COGR – Is an angel the judge of the earth?
January 26, 2024
Good day! I am writing a series of short reviews of abbreviated COGR video clips. I am looking for input and comments. If it makes it easier, I will be glad to supply a Word document so comments can be put in the document, and we can communicate directly. My email address is lattema@icloud.com. I hope you find these reviews helpful.
Transcript:
“Remember Enoch, the 7th from Adam, said, ‘God’s going to come with ten thousands of the saints.’
Read, ‘I beheld till the thrones were cast down or set up on the earth.’
Read, ‘The Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow. The hair of his head like the pure wool. His throne was like a flame of fiery fire. His wheels as a burning fire’ – verse ten.
‘A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. Thousand thousands, thousand thousands ministered unto him, and times, stood before him.’ Thank you. But I got it.
‘The judgment was set. The judgment was set. The judgment was set. The judgment was set, and the books were open.’
And so listen to what I’m trying to tell you, there’s an angel in Revelation. It’s the 7th one Enoch told us about it, and he prophesied that this angel is clothed with the cloud.
This is the Lord coming with a cloud of witnesses. And the witnesses are, everyone that has ever believed God… Everyone that has ever believed the promise.
This seven trumpet angel is introduced to the world. Now I want to tell you there have been some fine introductions in the world. There have been some fine camera calls, there have been some fine curtain calls. But no introduction in the world compares to someone walking out with the weight, authority, and power of everyone that has ever believed God from the beginning of time until then. It’s the best introduction that ever could be.
In Daniel, chapter seven it’s talking about the two dominions, there’s one in the morning time and there’s one in the evening time. So this angel comes down from heaven. He’s a mighty angel, clothed with a cloud of witnesses.
The glory, the victory, please have a seat. I won’t try to finish. Someone had something. Turn with us to Revelation…”
Commentary:
Stephen brings together three texts that require at least some study, and which might not be well known to some. (Jude 14, Daniel 7:10, and Revelation 10:1). He presents information in a rapid and authoritative manner and, in the process, misleads the hearers. He brings the mythology of the COGR to the Scriptures and tries to slide it in. I will demonstrate this as I address the main points of contention and detail the reasons his approach fails.
At the beginning of his presentation, Stephen mentions Enoch. He states that Enoch prophesied about the 7th angel who was clothed in clouds. This is largely correct, except that Enoch did not prophesy about the 7th angel; it was Jesus that Enoch prophesied about. Many scholars see the language used in Jude 14-15 as Christological, referring to the coming of Jesus Christ with thousands of His holy ones for judgment. This interpretation aligns with other New Testament passages that describe Jesus returning with angels to judge the living and the dead (e.g., Matthew 25:31-46, Acts 10:42, 2 Timothy 4:1). The context of the book of Jude emphasizes the authority of Jesus Christ and the need for believers to contend for the faith. The language used in Jude 14-15 fits well with the eschatological role of Jesus as the final judge. Finally, the New Testament consistently presents Jesus Christ as the central figure in the final judgment. The angel in Revelation 10 is often seen in a different context and is not explicitly identified as Jesus in the text. In fact, it is also worth noting that Jude speaks of “The Lord,” and the Scriptures use “the Lord” in conjunction with Jesus dozens of times, while the “7th Angel” is not referred to in that manner.
Stephen makes much of the fact that the 7th Angel is supposedly coming with a great multitude. Stephen later refers to the great weight, authority, and power of everyone who has ever believed in God from the beginning of time until then. That authority supposedly surrounded and introduced the 7th Angel. However, Stephen has not studied symbolism enough. Clouds, which he interprets to be all believers, are also used to indicate the glory and power of God quite apart from the idea of witnesses, believers, or angels. This can be seen in the following four instances (Exodus 16:10, Exodus 24:15-18, 1 Kings 8:10-11, Matthew 17:5).
Stephen also attempts to introduce superstition, making much of the fact that Enoch was the 7th in order and the Angel of Revelation 10 was the 7th angel. He says, “This angel is coming with everyone that has ever, at any time, believed in the original promise that God gave to Adam. And it was prophesied seven times, the perfect amount of time. Afterward, Enoch stood in seven and said, it’s an appropriate time to tell that there’s coming, that Jesus is coming, say, no, this is a minister.” Stephen took Jude’s description, in which Jude was describing which Enoch he was talking about (the seventh one) and turned it into a superstitious indicator of the 7th angel. Doing so, Stephen refutes the belief of virtually every scholar and commentator, all who recognize this as a reference to Jesus, and says, “No, this is a minister.”
Since, in Stephen’s mind, Jesus has been eliminated and the 7th Angel substituted, this 7th Angel becomes the judge of the earth. However, Scripture is quite clear that Jesus is the judge, not an angel. The reason Stephen is anxious to make this exchange is that, according to COGR mythology, the 7th Angel is the 7th Trumpet ministry and represents Ray Tinsman and the 12 end-time apostles. This, of course, makes them the judges of the world. A position that they covet.
This is a great example of the fact that the COGR apologists have not only a false mythology undergirding their movement but also an agenda to reshape Biblical truth.
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