Sunday, October 13, 2013

The Rapture

I am reading Revelation again, probably for the tenth time, and I noticed something. In Ch. 7, after the 6 seals, there seems to be a rapture that happened. The angel says to John about the multitude of people in heaven "these are they which came out of great tribulation." I have always wondered if the seals and trumpets happen simultaneously and in a way I think they do. The seals cover a time span of over 2,000 years though because the first is a man on a white horse that represents when Jesus came to earth. In Corinthians Paul says that at the last trumpet we will be taken up. I think the trumpets will occur almost one right after the other. To us it will look like World War 3, with tons of atomic bombs landing all over the world, because it talks about all the green grass being burned up. I think the trumpets occur between the 4th and 5th seal. The 5th seal is the massive killing of Christians, which parallels what the anti Christ will do in Rev. 13. We will not be raptured until the last trumpet, as Paul says, and until we are heavily persecuted and killed by the anti Christ for our faith. After the first half of the tribulation, 3.5 years, when the anti Christ reigns, the rapture will happen. This will be before the bowls of Gods wrath so at least we are spared from that. Rev. 3:10, Jesus says to a faithful church, "I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth." This is the hour, I believe, when the seven bowls of Gods wrath will be poured out. I think we will be raptured before that, but not before the anti Christ reigns and tries to kill all of us. So be prepared. I think this will happen in our generation, but God can give us strength. There is a beautiful story about a martyr who was being burned for his faith. A young man watching told him to hold up his arm when he was in the fire if following Jesus was still worth it. When the flames were coming up around him he raised his arm high and the young man was encouraged to stay strong in his faith. May we all be that strong as well when the time comes. May God be with you. Amen :)

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