Matt5: How does information about the Four Living Creatures help me?
John begins this chapter as follows:
“Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say, as with a voice of thunder, “Come!” Rev.6.1
Thus these voices of the first Four Creatures speak for each of the four seals. Thus the first seal though at first was hard to understand. Yet when we noticed Christ sending the early body out to spread the Good News we realized this was the creature Face of the Son, Zier Apin in Hebrew or “Small Face”. It was the Messiah who cried out “Come” when He said:
“All Authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father (Ayn), and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Ruach), teaching them to observe all I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matt.28.18-20
Matt5: If you look at each seal individually, then they can be anything you want them to be. But in reality we are bound by this:
Rev 1:3: Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
The word John used for “read” in this statement above is the Greek word “anaginosko” which means read but also can mean, “to know again”. It comes from two root words, which are important to the formation of this meaning. The first is “ana” and this means “repetition”, or “intensity”; the second is the word “ginosko”, which means, “to know” or “to perceive” that is “understand”.
Thus its not enough to read this text as we might the Gospel with its plain meaning but to read it as it would have been read back when John penned the words that later were interpreted into English.
Matt5: In other words, the stuff in Revelation is meant to be helpful so people can act on it. If we can't act on it then it's probably not correct. Multiple interpretations of any particular seal may be valid as long as each one is helpful.
This maybe true but seals also tell us where we are in the timeline of Christ return. Thus the first seal was past history, He set out His Gospel conquering and being conquering the sins of this world. Yet its still in motion, the body is still reaching out the Gospel, sin is still needing to be conquered by those living breathing their faith.
Matt5: How can the opening of each seal help me?
The Help Requirements
1. I must know timing, location and event specifics beforehand.
2. I must have time to avoid each seal event.
3. I must be able to see the seal event open.
If it's going to help then actually help.
Perhaps on non-Revelation example will help you see this more clearly, what seal are to do. Look at Zech.12.2-3
“Lo, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the peoples round about; it will be against Judah also in the siege against Jerusalem. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone (immovability) for all the peoples; all who lift it (try to move her) shall be grievously hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will come together against it.”
This happened during the Oslo Agreements: the Last Status Talks. At those talk the were to discuss who would have a right to Jerusalem, the Holy City of G-d. By placing Jerusalem on the table they were setting the stage of “lifting the stone” ad those who did, Israel, Palestine and America all have been grievously hurt (intafata against Israel, Israel bombing Palestine, and 9-11).
This does not mean Armageddon is tomorrow or next week or whatever. It only means one precursor to that event has taken place so its happening (soon- and the News is showing how) and that same chapter does have what appears to be a nuclear event, but this is likely going to take place in the Middle East.
Matt5: Are wheat and barley from seal #3 about bad economics as most people suggest? Does this satisfy some of the "help" requirements above?
As said before, bad economics must fit ever detail, which our definition took into account. This does not mean our definition is accurate, but it stands we believe until someone else follows the same rules. Each detail of the text plays a part in its interpretation, going in Greek and searching words for additional meaning might also help as well as looking to the culture John came from, which we used in our interpretation.
Matt5: Other verses point to the nuke direction concerning Is. 17. If you have been following the news, then you would know that there is serious danger of this event right now.
Is.18 sounds like past history when Israel was exiled as was Syria by Assyria, the Assyria was stopped at the gates of Jerusalem. Then Judah returned to sin and faced Babylon. Still if modern, the the only verse connected to America and Western Europe is “the fortress also will cease from Ephraim,” 17.3 yet there are many ways the Americans power can fade beyond a nuclear event.
Matt5: What about Is. 18? Is Is. 18 about America?
Its about Cud or Ethiopia, not America. I’m not sure how people get Cud to even mean America. Brit-Am has strong proofs where Ephraim, or the House of Israel is scattered. So America, Briton, and nations connected to these two as well as a few scattered in south America and Northern Western Europe. Still even though America can be the House of Israel in prophecy sometimes that term is for ancient Israel.
This does not mean a nuclear bomb might not hit ,say, Washington. There are many suitcase bombs missing in Russia. Further, there is one area in Isaiah that could be America, (it links to 9-11) but I just do not remember which chapter. I need to find it and I’ll get back to you.
Yet the two clear nuclear events we seen in Scripture is that one in Zechariah and on in Jer.31:
37 This is what the LORD says: “Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,” declares the LORD.
38 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
39 The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah.
40 The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the LORD. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.”
It sounds like fall out but its in the southern part of Jerusalem in Israel.