| The Greatest Story Ever Told About The Greatest Man That Ever Lived |
We are definately living in the Last Days. Anyone who observes what is going on in the world can
see that things are changing very rapidly and not for the better. The economies of many countries
are in trouble, countries are at war or on the verge of war, social unrest is prevalent, uncertainty
about the future abounds, poverty is rampant, the gap between the rich and poor is huge, and on and
on. The Bible talks about the Last Days and the events that will happen. And it's not a pretty picture.
Before Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom on earth, there will be a period of seven years known as
the Great Tribulation. There will be famines, wars, earthquakes, chaos, rebellion, economic disaster,
food shortages, and radical laws and controls put in place. This is when the Antichrist, who is
controlled by the devil himself will rule the earth for a short time. And it's when all hell will break
loose in the heavens and on earth. You can read all about it in the Book of Revelation, the last book
of the Bible. What will happen just before all this is known as the Resurrection and the Rapture of the
Church. This is when all believers who have died are resurrected and all believers that are still alive
will be raptured. In this article I will only cover Chapter 6 and 7 of Revelations which deals with the
Resurrection, the Rapture, and the events that lead up to the beginning of the Tribulation Period.
One thing is absolutely certain: the rapture WILL happen. There has been a lot of controversy as to
WHEN the rapture will occur, some say before the tribulation, some say part way through, and some
say after the tribulation. It will be a very significant event, millions of people will instantly
dissappear. I believe that the Bible shows us in the Book of Revelation exactly when the rapture will
take place and what will happen just before the rapture.
The word rapture is not used in the Bible. 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. The following scriptures confirm that a rapture will happen. The resurrection
and the rapture happen at the same time, so one can either speak of the rapture or the resurrection
and mean the same event because the resurrection is for dead believers and the rapture is for those
that are still alive at that time.
"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." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
"Behold, I show 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 trumpet for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who,
by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so
that they will be like his glorious body. (Phillipians 3:20)
One thing we need to understand is that the Book of Revelation is written in chronological order.
There are 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowls and other events happening in between those events.
But they are opened in SEQUENCE. You will find many interpretations all over the internet where
bible verses from Revelation are applied to world events, but those scriptures cannot be used to do
that because those events have not happened yet. You can't take something out of Revelation
Chapter 19 and apply it to something you saw in the news today. It hasn't happened yet. This is
where a lot of misinformation comes from and creates confusion to those that try to understand the
Book of Revelation. It's much easier to take it as it reads, in sequence. The seals, trumpets and
bowls are opened in order, one to seven
In Revelation Chapter 6 the four horsemen are released. The first one rides a white horse and is
sent to conquer. 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.” And 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.
Revelation 6:1-2 Some think this is the Antichrist because he rides a white horse and goes forth to
conquer. Jesus will also ride a white horse when he comes back, so some think that this must the
the Antichrist who is imitating Jesus. This cannot be the antichrist because the antichrist will not
come on the scene until Chapter 13 when he will set up a One World Government, One World
Religion, and a One World Monetary System. Notice that this rider has a bow, but no arrows. And he
is given a crown. This tells me that he will conquer through peaceful, legal, and influential means.
His crown signifies that he will have authority. And he goes forth determined to conquer. Conquer
what? How can one conquer without arrows unless it is a peaceful takeover. I should mention that
no matter who we think this is, we have no way of being sure because there are no other scriptures
that refer to this one. So here is my guess. Who in these end times has conquered the world
peacefully? The only name that comes to mind is the Rothschilds. For over 200 years they have
established themselves financially to where they now either own or control central banks in all but
three countries, Iran, Cuba, and North Korea. They manipulate markets, control governments, decide
when we will have inflationary or recessionary cycles, set interest rates, and basically control the
worlds finances. From their Bank of International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland they control
their banking and business empire. It is estimated that the Rothschilds own half of the world's
wealth. So have they conquered the world? Absolutely.
The second rides a red horse and makes war. "When He opened the second seal, I heard the second
living creature saying, “Come and see.” 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." Rev 6:3-4 This rider is on a red horse, so some think it's Russia or
China, but I don't think so. Again, it's just a guess for the same reasons. This rider is given
permission to take peace from the earth and to create chaos, rebellion, and war. And he was given
a great sword. So who in these end times has the biggest sword? Who has been invading country
after country to try to "democracize" them? Who has been the world's bully? Of course it's the
USA. They still have the largest military strength and they have been sticking their nose in
everyone's business around the world. With 900 military bases in 130 countries, they have most
countries surrounded including Russia and China.
"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. And I heard a voice in the
midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a days wages, and three quarts of barley
for a days wages; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” Rev 6: 5-6 The third rider rides a black horse
of economic and/or environmental crisis "a quart of wheat for a day's wages", or in our terms, a loaf
of bread for a day's wages. Notice that there is wheat, barley, oil, and wine. There is no food
shortage. And the scales stand for commerce. But the scariest part is that it will cost a day's wages
just to buy a loaf of bread. This is what will happen when the economy implodes. The dollar will be
almost useless. Governments have spent far beyond their means and are now in huge debt. So are
cities, states, municipalities, and most people. Everyone is on a reckless spending binge and
someday that will all have to be repaid. This is when one after another there will be massive
defaults which will crash the economy. You had better get ready with some supplies of food and
water because this will trigger massive riots and food shortages. And you won't be able to buy
much even if it's available, it will be too expensive.
"When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and
see.” 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." Rev 6:7-8 The fourth rider rides a pale horse of
death, famine, and war. Riots and war usually follow economic collapse. Chaos and rebellion run
rampant so nations impose Martial Law to control the people. There is much killing. The rider is
named Death and Hades follows him. I now believe that the Coronavirus is the 4th horseman. It fits
with the description and is the catalyst for the 3rd horseman producing economic collapse. If there is
riots and chaos there could be Martial Law and killings. The beasts of the earth represent the animals
that all viruses come from. And regarding famine... There is a huge plague of locusts eating
everything in their path across the Middle East and on to Asia. Swine and Avian flu are affecting the
chicken and pig farmers and maybe the harvest will not be good this year, we'll see. And then there
was the bush fires in Australia which destroyed crops. This most likely will produce famine in many
places. And high food prices. If this is the case, then the resurrection/rapture could happen as soon
as this fall because the 5th seal happens in heaven and the Tribulation begins at the 6th seal. The
resurrection/rapture happens right around the time of the 6th seal as well.
The fifth seal shows us the believers that have been killed who cry out to God from under the altar.
"When 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. And 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?” 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." These are martyrs who died for their testimony of the Word of God. They may have
been killed by the fourth horseman who was given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword,
famine and death or they may be all the martyrs that ever lived. The Bible says "they were told to
wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they
had been was completed". This means that more martyrs will be killed like they were. In Revelation
20 the Bible says "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.
Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of
God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads
or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." This is what I believe
the verse "wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be
killed as they had been was completed" refers to. These martyrs are told to wait until all the rest of
the martyrs would be killed and then they will be resurrected when all the killing has finished. These
are not just Christians who have died, this group died specifically for their testimony of Jesus, so
they are martyrs. Being a martyr has high ranking with God as it is the ultimate test of faith, and I
believe that God has put them into a separate group who will be raised together with all other martyrs
and rewarded accordingly. This is why they are not raised at the resurrection but near the end of the
Tribulation.
And then comes the sixth seal. " I 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.
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. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved
out of its place. 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,
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! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to
stand" Rev 6: 12-17
The sixth seal is a very significant event. This is where God arrives on the scene and announces His
presence. It is a major supernatural event because it describes a great earthquake, the sun turning
black and the moon red, stars falling to the earth, the sky receding like a scroll, and every mountain
and island being shaken. It is so bad and so devastating that men hide in caves to take cover. And
they realize that something incredible has just been unleashed. They know that this was not man
made, it was from God. And look what they say “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits
on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is
able to stand" What, did I read that right? Is this indeed the Day of the Lord? The day of God's
Wrath? Well, that's what they say it is. Who sits on the throne except God, and who is the Lamb
except Jesus. And the great day of his wrath has come. Yes, this is the Day of the Lord. God arrives
in grand style and wants us to know that this is the Beginning of the Tribulation. This is when it
officially starts and God get's involved. Up till now was the warm up, when all the pieces were put in
place, and then God arrives on the scene and the Tribulation starts. One thing we need to remember
is that the Tribulation period is the Day of the Lord, not the day of the antichrist, or of the devil, or of
the people, it is God's Day and He will start it and finish it His way.
And then the resurrection and rapture happens.
In Revelation Chapter 7 the Bible says "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude
that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne
and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands....
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes who are they, and where did they come from?"
I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of great tribulation; they
have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
This scripture describes the rapture perfectly. It's a huge number of people. They are from all over
the earth. They are standing before God and Jesus. They are wearing white robes. They are
believers. They were not killed. And the elder specifically asked the Apostle John who was writing
this down, "where did they come from". In other words, he wants us to KNOW where they came from.
And the answer was "These are they who have come out of great tribulation". Now remember, this is
just the BEGINNING of the Great Tribulation, it's barely started. So far all that has happened is
the four horsemen have been released and there has been a war and an earthquake or cataclysmic
event. There is a whole lot more coming with the other judgments. Yet this elder says they have
"come out of Great Tribulation". Notice he doesn't say they were killed, or that they were beheaded
like some other scriptures, it says they "came out" of the tribulation which has just started.
How did they "come out"? Were they raptured? It sure sounds like it and the description fits
perfectly. This is the only place in the Bible where this kind of event is described as accurately as
this. The reason we know this is the resurrection/rapture is because no one goes to heaven until the
resurrection/rapture. You can see my study After We Die to clarify this. Therefore, if these people
are standing around the throne of God, then the resurrection/rapture must have happened.
From this we can conclude that all Christians who ever lived will be raptured/resurrected in Chapter
7. This is the "great multitude that no one could count" from all over the world "from every nation,
tribe, people and language." How else could you get a great multitude of people from all over the
world gathered in one place at the same time? Maybe this way. "The dead in Christ shall rise first,
after that we who are still alive will be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air." This removes
all believers who died in Christ and all Christians who are still alive from the earth, billions of people.
At that point, there are no more Christians left on earth, they have been raptured and the dead
Christians resurrected. Right after this and during the Great Tribulation, many people will BECOME
Christians, and these are the ones that will be killed, either for refusing to worship the image of the
beast or refusing to take the mark, or just because they are Christians, or they are killed due to the
wars, famines, plagues, etc. Then in Chapter 20 those Christians are resurrected and that completes
all the raptures/resurrections of believers. This is known as the first resurrection. The "second
resurrection" (is actually not a resurrection but is called a second death) is for all unbelievers, not
Christians and comes later.
Those who believe the post tribulation view say that Christians will go through the Great Tribulation
and that the rapture will happen after that. The problem with this view is that by that time there will
be almost no Christians left on the earth because in Rev 13 the Antichrist orders all who refuse to
worship the image he sets up to be killed. This would be all Christians because they will NEVER
worship that image. It also says that "He was given power to make war against the saints and to
conquer them." And again "then the dragon went off to make war against those who obey God's
commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus."
So the Antichrist constantly hunts down and kills Christians throughout the Great Tribulation. In
Revelation 14 it says "blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on" indicating that
Christians will be killed but don't worry, they will be blessed. Furthermore, during all the trumpet
and bowl judgments which happen before Chapter 20, many many people including Christians will be
killed so after all this, there will be very few Christians left to rapture. In Chapter 20 only the
resurrection of those Christians who died in the Tribulation is mentioned. "and I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God. They had
not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark..they came to life and reigned
with Christ for a thousand years." There is no mention of a rapture here. In contrast to Chapter 7
there is a multitude of believers that "came out" of the Great Tribulation. So if the rapture happens at
the end of the Tribulation, how could the multitude come out of the Great Tribulation in Chapter 7 they
should come out at the end. But there are no scriptures that indicate this.
Some use Matthew 24:30 to say that the ressurection/rapture happens at the end of the Tribulation.
"...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he
will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from
one end of the heavens to the other." This scripture is repeated in Matthew 25:31. "When the Son of
Man comes in his glory,and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the
nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats." This scene is also stated in Revelation 19:11-14 where Jesus
comes back with the armies of heaven. Here's why a rapture/resurrection at this time is not possible.
If his angels gather the elect (believers) at that time which would be the ressurection/rapture, then
there would be no believers left on the earth, so how could he then separate the people one from the
other (the sheep and the goats). There would only be goats left, there would be no sheep because
those would have been raptured before he came. Jesus does send his angels to gather the elect, but
that is so that he can separate them from the unbelievers and these are the ones that will go into the
millenium kingdom.
Some say that the rapture happens in Revelation 4 when a voice says "Come up here". Their view is
that the church is not mentioned after this therefore it must have been taken off the earth. Those that
believe this view also use other scriptures which state that Christians will not come under God's
judgment, therefore they are taken out of the way before the judgment starts. And this view does
make sense for those reasons, but the "come up here" was spoken to the Apostle John, not to the
entire church. It would be quite flimsy to base the rapture on just those three words and an
assumption. Furthermore, the voice does not just say "Come up here". The voice says "Come up
here and I will show you what must take place after this." The voice is not asking all Christians to
come up and see what must take place after this, but is only asking the Apostle John.
Another view is that the rapture can happen at any time, but according to Chapter 7 we see what will
happen before the rapture, the sun turning black the moon turning red, and the earthquake, etc. so
these things must happen first. Also God has a calendar or appointment schedule for everything.
Jesus cannot come at any time, there is an appointed time for him to come as we will see later.
Something to consider is that when Jesus comes for His Church, He will meet them in the clouds.
He comes twice, not once. Once to meet the resurrected/raptured saints in the clouds, and the next
time with those saints. Post-trib believers miss it here. When Jesus returns, He meets Christians IN
THE CLOUDS. He comes for his Church, meets them in the clouds, and takes them to Heaven (his
second coming). After the Tribulation, when Jesus returns to earth, (his third coming) he comes WITH
these same Christians and this is when he sets up his Kingdom on earth and the Christians reign and
rule with Him for 1000 years. It’s very clear in the following scripture.
"And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have
died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and
was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the
believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the
Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down
from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of
God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who
are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then
we will be with the Lord forever." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Please note that Paul says "We tell you this
directly from the Lord."
Some call both events the second coming, but they are two separate events which are totally
different and happen 7 years apart from each other. So how can we refer to it as one event? It is
easier if we call it his second and third comings to avoid any confusion as to which event we are
referring when we discuss it.
There have actually been other raptures/resurrections in the Old and New Testament. Enoch was the
first to be raptured. (Gen 5:23-24) Elijah was next (2 Kings 2:11) Jesus was next (Matthew 28:5-6)
The Apostle John was taken up and shown the things to come. (Rev 4:1-4) Then the 144,000 are
raptured. (Rev 14:3-4) God's two witnesses will be resurrected/raptured. (Rev 11:1-11) And there is
a resurrection/rapture in Revelation 15:2-3.
The rapture in Revelation Chapter 7 is the "big one". This is where a huge multitude is taken at
one time. If we consider that the current world population is 7 billion, and the latest statistics show
that 32% of the world is Christian, if we only use 20% that's about 1.5 billion people that will be
raptured at one time if it were to happen today. If we also consider how many "dead in Christ" will be
resurrected then that number is staggering. It is estimated that over 100 Billion people have ever
lived on earth. Only 20% of that would be 20 billion people. I'd say that's a multitude that no one
could count.
Obviously when an event of this magnitude happens, the whole world will want to know what
happened. Here's what might happen. The rapture might just happen at the sixth seal when the great
earthquake will encompass the entire earth. Mountains and islands will be moved from their places
and stars will fall to earth and the sky will recede like a scroll. This sounds like mass chaos on the
entire earth. There will be death and devastation everywhere so it would be easier to account for
those that are missing. Those that are left behind won't even realize that a rapture took place. The
Bible says the rapture will happen in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, so no one will even see it
happen. If it happens at or near the time of the earthquake, most people will be more concerned
about the devastation of the earthquake than what happened to those that disappeared and
will soon forget about it believing that many were buried in the rubble or swept away in the ensuing
tsunami. Then again, it may not happen that way if God would rather it was known to all people.
So where are we now and how soon will the Rapture happen? I believe we are near the end of the
third horseman with the fourth one about to enter the scene. From now until the Rapture could be as
short as a few months or it could take a few years. For this reason I don't think it's as important to
find the date, as it is to follow the signs. We know that the Rapture will happen. But when? After the
sixth seal. Right after the opening of the sixth seal when there is a cataclysmic event and a huge
earthquake shakes the earth and when the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red. Before that
we will see an economic collapse and a war that encompasses one fourth of the earth. Those are the
signs to watch for because all Christians will be raptured right after that. And then all hell will break
loose on earth when God's Judgments start. The Good News is that Jesus said we should pray that
we can escape all these things. He wouldn't ask us to do that if it was not possible to escape.
Something else we need to consider is God's Calendar. And this is the Hebrew Calendar not the one
that most of the world uses. God established 7 Feasts that Israel was to keep in Leviticus 23. There
were 3 spring feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits. Then 50 days later Pentecost, and
then 3 fall feasts, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. You can find many in
depth studies on You Tube on these so I won't go into great depth here, but significant events always
happened on these feast dates. Jesus was born on the Feast of Tabernacles (not December 25) and
had to die on Passover. He couldn't die any other day because He was the Passover lamb. He
fulfilled the first three feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits by his death and
resurrection. Pentecost was fulfilled 50 days later when the Holy Spirit descended and the Church
was born.
Now all that remains to be fulfilled are the 3 fall feasts. This is why I believe the Resurrection/Rapture
will occur on the Feast of Trumpets. And the scriptures bear this out with the "last trumpet"
reference. Also because God works in 7 year cycles. Because the Tribulation is also a 7 year period,
it cannot start in the middle of another 7 year cycle. Therefore, the Tribulation has to start at the
beginning of a new 7 year cycle. This would be on the Feast of Trumpets, but we have lost count of
what year we are in, so we don't know when the new 7 year cycle will begin. So every year on the
Feast of Trumpets we should be ready because that is when it is most likely to happen.
Something else to consider is this: what is the purpose of the rapture? Why does it have to happen?
There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the Bible describes the rapture as happening at the same
time as the resurrection. The only difference is that the resurrection applies to dead believers where
as the rapture applies to believers that are still alive. Otherwise, the same thing happens to both,
they are both raised up to meet Jesus in the air. The believers that are alive at that time could be left
behind and raised after they die, but they are not. They are raptured at the same time as the dead in
Christ are raised. One of the reasons is because they are not under God’s wrath. They have already
made their choice, they do not need to be tested any further. Another reason is because the end
times deals with all people on earth not just the church. So the church needs to be taken out of the
way so they don’t interfere with what God wants to do. However, I think the main reason is this.
After the rapture there will be a 7 year tribulation period which will devastate the earth. So when the
saints return with Jesus to reign and rule, when He sets up his 1000 year reign, they will be entering
a war torn zone. There will be destruction and chaos everywhere. And they will have to spread out
over the earth and make it habitable again. So I think that during the 7 year tribulation period they will
be in training for the jobs that they will be doing during the millennium. They will be assigned a
country, or city, and a work group, and they will learn what God wants them to do there. Then when
they return with Jesus they will be ready to take on their new responsibilities.
When the resurrection/rapture occurs, this will remove about 1.5 billion people from the earth
instantly. If the rapture happens instantly as the Bible says, some people will be sleeping in one part
of the world and be taken from their beds, but others will be at work when they are taken on the other
side of the world. Some of those people will be pilots and co-pilots who will instantly disappear in
mid flight. Who will fly the plane. Some will be driving to work. Some will be teachers in their
classrooms, others will be doctors performing operations, others will be policemen and firemen, and
suddenly they will all disappear. How would you like to be on a bus when your driver suddenly
disappears and the bus starts to head into the other lane and a semi truck and trailer is coming right
at the bus and it doesn’t have a driver either. There will be massive accidents of every type all over
the world. And then the next day, several hundred million people don’t show up for work. How do
you replace them? Many will be semi skilled or professional people which you can’t replace for
years. The world will in many ways become a very different place instantly. The rapture will have as
big an impact on the world as a tsunami or a typhoon does on certain countries. And what about the
money those that have been raptured owe or own. How will that be sorted out. It could produce
massive bank failures if they can’t collect on those debts for several years until they can prove that
those people are not alive.
Another thing we should consider is the type of world we will have during the millennium. It will be
very different from the world that we live in now. When Jesus comes with his saints to rebuild this
world there will be many changes that will be made. For example, there will not be any more bars, or
casino’s, or pornography, or adult movies, or prostitutes, or lotteries. Movies will not be about lying,
killing, and cheating. School books will be re-written to teach the truth of how God created the world.
Business will be conducted fairly and honestly, we won’t need lawyers to make sure that happens.
Banks won’t be there (if we even use money then) to make huge profits at the expense of the
people. There will be no governments and politicians, Jesus will be the ruler of the world and
institute policies that benefit all people. It will be a world where everyone works for the benefit of
everyone else. Where everyone looks for ways to make everyone else’s life better, not to take
advantage of anyone, but instead everyone will look for how they can help everyone else have the
best life. This is something that we don’t do now. Everyone looks for ways to make their own life
better and if they have to take advantage of someone else to do so, well, so be it. This will all change
during the millennium when Jesus will teach us the right way to live and show us the life that is truly
life. Then we will have real love, joy, and peace on earth. Even the wolf will lie down with the lamb.
I am very much looking forward to that day.
Since the rapture will not happen until chapter 7 in Revelations, we are going to have to live through
the coming economic collapse and the wars, famines, and plagues that will follow. Therefore,
Christians must take this seriously and get prepared for it. God wants us to know these things are
coming so that we could be a blessing to others and not a burden. It will be a great time to witness to
non believers but not if we are in as dire circumstances as they are. God has placed the economic
collapse before the rapture in order to bring everyone to their knees and put Jesus first in their life
including some Christians who's god is still money or things.
The most important thing is to make sure you are born again. Jesus told Nicodemus in John Chapter
3 that "unless a man is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." And again He said "You
should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again." Jesus didn't say you should be born
again, or it would be a good idea, He said you MUST be born again. There is no compromise.
Those that will be left behind will be those that have never been really serious about God. They may
have gone to church all their life, they may have been raised in a Christian home, they may have
gone through all the sacraments or rituals of their church, but they never got to know Jesus
personally. They never invited Him into their life and had their "moment when they knew they met
with God".
It will be very difficult for these people to get born again during the Tribulation. But many will. The
only problem is that most will have to die for their faith. That won't be easy for a new Christian. But I
believe God will help them when the time comes. He always does.
For a more detailed study of the Book of Revelation see my Book of Revelation - Chapter by Chapter
study.
God Bless You All and I Will See You Very Soon on the Other Side.
see that things are changing very rapidly and not for the better. The economies of many countries
are in trouble, countries are at war or on the verge of war, social unrest is prevalent, uncertainty
about the future abounds, poverty is rampant, the gap between the rich and poor is huge, and on and
on. The Bible talks about the Last Days and the events that will happen. And it's not a pretty picture.
Before Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom on earth, there will be a period of seven years known as
the Great Tribulation. There will be famines, wars, earthquakes, chaos, rebellion, economic disaster,
food shortages, and radical laws and controls put in place. This is when the Antichrist, who is
controlled by the devil himself will rule the earth for a short time. And it's when all hell will break
loose in the heavens and on earth. You can read all about it in the Book of Revelation, the last book
of the Bible. What will happen just before all this is known as the Resurrection and the Rapture of the
Church. This is when all believers who have died are resurrected and all believers that are still alive
will be raptured. In this article I will only cover Chapter 6 and 7 of Revelations which deals with the
Resurrection, the Rapture, and the events that lead up to the beginning of the Tribulation Period.
One thing is absolutely certain: the rapture WILL happen. There has been a lot of controversy as to
WHEN the rapture will occur, some say before the tribulation, some say part way through, and some
say after the tribulation. It will be a very significant event, millions of people will instantly
dissappear. I believe that the Bible shows us in the Book of Revelation exactly when the rapture will
take place and what will happen just before the rapture.
The word rapture is not used in the Bible. 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. The following scriptures confirm that a rapture will happen. The resurrection
and the rapture happen at the same time, so one can either speak of the rapture or the resurrection
and mean the same event because the resurrection is for dead believers and the rapture is for those
that are still alive at that time.
"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." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
"Behold, I show 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 trumpet for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who,
by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so
that they will be like his glorious body. (Phillipians 3:20)
One thing we need to understand is that the Book of Revelation is written in chronological order.
There are 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowls and other events happening in between those events.
But they are opened in SEQUENCE. You will find many interpretations all over the internet where
bible verses from Revelation are applied to world events, but those scriptures cannot be used to do
that because those events have not happened yet. You can't take something out of Revelation
Chapter 19 and apply it to something you saw in the news today. It hasn't happened yet. This is
where a lot of misinformation comes from and creates confusion to those that try to understand the
Book of Revelation. It's much easier to take it as it reads, in sequence. The seals, trumpets and
bowls are opened in order, one to seven
In Revelation Chapter 6 the four horsemen are released. The first one rides a white horse and is
sent to conquer. 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.” And 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.
Revelation 6:1-2 Some think this is the Antichrist because he rides a white horse and goes forth to
conquer. Jesus will also ride a white horse when he comes back, so some think that this must the
the Antichrist who is imitating Jesus. This cannot be the antichrist because the antichrist will not
come on the scene until Chapter 13 when he will set up a One World Government, One World
Religion, and a One World Monetary System. Notice that this rider has a bow, but no arrows. And he
is given a crown. This tells me that he will conquer through peaceful, legal, and influential means.
His crown signifies that he will have authority. And he goes forth determined to conquer. Conquer
what? How can one conquer without arrows unless it is a peaceful takeover. I should mention that
no matter who we think this is, we have no way of being sure because there are no other scriptures
that refer to this one. So here is my guess. Who in these end times has conquered the world
peacefully? The only name that comes to mind is the Rothschilds. For over 200 years they have
established themselves financially to where they now either own or control central banks in all but
three countries, Iran, Cuba, and North Korea. They manipulate markets, control governments, decide
when we will have inflationary or recessionary cycles, set interest rates, and basically control the
worlds finances. From their Bank of International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland they control
their banking and business empire. It is estimated that the Rothschilds own half of the world's
wealth. So have they conquered the world? Absolutely.
The second rides a red horse and makes war. "When He opened the second seal, I heard the second
living creature saying, “Come and see.” 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." Rev 6:3-4 This rider is on a red horse, so some think it's Russia or
China, but I don't think so. Again, it's just a guess for the same reasons. This rider is given
permission to take peace from the earth and to create chaos, rebellion, and war. And he was given
a great sword. So who in these end times has the biggest sword? Who has been invading country
after country to try to "democracize" them? Who has been the world's bully? Of course it's the
USA. They still have the largest military strength and they have been sticking their nose in
everyone's business around the world. With 900 military bases in 130 countries, they have most
countries surrounded including Russia and China.
"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. And I heard a voice in the
midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a days wages, and three quarts of barley
for a days wages; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” Rev 6: 5-6 The third rider rides a black horse
of economic and/or environmental crisis "a quart of wheat for a day's wages", or in our terms, a loaf
of bread for a day's wages. Notice that there is wheat, barley, oil, and wine. There is no food
shortage. And the scales stand for commerce. But the scariest part is that it will cost a day's wages
just to buy a loaf of bread. This is what will happen when the economy implodes. The dollar will be
almost useless. Governments have spent far beyond their means and are now in huge debt. So are
cities, states, municipalities, and most people. Everyone is on a reckless spending binge and
someday that will all have to be repaid. This is when one after another there will be massive
defaults which will crash the economy. You had better get ready with some supplies of food and
water because this will trigger massive riots and food shortages. And you won't be able to buy
much even if it's available, it will be too expensive.
"When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and
see.” 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." Rev 6:7-8 The fourth rider rides a pale horse of
death, famine, and war. Riots and war usually follow economic collapse. Chaos and rebellion run
rampant so nations impose Martial Law to control the people. There is much killing. The rider is
named Death and Hades follows him. I now believe that the Coronavirus is the 4th horseman. It fits
with the description and is the catalyst for the 3rd horseman producing economic collapse. If there is
riots and chaos there could be Martial Law and killings. The beasts of the earth represent the animals
that all viruses come from. And regarding famine... There is a huge plague of locusts eating
everything in their path across the Middle East and on to Asia. Swine and Avian flu are affecting the
chicken and pig farmers and maybe the harvest will not be good this year, we'll see. And then there
was the bush fires in Australia which destroyed crops. This most likely will produce famine in many
places. And high food prices. If this is the case, then the resurrection/rapture could happen as soon
as this fall because the 5th seal happens in heaven and the Tribulation begins at the 6th seal. The
resurrection/rapture happens right around the time of the 6th seal as well.
The fifth seal shows us the believers that have been killed who cry out to God from under the altar.
"When 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. And 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?” 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." These are martyrs who died for their testimony of the Word of God. They may have
been killed by the fourth horseman who was given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword,
famine and death or they may be all the martyrs that ever lived. The Bible says "they were told to
wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they
had been was completed". This means that more martyrs will be killed like they were. In Revelation
20 the Bible says "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.
Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of
God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads
or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." This is what I believe
the verse "wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be
killed as they had been was completed" refers to. These martyrs are told to wait until all the rest of
the martyrs would be killed and then they will be resurrected when all the killing has finished. These
are not just Christians who have died, this group died specifically for their testimony of Jesus, so
they are martyrs. Being a martyr has high ranking with God as it is the ultimate test of faith, and I
believe that God has put them into a separate group who will be raised together with all other martyrs
and rewarded accordingly. This is why they are not raised at the resurrection but near the end of the
Tribulation.
And then comes the sixth seal. " I 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.
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. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved
out of its place. 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,
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! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to
stand" Rev 6: 12-17
The sixth seal is a very significant event. This is where God arrives on the scene and announces His
presence. It is a major supernatural event because it describes a great earthquake, the sun turning
black and the moon red, stars falling to the earth, the sky receding like a scroll, and every mountain
and island being shaken. It is so bad and so devastating that men hide in caves to take cover. And
they realize that something incredible has just been unleashed. They know that this was not man
made, it was from God. And look what they say “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits
on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is
able to stand" What, did I read that right? Is this indeed the Day of the Lord? The day of God's
Wrath? Well, that's what they say it is. Who sits on the throne except God, and who is the Lamb
except Jesus. And the great day of his wrath has come. Yes, this is the Day of the Lord. God arrives
in grand style and wants us to know that this is the Beginning of the Tribulation. This is when it
officially starts and God get's involved. Up till now was the warm up, when all the pieces were put in
place, and then God arrives on the scene and the Tribulation starts. One thing we need to remember
is that the Tribulation period is the Day of the Lord, not the day of the antichrist, or of the devil, or of
the people, it is God's Day and He will start it and finish it His way.
And then the resurrection and rapture happens.
In Revelation Chapter 7 the Bible says "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude
that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne
and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands....
Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes who are they, and where did they come from?"
I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of great tribulation; they
have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
This scripture describes the rapture perfectly. It's a huge number of people. They are from all over
the earth. They are standing before God and Jesus. They are wearing white robes. They are
believers. They were not killed. And the elder specifically asked the Apostle John who was writing
this down, "where did they come from". In other words, he wants us to KNOW where they came from.
And the answer was "These are they who have come out of great tribulation". Now remember, this is
just the BEGINNING of the Great Tribulation, it's barely started. So far all that has happened is
the four horsemen have been released and there has been a war and an earthquake or cataclysmic
event. There is a whole lot more coming with the other judgments. Yet this elder says they have
"come out of Great Tribulation". Notice he doesn't say they were killed, or that they were beheaded
like some other scriptures, it says they "came out" of the tribulation which has just started.
How did they "come out"? Were they raptured? It sure sounds like it and the description fits
perfectly. This is the only place in the Bible where this kind of event is described as accurately as
this. The reason we know this is the resurrection/rapture is because no one goes to heaven until the
resurrection/rapture. You can see my study After We Die to clarify this. Therefore, if these people
are standing around the throne of God, then the resurrection/rapture must have happened.
From this we can conclude that all Christians who ever lived will be raptured/resurrected in Chapter
7. This is the "great multitude that no one could count" from all over the world "from every nation,
tribe, people and language." How else could you get a great multitude of people from all over the
world gathered in one place at the same time? Maybe this way. "The dead in Christ shall rise first,
after that we who are still alive will be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air." This removes
all believers who died in Christ and all Christians who are still alive from the earth, billions of people.
At that point, there are no more Christians left on earth, they have been raptured and the dead
Christians resurrected. Right after this and during the Great Tribulation, many people will BECOME
Christians, and these are the ones that will be killed, either for refusing to worship the image of the
beast or refusing to take the mark, or just because they are Christians, or they are killed due to the
wars, famines, plagues, etc. Then in Chapter 20 those Christians are resurrected and that completes
all the raptures/resurrections of believers. This is known as the first resurrection. The "second
resurrection" (is actually not a resurrection but is called a second death) is for all unbelievers, not
Christians and comes later.
Those who believe the post tribulation view say that Christians will go through the Great Tribulation
and that the rapture will happen after that. The problem with this view is that by that time there will
be almost no Christians left on the earth because in Rev 13 the Antichrist orders all who refuse to
worship the image he sets up to be killed. This would be all Christians because they will NEVER
worship that image. It also says that "He was given power to make war against the saints and to
conquer them." And again "then the dragon went off to make war against those who obey God's
commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus."
So the Antichrist constantly hunts down and kills Christians throughout the Great Tribulation. In
Revelation 14 it says "blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on" indicating that
Christians will be killed but don't worry, they will be blessed. Furthermore, during all the trumpet
and bowl judgments which happen before Chapter 20, many many people including Christians will be
killed so after all this, there will be very few Christians left to rapture. In Chapter 20 only the
resurrection of those Christians who died in the Tribulation is mentioned. "and I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God. They had
not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark..they came to life and reigned
with Christ for a thousand years." There is no mention of a rapture here. In contrast to Chapter 7
there is a multitude of believers that "came out" of the Great Tribulation. So if the rapture happens at
the end of the Tribulation, how could the multitude come out of the Great Tribulation in Chapter 7 they
should come out at the end. But there are no scriptures that indicate this.
Some use Matthew 24:30 to say that the ressurection/rapture happens at the end of the Tribulation.
"...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he
will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from
one end of the heavens to the other." This scripture is repeated in Matthew 25:31. "When the Son of
Man comes in his glory,and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the
nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats." This scene is also stated in Revelation 19:11-14 where Jesus
comes back with the armies of heaven. Here's why a rapture/resurrection at this time is not possible.
If his angels gather the elect (believers) at that time which would be the ressurection/rapture, then
there would be no believers left on the earth, so how could he then separate the people one from the
other (the sheep and the goats). There would only be goats left, there would be no sheep because
those would have been raptured before he came. Jesus does send his angels to gather the elect, but
that is so that he can separate them from the unbelievers and these are the ones that will go into the
millenium kingdom.
Some say that the rapture happens in Revelation 4 when a voice says "Come up here". Their view is
that the church is not mentioned after this therefore it must have been taken off the earth. Those that
believe this view also use other scriptures which state that Christians will not come under God's
judgment, therefore they are taken out of the way before the judgment starts. And this view does
make sense for those reasons, but the "come up here" was spoken to the Apostle John, not to the
entire church. It would be quite flimsy to base the rapture on just those three words and an
assumption. Furthermore, the voice does not just say "Come up here". The voice says "Come up
here and I will show you what must take place after this." The voice is not asking all Christians to
come up and see what must take place after this, but is only asking the Apostle John.
Another view is that the rapture can happen at any time, but according to Chapter 7 we see what will
happen before the rapture, the sun turning black the moon turning red, and the earthquake, etc. so
these things must happen first. Also God has a calendar or appointment schedule for everything.
Jesus cannot come at any time, there is an appointed time for him to come as we will see later.
Something to consider is that when Jesus comes for His Church, He will meet them in the clouds.
He comes twice, not once. Once to meet the resurrected/raptured saints in the clouds, and the next
time with those saints. Post-trib believers miss it here. When Jesus returns, He meets Christians IN
THE CLOUDS. He comes for his Church, meets them in the clouds, and takes them to Heaven (his
second coming). After the Tribulation, when Jesus returns to earth, (his third coming) he comes WITH
these same Christians and this is when he sets up his Kingdom on earth and the Christians reign and
rule with Him for 1000 years. It’s very clear in the following scripture.
"And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have
died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and
was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the
believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the
Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down
from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of
God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who
are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then
we will be with the Lord forever." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Please note that Paul says "We tell you this
directly from the Lord."
Some call both events the second coming, but they are two separate events which are totally
different and happen 7 years apart from each other. So how can we refer to it as one event? It is
easier if we call it his second and third comings to avoid any confusion as to which event we are
referring when we discuss it.
There have actually been other raptures/resurrections in the Old and New Testament. Enoch was the
first to be raptured. (Gen 5:23-24) Elijah was next (2 Kings 2:11) Jesus was next (Matthew 28:5-6)
The Apostle John was taken up and shown the things to come. (Rev 4:1-4) Then the 144,000 are
raptured. (Rev 14:3-4) God's two witnesses will be resurrected/raptured. (Rev 11:1-11) And there is
a resurrection/rapture in Revelation 15:2-3.
The rapture in Revelation Chapter 7 is the "big one". This is where a huge multitude is taken at
one time. If we consider that the current world population is 7 billion, and the latest statistics show
that 32% of the world is Christian, if we only use 20% that's about 1.5 billion people that will be
raptured at one time if it were to happen today. If we also consider how many "dead in Christ" will be
resurrected then that number is staggering. It is estimated that over 100 Billion people have ever
lived on earth. Only 20% of that would be 20 billion people. I'd say that's a multitude that no one
could count.
Obviously when an event of this magnitude happens, the whole world will want to know what
happened. Here's what might happen. The rapture might just happen at the sixth seal when the great
earthquake will encompass the entire earth. Mountains and islands will be moved from their places
and stars will fall to earth and the sky will recede like a scroll. This sounds like mass chaos on the
entire earth. There will be death and devastation everywhere so it would be easier to account for
those that are missing. Those that are left behind won't even realize that a rapture took place. The
Bible says the rapture will happen in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, so no one will even see it
happen. If it happens at or near the time of the earthquake, most people will be more concerned
about the devastation of the earthquake than what happened to those that disappeared and
will soon forget about it believing that many were buried in the rubble or swept away in the ensuing
tsunami. Then again, it may not happen that way if God would rather it was known to all people.
So where are we now and how soon will the Rapture happen? I believe we are near the end of the
third horseman with the fourth one about to enter the scene. From now until the Rapture could be as
short as a few months or it could take a few years. For this reason I don't think it's as important to
find the date, as it is to follow the signs. We know that the Rapture will happen. But when? After the
sixth seal. Right after the opening of the sixth seal when there is a cataclysmic event and a huge
earthquake shakes the earth and when the sun turns black and the moon turns blood red. Before that
we will see an economic collapse and a war that encompasses one fourth of the earth. Those are the
signs to watch for because all Christians will be raptured right after that. And then all hell will break
loose on earth when God's Judgments start. The Good News is that Jesus said we should pray that
we can escape all these things. He wouldn't ask us to do that if it was not possible to escape.
Something else we need to consider is God's Calendar. And this is the Hebrew Calendar not the one
that most of the world uses. God established 7 Feasts that Israel was to keep in Leviticus 23. There
were 3 spring feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits. Then 50 days later Pentecost, and
then 3 fall feasts, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. You can find many in
depth studies on You Tube on these so I won't go into great depth here, but significant events always
happened on these feast dates. Jesus was born on the Feast of Tabernacles (not December 25) and
had to die on Passover. He couldn't die any other day because He was the Passover lamb. He
fulfilled the first three feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits by his death and
resurrection. Pentecost was fulfilled 50 days later when the Holy Spirit descended and the Church
was born.
Now all that remains to be fulfilled are the 3 fall feasts. This is why I believe the Resurrection/Rapture
will occur on the Feast of Trumpets. And the scriptures bear this out with the "last trumpet"
reference. Also because God works in 7 year cycles. Because the Tribulation is also a 7 year period,
it cannot start in the middle of another 7 year cycle. Therefore, the Tribulation has to start at the
beginning of a new 7 year cycle. This would be on the Feast of Trumpets, but we have lost count of
what year we are in, so we don't know when the new 7 year cycle will begin. So every year on the
Feast of Trumpets we should be ready because that is when it is most likely to happen.
Something else to consider is this: what is the purpose of the rapture? Why does it have to happen?
There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the Bible describes the rapture as happening at the same
time as the resurrection. The only difference is that the resurrection applies to dead believers where
as the rapture applies to believers that are still alive. Otherwise, the same thing happens to both,
they are both raised up to meet Jesus in the air. The believers that are alive at that time could be left
behind and raised after they die, but they are not. They are raptured at the same time as the dead in
Christ are raised. One of the reasons is because they are not under God’s wrath. They have already
made their choice, they do not need to be tested any further. Another reason is because the end
times deals with all people on earth not just the church. So the church needs to be taken out of the
way so they don’t interfere with what God wants to do. However, I think the main reason is this.
After the rapture there will be a 7 year tribulation period which will devastate the earth. So when the
saints return with Jesus to reign and rule, when He sets up his 1000 year reign, they will be entering
a war torn zone. There will be destruction and chaos everywhere. And they will have to spread out
over the earth and make it habitable again. So I think that during the 7 year tribulation period they will
be in training for the jobs that they will be doing during the millennium. They will be assigned a
country, or city, and a work group, and they will learn what God wants them to do there. Then when
they return with Jesus they will be ready to take on their new responsibilities.
When the resurrection/rapture occurs, this will remove about 1.5 billion people from the earth
instantly. If the rapture happens instantly as the Bible says, some people will be sleeping in one part
of the world and be taken from their beds, but others will be at work when they are taken on the other
side of the world. Some of those people will be pilots and co-pilots who will instantly disappear in
mid flight. Who will fly the plane. Some will be driving to work. Some will be teachers in their
classrooms, others will be doctors performing operations, others will be policemen and firemen, and
suddenly they will all disappear. How would you like to be on a bus when your driver suddenly
disappears and the bus starts to head into the other lane and a semi truck and trailer is coming right
at the bus and it doesn’t have a driver either. There will be massive accidents of every type all over
the world. And then the next day, several hundred million people don’t show up for work. How do
you replace them? Many will be semi skilled or professional people which you can’t replace for
years. The world will in many ways become a very different place instantly. The rapture will have as
big an impact on the world as a tsunami or a typhoon does on certain countries. And what about the
money those that have been raptured owe or own. How will that be sorted out. It could produce
massive bank failures if they can’t collect on those debts for several years until they can prove that
those people are not alive.
Another thing we should consider is the type of world we will have during the millennium. It will be
very different from the world that we live in now. When Jesus comes with his saints to rebuild this
world there will be many changes that will be made. For example, there will not be any more bars, or
casino’s, or pornography, or adult movies, or prostitutes, or lotteries. Movies will not be about lying,
killing, and cheating. School books will be re-written to teach the truth of how God created the world.
Business will be conducted fairly and honestly, we won’t need lawyers to make sure that happens.
Banks won’t be there (if we even use money then) to make huge profits at the expense of the
people. There will be no governments and politicians, Jesus will be the ruler of the world and
institute policies that benefit all people. It will be a world where everyone works for the benefit of
everyone else. Where everyone looks for ways to make everyone else’s life better, not to take
advantage of anyone, but instead everyone will look for how they can help everyone else have the
best life. This is something that we don’t do now. Everyone looks for ways to make their own life
better and if they have to take advantage of someone else to do so, well, so be it. This will all change
during the millennium when Jesus will teach us the right way to live and show us the life that is truly
life. Then we will have real love, joy, and peace on earth. Even the wolf will lie down with the lamb.
I am very much looking forward to that day.
Since the rapture will not happen until chapter 7 in Revelations, we are going to have to live through
the coming economic collapse and the wars, famines, and plagues that will follow. Therefore,
Christians must take this seriously and get prepared for it. God wants us to know these things are
coming so that we could be a blessing to others and not a burden. It will be a great time to witness to
non believers but not if we are in as dire circumstances as they are. God has placed the economic
collapse before the rapture in order to bring everyone to their knees and put Jesus first in their life
including some Christians who's god is still money or things.
The most important thing is to make sure you are born again. Jesus told Nicodemus in John Chapter
3 that "unless a man is born again he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." And again He said "You
should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again." Jesus didn't say you should be born
again, or it would be a good idea, He said you MUST be born again. There is no compromise.
Those that will be left behind will be those that have never been really serious about God. They may
have gone to church all their life, they may have been raised in a Christian home, they may have
gone through all the sacraments or rituals of their church, but they never got to know Jesus
personally. They never invited Him into their life and had their "moment when they knew they met
with God".
It will be very difficult for these people to get born again during the Tribulation. But many will. The
only problem is that most will have to die for their faith. That won't be easy for a new Christian. But I
believe God will help them when the time comes. He always does.
For a more detailed study of the Book of Revelation see my Book of Revelation - Chapter by Chapter
study.
God Bless You All and I Will See You Very Soon on the Other Side.
Summary of the Tribulation and Last Days