I will be adding a new series of 15 min studies on various important subjects in scripture. These will be designed for easy memorization of key Bible truths. The first will deal with the inspiration of the Bible and how we may understand it ourselves through simple methods.

I have come up with a theory on the seven thunders of Revelation 10 that I’d like to share here and get your feedback on.

As you likely already know the whole chapter is a prophecy of the Millerite movement with the last verse in the chapter commenting on the rise of the Seventh-day Adventist Church afterward. The little book being the book of Daniel, it‘s message was taken in, which was sweet at first but then bitter as the disappointment itself came. Revelation 10:3,4, in speaking of the angel that symbolizes the movement, says “And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.”

(Daniel 8:13 augments this understanding. There are two saints here. It was the second saint that asked the first one to explain the prophecy. The Millerites figured out what the timing was going to be, but as we all know now, they were wrong about the event itself. Adventists have looked back to the experience of the disappointment for meaning and purpose as a people ever since.)

Look carefully at those verses. The thunders are not spoken by God or the mighty angel. They come in reaction to the message of the angel. So who is left to speak them but the people who heard the message?

In Revelation 14, the first angel’s message is proclaimed with a loud voice, so is the third. The second however, is not. This implies a time delay. There is also an angel in Revelation 18:1,2 who speaks with a loud voice. I submit to you that a thunder is a loud voice and that the seven thunders are not seven different messages, but the same message seven times over in the seven generations of time that have passed from 1844 until now.

This theory explains why it seems to have taken so long for Jesus to return. Look carefully at this quote from Early Writings, page 40: “I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to this dark world again. Then the angel said, ‘You must go back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the handiwork of God.’” Did you notice there are two different sets of people mentioned by the angel, ‘you’ and ‘the 144,00’? Things were always meant to turn out the way they did. It never was possible that that generation would see Jesus in their time. The angel knew it. But if they weren’t faithful, they wouldn’t have made it to Heaven.

Now again, it’s a theory. But what’s wrong with wanting it to be true? What’s wrong with doing everything we can to make it true as well? If the theory is corre

We have four blogs:

Living the Unprocessed Life - discussing the theology and science of the Adventist health message and its importance for today's generation

The Faith of Jesus - thoughts of a Christian meditating on the life of Christ

Your Word I Have Hidden in My Heart - reflecting upon individual verses in the Bible

The Word Through a Biblical Lens - looking at current issues through a more Biblical perspective

http://www.elmontesda.org/blogs

Our children have learned to regard Christmas as a day of rejoicing, and we should find it a difficult matter to pass over this holiday without some attention. It may be made to serve a good purpose. The youth should not be left to find their own amusement in vanity and pleasure-seeking. If parents will make the necessary effort, the minds of the children may be directed to God, to his cause, and to the salvation of souls. Their desire to make gifts may be turned into channels of good to their fellow-men, to sustaining the work which Christ came to do. {RH, December 15, 1885 par. 4}

I see no objection to placing even in our churches a Christmas or New Year tree bearing fruit in gifts and offerings for the cause of God. We may thus take advantage of the occasion to turn the customary gifts of the season into the right channel. And such a holiday celebration is a useful lesson to our children, teaching them to bestow their gifts in a manner to honor their Redeemer. {ST, January 4, 1883 par. 7}

While urging upon all the duty of first bringing their offerings to God, I would not wholly condemn the practice of making Christmas and New Year's gifts to our friends. It is right to bestow upon one another tokens of love and remembrance if we do not in this forget God, our best Friend. We should make our gifts such as will prove a real benefit to the receiver. I would recommend such books as will be an aid in understanding the Word of God, or that will increase our love for its precepts. --RH, Dec. 26, 1882. {PM 345.4}

“I have for some reason felt anxious for you. I expected to find a letter from you here at Enosburg but was disappointed. I sent you a Christmas present. Let me hear from you.” {3MR 128.3}

Have you ever thought about what the spiritual meaning behind our modern age is? Consider how we think we can control the world around us through technology much better than our ancestors ever did. Consider also the advances in healing and our ability to travel and communicate over vast distances. Put that together with the hopes and dreams modern people have for space travel and that (to me at least) is evidence modern humanity thinks they have taken back for themselves all that God took away from Adam and Eve on the day they sinned. The way my wife put it to me when we were discussing this topic once was that Satan's temptation with today's modern age is "Don't you want to stay? Don't you want to think you can really make it on your own without God?"

Thoughts like this make me even more appreciative of the value of the truths of the Bible within Adventism. We are not ultra-Conservative and so against the modern age as to make ourselves irrelevant in people's eyes. By God's grace He is using us to show the world how relevant the truth as it is in Jesus still is despite all the changes in the last 150 years.

Some people who believe in evolution and reject God in favour of the modern worldview claim there's no need for spirituality. Well I noticed a parallel between the first six Star Trek movies and Bible truth that I like to share with people like that.

In Star Trek the Motion Picture we have a character looking for its creator.
Star Trek 2 the Wrath of Khan deals with the subject of creation and ends with Spock (who is half human, and half from a place where people are able to control themselves better) dying to save the rest of the crew.
Spock rises from the dead in Star Trek 3.
Star Trek 4 has the Enterprise crew coming back to earth in our time.
Star Trek 5 has them going to heaven.
And Star Trek 6 opens the door to a brave new world of adventures after we make total peace with our enemies.

That is the exact thought structure and in the exact order one needs to comprehend in order to become a born again, Adventist Christian. Although when I share this thought with non-Christians who are into science fiction I leave out the word 'Adventist', it always makes them think deeply.

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Biblical versus New Age Meditation

New Age meditation, which is creeping its way into mainstream Christianity through the spiritual formation movement, focuses on the stilling and emptying of the mind. Biblical meditation, on the other hand, involves conscious thought about Scripture and its application.

It is dangerous to enter a passive mental state, because in those situations our minds have no protection against falsehood or evil.

Biblical meditation is having our minds actively engaged on contemplating God's word. James 4:7 says to "submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you". Resistance is key to staying sober in mind.i

The peace experienced in Christian meditation is not found by deep breathing or looking “within.” Rather, peace comes by looking to God, grasping the knowledge that He is all-powerful and has abundant life in store for us (See Isaiah 40:13-31 and John 10:10). When we thoughtfully consider God’s truth in our minds, the Holy Spirit will begin to change our hearts and lead us to obedience:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8).

Watch The Two Image Makers Series soon to be uploaded.

In love God made man to reflect His image. There is another who seeks the place of God. In hate he seeks to deform man to reflect his image. Understand how the media and fallen educational philosophies are prey to the fallen angles designs. Learn how God can combat the flood of deception and restore His image in you. Artist and Speaker Brian Dunne unveils the deception in arts, education and media.