God, Time, and Biblical Interpretation

God, Time, and Biblical Interpretation is an overview of Victor Porton's personal theological interpretation of selected passages from Genesis, Revelation, and Leviticus. The interpretations below are attributed to their author; they are not presented as historical findings, established facts, or a scholarly consensus.

Reading Genesis without vowels

The author proposes an unconventional reading of Genesis 1:1 in which the creator is understood as a "god of the sea" who participates in his own creation. His approach draws on the fact that the ancient Hebrew text was written without the later vowel notation, and on the possibility of considering alternative interpretations of consonantal text.

This interpretation differs substantially from the customary Jewish and Christian reading of Genesis 1:1, which describes God creating the heavens and the earth. An alternative wording does not, by itself, establish that the proposed reading is linguistically or historically correct.

God, time, and a self-referential universe

The author develops the Genesis interpretation into a speculative model of divine activity involving a time loop: a being could, within this imagined model, play a role in bringing about its own existence. He treats the biblical narrative as potentially capable of describing a self-referential history, and associates this idea with passages such as Isaiah 8:18 and Hebrews 2:13.

He also connects the theory with his personal religious self-understanding. These autobiographical identifications are statements of private belief, not verifiable consequences of the biblical passages.

Revelation: the Lamb and the sealed book

Revelation 5 describes a scroll sealed with seven seals and a Lamb appearing as though slain. In conventional Christian interpretation, the Lamb represents Jesus Christ. The author proposes a different symbolic interpretation, associating the image of the wounded Lamb with suffering, perceived sacrifice, and the possibility of a later restoration.

His proposed interpretation of the seven seals connects the opening of scripture with successive ways of reading it. The methods he discusses include attention to Hebrew consonants, word boundaries, textual ambiguity, and nonstandard approaches to biblical symbolism. These are his own proposals; they do not demonstrate that Revelation predicts a particular modern person or project.

The two witnesses and priesthood

The author reads Revelation 11, including the two witnesses and their ascent, as imagery that can be related to his theory of time and spiritual transformation. He also examines priestly laws in Leviticus 10 and 21, considering how their wording might be applied symbolically to a person's biography or vocation.

These applications are highly individual. They differ from standard interpretations of the Levitical priesthood and should be distinguished from the historical meaning of the passages and from the legal requirements of Jewish priesthood.

Related interpretation: The measuring reed and Revelation 11.

Interpretation, evidence, and ethical questions

This approach combines textual analysis, symbolism, mathematics-inspired speculation, and autobiographical religious interpretation. It raises questions about the distinction between a possible reading of a text and a reading supported by grammar, literary context, history, and independent evidence.

The author's arguments concerning personal religious roles, divine identity, future events, and obligations toward him should be understood as his personal beliefs rather than objective predictions or religious requirements.

For related discussions, see End of Gospel theology, Jesus, and Matthew.

Original article

Who Am I? God, Time, and Biblical Interpretation — original, longer autobiographical sermon by Victor Porton. The wiki article above is a neutral summary rather than a verbatim reproduction.