At least three elements of this site’s logo should strike the reader at once. First, and perhaps most obvious is the six-winged angel in the center of the diagram. Angels have traditionally been represented as having two wings because most creatures that have wings, especially feathered ones, have a single pair. Certainly some specific classes of angels have been represented this way in art, for example the Cherubim, the wise ones of Heaven. These divine teachers and messengers are those who rejoice in evidence and proofs, revealing good and true doctrine by means of logic and parables.

Whereas this is an ordained service, and there will always be a place for these methods, the workings of this site seem at times to focus on a different aspect. The Seraphim, commonly considered the Order nearest to the Throne in terms of brightness and glory, were shown to the prophet Ezekiel in a vision recorded early in his book. “And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.” (Eze 1:4,5)

About their wings, Ezekiel first says this: “Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.” (Eze 1:11) So they first seemed to have four wings, but looking closer (or perhaps being witness to the creatures in an altered form), he later says in verse 23 of that chapter, “And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.” He now says that on each side, one wing touches the extended wing of another of the “blazing ones” and two on that same side which covered their bodies. These living creatures had six wings.

And what did these living creatures do? They make a dramatic appearance in this book, but they are also shown to John as recorded in Revelation. In these two instances, they are doing different things. In Ezekiel’s vision, it says this, “And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.” (Eze 1:14) And they moved in this manner, “Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.” (Eze 1:20) They, and their “wheels” (also suggestive of motion) went wherever the Spirit led them to go, and they went as “a flash of lightning.” They were obedient creatures, and did always the will of the One seated on the Throne, their spirits in union with His.

Moreover, about their movement the prophet also says this, “And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.” (Eze 1:24) Wherever they went, they were noticed, and the spoke with noise “as the voice of the Almighty.” These angels are messengers also of the will of the Father. They are fast, obedient and speak the words of Yah Himself. A human being who accepts the atoning sacrifice of Christ Yahshua and claims the Victory over sin and self becomes very much like one of these bright beings.

In Revelation, John sees such creatures standing around the Throne. “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.’ And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.’” (Rev 4:8-11)

The creatures here are praising Yah day and night, ceaselessly. And because of this, they also cause humans, the redeemed, to bow before the Throne and give glory to Him. This is the whole work of the messenger in these very last days, to praise the Father with everlasting gratefulness, and to be an example for others to do the same. Yes, logic and discussion will have its place, and Scriptural evidence is vital to this last movement, but our attitude and our outlook should always be one of humble yet mighty joy. “Rejoice evermore,” said Paul in 1 Th 5:16. People say “Jesus wept,” (John 11:35) is the shortest verse in the Bible, and while that’s true in English, in the original Greek it’s three words. “Rejoice evermore,” is the true shortest, it is an eternal principle, and a much happier thought.

Though the Church in the last days is considered Israel (Romans 9:27 calls it the “Remnant,” 1 Cr 10:18 makes a distinction between “Israel after the flesh” and the true, spiritual Israel, and Eph 2:11,12 is clearer still, showing that those without Christ are “aliens from the Commonwealth” of the same) special promises were made to one particular tribe. The word “Judah” means “praise” (Gen 29:35) and he was one of the sons of the man named Israel, formerly Jacob. “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.” (Gen 49,8) Furthermore, Judah is a “lion’s whelp” says the next verse, and out of the line of Judah came the Messiah, the conquering Lion of Rev 5:5. His father’s blessing to this patriarch was, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Gen 49:10)

There is also a connection between the tribes of Judah and Levi. The Levites were the ordained priestly tribe of the Mosaic dispensation, yet it was not from this twelfth that the eternal “High Priest” spoken of in Hebrews came. It is explained this way: “And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham.” However, “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another Priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And inasmuch as not without an oath He was made priest: by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.” (Hebrews 7:5,11,14,20 & 22)

The church of the last days includes such people as are holy and godly, living to lead others into the right Way. Yet at the same time, it is unto the tribe of Judah shall “the gathering of the people be.” The Christians of the last days will be priestly, but they will be a people of praise. They will be a joyful, hopeful and peaceful people with the patience of Job, the zeal of Elijah and the sanctified walk of Enoch. The Seraph is a fitting symbol of this, and the trumpet in his hands is the “loud cry” quoted in Rev 18. It is a “calling out” of the true followers from darkness into light, from night into day, from sin into an atmosphere of praise. It is the “shout,” the “voice of the Archangel” with which our Redeemer will descend to complete the plan of salvation, present us to the Father and destroy the wicked. It is verily the “Trump of God.” (1 Th 4:16)

Next you may notice the background. There is a circuitry pattern etched into the area around the Seraph. The internet has had quite a bit of bad things said about it over the years, and almost all of it is quite true. It is a disaster waiting to happen, if used incorrectly. At a few keystrokes, anyone can learn how to build a bomb out of things found around the average home, how to make deadly poisons out of harmless liquids – and we don’t even need to mention the images that can be found as the result of a simple keyword search.

Yet with all of this, where there is no free will, there is no evil. The internet cannot be an “evil” thing, for it is not a living, morally accountable being. People can use it for evil or good, just as they can a knife, or a fire. These days, what faster way is there of communicating from one place to the next? Short of the Holy Spirit, it’s the fastest way to get a message from one point on earth to another. The Seraphim are fast “like lightning,” and it is largely upon electronic signals that the message of salvation now goes forth. In Matthew 24:14, Christ says that until the Gospel of the Kingdom reaches all the world the end will not come. But hasn’t the Gospel already been preached in all the countries of earth? No. If one believes that acceptance without renouncing sin is the Gospel, one might think so, but that is not the “Gospel of the Kingdom” that Yahshua came to reveal.

When the Gospel that says “faith without works is dead,” (James 2:17) and that to enter fully into Christ one must “repent and be baptized,” (Acts 2:38) for this repentance, this turning away from sin is essential, and THIS is the Gospel Christ had His disciples teach, for “they went out, and preached that men should repent.” (Mark 6:12) When THIS Gospel reaches all the earth, the end will come. And we send that message out over the web of binary impulses covering the world.

Finally, there are the natural phenomena and heavenly bodies displayed in the logo’s graphics. These are the rainbow, the sun, the moon, and the stars.

It may be observed that within the circle outlined by the rainbow there are areas of light and darkness; this shows the principle of separation. Light cannot abide with darkness. However, notice that IN the darkness is where the lights shine the most brightly. The appeal of Yah to come and be saved is as a ray of hope for those who are in darkness, whose paths would only end in destruction. Our Father is Lord over night and day, and though He would have us walk always in one (in the spiritual sense), He nevertheless manifests equal concern for those who have yet to open their eyes and see the truth. Those who are awakened, and see that they are in spiritual night, and in the company of others so benighted, to them is the offer given, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Rev 18:4) “‘Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,’ saith the Lord, ‘and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.’ For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” (2 Cr 6:17, Heb 7:26)

The Sun, moon and stars are the signs in the Heavens. The fourth day of creation is described thus: “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth:’ and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.” (Gen 1:14-19)

The lights in the heavens are to be signs for us, to show us when appointed times occur. This carries with it the blessing of being sure that Yah expects us to respect His provisions and to acknowledge that He is a God of order. In a previous article I spoke of the prophet Elijah and the occasion on which he confronted the priests of Baal, which had led the nation of Israel into idolatry. He proposed a test that each should offer a sacrifice to their deity, so that the people would see which was the true Lord, and therefore serve Him. The test was that each would present the sacrifice, but not set the burnt offering alight themselves. He to whom the sacrifice was made must consume it without the assistance of man.

The prophets of the false god chanted and prayed and danced from morning till night to get their demon to reply, but to no avail. At any time during the course of this shameful display, Elijah could have called a halt to it and taken his turn, yet see what the Scripture reads, “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, ‘LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.’” (1 Kings 18:36) This faithful servant waited until the appointed time, knowing that this was when Yah would have respect to his offering.

The sun, moon and stars upon the logo bear witness to the fact that even with all the controversy about holy days/holidays, the Saturday/Sunday debate and so on, Yah has HIS appointed time when He wishes to meet with us. It is a reminder that although the 10 commandments will not justify us before the Father, nevertheless through Christ, our natures are so changed that we delight in the Law of Heaven. A true child will always desire to be obedient to Yah’s appointments, not because we fear destruction or damnation, but because we have an intelligent understanding of His ways in regards to a certain issue, and we realize the particulars are given for our best good.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) “And [Yahshua] saith unto them, ‘Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?’ But they held their peace. And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He saith unto the man, ‘Stretch forth thine hand.’ And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.” (Mark 3:4) “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.” (Exodus 31:16) For any who don’t see this as being for us because of the word “Israel,” see the Church/Israel connection above. The Sabbath also is represented in the logo.

The sun and moon (which burn brighter and shine more smoothly in the second picture) are of specific significance. The New Moon ceremony which was appointed to Israel was also a foreshadowing of Christ, but not merely His death – rather His life. Just as Yah is called the “Sun of Righteousness,” (Mal 4:2) so we are to be reflections of His glory. By a life hid in Yahshua, Paul writes, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) Although a dead body, we nevertheless have life through the Messiah, who was Himself raised from the dead. Just as the moon (which is “new” in the logo) is a dead body, it nevertheless shines with light borrowed from the true source of energy, the sun. Our “true source” of light, life, hope and energy is the Father through the Son. The New Moon reminds us of what we are without Him... dark, dead... useless.

Last, and certainly not least, is the Rainbow we have mentioned before that appears over the Seraph’s head. Before the flood of Noah’s day, these signs were not seen. Did Yah change the laws of nature on that occasion? Not at all, but before that time, there were no rain clouds! Before the deluge, irrigation was taken care of automatically. Plants needed water, of course, “But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.” (Gen 2:6) This delicate system was destroyed upon the first great cataclysm. Yet, just as Cain was marked so that no one he met would slay him for his sin, so Yah is gracious to all, even those who declare themselves His enemies. Though the world had perished for it’s corruption, nevertheless He said, “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” (Gen 9:13) Though the earth would again grow wicked, Yah promised never again to destroy the world in such a manner. Now, on the eve of this second and final cataclysm, the destruction by fire, such reassurances of His love and mercy are more precious than ever.

Going again to Ezekiel’s vision of the Seraphim, we see the rainbow present there as well. Around the throne above the heads of these mighty angels, “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of One that spake.” (Eze 1:28) John also sees the circle around the Throne. “And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Rev 4:3) From the beginning to the very end, the rainbow is a symbol of Yah’s promises to us. It is a binding seal, a covenant, to show us mercy until the very last. It is a promise of perpetual strength and stability though the world should fall apart around us. But not only externals; our own lives are made subject to the promises of Yah, for by it (the promise, not the rainbow) we are given the grace to flee sin and lead sanctified lives.

Now is the time for gratefulness for the promises already given, to be a people both holy and joyful, a people such that onlookers will say in their hearts, “I want to be just like them, they have something I want.” We should not have to TELL people about the peace and love we have found, it should be apparent on us, like a royal purple sash, like the wings of a Seraph. We will never truly move beyond the need for evidence and the first principles, but we should now be building on them with intelligence, discernment and wisdom, not wallowing in the basics thereof.

“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.” (Hebrews 5:14, 6:1-3) All of these things are symbolized in the logo which Yah has given to this site.

David.

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