Seals, Trumpets, Bowls and The Blessed Hope
I marvel at why Christians want to go through the tribulation, especially when the Bible is clear that Jesus is going to ‘catch away’ the body of Christ before the Tribulations starts. Besides the Mark of the Beast where you will not be able to buy or sell, there are many other horrific things that are going to take place.
The Book of Revelation speaks about the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven bowls which are God’s judgement on mankind. Many people don’t understand that the antiChrist is one of God’s 1st judgement on mankind and falls under the First Seal.
Let’s have a look at these things:
The Seven Seals |
First Seal: The Conqueror1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
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Second Seal: Conflict on Earth3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.
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Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”
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Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on EarthWhen He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
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Fifth Seal: The Cry of the MartyrsWhen He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
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Sixth Seal: Cosmic DisturbancesI looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold,there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
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Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
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The Seven Trumpets |
First Trumpet: Vegetation StruckRevelation 8:6-7 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth.[a] And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
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Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
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Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.
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Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.
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Fifth Trumpet: The Locusts from the Bottomless Pit1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.
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Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed-by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.
14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. |
Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. 15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: ” We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
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The Seven Bowls |
First Bowl: Loathsome Sores2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image
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Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.
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Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
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Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
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Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
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Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.
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Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thundering and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hail stoneabout the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
A Greek, or Attic talent, was 26 kilograms (57 lb), a Roman talent was 32.3 kilograms (71 lb), an Egyptian talent was 27 kilograms (60 lb), and a Babylonian talent was 30.3 kilograms (67 lb). Ancient Palestine adopted the Babylonian talent, but later revised the mass. The heavy common talent, used in New Testament times, was 58.9 kilograms (130 lb). |
The Blessed Hope |
Titus 2:11-1511 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-1813 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
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Hi Thomas,
You said: “What were the words Paul was talking about? Well, if you read the written word and accept it, as you say we must, then you must accept that he was talking about the Pre-Trib Rapture which you abhor with every fiber of your being.”
How do you know what my fibers abhor? lol
You make it sound like reading the word and accepting it is a bad thing?
No I don’t have to accept Paul was talking about the pre-trib rapture. The way I see it, he was talking about the resurrection of those who died in him and that when he returns to the earth he will bring them with him and after that we will be changed.
1 Th. 4:13-14 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1 Th. 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive (breathing) and remain (have survived) unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
Isn’t it true in the pre-trib world that when Jesus comes for the rapture he comes on the clouds and doesn’t come down to earth? If that is true then you folks should quit using 1 Th. 4:16 as a reference.
1 Th. 4:16 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.
Please note in this passage that Jesus is not in a cloud but descending (COMING DOWN) from heaven.
Descend: G2597 katabaino; the place which one has come down from, OF CELESTIAL BEINGS COMING DOWN TO EARTH, to be cast down of things, from the upper regions of the air.
Heaven: G3772 ouranos: the vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it (G3772: ouranos)
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2597&t=KJV
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3772&t=KJV
You said: “You are not comforting Dan. You are misleading him into an abyss of despondency and unbelief with regards to the Rapture.”
Do you think you could be a bit more dramatic? lol
Many blessings!!!
Daphne
>> that there is no hope or faith without the pre-trib rapture. “Well what kind of hope is there if we aren’t raptured up before the worst time in history starts?”
Don’t be absurd. Now you are talking nonsense. Then it starts my dear and I still wait Jesus Christ. This argument that people are going to lose their faith because He does not come is a load of nonsense.
Daphne
Descending from heaving and coming in the clouds surely is pretty much the same thing. That verse does not say He comes down to earth.
What’s your point?
Bologna or Baloney You need to get into your Bible and stop listening to who ever is teaching your these lies.
harry wrote:
Daphne
Misleading others is not only dramatic but dramatically dangerous.
Daphne wrote:
Since when does “descend down from heaven” in verse 16 unequivocally prove that He is coming down to earth? Yes, He will descend down from heaven to meet the risen saints and the saints who are going to be changed in the twinkling of an eye in the air. Isn’t that what verse 17 tells you? “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them (the risen dead in Christ) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” The Pre-Trib Rapture is not just about the deceased in Christ who return with Him when He descends from heaven. Its main purpose is for the saints (the already deceased in Christ and those who remain alive)to receive their resurrected bodies unto the one like that of Jesus and to meet Him in the air in their resurrected bodies. This is precisely the mystery Paul was revealing to the church for the very first time.
Your argument surrounding 1 Thess 4:16 is wrong to say the least.
You say you believe that saints are going to go through the tribulation? Don’t you trust God and his promises?
“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.” The word “from” does not denote a protection within or in the temptations. The word denotes a complete protection by a complete removal from without the zone of temptations to a safe place or haven.
Hi Thomas and Deborah,
I apologize for just getting back to ya’ll.
Deborah said: “Don’t be absurd. Now you are talking nonsense. Then it starts my dear and I still wait Jesus Christ. This argument that people are going to lose their faith because He does not come is a load of nonsense.”
I didn’t say that. And if I did: how is it nonsense? I have heard several people say that if they are not raptured up they don’t need a God who would let them suffer. Does that sound like nonsense to you? It doesn’t to me; it hurts my heart! Jesus says many times that for his name sake we will suffer as he did.
I see you didn’t get my point on the other comment so I’ll put it this way: what makes one Christian better than the other so that one has to endure the tribulation/wrath of God (as ya’ll put it) and others don’t? Why are those Christians being killed and I can have hope that I won’t? Think about this: what if some of those people who live in (let’s say) Egypt (where over 40 churches have been burned in the last couple of days) read about the pre-trib rapture and just yesterday their neighbor was killed do you think they will believe in a pre-trib/pre-persecution rapture?
Thomas said: “Misleading others is not only dramatic but dramatically dangerous.”
I know it is. It is how you said it I found dramatic/theatrical “leading him into the abyss of despondency and unbelief over the rapture”. Again this is to say that if someone doesn’t believe in the pre-trib they lose their faith and drift into unbelief.
You Said: “You say you believe that saints are going to go through the tribulation? Don’t you trust God and his promises?”
“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.”
“The word “from” does not denote a protection within or in the temptations. The word denotes a complete protection by a complete removal from without the zone of temptations to a safe place or haven.”
Unlike you I don’t look at the word “from’ I look at the word “temptation” and it means test of integrity, virtue, fidelity, constancy which in no way parallels the words wrath or tribulation. Tribulation means distress, pressure, affliction, persecution and wrath means anger exhibited in punishment. Temptations are not punishment of God and they are certainly not tribulations. So Revelation 3:10 is not a promise to keep one from tribulations but from temptations/trials i.e. the testing of their faith.
I sure do believe in the promises of God! I believe each and every one that is why I am not about to limit my rewards to the one promise of being kept from temptation; I want all the promises that were made to the churches. When the pre-tribbers say they are the Church of Philadelphia and do not include themselves with the other churches they are cutting themselves short.
The seven churches don’t represent different periods of time they represent the church as a whole in times past and now. How do I know that? The first clue is when Jesus says to John: “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven CHURCHES which are in Asia… We as the church as a whole have received the Revelation from those seven churches. As you are probably aware the seven churches John wrote to were Gentile churches for the most part and existed when he wrote it; he probably hand delivered a copy to each church. The only difference in the total message of the Book of Revelation concerning the churches was a short piece addressed to each of them some exhibited reprimand and some recognition for good.
Two churches were found without fault: Smyrna and Philadelphia the rest Jesus found fault with. Those of Smyrna (even without fault toward God) would be thrown into prison by the devil for ten days and would more than likely die in prison while the church of Philadelphia was told they would be kept from the hour of temptation that would come upon the whole earth. Nevertheless at the end of each letter addressed to a particular church these words were spoken: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; to him that overcometh will I give… In other words it is for us (those of the church) to understand that this letter is for all who love Christ and that it is given to the church as a whole.
What does it mean to be an overcomer? Simply stated it means that we hold onto our faith and endure until death no matter what trials we may face or by what manner we died: 1 John 5:4—For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith; James 1:12—Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
The whole book of Revelation was written to the whole church and we know this by what John writes in chapter one.
Picture this: It’s a nice spring day in the late part of the first century and we are sitting in the church of Ephesus (Greek/Gentile community) and an elder of the church is reading a letter we had received years before from Paul the apostle of the Gentiles. And then John the only living Apostle arrives with a letter he said is for the servants of Jesus (Rev. 1:1): all who love him (Christians). John decides to read the book to us before he leaves just in case we have any questions. We all agree and with one of seven copies he walks up to the podium and begins to speak:
“To the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
I’ve never had something so beautiful read to me have you? It’s a good day to be a Christian! John has confirmed our salvation by the blood of Jesus and told us that because his blood washed us from our sins we are made kings and priests unto God and his Father. I have not heard anything particularly pertaining to Jews so far. Clearly John is talking to us Christians no matter where or when we were born. We are those in the church. In the very beginning John starts off by saying To All seven churches; this tells us the content of the book is for all the churches as a whole.
Theologians’ divide the churches into dispensations saying that each represents a particular time in the history of the church. The church that is said to be for today’s Christians is the church of Philadelphia but if it is truly a case of the churches being different dispensations then the church of today would be Laodicea because we are truly living in the last days of the church era before the millennium and clearly there is many sitting on the fence these days. Most (not all) of the people who believe and teach the churches are different periods of time in history hold to the pre-trib rapture point of view. The church of Philadelphia is chosen to enforce this theology because of one promise made by Jesus to keep the church from the hour of temptation. The problem with that is when they consider themselves this church and claim no part of the other churches they are ignoring all the other promises Jesus gives the church.
Let’s consider for a moment the number seven. The number seven is used many times in God’s Word: we are told to rest on the seventh day at the completion of a week; God told the Jews to let the land rest on the seventh year at the completion of a week of years and God told them there were to be seven times seven years to complete a cycle before the Jubilee and I could go on. What does all that mean? When God uses the number seven it is a symbol of completeness; in particular it is a symbol of spiritual completeness. With that in mind it can be asserted that when God told John to write to the seven churches He was actually telling John to write to the church as a whole.
I look forward to your reply!
Many blessings to you!!!
Any thing that a Christian is facing today is NOTHING compared to what Tribulation Saints will go through. While the Bible clearly teaches a Pre-Tribulation catching away of the saint/rapture, no where does scripture say that Christians won’t go through great PERSECUTION. I have read of many of the atrocities that Christians around the world are going through. As terrible as that is, it is a picnic compared to what it will be like during the Great Tribulation.
Why would anyone want to believe that Jesus Christ will abuse His Bride before she comes to heaven? Why would any one believe that we will go through God’s WRATH. The WRATH of God is His judgment upon the world not on His kids.
Since the rapture and the second coming of Christ are not the same, if the rapture is at the end of the Great Trib then when is His second coming. How can they be happening at the same time? No, No, No. While the great trib goes on here below, we the saved will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and give an account of our lives lived for Him. This is also when the Marriage Supper of the Lamb takes place. Then we along with our Savior get to do some awesome horse-back riding down here and will watch Him defeat once and for all satan and all that pertains to him.
So all I can do is suggest that those of you who don’t believe in the Blessed Hope pray and ask Jesus to let you stay down here while all hell breaks out on earth.
Wouldn’t it be something if he answered that prayer in the affirmative? Don’t take the Mark of Beast while you stay here.
Daphne wrote:
Daphne wrote:
God never promised that He would keep the saints free from temptations/trials i.e. the testing of their faith. In fact, temptations, trials and the testing of the saints’ faith are all an indispensable part of a saint’s walk with God. Surely you must have read Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” and Luke 6:22 “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake” and Peter’s words in 1 Peter 3:14 “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.” Why would God change his mind and keep his saints from temptations/trials and the testing of their faith in Revelation 3:10 when Jesus pronounces a blessing on the saints when they suffer and are persecuted on his behalf?
You say you don’t look at the word “from” but rather at the word “temptation.” That’s your whole problem. You cannot single out certain words and then come to the conclusion that Revelation 3:10 is not about tribulation but only the temptations/trials and the testing of the saints’ faith, and that God promised to keep them safe from those things. It does not say that the temptation will come upon the saints but on the entire world of unbelievers. As such we cannot possibly interpret temptation here as merely a testing of the faith because unbelievers have no faith to be tested. Therefore the “temptation” cannot refer to anything else but tribulation, wrath, and judgement. Furthermore, we are told that this temptation that is coming on the entire world of unbelievers is an “hour of temptation.” Therefore, it refers to a specific time in the history of mankind that has never occurred before or will ever happen again in the future; it is limited and allotted to that specific hour (time) only. And this ties in perfectly with Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 about the tribulation: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21)
Daphne wrote:
So what you’re actually saying is that when individual churches were reprimanded and judged for their particular sins, God judged the whole church. “OK Ephesus, because you left your first love I am not only going to judge you for that sin but also the church at Smyrna because they remained faithful to me and my word in even the most hazardous circumstances.” Is that what God did – judge the church as a whole because He told John to write to the church as a whole and not to the individual seven churches? You must be kidding.
I really think you are deceived and need to repent of your deception.
Hi Sharon,
You Said: “While the Bible clearly teaches a Pre-Tribulation catching away of the saint/rapture, nowhere does scripture say that Christians won’t go through great PERSECUTION.”
Contradicting yourself are you? I thought that was the whole premise of the pre-trib rapture: Christians won’t suffer persecution in the tribulation period.
And if the Bible so CLEARLY teaches the pre-trib rapture then why do you think there is so much disagreement on the subject?
You Said: “Anything that a Christian is facing today is NOTHING compared to what Tribulation Saints will go through. As terrible as that is, it is a picnic compared to what it will be like during the Great Tribulation.”
Really? Could you please explain how it can get any worse than watching your children and spouse be tortured and killed, and then being tortured and killed yourself?
You Said: “Why would anyone want to believe that Jesus Christ will abuse His Bride before she comes to heaven? Why would anyone believe that we will go through God’s WRATH. The WRATH of God is His judgment upon the world not on His kids.”
What you need to be asking yourself is: why would someone stop believing in the pre-trib rapture: It is a wonderful thought! And please don’t think it is because they listen to false teachers because I don’t do that; I study for myself.
All the persecution that is to happen through the tribulation is done by the devil and his buddies: the Antichrist and the False Prophet not by Jesus. It will be the Antichrist that kills because people don’t except the mark. Why is that so hard for people to understand? Why do they insist that the tribulation is the same as the punishment of God? Christians are not to endure the punishment of God but they are told many times that they will endure tribulations and those tribulations may include death by the enemy for his name’s sake.
Rev. 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.
You Said: “Since the rapture and the second coming of Christ are not the same, if the rapture is at the end of the Great Trib then when is His second coming. How can they be happening at the same time? No, No, No. While the great trib goes on here below, we the saved will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and give an account of our lives lived for Him. This is also when the Marriage Supper of the Lamb takes place. Then we along with our Savior get to do some awesome horse-back riding down here and will watch Him defeat once and for all Satan and all that pertains to him.”
Please answer me this: why aren’t the “tribulation saints” invited to the marriage supper? Those people will die for Jesus why would they not be there? And when does their resurrection happen or are they left out of that too? Also, one more thing: if Christians aren’t to suffer the wrath of God and the wrath of God is the tribulation then wouldn’t those Christians killed in that time be suffering the wrath of God?
You Said: “So all I can do is suggest that those of you who don’t believe in the Blessed Hope pray and ask Jesus to let you stay down here while all hell breaks out on earth.
Wouldn’t it be something if he answered that prayer in the affirmative? Don’t take the Mark of Beast while you stay here.”
Not holding the pre-trib point of view does not mean someone doesn’t believe in the Blessed Hope. The Blessed Hope is the Resurrection not the rapture. Jesus didn’t die so that you and I would be saved from getting our heads cut off; he died so that we would have eternal life with him; that my friend is the true Blessed Hope.
1 Cor. 15:13 But it there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
Many Blessing!!!
PS. Thomas I’m still working on my reply to you.
Daphne wrote:
Sharon is not contradicting herself. She refers to the saints who presently make up the church (body of Christ) who are going to be taken up to meet the Lord in the air at the Pre-Trib Rapture. These saints are not going to go through the seven years tribulation period on earth. Surely you must know that many of the unbelievers among the Jews and the Gentiles who remain behind are going to be saved during the seven years tribulation? (Rev 7:13-14).
Daphne wrote:
A silly question like this deserves to be ignored. Many churches do not agree on how to be saved whilst the Scriptures CLEARLY teach how sinners ought to be saved. The fact that there is not always agreement among Christians and professing Christians does not prove that something does not appear in the Bible.
Daphne wrote:
When are you going to begin to understand that there is a vast difference between the persecution (tribulation) of the saints and the tribulation period that is coming upon the entire world in that hour? The persecution of the saints has been going on since Cain killed Abel. Therefore, Jesus could not have referred to the persecution of the saints when He said: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Mat 24:21). Or do you doubt Jesus’ words and suggest that He was lying?
Daphne wrote:
Surely you must know that you don’t need to be led astray by false teachers when you are one yourself. You only need to listen to your own heresies to be misled. False teachers also study the Word of God with an intent to twist and misrepresent it. (2 Pet 3:16).
Daphne wrote:
You are the one insisting that the tribulation of the saints and the seven years tribulation period is the same thing because, according to you, the saints will go through the Great Tribulation. The seven years tribulation is a unique period which will only happen once and never again (Mat 24:21). Indeed, the tribulation (persecution) of the saints is not the same as the punishment (wrath) of God. The seven seals, seven trumpets and the seven vials or bowls (which are all the judgments of God on the people dwelling on the earth) are all uniquely associated with the seven years tribulation period and NOT the persecution of the saints that have been going on non-stop since Cain killed Abel. Once again, these events can only be associated with God’s wrath and judgment in the tribulation period and NOT the persecution of the saints. God’s program of judgment during the seven years tribulation will transpire as follows:
1) The seven seals represent the beginning of the unfolding of the judgment program of God. (Rev 6)
2) The second portion of the judgment program is that revealed through the blowing of the seven trumpets. (Rev 8:2-11:15).
3) The third series of judgments, which complete the outpouring of divine wrath, are the vials (Rev 16:1-21)
4) Revelation 17 outlines the judgment of the great harlot, the apostate religious system, that exists in the tribulation period.
5) The judgment of the beast (Antichrist) and his empire.
Will the church be present on earth when these judgments are poured out? J Dwight Pentecost writes as follows in his book “Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology, pp 197-198”
Daphne wrote:
While the consummation of the marriage (wedding) of the Lamb will take place in heaven, the Marriage supper will take place here on earth. In fact, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb encompasses the entire 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on earth. Hence the tribulation saints are also going to partake of the Marriage Supper. (Rev 20:4-5).
Your question: “if Christians aren’t to suffer the wrath of God and the wrath of God is the tribulation then wouldn’t those Christians killed in that time be suffering the wrath of God?” stems from your persistent ignorance of the difference between the wrath of God and the persecution of the saints.
The unbelievers who now reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour will remain behind at the Pre-Trib Rapture and face the wrath of Antichrist. In fact, the Bible clearly says that God Himself gives the Antichrist the power to overcome (slaughter) the Jews and Gentiles who get saved during the tribulation. (Rev 13:7). In a nutshell: while these Jews and Gentiles are still unsaved during the tribulation, they will have to bear the brunt of God’s judgments in the same way as the rest of the world but as soon as they get saved they will escape these judgments when Antichrist kills them. Most of these tribulation Christians are going to be beheaded. There will, however, be some who are going to escape Antichrist’s wrath – the sealed 144000 from Israel. J Dwight Pentecost says on page 214 of his book “Things to Come:”
Daphne wrote:
You are right. The Blessed Hope is the resurrection of the deceased saints at the Pre-Trib Rapture. (1 Thess 4:16-18). Unbelievers are going to be raised after the 1000 years reign of Christ on earth. (Rev 20:5).
Daphne
Thank you for your concern 🙂
As for your comment. My goodness, I just shake my head, you are very confused lol
Daphne, not until you underfstand Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:21: ““For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be.” will you and I be able to discuss the seven year tribulation which lies ahead of the world in the future.