The Seraphim
(Part 5)
Pub. #92.97
AND ONE
CRIED HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
FLIGHT OF THE CHERUBIM
OUT OF EVERY KINDRED, AND TONGUE, AND PEOPLE, AND NATION
"And the four beasts...rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" (Rev. 4:8).
The four beasts — or seraphim as we have been looking into — are phenomenal manifestations of God’s flaming glory. When they speak men’s lives and kingdoms are shaken and come to naught. The apostle John heard the same words that came as lightning bolts into Isaiah’s heart. At their piercing sound, both men saw the whole earth swept over with the glory of the LORD. Ezekiel and Isaiah wrote about these creatures of fire, but neither saw God’s finished work of their calling. John, however, was given vision enough to pick up where they had left off, which brings into focus God’s immutable purpose for His creation.
"And the four beasts...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).
A dear friend and co-laborer in Christ, Danny Crotts, made a statement last June at the convention in Duncan, Arizona which strongly influenced this present series. What he said was a coal of fire that impacted my spirit. In essence he said: "There was something about what the Living Creatures said that caused the twenty-four elders, the priesthood, to cast their crowns at the feet of the Lamb and fall on their faces before Him." Although God burned those words deep within, I did not fully grasp them at the time, nor is it yet complete in my understanding; but with time and the nurturing of that word, a great deal has developed.
What do you suppose could possibly cause the twenty-four elders, the reigning kingdom of Levitical priests, to fall before the King and to cast their crowns before His throne? Had they not already bowed their knees in loving reverence to their Lord? Indeed they had, but such glory had never before been witnessed. The true grandeur of His finished work had never entered their minds, and what they heard and saw left them undone.
The words of the living creatures, the seraphim, opened a window in the heavens, and the elders saw the finished work of the cross and the resurrection. It left them in profound wonder. They beheld the outcome of our Lord’s glorious Word going forth into the whole earth. They saw every battle won, every victory held secure, every hardship and trial overcome, and it was all due to one thing — He who sat upon the throne. He alone was worthy to wear the crowns, and in high worship they displayed their love and deep appreciation.
Moreover, what John saw while caught up in rapturous glory was God’s unfolding Holiness in every realm and faction of humanity. It included every spirit, every soul, and every body. Not one thing in one person was left out. Who could have imagined anything so grand? — certainly not the undeveloped cherubim of Adam’s mind; but the glorified seraphim in God’s image of fire, declared it. They manifested it as only God’s glorious firebrands could do, and in the face of such splendor the priesthood was left undone.
Let all who are called to strive for the prize of the high calling continue to do so — for it is a noble race. It is good to lay up spiritual treasures in the heavens (Matt 6:20). To obtain gold for their crowns (Rev 4:4) — it is worth the price. But know this, fellow sojourners, when the words are heard — "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" — every crown will go. Every saint will know that there is not one shred of power in their own lives that accomplished a thing. It was all Him!
We must understand, however, these select words do not possess some magical power. What John saw and heard in the throne-room was merely a sign that pointed to a greater reality. Those winged creatures of life symbolize one portion of Christ's body, and when they speak — lives will change. Like the Living Word before them, their words will emanate with electrifying power. They will be the expression of God’s sovereignty as they fly throughout the earth declaring "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."
Words that anyone speaks are declarations of who they are. For instance, when the slurred words of a drunkard roll vulgarly from his drooling lips, even a child knows his speech is an outward manifestation of what he is inwardly. Words do not make the man, but it is the man that makes the words. The fact is, if he said nothing, the word that he is would still declare his true identity. His demeanor would speak as loudly as his words. His entire life, whether sober or drunk, would testify to the world what he is. That which he speaks is merely one manifestation that stamps the man as a drunk. Speech is not the only way his identity is known, and so it is with everyone else. It matters not whether people are liars, cheats, or thieves; or whether they are humble, loving, kind, God-fearing saints — their lives are words spoken and all can see and hear who and what they are. By and large — people are books, some more open than others, and read by all.
It is no different with the seraphim, i.e., the living creatures. Who and what they are shall be made known by the Word they declare. The open manifestation of their lives will likewise a declaration of the Word. They will have a Word of holiness to minister, and it will ignite men’s souls; but they will be more than just messengers of a word. They will be the very substance of what they say, and whether they speak or remain silent, their lives will declare — "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God Almighty, which WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME!" Hallelujah!
Talk about a complete, three-way work — the past, present, and future are reached into and made holy! Lord God Almighty! What a declaration! What a manifestation! Holiness, purity, absolute cleanliness in everything and everyone who have ever been, everyone who is, and everyone who shall ever be! That is what is in those immortal words — "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God Almighty, which WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME!"
When those of the Levitical priesthood in the visible church hear and see the ultimate outcome of God’s ultimate grace — they will find themselves undone and as a child who cannot speak. They shall cast their crowns before the One who has done all these things.
The living creatures (the seraphim) can represent none other than the elect of God — the Sons who endure to the end, if you please — for no greater honor can one be placed than that of a faithful son. This stands true even in the natural, and much more in the spiritual.
The voice that the elders heard came from the many membered body of the sons of God, the firstfruits company of sons. They shine with the very expression of the One sitting upon the throne, Jesus, the Lamb of God. Rising out of Him are the living creatures with four faces, or manifestations: the face of the lion (king of the earth), the face of a young ox (servant), the face of a man (the last Adam), and the face of a flying eagle (king of the heavens).
John saw this body of elect sons declaring the full scope of God’s holy work through Jesus Christ. Their words rolled out the scene of what Jesus came to accomplish. And what they spoke, we might add, was much more than a mere news bulletin. The declaration was the manifestation of the fact! John saw the end of the ages when all is subdued in Christ, when every kingdom has fallen and become His and His anointed ones (Rev 11:15), when every tongue has reverently confessed Him as their Lord, and every humble knee has bowed to Him in godly sorrow and repentance — and thus, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11). What John saw far surpasses anything man’s mortal mind could possibly conceive, as the theologies of most religions adequately demonstrate.
In the same manner we were all made alive at hearing the Voice of the Son of God (John 4:24), so shall it be for the rest of the world. Every soul is quickened by hearing the voice of the Son of God, and at the end of this age that voice will trumpet from the heavens as lightning into every quadrant of the earth. Each person today who is alive in Christ heard His voice of fire at one time or another, and it set them ablaze with light. On the grand scale, however, we have not seen huge numbers streaming forth as God’s firebrands. His word of fire has ignited life in one here and another there. At various anointed moves of the Spirit, hundreds, or even thousands, would turn from the world of darkness as they were delivered into the kingdom of His dear Son. On occasions during the past two thousand years, it seemed as if God’s glory would sweep the earth before it was over with.
The first three hundred years of her existence, the new Church pressed hard toward the goal of conquering the kingdom of darkness; but with the establishment of organized religion the flame quickly died. More than one thousand years followed with very little Light. Various one’s kindled a few sparks during the Dark-ages. Some small and short-lived fires were built later on in that long night. The longer-lasting fire, and much more apparent, was the one kindled by Martin Luther. The Reformation seemed to have the promise of God’s Kingdom being established once and for all in the world; but it was not to be. Men again attempted to refine, control, and improve what God was doing. It was as if religious minds viewed Him as weak and inept, or else they simply wanted preeminence and took the kingdom by force. The same things happened in the 19th century when Charles Finney, the Wesley brothers, and other anointed ministers of fire swept across the land and sea. And of course, the surge of life came upon many during the first several years of this century, and then again in the 1950s, which is called Latter Rain.
Compiling all these, and many more wonderful and mighty moves of God in people’s lives, it would seem that His works have been monumental, and in their season they were. The world has been forever changed because of what He has done over the centuries. However, when we consider the whole of God’s plan, and when we compare the number of fire-branded saints to the rest of the world — they are only sparks in a dark night. At best, calculations have a scant 10 percent as being saved Christians since Pentecost. According to this, it would appear that God is failing miserably. To add insult to injury, His handpicked, top-notched, number-one Son also failed in His mission. What an embarrassing and sad day it would be if the redeeming blood of Jesus could only secure and save a small fraction of creation. It would be utterly humiliating on God’s part to suffer such defeat — especially after displaying His Son in shameful death upon Golgotha’s hill, raising Him from the dead, and then promising to save the world through Him. If we take Christendom’s skewed concept of the final outcome of things, the above is an accurate scenario. However, we refuse to bow to such outlandish lies about our God and Savior. No longer shall we dance to the off-keyed flute of such unlearned pipers.
The truth remains today as it has always stood. God is taking out of the world a people for His name (Acts 15:14). His purpose was never to save the whole world before the proper season. He has been very patient in selecting those who are to manifest His name, His nature, of fire to the world. Once the golden Cherubim, the elect Sons of God, rise from the Mercyseat as the Seraphim of fire then the flaming glory of God’s fire shall descend from the heavens upon the earth. Those like Him will sound the call — Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. The whole earth is full of His glory. That long awaited season of every ear hearing the quickening voice of the Son of God will have arrived. The time will have come for every eye to see the Salvation of God. In the same way those in the flame-consuming nature of God became alive, so shall the rest of the world. They too shall hear the voice of the Son of God as the Seraphim trumpet it from one end of the earth to the other. The heavens of men’s thinking will pass away with a great noise, and man’s arrangements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth, Adam’s source, also and the works that are therein, every carnal thing, shall be burned up in the presence of God’s burners, the anointed Seraphim (rf. Peter 3:10). As it was with Isaiah, and as it was with the elect of God, so shall it be with the world at large. Each soul will declare in the presence of the burning glory of Jesus Christ: "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." (Isa 6:5).
Prior to such an array of humble reverence to the King of kings, the four living creatures, together with the twenty-four elders, are moved deeply when He opens the seals of the book of men’s lives. Even those in the flaming image of God whose declaration, ‘Holy, holy, holy,’ caused the elders to cast down their crowns to Jesus, shall also enter into high and holy worship. Even while ablaze with God’s glory, they cover their faces and think not that they are anything (Isa 6:2). All praise is due to the Lamb, and in awesome reverence they and the elders lift in song as never before:
OUT OF EVERY KINDRED, AND TONGUE, AND PEOPLE, AND NATION
"And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Rev 5:9).
It is little wonder that He was found worthy to open the seals of men’s lives — He had paid the price for them. They were His. He bought the field (the whole world) containing the pearl of great price. The great price, the cost, of course, was His atoning blood. Along with the field came the key of life with which to unlock the treasure chest of His purchase. With this key, and at the close of the ages, the new owner will release every soul and bring forth His glory in each vessel. With such resplendent glory pouring forth, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sing a new song. Hallelujah!
Song is probably the highest form of worship there is, not just song in itself, but song that has its music set by the chords of the spirit. There is a song we sing that speaks well of this: "You are the Song that I sing. You are the Melody. You are the Music. You are the Song that I sing." The new song is a song of praise never before sung. Prior to this, there had never been anything that caused such an overflowing from the harps of their souls.
FROM WHERE ARE THE ELECT CALLED?
Let us pause for just a moment and notice something in the above verse that is often overlooked. The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders were saying: "Thou hast redeemed US to God by Thy blood OUT OF EVERY KINDRED, and TONGUE, and PEOPLE, and NATION."
There is an ever-mounting doctrine that is completely opposed to this declaration. It is called various things; but it is primarily known as British Israelism, Identity, and in extreme circles White Supremacy. They all have the same foundation, which maintains that God’s elect are only taken from the "white-Caucasian" race of people. Although British Israelism and Identity people embrace this concept, they are not generally filled with hate toward the blacks and Jews like those of White Supremacy. Nevertheless, in the light of the above verse, we must pose the bitter question to those who view things more in the natural than the spiritual. It is this: From where did God redeem the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders? Was it not from EVERY KINDRED, and TONGUE, and PEOPLE, and NATION? And also, it is commonly held by most of those who embrace this teaching that the elders are the sons, the elect of God. Above all, we see that the living creatures are God’s elect. The twenty-four elders are elected also, but theirs is certainly a different calling.
Nevertheless, the point we are considering is from where do the living creatures and elders come. If God only calls and places into His body those with "white" skin, and whose natural blood line can be traced back to Abraham — how could He take men and women from EVERY kindred, EVERY tongue, EVERY people, and EVERY nation? To me, it is clear. Every kindred, tongue, people, and nation speaks of every race of people, and not just those of Caucasian descent. It also tells me that God is not a respecter of persons. The point was made well by Peter when he said: "...Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him" (Acts 10:34-35). We will leave this thought with the following verse from Paul. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female (there is neither black nor white): for ye are all O-N-E in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28). (Parenthesis supplied). Now, back to our topic at hand.
EVERY CREATURE DECLARING GLORY
When the living creatures declared the holiness of the Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come, the priesthood fell before the Lamb of God and worshiped Him. Afterwards, the living creatures worshiped Him, and then others are seen following suit. "And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" (Rev 5:11).
What a tremendous thing John was privileged to see and hear — the entirety of Christ’s many membered body worshiping and giving praise to their Lord and Savior. The beasts (the flaming seraphim), the elders (the priests of the Kingdom), and the angels (everyone called into His service) were seen and heard in numbers innumerable. Oh, but let us not stop short of such great victory and wonders to behold. Due to the high praise, worship, and testimony of life — the rest of creation can’t help from being drawn to the light of such glory.
The very thing Jesus came to do is finished. The living word of God’s fire consumes all hardships and turmoil. It renders creation with no more tears, no more death, no more sorrow, no more pain in all of God’s creation; for the former things are passed away (Rev 21:4). "And EVERY CREATURE which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Rev 5:13). "And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped Him that liveth for ever and ever" (Rev 5:14).
This is a hard thing for religious minds to accept. They call God’s infinite grace to all, to every creature, heresy. They read the same verses above that you and I read; but the eyes of their religious persuasions edit and filter the truth from them. There will, however, be a day when those IN THE LIKENESS OF FIRE come forth and declare the holiness of God, and the most hardened skeptic shall give way to truth. They will know that Jesus is not a potential Savior of all men; but He is in fact — the Savior of all men. The proud edict of "us four and no more" will vanish away. No longer will it be, "us two and nothing new," for He that sits upon the throne of power said, "BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful" (Rev 21:5). Believest thou this? I will be so bold to say — if not, ye shall. For truly, the seraphim of God will blaze their way through every heart that resides upon this dark earth. Praise the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
FLIGHT OF THE CHERUBIM
So now, in the written word only, we have perhaps come to the end of the Cherubim’s journey. From the very beginning of man’s expulsion from the Garden of God the cherubim are seen inseparable from him. They were ever taking flight in the form of Imaginations in the heavens of his carnal mind and keeping the way of the Tree of Life. Adam’s imaginations of regaining what was lost, as creative and grand as they might have been, were the very things that prevented him from that which he sought. Try as he may, whether climbing some other way than Jesus or storming the heaven by force, man could not find it in himself to ascend back to Paradise Lost, for as a man thinketh is his heart, so is he, and his heart could never bypass his own imagined image of God to see Him for what and who He is. His "lofty" thoughts keep him earth bound and roaming endlessly through the wilderness.
Elwin R.
Roach
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