The Pretribulation Rapture—Todd Strandberg and Jack Ward
1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
Listen to this secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds, we shall all be changed Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed)
1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to die again, and we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed).
OT saints are resurrected at the end of the tribulation. They will be the guests of the bridegroom as John the Baptist was called. They will not go through the judgment seat of Christ as they were not Christians so to speak. They will be the guests of the bridegroom and will be invited to the kingdom. Daniel 12:2 Isaiah 19:26- Matthew 8 they will come from the east and the west.
1 Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
For what is mortal must be changed into what is immortal; what will die must be changed into what cannot die. For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us, this nature that is capable of dying] must put on immortality (freedom from death).
1 Corinthians 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed into the immortal, then the scripture will come true: “Death is destroyed; victory is complete!” And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished [h]forever) in and unto victory.
1 Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
“Where, Death, is your victory?
Where, Death, is your power to hurt?” O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
Death gets its power to hurt from sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. Now sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power [i][upon the soul] through [j][the abuse of] the Law.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].
The rapture is an event that will take place sometime in the near future. Jesus will come in the air, catch up the Church from the earth, and then return to heaven with the Church. The Apostle Paul gave a clear description of the rapture event in his letters to the Thessalonians and Corinthians.”For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess, 4:16-18).
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:51-53).
The timing of the rapture is not known. From the Word of God and from sound reasoning–something Jesus used quite frequently–I hope to prove the reality of the pretribulation rapture.
The word “rapture” comes from Paul’s “caught up” remark in verse 17. The words “caught up” are translated from the Greek word harpazo, which means “to carry off,” “snatch up,” or “grasp hastily.” The translation from harpazo to “rapture” involved two steps: first, harpazo became the Latin word raptus; second, raptus became the English word “rapture.”
Scriptural Evidence for the Pretribulation Rapture—Todd Strandburg Rapture Ready.com
The Unknown Hour
When we search the Scriptures and read the passages describing the Lord Jesus’ return, we find verses that tell us we won’t know the day and hour of that event. Matthew 25:13 says Jesus will return at an unknown time, while Revelation 12:6 indicates that the Jews will have to wait on the Lord 1,260 days, starting when the Antichrist stands in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God (2 Thes 2:4). This event will take place at the mid-point of the seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:27). Note that some people only see a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. In a way, they are correct because the first half of the tribulation will be relatively peaceful compared to the second half. Nonetheless, peaceful or not, there still remains a seven-year period called the tribulation. When the Jews flee into the wilderness, they know that all they have to do is wait out those 1,260 days (Mat 24:16). There is no way to apply the phrase “neither the day nor the hour” to this situation. The only way for these two viewpoints to be true is to separate the two distinct events transpiring here: 1) the rapture of the Church, which comes before the tribulation; and 2) the return of Jesus to the earth, which takes place roughly seven years later.
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb
In Luke 12:36, the Word states that when Christ returns, He will be returning from a wedding. In Revelation 19:7-8, we read about the marriage itself. The marriage supper takes place before the marriage. According to Jewish custom, the marriage contract, which often includes a dowry, is drawn up first. The contract parallels the act of faith we use when we trust Jesus to be our Savior. The dowry is His life, which was used to purchase us. When it’s time for the wedding, the groom goes to the bride’s house unannounced. She comes out to meet him, and then he takes her to his father’s house. This precisely correlates with the events according to the pre-trib scenario. Jesus, the Groom, comes down from heaven and calls up the Church, His Bride. After meeting in the air, He and His Bride return to His Father’s house, heaven. The marriage supper itself will take place there, while down here on earth the final events of the tribulation will be playing out. After the marriage supper of Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are presented to the world as man and wife. This corresponds to the time when Jesus returns to earth accompanied by an army “clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev 19:14).
OT saints will be the guests of the bridegroom. John the Baptist was a guest. I don’t know if this takes place in heaven during the tribulation or after the tribulation when the OT saints are resurrected. OT saints are NOT raptured but resurrected.
What They Didn’t Teach You in History Class
Many groups try to discredit the pre-trib rapture by saying most of the end-time events in the Bible have already taken place. A group of people called preterists claims that the Book of Revelation was mostly fulfilled by 70 AD. If the events described in the Book of Revelation took place in the past, I’m at a loss to explain some of the current situations I see around us: the rebirth of Israel, the reunification of Europe, the number of global wars that have occurred, and the development of nuclear weapons. During history class, I must have slept through the part where the teacher talked about the time when a third of the trees were burned up, 100-pound hailstones fell from the sky, and the sea turned into blood (Rev 8:7-8, 16:21). I think several people would have to question their opposition to the pre-trib rapture doctrine if they knew that the evidence provided to them was based on the understanding that most tribulation prophecies have already occurred.
The People of the Millennium
If Christ were to come back after the tribulation, rapture all the saints, and slay all the ungodly, who would be left to populate the earth during the millennium? Only the pre-trib viewpoint can account for this post-trib problem. The Church is raptured before the tribulation, a vast number of souls are saved during this seven-year time frame, and those who make it through the tribulation go into the millennium while the unsaved are cast into hell.
The Saint U-Turn
In the pre-trib scenario, after we rise to meet the Lord in the air, we will go to heaven and abide there seven years. At the end of that period, Christ will come down to earth, defeat the Antichrist, and cleanse the temple. In a post-trib rapture, we would rise in the air to meet the Lord, then do a 180-degree U-turn and come back down to earth. Revelation 1:7 states that Christ will appear out of the clouds and come down to earth. Zechariah 14:4 says that His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. If He’s already headed our way, why would we need to be caught up to meet Him?
“Come Up Hither”
Many pre-trib writers cite Revelation 4:1, which says, “come up hither,” as a prophetic reference to the rapture of the Church, leaving Revelation chapters 1 through 3 as a description of the Church Age. After the shout to “come up hither,” the Church is not mentioned in Scripture at all. The attention of Scripture switches from the Church to the Jews living in Israel.
Armies in Fine Linen
When Jesus returns (Rev. 19:18), an army follows Him. The army’s members are riding on white horses, and they are clothed in fine linen that is white and clean. In Revelation 19:8, we are told that the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. If the saints of God are returning with Christ to wage war on the Antichrist, then it is not possible to have a post-trib rapture without us running into ourselves as we are coming and going.
The Time of Jacob’s Trouble
In several passages, the Bible refers to the tribulation as a time of trouble for the Jews. The phrase “Jacob’s trouble” pertains to the descendants of Jacob. Jeremiah 30:7 says that this time of trouble will come just before the Lord returns to save His people. The final week of Daniel’s 70th week is yet to take place. An angel told Daniel that, “70 weeks are determined unto thy people” (Dan 9:24). Scripture never mentions that the tribulation is meant to be a time of testing for Christians. However, some post-tribbers try to claim that they are the ones being tested during the tribulation. To make this so, they need to spiritualize the 144,000 Jewish believers in Revelation 7:2-8 who receive God’s protective seal. Placing the Church dispensation into the same time frame as the seven-year Jewish dispensation, as the post-tribbers do, raises one good question: Can two dispensations transpire at the same time? In the past, God has only dealt with one at a time. Having both present during the tribulation would have to be an exception.
We must understand that Daniel 9:24-27 is the final history of Israel after returning from Babylonians captivity in 516 BC. 70 weeks of years or 490 years are determined for Israel. Four kingdoms will dominate her. Babylon, Medio-Persia, Greece and Rome. Then the prince will be cut off….Jesus died on the cross….that ends 483 years. Seven years are left. The church is started and completed and raptured and then God will direct His attention to world Judgment and judgment against Israel. But God will save Israel (1/3) will survive the tribulation and bring them into the Millennial kingdom of one thousand years.
“He” That is Taken Out of the Way
Before the Antichrist can be revealed, Paul said a certain “He” must be taken out of the way. According to 2 Thessalonians 2:7, the “He” that must be removed is widely thought to be the Holy Spirit. It has been promised that the Holy Spirit would never leave the Church, and without the working of the Holy Spirit remaining on earth, no one could be saved during the tribulation. The removal of the Church, which is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, would seem the best explanation for this dilemma. The working of the Holy Spirit could go on during the tribulation, but His influence would be diminished because of the missing Church.
War or Rapture
(Rev 19:19-21) When Jesus returns at the end of the tribulation, He will be coming for battle. For those who believe in a post-trib rapture, it would be strange to meet your Lord and Savior just as He’s rushing into battle. The idea that war and rapture could occur together is difficult to imagine, especially since they transpire at the same moment.
The Five Foolish Virgins
The wedding story that Jesus gave in Matthew 25:2-13, I believe, is a parable of the rapture of the Church. It explains how some will not be ready. Jesus clearly states that a group of people will miss out on an event, and will cry out to God to let them into the place where He resides, heaven. Although some try to put this parable in a post-trib context, it doesn’t fit very well. The ones left behind in a post-trib rapture will not need to seek the Lord because they’ll immediately be confronted by Him and His army of angels.
God Hath Not Appointed Us to Wrath
In 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Paul assures us that God has not appointed His people to wrath. This wrath is plainly God’s anger that will be poured out during the tribulation. Pre-trib believers interpret this as meaning that Christians will be removed from the earth. Post-trib believers tell a different story. They describe this as meaning that God will protect Christians during the tribulation and pour this wrath out on the unbelievers only. This idea runs against the statement made in Revelation 13:7, in which the Antichrist is given power to make war with the saints and to overcome them. A post-trib view would make God’s promise of protection from wrath into a lie. In years past, it was possible to think of being protected from the guns and swords of that day. Today, when any major war would involve nuclear and chemical weapons, it’s impossible to expect that same kind of protection. When Nagasaki, Japan was bombed during World War II, the bomb exploded over a Catholic church. Everyone who was in the center of the explosion died–both Christians and non-Christians. The only way to validly interpret God’s promise of protection from wrath is by viewing 1 Thessalonians 5:9 as the bodily removal of the Church from this world.
The Salt of the Earth
Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). When the believers are supernaturally removed, the earth will be plunged into spiritual darkness. When this happens, the Antichrist will then be free to control the world.
God Takes an Inventory
In Revelation 7:3, an angel descends to earth and seals the servants of God. Two bits of information about this sealing highly disclaim a post-trib viewpoint. The first item is the number of people sealed: 144,000. The second one is that all those who are sealed are from the 12 tribes of Israel. For the events in Revelation 7:3-8 to be true in a post-trib interpretation, either the Church has turned against God or God has turned against the Church. A post-tribber could write a thousand-word commentary about why the Church doesn’t need to be sealed. Instead of trying to argue about why the Church is not mentioned or sealed, a pre-trib proponent could just say, “We’re already in heaven.”
Noah and Lot as Examples
The tribulation period is compared to the times of Noah and Lot by Jesus in Luke 17:28. Most people argue over whether the time frame Jesus was talking about in that passage was pre-trib or post-trib. In doing so, they miss an important point. The two circumstances that the Noah and Lot situations have in common are the removal of the righteous and the judgment of the unbelievers. From these two accounts, we see that God prefers to remove His own when danger is involved.
Common-Sense Reasons for Believing in the Pretribulation Rapture
The World Test
One way to check the soundness of a doctrine is to see how the world reacts to it. One company put out a questionnaire that was used to screen prospective employees. One of the questions was, “Do you believe in the rapture?” If you answered “yes,” your chances of getting hired would not be good. Some internet sites do not allow the topics of Rapture or Second Coming. They do allow topics such as sex, gays, and drugs. The only time the news media mentions the rapture is when someone sets a date and is proven to be wrong.
That Old-Time Religion
It used to be a rule of thumb that when one was visiting a church or listening to a preacher, one could assume the preacher believed in repentance, prayer, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost if he taught the rapture doctrine. It was also true that the churches on fire for God worshipped out of storefronts. Today, many of those storefront churches have moved into marble palaces and have strayed from their principal doctrines.
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
Whenever I look at all the groups that teach false doctrine and are highly focused on end-time events, I cannot find any that support the rapture theory. Some organizations, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, teach a false gospel and are heavily into Bible prophecy. Why, then, don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses teach a false doctrine that would be right up their alley? Could it be that the demonic forces that influence these groups know something that Christians opposed to the rapture don’t know? The list of prophetically minded cults that reject the idea of a rapture goes on and on. Here are some more: the Mormons, the Worldwide Church of God and the Moonies, as well as leaders like Jim Jones and David Koresh.
Proponents of the Pre Trib rapture theory….
King James Study Bible
Ryrie Study Bible
Thompson Chain Reference Bible
Scofield Reference Bible
Holman Study Bible
Nelson Study Bible
The Believers Study Bible
The Disciples Study Bible
Well known popular Preachers and Bible Teachers on radio, TV and Youtube…..
Tim Thompson
Andy Woods
Tom Hughes
James Cadiz
JD Farag
Randy White
Amir Tsafati
Brandon Holtzhaus
Gary Stearman
Gary Kah
Billy Crone
Ron Rhodes
Eric Barger
Mark Hitchcock
Todd Strandberg
Curtis Bowers
Bill Keonig
Barry Stagner
Leo Hohmann
David Fiorazo
Jack Hibbs
Chuck Smith
Skip Heitzig
Jack Hayford
Don Perkins
David Reagan
Ed Hindson
Don Stewart
Jan Markel
LA Marzuli
Chip Ingram
Billy Graham
Franklin Graham
Erwin Lutzer
Jimmy Deyoung
Mark Dehan
Geoff Grider
Jan Markel
Daymond Duck
Randall Price
Terry James
Tom Horn
Adrian Rogers
Charles Stanley
David Jeremiah
Greg Laurie
Tim Lahaye
Hal Lindsey
Jack Van Impe
Chuck Missler
Thomas Ice
John Macarthur
John Hagee
J Dwight Penecost
J Vernon McGee
Perry Stone….and many more
The Church Would Rebuke the Antichrist
If the Antichrist came to power with the Church still here, I do not see how he could operate. When Hitler was fighting to take over England, a number of Christians were praying for victory. Hitler made mistake after mistake, and England outperformed its enemy at every stage of the conflict. It is difficult to measure the impact of intercessory prayer in physical warfare. Little is known of how great a role praying saints played in the defeat of Nazi Germany. If the Church were to reside on earth during the tribulation, I am sure she would give the Antichrist fits. In Revelation 11:3, the two witnesses alone give the Antichrist enough headaches. Millions of Christians who know their Bibles well would recognize the man of sin and pray fire down on his head. The post-trib view would have to plan on the Church just rolling over and playing dead the whole seven years.
1 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. 2:7-8 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
The man of sin cannot be revealed unless there is a falling away first. That phrase falling away means that there is a “departure.” Many study Bibles will say that it is a departure from the faith. But what does that have to do with the appearance of the man of sin since the whole context is about the church of Thessalonica fearing they had missed the coming of the Lord. It’s not about apostosy but it about the coming of Christ. Clearly verses 7 and 8 are talking about the Anti-christ again. So when we he be revealed. When He who now letteth will let until HE be taken out of the way. The Holy Spirit restrains sin and He indwells the church. When He is removed the church is removed with it. Remember you will have no restrainer in the days after the Man of sin appears. So how can the church be there?
I am not going to argue with anyone about this. I understand a little bit of how you can arrive at at Post-Trib, mid trib views of the rapture. But the main thing is to be ready “in an hour ye think not the son of Man cometh.”
We should all remember one thing: Knowing the Antichrist’s mother’s maiden name isn’t the primary goal. Knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and having your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life should be your number-one priority. The jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30-31).
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Arguments against the Pre Trib Rapture
After messages and articles that attack the pre-trib rapture, I’ve noticed a certain number of arguments that are repeated.
The most commonly mentioned points of debate……….
Nowhere in the Bible, can you find the word “rapture”
It amazes me that some folks write to me, questioning the validity of the rapture, simply because the word “rapture” doesn’t appear in the Bible.
With 1 Thes 4:16-18 giving us such a clear description of the rapture, you would have to conclude that some people are just playing games with the Word of God. I could change the name of my site to “Catching Up Ready” to satisfy these folks, but I hardly think that would improve things.
Their logic fails because there are a huge number of words that don’t appear in the Bible, including the word “Bible.” Because God’s Word was originally written in Hebrew and Greek, one could truthfully say that no English words are in the Bible. Let’s take a look at 1 Thes 4:16-18 in the original Greek:
416A. I don’t see the dead in Christ rising, Jesus descending from heaven, and us meeting Him in the air. So the cynics are right: the word “rapture” is nowhere to be found. All I see is gobbledygook.
For the record, the word “rapture” comes from the Latin word “rapturo,” which in turn was a translation of the Greek verb “caught up” found in 1 Thes 4:17. You can call it the pre-trib rapture, the pre-trib rapturo, or the pre-trib caught up–it’s all the same thing.
Nowhere in the Bible does it directly say that the Church will be raptured before the tribulation.
Pre-trib opponents should have thought this one through because any pre-tribulationist has the same right to say, “Nowhere in the Bible does it directly say the Church will go through the tribulation.”
Jesus did say, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). The only time frame I can think of when we believers would not be expecting Jesus to return would have to be before the tribulation.
The Margaret MacDonald Origin
One of the most widely circulated attacks against the pre-trib rapture is the notion that a girl named Margaret MacDonald started this theological view back in 1830. The claim is typically made that MacDonald received a demonic vision, passed it on to John Darby, who in turn popularized it. Disproving this assertion proves rather easy. Pre-trib scholars have discovered a host of rapture writings that predate Margaret MacDonald.
Epharaem the Syrian said, in 373 AD, “For all the saints and Elect of God are gathered, prior to the tribulation that is to come, and are taken to the Lord lest they see the confusion that is to overwhelm the world because of our sins.”
One post-trib author offered a reward to anyone who could find a quote that predated MacDonald. He had to quickly cough up the money when someone identified a scholar who wrote about the pre-trib rapture several years before MacDonald. As of late, dozens of examples have been found, and the literary surface has hardly been scratched.
With the revealing of all these pre-MacDonald writings, you would think that this argument has been debunked. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We seem to be involved in a tug-of-war with the truth. Apparently, due to their lack of research, pre-trib opponents continue to pump out publications that cite MacDonald as the originator of the pre-trib rapture.
The Last Trumpet Argument
Because Paul, in 1 Cor. 15:52 and 1 Thes 4:16, said believers would be raptured at the sounding of a trump, many folks have tried to make it appear that the rapture trumps are the same trumpets found in Revelation 11:15-18, Joel 2:1, and Mat 24:31–which all occur during the tribulation.
When you have trumpets commonly used throughout the Bible, I think it’s foolish to just assume any two of the 62 trumps or trumpets are prophetically related. To be able to make the claim that the tribulation trumpet soundings are the same as the rapture trumps, you would need a direct statement saying this is the case.
In the movies Ben-Hur and The Wizard of Oz, I recall hearing the sounding of trumpets. Are both these trumpets somehow prophetically related?
If your friend John said he went to his favorite restaurant last night, and another friend Larry said he also went to his favorite restaurant last night, is it logical for you to assume they both went to the same restaurant? Obviously not, because even though John and Larry went to their favorite restaurants, they may have had two different eating establishments in mind. The same logic should apply with the word trumpet.
With such a blind devotion to this one similarity, I have to wonder if these last-tumpeters are able to distinguish the difference between Tylenol and Exlax. They’re both over-the-counter drugs, they come in pill form, and they can also be found in a medicine cabinet. Of course, one will make your headache disappear and the other will make your toilet paper disappear.
Pre-wrath proponents say that the Seventh Trumpet blown in Rev 11:15-18 is the same last trump Paul spoke of in 1 Cor 15:52. However, they fail to take into account the fact that John wrote Revelation 40 years after Paul wrote his first epistle to the Corinthians. How could Paul refer to something that was not yet revealed?
Post-tribbers use a trumpet sounding in Joel 2:1 as evidence for a post-trib rapture on the Day of the Lord. I have three problems with Joel 2:1:
Joel clearly says that the purpose for blowing the trumpet is to “sound an alarm.”
According to 1 Cor 15:52, the rapture is something that occurs in the twinkling of an eye. Joel 2:1 says the Day of the Lord is nigh at hand. In order for Joel’s trumpet to be the same one in 1 Cor. there would have to be a time delay between the sounding of the trumpet and the rapture of the Church.
The fact that there is another trumpet being sounded in Joel 2:15 further clouds the possibility that these trumpets could have anything to do with the rapture.
When Paul was writing to the Corinthians, he specifically said “the” last trump. During the Feast of Trumpets, the Jews blow short trumpet blasts. They end the feast with a long blast from what is called the last trump, which is blown the longest. Judaism has traditionally connected this last trump with the resurrection of the dead. Paul also made the connection. For many Christians, the association between the rapture and the Feast of Trumpets is so strong, they look for the rapture to someday occur on this feast.
The Day of the Lord Argument
A number people have attempted to refute the pre-trib rapture by trying to associate the “Day of the Lord” with a catching-up of believers at the end of the tribulation. They base their rapture views solely on the idea that the “Day of the Lord” and the rapture are either synonymous or somehow linked together.
The Achilles heel of their argument has to be the notion that the “Day of the Lord” and various other “days” of an end-time context refers to a 24 hour period that occurs at or near the end of the tribulation. Probably the most commonly cited verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:2 where Paul tells us the “Day of the Lord” will come “as a thief in the night.”
I’ve read countless articles that describe the “Day of the Lord” as Christ’s advent at Armageddon. These articles go on to say that, because Paul also tells us the Lord will come “as a thief,” we have a direct link to the same description that is applied to noted rapture verses.
It’s rather obvious that those trying to rely on the “Day of the Lord” never bothered to validate the meaning of this particular day. I’ve checked a number of commentaries on the “Day of the Lord” and many of them define this as being an all-encompassing period that begins with the Great Tribulation. Let’s examine some verses that clearly indicate that the term “day” is used to represent a broader time period.
II Peter 3:10-13
The “Day of the Lord” Peter spoke of in second Peter, cannot be a one day event because it mentions the destruction of the earth by fire and its renovation. Rev 21:11 tells us the earth will not be renewed until after Christ’s 1000 year reign.
Joel 2:11-20
The “Day of the Lord” Joel describes, includes the defeat of the northern army. Ezk. 38 and 39 is parallel passage. Most scholars would time the destruction of the Gog army as occurring before in the first half of the tribulation.
John 12:48
In the book of John, Jesus uses the term “last day” to indicate when the lost would be judged. Rev 20 makes it clear that the unsaved will not be judged until after the millennium–yet another 1000 year gap.
Hebrews 10:25
One of the best indications that most of the various “day” references are citing a general time period can be found in Hebrews 10:25: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Surely, Paul would not be warning us to watch for a day that would be coming at the end of the tribulation. That type of logic would be like warning children, as they cross the road, to watch out for tail lights.
The First Resurrection
I’ve heard some folks say, “There cannot be a pre-trib rapture because to have one would require a second resurrection at Christ’s return to earth.” This conclusion is drawn from Revelation 20:“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Rev 20:5-6).
One pre-trib writer, explaining this passage, said, “The first did not mean first in time, but rather first in kind.” The first resurrection was for God’s people the second will be for the unsaved.
A quick way to shoot down the notion that the first resurrection is tied to a specific date, as opposed to a more general time frame, is to take note of the tribulation rapture of the two witnesses and the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. At the mid-point of the tribulation, the two witnesses are killed by the Antichrist, resurrected by God, and then caught up into heaven (Rev 11:3-12).
Revelation chapter 7 describes the sealing of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists just before the Beast issues his mark. Sometime during the latter half of the tribulation, Revelation chapter 14 indicates they will be “redeemed from the earth,” standing before the throne of God.
Confusion over Confusion: 2 Thes 2:1-6
Because Paul, in 2 Thessalonians, said the Antichrist would be revealed before the Day of the Christ, post and pre-wrath adherents frequently try to cite this passage as one that refutes the pre-trib rapture.
To quell the Thessalonian’s misunderstanding that they had somehow entered the tribulation, Paul told them the Antichrist must first be revealed. By telling them they had no reason to panic, Paul is clearly disputing the idea that the Thessalonians could someday find themselves facing the tribulation hour.
I’m constantly being irked by Post-trib and pre-wrath folks’ consistent, or better yet deliberate, failure to accept the simple fact that the pre-trib doctrine calls for a rapture and a second coming. Because they only glean the prophetic word for one event–the second coming–they’re unable to recognize pre-trib rapture passages.
Of course, when you fuse the two advents together, you end up with verses that appear to contradict each other: 1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” and Revelation 13:7, “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Reverse Logic Stuck In Reverse
Many people are against the pre-trib rapture simply because they see it as being the dominant view on the timing of Christ’s return for the Church. The anti-pretribulationists often think they are the last remaining true believers. I’m simply dumbfounded over why some people choose rebellion against the majority view as their guide for finding truth.
The measurement of popularity alone is a terrible way to determine something’s validity. It is particularly strange when people solely rely on the contrarian view to judge truth from fiction. I utilize contrarian views all the time to help determine what is truthful; however, it would be a terrible mistake on my part if I made Contrarianism the core foundation of any of my beliefs.
If you’re using reverse logic, you need to support your conclusions. The vast majority of the population would agree that apples grow on apple trees and cherries grow on cheery trees. The pure novelty of the opposite being true does not in any way help make it so. Unless you see farmers gluing apples onto cherry trees or picking cherries from apple trees, you have no basis to think that these two fruits do not grow on anything but the trees that share the same name.
Some people are clearly more in love with the idea of a conspiracy than they are the truth. Every time an airplane crashes to the earth there’s someone who will proclaim it was caused by anything from an act of terrorism to a bizarre government plot. It’s just not exciting enough to say it was a mechanical problem that led to the crash.
The idea that the pre-trib rapture is the dominant view is not correct in the first place. Most evangelicals would say they look for a pre-trib rapture, but if you include all Christians, pretribulationists would rank third behind post-trib and preterist adherents.
Persecute Me Please
You would think the desire to go through the tribulation would be as popular as the desire to jump into a pit filled with vipers and broken glass. As illogical as it may seem, there appears to be a large number of Christians that fully expect to get roughed up before Christ returns.
Many Christians argue strongly for the right to suffer persecution at the hands of the Antichrist and the one world government. These tribulation saint wannabees constantly harp, “Because Jesus and His disciples suffered persecution, we should expect no better.” It’s been my experience that people with the weakest faith are generally the ones that talk the boldest. When the slightest difficulty comes their way, they cry to high heaven.
I hate to be the bearer of good news, but the word of God clearly states that believers will escape the tribulation bloodbath. “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes 5:9). “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev 3:10).
In one regard, people who think the Church will go through the tribulation are somewhat correct. I believe a huge number people–who are Christians in name only–will find themselves left behind. By having the rapture before the tribulation, all those who find themselves facing the wrath of God will be without an excuse.
No Secret Rapture
“There is no secret rapture” is the beginning declaration of a large percentage of messages that attack the rapture. Rarely is this statement backed by supporting scriptural evidence. A few people will cite Rev 1:17, “every eye shall see him,” as proof that the rapture will not be a secret event. Of course, I would immediately note that “every eye shall see him” is the second coming.
I have a hard time understanding how these folks could think pretribulationists preach a secret rapture. We seem to be doing our very best to popularize the rapture before it takes place. I doubt that, afterwards, with all the car wrecks, plane crashes, and missing persons reports, the rapture will remain a secret occurrence.
The only people I know who are attempting to keep the pre-trib rapture a secret are its critics. Pre-wrath and post-trib folks have the national media and the liberal churches as their allies in their ongoing effort to silence all knowledge of the “blessed hope.”
No Imminency
Because an imminent or any moment rapture is one of the major teachings of pre-tribulationists, opponents of this view attempt to dismantle the imminency of the rapture.
Although Jesus said, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Mat 24:42), advocates for knowing the “day” will claim this only applies to the unsaved. I hear arguments like, “Surely a loving father would tell his own children when he’s coming for them.”
To try to get around “no man know the hour,” a popular scripture often cited is: “But yea brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief” (1 Thes 5:4).
Despite all their monkeying with scripture, pre-trib detractors just cannot escape Jesus’ restriction against knowing the timing of the rapture. In fact, our Lord was so restrictive about the rapture, He said its occurrence would come as a total surprise. “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44).
Now as far as the second coming goes, the Bible couldn’t be plainer. It clearly states that Jesus will return 1260 days from the moment the Antichrist sits in the Temple of God and declares himself to be God. Because there exists both a known and an unknown date, many scholars have logically concluded that there must be two different events occurring–the rapture and the second coming.
The Restrainer
In 2 Thessalonians the Apostle Paul speaks of a “he” that will restrain the advent of the Antichrist. The restrainer’s removal is required before the Antichrist can be revealed.
2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only hewho now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”
A debate has erupted over the identity of the Restrainer because if this “he” is the Holy Ghost, the only real explanation for his removal would be the rapture of the Church, which is indwelled by him. The strongest argument offered against the Holy Spirit being the Restrainer is the belief that if God’s Spirit was ever removed from the earth, no one could then be saved. The removal of the Holy Ghost does not have to be an all or nothing proposition. I believe his being “taken out of the way” will only be a degree of removal.
Before the Church Age, people were able to find salvation, which obviously meant the Holy Spirit was at work on earth. When the outpouring of the Holy Ghost occurred at Pentecost, we didn’t have a second Holy Spirit come to earth. His removal at the rapture will only be a reversal or ending of the Pentecostal outpouring.
Replacementism
Because Revelation places a strong emphasis on Israel during the tribulation, and not on the church, most post-tribulationists have adopted a replacement theology view in order to maintain the focus on them.
Replacementism is the view that Israel, having failed God, has been replaced by the Church. The Church is now seen as spiritual Israel and spiritual Jerusalem. This teaching claims that all the promises and blessings, in fact Israel’s entire inheritance, now belongs to the Church. However, all is not lost for Israel; it gets to keep all the curses.
Dispensational theology, taught by nearly all pre-tribulationists, teaches that God has separate strategies for dealing with the Church and the Jews. When you consider the change in focus, during the tribulation, from the Church to Israel, the pre-trib rapture provides a good explanation for this transfer of attention.
To say that Israel is no longer God’s chosen people is really playing with fire because the Antichrist will likely be saying the same thing when he tries to destroy the Jews during the tribulation. I look for people that hold to replacementism to be in the cheering section when the Beast goes on his Jew-killing campaign. “The Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance” (Psalm 94:14).
“This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the Lord Almighty is his name: ‘Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,’ declares the Lord, ‘will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me’” (Jeremiah 31:35-36).
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Revelation Outline.
Chapter 1.
see Him and they will wail because of His coming.
It was the day the Lord resurrected. The early church met for worship on that day. Early church fathers called Sunday the first day of the weed as the Lord’s day.
He had a voice like roaring waters. Demonstrating the power of His word.
Jesus puts His hand upon John and says “fear not I am the first and the last” third reference to the Alpha and Omega.
Chapter 2
Peramos verses 12-17
Thyatira verses 18-29
Chapter 3
Letter to Sardis verses 1-6
Letter to Philadelphia verses 7-13
Letter to church of Laodicea verses 14-22
Chapter 4
The call to ascend in verse 1. The rapture? Most believe it is.
The Creator on the throne. The scene switches to heaven. And a glorious description of the throne of God which I believe is heaven future.
The 24 elders could be the church in heaven or a heavenly ruling council since the church is not prepared to rule until Revelation 19. Or it could be heaven in the future after everything is consummated. This is my guess because Nothing else really fits. There are many parenthesis in the book of Revelation.
Four Beasts around the throne could represent the four gospels.
The Beast descriptions are also in Ezekiel 1:4-10.
Worship from the four beasts and 24 elders.
Chapter 5
The Redeemer on the Throne. Now we go back in time to the time before the ascension of Christ. AD 30.
The book with the seven seals “Who is worthy to open the book?”
John weeping in heaven because no one was worthy to open the book until….
The Lamb and the book. The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David prevailed to loose the seals of the book and open it. When did He get there? If Jesus was there for over two thousand years then why would they be looking for someone who is worthy? I believe Jesus just arrived after the ascension. So this has to be Heaven in the first century.
The Lamb in the middle of the throne, the beasts and the elders. The Lamb is Jesus. The four beasts and the 24 elders are unknown. 12 apostles? Not there yet. 12 Jewish tribes? Plus 12 major and minor prophets? Maybe.
Four beasts? Four corners of the earth? Four gospels? We do not know. All of creation?
The worship of the beasts and the elders along with the vial of the prayers of the saints.
All creatures worship the Lamb in a glorious display of devotion and praise.
Chapter 6
Chapters 6-18 are the tribulation period. Rapture then tribulation. Chapters 19-22 are the return of Christ and the millennium and new heaven and a new earth and eternity. Rapture then tribulation……Return of Christ and the millennium.
The seal judgments and chapter six are a review of the history of the world that will unfold from the ascension of Christ until His return to the earth.
The seal judgments are opened by the Lamb, Jesus
The four horsemen of the Apocalypse. They have been riding from the 1st century until the return of Christ.
The first seal is the white horse. We have always had false Christs and men who would be world rulers culminating with the Beast of Revelation, the Anti-Christ.
The second seal is the Red horse. We have always had war and It will get worse during the tribulation.
The third seal is the Black horse. We have always had famines and economic collapse. It will get much, much worse during the tribulation.
The fourth seal is the Pale horse. We have always had disease and untimely death that has killed millions up to today…..but it will culminate during the tribulation. ¼ of the world’s population will be killed. This has happened during many world wide plagues in past history. Spanish Flu 1918. The Black Plague. It will happen again during the tribulation and will kill ¼ of the world’s population. ¼ is two Billion people today. Some experts have already predicted that 2 billion will die from the Covid 19 vaccinations in the near future with Antibody Dependent Enhancement syndrome.
The fifth seal Martyrs are revealed. Martyrs have been killed since the 1st century. The tribulation martyrs are in chapter seven. Millions will die for their faith then.
The sixth seal is upheaval in nature, people cry out for the rocks to fall on them. The judgment on the world coming during the tribulation and the return of Christ.
So then Chapter six is a summary of world events from AD 30 and until and leading up to the return of Christ.
Chapter 7
Parenthesis
144,000 sealed saints of Israel who preach the gospel to the whole world. They will preach and win many to Christ.
Many millions believe their preaching and trust in Jesus due to the fact that Tribulation saints are described as a great multitude dressed in white. These are different than the martyrs mentioned in chapter six.
Chapter 8
The seventh seal of the scroll opened
Silence for ½ hour for things are going to get really bad. The seal and bowl judgments are a part of the tribulation only. The seal judgments are world history including the summary of the tribulation trumpet and bowl judgments.
The angel with the golden censor
The seventh seal reveals the seven trumpet judgments by seven angels
First four trumpet judgments described.
1st Trumpet. Hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up
2nd Trumpet. 8 The second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
3rd Trumpet. 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
4th trumpet 12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Verse 13 warning about the next two trumpets.
Chapter 9
The fifth and sixth trumpet judgments
Fifth angel sounded. Star falls from heaven
Angel has the key to the bottomless pit and opens it.
Smoke and locusts with tails like scorpions come out to torment only those who do not have the mark of God. They are not to harm the grass or the trees. This is the FIRST WOE.
Bottomless pit opened and locusts unleashed who torment but not kill people for five months. Men will seek death but cannot die.
The locusts were like horses, their head were like crowns of gold and their faces like men. The hair was like women, teeth like lions, tails like scorpions, hurt people for five months. The name of their leader is the Hebrew name Abbadon, the greek name is Apollyon.
Sixth angel sounded. A voice from the four horns from the golden altar. It tells the angel to loose the four angels which are bound in the river Euphrates. The angels are loosed and prepare for One year, one month, one day and one hour so that they might kill one third of all mankind. This is the SECOND WOE.
A two hundred thousand, thousand man army on horses with breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
One third of the population is killed by the power in their mouths of fire smoke and brimstone and their tails. Their tails were like a snake and their heads cause hurt.
Despite all this suffering and death, men do NOT repent of their idolatries, their murdering and their drug use, their sexual debauchery or their thieving.
Chapter 10
Parenthesis-
Another mighty angel comes down from heaven. Clothed with a cloud, rainbow on his head, face like the sun and feet like pillars of fire. In his had is a little book. He has his right foot on the sea (gentile nations) and his left foot on the earth (Israel)
The angel has a loud voice like a lion that roars and like seven claps of thunder. John was about to write: but he heard a voice from heaven that told him to seal up those things which the angel that sounded like seven thunders uttered, and don’t write them down.
The angel then lifts up his hand to heaven and swears unto the eternal creator God of heaven that time shall be no more. The angel says that when the seventh angels sounds his trumpet it will reveal all that God has told every prophet down through the ages.
The angel with the great voice tells John to take the little book from the angel that stood on the sea and the earth has and eat it. It will give him a stomach ache but will taste very good, very sweet. And John took the book and ate it and sure enough it tasted like honey but gave him a stomach ache.
John is told that he must prophesy to the people is many nations, languages and even kings.
Chapter 11
John measures the temple, the altar and those who worship
40 and 2 months Jerusalem shall be tread under by gentiles. 3 ½ years. This is the second half of the tribulation.
The two witnesses speak for 1260 days and then are killed. 3 ½ years. First half of the tribulation. Because after their death the Anti-Christ is empowered by the Devil and
The world rejoices over the death of the two witnesses and gives gifts to one another.
After 3 ½ days the two witnesses get up and ascend to heaven and everyone is astonished.
And angel announces the THIRD WOE which is the seventh trumpet.
This is the mid-point of the tribulation period. Next is the GREAT tribulation.
Chapter 12
The participants of the Tribulation
Pregnant woman in heaven clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a
Crown of 12 stars. This may be the Jews.
Great red dragon with seven heads
War in heaven. The dragon with his angels are cast out of heaven finally and forever. The devil is consigned to earth only and is enraged knowing his time is short. 42 months. Second half of the tribulation.
The dragon persecutes the man-child.
The woman (Israel) flees into the wilderness where she is protected for times, time and half a time.
The woman is the object of the wrath of the dragon during this 2nd half of the tribulation. Satan wants to destroy all the Jews so that Jesus cannot fulfill His Davidic promises to rule and reign on the earth.
Chapter 13
The Beast rises up out of the sea. Sea means the gentile world. Earth means Israel.
The Beast is wounded but is healed. The False prophet is his evangelist.
“Who is like unto the Beast.” He is given power for 42 months. 3 ½ years. The last half of the tribulation.
2nd Beast from the earth (False Prophet)
The Mark of the Beast is described. Satan’s counterfeit of God’s eternal salvation is Christ. People must choose to worship the Beast to get the Mark. People will willingly choose to take the mark.
Chapter 14
144,000 singing
The angel preaches the eternal gospel for time is running out.
2nd angel preaches doom to Babylon for time is short.
3rd angel preaches doom to those who take the mark of the Beast for there isn’t much time.
Son of man uses a sickle to harvest the earth. Matthew 25?
Chapter 15
Seven angels with 7 plagues.
Sea of glass where those who have overcome the Beast sing the song of Moses and
Play harps. People only overcome by trusting in the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ.
Seven angels come out of the temple with the seven golden vials (bowls) which are given
To seven angels.
Chapter 16
A voice from the Temple tells the seven angels to pour out their vials or bowls.
Seven vial or bowl judgments poured out by the seven angels.
1st vial. A noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the Beast.
2nd Vial. A plague on the sea and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
3rd vial. The rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. The angel of the waters said, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And John heard another voice out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
4th vial. The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to give men a terrible sunburn like they were on fire. But people blasphemed the name of God, and they repented not to give him glory.
5th vial. the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was plunged into total darkness. People were in so much pain that they gnawed their tongues. At the same time they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
6th vial. The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and dried the river up so that the leaders of the east might cross it. Also three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouths of the unholy trinity, the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.
John tells the truth about the unclean frogs. They are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the leaders of the earth and people of the whole world, to convince them and cause them to gather to the battle of Armageddon which will be the great day of God Almighty.
John as an aside tells the reader that Jesus will come as a thief. And promises Blessing to those who are watching for him, and keeps following Jesus so that He will not be ashamed when His Lord comes for Him.
It is God that will be gathering the worlds forces to a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
The seventh vial or bowl is released into the air. A voice from the altar in heaven says “it is done.” Voices, thunder and lightning follow Then the greatest earthquake in world history follows.
The city of Babylon is divided into three parts. And will face the wine of the wrath of God.
Islands go missing and mountains collapse and great hail from heaven with stone weighing 75 pounds and men blaspheme God because of it.
Chapter 17
The seven angels with the vials talk with John about Babylon the great about to be judged.
This Babylon has the whole world under her spell twice described as fornicating with her. She is full of blasphemy and has seven heads and ten horns which means this is a religious system. Which means she has great influence and control of the world leaders.
John sees a woman riding a Beast clothed in scarlet, gold, precious stones and pearls with a golden cup with represents all of her abominations and fornications.
On her forehead is written. MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. So she is not hiding anything she does. But does it openly and proudly.
She has martyred many of God’s true church down through the years. So many that she is drunk with their blood. John had a strange fascination for such a one so dedicated to their cause so much so that the angel asked John why do you marvel at her with the seven heads and ten crowns, I will tell you about her secrets.
The Beast will die and go to perdition so that people will wonder “where did he go?“ and then the Beast will come back. This is that deadly wound he receives.
The second secret is that the woman who rides the Beast sits on seven Mountains…not hills. Rome is a city built on seven HILLS. The angel goes on to describe the seven kings, five are done, one is still going but one is coming who will have power but a relatively short time. The Beast who went to perdition is the eighth king but comes from the seventh king. This woman I believe is all the false religions of the world united under the Catholic church but accepting all tenants of every faith into a mystic, mother earth, scientific, holistic, new age type of religion that pleases everyone. Islam will be mostly destroyed by the God-Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39. Those Muslims left will gladly align themselves with this group. She is on seven hill that becomes mountains which could mean the entire earth since seven is the number of completeness.
Ten horns which stand for power are ten kings who will rise up. Either ten national leaders or ten elite leaders who will align with the Beast and be given power for one hour which means a relatively short time.
So the woman is also aligned with the Beast. They will be devoted to the Beast. They will even eventually make war with Christ and His called, chosen and faithful followers at His second coming in Revelation 19 and be overcome by Jesus.
The angel goes back to the woman, now called a whore. She sat on waters which stand for people of the whole world. The ten national leaders will eventually hate the whore and make war with her and destroy her. After this these ten will give their power over to the Beast totally until God brings that alliance to an end.
The angel ends by telling John that the woman is actually a great city which leads the people of the earth into a false religion. This verse tells us so much. That the woman is a religious system that will be followed for a while then the world will turn from this system and worship the Beast only. That is why the whore is destroyed.
This is religious Babylon. A world religious system that will be of great influence until the False Prophet leads the world to worship the Anti-Christ and take his mark at the mid-point of the tribulation.
Chapter 18
Another angel comes down from heaven and announces that Babylon the great is fallen.
All nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication by doing business with her.
The worlds kings will lament for her and the merchants of the earth have done business with her. This the commercial Babylon. Babylon stands for the worldly attempts by man to usurp God. There is a religious Babylon to replace worship of God and a Commercial Babylon to replace dependence upon God.
A voice from heaven tells them to stop doing business with her for she has sinned and you will catch her plagues if you do, for God is aware of her sin and she will suffer double.
Commercial Babylon has lived a life of luxury feeding off of the merchants of the world but her day of judgment is coming and it will be swift and final.
Those who have done business with her will mourn for her and wail because of their lost business opportunities. There will be smoke as she burns up. A nuclear device destroys this city because they angel says to stand afar off. Get out of her like Sodom and Gemorha.
Merchants or the world trade partners will mourn for her destruction that comes on so suddenly like an angle casting a millstone into the sea that’s how fast it happens.
The description of merchandise indicates that this is indeed a commercial Babylon and clearly a city. A city that is destroyed by a nuclear blast, a volcanic eruption, or something. Religious Babylon is described as more of a system. Commercial Babylon is clearly a city.
This city once had music and dancing and was known for its great craftsmanship. No more weddings and the commerce of this city will be sorely missed and their great merchants and products. Whatever they sold it will be greatly missed and they evidently cornered the market on it. This city also lead in the murder of many followers of Christ during the tribulation. They may have manufacture tracking devices and did not tolerate anyone that didn’t go along with their wicked merchandise or merchandising.
Heaven is called to rejoice over her being destroyed.
Is it New York? Hollywood? London? Paris? Beshing, A New Babylon? We just cannot say for sure.
Chapter 19
Many rejoice that the great whore, religious Babylon is judged and the smoke means it is an eternal judgment just like a type of Gehenna in the Gospels.
24 elders praise God. Again is this the church? Maybe. The four beasts appear again.
A voice from the throne asks everyone to praise God. Both small and great.
A voice like many waters and thunders (very impressive) says Hallelueigh the Lord God all powerful reigns!
Now the bride of the lamb has made herself ready. This is the church. Dressed in white and fine linen.
Marriage supper of the lamb
This supper will occur in heaven during the tribulation on the earth. If we take the book of Revelation in chronological order as most of it is, The judgment seat of Christ, the supper, then the battle of Armageddon. They have cast their crowns at Jesus feet in Revelation chapter four so the supper will occur after that.
After the supper heaven is opened. Jesus is on a white horse. He is described with those flaming eyes again, many crowns and a name no one knew but Jesus Himself stands for the things of God that we will never know for that is His greatness and majesty. Think about it If we knew everything about God even in heaven we would be God! There is room for only one God and I’m glad of that!
He is called the word of God. Amen!
The armies that follow Him are dressed in that clean white linen that described the church.
Supper for the birds of prey, God’s cleanup crew to get ready for there is going to be great slaughter. This is not the marriage supper of the Lamb as verse 18 clearly points out.
The Beast and the armies of the world intend to make war against Christ and His army.
Christ takes the Beast and the false prophet, (miracles were done by these two) And those that received the mark of the Beast and cast the Beast and the false prophet alive into the lake of fire. The rest will be killed by the sword of Jesus. They will be judged at the resurrection of the dead.
Chapter 20
Another Angel comes with the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.
Now the devil is about to get his just due. The angel gets a hold of him and bound him in the chain and cast him in the bottomless pit for one thousand years so that he cannot deceive the nations (there will still be nations in the thousand year reign of Christ) any more. But he will be loosed at the end of the one thousand years for a little while
John saw the souls of those who were martyred during the tribulation. They will reign be resurrected and reign with Christ for one thousand years. The wicked dead won’t be resurrected until the end of the thousand years. This is the second resurrection.
The First Resurrection takes place in various phases. Christ the first fruits, then the church at the rapture, then the martyrs at the end of the tribulation. Those who enter the millennial reign of Christ and those born during the millennial reign of Christ will be given their resurrection bodies at the end of the one thousand years. I believe this is in Revelation 20:5. The first resurrection is always talking about the righteous according to Revelation 20:6.
Flesh and blood shall not enter the kingdom of God so we assume that sometime between the transition from the millennium and the new heaven and the new earth they will get their resurrection bodies.
Satan is loosed from prison at the end of the millennium. He shall deceive the nations one more time. And gather Gog and Magog for a battle. This is different that the Gog-Magog of Ezekiel 38-39 even though some believe it is the same battle. Many millions will gather for this final battle of God vs. Evil.
Naturally they will attack Jerusalem where Jesus rules and reigns from.
It doesn’t last very long and Satan is cast into the lake of Fire with the Beast and the False Prophet.
Jesus is on a white horse showing His power and majesty and there is obviously no place for the wicked any more in His presence. The time of tolerance for the wicked has ended forever!
The great white throne judgment. The dead bodies in the sea and in the ground were all resurrected and judged.
Death (people dead in sins and trespasses and physical death) and hell, the realm of the dead are ended. Now they are all cast into the lake of Fire.
Very simply… those who are not written in the book of life are cast into the lake of Fire.
Chapter 21
The new heaven and the new earth.
New Jerusalem comes down from heaven
From now on God will dwell with His people.
All sorrow, death, crying and pain will be no more.
Description of the ungodly is given.
An angel shows John the new Jerusalem.
John describes it in detail.
Chapter 22
River flowing from the throne of God.
The paradise of God
The tree of life.
The removal of the curse of man.
The throne of God and the Lamb
Concluding comments
“These things must be done shortly”
“I am Alpha and Omega…”
“whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.”
“if any man add to the words of this prophecy of this book God shall add unto
Him the plagues that are written.”
“behold I come quickly”
“Blessed are those who read this book” Two blessings for the readers of the book of Revelation. READ this book often!