The Lion of Judah, so terrible to the rejectors of His grace, will be the Lamb of God to the obedient and faithful. The pillar of fire that speaks terror and wrath to the transgressor of God's law is a token of light and mercy and deliverance to those who have kept His commandments. The arm strong to smite the rebellious will be strong to deliver the loyal. Everyone who is faithful will be saved.  (AA 589.2; 6T 404.2)

            So, in summary here, it was because the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, had in self-sacrificing love allowed itself to be slain (cf. John 15:13) that he came to have this right to take this scroll for the side of favor/power of God and unseal it (Rev 5:9), revealing God’s past and yet to come, judgement dealings and prophetic plans for His people and His GC cause (cf. TM 115.2).

‘No one found in even Heaven’

            It is relatedly most interesting to examine the quite striking statement in Rev 5:3 which says that ‘no one (also) in Heaven was found worthy to open the sealed scroll’, and which many expounders of this passage have recognized comes to also include God the Father. This fact is probably what pointedly caused John to greatly weep. (Rev 5:4). As the worthy person is later found to be some who was ‘as if he had been slain’ (Rev 5:6), and as NT passages like 2 Cor 5:19 seem to be saying that ‘God was in Christ reconciling the world’, then it would be readily understood that the Father could also be found “worthy” here. However when what actually transpired from Gethsemane to the Cross, where Jesus increasingly felt the withdrawing presence of God (see here, and, e.g., compare John 8:29 vs. Matt 27:46), it can be seen and understood, as Jesus most painfully felt, that God the Father, by sheer necessity due to the full sin-bearing that was taking place then, left Christ ‘all alone’ at that time, at the highest point during the redemption of the world. So indeed it was only Jesus who fully went through with this reconciling act, pointedly as He was being slain to complete the Atonement.

            So it is out of pure honesty that God the Father is now, in Rev 5, not Himself advancing to open this Scroll which is actually laying ‘just at his right side’ (Rev 5:7). And this is all reflective of, as related in vision in EW 149-153, what had transpired at the beginning, just right after Adam and Eve had sinned and that news was brought back from Earth, (by, as discussed here, most likely an Earth-Sabbath-visit-returning of, evidently, “Yahweh” Himself), and then, as ‘no way of escape had then been made’, Jesus pleaded three times with the Father to allow Him to die to redeem Man. At that time, the Father did not think, (when the correct view of ‘God and the Future’ is involved here, that it was worth either the risk (=Jesus possibly, as also fully man then, failing and being eternally lost), the likely “reward” (=comparatively very few human ever passing the test of faith required for this solely adequate Redemption Plan) or the (full) cost (= Jesus sacrificially forever losing His Divine Nature), yet Jesus was able to convince the Father to also fully love those fallen ones, for as the Bible consistently shows (e.g., Mal 1:1-5; Exod 20:5-6): God, out of inherent and realistic Justice, loves those who love Him much more than those who do not (cf. e.g., (Jesus speaking to His faithful disciples): John 14:21, 23; 16:27), i.e., just like a judge who sentences a serial killer to Capital Punishment does not necessarily ‘not love’ that criminal, but has to do the just thing here, God similarly has to do the just thing for the better good of other faithful ones (cf. Gen 9:6), and so when here faced with a situation where both Adam and Eve had, really ‘out of the blue’ decided to sin against Him, for the greater good of Earth and the Universe, He would have much more preferred to start all over from scratch here with a new pair of Humans. In fact His warning statement in Gen 2:17b was probably meant to literally be fulfilled that very same day as stated, but Jesus managed to convince God out of carrying out this Just act, and a plan of Salvation was then made. Even the renown John 3:16 statement highlights the still involved ‘Just-Love’ notion here by really saying that: in the same way that God’s ‘salvation love’ of Israel in the wilderness was made to depend on whether they would have faith in the self-humiliating means of salvation which He would provide, where they had to recognize that it was entirely because of their faults that their death sentence had come (John 3:14), (yet, as discussed in here, the “lifting up” of the Son of Man did not have to involve His death, but could have been done through rightly exalting Him, with, however, both possible means still involving the contrite humiliation of those being redeemed, =them accepting to be ‘saved in God’s appointed way’ (see e.g., OFC 243.5; 2T 396.4; 431.1; 445.2; 5T 116.1, 700.2.)), that would indeed be the type of ‘genuine contrition and faith’ way in which God would work to save this world. (See John 3:17-21).

            So, going pointedly back to the Rev 5 Scroll episode, with God from the beginning actually not being self-willing to have this Redemption Plan and its needed Earthly GC, He rightly does not consider Himself “worthy” to open that scroll. In fact, as shown in COL 294.1, that Scroll in its ca. 70 A.D. fulfilment contained the judgement that was then to be poured out on the Jewish Nation which had, and were still, rejecting Christ. Yet because God the Father Himself did not personally live as a Man and interact first hand with these First Century A.D. Jewish generation(s), He, in the line of what Jesus revealed in John 5:22, has left all of these works of Judgement completely at the discretion of the Humanly-Incarnated Son. In fact, God continues of this principle of fairness (which is similarly seen democratic Judicial system in the “jury of peers” principle), by allowing the redeemed from the Earth to determine what will be the specific Hell Sentencing of the wicked. Indeed as Jesus did not Himself sin, He also abstains from meting out these ‘torturously/tormentously most painful’ “Second Death” sentences here.

            There is another major development where Jesus has had to plead with the Father for mercy for those who had sinned, and also for the benefit of those who potentially could/would be saved from even that group. That is in the Eschatological Four Wind Releasing episodes, which, as discussed this post, have by now had 3 fulfillments, namely: in ca. 1850, then in ca. 1888, then, contemporarily, in ca. 1996ff. The first two fulfillments are related in the 1849 vision of EGW (EW 36-38) and the third more pointedly involves the imagery found in Rev 7:1-3. In all of those mirroring instances, it was Jesus who had to plead for the Father for ‘more time’ so that those who had not yet been sealed could be. And God did, but, as with the reasons for the similar initial deliberation at the beginning (EW 149-153), probably with great reluctance given similar reasons of: accomplishment risk, meagre return/reward and needed great cosmic cost. Yet He then also allows Himself to be convinced to do so by the Pleading Jesus.

            In regards to the Third (i.e., ca. 1996ff) fulfillment of this ‘Four Winds/Final Events Halting’ - ‘Prolonged Time’ - ‘Truth/Sabbatical Sealing’ episode found in Rev 7:1-3, from validated personal experience and as confirmingly revealed in here, (see also here), it all revolved around the fact that though many SDA were “sealed” in a passable Historical understanding of Final Event and Prophecy, as explicitly stated in the EGW’s prophetic delineations, and it is manifest that God the Father Himself, taking all things into consideration, may justly have preferred to go through with the EGW Final Event Scenario, but here too, He was apparently talked out of it. With the most pertinent prophetic text here for that Third fulfilment not being the two revealed in EW 36-38 where Jesus is shown to be making this pleading, but rather Rev 7:1-3 where there, as discussed in more detail in that ‘Sealing Angel’ post: it is an ‘Angel ascending from the East/Sun-Rising’ and that this Angel was one which had been previously sent by Jesus Himself to the Earth with the special, Third Message of Rev 14:9-11 contained in a parchment (EW 254.1), a most complete message which was to truly point all to the Most Holy Place (EW 254.2), where the could then witness the sanctifying work of Christ (EW 254.3ff); and that Angel was actually none other than the Mighty Angel Gabriel, who, as a depiction of His earthly work in Ezek 9 shows where he appeared as a man, was manifestly incarnated to do this work (cf. EW 279.1-2 = Ezek 9:11), which is why he is shown to be “ascending” and not ‘descending’ when beginning his Third Message Sealing work, then it is evident that then, it is this incarnated Angel who, while in the process of doing this sealing work, abruptly manages to convince God to instead halt the beginning to unravel Final Events then and prolong time so that those who have not yet have a due and fair chance be successfully sealed with God’s Sabbatical Truth can also be sealed, because otherwise many of these, being deceived by the ministers they trusted, would not have been. (cf. EW 282.1)

            I say here that, in the Third fulfilment God the Father was also not willing to have this prolonged state of affair for various most valid reasons, but really He then would have been settling for whatever best work had been done up to then, and at that time that would have been what the SDA Church had managed to acceptably do. And even in the related vision on this development related here, manifestly God would have acted to, effectively spare in ignorance, SDA’s who were, albeit not out of (knowing) malice (cf. John 9:41; 15:22), not fully doing His Full Sabbatical will (Isa 58), but as this development here had been deferentially given over to discretion of Jesus, as He had shed His blood for His Full Gospel message, and as the Sabbatical message (cf. Rev 10:6) contained in the parchment given to the Third Angel Gabriel, and which is indeed depicted in the Rev 10 episode where there, Gabriel is indeed swearing by the All-Creator Jesus, his immediate commissioning superior, as this scroll’s ‘testing message’ (EW 254.2ff) is beginning to be implemented in the Earth (=19MR 320.3 see here), inherently had far reaching, judgement implications (Ezek 9), then, even a manifest last gap attempt to fairly spare those relatively “faithful” SDA’s went by the boards, as it was then, as with Moses’ (Exod 32:10 PP 318.2; cf. here) episode, candidly, and thus genuinely, demonstrated that the commonly besetting sin of SDA’s “zealous” individualism could not be excused, even for the relatively “righteous” reasons/rationale through which many had pursued their individualistic ministry actions/attempts. Indeed in all of those several episodes of God being convince to take another course than the initial and defaulty due one, it is just that God is acting out of the existing realities that are before Him at that time, and for an alternative course to be possible, it has to come from a genuine and freely offering source, as Jesus first did in Heaven (EW 149-153). In other words, God cannot artificially manufacture or compel an, even if possible, alternative course. And that is all the reason why God can even forgive the most vile sinner who, in faith, most contritely, honestly repents. (e.g., Manasseh (2 Chr 33:12-13)). And so it is not that God is play acting when He states an initial action that He will do but then allows Himself to be talked out of it, but it is just that, as a God of Justice, He is then taking a decision based on the tangible facts/circumstances before Him, and only an alternative-creating, candid act of (self-sacrificing) love by someone else, can move Him to do otherwise. And even when God does include caveating “hooks” while pronouncing that initial due actions or judgement, it is not that He is trying to stimulate a response, but that He is being Truthful by thus indicating, if it is ever grasped by an intercessory party, that there can be an alternative than what He duly, justly has in mind then.

            And so in the related recurred fulfilled episode of Rev 5, as it was indicated as a possibility to EGW (see 9T 267.1, discussed below), only the one who had accepted to pay the price that a merciful time-prolonging for proper Final Events Sealing, and thus, ensuingly, also, New-Future-Charting, would cost would, (as it had been the case with Jesus in His fulfilment of that episode), justly be given, and that also justly, discretionarily, (=Ezek 9:4), the pertinent Judgement, and ensuing Regnal, Authority (cf. John 5:22-23, 27; (Acts 17:31)), (both indeed the chief powers of a King), which were intrinsically jointly always contained in that 7-sealed scroll of Rev 5.

The “Little Lamb” seizing the “Prophetic Scroll”

            With these applicable identifications now having been Biblically made for the (1) “Little Lamb”; and (2) this Rev 5 “Scroll” (and its Biblical 7 “Little Scrolls”) as, respectively: (1)  ‘anyone from amongst Christ’s followers, -pointedly, in historical/eschatological prophecy, from His Last Church of Laodicea, who had “overcome”’; and (2) also ‘prophecies in regards to planned future events and developments by God for His People|Church|Israel;’ it can be seen that without this ‘“overcoming” leading to this “prophetic scroll handing”’ the rest of the prophecies in Revelation (ch.6 ff) would indeed not have been revealed. That however does not mean that the events prophesied would not occur, but it just means that God’s People would have absolutely no advance prophetic warning nor guidance about them, and thus would likely, eventually, be completely overcome by them, being literally “in complete darkness.” So effectively, and literally, the entire significance of this crucial episode, making so that, as stated in Rev 4:1: ‘things that are necessary (Gr. dei i.e., ‘in God’s will’) to take place after these things (i.e., after the literal, and then historical, 7 Churches era) can be shown’, was in ‘God needing someone upon which He can bestow this prophetic Revelation,’ thus effectively, giving this ‘overcoming person’ the ‘Testimony of Jesus’ = the ‘Spirit of Prophecy’ (cf. Rev 19:10; 22:9). As stated above, in John’s day (=at the start of the historical era) no one anywhere (evidently not even John) was found to do this, to the point where Jesus had to step in, applying the grace of His Sacrifice.

The Established Little Lamb

            It is significant to see that the “established little lamb” is described in Rev 5:6b as (probably as a result of this “establishment”) having “seven horns and seven eyes (which are the seven Spirits of God which had been before His throne (cf. Rev 1:4)). With, as stated in e.g, Dan 7:23-24 “horns” being a symbol of “(ruling/kingly) power,” and with them being found only on land beasts (= earthly kingdoms), it is therefore clearly being related here that this established little lamb would now also have such earthly/temporal ruling/kingly power, though not “complete” (=10), but in “perfect representation” (=7). With a lamb being also a land animal, -(and, btw, actually certain breeds (cf. here) naturally capable of being mutli-horned-set: having up 3, 4 or 6 horns!!), it is also being related here as being a kingdom. Also added to this temporal power are the Seven Eyes/Spirits of God, ‘sent throughout the earth,’ thus effecting a “perfect representation” of God’s Will, as it had been “seen” from before His throne, throughout the earth. (This Eyes-Spirits correlation should not be seen as a strange pairing as it is indeed ‘in beholding that one changes|set|shapes their mind|spirit|character’ (cf. 2 Cor 3:18 = 1SM 142, 172; GC 555)). A pertinently related background for this description is seen in the “Righteous Branch” prophecy of Isa 11, where in verse 2, it is said that this ‘fruit-bearing, righteous branch of the root of Jesse’ would have the Spirit of: (1) the Lord; (2) wisdom; (3) understanding; (4) counsel; (5) strength; (6) knowledge; (7) fear of the Lord. (See here for much more on these 7 powers of the Little Lamb Kingdom).

            Thus this resulting earthly lamb power, would, with kingly/political authority, in perfect representation, also perfectly diffuse the multifaceted Will of God throughout the earth. This is all later related as being fulfilled in Rev 14:1ff. (Cf. Rev 12:5; 2:26-27; 19:11-16; Psa 2:8-12).

            It is notable that when a synonymous “one like unto a Son of Man” was previously described (Rev 1:12-16 = Jesus), the depiction there is of Jesus holding (a) Seven Stars and walking in the midst of (b) Seven Lampstands. These are pointedly said to be: ‘the (a) Seven Messengers to (b) the Seven Churches’ (Rev 1:20). It therefore appears that with the establishment/enthronement of the slain little lamb as a temporal power following this “era” starting in Ch. 4ff, these two key characteristics have been superceded, by, respectively (a) Seven Horns and (b) the Seven Spirits of God. So it can be seen that these characteristics have increased from (a) messages to powers and (b) from local lights to “widely-diffused” Spirits being directly from God’s Presence/Throne. (Cf. Rev 5:9, 10, 12, 13b).

            Related to this temporal/typological understanding of the ‘honoured, overcoming little lamb’, the statement in Rev 17:14, based on a comparison with 1 Tim 6:15, may seem to be only applicable to Jesus, however those notions of (pointedly) “the king of reigning kings (present participle)” and “lord of ruling lords” [= 1 Tim 6:15, which is curtailed to a title in Rev 17:14; 19:16] are tangibly, temporally established, applicable to a typological “little lamb”, Davidic Branch power, in the context of a “Superpower” for this implemented temporal kingdom. (= Isa 60 ).[42] The same can typologically also apply to Rev 19:16 (cf. here), with the notion there of “heaven” being typified by: an established ‘kingdom’ where the ‘will of God is being done on Earth as it is in Heaven (Matt 6:10) vs. the rest of the unbiblical world. In fact the mention of a ‘name on a thigh’ in Rev 19:16 is allusive to Jacob’s “overcoming”/“prevailing” wrestling with God and man (Gen 32:24-32), which is indeed what is to take place with those who will go through the eschatological struggle against the beast powers and adherents known as the ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble.’ (Jer 30:7 -in the background context of the overturning of the Babylonian Captivity. See in this post for more.))

EGW’s Dream and Revelation on Rev 5

            Now all of the above points find a most interesting denouement for our time as seen through Inspired statements in the SOP.

            First of all, as mentioned above, it can now be clearly seen in retrospect how, with the Throne Room and Lamb/Scroll vision in Rev 4 & 5 occurring in a straightforward sequence right after the letters to the 7 Churches, found a literal, historical fulfillment in that time, -perhaps only needing at most a single day, some time just after these 7 Churches had been established, with Laodicea having been established by Paul (cf. Col 4:13-16) and thus before the 60's A.D. and prior to its “lukewarm” downturn, thus before John received his revelations in the 90's. Specifically this would be in the relatively silent period between the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and John’s Revelation in the 90's.[43] Well with the light of, apparently the last Church hope in Laodicea barely flickering, it can be seen that a crisis could have broken out if no one was found worthy to continue the started recovering of God’s Israel. It is at this point that a lamb-like figure, probably literally fulfilled by Jesus Christ here was found to be worthy to maintain this progress because He had been slain. So God the Father hands Him this prophetic scroll (see Rev 5:1, 7) and He proceed to open them one by one unfolding these Restoring Plans for God’s Israel.[44]                                            

            Notice also that, this unsealing of the scroll takes place in heaven, whereas in Rev 10, the scroll is taken down to earth just having been completely unsealed. As mentioned to before, this is reflected in Church History by the way in which events unfolded in the Church without the perceptive knowledge of those playing the parts. It was not until the time of the Second Great Advent that a perceptive and concrete knowledge of prophecies being fulfilled, or about to be fulfilled began to be had by faithful believers. This of course was made possible when man was able to read into the unsealed scroll as depicted in Rev 10.

            Now, one would think that EGW would see that Rev 5 was indeed fulfilled long ago in time, before Church History began to unfold as depicted in Rev 6, however in a 1909 address to the General Conference (see 9T 262-269) she made the statement that:

“The fifth chapter of Revelation needs to be closely studied. It is of great importance to those who shall act a part in the work of God for these last days. There are some who are deceived. They do not realize what is coming on the earth. Those who have permitted their minds to become beclouded in regard to what constitutes sin are fearfully deceived. Unless they make a decided change they will be found wanting when God pronounces judgment upon the children of men. They have transgressed the law and broken the everlasting covenant, and they will receive according to their works.” (9T 267.1)

           

            Then right after that, she quotes what took/is to take, place during the sixth seal (Rev 6:12-17) and then the work of the Sealed Ones producing the Great Multitude (Rev 7:9-17).

            Previously in a 1900 Letter (Letter 79) used in 7BC 967.8-10 as a comment on Rev 5:11 she had said [Scripture references added]:

“John writes, “I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne.” [Rev 5:11] Angels were united in the work of Him who had broken the seals and taken the book. Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels. [Rev 7:1-3] When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with their living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep. All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under the leadership of satanic agencies. [Rev 16:15, 16] But they are to be kept under control till the time shall come for the great battle of Armageddon.” [Rev 19:19-21]

            This all has puzzled SDA Prophetic Expositors to the point where in the GC’s DARCOM vol. 6, p.365-369ff it has been dismissively said (Jon Paulien), in the second statement where the Lamb Enthronement, (believed to solely be that of Christ’s), is closely associated with the end time events in the sealing work of the 144,000, that EGW was ‘probably confused due to extreme weariness that day’. (p. 369 - see here).

            The actual answer as to why EGW was seeing a present-day potential in the Lamb Enthronement vision of Rev 5 was, at the very least subconsciously, most evidently due to the very first inspired revelation (a Dream) that she had received in 1842 during the time of the Second Advent meetings. She says in EW 78, 79 [Scripture references added]:

“I dreamed of seeing a temple to which many people were flocking. Only those who took refuge in that temple [cf. Rev 3:12] would be saved when time should close. All who remained outside [cf. Rev 11:2] would be forever lost. The multitudes without, who were going their various ways, were deriding and ridiculing those who were entering the temple, and told them that this plan of safety was a cunning deception, that, in fact, there was no danger whatever to avoid. They even laid hold of some to prevent them from hastening within the walls.

Fearing to be laughed at and ridiculed, I thought best to wait until the multitude were dispersed, or until I could enter unobserved by them. But the numbers increased instead of diminishing, and fearful of being too late, I hastily left my home and pressed through the crowd. In my anxiety to reach the temple I did not notice or care for the throng that surrounded me. [Ezek 47:1-12]  On entering the building, I saw that the vast temple was supported by one immense pillar [Rev 3:12], and to this was tied a Lamb all mangled and bleeding [Rev 5:6, cf. 3:12]. We who were present seemed to know that this Lamb had been torn and bruised on our account [Isa 53:5-7]. All who entered the temple must come before it and confess their sins. [1 John 1:9; Heb 4]

           

Just before the Lamb were elevated seats [cf. Rev 5:11ff] upon which sat a company of people looking very happy.[cf. Rev 5:8ff] The light of heaven seemed to shine upon their faces [Exod 34:29-35], and they praised God and sang songs of glad thanksgiving that seemed to be like the music of angels. [Rev 5:11] These were they who had come before the Lamb, confessed their sins, been pardoned, and were now waiting in glad expectation of some joyful event. [Rev 7:13-17]

Even after having entered the building a fear came over me and a sense of shame that I must humiliate myself before these people. But I seemed compelled to move forward, and was slowly making my way around the pillar in order to face the Lamb, when a trumpet sounded, [Rev 8:6ff-11:15] the temple shook, [Rev 11:13; 19b] shouts of triumph arose from the assembled saints [Rev 11:16-18], an awful brightness [cf. Exod 34:29-35] illuminated the building, then all was intense darkness [Rev 11:19b]. The happy people had all disappeared with the brightness, and I was left alone in the silent horror of night.

I awoke in agony of mind and could hardly convince myself that I had been dreaming. It seemed to me that my doom was fixed, that the Spirit of the Lord had left me, never to return. My despondency deepened, if that were possible.”

As it can be seen in the terms in bold and Scripture allusions/references, many have allusions to the vision of Rev 5.

            What is significant about this dream is the context of why it was given. EGW relates that:

“In 1842, I constantly attended the second advent meetings in Portland, Maine, and fully believed that the Lord was coming. I was hungering and thirsting for full salvation, an entire conformity to the will of God [=Matt 5:6's Righteousness]. Day and night I was struggling to obtain this priceless treasure, that all the riches of earth could not purchase. As I was bowed before God praying for this blessing, the duty to go and pray in a public prayer meeting was presented before me. I had never prayed vocally in meeting, and drew back from the duty, fearing that if I should attempt to pray I would be confounded. Every time I went before the Lord in secret prayer this unfulfilled duty presented itself, until I ceased to pray, and settled down in a melancholy state, and finally in deep despair.”

            It was because that she was refusing to fulfill this impressed public duty, that God gave her this startling vision which primarily, thematically centered around the vision in Rev 5.[45]

            As related in EW 79-81, Ellen White then had another dream soon after this first one which fulfilled her great desire to see Jesus. At the end of the dream she was shown that ‘faith and the beauty and simplicity of trusting in God’ were her keys to see Jesus, as depicted in a green cord that need to be frequently stretched out to the utmost.

            These two dreams helped her overcome her fear of public prayer and kept her strong through the Disappointment events in October of 1844 and extended right through to the time when she received her first vision on December of 1844. (EW 12, 13ff). Clearly through this first dream, God was preparing EGW to receive the revelations that He wanted to impart to the scattered flock of post-Disappointment Millerites, however it probably would not have been done had she refused to fulfilled her, seemingly simple, “duty” to pray publicly. It seems that following the refusal of William Foy to share the two visions for the Advent people that he had received on Jan. 18 and Feb. 4, 1842, that God, in the summer of 1842 (ca. June) began to work with Ellen White to fulfill this forsaken messenger duty of Foy. Henry Foss was given an opportunity to fulfill this task by beginning to receive a vision in Sept or Oct of 1844, but when he persisted to refuse to do so, in a second vision given to him shortly after Oct 22, 1844, God indicated that He would turn to “the weakest of the weak”, which was Ellen White. So this shows, that the 17-year old EGW, in 1844, was actually being made to ‘wait in the wings,’ being slowly spiritually prepared and shaped by God as she continued to conform her life to His will, starting by being faithful in the small public “duties” that He was impressing her with. And thus, by the time He turned to her, she was mentally, psychologically and spiritually adequately ready to step into this great prophetic and public ministry role.[46] Both Foy (a preacher) and Foss being educated and variously capable men, evidently did not really need this temporal and spiritual ramping up period to fulfill this task, however they lost it by not fulfilling their duty.

                So it is with this prominent background experiential and revelatory knowledge and awareness of ‘being faithful in the “duties” that God asks one to do’ that EGW formulated her 1909 address to the GC and made the pointed allusion and use of the episode in Rev 5. Just like her faithfulness allowed her to step into a most important prophetic role that help shape the Work that God wanted to do on Earth, a task that two other able men had refused to do, in Rev 5, had this lamb not overcome, as seen via inspiration, by being faithful in his God-given duties, the advancement of God’s work would have been prematurely, abruptly ended, as John weepingly perceived. So it is not surprising that her overall message on “The Distribution of Responsibility” (9T 262-269) hones in on one’s utmost duty to be both found worthy of being entrusted with great responsibilities, and also being faithful in properly executing them, citing, verbatim, pertinent examples throughout the Bible in support.

The Unrolling of the Scroll

                Now to tie all of this to the topic of this post in the “Unrolling of a Scroll”, it should be objectively clear by now that the “scroll” generically mentioned by EGW when she made the intriguing statement mentioned at the beginning of this post, Biblically, paramountly/emblematically was the prophetic “scroll” mentioned in Rev 5 as this most tangibly,  prominently is a Scroll which had indeed halted to be unrolled (at Rev 6:14) and collectively, implicatingly represented the several likewise halted prophecies found throughout the Bible. And from the above discussed understanding of EGW, we can indeed see that even this Rev 5 Scroll itself was limited to a literalistic/Church History fulfillment, which probably occurred, in a single day at the most, sometime between 70-95 A.D., as she also saw a potential fulfillment in the eschatological time of the end. Which would be if Church leaders did not repent of their sins, particularly in the lack of dutiful leadership, they would not only cause the episode in Rev 5 to have another fulfillment (indeed, as in this SOP revelation, to establish a new leadership group of True Shepherds), but she inclusively also saw, as mentioned elsewhere, that this refulfilled “unrolling scroll” episode would simultaneously result in new/further light being giving on the understanding on the Mark of the Beast issue (see e.g., from this post), a knowledge that, by linked implication, evidently would critically shape the course and destiny of the Remnant Church (cf. EW 270.3). And, as discussed next, that has by now all indeed been the case.

               

Eschatological Fulfillment

                As with the dual emotions in EGW’s Inspired statement on Rev 5, this sad, but simultaneously, destiny advancing episode in this ‘scroll unrolling’ was fulfilled in recent eschatological times as it will be specified below. However before these eschatological fulfillments are stated it is important to get the necessary, pertinent contextual background leading up to this fulfillment period. This is made in this blog post.

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                Once that reading is complete, the following assertive identifiers, which assumes that this historical context and prophetical narrative has been read, are made as follows:

-The unrolling of the Scroll has occurred with the concrete Biblical, Exegetical, Prophetical, Spiritual and Experiential discovery that the Daniel prophecy involving the King of the North vs. the King of the South, was eschatologically being fulfilled as a Civil War with God’s Israel today, namely within the SDA Church, between those seeking to advance to fully do God’s Gospel works, and those fighting and opposing this in various ways.

-As seen throughout this blog, (see especially in this post), the fuller understanding of all that is involved in the Mark of the Beast, i.e., as also having socio-economic implications, was discovered with the Biblical understanding that God’s Sabbath also equally, if not paramountly, involves socio-economic aspects; i.e., thoroughly meeting the vital physical needs of people (e.g., Isa 58). This is a Gospel ideal that is only being opposed by the idolatrous adherence of even Christians to the Spurious and Evil economic system of Capitalism. A such, this system contributes to the “full” implications of the Mark of the Beast, as spoken of, under inspiration, by EGW. Most interesting in the above, opening quote of EGW in regards to the unrolling of the scroll (6T 17.1) is that her very next statement, which is in direct connection with what she has just stated about this future unrolling, is the first verse of Isa 58!

-This discovered/recovered dimension to God’s Sabbath sheds a new light on all of the prophecies in Revelation and also other non-fulfilled prophecies concerning God’s Israel and what He expects of it.

-Just like the obtained scroll Rev 5 opened up the future course/history and destiny of god’s Church, similarly its eschatological fulfillment charts an advancing course and brighter destiny for the Remnant Church (=The Church Triumphant), sharply contrasting with its present, even if commendable state (= The Church Militant).

-While the launch of an eschatological era in the present Church involves an eschatological application of many prophecies in the Bible, including those in Revelation, it however does not involve having literal time fulfillments, but solely spiritual ones.

Eschatological Fulfillment of Rev 10

                As presented above, Revelation 10 did have an applicable Historical fulfilment during the times of the Great Second Advent Movement. But as also shown later, above, not only do the symbols involved in that prophecy have a more advanced/deeper meaning, but, as just stated and shown in the latter parts above, and the related post, the recent developments within the SDA Church have caused a “Borders of Canaan-like halting,” (see this post) as just and righteously due, of various promises in regards to a (was-possible) soon return of Christ as well as with the pointedly revealed, (religious-merely-sided) Final events development detailed in the SOP (which was indeed given to achieve this Historical fulfillment), to now involve the “full” implications of the Sabbath and the Mark of the Beast (as both prophesied in the SOP), as indeed this “little scroll”, which contains the planned glorious fuller destiny of the Church and its Work, to (continue to) be ‘unrolled and fulfilled.’

                Therefore below is a succinct presentation of the eschatological fulfillment of a most pivotal point for these “new (i.e., “eschatological”) things” (=Rev 4:1ff), indeed just as Rev 10 bridged past Church History and Missions (6 Seals/6 Trumpets) with the Remnant Restoration and Work that God was going to then begin to do. These further, Eschatological applications do not (as some may knee-jerkedly want to assume) replace the previous Historical applications made in the historical understanding and concrete fulfillment of this message, but actually advance and deepen (=Dan 12:3, 4) their intended spiritual, and now more concretely, temporal impact, as it has been fully planned and expected by God in regards to His Redemptive vision for the role of His Israel in this fallen world. (cf. e.g. Isa 54 & 55).

                These comments below straightly build upon the explanations of the symbols involved that have been given above. And for immediate-context reasons, right after each explanation, the tangible, ongoing fulfillment and/or fulfilling plans, as inclusively involved in the NJK Project, is stated. (While only vss. 1-3 is discussed here, these stated application give enough clues to lead one to readily understand most of the eschatological application in the remainder of the chapter, with some parts there indeed still needing to be fulfilled eschatologically.)

Rev 10:1-3ff

“another strong angel coming down out of heaven”

Another “of the same kind” of the Mighty Angel as the one involved in Rev 5 in the first handing over of this same scroll comes down from heaven to both make known and allow those on earth to take hold of this already unsealed message, and thus “actively” endeavor to further understand and fulfill it.

NJK Project: The message involved in the NJK Project, which is one that is building upon, and where necessary, correcting rectifying the SDA Church’s Message, it thus similarly a Mighty, even Mightier Message as it now more fully proclaimed in terms of content.

“clothed with a cloud”

The body of this message is couched in the theme of the Second Coming, even fully embodying it. Hence is the covering righteousness of this Mighty Message. (A further temporal understanding can be arrived at here, however it is currently being omitted for proprietary reasons.)

NJK Project: The plans to established the NJK Project have deliberately incorporated the spiritual themes involved in God’s plans for this Earth, which He will gloriously accomplish when He does return, however, as stated on the website, this is done in due preparation for that glorious event, for if Believers today cannot live according to these Biblical and Godly ways, and thus reflect God’s character on earth, He is certainly not going to brainwash them, or force them, to do so, when, so that they can actually be allowed into Heaven. So in short, the selfish, live-and-let-die, indifferent, proud, jealous, covetous, etc traits in the Church (i.e., the members) today, will not pass the Gates of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:27; cf. GC 464).

“the rainbow was upon his head”

The overarching, “controlling” influence and objective of this “Advanced Mighty Message” is to work to not allow “waters” (i.e., people) to cause the cataclysmic destruction of either people and the earth (cf. Isa 54:9a), just as it was expressed in sign of the rainbow after the flood; and similarly, though it is deserved, even if this sure, inevitable end is allowed to continue to be self-inflicted. Thus this covenantal objective, honouring God’s merciful promise and desire, becomes the “body-controlling” thinking of this Mighty Message.

NJK Project: The NJK’s overarching and thus fundamental objective is to maintain the life-sustaining capability of this planet and its ecosystem as well as preventing premature human death, including abortions. And so all of its various entities and outreach are aimed towards this fundamental and end goal. Just like, as it is explained above, it is a particular combination of atmospheric rain and rightly-angled sunlight that produces the effect of the rainbow, it will be a dual combination of: Religiously: ‘God’s Spiritual Blessing’ (=rain) and ‘Righteous Acts’ (cf. Rev 19:8) (=sun) as well as: Temporally: ‘choice people’ (=rain) and ‘a Biblical economy’(=sun), that will produce this ‘enduring life” state. And all so that the work of the Gospel can continue to do its intended Full Work upon the Earth until (=so that...) Christ returns. (Matt 24:14).

“his face was like the sun”

The most readily and prominently recognizable|discernable|understandable “face”, i.e., aspect, of this Mighty Message will be as glorious, and as important as the Sun as seen in its relation to the entire of Creation and all “flesh” life. Spiritually, this will thus mean that Godly Righteousness (i.e., “Right-Doing”) will be what will be prominently seen in this “full-bodied” Mighty Message. Temporally, with an economy being fundamentally the most vital entity to virtually all aspects of earthly life, this Mighty Message is also to prominently emanate the full radiance of a Godly/Biblical economic “life power”.

NJK Project: The indispensable basis for the NJK Project is both, “doing what is right”, as the proper heeding of Christ’s Gospel naturally does, and which will most visibly be shown and seen by “outsiders” in a Godly Economic system that is capable of duly meeting all vital needs.

-This pivotally key Spiritual understanding here is also reflected in a Spiritually-related, “face-shining” occurrence in the Bible, namely when Moses’ face was shining following his visit and stay upon Mount Sinai. (Exod 34:29-35). As also expressed by Paul in 2 Cor 3:7-4:6; cf. 1BC 1110.1-3, the SOP similarly reveals that this glorious radiance, which was like that of the sun (3T 354.3), (and was a radiating glory like that of “shining angels from the throne” who were able to see this “excellent glory” (4T 533.1; cf. 342.2), thus “Mighty Angels”, as this one in Rev 10 is), was representative of a ‘perfect and full understanding of the Gospel of Christ and  the glory of the law of God.’ This ‘Endgoal Truth’ was presently symbolically contained in the OT Ceremonies, Statutes, Ordinances and Laws (PP 330.2; 6BC 1053.8). The socio-economic principles that Jesus went on to teach in His Gospel had also been fully represented in these OT Laws.

                Thus the Divine reflection upon Moses ‘symbolized the glory of the dispensation of which Moses was the visible mediator, a representative of the one true Intercessor.’ And it was “designed to impress upon Israel the sacred, exalted character of His law, and the glory of the gospel revealed through Christ.” (PP 330.2). But as Israel then was not obedient to God, guilty of violating this very Law, and wholly out of harmony with His Will; that radiance only filled them with great fear instead of joy. (Cf. PP 329.1; 329.5) Thus they could not bear to be exposed to its “Full Gospel” Radiance even when merely upon Moses, a mere man like them. (= Rev 6:16-17 - 3SG 294.2)

As with Moses’ “Full Gospel” Understanding and Reflection, so is to be the

perfect comprehension and experience of those who will receive the Latter Rain and then spearhead the Finishing of God’s Gospel Work, the 144,000 (7T 16.4;  EW 14.1-15.1ff). These will be those who will have victory over the beast and its image; and through whom God will finally come to be able establish His everlasting Covenant of Peace in the Universe (EW 34.1; cf. PP 329.1); -all first, tangibly temporally effected in an Earthly, economic-slaves freeing and empowering, Jubilee era. (EW 286.1). As fundamentally stated in the SOP:

The glory reflected in the countenance of Moses illustrates the blessings to be received by God's commandment-keeping people through the mediation of Christ. It testifies that the closer our communion with God, and the clearer our knowledge of His requirements, the more fully shall we be conformed to the divine image, and the more readily do we become partakers of the divine nature.  (PP 330.3)

For:

“The completeness of Christian character is attained when the impulse to help and bless others springs constantly from within--when the sunshine of heaven fills the heart and is revealed in the countenance.  (COL 384.2)

                And all this only comes to be fully understood and realized when the ‘Full Truth of God’s Sabbath’ (Isa 58) in both understood and heeded, thus “Sealing” the True and Perfect understanding and keeping of God’s Law in the Believer. (cf. EW 33.2)

                And so, the NJK and those who will be its members, will indeed be able to present this Gospel testimony to the perfect ‘Character, Image and Nature of God’ to the World, (Matt 24:14; COL 69.1) while those who oppose this Full Gospel Message will conversely continue to merely reflect the ‘Blasphemous Name, Beast’s Image and Base Human Nature’ of the Satan-derived and inspired, Religio-Economic power opposed to Christ and His Righteousness.

“and his feet like pillars of fire”

Wherever this mighty message will go, and be established, it will firmly raise up a full Sabbath-based, Covenantal, Witness and Memorial to God. These establishments will also serve as both a way to facilitate the displacement of this message, while also serving as a physical and spiritual protection for God’s people during the inevitable “nights” of this world.

NJK Project: (See in application mentioned below for: ‘the placing of the right and left feet.’)

“and he had in his hand a little book which had been opened”

The informational and guidebook of this Mighty Message is, eschatologically, specifically, the now unsealed prophecy in Dan 11:5-12:3 (discussed here) which deals with the final Israel Civil War Struggle/Conflict to reach this “end”.

NJK Project: The particular fulfilling aspects of the Biblically otherwise-derived NJK Project are also implied and expressed in several statements in Dan 11, and most explicitly, punctuatedly in vs. 45. (cf. next section).

“He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land”

Though this Mighty Message will have a global reach and establishment, this accomplishment and its means of/for power will be in it “sea” implementation. This will similarly also be a done in a formal organization, reflecting political delimitations and grouping, but will more deeply itself be of the same temporal political form, but of a Godly/Biblical Nature, (as for God’s National Israel), indeed “bringing along” the whole body of this message.

NJK Project: With its main (residential) locations being in floating cities at sea, while also, and indeed because of this empowering “geo-political” establishment, maintaining a concrete missionary|evangelistic|humanitarian outreach presence on land, the NJK Project will be able to do all what the current SDA Church is now doing worldwide, but much more, both in terms of quantity and quality.

“and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars”

This Mighty Message equivocally/naturally is to have a kingly (=political) voice. Therefore what it proclaims will equivocally/naturally have a reach into geo-political affairs. Just like a lion does not roar without a verifiable/accomplished cause/result, so will be the applicable political expressions of this message, which will serve as an announcement to other land beasts, as well as a drawing call to its young.

NJK Project: The planned new, physically and authoritatively independent entity of the NJK Project fully expects that its actions will have an effect in geo-political affairs, indeed making that its noteworthy and judicious “loud voice” will surely be heard whenever and wherever applicable.

and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices

Despite the potential and inherent power in, and understood of, a lion’s roar, the message in this roar will, particularly for those not in tune to God’s voice and ways (John 12:27-29), continue to seem to be as non-alarming/threatening/urgent/significant as ‘the sounding of thunder without the sighting/striking of its producing lightning discharge.

NJK Project: (= The development of the series of the sealed voice of the Seven Thunders)

General Conclusion

The key to understanding all of this and being on the Biblical side, is indeed to fully obey all that God has command which is tangibly manifested in actually doing the right thing (John 7:17), (and not, as it is common today, merely ‘talking about the right thing’ (sermonizing) or ‘talking about doing the right thing’ (sanctimonious wishes).

____________________

The Rest of Rev 10

Of course, as seen in the ‘Rev 10 “Special Presentation”’ in this David Asscherick

Evangelistic Series, [mp3] SDA’s do not end the explanation of this prophecy at verse 3, as it indeed does not. Especially vss. 5-11 are further, Historically, rightly applied by them to what transpired during the Great Second Advent Movement, thus confirming that it was indeed a prophetic movement of God. However, even these verses do have a pointed application for the current Eschatological Wave of Bible prophecy. These applications are succinctly stated here. (Priorly discussed symbolisms are not reexplained here). (Bible text is from the NASB).

Rev 10:4 - When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them."

(The Prophecy/Message of the Seven Thunders is addressed in this blog post.)

Rev 10:5 - Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven,

Mighty Message’s Position and Conveyance - This Mighty Angel, positioned as he is, lifting the right hand to Heaven to make this oath (vs. 6), involves: ‘making this oath “towards/into” (Greek = “eis”) the authority/will of Heaven, that this ‘global presence and establishment’ (= “standing on sea and land”) will be through the followingly mentioned (vs. 6) ‘“Mighty” message’ (= ‘(Mighty) Angel’, thus ‘a message from the access-limited immediate presence of God’); which is also, all through this ‘favoring/empowering’ (= “right”) ‘means of doing things’ (= “hand”)’.

Rev 10:6 - and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be time no longer,

Oathmaking - As shown in this verse, the oath that this Angel makes is out of a, quasi-original, assumed authority derived from Heaven. Otherwise there would be no need to make this oath towards/into Heaven, but simply relate a previously dictated message as in vss. 3 & 4 with the Seven Thunders.

Implication of Oathmaking - Also, as seen in e.g., Matt 5:33-37 (cf. James 5:12); making an oath statement upon anything, rather than simply having made a truthful assertion, that is then to indeed be carried out as stated, is done to show that ‘what is being personally said is true’ and also that ‘the credibility of God Himself, or anything else related to Him, His Power and Honour is intrinsically at stake if it is not fulfilled.’ Such a practice by man without Divine “pre-approval” is condemned as “evil” as the responsibility for fulfilling such vows rests entirely upon their, normatively fickle (free) will. However, as James went on to say and exemplify along these lines in his letter (James 5:12, 16b-18), an “effectual prayer of a righteous man” can produce the same result. Indeed the same “oathmaking” action and implication is seen in the Elijah’s first appearance before Ahab to declare that a drought will come to punish Israel for worshipping Baal (1 Kgs 17:1). As the SOP relates, this was [identically] done by Elijah ‘raising his hands to heaven, and solemnly affirming by the living God, who made the heavens and the earth.’ {3T 273.3; cf. PK 121.1}. This is exactly the understanding seen in the account of Josephus who describes this as an “oath” (Ant. 8:13.2 [#319]) using a compoundedly derived form of the same Greek word (“omnuo” Strongs #3660) as found in Rev 10:6 for “swore”.

                And as pointed out at the end of this forum post based upon the Bible and SOP, this judgement notion was all Elijah’s own idea/initiation:

“He went before the Lord, and, with his soul wrung with anguish, pleaded for Him to save His people if it must be by judgments. He pleaded with God to withhold from His ungrateful people dew and rain, the treasures of heaven, that apostate Israel might look in vain to their gods, their idols of gold, wood, and stone, the sun, moon, and stars, to water and enrich the earth, and cause it to bring forth plentifully. The Lord told Elijah that He had heard his prayer and would withhold dew and rain from His people until they should turn unto Him with repentance.  {3T 263.1}”

                As it can be seen, Elijah’s “oath” was all derived from the previous express word of God as back in Deut 11:16-17; cf. 18, through Moses, God had indicated that this would be the pointed punishment ‘if Israel turned away, served and worshipped other gods.’ This was a consequence that was clearly well understood in Israel (e.g., 1 Kgs 8:35) which God indeed fully intended to do as a major part of deserved judgement (e.g., 2 Chr 7:13-14; Isa 5:5-7; Jer 3:1-3; cf 14:1-12ff) even for nations beyond Israel then sinning against incontrovertible and “only” Light (Zech 14:9ff; 16-19). So Elijah here was effectively ‘holding God to account’ through this then justified oath through His own word. I.e., for the very sake of the Word and Throne of God, He could not let this waywardness go unpunished, and that just as He had planned to punish such things.

                From this wider understanding of Elijah’s mission, the warning given by God for those who would see the ‘great and terrible day of the Lord in Mal 4:4-6 is better understood as it can be Spiritually inferred and now even tangibly demonstrated that it will similarly involve ‘a turning away from God’s law, statutes and ordinance to serve and worship various gods (e.g., “wealth - Luke 16:13) as indicated in this pointed post. The similar punishment then would be seen in God again (“proportionally”) withholding “Rain”, i.e., the Latter Rain.

                It thus can be inferred that a similar approach, and thus probably involved judgement basis/development was the case in the action and episode of Rev 10. Pointedly said here, as seen in the historical fulfillment of this prophecy, ca. Oct 22, 1844, which could have been the Second Coming, while this glorious event was expected, indeed by ca. 50,000 “Adventists” it proved to be that a very small number of those believers were truly ready. So what had begun as a Hopeful Second Coming message came to be a stern Judgement message, particularly for those who, as seen in the Shut Door(s) message(s) could and should have known and heeded the newly discover light.

                 So in the same way, this Mighty Angel makes this “oath” which is inherently even more intricate than a mere simple message relating statement showing that this message is both ‘based upon an express word of God and also right within His express will, but not necessarily, as with Elijah’s “oath” something that was initiated by God. Yet it was still a pronouncement that put “in play” the very Throne of God (Matt 5:34), That is an involvement that was indeed the pointed, foundational implication of the tangible End Goal of/in this “Mighty Message” as depictedly indicated in the related Ezek 1:26; 10:1; 43:7.

                So, again pointedly said here, as shown in this post, this message transformed a Second Coming Hope/message into one of judgement upon those who had this Great Light but did not heed it, yet, as also seen below, it comes to advance the work of God to a further and fuller Light.

“Right Hand” - This ‘favorable/powerful means of doing things’ (= “right hand”) through which this oath is made is based directly in the Sabbath Commandment. Thus it involves the Sabbatical authority and principles of God, as stated and applied throughout the Bible. In the “Historical Wave” fulfillment, this would come to involve rediscovering the Biblical Sabbath after centuries of neglect in the Christian Church, and thus the “breach” in Law of God would be, at least, letter-of-the-lawly, partially, closed, making it whole again. However, as the pointed context of that ‘‘breach-repairing’ statement’ in Isa 58:12 stipulates, God actually there wants the Spiritual aspects of His Sabbath to also be restored. And that involves ‘doing all that is possible to come to the aid of people in need,’ and thus give them this Sabbath rest, through this application of God’s socio-economic sabbatical principles. As already explained throughout this blog, that is pointedly the crux, even raison d’être, of this Eschatological Wave of Bible prophecy.

Inferential Sabbatical Theme - The message of that spontaneous oath, couched in the Sabbath/Law of God, and indeed implicating His very Throne, is that: “(chronological) time will no longer be”. So this involved a previously determined, ‘period of time’ (Greek “chronos”) vs. a ‘pointed set/appointed time’ (gr. “kairos”). (cf. Acts 1:7 where the two are distinctly mentioned). The key difference here, even between two related events, can be seen in e.g., a democratic election, where there is a set time for the “election” itself to take place; i.e., the vote. However prior to that “set time”, there is a related ‘period of time’ during which this election, in its issues, are to thoroughly be deliberated. If that prior, necessary “period of time” never comes to an end, that “set/appointed time” may not be able to, at least fairly, transpire, especially if it is not independently set. However, as in democratic elections, the “set/appointed’ time for a vote is independently set and a “period of time” for this deliberation lead up, is to end at that ‘voting “set time”’.

Time No Longer - Much has been inferred about this statement, especially that it is pointedly speaking of the Second Coming’s time (= “delay” Gr. chronos -cf. Matt 24:48; 25:5; Luke 1:21; 12:45; Heb 10:37), however the SOP clearly says that “This time, which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world's history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. ” (7BC 971.7). Succinctly, summarily said here, this SOP view is indeed most accurate as a simple exegetical comparison with the very similar and thus precedential oath by this same Mighty Angel Gabriel in Dan 12:7 shows that the pointed time involved there is the 3.5 times of Dan 7:25, which is variously expressed in the Bible (e.g., “1260 days” (Rev 12:6); “42 months” (Rev 11:3; 13:5)). As this time period, indeed as identically expressed in Dan 7:25, speaks pointedly of the persecutive oppression of God’s people, it is seen that in Dan 12:7, it is being said under a binding oath (thus putting the reputation of God in play), that God will surely work to overturn that period of opposition to His People when that time is ended. So the oath in Rev 10:6 is actually confirming that by this time, that oppression period would have been ended as God had stated. And by the fulfillment of the related 1335 days (Dan 12:12) in 1843, a new movement to re-establish God’s True Church was now about to be birth after a key 45-year period of preparation from 1798-1843. In fact, by 1843, that movement should have been well established and prepared for the consummation of all things, however, for human failing reasons, things did not work out as planned at that time.

                So this Angel was bindingly effectively announcing through a God-ward oath that there was to be no more Biblical reason to prevent the re-establishment of God’s Enduring Israel. And this Israel reestablishment would be foundationally based on the distinguishing Sabbath/Sabbatical Truths of God (cf. Exod 31:12-17).

Rev 10:7 - but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.

Seventh Angel Trumpet Sounding - Exegetically, accurately stated: ‘the days of the voice of the seventh angel, that is whenever he probably may be about to sound (its trumpet),’ are the events leading up to the Seventh Angel Trumpet blast related in Rev 11:1-14. This prophecy, and its here related Eschatological Fulfillment was already discussed in this post. As discussed next, that period of time should see the completion of the “mystery of God”, (indeed, as explained in that post, as God then ‘“keeps of giving” to His Two Witnesses leading them to make prophetic utterances/proclamations’ (Rev 11:3)) and that would in turn lead to the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet which, Eschatologically Speaking, ends the “Militant” aspects of God’s Church and Cause, ushering in the era of the Church Triumphant.

“Mystery of God” - Succinctly said here, the “mystery of God” are ‘the various key “truths” that God has deliberately veiled or hidden from most men.’ (cf. 1 Cor 4:1) These have included/involved the following; -Ten in number (=“completeness”):

                (1) -full Prophetic understandings (e.g., Rev 1:20; 17:5, 7), particularly those dealing with what will take place in the end (Dan 2:28-30; cf. 1 Cor 13:2); {e.g., Dan 12:4, 9-10 = Matt 24;  2 Thess 2:1-6ff; Rev 1:1-3ff; 22:10}

                (2) -the faith-based circumstances of the Advent of the Messiah (1 Tim 3:16; Col 2:2; 4:3b);  {e.g., Deut 18:15 = Acts 3:17-22}

                (3) -God’s Plans for His Israel through a New and Better Covenant and its derived and implicated promised Kingdom (Matt 13:11; cf. Eph 5:32); {e.g., Jer 31:31-34 = Heb 8:8-13}

                (4) -the Gospel of Grace in Jesus Christ (Rom 16:25; Eph 3:1-11; 6:19, 20); {e.g., Exod 12:1-13 = John 1:29}

                (5) -the full Inclusion of the Gentiles (Rom 11:25; Col 1:24-27); {e.g., Isa 56:6, 7; Hos 1:6-11 = Matt 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8; Rom 9:26; 1 Pet 2:10}

                (6) -the proper and vindicating understanding of God’s Wisdom in His Chosen Methods and Dealings, [especially throughout this Great Controversy] (1 Cor 2:1-8; cf. Eph 3:9, 10); {e.g., Ezek 36:22-32 = 1 Pet 2:9}

                (7) -accurate Doctrinal understanding (1 Cor 15:51); {e.g., Isa 42:21 = Matt 5:17-19ff}

                (8) -knowing/discerning/understanding/doing the Will of God in order to accomplish/complete His Works/Plans (Eph 1:9, 10); {e.g., Isa 49:1-13; 53:11 - Matt 7:21-27; John 7:17, 18}

                (9) -the ‘hidden truth of lawlessness’ (2 Thess 2:7ff); {e.g., Dan 7:25 = Rev 13; 17; 18}

                (10) -what constitutes True Godliness (i.e., ‘God-like-ness’), as modelled by Jesus Christ (1 Tim 3:14-16). {e.g., Isa 58 = Matt 25:31-46}

                But as readily seen in the above {e.g., vss = vss} specifications, all of these “truth” were always found in the past e.g, in the OT, for the NT Church, thus correspondingly, in the Bible, for the present Remnant Church.

                -As all these veiled “Key Truths” mysteries emanate for God, His Character, Law and Person, they all come under the chief, singular heading of “the mystery of God”. However what is to be understood here is that all, and any, such “hidden truths” of God will in due/appropriate time be made known to men, and thus the “chronological periods of times” leading up to the “set time” for the Second Coming will be fulfilled and fully come to pass. Then the “set date for the Second Coming”, which indeed has depended on the fulfillment of this GC allocated “period(s) of time”, will be concretely set. Then the Seventh Angel will make its trumpet sound heard (Rev 11:15-19). However, what is fully depicted in that Seventh Trumpet sounding is a ‘beginning of the end’, i.e., an overturning of the fortune of God’s People (= their various Historical and then Eschatological, Spiritual (Babylonian) “captivity”), but with the utter end still to come, but with resolute Spiritual Babylon oppositions first to manifest themselves (= Rev 12ff).

                -Indeed, as stated above, the ‘hidden truth of God’ is said to always have been revealed by God through the (literally) “Good News”/Gospel messages of His prophets of old, which includes OT prophets. This was indeed meant to be an understood “Gospel” for Israel, long before the Advent of Christ, but because of OT Israel’s unfaithfulness, waywardness, and rebellion, these clearly written and proclaimed messages became “hidden” and “mysterious” to them. Even Jesus, in His substantively and Spiritually derived and expounding messages could not get them to understand this. In fact, Christ, playing upon various shades of pride, took particular measures to makes this message heard by, especially the leaders in Israel, but still not understood by them (Matt 13:10-17 = Isa 6:9-13).

                -So in the Eschatological Wave of the fulfillment of this prophecy, indeed even furthering what was learned and understood in the Historical Wave, thus in the Adventist Movement and SDA Church (i.e., 1844-1996), understandings of ‘previously revealed, but veiled/concealed “Divine mysteries’ will be achieved and potentially, and actually probably, inclusively or specifically, also in these areas of: Prophecy, especially Eschatological Prophecy or Wave of Fulfillment; Messianic Advent; God’s Plans for His Israel through a New and Better Covenant and its derived and implicated promised Kingdom; the Gospel of Grace in Jesus Christ; the full Inclusion of now Spiritual Gentiles; the proper and vindicating understanding of God’s Wisdom in His Chosen Methods and Dealings, [especially throughout this Great Controversy]; accurate Doctrinal understanding; knowing/discerning/understanding/doing the Will of God in order to accomplish/complete His Works/Plans; the ‘hidden/full truth of lawlessness’; and what constitutes True Godliness, as modelled by Jesus Christ.

                Indeed, all of these now “unsealed/completed mysteries” have been variously, already demonstrated and discussed throughout this Theological Views blog.

as He (God) preached... - It is somewhat strikingly interesting to read here that God would have to “preach” (=proclaim as good news) something, and moreover to His prophets. It would seem more normal that He would merely/straightly “declare” (Isa 46:10) or “reveal” (Amos 3:7) such things to His prophets. But instead He “preached” it, evidently to inherently convey the great favoring response dependency that existed for the fulfillment of any/all of these above-listed “mysteries”. Indeed as with the ‘not-First-Century “completed/finished”’ preaching of Jesus Christ, because the people did not “repent” (Mark 1:14-15; cf. Matt 10:23), those long time “preached” mysteries have never been able to be “finished/completed”...But not anymore, because God now ‘swears of Himself’ that these will be completed “in the days of the sounding of the Seventh Angel”...which implies/involves that God will now, even Supernaturally, do whatever (see e.g. in here) it may take to accomplish this.

Rev 10:8-11

Rev 10:8 -  Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land."

                Generally speaking, the Eschatological fulfillment of the following episode of John’s eating of this Little Scroll, deliberately made to emulate the experience of Ezekiel, (which has been in broad parts discussed above in this present post). Given the implicated, natural, human-natured-derived opposition, it is inextricably to be the experience of those who truly “ingest” this message, by having thus variously made it a “bodily part” of themselves (=Ezek 3:3 “and fill your body” = ‘take them to heart’ (vs. 10)). Manifestly the “heads-up” warning by God that the eating of this scroll will be a “sweet-bitter” experiences, despite it being God-given, is so that the one consume it will endure the ensuing bitter adversity and not act to “throw it up”, i.e., abandon the message due to hardships. Instead they will allow it to be “ingested” throughout their body.

Rev 10:9 -  So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."

                What is indicatively interesting here is that in the background episode to this one here, in Ezekiel 3, it is seen that Ezekiel is to speak the words what he had just eaten/ingested from this scroll (Ezek 3:1, 4). After a stay of amongst the exiles of the house of Israel (= the remnant of Israel: -Judah) where Ezekiel apparently also related these words to them (vss. 10, 11), he is then, starting in vs. 16, further told of the import of his words. They are indeed pivotal life and death warnings to the house of Israel which Ezekiel must be most faithful in relating at the peril of his own life. So it is to be understood that John scroll in his mirroring experience also included these ‘pivotal warnings to the remnant of God’s Israel’.

                Furthermore in Psa 19:10, a very interesting statement is made pointedly in regards to God’s judgements. After David makes what seem to be self-contained one phrase statements in regards to various forms of God’s pronouncements, namely His Law (vs. 7a); Testimony (7b); Precepts (8a); Commandment (8b); the Fear and Judgements of the Lord (9a&b), he resumptively speaks about all of them in vs. 10 by saying that they are ‘more desirable that much fine gold’ and ‘sweeter than honey’ (as additionally are “God’s promises” in Psa 119:103). David rightly sees that he is crucially warned by them and also that there is great reward in keeping them

                So it can be seen that Ezekiel’s “sweet” message of warnings not only do include these “sweet” pronouncements of judgements, but these are indeed built upon/derived from God’s Law, Testimony, Precepts, Commandment, and a Wisdom-birthing Fear (Psa 111:10; Pro 1:7). And that heeding this message will likewise lead to great reward.

                All of these notions are echoed in the “Testimony” of the “Faithful Witness” to Laodicea, who are similarly (chiefly/firstly) instructed to buy “purified gold” (Rev 3:18a), which the SOP was shown is “faith and love” (4T 88.2), which indeed fulfills and establishes the whole Law when it is rightly applied both towards/in God and towards/for men. (Matt 22:37-40; Rom 3:27, 28, 31; 4:14; 13:8-10; Gal 3:2, 5, 11, 12; 5:14; James 2:8). It is indeed on the proper understanding and full heeding of this fundamental warning that ‘the destiny of the Church hangs’. However, as variously made evident, it continues to be “lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded.” (EW 270.3).

Rev 10:10 - I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

                As seen in Ezekiel’s episode, his eaten message did not begin to “turn” (i.e., become bitter until he started to relate it to the house of Israel. (Ezek 3:15ff) So it is understood by paralleling implication that John’s message would ‘make his stomach bitter’ because of also relating it (= ‘speaking forth those judgements of God’ thus “prophesying”).

Rev 10:11 -  And they said to me, "You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings."

                That it is being said here that ‘the holder of this message must prophesy again’ implies indeed, as observed above, that this message had already been related (to Israel) and met opposition. And as the audience is here said to more expansively be “many peoples and nations and tongues and kings”, thus not just God’s professed people (Israel), not only confirms this understanding, but also shows/implies that the exact same message of warning is to be given to the entire world.

                By simple, sequitur and logical deduction here, this further implies that God’s professed people have become as corrupt as the rest of the world, thus that message does not need to be changed, just restated.

                This “warnings” and”judgements” understanding dovetails perfectly with the understanding of the associated Seven Thunders mentioned above as, as explained above in this post, the audible “rumors”/sounds, but not necessarily visible manifestations (= those thunder’s lightning), of God’s judgements. Indeed just as thunder itself is not viewed as life threatening, though they can be quite frightening when they sound, these type of effectuated judgements will, for such reasons, not be taken seriously, especially by those who prefer to ‘walk by sight and not by faith’. (2 Cor 5:7).

Notes

[1] Early SDA J.N. Loughborough, in his classic historical book The Great Second Advent Movement, (pp. 247-257ff) documents the establishment of this prophetic understanding among early SDA starting in November of 1846 after Ellen White had accepted the Biblical exposition of Joseph Bates on the Seventh Day Sabbath. Following this Bible-based acceptance, she was given a vision (LS 95, 96) which confirmed their understanding of the Biblical Sabbath and then was injunctively, directly and explicitly shown how this Sabbath Truth related to the Third Angel’s Message. Loughborough then says that “from that time the third angel’s message, as connected with the other two, began to be proclaimed.” (p. 257).

[2] As discussed here and here, SDA’s today typically have come to effectively imply that such ‘later, more specific MOB understanding’ is in regards to seeing that a US Economic Crash/Collapse and/or increased, especially Economically-costly Natural Disasters, will result in the unfolding of Final Events. However that cannot be the ‘future additional understanding’ expectation of EGW here as, especially in regards to Natural [and not man-caused/made, e.g., terrorism, economic crashes, political crises, etc] Disasters, she had long already said that, and merely in regards to their occurrence (and not their economic impact as “tweaked by SDA’s today), will indeed lead people to seek for Moral Law enforcement (e.g, GC 589.2-3ff )....and actually only after that effectuation will come “National Ruin” and not reversedly so as explicitly or tacitly held by SDA today (prime, then well and widely accepted, example: David Gates’ popular claims up to ca. mid 2011).

            And by SDA’s spuriously claiming that EGW herself wrote that an Economic Crisis/Collapse will cause final Events, they would be inherently precluding that this would be a/the future, additional understanding.

[3] It is significant to also see that Daniel’s Eschatological (i.e., Time of the End) scroll of the prophecy in chapter 10-12, was to not only be sealed, but the words in that sealed scroll itself were distinctly to be “concealed” (Dan 12:4, 9), and that was an action that had already been done by God Himself, to the point that even Daniel himself could not understand them. (vs. 8, 9). So really anyone could easily see and thus be capable of understanding those prophecies, as seen by the fact that all since Daniel’s time could indeed read this prophecy. So manifestly it would only be certain transpired circumstances combined with the attempt by righteous ones to acts against them, “seeking to advance God’s cause”, that would produce the needed insight into those concealed words. (Cf. John 7:17)

[4] Tellingly enough, in making the above, introductorily quoted “unrolling of th scroll” statement EGW goes on to quote the first verse in Isa 58:1 (6T 17.1). Of course SDA’s only choose to glibly, and not surprisingly, spuriously, see a Letter-of-the-Law Sabbath admonishment for that chapter, and that, for non-SDA’s (i.e., ‘other Christians should be keeping Saturday instead of Sunday’), however, as EGW herself, perhaps, more than less, merely quasi-subconsciously, understood, the socio-economic aspects for God’s Sabbath (see e.g. WM 28-65ff) pivotally is what is pointedly paramount in that chapter, and that for SDA’s themselves. Indeed God’s message in that chapter, as exegetically ascertained, (vs. proof-texting claims) is not for: ‘the “house of Jacob” to observe the Seventh Day instead of another day’.  That post-Babylonian Captivity, restored community in this, exegetically, accurately understood, “Trito-Isaiah” section were now staunch (Letter of the) Law observers, and indeed even now keeping the Sabbath with a “solemn” fast. However God’s point in that chapter was to admonish them to actually do the socio-economic works towards the needy that He had involved in the proper/actual observance of His Sabbath.

[5] Probably from Ranko Stefanovic’s Andrews University Dissertation Series 1995/1996 publication (hear Stefanovic’s lecture on Rev 5 here*); cf. Norman Gulley’s Adventist Theological Society (ATS) 1997 article.

* Though, as cited in passing here, Stefanovic’s commentary work claim that ‘the content of the Rev 5 scroll is not what Rev 6 states, but Rev 12-22:5’ is, to say the least, grossly, exegetically, untenable, and manifestly is the erroneous product of his take on the SOP light given on Rev 5, (-discussed below in this present blog post), which he presents in his study/presentation above here. The actual reconciling fact for that SOP revelation is that, as presented in this and this blog post, EGW was implicitly shown that the 7 Seals (Rev 6) of the Rev 5 Scroll would, entirely, also have another, this time eschatological (i.e., post 1844), fulfillment/application.

            As a detailingly substantiating exposition can show (see e.g., chart below), it is only in inherent thematic parallels (i.e., the way that God planned/intended for history to be refulfilled in an eschatological scenario which also covers similar bases as already, and still to be, done in the elements of Rev 12-22:5, can it be seen how, actually, more generally, the Series of Sevens (Churches, Seals, Trumpets, {Thunders}, (Plagues) -which are detailedly discussed in their grouped contribution in another post: Series #1-#5 and Series #6-#7) are expandingly detailed in the Rev 12-22:5 GC culminating developments. So these (historical) prior Prophetic Series of Sevens do have an eschatological contribution, even applicably, also a chartingly, sequentially guiding one.

Rev 12-22 vs. Series of 7's

[6] The same understanding/interpretation is in made in Gulley’s article (p. 73), with the added claim that it is only the book of Deuteronomy which is then claimed to be the ‘book of the Covenant’ read by King Josiah in 2 Kgs 23:1-2. However as the King was liable on observing all of God’s law it quite easily could have involved the whole Law (cf. 2 Kgs 22:8, 13).

[7] See e.g., the expositions of James Rafferty here (05-07-11) [mp3] [09:32-21:10] and also here (May 2010) (video) [21:48-23:44], and Daniel Pel here [mp3] [10:19-26:13ff]*

*From 26:13-38:23 Daniel Pel goes on to make the claim that this imagery is for a Jubilee Year Land Restoration, but that is not actually exegetically “entirely” accurate, for, on one hand, if it was the case, the claiming, actually due returning, of the land would be guaranteed by law and automatic, and so there would be no crisis, nor angst here as seen in that vision. There then would be no reason for John to so deeply weep (Rev 5:4-5). Indeed all that would be in question here was the amount of time left before this date for the due return. (And this type of “timed land return = Second Coming” understanding dovetails with SDA expositors who spuriously seek to determine when the Second Coming will irrevovcably occur by based upon a 7000-year theory.)

            However, as later discussed for the Sixth Seal Era of that Scroll, pointedly at its halted point, the notion of a Jubilee does apply in the EW 286.1, pre-Second Coming sense, in this Unrolling Prophetic Scroll. So the applicable ‘land/territory claiming through a title deed’ which is “contracted” in the Fourth Seal is actually brought into effect during the Sixth Seal, and when then the land-conquering Trumpets Series have had to be set in motion. Indeed the “reclaiming” then would instead be done through a forceful re-possession, towards here a neo-rebellious (Ancient) Spiritual Israel of God.

[8] Zechariah’s Flying Scroll (Zech 5) is indeed undeniably tied to the Rev 5 scroll, as it serves as a prelude to elements that are most explicitly mentioned in the content of that 7-Seal, Rev 6 Scroll. This is seen in the imagery of the 4 Horsemen (= Zech 6:1-8's chariots being pulled by similarly, varyingly-colored horses). So with the Scroll of Rev 5 & 6 having as its content those Four varyingly-colored, Horses, the Flying Scroll (Zech 5) and Horse-Chariots (Zech 6) can be also understood to be a closely related prophetic unit. Those two scrolls are thus understood to be allusive to each other.

[9] John the Revelator only straightly and faithfully recorded what he was being shown and personally experiencing in this long, perhaps even one-session, vision, all during the Sabbath Day (Rev 1:10). He certainly was not at liberty to “compose”(???) the content, imagery or sequencing of the vision(s) himself, but only faithfully relate exactly what he was seeing. Indeed the way the Book of Revelation was directly revealed to John did not allow, compared to the writing of his Gospel (probably written after the vision(s) of Revelation, as he then better/fully understood the Divinity of Jesus Christ (e.g, John 1:1-3)), for much, if any, independent input by him. (See also the interesting historical, seemingly truthful/valid, Apocryphal (16MR 34.3) testimony here on the topic of John writing his ‘complementary’ Gospel). Quite explicitly, on the other hand, John, at the insistent commands of God, is straightforwardly recording what he has just seen in vision (Rev 1:11, 19; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14; 14:14; 19:9; 21:5; cf. 10:4). So self-evidently any personal “writing style” of his was strictly constrained, and really actually determined by God Himself in what, and in what order, He was showing John and verbally telling him.

            Furthermore, also in relation to this spurious “infused personal writing style” claim, with 278 of 404 verses in the book of Revelation directly drawn from, or alluding to, passages and episodes of the Old Testament, it is not surprising that the book would greatly contrast with a NT times book on the life and ministry of Christ. So the book of Revelation is much, much less of a “free lance work,” if at all, by him, and more rightly viewed as a word-for-word journalistic direct transcript of the vision(s) he was given.

            Something can be also said here in regards to the common ‘Jewish Chiastic arrangement’ claim for this book, as well as some other writings in the Bible, however, succinctly said here, if there is any actual chiasm in the book of Revelation, (a grossly overplayed notion in my substantively-observed view), it was not John who was deliberately doing this, but God instead, as John was just faithfully recording what he had seen, and just how he had seen it. He also did not understand, much, if any, of the most indicatively specific/purposeful and highly complex prophetic symbolism in the vision. Had that been the case, his “interpretations”, and perfect ones at that, would also have been annotatedly expressed (as the book of Revelation was not to be sealed (Rev 22:10), and they would have been at least reflected in the subsequent interpretational efforts of, especially early, Church Fathers. So John was certainly not doing any calculated “chiastic” arrangement of the material here as this would involve that he first perfectly understood the content/message of those revelations, indeed as the actually “genius”/thought originator of them, which both certainly was not the case. At best, there is merely parallelism being done by God Himself in revelation, and in other “prophetic” (i.e., God-spoken) writings of the Bible. The popular “chiastic argument”, really, effectively, dangerously encroaches upon a higher criticism “substantively human composition” view, where the Spiritual and Inspired element in the giving of especially prophetic utterances is made completely void. (This would be like SDA saying that: ‘EGW “composed” the content of her visions, and herself subjectively determined the sequence of events in them.’) So at best, God has used explanatory parallelism (i.e., e.g, A-A'; B-B') in some instances (not even “chiasms”, per se, where a conclusion is contrivedly/artfully/deliberately placed in the middle of an account).

            Correspondingly in regards to the claimed chiastic structure for the 8 major visions in Revelation commonly, (and really arbitrarily/contrivedly/selectively) claimed in SDA Circles (see e.g., God Cares Vol 2:60, 61), current cursory, yet thought-through observations indicate that an indepth, substantive analysis would/should show that, again here, merely, necessary explanatory parallelism is involved, and the real “content structuring” here results from God  merely/solely naturally endeavoring and moving towards restoring things to what they originally were, or were meant to be, and at times a “restoration” can involve by tangible procedural necessity (vs. mere literary artistry), a strict sequential reversing of transpired detrimental actions or events. That conceded, I substantively still don’t see such “artificial “mirroring” artistry” as popularly, and really whimsically, claimed, in the sequence of the visions of Revelation.

            And as an example, (and also going by personal experiences, e.g. here), Ellen White was accused of having copied from William Foy because her first vision contained many similar themes and expression as what Foy had received. But the truth is that White had never priorly seen or heard the content of Foy’s Vision. So God can easily repeat the same expressions, statements and themes that He had priorly given to a prophet, and the newly receiving prophet then just has to relate it exactly as received. The same thing also occurred with other visions of Ellen White and statements & themes in the Bible. So, (and most contrary to the claim made here [05:26-09:48] by the cognitively & experientially deficient (=Isa 29:9-14) SDASS Stephen Bohr, -{seriously, “retire” already}, about ‘John/Revelation vs. the (actually inspired, OT Eschatology) Book of Enoch’), no (subjective/personal) “composition” would need to be, at all, involved in writing out these visions. (Similarly, see the daftly enough claim/comment by John Bradshaw here[31:49-32:37] about ‘John, of himself, drawing from the OT accounts of Babylon for a symbol for prophecies of Revelation’, when Bradshaw is actually commenting on what an Angel himself had said in Rev 14:8 (cf. Rev 18:2). Clearly here, John was simply/straightly quoting an angel...verbatim...and this was the very first notion/mention of (the symbol) “Babylon” in Revelation.) By contrast, it was Peter who was of himself using ‘audience-understood coded’ language when he mentioned Babylon in 1 Pet 5:13 in reference to Rome. He thus was codedly meaning: ‘the capital of present world ruling nation’).

[10] Zechariah’s Flying Scroll vision really deserves a distinct study. And this may be done later. It is most noteworthy, as indeed also found in Zecheriah, to see how many issues in the OT, as well as the NT, revolved not only on the True and Pure worship of God, but also, and many times quasi-exclusively, pointedly, as seen with the Prophetic ministry of Amos, how God took great issue with abuses in the socio-economic life of His Israel. That is a very significant realization, because as seen in most of this blog’s posts, this is indeed a recurring Biblical issue, even in/for Final Events. To its great detriment, the SDA Church, despite unequivocally expressed mandates, such as Isa 58 (= Matt 25:31-46) is failing to see and heed this pivotal Sabbatical requirement of God. Indeed Socio-economic Peace and Justice is an undivorceable, major end goal of God’s Law (of/for Most Abundant Life) (cf. John 10:10; DA 20.1-21.3).

[11] Interestingly enough, as seen in the 1944 Southern Publishing Associations reprinting of the (1897) Daniel and The Revelation book by Uriah Smith, the expression “unrolling of the scroll” came to be thought to be a pointed reference to the prophecy of Daniel 10-12, as Uriah Smith’s original titling of that Chapter was dubbed from his: “A Literal Prophecy” [pp. 247-318 of his edition] to: “Unrolling the Scroll” [pp. 233-299 of the SPA edition].

[12] Rev 13:8 and Rev 17:8 are two key passages here, and they need to be properly rendered from the Greek and thus accurately understood in what they are actually intending to mean. Succinctly said:

(1) Rev 13:8 is properly rendered as:

“All who dwell on the earth will worship him whose [i.e., him, -the Antichrist/First Beast] name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”

           

            In other words, it is the one who will be worship here whose name has not been written, and that since the foundation of the world, in the little lamb’s book of life. That ‘Antichrist’s name’ identification is grammatically seen from the fact that the relative pronoun “whose” (Gr. hou #3739) is in the (masculine) singular; - which is why the NASB translation here had to supply the word “everyone” to try to relate that “name” to a (supposed) singular antecedent, particularly since the actual antecedent that would match that “everyone” claim is the word “All”, and is in the (masculine) plural. (Gr. pantes #3956)

However, on the other hand, in

(2) Rev 17:8, which is first (fully) accurately rendered (by the NASB) as:

“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose [=plural i.e., those on the earth] name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.”

            Indeed, unlike the “whose” in Rev 13:8, this one in Rev 17:8 is instead in the plural form. And thus, does now pointedly refer to those who will wonder after the antichrist beast power.

            The key to understanding these prophetic passages is that they are both referring to the “son of perdition” entity; first to its Antichrist leadership, and then to those who dwell on the Earth who will join that camp. The unfortunate thing about the antichrist entity and its following is that, in/for the God Permitted Great Controversy (GC) period, it is an inevitable evil/necessity. In other words, as Satan had done with the serpent in Eden, for him to be able to “fairly” effectuate his opposition of God’s ways on Earth, he would have to, as he later did with Judas, work through a tangible person and entity on Earth. So as Jesus said about, and even to, Judas (see John 6:70-71; 13:2, 21-29; 17:12): ‘the character that he was fulfilling was always necessary, but woe to the person who, of their own free choices and will, and innate worthless character and pride, allows themselves to be deluded and deceived to fulfill it.’

            So with that “perdition” understanding, which is indeed stated in Rev 17:8 (as “destruction” Strongs #684), it is easy to see how, since the plan of salvation was hashed out, after Adam and Eve fell (EW 149-153; see in the section around here), that God had always (wisely) planned for such a “perdition entity”, knowing that this would surely be the best way in which Satan would work to oppose (=Rev 13:1a), what would also “plannedly be” His Lamb entity. (=Rev 13:11b) So that “Antichrist” (‘in the place of Christ’) entity was indeed surely not included at all in that Lamb’s book of life and would instead be God’s “vessel of wrath” (cf. Rom 9:21; 2 Tim 2:20-21), which literally would also suffer ‘the wrath of that lamb’ (Rev 6:16-17|DA 825.4), indeed pointedly upon what it would culminatingly, fully do during the Third Angel’s Message era (Rev 14:9-11); i.e., through the Mark of the Beast endeavor (=Rev 13:11-18).

            As presented in the present post, and elsewhere, the fulfillment of Revelation’s “Little Lamb” entity is however not limited to Christ, but also to another typological application that God would orchestrate. And thus whoever was not written in either the Antitypical or Typological (Little) Lamb’s Book of Life (cf. Mal 3:16-18) would instead be written down in that (Little) Lamb’s ‘Book of wrath’ (=Rev 19:15; cf. this post)

-There also is not in either one of these verses a support for a view that ‘God knows, from the days of Creation, all those who will be saved and lost.’ (Cf. this blog post). God only understood, “from the foundation of the world (after the fall)”, that certain positions would naturally be inevitably filled in this GC, and thus prophetically planned and prepared for this, but He did not force anyone, neither the Antichrist (=Rev 13:8), nor his followers (Rev 17:8), to fulfilled them. In fact, as done with Judas (John 13:21-29), before they seal their freely embarked upon wrong course, He will have given them enough information (Rev 14:6-12) and light/warning (Rev 18:1ff) for them to get off that wrong course. Only those who then knowingly/indifferently persist in these “unrighteous, lawless and “instead of Christ” ways” will fulfill these ‘long-envisioned “perdition entities”’ (=2 Thess 2:6-12).

[13] Cf. Rev 6:8's Fourth Seal: “sword, famine and pestilence and wild beasts” and Jer 14:12; 21:7, 9; 24:10; 27:8, 13; 29:17-18; Jer 32:24, 36; Jer 34:17; 38:2; 42:17, 22; 44:13.

[14] These indeed were/are the ‘not yet fulfilled final portions of Daniel’s prophecies’ at the time of the Rev 5's scroll unrolling (i.e., in Dan 2; 7 & 8), and especially, eschatologically, the prophecy of Dan 10-12.

[15] It is important to stress that the content of the two sides of the Scroll is not the text of God’s Law itself, as some expositors think/claim, but, as clearly stated in Zech 5:3, the, actually, naturally/normatively intrinsic, curse punishment (see Deut 30:19 & 27:26 (= Gal 3:10); cf. Jos 8:34; Neh 10:29; Dan 9:11; cf. 8T 250.3) that is due to those who have violated God’s Law. So here, those previously codified and written consequences of, and “curses” for, disobeying God’s Law, such as pointedly these two, are here brought forth in judgement upon the violators.

[16] Not surprisingly, this mentioned ungodly ‘rich persons favoring’ is concretely being practice in the Church today with the rich (i.e., those pointedly within the area of the North American Division’s: United States territory, being overabundantly showered with various SDA resources, while the rest of the world, even relatively-speaking, the First World, as in the case of neighboring Canada, being relatively and in degree, grossly Spiritually-neglected by the supposed-to-be, equalitarianly Global Church.

[17] With EGW understanding that this book had already been unsealed by her time (see e.g., TM 115.2 (=Historical fulfilment (Church History)), but as it will be shown later, she also saw and said in a 1909 statement to the General Conference, -which was keyly after her paradigm-shifting late-1908 understandings, that this scroll had a future “Eschatological” application, then her use of a present tense to say, in the 1900 COL publication:“is unsealed”, rather than a past (“was unsealed”) or future (“will be unsealed”) is manifestly reflective of an awareness, (as discussed later, retrospectively dating back to a significant 1842 dream she had had (EW 78.3-79.3), of that ‘also future’ possible application, which she would only have seen the need to publicly share it following her late 1908 revelation. So that present tense would be here allowing for the inclusion of both, a past application (i.e., starting around ca. 70 A.D.), and a future, eschatological one.

[18] What is also thematically key here is that not only did the 70 A.D. unsealing indeed result in quite detrimental consequences for the Jewish Nation, in fact parallely becoming worst and worst as the seals of this scroll were successively unsealed which also involved the growth of the Christian Church, involving various backlashes against the increasingly marginalized Jewish people (see e.g., the historical citings in this presentation), but its Eschatological fulfilment, which will involved the temporal establishment of, as discussed below, the Little Lamb Kingdom, with its dual, natural and Biblically mandated leading national objectives of “Justice and Peace” for this ‘True Messianic Israel of God’ (=Isa 11:1-10ff) entity (See e.g., Isa 42:4; 51:5; Isa 4:2-4|Mic 4:1-3), will also not be good news for this since forcefully and unlawful reestablished State of Israel, and also its present expanding Zionistic goals.

            The simple enforcement of the many ignored UN Resolutions against Israel (see e.g. here; full listing here), even, if still necessary, by legally-inherently-applicable, veto-challenging, Article 51, “coalition of the willing” UN provisions, would themselves prove to be quite corrective to/of the many injustices that Israel has done, and been tacitly permitted to do, by, particularly, Western Powers, -with the only just, for either side, end resolution being Israel having to pay past damages and a “national tenant tax” (e.g., 2.5% of Israel’s GDP) to the civilly/historically (i.e., and also not even religiously) rightful owners of that land (i.e., since the 70 A.D. and 125 A.D.) warring losses and expulsion/dispersions of the Jewish people from Palestine....And with the NJK then, with its KOAB defense system, being able to deterringly offset the threat of Nuclear WMD’s by Israel or its (Western) Allies.

[19] See a related discussion on this SOP statement here.

[20] Much, much more can be duly said in regards to the issue of the actual time of the Rev 5 Scroll, however this will require much more various resources that I single-handedly can/will presently expend on this issue. Nonetheless, an overview/cursory study on this topic, which has indeed revealed this need for much more extensive and deeper studies, is pointing to the understanding, as partially demonstrated in this blog post that there indeed are multiple possible application of this vision, all with the implication of a judgement of a prior, now irreparably apostasied, movement of God and its replacing with a new, GC-forwarding, movement of God.

Some major points/issues that have caused differences on this discussion in SDA Circles will be succinctly addressed here:

-It is foundationally believed from the Biblical account that Rev 4 is taking place in the Holy Place of God’s Heavenly Temple because the ‘7 lampstands’ are said to be before his throne (~Rev 4:5). However, as discussed here, the Greek word there is speaking of “7 torches/torch lights” and not the distinct “lampstands” and apparently the 7 lampstands are lighted by the fire from these 7 torches (=7 Spirits) before the throne of God.

-It is also foundationally claimed from EGW’s vision in EW 54-55 that both God and Jesus must have been in the Holy Place starting from the fulfillment of the Rev 5 vision. The short explanation seems to be that during a period of non-judgement, both God the Father and Jesus are operating in the Holy Place, however there comes a time when a judgement is to be effectuated and God then first leave for the Most Holy Place where this judgement is to take place, apparently to “file” indictments for those who will be arraigned for this judgement, then Jesus follows to plead any worthy cases. This judgement occurs and reoccurs at various major points in regards to temporal corporate decisions that need to be rectifyingly made, and one occurred in 70 A.D. to judge Old Israel, another in 1844 to launch the Remnant Church Movement, (and then also involving individual, salvation cases); and, as expounded in this blog post, recently to judge the SDA Church and begin the Church Triumphant establishment.

-Rev 5:6-7 speaks of the 7 Spirits (=eyes) of the Lamb (same as 7 torches before throne (Rev 4:5)) having (already) been sent (Gr. perfect participle) throughout the earth before the scroll is taken up, or even opened, by the Lamb. So it is not a reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost then. That event had already taken place by then, as that Spirit-diffusing event at Pentecost had already taken place by the Historical (i.e., 70 A.D.) fulfillment of Rev 4-5. [However for the also applicable, prior local/literal fulfillment of Rev 4-5 which is the one which fully transpired at Christ's final ascension 40 days after His resurrection, the prior Spirit-diffusing event for that fulfillment would be the, below-cited, precursory Holy Spirit outpouring that Jesus effectuated in John 20:21-22 on the day of His resurrection as He was right then "sending" His disciples.]*

-EGW’s mix up in the (at least 2) Ascensions of Christ is later discussed in some detail.

-Relatedly, EGW’s understanding/account of Rev 4&5 and Pentecost (AA 38.3 & Ed 95.3) is exegetically quite problematic by the many conflicts that are seen between her timeline/arrangement of the events there and what the Bible variously says in relation to all of this Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost events. Some examples of the issues involved here are:

-Jesus did “receive gifts” and then commission and anoint His disciples with the Holy Spirit during, and then upon returning from His first, resurrection day Ascension (DA 790.3-4; John 20:21-22).

-A High Priest Ministered in both apartments of the Sanctuary (1SG 160.1)

-Jesus received a mediatorial (i.e., priestly) throne (GC 416.3 = Zech 6:13). First re-/upbuilding the Temple (=Church) would then lead to the re-/upbuilding of the Kingdom.

-Rev 12:5 actually, accurately reads as ‘and the Child [neuter] was caught up to God and before His [masculine -i.e., God’s] throne.’

...among several other key points.

* As the local/literal fulfillment at Christ's ascension in 31 A.D. is indeed a valid fulfillment of Rev 4-5, (followed by the Historical fulfillment in ca. 70 A.D. and then an eschatological one today (ca. 1996)), as some have rightly interpreted, the 7 Horns and 7 Eyes in Rev 5:6 are indeed speaking of "omni-" attributes of Christ, in regards to omnipotence and omniscience respectively, though not in the prior "complete/total" (= "ten"), pre-incarnational/full-sacrifice power sense/extent/level as when Christ then fully had His Divine nature, but now in 'perfectly representational' authority' (=Matt 28:18; cf. Col 2:20; Matt 11:27), at the Right Hand of the Father's Power (1 Pet 3:22). And it has relatedly been deducedly claimed that only the Omnipresence of Christ is not cited there as Christ is (also) no longer omniscient after His maintain Human Incarnation and (Full) Sacrifice (see John 16:7|14MR 23.3), but that inability is actually compensated by the fact that the 7 Eyes (=views/perceptions) of the little lamb are still diffused throughout the Earth through the 7 Spirits. So, as indeed involved with the Holy Spirits aiding of Jesus now, the little lamb is still able to, representationally, be perfectly sent throughout the world. So the little lamb's 7 Spirits from its 7 Eyes provide its Omnipresence.

[21] If Daniel had not become exhausted and fallen sick as the angel Gabriel had begun to explain the “appearance” (Heb. mareh) of the 2300 days, it surely would have all been explained at the visit in 551 B.C. and not put off until 538 B.C. when Gabriel next returned; indeed to ‘continue to explain,’ and ‘give understanding into’ that previous time “appearance”. (Dan 9:20-23).  Interestingly, this explanation through the 70 Weeks, as with other ones (i.e., Dan 7:15ff ; 8:15ff), though then non-symbolic, and in more straightforward language, is still related in a quasi-encrypted, prophetic explanation, namely, interestingly enough, in regards to its time element, which was only begun to be fully understood in ca. 1800's.

[22] It is interesting that SDA interpreters see Dan 11:5ff as being fulfilled historically from the time of the splitting up of Greece into four sections under Alexander’s generals in ca. 323 B.C. (Dan 11:4), however, as objectively observable from the points made here, this prophecy is manifestly to only begin to find a historical application in events that pertain to the consummation of the GC, theologically and temporally implicating God’s True Israel, as explained in this blog post.

[23] It is indeed quite pivotally important to understand that the sealed parts of the prophecies of Daniel did involve (eschatological) portions from all of those prophetic chapters, all starting around the manifestation of the power which was to replace the fourth kingdom mentioned in Dan 2, namely Papal Rome, replacing Pagan Rome. (-Something that, as discussed here, Paul himself initiatingly began to understand in his own lifetime when, as presented here,  these final events could have been applicably fulfilled (without a day-year conversion) in the First Century A.D. And that is because such an understanding dispels the smug/naive/oblivious, but still otherwise “naturally” illogical interpretive belief of SDA that Rev 11 speaks of the French Revolution (=1790's) but the chapter which straightly precedes it, Rev 10, actually speaks of the Second Advent Movement (=1840's). The fact is that starting with the Protestant Reformers, God was actually working to have the Second Coming occur around the end of the 2300 days in 1844. So it was upon the start of the preaching of these “righteous” Reformers, really starting with the Waldenses (GC 61ff), that these sealed eschatological prophecies of Daniel began to be (naturally) unsealed (=Dan 12:3, 10), pointedly as they began to clearly rightly see that the Papacy was the antichrist power prophesied therein, leading to many other correct and “unlocking/unsealing” prophetic understandings.

            So Rev 10, which, as presented in here, indeed occurs in the Fifth Era of the 7-Part Series of Revelation, with the Fifth Parts all revolving around the Reformation’s efforts, does apply to the Reformers and their prophetic work. However because the failed to fully complete their reforms (=Rev 3:1-6), pointedly with Martin Luther knowingly refusing to return to the Bible, 7^th Day, Sabbath, though Rev 11 was then indeed fulfilled in the subsequent French Revolution events, God’s Reforming work was not then accomplished. And so God had to raise up another reformer and movement, namely William Miller, the “American Reformer” (GC 317-342ff) and his Millerite’s Great Second Advent Movement (GC 355ff), and they thus, as discussed in detailed later in this post, advanced the prophetic fulfillment of Rev 10, but also, failingly, not as fully as it could. SDA’s then arose from that group and tried, and also failed, to complete what was to be fully done by that Reformation, and so this is actually accurately how Rev 11 now, as discussed here, has an eschatological application on now/first, the present day SDA Church.*

            So in summary Rev 10 & 11 are dually, sequentially fulfilled as follows (cf. Dan 11 charting here):

Historically (1170's-1798+) = Protestant Reformers vs. Roman Catholic Church+French Revolution (“Age of Reason”)

Historico-Eschatologically (ca. 1840's-1996) = Second Advent Movement vs. Daughter Babylon+America (=“Capitalism”)

Eschatologically (1996-present) = NJK Project vs. SDA Church+Postmodernism (=“Age of Unreason” & Materialism)

            In their own way/sphere, both those former mainline Churches of God (i.e., the RCC, Daughter Babylon, and SDA Church) act their sequential, prophetic (religious) part to likewise oppose God’s True Reformation movement(s).


* And relatedly, and quite significantly so, the 9/11 Events in 2001 actually was the, -and that following the June 2000, last warning, documented here, Historicism capping, (indeed also Militant Islam related (see about the Historical Fifth Trumpet Rev 9:1-12 here)), “Second Woe” of Rev 11:14, and, completely Spiritually unbeknownst to Matt 25:1-13 ‘slumbering/moronic’ SDA’s, should actually have started the unravelling of Final Events, more than less (i.e., calamities-, yet not so merely “natural”, -wise) similarly to what was depicted to EGW’s (literalistic ally for her 19^th century context view), including the “soon Third Woe” =“National Ruin” judgment on Babylon (Rev 18:4-24), and that as “naturally”/predictably/sequiturly posited here!!

            But as the SDA Church was neither itself ready, nor had done its Israel-Sealing work, then, as Spiritually revealed/validated here, God then let developed His long prepared for and set up halting of the blowing of those Four Winds. And so, that Historic-al/-ist capping “Second Woe” actually, seamlessly became the resetted, Eschatological-launching, “First Woe” (see these  explanations about the post-1996 “Eschatological (Kingdom) application of the Fifth Trumpet in here)...with its also its similarly (Militant Islam-ish) related “Second Woe” coming, to be followed by its  “Eschatological Babylon” (i.e., the USA (Religious/Cultural/Militaristic/Economic) Empire)-toppling Rev 18:6-24 soon “Third Woe”, as depictingly delineated here.

[24] The context of that statement (6T 133, 134) shows how she (rightly) expected this ‘excellent unrolling work’ to be implemented, namely ‘through SDA Schools (i.e., Colleges) Training of the Youth,’ “cultivated and consecrated talent” ‘meek and non-novice Gospel Workers.’ cf. this post which echoes this understanding.

[25] In this 6-part series, Daniel Mesa, [cf. here], more than less substantiates his claim that the developments involved Three Angels Message had unfolded, and in strict order, (as then applicable/needed) during the key events recorded (by the author-composer of the book of Daniel, probably under Direct Holy Spirit Impression), in the first 6 chapters (the historical portion) of the book of Daniel.  Based on what Mesa presented (and I actually do not agree with every ‘point of proof’ which he has advanced, as some of these are substantively superficial):

First Angel’s Message (Rev 14:6-7)

Dan 1 = What is involved in “fearing God” rather than man, and “giving Him glory”.

Second Angel’s Message (Rev 14:8)

Dan 2 = Events leading up to ‘God’s Final Judgement’, which, as actually potentially possible in 1844, could have “straightly/immediately” (i.e. just like Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45, contra Dan 7:9-14, 26-27 & Dan 8:14, 25b, does not expound upon the Pre-Advent Judgement) involved the Second Coming of Christ and the implementation of His Kingdom.

Dan 3 = Worshipping the Creator, ‘the One which has made’, instead of the Creation, whatever he has made.

Dan 4 = Babylon’s Ideological (=‘Religious’ = “Head” (cf. Dan 2:37-38)) Fall. (Dan 4:30-32; cf. Isa 14:4-14ff =Rev 17)

Dan 5 = Babylon’s Physical (=Political) Fall. (=Rev 18)

Third Angel’s Message (Rev 14:9-11)

Dan 6 = Final Post (Rev 16:12), but Neo (Rev 16:13-14), Babylonian Conflict Manifestation (=Rev 16:16), all during a paganistic Medo-Persian (=deceptive “True”/Restored Christianity (cf. Rev 16:15)) Era. (=Rev 19)

            Given that God actually does fairly use the same All-Wise testing template for succeeding generations of His Israel as He tries, yet again to lead them to His ultimate Zionistic Triumph over, and in, this Fallen World (Dan 11:45), it is not at all surprising that the Three Angels’ Messages in Revelation had an effectuated implementation in those key stories of Dan 1-6, pointedly as it then, as with the post 1798 AD historical context of the prophecies of the 3AM, involved working to salvage a Remnant of God’s Israel in, and eventually completely out of, Babylon. So Dan 1-6 involved a historical template, and, as seen above Dan 7-12 extended into the final, prophetic template of God rescuing of His Babylonian Captured and/or Captivated (=Rev 17:2, 18:2-3, 23) Israel.

...But, as it was also the case over here with Daniel Mesa, and likewise with Steven Wohlberg here, who upon having discovered a valid Biblical “pattern”, are completely thrown for a loop when they encountered a diverging element to their grasped, “elementary” pattern, here also, Daniel Mesa surely had noticed (see here [09:19]), that his claim that Daniel 3 is part of the First Angels’ Message for its “worship Him who made (=the Creator)” stipulation, does not actually reconcile with the fact that EGW has staunchly linked the Image Formation on the Plain of Dura in Dan 3 with the Forming of an Image by the Second Beast of Rev 13. (See 7BC 976.7-9|Mar 214; cf. PK 513.1). Instead Mesa merely claims the episode of Daniel 6 to be typological of the Final Conflict of Revelation. Well, as was the resolving actuality in those prior encountered divergents by Mesa and Wohlberg, the resolution here also revolves around the fact that God had long “wisely” planned for a prophetic resetting (in 1999) of events, due to the Ezek 8 failure of SDAs, for what would have been the “ending times”.(started in 1996) and catapulted by the unrestrained Four Winds (i.e. Rev 7:1-3ff) events of 9/11/01.

            To succinctly present this resolution here, another “abnormality” has really baffled SDA prophetic expositors, and that is the fact that EGW certainly has stated that the Mark of the Beast test will occur before, in fact for, the Shaking of the SDA Church, even before/for the sealing of  its overcoming members, thus before the close of their probation. (7BC 976.2-3|LDE 227.3; 5T 81.1|LDE 173.6) And that indeed transpires firstly with/amongsts SDAs before the Loud Cry preaching revealed in EW 271.2 meaning that EW 269.1-271.1 describes those events of the Shaking while the Mark of the Beast image and test has already been form and effected, pointedly towards SDAs, then what follows in the sealing and gathering of the rest of God’s Israel (Rev 7:4b-8ff) after the ‘Spurious Sabbath Law’ has been past.

            Long story summarily short, the reason why Rev 13:11-18 can still be typologically precedented by the events in the “Demanded Worship” of Dan 3, -during the reign of Babylon and not the “Legislated Worship” of Dan 6, during the Babylon-succeeding reign of Medo-Persia (in Babylon), is because the Second Beast actions of Rev 13:11-18 actually are a prior, actually “Little Time of Trouble” effectuation, while the “Great Time of Trouble” occurs later, under the Rev 16:12-16 right through Rev 17-19 warring, Neo-Babylonian “Har-Mageddon” gathering. Indeed Rev 13:15 does not actually stipulate that the image of the beast itself would kill any dissenters, but rather, using the Greek subjunctive mood, that it: ‘may make that as many as may not worship it, may be killed.’. In other words, that “image of the Beast” movement will be merely acting to indirectly make it that dissenters would somehow find death. E.g. in vital hardships through (systematic) marginalization. Furthermore the US has been artificially, deludingly bolstering its false Gospel proclamations (=Rev 13:13) both by: (1) Spiritually/Religiously its claims of ‘God Blessing them in any, even perverse, thing they do’; and (2) Civilly/Politically through their imposed military consequences for non-compliance to their Satanically-perverted image of Freedom, Happiness, Success and Prosperity.

            Furthermore, LDE 228.2 pinpoints the genesis of the image of the Beast to be because the Church had ‘departed from the simplicity of the gospel and accepting heathen rites and customs, and thus lost the Spirit and power of God. And to make of for that unappealing dearth, it sought the assistance of the civil power.’ Likewise today, by having forsaken the simplicity of Christ Gospel message, resorting instead to worldly policies, pointedly in regards to artificially limiting the power and work of God by “Mammon”, the Church today, including the SDA Church, has formed that image, which moreover enforces this anti-Sabbatical dogma by making it that any who would want to return to the simplicity of Christ’s Gospel, where cooperating people/members provide and do much more than this god of money and worldly pricing policies would suffer hardship and thus would surely return to conforming to their faithless, world-fearing, idolatrous way of doing things. This was most object-lessonly seen amongst SDAs with God’s purposed David Gates Experience amongst them, pointedly starting in ca. 1999-2000 as David Gates himself resolved to ‘seek to do anything that God would lead him to pursue in regards to advancing the Work’ and that opportunity came a little while later, starting in ca. 2002, with the object-lesson $1.5 Million Bolivia TV Network episode. The Church then, both its formal leadership (GC, Division, Unions, Conferences), its foremost membership (e.g., ASI members) or its collective “rank and file” membership, who despite all hearing and knowing of Gates need then, actually did not do anything beyond mere empty lip service to support him, as they easily could, especially collectively have done, (e.g. an organized ca. $0.20 per Global SDA Church member offering collection for Gates’ project). Instead, the Church chose to persist in its worldly: faithless and selfish way of trying to do God’s work. (Tellingly enough, the Church still had not learned its lesson from the prior 3ABN episode).

            And so, the SDAs “image of the Beast” testing pointedly revolves around this “fuller Sabbath” implication which involves such socio-economic Divine requirements. SDAs having indeed long, atrociously, failed that Mark of the Beast Shaking/Sealing testing, and now, they have ‘unwittingly” long joined the ensuing Har-Mageddon gathering, which itself is subtlely much more deceptive, as it now, under the guidance of Satan appearing as an Angel of Light, is also pushing for “good (humanitarian) works” to be done..but also surely not according to the faith and Biblical socialistic ways of God, but variously, according to the profit/self-seeking dogma of Capitalism. And that is why SDAs will much prefer to give ca. $4 million worth of, actually merely/mainly cosmetic/checking up (e.g. here|here|here/within here), “medical” services in the US fish bowl, where they are more likely to reap “influencing” attention and glory for themselves, -all furtheringly echoing the fact 70% of their Global Hospital services are in the United States, while ignoring the plight of people in poor countries who are needing vital, actually medical, interventions. But for them, and their Satanically-perverted “Second Coming” Theology, they blasphemously think that God is as selfish as them and that their “living and letting die” , moreover explicitly in the name of God, and thus only intervening when you either can reap a profiting reward or only as the Capitalistic economy allows for, perfect represents His Character and gives glory to Him.

            So, recapping here, by 1999, as indicated in this first vision, the probation of SDAs, particularly its leadership, had decidedly closed (=the June 2000 Rev 11 message here), as later developments only objectively proved. The SOP-prophesied, Four Winds releasing events in the 9/11 developments were thus duly curtailed, and their Divine-proving through the David Gates experience, which actually ended when ‘Lazarus remained dead’ by November of 2008 ended their Rev 13 “image of the Beast” testing. Since then they have naturally all been idolatrously deeply-deluded part of the Angel of Light deception under the much more binding “(fuller) Mark of the Beast” era enforcements all increasingly uniting against God’s Little Lamb movement; which is however nonetheless to decidedly triumph over all of them. (Rev 17:14; 19:11-16, 17-21). Then the Dan 6 “Lion’s den” of these faithful ones, will be in them, in full faith (Dan 6:23b) remaining faithful to God’s Call and Cause, when the specially-leagued ‘Babylonian/MOB-camp’s “kingdoms” (=Rev 17:11-13) (=“lions” cf. Dan 7:4) of the world will, as pawns of Satan (cf. 1 Pet 5:8), be salivating for the destruction of them and their Temporal Jubilee Millennium Zionistic Kingdom (=NJK) work/plans.

            In fact, Mesa’s Dan 1-6 =3AM understanding can correctingly/furhteringly be more accurately presented to actual involve the above presented “Image of the Beast” testing/sealing effectuation of the Three Angels’ Messages firstly upon the professed people of God themselves (=SDA’s/Judah) in Dan 1-3, from:

Dan 1 - Getting them to fear God and give glory to Him in the context of His (Dan 8:14) Investigative judgement.

Dan 2 - Them working, but failing, to properly usher in God’s Kingdom (as per their granted “Plan B” Second Coming covenant).

Dan 3 - Having their profession and faith provingly tested by seeing where they stand in the face of Babylon’s defiant opposing plans to God’s World Ordering Will.

            And then, once that is completed on SDAs, God then turns to the wider world, including the rest of Christendom (11 other tribes), then under a Latter Rain “Fall of Babylon” Loud Cry (=Rev 18) re-effectuation of those Three Angels Messages, pointedly focusing of the message of the Third, during the Har-Mageddon period, as typologically delineated in Dan 4-6

Dan 4 - Ideological Fall of Babylon

Dan 5 - Physical Fall of Babylon

Dan 6 - Triumph over the subtle formal actions of a deceptively seemingly “truly Christian/good”, but still, in fact even more, Satanically-deceived Neo-Babylon entity.

            So, confirmedly by now: Synagogue of Satan SDAs, do keep infantilely/drunkedly/moronically (=Isa 28:7-13) looking into, even the “very near future”, for your Spiritually-void, mere (contra. 6T 17.1) “letter of the Law” (=2 Cor 3:7-18) “Sunday Law” fulfillments. That ‘law of God-voiding’ MOB “test” (5T 81.1) has long been unwittingly dully “fully” effectuated upon you all, which you all atrociously failed (=GC 615.1), thus remaining unsealed (LDE 219.4), and thus have been the “naturally” most easy pawns in, prey for, Satan’s deceptions (=EW 266-269)...an  mirroringly “utter failure” typological fact and development that God had long expected of His “Judah” tribe (Ezek 9:8-11; LDE 59-61), and thus foreplanningly prepared for such a worst case scenario (Ezek 11:14-25; 15MR 292.3-4)!!

[26] See the summary documentation in C. Mervyn Maxwell, God Cares, Vol. 2 276-278 which is based on the more scholarly documentation of Leroy Froom, Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Vol. 3 [PDF] pp. 33-42, 125-134, 181-185.

[27] A careful study of the symbols of the person in Dan 10:5, 6, as follows, indeed compares to, and parallels, the person in Ezek 9 and reveals many key understandings for both, further substantiating that they are indeed synonymous representations of the same person and also the same type of Spiritual action.

Bible’s Prophetic Personages Appearances

            First of all, as a key explanatory, introductory examination, EGW says in regards to Dan 10:5-7 that: “No less a personage than the Son of God appeared to Daniel.” (4BC 1173.2; cf. GC 470.3). Again here, as seen in the discussion in this present post about the Mighty Angel of Rev 10, EGW uses, the would be obvious/redundant “qualifier”: “no less than a personage...”. As discussed in those segments, this use of “Personage” leaves open the substitution of someone else who was especially given the same authority in this mission as Christ’s own. As explained in this present post, as well as this related one, this ‘Personage” was evidently capable of being fulfilled by the Might(iest) Angel Gabriel.

            The fact that, as EGW also/further says in 4BC 1173.2 that: “Our Lord now comes with another heavenly messenger to teach Daniel...” would seem to imply that the person that interacts with Daniel from vss. Dan10:10-21 is different than the one who had appeared in the vision of Dan 10:5-7, however there is no introduction or antecedent link to who the “he” of Dan 10:11 who had touched Daniel in Dan 10:10 is. In fact, it sequiturly is the person who was just referred by “his” in Dan 10:9; i.e., the one who Daniel was hearing speaking in Dan 10:6b.

            Also given the exegetical indication that the one who is interacting with Daniel in Dan 10:10-21 is twice (literally) referred to as “one like a likeness of sons of man” (Dan 10:16 & 18) which is synonymous to Rev 1:13 & 14:14's: “one like unto a son of man”, indeed leaves open the possibility that these are references to that initial “Certain Man”. This is confirmed by the fact that this “certain man” figure continues to speak to Daniel right through chapters 11 & 12 (with Dan 10-12 indeed being a single, uninterrupted prophetic revelation) and in Dan 12:6, he is again indeed referred to as he was described in Dan 10:5, 6, and is manifestly still in the same location of over the waters of the Tigris River as he was before (cf. Dan 10:4). Now he is joined by two “others” (i.e., “angels”, and probably ‘two “other” Mighty Angels’). And as in Dan 10:16-19, Daniel in 12:8 continues to refers to him as “my lord”.

            What appears to have been the case here, first with Daniel, is that Gabriel was the one who had appeared to him in the initial, Christlike, vision, and after Daniel fell into a “deep sleep” (Dan 10:9), Gabriel appearance was “toned down” (i.e., less glorious/symbological), as he had evidently made his point, as Daniel indeed took full notice and note of, and now only interacted with Daniel in mere human form.

            In regards to EGW’s understanding, in the greater light of what is brought out when this “Personage” topic is fully studied out, she manifestly was not given the full/pointed light on the possible fulfillments of this ‘Certain Man dressed in white linen’ figure; and here thought that this could solely be ‘Christ in person.’ By the odd use of her almost “self-convincing”: “No less than a Personage...” enunciation when speaking of this, and other similar appearances, leads me to suspect that she was not shown, if actually even shown anything at all on this, that this was definitely Christ in person. So she just made this supposedly “obvious” conclusion. However, God had prophetically left the fulfillment of this character open, and to be dependent on, the pertinent application that it would have in developing history.

            So this was really here an appearance of Gabriel first in a glorious and symbological form, and then continuing in a “normal” human form.

            As detailed here, these, actually, interim fulfillments by Gabriel of the prophetic “one like unto a son of man” appearances are all mercifully due to the pertinent nonreadiness of God’s people. (cf. Rev 6:17's application to the Church as also discussed in that post). Thus an ultimate fulfillment/appearance by Christ Himself would actually doom them. Indeed, as it is revealed through exegetical interpretation below, this coming of Gabriel is synonymous with the coming to Judah in judgement of Ezek 9, which in turn is related to the sealing in Rev 7:1-4a.

‘certain man dressed in white linen’ - It is most pivotal to note here that this all-white linen was not, as commonly presumed/assumed, the colors for the daily sins services ministration of an Israelite priest, but for his Day of Atonement ministration (Lev 16:4, 23, 32-34). This was the color for this special “holy” garment (Lev 16:4, 32b). [And not every translations citing of the word “linen” refers to ‘white colored linen’ (=Strongs #0906)]. On the other hand, as stated in Exod 28 which deals with the main garments of the priest, the colors to be used for the regular “daily” services were many others colors (see Exod 28:5), and manifestly, but white (with the priest’s robe actually being blue (Exod 28:31). [See in this post on Rev 17:4 for the spiritual significance of these colors. -The all-white color is manifestly representative of (achieved/acceptable/accepted) righteousness (cf. Rev 19:8) and stands against these other colors which, comprehensively comparatively, manifestly are representative of the various “building blocks/layers/coatings” that, when blended together, should, actually “supernaturally”, lead towards that achieved/acceptable/accepted righteousness. (cf. Rev 7:14)]). And the only use of the ‘all white” Hebrew term in the priestly ‘daily services’ garment instructions is in Exod 28:42 which is there specifying the required ‘white color’ for the priest’s undergarment/breeches (cf. Ezek 39:28), manifestly, as still common nowadays, to readily spot when they become dirty. The only, and quite momentarily, and thus quite strikingly, instance, when the priest was to wear a white robe for a daily sacrifice service/ceremony was specifically for the brief time/action stated in Lev 6:9-10 when he was to: take the overnight produced ashes of the then consumed burnt offering and merely place them besides the altar. And then he was to change from this all-white tunic/robe to another garment (thus symbologically signifying/representing a change of ‘occupational responsibility’ and ‘personnel duty’), in order to dump those ashes outside the camp. (Lev 6:11). So his most-pointed, white-linen “responsibility/duty” here was, manifestly, to, quasi-symbolically-speaking: ‘merely remove the waste byproduct of the applied element/energy that had consumed the “burnt offering”’ (which was distinct from a “sin offering” (see e.g., Lev 5:7)), -with the burnt offering probably to reflect the sin cleansing which will be done through Hell’s Fire. And in a way, just as a grill or chimney must be periodically cleaned in order to most efficiently operate (i.e., facilitate the burning), it can be deductively seen that the pointed responsibility/duty of the all-white dressed priest was merely to readily make sure that the altar was clean, and thus most “effectuatious”, for/in its next burning period, and not even to ‘dispose of the removed ashes to a clean place” (Lev 6:11)!! And, spiritually speaking, the more knowing/deliberate/culpable, and indifferently so, the sinning, the, actually, more (vs. longer) will be the Millennium Judgement-meted out ‘guilt-extracting-“tormenting”’ lifetime burnings, which that sinner will have to be kept alive to endure. [And people think that the Devil will be “in charge” of Hell’s fire!]

            And so the all-white clothed priest, (and thus the Dan 10=Ezek 9 figure), had very little to do with the daily ministrations dealing with the camps sins and dedicatedly was to focus on Atonement aspects of the Temple Services, which inherently were actions/deliberation of/for Judging/Judgement purposes. And in relation to what is later said about the Rev 1:12-20 figure (=Jesus), the color of His robe, which He is wearing while “daily” ministering in the Holy Place, is not actually specified (cf. Rev 1:13), and based on the understanding above, was probably not all-white, as also commonly assumed and illustratively depicted. (e.g., in God Cares, 1:88)

            Now this figure here is thematically readily seen to be the same as Ezekiel’s Sealing man (9:2b ff) which EW 279.2 says that this was an angel sent from heaven. (cf. 4BC 1161.5) A comparison with the ‘Jesus-commissioned Angel sent to command the other Four Mighty Angels to ‘Hold the Four winds’ (EW 38.1) thus shows that ‘Sealing Angel’ was also a “Mighty Angel.” And here, i.e., in his actual sealing work on earth, he is made to look like a man, which even Daniel cannot figure out that it is an angel. Dan 9:21 shows that Gabriel is indeed apt to effectuate such a ‘man appearance’ transformation. And to confirm this identification, as expounded upon in this study (Section II B), SOP statements, comparatively read together, show that this sealing was ‘the mightiest/highest of angels in Heaven, and was indeed the Angel Gabriel. (TM 444, 445; DA 779, 780; 693.3; PP 35.1; 5BC 1123.5; MH 379.4 (Luke 1:19)).

‘whose waist was girded with [a belt]’ - waist=loins (#04975) thus this girded ‘belt region’ is synonymous with the inkhorn/writing kit also at the “waist/loins” of the ‘Man [also] clothed in white linen’ in Ezekiel (see Ezek 9:2-3, 11). What is also significant in this symbolism is in the functional aspect of a belt. A belt is either worn as pure decoration, or has a main functional purpose. In our day of non-robe wearing, especially for men, as is the being in this prophetic description, this functional purpose is to ‘hold one’s pants up’, and of course, so as to not, in various degree, “expose” that person. The similar functional purpose was seen in those wearing robes back in Bible times, which were mostly parted throughout the front. (cf. Isa 22:21)

            So, as it can be seen today with a bathrobe, a belt is very important to keep it closed. So in the symbolism of ‘a belt for a robe’ (robe = ‘nakedness-covering righteousness’ (see e.g., Isa 61:10; Job 29:14; cf. Rev 16:15 = Matt 22:1-14), the belt is understood to be: ‘the key practical/tangible implement, (as discussed next), that helps to maintain this condition of (acceptable) righteousness’.

            This sequiturly arrived at observation about the spiritual/symbolic function of the belt is actually concretely validated by a more textual/indepth study of it in relation to the priorly mentioned (all-white linen clothing). Summarily said, the Hebrew Bible makes a distinction between a robe (#04598) and a tunic (#03801) (see e.g., in Exod 28:4, with the “robe” being a long, one piece covering with, for the priests, a slight opening at the top to avoid it ever tearing (Exod 39:23). (That is what made the symbolic gesture of ‘tearing ones robe’ (e.g., Ezra 9:3, 5 Job 1:20; 2:12; cf. Gen 37:34; 44:13; Matt 26:65; Acts 16:22) most striking/shocking and significant.) On the other hand the “tunic” was a ‘robe-covering coat’ (e.g., Joseph’s varicolored one (Gen 37:3); cf. Job 30:18). In fact the common LXX Greek translation of the word “robe” is “hypodytes”, whose prefixed preposition term “hypo”, meaning “under/below” inherently  makes this term an “under robe”, i.e., one that can, and should, be covered with a tunic/coat. And “hypodytes” is the LXX Greek term that is used for the priestly “robe” of Exod 28:31, 33,34; cf. 36:29-33.

            Now what ties all this to the above-distinguished and explained “all-white linen clothing” and the ‘functional belt’ understanding here is that the priests’ Day of Atonement, all-white clothing of linen was, as specified in, Lev 16:4, actually a tunic, and as also specified in that verse, it had to be “girded”/fastened around the waist (cf. Dan 10:5 & Isa 32:11) by an (also white) sash/belt. (Cf. Isa 22:21) Both (1) this key distinction between the (opened) “tunic and the (one piece) “robe”, and (2) the fact that the tunic had to be fastened by belt to close it, whereas a robe did not need a belt for this functional purpose, but rather for a decorative one, is clearly seen in Lev 8:7, 13; where in vs. 7 it is shown that a sash was used to fasten/close up the tunic, whereas an “artistic band” of the ephod (Exod 28:6) was used to gird the (already closed) robe. Indeed Exod 28:31 reveals that that robe was to directly receive the decorative ephod of the priest. Thus when the priest was to be consecrated, the tunic was also worn, covering all of this up, sort of as a way to consecrated him for both his daily and atonement functions at the same time.

‘[of] pure gold of Uphaz*’ - By this correlation, this thus means that the ‘marking content’ of that inkhorn, that seals God’s People in Judah, is qualitatively as most valuable and pure as gold. Direct Inspiration tells us in regards to the symbolic meaning of gold, as seen in the Laodicean remedying solution of the Faithful and True Witness, that it is: ‘faith and love combined, and love takes the precedence of faith which Satan tries to replace amongst God’s people with selfishness and unbelief, which, when instilled, destroy all other spiritual traits (2T 36, 37). (See in this post for more on this symbol). =The standard that Jesus Christ “guaranteed” to all of Heaven that He would manage to achieve in those whom He would redeem from fallen man. (3SP 203.1)

[*Uphaz (or possibly Ophir) was simply a region where (perhaps high quality, which thus did not need further refinement) gold was found. (cf. Jer 10:9 or Isa 13:12) - see SDABD, 1143]

‘his body also was like beryl’ - “beryl” was a choice precious and jewel material/metal (Exod 28:20; 39:13; Ezek 28:13) used to set gold in (see Sol 5:14). It was also the choice material for use as the wheels of the representation of God’s throne (Ezek 1:16) probably as it was likely one of the hardest material that was readily found during those days, with a hardness almost twice as strong as iron and matching hardened steel, and thus was probably second only to diamond for this hardness quality in those days, and maybe first, if diamonds were either not easily found then or mechanically not as malleable in order to form wheels. In order to literally “ensure” the mobility of God’s Throne when it touched down on earth in Ezek 1 & 10, this hardest and precious metal was therefore used. Of course since, this material was taken from, and shaped in, Heaven, there would not be such earthly quantitative and handling limitation to it, however to be readily and properly understood in such symbolism, a material had to be chosen that was readily identifiable and understandable to Daniel and other humans. So the symbolism here was that, just like we today say of a fitly strong person that ‘he/she has a body/muscles of steel, Daniel would readily see a “body of beryl” as a symbol of (exceedingly & choicely) great strength.

‘his face had the appearance of lightning’ - As explained here, and as it will be discussed later in this post, the ‘face’ is symbolically used to represent ‘the most identifiable, recognizable and/or prominently presented aspect of a person. Also in regards to ‘lightning’, also further explained in those same two locations, represents concrete and manifested judgement’ (vs. “thunder” which is merely the sound of that non-concretely seen judgment). So in this symbolic representation, the ‘most identifiable, recognizable and/or prominently presented’ aspect of the Man clothed in white linen is that of ‘concrete and manifested judgement.’ This understanding also perfectly harmonizes with the judgement actions “green lighted” by the sealing Man with the inkhorn in Ezek 9 due to the abominations related in Ezek 8 (discussed here). This is a judgement that is tangibly executed by six other summoned/contracted men each with their own destructive implement. (Ezek 9:2a).

‘his eyes were like flaming torches’ - “Eyes” are a representation of one’s Spirit in that they, more than anything else (e.g., provides 80% of all sensory input) concretely shape how one thinks, i.e., how one views things. (E.g., Rev 5:6; cf. 1:4; 4:5). So with them being “flaming torches” here, they would thus have more of a projecting, rather than receiving function, and this, thus ‘projection of (Spiritual) views’ as fire is representing the impartation of Spiritual/Theological (i.e., Spirit of God =‘Spirit-filled/led’) views that ‘ministeringly serve’ (=Heb 1:7b)  to: (1) consume what it consumable (e.g. the “chaff” in the Church -Matt 3:12|Luke 3:17), and (2) purify, harden, and/or make fully ready the rest (“gold-ish/-containing” characters, thus purifyingly producing, through these “testings of faith”, ‘gloriously full/loving righteousness’ =1 Pet 1:6-8; cf. 1 John 3:14-19), -however necessary, and, also spiritually-speaking, to whatever beneficial or detrimental end/extent. (=EW 15.2b; Cf. Luke 11:34-36).

            Indeed, “fire” is symbolically used for a baptism of (= “immersing” into) God’s Holy Spirit, and that in Completing/Latter Rain power (=Matt 3:11b|Luke 3:16b; Acts 1:5; 2:3-4). The preliminary Holy Spirit’s Baptism of “breath/wind” (John 20:22 & Acts 2:2) was symbolic/representative of a (physicalistic) “new/renewed life/psyche” (John 3:3, 7-8 =Gen 2:7). The initiating baptism of water that John the Baptist preached and effectuated (Matt 3:11a|Luke 3:16a John 3:5-6) was that of a “washing” of cognisant repentance for the prior life/living (cf. Matt 3:7-8|Luke 3:7-8a). Interestingly enough, as seen in natural processes involving “air and/with fire” (i.e., “Holy Spirit and fire” -Matt 3:11b|Luke 3:16b), when a “container” (=a believer) filled with “air” (=new spiritual birth) is heatingly processed with “fire” (Latter Rain Spirit), “water” is then produced (=John 7:38-39; Isa 44:3), which is a key element for both initiating and sustaining life. And that is indeed the “restoration” objective and end goal that God is aiming and endeavoring to most tangibly do through a people who are thus fully imbued by the workings of His Spirit, -indeed to the point of “beneficially” overflowing throughout the rest of the world (Acts 1:8|Matt 24:14; Ezek 47:1-12 = Rev 22:1-3a; Isa 58:11b)...Such symbology in the Bible is, through the guidance of God’s Spirit, indeed all deliberate, purposeful, and connected. (E.g., most relatedly and pertinently, Matt 5:6|John 7:37|Isa 55:1ff|Rev 7:16-17|Rev 21:5-6; cf. Ezek 36:33-38).

            Hence this is all what these “Latter Rain-inspired (Eschatological) “Theological Views” are to ‘resurrectingly’ (=“silverly” = ‘typologically’ = EW 16:1a), indeed “mercifully” (Rom 9:27-29 (-and with the LXX’s Isa 10:22 “cut short in righteousness” implication, though it perhaps was addedly inserted here in MSS used for the KJV)|Matt 24:22), do in/for this 15MR 292.3-4|Rev 7:1-3ff injunctive prolonged time era!!

‘his arms and feet’ - It is most interesting and significant to note here in regards to the mention of “arms” and “feet” here that, in the first case, it is not the “hands”, nor, in the other case, the actual “feet” that are pointedly referred to here, but rather, the “arms” (#02220) and “place/region of the feet” (#04772). In the case of these “arms,” this is also used to figuratively speak of “strength and force”, and thus the “power with which to do things” versus the “means with which to do things” as symbolically represented by the “hands”. Indeed just as one’s hand strength comes from the arms and not the hands, though without the hands, such strength has very limited or no “means” of being implemented or even developed. In regards to the ‘place/region of the feet’, what is thus being symbolically emphasized here is not “the means of going places” or even “standing establish in a place”, but rather ‘an acceptable alternative method that represents such physical “movement” and establishment.’

‘like the gleam/appearance of polished bronze’ - It is readily understandable, that in term of surface/apparent luster and derived valuableness, bronze indeed comes behind the more valued and preferred gold and silver. However with this bronze is ‘made to shine’ by being “polished”, it can, not only match the exterior luster of the other two valuable metals, but then also has a constitutional firmness that these other two metals do not have, being even generally harder than wrought iron. So while not being gold or silver in its attractiveness, because of this matching exterior luster and its inherent superior hardness (cf. Jer 15:20), it is combinedly, an acceptable replacement for the other two, especially in terms of reliable functionality.

-So, summarily (re-)stated thus far, these two statements together reveal that the “corporal” [=person] “strength” [=arms] and “alternative” [=bronze] “establishments”/“movements” [=region of feet] of this “Man” may not be as externally attractive and “popularly” valued [=gold and silver], however they were nonetheless acceptable replacements, and also, still substantively stronger/firmer than these other two metals. [Just as pointedly spiritually/typologically involved in Moses’s bronze serpent. (=Num 21:8-9|Isa 52:14; 53:2|John 3:14-15)]*

“the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude” - The straightforward understanding here is that though one person, the sound of that Man in White Linen was being projected as the sound of a multitude of people. Thus a strength of a multiple and unified crowd of people is being depicted as being equivalent to this single voice. In the SOP this sound is seen to be equivalent to God’s own voice that sounds like many waters which is symbolically also “many people”. So this voice is also being shown to be the same as the voice of God, through a same-sounding (i.e, harmonious) expression of the same will/objective. In the Bible/SOP this Special Voice (i.e., in this sounding) is said to: e.g., give the day and Hour of Christ Coming, which only the 144,000 know and understand this voice (EW 14.1); state/confirm when judgement is over, shaking the Heavens and the Earth (EW 285) and simultaneously delivering God’s People (GC 636.2 = Rev 16:17ff); cf. Rev 19:6.

-As seen in this symbolism above for this Manifestation/Appearance in Dan 10:5-6, the conveyed notion here is “Judgement”, however in the symbolism for the similar, but distinct and different Manifestation/Appearance in Rev 1:12-16 of, albeit, in extent, “generically” [e.g., Dan 8:17; cf. Rev 21:6-7; Luke 3:38b; 2 Cor 6:14-18] also: “one like unto a son of man” (though that description is expressedly, signatorily assumed by Jesus Himself** (Rev 1:17-20; cf. 21:6; 22:13; [Rev 1:17b = Isa 41:4; 44:6-7; 48:12-13]), the conveyed notion there is: ‘intrinsic Priestly/Pastoral Church Ministry’, indeed as it is then done in Rev 2 & 3.

            This key functional differentiation between those two priestly figures was expressed above in the discussion about the functionally different (i.e., sins/daily vs. Atonement/yearly) color of clothing that they are wearing, as well as the location/function of their belt, and it can further be added here that the Dan 10:5-6 figure is wearing an (all-white) tunic, while the Rev 1:13 shows that the priestly figure there, who is ministering (the “daily sin services”) in the Holy Place, is thus wearing the Exod 28:31 blue ‘long robe’ (of/for the ephod -Exod 28:6), -literally: “a robe that reaches to the feet” (Gr. poderes).

            And it is corroboratingly further significant that, of the 12 various symbolic descriptions used in Rev 1:12-16 for the characterization of the ‘one like unto a son of man’ there, they are all repeated in the opening statement of the first 5 (actually 4.5***) Church Eras (Rev 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1) except for two: the “voice was like the sound of many waters” (Rev 1:15b) and the “face was like the sun shining in its strength” (Rev 1:16b). With the ‘voice like many waters’ referring to a replacingly new movement of God being “populated” and expanding throughout the earth (Ezek 43:1-12; Rev 19:6-10 -see comment here) and ‘the face like the sun’ being involved, as shown in the present post, in also a new movement of God (Rev 10:1ff), then it appears that the pointed reason for these omissions is because the primary mandate here is indeed one of Priestly/Pastoral ministry in the then standing/mainline Church. However, as seen in Church History, by the 5^th Church Era, when a Protesting Movement was formally established (thus ca. from the 1560's), this prior ministry had by then been completely exhausted in that Mainline Church, and the mandate now was to work to upbuild the replacing Remnant Movement of “Protestants”, and that, to the Righteous level that they needed to become in order to truly/actually replace the apostasied previous Church. It is then that other Divine/Godly elements/attributes (namely #5 Rev 3:1 = Rev 1:4; 4:5; 5:6b; #6 Rev 3:7 = Isa 22:22; #7 Rev 3:14 = Rev 1:5) are used for the last 2.5*** Church Ages.

* More pointedly expressed here, the chief fulfillment of this symbolism is currently being seen in the sharing of these ‘major Theological View’ messages [=Mighty Angel] through an internet blog [=bronze region of the feet]. The most valued, and thus normative pursued/used means, to sharing such messages is through the Live and In Person sermons which are then, more widely distributed through Video/Television and/or Audio/Radio. The use of a “printed” means instead is easily seen as being a third rate/best [=bronze] option. And with this means being here an internet blog vs. a published book, it is, normatively, widely considered to be even less valuable, as the common belief is that ‘if someone has expended the money to print a hard copy of their message/studies, then it must be “more valuable” (i.e., (more) true)’. However when all things are substantively, vs. cosmetically, weighed in here, as depicted in the significant ‘luster and hardness’ values and properties of the “polished bronze” symbol, an internet blog is a “most valuable” way of sharing this message.

            First of all, as seen in the fact that, normatively, many people, either attending, watching or listening to a sermon (i.e., in Congregation, on TV/Video, on Radio/Audio) usually, particularly if the sermon involves deep Biblical studies, are taking copious notes, reflects the benefits of having a written copy/transcript of that sermon/seminar/presentation. A written, and moreover, electronic (thus searchable), document also allows for the more ready studying out of a sermon/presentation’s message, e.g., in finding a statement, which would involve for the other “gold and silver” formats, having to reread, rewatch or relisten to, practically the entire sermon/presentation just to find that single statement. As preferred by many preachers, having a manuscript of their sermon is best for them, especially when the sermon is more technical/exegetical than anecdotal, as it allows them to more accurately, and thus clearly convey their message. This ‘precision and clarity’ advantage is indeed easily provided in a published sermon.

            Secondly, the reason, in terms of why a sermon/message/study shared on an Internet Blog/eBook is not only better than a Live, Video or Audio delivery, but also better than a printed book, is seen in the fact that if there are any substantive changes to be made after the presentation/delivery, for a Live presentation, another similar assembling occasion either has to be reorganized, or awaited, and for a Video or Audio presentation, (which could also merely be the posting of a video or audio recording on the internet), either that entire sermon has to be rerecorded and posted, or an out-of-context amending recording has to be done and posted. Same thing for a book where another edition of the book has to be published or correcting pages have to be published, even merely, and ‘out of context’, in a periodic journal. However, with an Internet Blog/eBook, these changes can easily be made in the message, and readily published. Various highlighting, which can even be done by document version comparison software, can even indicate where those changes were made.#

            Thirdly, in terms of mass distribution, the distribution of something on the internet instantly has a potential global audience whereas conventional TV and Radio, and also a locally spoken, sermon do not. And in cases of internet streamed/uploaded video/audio, in terms of applicable quite significant bandwidth issues for most, a written text comparatively also has a more potentially wide reach. And in terms of being found on the internet, with its content itself serving as, even more valued, meta-tags, -content identifiers which have to be quite limitedly appended to video and audio uploads, a blog posting thus has an inherent better chance of being listed in an internet search. Internet video and audio are rather more readily found by those who already know to find them, whereas a written text is more randomly accessed, and thus reaches an even wider audience. And with the NJK Project intending to reach to a Christian-wide audience (=Rev 7:4-8ff), this is also a key benefit from its blog postings.

            Fourthly, in regards to the commonly assumed, superficial, ‘live audience validating’ for a sermon, as it is thought that: ‘since there are many people present, then the message must be true/truer’, as if that audience, or even, in case of a guest speaker, the hosting Pastor/Church, actually, thoroughly-screeningly, knew in advance all that was going to be said/presented in the sermon. It is however collectively quite a costly, substantively superficial, and even wasteful in regards of actual validation, to gather a live audience for a sermon, in terms of the displacement and site operation for this presentation. Yet that is the common/preferential assumption of many to the point where in-studio sermonic presentations that are done without an audience are almost defaulty contemptuously received, if even so. It is also assumed that a live audience serves as a “check” for a preacher, however, as copiously seen in, e.g., this blog post if someone wants to generally believe in an idea, e.g., in that post: ‘the sensationalism of date setting’, and ‘the claim that Final Events are about to unravel’, then they’ll gullibly accept whatever supposed “proof” is advanced, however exaggerated, unfactual, and even outrightly untrue. In fact, most of the time, it is usually after having attended in person such Live presentations that, when these claims are then factually verified (cf. Acts 17:11), that their inconsistencies and/or spuriousness are found out. So in many ways, such a substantively spurious presentation was really not worth the costs for tangible displacement and assembly.

            So in re-summary, while a written text presentation, and moreover, on an internet blog, is, out of superficiality, not highly valued/viewed today, for the above stated advantages it is, message-conveyance and content-access, even “delivery”, wise, substantively “more rigid” and therefore, more functionally efficient, -thus, indeed, “stronger and more valuable” [something made out of ‘bronze that is polished’] than the same message presented In Person [=actual feet], and/or via Video/Audio [=gold and silver]. And given the opposition that God had expected would occur to such a message of deep and thorough reform, as simply seen in the fact, as shown here, that preacher, who may now have a similar message as the NJK Project, deliberately avoid dealing with meeting vital needs as this will only involve a head-to-toe re-organization of the Global SDA Church in order to achieve this, the presentation of this Mighty Message in such a way, moreover through a ‘limited, also “third-rate” strength’ of achievable Biblical research/studies [=bronze arms], was indeed going to be the way this, nonetheless pivotally binding, overall message was going to be delivered. Indeed this Dan 10:5-6|Rev 10 “Mighty, Pivotal, Judgement and Re-Organization Message” would certainly not be given a concrete (i.e., paid and platformed) “footing” in the SDA Church to “establishedly” present such messages either from a pulpit or via SDA Media Networks.

# This reason of improving/amending/correcting a live sermon, as well as having a live presentation, are the common, somewhat implicit, reasons/excuses claimed by SDA preachers as to why they preach the same sermons over and over to various SDA congregations (as if SDA TV/Radio and the (archived) internet did not exist), however, as being shown here that is both superficial, inefficient and even wasteful (i.e., listening to 99% of the same sermon again just to hear the 1% correction), and, Spiritual-advancement wise, it is quite atrophying as it hinders the study of the Bible for new and timely/“in season” messages.

** Relatedly here, it has long, and much, been discussed and debated as to what exactly does the opening of Revelation mean when it says: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”. The debate is whether this is one of two possible understandings here as either: (1) an “subjective” genitive or an ablative = “from/belonging to Jesus Christ”; or (2) an objective = “about Jesus Christ”. In such matters it is objective and proper exegesis that can, and normatively does, determines what the case is. Therefore, as the rest of Rev 1:1 is progressively, clearly saying/showing that ‘this “Revelation” was itself given to Jesus Christ by God (with the Greek relative pronoun “which” concording in gender with the also feminine noun “Revelation”), and then Jesus in turn sent and signified it through/by (Gr. dia and not to) His Angel, -(claimed in the SOP to be the Angel Gabriel (DA 99.1, 234.2)), and as this progression is again restated at the end of the book in Rev 22:16, with that communicating Angel “Gabriel” himself, as far as I have cursorily seen does not actually ever speak to John directly throughout the entire revelation. It is several other people who do this direct communicating, e.g., an elder (Rev 7:13). The angel speaking to John in Rev 17:7, 15; 19:9-10 is ‘one of the angels having the 7 Last Plagues (Rev 17:1 and perhaps the same as the one in Rev 21:9),# then it is seen that this was: ‘a package of revealing visions (although encrypted) from Jesus’.

            And Rev 1:1 does not make much sense if God had given Jesus ‘a “Revelation” about who He really/fully was.’ I.e.:

‘The revelation about Jesus Christ which God [had to] first reveal to Him about Himself, and Jesus then revealed this ‘Revelation about Himself’ to His Angel, who then was sent to Reveal it to John through symbols/signs.’

            Surely whatever the incarnate Jesus would have addedly, more fully and more concretely learned about who He was prior to His incarnation, other than what had been revealed to Him while on Earth as He indicated He knew/understood throughout the Gospels, (e.g., Luke 1:32-33; 3:22; Matt 16:16-17; 17:1-5; John 10:30; 17:5, 24; Heb 8:1-6; 9:11-14 (~Rev 1:12-13ff), even the scope of future prophecy (Matt 24:4-31; 25:31-46 (=Rev 14:14-20); Matt 19:28 (=Rev 20:11-15); John 14:1-3 (=Rev 21:1ff), -knowledge and understandings which the Apostles, including Paul actually came to also know before the giving of Revelation [cf. e.g., Matt 24:3, 25], and, in regards to Christ’s Divinity, which Peter even saw as ‘more sure than (OT) Messianic prophecies (1 Pet 1:19-21; 2 Pet 1:16-21))), was done during His first ascension to Heaven on the morning of the 31 A.D. Resurrection when He met for a while alone with the Father, and then was worshipped by the Heavenly Host (see 3SP 202.1-203.1; cf. Heb 1:6). Surely by this time until the book of Revelation was given in ca. 90-95 A.D., Jesus had already tangibly & experientially learned all that their was to know about Himself, (assuming that the visions of Revelation were first formulated by God around that time. And if He was told or shown in “video” during that time of ca. 59-64 years what His Life had been before His Incarnation on Earth, really only Rev 12:7-9 applicably speaks of such prior time, and Christ vision in Luke 10:18 (cf. DA 490.1-2) shows that He may have already been shown this event in vision while on Earth. And so, because of all of those points, especially that: ‘nothing new in the book of Revelation was revealed to the post-incarnated Christ, not even Rev 12:7-9,’ this therefore precludes an exegetical understanding here that this genitive is functioning as the scholarly disputed ‘double sense’ genitive, called a plenary (full) genitive, and is both subjective and objective. (See Wallace, GGBTB, 119-121 who cites Rev 1:1 merely as “possible”).

            It is also more probable that those post incarnation visions were formulated shortly after the 70 A.D. Destruction as that transpired destruction, with, pivotally, the Christian Church not being ready then to usher in the End/Second Coming as possible and expected, as this failure then charted a new course of Historical and Final Events (see starting in this discussion post on how OT prophecies in especially Daniel could have been fulfilled in the first century A.D., but without 1 day = 1 year expanding (with Dan 2:21 = God’s geo-politically shaping actions of Deu 32:8; Job 12:23; Acts 17:26)).

            Therefore Rev 1:1 makes more grammatical/syntactical, sequitur and logical, sense if it is straightly saying that the visions about these “planned” future events had been given, and that straightforwardly, (i.e., without encryption) to Jesus Christ by God the Father, and so that, with Jesus best knowing His true followers on earth and probably recalling how He had managed to study out, and understand, OT passages, probably also from the LXX translation, He can best have it be decipherably “signified” for His faithful ones. And all that Jesus’ Angel (Gabriel) did was straightly communicate/reveal what had been already encoded guiding John through this session of, also interactive, visions.

# The angel speaking to John in Rev 22:6 is actually an Angel who has one of Seven Last Plague and not the same vision communicating Angel Gabriel. (See Rev 21:9ff, 15ff, 22:1ff, which leads to the question of ‘who precisely is coming rapidly’ in Rev 22:7?? I.e., Exegetically/Antecedently-speaking, if this is the 7th/Last Plague Angel, as his action in Rev 16:17-21 puts an end to the Mark of the Beast camp’s power to oppose God’s People, then the fact that there is no typical delaying between the Sixth and Seventh Plague (Rev 16:16 &17ff) as seen with the Seals (Rev 6:17 & 8:1ff) and the Trumpet (Rev 9:21 & 11:15ff), and actually just as uninterruptedly as the Series of the Seven Churches (Rev 3:13 & 14ff), may be how exactly (i.e., in regards to what) that 7th Angel “comes rapidly” (i.e., he comes without delay, after the Sixth Plague to carry out his appointed work). However if this is the First of the Plague Angels, then this is more generally, reassuringly saying that God will rapidly step in to send the GC-wrapping-up Plagues (cf. here) whenever it is that events on Earth would have unravelled to the point where this would be necessary, thus defending God’s People and ushering in the end. ...Or this could also be: ‘any plague angel’, as the conditions on the ground would, even interlocutorily so, require it (=Rev 11:6b).

            Also, the straightforward reading of the text vs. traditional understandings also indicates that it is this same revealing ‘one-of-the-7-Last-Plagues’ Angel who is speaking in Rev 22:8-11. Jesus Himself would have stated what is said in Rev 22:12-20. Nonetheless that does not necessarily preclude Jesus also saying what is stated in especially Rev 22:11, as manifestly directly heard in the SOP (EW 279.2b), however in the priorly possible SDA/Historical fulfillments of Revelation. As typical in the present eschatological wave, the understandings are deeper and spiritually applicable. As it also occurs in Daniel 11 (see here), the identification ambiguity here may be deliberate for multiple application purposes depending on which fulfilment wave would have played out to it end. And also, one of these Last Plague Angels may very well also be the Mighty Angel Gabriel, now in a post-Sabbatical Sealing, (even if, pointedly because, it was utterly non-successful) effort (Rev 7:1-3; EW 279.2a; Ezek 9), returning then in a judgement role (Rev 15:1ff; 16:2ff), with that select group of 7 Mighty Angels having been given this role to execute God’s GC ending wrathful outpouring. (All literalistically [i.e., ala. 2 Cor 3:6b] fulfills Mal 4:4-6 [see here]= Matt 11:13-14 = Matt 17:10-13)

*** With the judgement and rejection of the prior mainline Church having occurred by, actually, the just ended Fourth Church Age, after it, in the latter period of that age, rejected the full reformation message of the Reformers; -opting to reform in only certain called for, peripheral areas under its “Counter-Reformation” movement, it is therefore seen that the halving/dichotomizing of the Fifth Church age is thus really focusing on the replacing Reformation Age Church. By referring, and thus using, these ‘7 Stars’ -which are the 7 Angels of the Churches (Rev 1:20) and the ‘7 Spirits’ -which are the 7 Torches before His throne (Rev 4:5), God had then set out, through new “messages”, to “relight” anew the 3 remaining lampstands of His Church on Earth, with the first two Lampstands manifestly being those mentioned in Rev 11:4, and also manifestly being established under this 5^th, and then the 6^th, Church Eras, thus forming the Remnant of Rev 12:17. Indeed the rementioning of using 7 Stars in Rev 3:1, as done for the First Church in Rev 2:1, is symbolic of ‘beginning again here, with the restatement of the original, pure Gospel message that had been communicated to that First Church are also then re-instituted starting in that Fifth Church era.

            However, as stated in the message to the Fifth Church in Rev 3:2-3ff, God was immediately having problems with the Reformation Church, with it already having the symptoms of being ‘Spiritually dead’. And so, as warned in Rev 3:3, He did come to them ‘as a thief’, in the (actually) “Judgement Hour” message starting in the Millerite era, which was indeed actually then understood as a “Second Coming” message. And so it is seen here that a similar, but covert, judgement of a Remnant Judah tribe, as depicted by the distinguishing characteristics used for that Dan 10:5-6 figure vs. the Rev 1:12-16, was done upon the Protestant Church then. And this transpired “part way” into the Fifth Church Era. (See more details on these various Church Eras in this post and this other one.)

[28] Though the Man (=Mighty Angel) in Dan 10:5-6ff is indeed the same as the Mighty Angel of Rev 10, the fact that they actually come in different bodily/appearance symbolic representations, as it will be seen with the later exposition of the symbolism in the Rev 10 description, this is manifestly because the mission of this same Mighty Angel is indeed different in those cases. Succinctly and summarily said here, the “Sealing Man” in Dan 10:6 comes in judgement of God’s People, specifically the remaining Southern kingdom of Judah as seen in Ezek 9, however this Personage, now revealed explicitly as a Mighty Angel in Rev 10, comes to upbuild/rebuild God’s faithful surviving people, namely the ones that had been sealed and survived that Shaking. This further shows that this Judah judgement message is indeed the (eschatological) one of the North vs. South Spiritual Civil War of Dan 11.

            Furthermore, as also the Jesus-commissioned Mighty Angel of Rev 7:1-3, indeed using the same sealing message in the other 11 tribes (Rev 7:5-7) as that for the first mentioned of Judah (vs. 5a), this Angel does indeed also accomplish this 144,000 Sealing during this injunctive and Final Events halting, merciful commission. (EW 38ff).

[29] See e.g, in the Dan 12 study in this audio series [09:20-32:24ff] [mp3] by Daniel Pel in his “Daniel and Revelation” Series demonstrating/proving this (though his passing claim that ‘the Mighty Angel of Rev 10 [27:29] is also Jesus is, as Biblically, concretely demonstrated in this present blog post, incorrect.) See also this recent exposition by Doug Batchelor [23:38-35:43] [mp4] [mp3]. See this listing of other SDA references on this issue for more. Also chief passages like Exod 3:2, 5-6 = Exod 3:13-16*; 23:20, 23; Josh 5:15; Judge 2:1;  6:11, 22-23 are key to this understanding. -See my own elaborating, added and/or exegetically more indepth substantiating of that understanding in this discussion forum thread, substantively starting from here[#147]. See especially, pertinently in regards to the “Michael” issue: here[#200], here[#213], here[#261] & its|my next two posts, then here[#285], here[#333] and (+Matt 28:2 correction) starting here[#375]. [Ignore my necessary, non-substantive dealing with various “moronic” retorts (of mainly anti-EGW/non-SDA’s, e.g., ‘MRL[#159]’) also, “duly” (i.e. Pro 26:5), included therein.] See more in this dedicated blog post.

* It can however be argued in this first proofing reference that since the voice itself speaking from the Burning Bush identifies Himself as “Yahweh”, then it was probably, as Acts 7:30-32 seems to distinguish, God the Father Himself speaking there, though Michael-Jesus, the “Angel of the Lord”, who would be the One tangibly leading out in this Exodus (see Exod 14:19; 23:20-21), was likely, and that quasi seamlessly, also (physically) present there. (Cf. PP 251.2) (Acts 7:37-38 seems to also indicate that a similar ‘seamless dual appearance’ occurred during the giving of the Ten Commandments on Sinai. Indeed Stephen’s inspired point throughout this speech is to show that/how Jesus was “seamlessly” also God by showing how He was closely associated with such Authoritative events in the OT.)

[30] Ezekiel is given this same appellation 94X in his book by God, showing that it was not a title that was reserved solely for Jesus Christ. Nonetheless, the title which ultimately denotes ‘one of Divine/Heavenly origin who has been made to be “born of (lower) man” in order to redeem them’ seems to have been given Ezekiel because of his assigned role to “bear the sins of Israel and Judah” (Ezek 4:4-6) so that these two Kingdoms can later, out of mercy vs. deservingly, be restored as God’s People.

            [Studies (see e.g. here at section {5}) show that, succinctly said here, the 390 years/days for Israel was for their period of outstanding (i.e., unconfessed and/or atoned for) sin from Jeroboam’s apostasy a few years after his rebellion of 931 B.C. (thus in ca. 928 B.C.) to the Return under Cyrus in 538 B.C. while the 40 years/days for Judah was apparently for their unconfessed sins during the time a little after the temple and their religious community was completely destroyed by Babylon in 581 (=Jer 52:30), thus ca. 578 B.C. until the return under Cyrus in 538 B.C.]

[31] In terms of arriving at the Historical fulfillment of this prophecy as realized in the experience of Millerites and Early SDAs, see the study by Stephen Bohr on Revelation 10. [Video] [Audio only]. Also see his recent, more expanded, six-part series study on this prophecy here. (Parts 3 & 4 deal with Revelation 10). (Similarly, see also this exposition by Mark Finley at the 2010 Annual Council [02:02:02-02:23:47]). A rare/exceptional exposition on this prophecy is seen in this Sept. 2005 presentation by Peter Gregory who indeed engages the symbolisms provided ‘more deeply’ (See ca. Feb. 2010 3-Part video presentations of his on this topic here, here and here).

            I agree, more than less, with such, nonetheless, applicable, exegetically-based, historicist identifications, however in some parts, a more specific understanding, and also, symbolism-wise, more exhaustive, (even more than what Peter Gregory has advancedly presented =1SM 25.4), could be arrived at, and has been in this present post. Also both of these notably cited presentations, as well as with literally all other SDA presentations on this prophecy make the “obliviously selective”, quasi-eisegetical error of not understanding or expounding that this ‘Millerite/Early Adventist episode prophecy’ has a continuation in Rev 11, as shown in this blog post. Indeed such shortcomings and effectively, “elementary” analysis, can be seen in the exposition provided here and also in the eschatological identifications that will be made later.

[32] However, the “Another [i.e., ‘of the same (“Mighty”) type’] Angel” textually, and also chronologically/prophetically, later mentioned in Rev 18, which is interpretatively recognized to have a powerful effect, and who proclaims its message in a “Loud Voice”, is markedly/distinguishedly described as an ‘Angel having Authority,’ which is manifestly synonymous with “being Mighty”. (cf. e.g., 3SM 425.4; SR 399 - See below in Note #33).

[33] Following EGW’s prophetic revelation counsel cited in 16MR 34.3 where she recommends the ‘informational’ searching and understanding of the apocrypha by the ‘“wise” of the day’, (a counsel that has provedly, personally indispensably helped to ascertain and substantiate significant Biblical facts (see in this post)), it is seen that this ‘promoted, replacing angel’ may have been an angel who is said in the book of Tobit (12:15) to be called “Raphael,” which means “the Healing of God” (cf. Tobit 3:17). As previously expounded in this post, the various, though temporal, “Earth Healing” of God, through His People then perfectly reflecting His Character, and thus perfectly fulfilling Christ’s Gospel Commission, may indeed be the ultimate objective of the message and work under the Latter Rain, which will produce the Loud Cry of Rev 18. So that sent “other” Mighty Angel in Rev 18:1 then may indeed be this “Healing of God” Angel named (indeed to embodily “reflect” this characteristic ‘Earth “Healing”’ mission/purpose): “Raphael”.

            What is further interesting is that, with those three named Messengers/Angels of God, of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, each having a distinctive, ‘name-characteristic’ mission in God’s redemptive plans for this fallen Planet, Tobit 12:15, further indicates that there were 7 of such ‘[=Mighty] Angels who have been standing ready, and enter (of themselves) before the presence of the glory of the Lord’ (cf. Luke 1:19 also = Rev 8:2's: ‘seven angels who have been standing established in the presence of God’ who furthermore were about carry out God’s Militaristic Judgements in the 7 Trumpets, thus probably Mighty Angels); -a ‘God’s presence entering’ that, as stated in PP 39.2, Lucifer, “"the light bearer," the sharer of God’s glory, the attendant of His throne,” and indeed, thus priorly, a ‘Mighty Angel’, had also been privileged to do. (PP 36.2 also distinctly speaks of ‘“most exalted angels,” beyond the throng of the rest of holy angels, who, ‘as ministers and subjects, rejoice in the light that fell upon them from the presence of the Deity’’, which may very well be these ‘7 (Mighty) Angels,’ -filling these, manifestly, “perfect representation”, Seven positions of Redemptive missions/tasks/messages of God.). So that would leave Four (unnamed, but nameable) Angels, and given the demonstrated and manifest, specific responsibilities of each of these named 3 Mighty Angels, indeed as indicated by their characterizing names, these other Four Angels may be the “Four Mighty Angels” of Rev 7:1-3 ‘who had a work to do on the earth, and were on their way to accomplish it, until deficient conditions on the Earth, pointedly in regards to God’s professed people, caused another angel, with a commission from Jesus, to be sent to them in order to halt their mission. (= this post). And since then, these 4 Mighty Angels have instead been holding back the four winds (= “4 (total/universal) spirits”) which would have come to influence the full unravelling and development of Bible and SOP prophesied “Final Events.” (See e.g., ExV 21.1; RH, June 7, 1887 par. 13; 1MR 145.3). [See my comments in this forum discussion post for the related identity/function of “Seraphim”.] See in this post at Rev 8:5 which discusses this topic in greater and more precise detail.

[34] Comparison Data is mainly based on/derived from the following online info: SDA: here|here; RCC: here|here|here|here. The last two column present the comparison in statistical terms of: what would SDA Church/Institutional Stats be like if they had the Roman Catholic Church’s membership; and vice versa.

            Reflective enough of the patent chief “good/benevolent works” deficiency/failure of the SDA Church, the Catholic Church have their (only, and also tellingly, quite significantly so) upper hand when it comes to more charitable (vs. capitalizable/commericializable) types of ministry/work (i.e., clinics/dispensaries; eldery/assisted care and orphanages/children’s homes).

[Click chart to enlarge]

SDA vs. RCC Statistical Comparison

[35] From all of these and also in more detail later pointed out clear associations, it can be seen and understood, that the SOP-reported ‘thing seen in this Sealing Mighty Angel’s hand waving it up and down,’ is indeed that scroll given to the Third Angel, which is the scroll of Rev 10 which is the prophecy of Dan 11. So this shows that the Judah Sealing and Judgement & 144,000 Sealing message is indeed rooted in the Third Angel’s message and thus revolves around the (fuller) Sabbath/Seal of God understanding.

[36] And the fact that only also parts of the prophecies of Dan 11 had been unsealed by SDA’s is seen in how SDA Pioneers confidently claimed an understanding in Dan 11 up to Dan 11:40, but not these remaining 6 verse. (Dan 11:40-45). So that is also what EGW understood would be understood when ‘that prophetic scroll also would inclusively come to be continued to be unrolled’ as other sealed end time prophecies also were. However for SDA’s who have not advanced in God’s Light, these remaining sealed prophecies will not only never be unsealed for them (i.e. according to their true interpretation), but neither will, as later discussed, the actually, necessarily, implicated re-fulfillment of the entire parts of these prophetic series. Thus a mere continuation of historicist scenarios/development is not to be seen here, but rather an enitrely new wave of, now entirely eschatological applications.

[37] As seen in the Constitutional Plans for the related/derived NJK Project, with the ruling (i.e., voting) powers being jointly in the hands of the Pastors and (defaulty/directly) the People (or their opted for collective Representatives), this prophesied joining of Religious and Civil ruling power will indeed be accomplished, and, also in agreement with this Biblical expectation, in a “Constitutional Checks” manner, all under this restored Righteous Davidic Kingship.

[38] That forum post is quoted here: “I am also, out of deeper exegesis, greatly inclined to understand that when David, in his “adultery confession” statement in Psa 51:5, announcedly said ‘Behold (#2005) I was “birthed/laboured” (#02342a - cf. Deut 32:18; Job 15:7; 39:1; Psa 29:9; 90:2; Isa 23:4; 26:17, 18; 45:10; 51:2; 54:1; 66:7, 8; Jer 4:31; Mic 4:10) in guilt’ (#05771 - e.g., Isa 53:5-6, 11 (see in here)) [a.k.a. “iniquity” -indeed the same word that he used in vss. 2 & 9 to refer to his own ‘guilt/iniquity of adultery’] for in sin (#02399) had my mother* mated(#03179)** for me (see Gen 30:41; 31:10)’: that he was probably a “bastard child”. Yet it would be quite an understatement to say just how much God approved of him. Clearly God had no problem with this child that, evidently, was born out of adultery, “apparently” out of Jesse’s sin. 

            This may also explain why he was initially left out/not called during the consideration for a king from Jesse’s sons. (1 Sam 16:5b-11ff). See also the expressed ‘two distinct sets|sides of David’s brothers’ in Psa 69:8, for, moreover, two distinct Hebrew words are used by David to qualify his relationship with these two sets. The second, which is qualifying his “mother’s sons” is #05237 which indeed is used for a “alien/foreigner” (e.g. Exod 2:22; 18:3; 21:8; Neh 13:26-27; Lam 5:2), but the first, [cf. in this webpage note], in reference to his father’s son is #02114a refers to things which are “illegitimate” (e.g. Deut 32:16; Psa 81:9; Ezek 14:5), “(profanely) strange” (e.g. Lev 10:1; Num 3:4; 26:61), and even is starkly used for “adulterous” conditions (Pro 2:16; 5:3, 20, 7:5, 22:14; 27:13; Ezek 16:32), thus ‘one who becomes a “stranger’ through something illegitimate; as indeed with “illegitimate children” (Hos 5:7). Thus David had become (naturally) estranged from his brother who were his mother’s son by having lived with Jesse, but he was an illegitimate “brother”, thus a “esstranged”, to Jesse’s own sons.

            So it manifestly may be that, -as David seems to want to claim, the background/bad parental model/example reason why he himself had committed this sin of adultery (which further would explain God’s great mercy towards him on this point, given that God could rightly read his heart and exhaustively verify that excusing claim.

* [A Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud states that David’s mother's was Nitzevet, daughter of Adael (Talmud, Tractate Bava Batra 91a.)]”

** It is important to differentiatingly note that the word here for the action of “mating” (#03179-yacham) is not the same as the one(s) for conceiving/conception which are: #02029/02030-harah (e.g., Gen 4:1; 16:4-5; 21:2; Exod 2:2; Judges 13:3, 5, 7; 1 Sam 1:20; 1 Chr 7:23; Isa 8:3) and its derivatives #2032-heron (e.g., Ruth 4:13; Hos 9:11); and #2232-zara (lit. seed) (e.g., Num 5:28). So if David had meant, as commonly claimed/interpreted, that he was ‘conceived in sin (i.e., as a sinner (as everyone else)’, he would have used one of those words cited here for that biological process. But instead he uses the word for the precursory action of: “mating”.

[39] Still a death penalty had to be paid in that unlawfully conceived child, probably/especially, if it was a boy, could not, as a so widely known “bastard child”, become a credible/honourable king in Israel, as due to a King’s firstborn, and indeed an excusing opportunity for blaspheme God, also in Israel (2 Sam 12:14).

[40] In this study [PDF] (see also this sermon series starting here [cf. this sermon]; cf. SDA forum discussions on this claim here and here), Stephen Bohr opposes this common SDA understanding that the 24 elders are those who were resurrected at Christ’s death. The crux of his argument is the chronological one that the 24 elders are said to already be in Heaven (Rev 4:4) before Christ ascended in Royal and Celebratory procession to be enthroned as described in DA. Succinctly said here, it is demonstrably evident that Bohr came to a wrong deduction and conclusion, and that, partly due to a supposed association based on the writings of EGW an ascension event and its relation to Rev 4 & 5. (However, as discussed in this present post she would only later begin to understand with this ‘Unrolling of the Scroll’ theme. (This probably occurred within the ca. 1 year between the publication of DA in 1898 and this ‘Unrolling Scroll’ statement in March 1899)).

            First of all, as it is pertinent here, strangely enough in early works, namely 1SG (1858) [=EW (1882)] & 3SP (1878); EGW relates two distinct things that happened at the two mentioned ascensions of Christ following His resurrection. In the first ascension on the Sunday morning of His resurrection (John 20:17), EGW says in 1SG 73, 74 [=EW 187, 188]; 3SP 202, 203 that Jesus ascended to Heaven, was surrounding by angels wishing to worship Him, but initially halted this to first get the approval of His sacrifice from His Father. However once that was completed, the Father then instructed the angels to worship the victorious Christ and that is indeed what they did. However all of this time, Jesus was ‘preoccupied’ with His scared, confused and heartbroken disciples still on Earth.

            Now just a little further in these books, EGW now relates in 1SG 77-79 [=EW 190-192]; 3SP 249-253 Christ’s ascension after 40 days (Acts 1:9); she relates how a royal procession took place on His way to Heaven. This time Christ is not said to have opposed this worship in any way. (Similarly Jesus had refused the worship on earth upon His resurrection (John 20:17; DA 790.2-3), but He did not refuse so after returning from Heaven (Matt 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52) nor He had previously refused worship during His ministry. (John 9:35-38; Matt 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; Mar 5:6; cf. Luke 4:[7], 8)))

            However, strangely enough in DA, written/published in 1898, she conflates these two distinct ascension accounts into one, as now only the one after 40 days (DA 833-835), only making a relatively fleeting mention of the first ascension in DA 790.3. And it is here, in DA 833-835, instead being said that Christ refused pre-approval worship following the start of a royal procession.

            Simply on its own content, Christ needing to have His sacrifice approved 40 days after the resurrection when that is what He was said to have gone and done on the morning of the resurrection, is substantively incongruous with the Biblical account. So it seems here that it is indeed the earlier accounts of EGW on these two distinct ascension that was correct and this conflation in DA is a mistake.

            Now while EGW quotes some worshipful praise statements recorded in Rev 4 & 5, that however does not necessarily mean that this is exactly what was then said/heard. EGW commonly pulled such “corroborating” materials from the Bible which she saw as relevant and complimentary to her revelations in order to provide some “filler” material for her independent revelations. Indeed she did not just sit down and write out her major Bible Storyline books (i.e., Conflict of the Ages Series) out of a seance of visions, but pulled together all of these pertinent, independent visions into her current work. So at the very least, she could just be saying here that ‘Christ was praised upon this ascension and this, (as well as Psa 24:7-10, which is probably what she actually explicitly heard), is probably what was (also/similarly) said then.’

            Furthermore, as advanced and held in this post, Rev 5 could have occurred long after the A.D. 31 ascension, in ca. 70 A.D. when all seemed lost with the evident shortcoming of the Christian Church then. It was then that a crisis broke out in Heaven as prophetic history seemed to be halted, even lost, but the Lamb then stepped in to “unroll the scroll”. Indeed it is only in Rev 5:6 that the symbolic Lamb figure is first mentioned. Also with Christ having been mentioned as being fully functional as our High Priest in the previous chapters of Rev 1-3, which do have a strict chronological sequence in its Literal/Local fulfillment wave, Rev 4 may not at all been substantively tied to Christ’s ascension scene and EGW would simply have made surfacely allusive statements to what is described and said there simply because of how it was similarly, though not identically, shown to her in this ascension vision.

            So in summary, Rev 4 took place some time after Christ’s initial ascension to Heaven as also seen by the linearly valid sequential fact for the most initial application of the prophecies of Revelation that Jesus had already started His priestly ministry in Rev 1-3. Christ, at his ascension would have indeed receive the worship described in DA 834.3, indeed probably echoing the praises recorded in Rev 5:9-14, however the crisis events in Rev 5 substantively did not actually transpire until ca. 40 years later. And as also shown in this post, the (symbolic) “Lamb” himself in Rev 5, is actually never said to receive worship, per se, but merely “praise” and a “falling down” (Rev 5:8) which is actually only a precursor to full (prostrated) worship (cf. Rev 19:10), but not necessarily “worship”.

            Bohr’s main opposing claim that the 24 elders were already seated when Christ was being worshipped is therefore easily disproved by this substantive disassociation of Rev 4 with (strictly) the Ascension event.

            Also against Bohr’s claim that the 24 elders are not humans, they receive all of the investitures that Christ promised to the victorious ones on earth. (See Rev 4:4 vs. “thrones” Matt 19:28; Luke 22:28-30; Rev 20:4; “white garments” e.g., Rev 3:5, 18; “crowns” Phil 4:1; 1 Thess 2:19; 2 Tim 4:8; 1 Pet 5:14; cf. Rev 14:14). (See more of my comments and answers to questions on this issue in an SDA discussion forum thread, interspersed throughout starting in this post. [My initial view there, first expressed in this note, but since changed, has indeed been changed to the one presented here. (See in this later post. - Important rectification: In this forum post (in my second to last comment there), I had, really in order to not then take more time to delve further into a (manifest) EGW error issue at that time, ‘conceded that Jesus may continually/constantly have been with His disciples during the 40 days after His resurrection’, -and that despite the there cited Biblical evidence strongly suggesting otherwise, however upon now recently noticing/reading John 21:14; cf. 21:1, which says at least 8 days after His resurrection Jesus had only appeared 3 times to His disciples, I now go back to my prior view/understanding that Jesus was merely making occasional appearances after His resurrection. Therefore in Acts 1:3, the Greek word “dia” (=”through” [“over” NASB]), does not “fully” mean “throughout” (i.e., ‘every single day’), but that ‘he appeared to them several times over 40 days’. So while Jesus may have ‘remained on earth during those 40 days’ (AA 26.2), the Gospel accounts are consistent that He was not constantly with His disciples then. [Hopefully He was not ‘going to preach to transplanted Jews living then in the American continent’ as Mormons believe!!])]

            So all this to say that, as presented and held in this post, Rev 4 & 5 prophetically related events that took place around and after the ascension of Christ and thus, does not actually indicate who was present or not at the Ascension worship of Christ which first took place on the First, Resurrection morning, Ascension (3SP 202, 203; cf. 1SG 74 [EW 187]).

            I’ll also make the following additional and related “bullet point” statements against the view advanced by Bohr here that the 24 elders are actually non-humans/aliens. The specific Bible/SOP references are omitted but these observations are from passages like Ezek 1 & 10 and Isa 6:

-first of all, as explained here, the 4 Living Creatures are not defaultly Seraphim.

-the 4 Living Creatures are actually 4 Cherubim, which are actually 4 Mighty Angels, and, illustratively-speaking, manifestly, as the encircling guardian/“hedge” and carriers of God’s throne, serve as God’s “Secret Service”/“Republican Guard” group/force. They manifestly have the role of ensuring that God’s Presence can be established in an inhabited worlds realm, by as discussed here and here, dealing with the 4 chief ruling aspects of God created worlds.

-the Biblical function of “elders”in Israel, in both the OT and NT, is key to the understanding who those 24 “elders” are, as this position was for a ‘representative of the people’ (similar to a Congress in modern democracy). Similarly today, in the SDA Church, “Elders” are selected from the laity. So elders are to serve as wise and experienced representative of the people and this actually has nothing to do with age, per se, but with attained Spiritual maturity. So it would be fitting that God would choose people from this Earth who had similarly attained a level of Spiritual Maturity while on Earth to be the best representative of this Earth in the Heavenly realm. And it also seems that those 24 thrones are merely being filled by the 24 “elder” representatives of whatever created World or Universe Jurisdiction is then pertinently implicated in a Heavenly deliberation. (See an example here for pre-70 A.D. (Ethnic) Israel). And as it is “kingdom upbuilding” which manifestly is the topic of those heavenly council vs. judgement, then that is why there are only 24 thrones and not 70 (cf. in here for this symbolic differencing).

            And with Rev 4&5 being at best merely a typological representation of the framework of what had taken place at Christ’s Ascension in 31 A.D., but really was a ca. 70 A.D. Crisis Event Convocation to mercifully extend World History, as the ones resurrected by Christ upon His own resurrection may not have been with Christ then, (or actually may have been since Christ was timely fulfilling the waving of the firstfruit typology on that morning after Passover ascension; but except only if Christ Himself stood as the firstfruit (1 Cor 15:20, 23) in that initial appearance), the 24 Elders who were present in a “Rev 4&5 type of Throne Room Convocation” in 31 A.D. and occupying those 24 Thrones then would have been more widely the head representatives of God’s wider Universe.

-Indeed, it derivedly seems that each created world of God has, on top of a Chief (thus crownedly Kingly) Leader (=”a son of God” - i.e., the very first human that God Himself created for that world, as Adam was for this world but lost this title, manifestly now, to Jesus, the Second Adam, also a quorum of representative of the rest of the people, which, as it was the case with Israel’s leader Moses and the other 70 elders, serve as the full leadership of the rest of the people.

[41] It seems that, Historically, the “Sign of the Son of Man” appearance related in EW 15.2 which equals Rev 14:14ff occurred with the 1844 movement, when it was first possible that Jesus could have returned. However due to the non-readiness of the professed Advent Believers then, it was, and has since been delayed, and the events related in EGW’s “End of the 2300 days” vision in EW 54.1-55.1 have instead been unfolding since then.

            Indeed many of what was shown in vision to EGW about Final Events appears to have been a sort of accelerated plan for the Final Events, if God’s people had stayed faithful, in the true, tangible sense of the word. However since that has not been the case, the original, full blown, and Temporally Triumphant/Glorious, Prophetic Plans of Revelation will instead be worked out. (Cf. Rev 5:9, 10).

[42] See such applicable temporal uses of those terms in Ezek 26:7; Dan 2:37; Ezr 7:12 -the first two are non-facetious appellations by God and Daniel respectively. The term “lord” is actually lower than “king” and involves ‘one who has authority over another but not in the formal capacity of a king’, usually seen with a master and his slave(s): (e.g., Matt 15:27; 25:11; Joseph - Gen 44:33; Abraham - 1 Pet 3:6|Gen 18:12; 23:5-6, 11, 15; Isaac - Gen 24:18; Esau - Gen 32:5, 18; Eli - 1 Sam 1:26; Saul (from fugitive David) 1 Sam 24:8; 26:17, 19; 2 Sam 2:7; David - 1 Sam 25:25-31; Elisha 2 Kgs 2:19; etc.) As it was seen with Jesus and His disciples, the ‘lord = master’ application also occurs in a teacher-pupil situation. (e.g., Matt 10:24-25; John 13:13-16; contra. John 15:15) The combination of “lord” and “king” involves a doubled authority such as seen in the slave, servant, subject pupil and/or attendant of a king/ master/teacher, vs. a free/“non-conscripted” citizen in that kingdom and/or non-dependent individual: (e.g., Gen 40:1; 1 Sam 26:15; 29:8; 2 Sam 3:21; 1 Kgs 1:13; Matt 18:25, 27, 31, 32, 34; etc).

            It can therefore be seen from these distinct/specific applications for these titles that the one of “king” applies in the political/governmental realm, while the one of “lord” applies to the socio-economic sphere. (Luke 16:)

[43] This silent period oddly resembles the 400+ years of canonical silence between the end of the OT canon and the dawn of the Gospel Era.

[44] It has been said (see e.g. DARCOM 6:367) that EGW in DA 833-835 ties this episode to Christ’s ascension to heaven shortly after His resurrection, however, it does not seem that EGW had any direct light on this view, as in DA 833-835 she merely quotes the praise of the angels in Rev 5:12 and 13, as she does with other praise passage from the rest of the Bible. So these quote seem more to be what ‘these angel would (typically) say’ than ‘what they actually did (verbatim) say’. (Adventist Scholars/Expositors are also divided over the time of this fulfillment (see this ATS Debating Lecture) with some saying: with the Ascension of Christ and others: at the time of the Judgement Hour message.) As presented in this post both views are typologically right however this fulfillment is prophetically also not limited to the Anti-Typical Work and Person of Christ.

            One has to also, wonder with the Church in the group of the 120 in Acts, ready and waiting for God to impart His Spirit on them so that they can engage in this work of advancing God’s Gospel work, what would be the “crisis” in Heaven at that time in the late Spring of 31 A.D.. The crisis events depicted in that scene, sequentially after the establishment and work of the “perfectly representational” Seven Churches, has a much more probable actual, Anti-Typical fulfillment after the earth shaking events of the Destruction of Jerusalem, when Christ did not return immediately as expected, and the faith of the believers in these Churches, particularly Laodicea, was greatly waning to the point of blowing out. It is then that a lamb-like figure, here, Anti-Typically Jesus, stepped in to allow God’s Great Plan in the Restoration of His Israel to continue to unfold.

            It is easy to assume that the symbol of a ‘conquering rider on a white horse’ in Rev 6:1-2 is representative of Jesus Christ as this is how He is depicted in Rev 19:11-16 when He will return, and so this symbolism in ch. 6  must be a depiction of Christ and the Gospel’s conquering work from the time that it began, i.e., shortly after His Ascension. While this surfacely seems to be the case, there are several problems with this application. First of all, holding that this is indeed allusive to Christ’s coming and based on the fact that Jesus had said that His return would occur shortly after the events of the Destruction of Jerusalem (e.g. Matt 24:29-31), to say that this began to occur in 31 A.D. is thus thematically/theologically and historically incorrect. Instead this events makes more sense to have begun to be fulfilled shortly after 70 A.D. In fact the mention of a “voice of thunder” in Rev 6:1 by the living creature relating this event, (which is, most interestingly, the only time this is said during the 4 living creatures’ “narrating” of what is taking place in the breaking of the first 4 seals (Rev 6:1-8)), represents, as it has been shown earlier,’a judgement event without the visible, (‘earth-touching’) manifestation of it’. This all makes perfect sense if it occurs right after the Destruction in 70 A.D. and so in this way Christ was able to partially/spiritually fulfill His promise of an immediate return after this destruction. It also fits contextually, as His spiritual return then, to “take charge” of His militant church (symbolized by the horse), in these times, when all but one of the Apostles had passed away and the work was probably indeed lingering in the light of all of these adversities, Christ would indeed be ‘coming to rescue His faithful people’, and thus also continue the advancing work of the Gospel proclamation now under the Historical period of this First Seal.

            So, in summary, the “thunder” fulfillment with the first seal was done in a type of a Coming of Christ to rescue His Church, but not in the judgement (= “lightning”) way that it will ultimately be fulfilled.

[45] In this GYC 2016 presentation at 12:26 the (subjectively-swayed) speaker manifestly was suddenly “inspired” to declare that this dream that EGW had “didn’t come from Jesus by the way....That was the Devil’s dream”... ...I don’t even know where to begin with such a, at best: ignorant and stupid, and at worse: itself Satanically-inspired, declaration...-(and Satan does love to employ (Biblically/Spiritually) ignorant (cf. Matt 22:29) and stupid (cf. Matt 23:17) people), but I’ll most graciously work from the premise that this comment had any plausible validity to start with, because working from the other most warranted premise that this speaker is just a Spiritually juvenile, Spiritual-discernment novice, self-important prideful smug would likely just merely be, -just judging by his reaction to that dream, too much blinding Biblical Light for him and others who are/were deluded by his remark. {But do keep trying to flayingly fight me, you Criminal Tortfeasing Synagogue of Satan Punk(s) (cf. DA 710.1), and keep running deeper into Satan’s arms (=2 Thess 2:11-12; EW 54-56)}.

            First of all, you would have to flip every substantive and Spiritual statement and element conveyed that dream completely around for this to have been “the Devil’s dream”...I.e.:

-It’s not important to take refuge in that Temple when time should close

-(Probationary) Time will not, especially soon or suddenly, close

-Those who remain outside would not be lost forever

-etc

            But I am going to give this speaker the benefit of the doubt and believe that he did not think that any of those statements or elements had anything evil/‘Devilish’ in them....But clearly, the objection of this speaker was all in regards to how the dream made Ellen White feel after she woke up...She said she was: “in agony of mind”, that ‘her doom was fixed’, and thus she came to be in ‘deeper despondency than before’ and felt that ‘the Spirit of God had left her never to return’ (EW 79.3)...So, according to this speaker, because this dream made EGW feel bad, even worse, about herself, then it must surely be from the Devil...So let’s see, the whole dream was a rebuke to EGW for not taking her personal salvation and dedication to God more seriously, and her refusal to even go confess her sins to a mangled lamb. And as she continued to delay and hang out with the scoffers and mockers, probationary time suddenly closed and...she was lost, indeed eternally so.....And that is supposed to be a dream from Satan??!!!....Really???!!! Satan goes about warning Christians in dreams that: ‘if they do not take their Faith more seriously they will commit the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit, their probation will close any moment and they will be eternally lost.....How strange that I only see such stark warnings and admonishments come from God in the Bible!!??! (Heb 3:7-9, 15; e.g. Exod 4:24-26|PP 255.5-256.1)...

            ...So clearly it indeed is only because of how EGW herself felt and reacted to the warning in the dream that made this Spiritually flaky/incompetent speaker deem that ‘it must be from Satan’....Because ‘Biblical/Spiritual Truth is determined by how it makes one feel’.....Maybe if EGW had instead reacted by saying: “Thank You Jesus for the warning, I will be more diligent to obey your will and seek after you”, she would not have sunk into deeper despondency....But manifestly she was self-confident of her Spiritual state, despite having had revealed in the context of that dream that she was in open disobedience to do the duty that God had called her to do. But that is the patent thing with those Synagogue of Satan SDA’s: ‘God has no right to ever rebuke them’...They indeed have the same smugly defiant mentality of Israel of old where/when any prophet of God who would rebuke them for their waywardness and made them feel bad and ‘troubled (Baalistic & complacent) Israel’ (1 Kgs 18:17|PK 139.3-142.2) was surely a false prophet...and must be even put to death (Matt 23:29-36)...Even EGW herself was subjected to this type of “offended feelings” treatment; as do other SDA (half-)prophets. Seriously “Go back to HELL!!!!”* (Matt 16:23) It is only Satan which deludingly tells people to determine what is Truth by how it makes them feel (or even more accurately: ‘how they feel about it’ = self-idolatry; indeed being “Spiritism” (cf. Gen 3:6|PP 55.3))...And that is the prevailing deluding spirit of this generation...

            So about what that GYC speaker “inspiredly” claimed: “that didn’t come from Jesus by the way....That was the Devil’s statement” (cf. EW 56.1)...

            {But I do get the underlying attempt here....Nice try!! -Isa 54:17...Do keep it up...}

* Not that future fiery burning phase (Rev 20:13-14), of course, but the present expulsion realm of ‘(outer space) “darkness”’ (2 Pet 2:4|Jude 1:6).

[46] As discussed in this White Estate “Gift of Light” Series episode [17:34-18:27] [m4v], this fear of public praying was clearly a most significant one with EGW, which could indeed, if not surmounted, (probably by the sustaining assistance of God once she agreed to obediently step out to overcome it), have prevented her from fulfilling her prophetic calling starting at the youthful age of 17, (as this role would have her speaking authoritatively before adults), which all later led her to preemptively seek to have her grandchildren not be hampered by this same fear by having them, from a very young age, pray out loud in the presence of other adults.