As we have been seeing, Scripture consistently supports that the great multitude John beheld in Revelation 7:9-17 is the just resurrected with the just raptured Church.  Yet, as I mentioned in my previous proposition, a common interpretation is that this multitude is not the just resurrected and raptured, but those who will be saved during the seven year period of Daniel's 70th Week.  A reason for this revolves around the following statement in verse 14:  "These are they which came out of great tribulation."  The purpose of the present proposition will be to examine this statement and to hopefully help towards reconciling some differences of opinion on this question.

     The well known phrase, "The Seven Year Tribulation Period,"  is also commonly referred to as "The Great Tribulation."  Some use this phrase in reference to the whole seven years of this period, some, in reference to only the last 3-1/2 years.  It should be noted that in the King James Version (KJV) of Revelation 7:14, there is no the preceding the words great tribulation, as there is in most later translations.  I have a focus on this in Appendix #7 but for now, it should be acknowledged that there is a lot of difference between great tribulation and what has come to be called "THE Great Tribulation."

     The position of the view herein set forth is that the Church will not be subjected to any of the great tribulation of Daniel's 70th Week.  But, is there any evidence that it will not be subjected to great tribulation?  To the contrary, the early Church was warned to expect such (e.g., Acts 14:21-22 and I Pet. 4:12-13), and did, and the evidence of history is that such has been the case throughout the Church Age.  How much greater would the tribulation have needed to be in the days that Christians were fed to lions or burned at the stake for such to be regarded as great tribulation?  In our country, the Church may not presently be subjected to such great tribulation (relatively speaking), but such is and has been the case with the Church from a worldwide perspective since the days of the apostles.

     Consider:  From a worldwide and historical perspective, could it be said of God's children of the Church Age when seen together in glory, "These are they which came out of great tribulation"?  I believe so!  However, while the Church has experienced great tribulation, it will not experience any of Daniel's 70th Week.  If the great multitude in Revelation 7:14 is indeed the Church, this is why it is seen in Heaven before the opening of the 7th Seal.  It is after this seal is opened that things will begin to come together for Daniel's 70th Week.  Furthermore, what is up ahead will be the time of Israel's trouble, referred to in Jeremiah 30:7 as "Jacob's Trouble."  This was never intended to be the time of the Church's trouble.  The Church will escape or be delivered from this time.

     Digging deeper, the words great tribulation are translated from the Greek words megas  and thlipsis  respectively.  Almost as often, thlipsis  is translated as "trouble" or "affliction."  Paul used the word thlipsis  in II Corinthians 1:8 to describe what he and Timothy went through in Asia, saying also, "we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life."  Stephen used the words, megas thlipsis, translated "great affliction,"  when he described what the lands of Egypt and Canaan went through in the days that Joseph was governor in Egypt and his family came to him for corn (Acts 7:11ff ).  These same words are also used in a warning given to the church in Thyatira (Rev. 2:22).  The point is, there is a major difference between going through great tribulation and going through Daniel's 70th Week or that time so many refer to as "The Great Tribulation."  Thus, it is clear scripturally that great tribulation doesn't necessarily mean Daniel's 70th Week.

     To sum up the foregoing, when the words "great tribulation" from Revelation 7:14 (as they occur in the KJV) are understood to be in reference to what the Church as a whole has experienced since the time that Christ founded it, it is much easier to recognize the great multitude that John here saw as being the Church, which has indeed come out of what it has so long been through.

     While this is a special place and we have made much progress in our study, that mysterious Seven Sealed Book, which could rightly be entitled THE DAY OF THE LORD, is still unopened.  That last seal is still intact.  But, the blessed hope of the resurrection and the rapture of the Church has occurred.  Whatever your persuasion---the common pre-trib view, this different pre-trib view, or some other pre-trib view---just know this:  We who are a part of Christ's Church will be safely with Him on yonder shore before He opens that 7th Seal!

     At this point, it would be good to remember afresh that the last or 7th Seal can scripturally be opened the same day that the rapture occurs.  This helps to show that everything on the outside of  THE SEVEN SEALED BOOK  relates entirely to the Church Age---all seven seals.  Conversely, everything on the inside of this book relates entirely to the time of the last days' Day of the Lord judgment---every single page.

     This concludes PART I and the A,B,C's of my view, which has concerned things up to and including the time of the rapture.  I invite you to continue now to PART II and the 1,2,3's of my view, which concerns things after the time of the rapture.  As PART I has brought us to the point just prior to the 7th Seal being opened, PART II will take us from there and will further substantiate PART I.​​​​

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