The four living creatures represent the four archangels who are commanders in God’s army. They have four faces each – lion, ox, man, and eagle – symbolizing their different roles and duties. The winds represent angels and the judgment they carry out, able to manifest as gentle breezes or powerful storms. John was shown a vision of heaven, like Moses saw to build the tabernacle and Jesus established God’s kingdom, so John can build Mount Zion to mirror heaven with 24 elders, 4 living creatures, 7 lamps/spirits, and 12 gates. The living creatures command the other angels/winds to enact judgment like the sealing of the 144,000 and tribulation of the great multitude. After the sealing, the winds will be released again to bring a great tribulation, from which the multitude will emerge purified. Understanding these symbols is crucial to properly establish God’s kingdom on earth according to the heavenly pattern.

 

Study Guide SCJ Bible Study

Secrets of Heaven: Figurative Living Creatures and Winds

Today’s content is going to be profound and thought-provoking. That’s what we’ll explore today.

 

We have living creatures, which is parable number one. And we have winds, which is parable number two. These two are actually closely related, as we will examine and discuss today. We have here four living creatures because there are actually four of them.

 

Take note of the four living creatures, and let’s attempt to understand what the living creatures represent. And also, what do the winds symbolize? What are the living creatures, and what are the winds?

 

The four living creatures represent the four archangels, and the winds symbolize the angels and the judgment they bring. The term “arch” means leader. For instance, you may have heard of an archbishop, which means the bishop who is in charge of other bishops.

 

So, the term “arch” signifies a leader or head. Therefore, the four living creatures represent the four head or leader angels. And we’ll see how they have worked throughout the Bible.

 

Our hope for today is to be sealed 100%, not just 50%, 75%, or even 99%. Let’s strive to be completely sealed and withstand with faith when the winds blow. We’ll talk about that today. In the previous lesson, we looked at the figurative song.

What does Heaven Look like?

We are about to engage in an enjoyable activity that will require a few minutes of your time. Please take out a separate sheet of paper. On this sheet, you will draw your personal interpretation of what heaven looks like.

You may approach this task from two perspectives: either relying on your own thoughts or adhering to what the Bible says. Which perspective should we prioritize?

Let us explore what the Bible reveals about this matter.

Oh, interesting.

 

How many of us knew a detailed description of what heaven looks like was always in the Bible? Always been there. But because we avoid revelation, we didn’t know.

Or if we have read Revelation a few times, it didn’t come to mind. So by God’s grace, we’re studying revelation now.

So we’re seeing all of these important details. 

So let’s break down each thing that we saw verse by verse. So firstly, who was the one who was called up to see these things?  It was John.

 

So John goes up in the spirit and he sees this and he writes down a detailed account of what he saw. So what did he see? The first entity he saw was a being seated on a throne that had the appearance of Jasper and Carnelian.

 

And he had a rainbow encircling him, and that was God. In the next chapter, chapter five, he sees Jesus. We know that Jesus is at the right hand of God.

 

So God and Jesus are at the center. They are then surrounded by 24 elders wearing 24 crowns. Before the throne, seven lamps are blazing, the seven spirits of God.

There is also a sea of glass, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne and from the lamp. 

 

We know water is the word, and the clear word is the sea of glass. And then around the throne are four living creatures, and there’s four of each, each surrounding the throne.

 

And in Revelation 21, which we’ll get into later, Revelation 21 gives more details about this place. And it mentions that there are 12 gates, 12 gates, three on the north, three on the east, three on the south, and three on the west. So we’ll look at why there are 12 gates in the future.

 

Very cool. So this is the vision that John saw of heaven. So let’s draw John on the side here.

 

Hopefully everyone is drawing this with us, right? Please draw this in the best detail that you can. And we see John, who was called up in the spirit, and he sees this.

 

John sees heaven in the spiritual world. But why is he shown heaven?

 

We know that God doesn’t do anything by accident, and that everything God does has an intention behind it. Everything God says and the way God says things has an intention behind it, right? So we see that John sees heaven in the spiritual world.

 

But let’s look at others in the Bible who were also shown heaven, and what God asked them to do. Because what God asked them to do is similar to what God will ask John to do. 

 

So let’s look at this in a little bit more detail.

Who did God’s will in each era?

Let’s turn to the first person who was shown heaven in the spiritual world. 

Old Testament

ONE – God instructed Moses, “You shall make the sanctuary for me.” Why? “So that I may dwell with them.” And what did God say in verse 9? He did not say, “You may make my sanctuary however you like, Moses.” No, he said, “Make it exactly as the pattern I will show you.”

 

Oh, so every element that Moses built in the Tabernacle has an important equivalent in heaven. For example, what did Moses build in the Tabernacle that had the job of illuminating during the night? A lamp. The lamp that Moses built had a very special look to it. It had branches.

 

And this is a question for the class. Any idea how many branches that lamp had? Seven. Is it an accident, class, that the lamp he had had seven branches? No, not an accident. Why? Because in heaven, in the spiritual world, there are seven lamps.

 

So when Moses saw heaven in the spiritual world, he built on earth what he saw. Like this: see, build. See, build. Are we understanding?

 

So, in Exodus 25:8-9, Moses built the Tabernacle of God so that on earth, there could be a mini replica of heaven, so that God would feel at home when he came to dwell with his people. Does that make sense? 

 

It’s like if you’re searching for an apartment, you search for weeks or even months to find the one that meets all your specifications.

It needs to have hardwood floors, a dishwasher, easy access to laundry, and someone at the door to collect your mail. And it needs to have this and that.

Or if you’re looking for a house, it needs to be this big with a front yard and a backyard in a neighborhood that’s like this, this close to this. You have very specific specifications. God too.

 

And God wanted his people to worship at a Tabernacle that was similar to his own. So Hebrews 8:5 says that they worshiped at a Tabernacle that was a copy and a shadow of what was in heaven. Are we understanding?

 

So that’s why God showed Moses heaven.

Fist Coming

TWO – At the time of Jesus’ first coming, He was the one who saw heaven and built on earth. Jesus had the role of being able to perceive the heavenly realm and establish its principles on the earthly plane. His teachings and actions represented a figurative fulfilment of ancient prophecies, often conveyed through parables. The word He brought was true, in contrast to the lies and false narratives of the world. Jesus offered hope, like a seed planted in fertile soil. His lessons were timely for that era, yet some remained open while others were sealed, awaiting future understanding.

So what did we see here in John chapter 5? Jesus said some key things here. He said in verse 17, the son can only do what he sees his father doing.

 

In verse 17, he says, my father is at his work, and I too am working. From the moment Adam sinned, God has been at work. And he has been working to this very day for the goal of the redemption of his creation.

 

So every person in the Bible has played a key role in getting us one step closer to God’s role of redemption for us. And of course, Jesus played the most important role. And what job did the son have to do?

 

He said, in verse 19, I tell you the truth, the son can do nothing by himself. He can only do what he sees his father doing, because whatever the father does, the son also does. So like in John 3, John the Baptist said, one who is from above is from above all, and he speaks as one from above.

 

So Jesus saw also heaven, and then he got to work. And he said things like, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. So he was the walking embodiment of heaven.

 

And so he was heaven on earth, and that’s why he would heal people, and he would speak and people would be changed. So what about the time of the second coming? 

Second Coming

THREE – The era of the second coming represents a figurative fulfilment of the prophecy and parable revealed in the word. Just as John, the apostle, saw a vision of heaven in the spiritual world and recorded it in great detail 2000 years ago, a new John must witness the actual reality of what was previously sealed. 

 

He must open his eyes to the true vision and not flee from the lies and false hope that the seed of this lesson has been planted. 

 

In this time, someone must see heaven’s reality and then do on earth what he saw, mirroring the experience of the original John.

But why did God show John heaven? Just like Moses and Jesus before him, he was shown so that he could do something with what he now had. How many times have we heard testimonies of someone seeing heaven?

 

Having a near-death experience and seeing heaven. But how often do their explanations of what they see line up with what we’ve been reading? They often talk about, “I saw light. It felt warm.” Like, okay. But just because someone sees light does not mean they’re seeing God.

 

Because we know that there is someone who masquerades as an angel of light. Why? Because he used to be one, and he knows how to do it.

 

So when we’re listening for explanations about heaven, what we need to do is cross-check it with scripture. “Did you see 24 elders? Oh, no? Hmm, okay. You didn’t see heaven then. Did you see four living creatures? Can you describe what they looked like? Oh, okay. Maybe you didn’t see heaven then,” right?

 

Details matter. That’s why the details are recorded. So why did John see heaven in the spiritual world? So that he could build what he saw on earth. Oh, and where must that work be done? At a place where the lamb also dwells, where people must gather.

 

And at this place where sealing happens, at this place where 144,000 are sealed and a great multitude gathers, there must be equivalence to what was seen in heaven. This place needs to have 24 elders. 

 

What is Mount Zion? Yeah, Mount Zion is a church. 

 

So at this place, there should also be 24 elders. At this place, there should be a replication of the four living creatures, the seven lamps, and the 12 gates, if that is a place that God and Jesus are returning to.

 

So it must look like heaven in the spiritual world at that place, just like Moses and just like Jesus before. 

 

Okay, we’ve covered quite a lot here, but now let’s actually get to the lesson because this was just an appetizer. This was just a teaser; we’re just getting started.

1. Physical Characteristics of a Living Creature

A living creature is alive, possessing breath. It is a being with life. Of course, spiritually, to have life, one must have the way, the truth, and the life. They need the word, for the word and the spirit are one. These are the essential characteristics of a living creature, both physically and spiritually.

2. Spiritual (True) Meaning of a Living Creature

Let us now explore the figurative, spiritual meaning that the living creature represents, and truly comprehend how the Bible maintains a consistent unity from beginning to end. We will witness the same concepts appearing throughout the scriptures, affirming its cohesive nature.

 

Despite having multiple writers, the Bible has one ultimate author.

 

Let us revisit Revelation chapter four and examine the description of the four living creatures.

ONE – We observe the four living creatures, and they possess four faces each.

To clarify, each of the four living creatures has all four faces. It’s not a scenario where one creature has a lion’s face, another has a man’s face, another an ox’s face, and yet another an eagle’s face. Instead, each creature possesses all four faces: lion, ox, man, and eagle.

So, we discern a lion’s face, an ox’s face, a man’s face, and an eagle’s face on each of the four living creatures. Intriguing. What do these four faces represent?

Each of these four faces symbolizes the four roles fulfilled by these angels, their four distinct roles. The lion, being the king of the jungle, represents the role of judging beasts.

 

The ox plows the field, representing the role of labor and cultivation. The man symbolizes reason and intelligence. And the eagle, as the king of birds, represents the pinnacle of avian creatures.

We’ll delve deeper into the significance of these representations when we progress to the intermediate level. 

 

For now, remember that they symbolize the four duties undertaken by these angels or spirits. 

 

However, we are currently reading this account in the Book of Revelation, which describes what John witnessed.

We know that the Bible is a unified whole. So, if John witnessed this vision of heaven, shouldn’t there be similar accounts from others in the Bible, corroborating what John saw?

By God’s grace, that is indeed the case.

 

 Let’s examine another account from someone who lived hundreds of years prior, describing a comparable experience.

TWO – Ah, that’s an intriguing observation. The description you provided seems to align with what John witnessed, doesn’t it? 

 

Are you suggesting that he perceived the same spiritual entities that John beheld? Indeed, it appears so.

And what were the specific details mentioned? It stated that each of the four living creatures possessed all four faces.

The lion, the ox, the human, and the eagle.

 

So, John’s vision encompassed the same beings. He, too, witnessed the four living creatures. His experience mirrored that account.

 

Let us further examine how Ezekiel’s narration offers additional insights while still depicting those same spiritual presences.

THREE – Ezekiel actually describes the same angels, referring to them as the living creatures. We now have an additional name for them – cherubs. Cherub is another term used for angels. In this case, they are archangels, as there are four of them.

 

We’ll examine this in more detail shortly. However, note that Ezekiel is witnessing the same spirits – the lion, the man, the cherub, and the eagle – as described earlier.

 

So, these beings are called cherubs, living creatures, and angels. Let’s now read an additional passage related to this.

FOUR – We see here that the four living creatures actually have a duty to fulfill. 

They say, and we only read the first of the four, but the other three also say the same thing. 

They say, “Come.” And then when they say “Come,” a rider on a horse appears, each holding a different thing.

So when they call, these riders appear. The archangels are actually like commanders in God’s army, for they have the ability or the duty to give commands, and the other angels follow.

A white horse appears, then a red horse, followed by a black horse, and finally, a pale horse appears. The reason for this is because God is at war. God has a structure, a hierarchy, an organization as well.

 

Each of the angels also has specific positions and duties. These four living creatures are like commanders. If we look at the book of Joshua 5:6, Joshua encounters one of these angels.

 

He asks, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” And the angel says, “Neither, but I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” Then Joshua fell with his face to the ground and worshipped, saying, “What does my Lord have to say to your servant?”

 

So he meets one of these commanders. Okay, now we’ve learned that they are called living creatures. They’re called cherubs.

 

They’re commanders. But they’re also called something else too.

FIVE – Zechariah witnessed a vision similar to what Ezekiel and John had seen. It was the same vision.

He saw four chariots, and each chariot had horses resembling those described in Revelation 6. Despite being separated by hundreds of years, these prophets witnessed the same vision. Why? 

 

Because heaven is eternal and unchanging, and God is one and the same. Therefore, God reveals the same vision to His servants, maintaining consistency throughout the Bible.

 

The chariots mentioned represent horse-drawn carts used in battle and war, for God has been engaged in a prolonged conflict against Satan for 6,000 years. 

 

These chariots symbolize the commanders in God’s army, carrying out the battle and war on His behalf.

3. Physical Characteristics of Winds

1. Although you cannot visually perceive wind, you can feel its presence and witness its effects.

2. Winds have a cyclical nature; they blow for a period, and then they become still, ceasing their movement.

3. At times, winds can manifest as a gentle breeze, providing a refreshing and welcome respite on a warm summer day.

4. However, winds can also take the form of powerful storms, such as hurricanes, typhoons, or tornadoes. Much like fire, which can serve as a source of warmth and a means of cooking, but also has the potential to cause devastating destruction in its path.

 

Or like water, which we consume and utilize for cleansing purposes when contained in a cup, yet can also pose a drowning hazard if one is submerged in it. These natural elements possess dual purposes, capable of both benefiting and harming.

 

Thus, winds can manifest as either a soothing breeze or a formidable storm.

4. Spiritual (True) Meaning of Winds.

Let us examine the book of Jeremiah, chapter 4, where we will observe how winds are used figuratively to represent judgment. 

In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 4, God uses figurative language to represent his judgment upon his people as winds. Jeremiah was often referred to as the weeping prophet because his writings frequently conveyed words of lament.

 

He authored both the book of Jeremiah and the subsequent book of Lamentations. His writings consistently addressed the impending judgment upon the people, leading him to be known as the weeping prophet. This was due to God’s intense anger during that era.

 

Jeremiah’s writings foretold the woes that would befall the people. 

 

The winds symbolize judgment, and the angels are the ones who carry out this judgment.

 

Let us examine the work of the winds at the time of the second coming.

5. Work of the Winds at Second Coming

We see in the book of Revelation chapter 6, a chapter of judgment, that the sun, moon, and stars go dark and fall. This is similar to what we saw in Matthew 27.

 

This is actually the same event described in Matthew 24:29-31. The sun, moon, and stars go dark and fall.

 

The terminology used here is significant: “I watched as he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, and the moon turned blood red. All the stars fell to the earth.”

 

Pay attention to the key term in verse 13: “And the stars fell to the earth as late figs dropped from a fig tree shaken by a strong wind.”

 

The winds were blowing, which represents that the sun, moon, and stars were being judged, and as the winds were blowing, they fell from heaven where they were supposed to be.

 

Remember, when we read Revelation, we should not be thinking of monsters or things like that. 

 

We should be thinking of words and people, words and people. People, and we’ll look at this very soon.

The sun, moon, and stars represent people who betrayed and are now being judged. So the winds were blowing.

 

However, the winds don’t always blow in Revelation. There is a time when the winds are stilled.

In Revelation 7:1-4, we observe that the winds are held back, implying a temporary pause or halt. But why is this happening? 

 

The reason is to allow for the events described in Revelation 7:2-4 to unfold, enabling people to be sealed in a relatively peaceful environment.

 

As we study the open word, are we not currently experiencing the sealing process ourselves? This suggests that the sealing has already taken place because we are being sealed with the open word.

 

The winds were initially stopped to facilitate the sealing process, during which the angel with the seal of the living God placed a seal on the foreheads of God’s servants. 

 

However, the passage indicates that the winds will eventually be released once again. This raises the question: Why would God permit the winds to blow once more after the sealing has occurred?

The text discusses a great multitude that emerges from a great tribulation. 

 

Tribulation figuratively represents judgment or a trial. This multitude comes from every people, nation, tribe, and language, or they come out of the churches. It is prophesied that the winds will blow once more.

 

We should prepare ourselves for a great tribulation that will take place. 

We must keep these things in mind because questions about the tribulation often arise. If we will be around to witness it, people need to come out of this place and gather at Mount Zion. 

However, we may not fully understand the process yet, and these are topics we will continue to study.

The winds are stopped for a time for sealing, but a great tribulation will also occur afterwards. 

 

After this happens, a great multitude that no one can count, from every tribe, people, language, and nation, will emerge by God’s grace. 

 

Let us get ready for this time and ensure that if it is happening, we are prepared.

Memorization

 

Let’s Us Discern