A revised view of the pretrib rapture

The problem is, Revelation isn't all lamentations and woe. The end is the greatest happiness of all! But maybe the scroll and little book represent prophetic knowledge, and the Word Of God.

I have a little time, so I will see how far I can get on the seventh seal


Many folks say that the effect of the seventh seal is the bringing forth of the trumpeter angels. And yes that it true, but most ignore the main effect which is the silence in heaven for about a half hour. I mean, think about it, you have this innumerable multitude waving palm branches and shouting praises to the Lamb, imagine the sound level of that! greater than the biggest crowd in any stadium ever. The Palm branches alone would sound like a forest of leaves during the strongest windy day. Then the Lamb removes the final seal and all fall silent. The Greek word for silent is used only one other time in the bible and that is in Acts 21, when Paul was arrested, in Acts 21: 30, we see that the whole city of Jerusalem was provoked by Paul's preaching. The Roman guard intervened to save Paul's life. The mob of people were angry, and shouting. But Paul asked if he could address the crowd and the Romans agreed. 


The crowd fell silent to hear what Paul was going to say, he then went on to share how Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus road and how he was sent to share the gospel with the gentiles. This great multitude in Revelation falls silent as they turn their attention to the removal of the final seal on the scroll. Let us not forget the significance of this momentous event. Recall how earlier John was distraught when he thought no one could open the scroll:

The Multitude is about to look into the scroll with John as an eyewitness recording events in heaven as they do. Imagine John's anticipation as he stood watching the scroll unfurl! The whole Revelation is about the contents of the scroll. Jesus upon His entrance into the heavenly tabernacle was the one found worthy to remove the seals and open the scroll. The final week of Daniel's prophecy commences when the 7th seal is removed. It is the culmination of centuries, eons really. God's plan in its final stages, fulfilled upon the earth. This is HUGE!  

Now what is interesting is that John puts a time frame on this silence, he says it lasts "about a half hour" in heaven. It felt to John as if a half hour of time as he understood it had passed. However we must remember that time in heaven does not move like it does on earth. John described it in terms that he understood. Sit still for a half hour in total silence, it will seem like a long time. 

I do not believe that this reference is without consequence. Earlier in the Revelation as John wrote the dictation for the letter to Philadelphia we see this:

Note that other than Smyrna, Philadelphia is the only other church to receive no condemnation and call to repent. Smyrna to me loosely represents those 5th seal martyrs, those who die for their testimony in Christ, while these here at Philadelphia loosely represent those who are raptured and kept from the hour of testing. You will notice the reference to them becoming pillars in God's temple- sounds very like the passage in Revelation 7:15!

Notice how Jesus calls it the HOUR of testing. And now here in chapter 8 we have about a half hour in heaven passing in silence as the scroll is opened. I would suggest that this half hour represents the first half of the 70th week, it is about a half hour because it takes us up to the point where the trumpets sound, ending the silence, which I believe begins just before the middle of the "week".  The hour of testing is the 70th week, which those whose faith is like the Philadelphians are promised to be kept from.

Testing is an interesting topic, a study unto itself. Throughout the OT God tested Is people. 

He tested Abraham Genesis 22:1
He tested the Israelites at Marah before they crossed the red sea- Exodus 15:25
He tested them again after the crossed the red sea when he gave them manna- Exodus 16:4, Duet 6:16
Moses told the people that God had come to Mount Sinai to test them- Exodus 22:20

This testing that god brought upon His people was to prove their faithfulness to Him.





The 70th week is an hour of testing that will come upon the whole world, to "test those who dwell on the earth".  God is going to give one last chance to those who have failed to believe in the truth. We know that there will be tribulation saints that will be saved during the first half of the "week" and that ultimately Israel will be brought back into their covenant with God, a remnant of the nation will pass the test.  The 70th week is an instrument of God's testing for those who will turn to Him during it, the  many who will be killed as martyrs (I believe before God's wrath is poured out, see Rev 14:13) and the nation of Israel which will be preserved. It is also an instrument of judgment for those who do not, who will suffer the judgment of God's wrath in the pouring of the bowls and ultimately the lake of fire. 

Again I would say that this "about" a half hour of silence is "about" the first half of the 70th week. When the man of Lawlessness, AKA, the Antichrist and the false prophet will appear and a deluding influence will be sent by God. Where lying signs and wonders will be performed. The seventh seal is removed when the covenant is entered into as spoken of by Daniel. I believe that during this time of silence that the beast economic system will be set up, that the false prophet will encourage worship of the dragon and the antichrist himself. The 144,000 will be sealed and the two witnesses will proclaim the truth. The test will prove whether those on earth will hear and heed God's truth or take the mark of the beast declaring allegiance to him and to satan, the dragon. 


More to come...stay tuned

Rt, this is a fascinating study. Really enjoying it, btw.

Whatif,

I found that the mysterious 1335 days is 45 days after the 1290. The 45 days are what is needed to cleanse the temple as was done in the Old Testament after the abomination. So the 45 days is for cleansing and evidently will have to be done after the first 3 1/2 years that ends with an abomination in the temple.

Awesome, truthseeker and beloved! Perhaps the cleansing of the Temple and the purifying/fixing of the earth and the Sheep and Goat Judgment are occurring at that time all together.

I would say yes, the trumpets will sound at the end of the first 3.5 years, with the seventh trumpet coming immediately before the midpoint. I think the use of the word "woe" to describe the last three trumpets does not necessarily mean they fall within the second half of the week. I think they are called "woes" because their effects are more than just physical on the earth itself. The last three trumpets have a spiritual component, with demonic entities involved in them. Where the effect falls on the people themselves. The fifth trumpet sees the locusts from the smoke of the pit stinging men. they are to sting those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The sixth trumpet releases the angels go on to kill 1/3 of mankind. I personally believe that these people that are killed by the angel influenced army of 200 million, are the tribulation saints. Those who will have come to faith during that 1/2 hour of silence. Revelation 9:20 seems to imply that they repented of their evil deeds, while those who are not killed did not repent:


we also see that the tale of the two witnesses who testify and torment those who dwell on the earth is included in the second woe or 6th trumpet. Before the seventh trumpet sounds the two witnesses are killed and are brought back to life and resurrected. This is followed by the seventh trumpet, the passages concerning it give us a review of events and a broad overview of what will come. I liken it to a powerpoint presentation given to John about the 70th weeks events. The "woe" is that Satan is cast down to earth. I believe that it is at this time that the Antichrist is given authority to act for 42 months, which would be the second half of the week. It is during this time that the 1/3 will be killed.  The overview ends in Revelation 15:5 when we see the temple in heaven opened and the angels with the seven plagues come forth, the wrath of God is added to the plagues and then they are poured out in order upon the earth. These I believe are poured out toward the end of the second half of the week. 

So the use of the word "woe" in my opinion isn't an indication of which half of the week the trumpets sound in. But only that they are woeful to those who will be directly effected by them and I think it is also significant that these last three trumpets have spiritual entities, those various powers and principalities involved in carrying out their effects upon men living on the earth.