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The Lamb opened the first four seals as early as the first century of the Church Age... The Lamb (Jesus!) opened the first four seals not long after John was given The Revelation. bACK tO TOP PART I HOME next key PROPOSITION L In PROPOSITION J , we looked at a four point parallel that exists between what Jesus warned of in the opening of His Olivet Discourse (e.g., Matt. 24:4-9) and what was revealed to John in The Revelation with the opening of the first four seals. If what John saw connects with what Jesus warned of, and if what Jesus warned of pertained to the Church, the Church needs to take notice. Seeing that what Jesus warned of has been observed to occur throughout the Church Age, is it not entirely logical to reason that this may be because the first four seals were opened nearer the beginning of this age? Could it be that the first four seals were opened not long after John received The Revelation ? If this is so, what would this mean? Here would be a good place to pause and stress that Almighty God is the Sovereign Author of the book that is sealed with seven seals. What is allowed to take place in this world is His call and is under His divine oversight. As revealed in Revelation 5:1-14, what takes place relating to this book has been granted by Him to be set in motion by the Lamb, Jesus Christ. In regard to the seals, whereas these are commonly interpreted to be judgments of God upon the world, I submit that the first four represent certain liberties that were granted to Satan to continue the plying of his craft into and throughout the Church Age. I can almost envision Satan negotiating with God for these liberties. It needs to be remembered that he would be powerless to do anything unless granted some liberties by Almighty God. This is the way it was in the Garden of Eden and the way it will be until he is bound for the thousand years of Christ's Reign, as revealed in Revelation 20:1-6. Right after this, he will be loosed long enough to exercise his last liberty, after which he will meet his eternal destiny, as revealed in Revelation 20:7-10. For those who may wonder why God would grant to Satan any liberties, simply put, the realm of evil and Satan's activity therein is a necessary element in the trying of mankind's faith and the decisions of mankind's will, especially in regard to God's offer of salvation. For those who accept His offer of salvation, I think Peter sums it up pretty well with these words from 1 Peter, chapter one: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Back to the subject of the first four seals possibly having already been opened, it cannot be denied that this interpretation fits the introduction of The Revelation, that it was given for the purpose of showing Christ's servants "things which must shortly come to pass" (1:1). Moreover, it is plainly conveyed that the time was "at hand" (1:3). As we have seen, the first thing John was shown that really met this criteria had to do with these seals. When this is understood, it seems to me that any way one cuts it, it was being conveyed that the Lamb was going to begin opening some seals pretty soon. While these things have already been touched upon, remember the fact that over 1900 years of history have come and gone since Jesus spoke to His disciples on the Mount of Olives and John received The Revelation. With this much time having passed, what real sense is to be made of the words "things which must shortly come to pass" and "the time is at hand" if none of the seals are even going to be opened until after the yet to happen rapture? The Revelation's introduction alone supports the validity of my present proposition. But, we also have the testimony of history, even to our present generation. World history for the past 20 centuries so attests to the fact of deceivers and false Christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, and the persecution and martyrdom of Christ's followers that research is not even necessary to sustain my point. What Jesus said would happen has happened and is still happening. God's children talk about it all the time! And what is still happening is going to keep on happening, because Satan will surely continue to exercise every liberty he has been granted for as long as he can. I realize that a hang-up some may have with this direction is that it is at odds with the common pre-trib view that holds that the Church will be raptured by Revelation 4:1, before the opening of any of the seals. I do understand, for this is the view I grew up with. But, I also grew up listening to men of God preach on the things we see happening in our world and how that these are in fulfillment of what Jesus warned of in those opening verses of His discourse. I cannot, however, remember them making a tie-in between these things and the seals. As far back as I recall, the seals have been viewed as being part of that future Seven Year Tribulation Period, with seemingly no thought being given to the possibility of them relating to the things we presently see happening. Whatever one's conclusion, abundant evidence of the things happening of which Jesus warned can be found in every era of history since the time of the apostles. Something that should strengthen our faith is that everything has happened (and is happening) in strict accord with Jesus' words! Furthermore, if what has happened truly connects with the first four seals, what John beheld with the opening of these seals was merely the activity responsible for what has taken place. So, what has been the activity responsible for what has taken place? The first four seals describe the activity of four horsemen. If these seals were opened early in the Church Age, this would mean that these horsemen went forth from their corral at that time and arguably are still riding. Let me put it this way: I submit that there are four "somethings" out there that have long been on a mission to trample under foot everything that has to do with true Christianity. These four somethings, I am convinced, are the four horsemen John saw and gave an account of in Revelation 6:1-8. Ever since creation, Satan has been granted certain liberties (again, he would have none otherwise!). Relating to the Church Age, these liberties have been (and are being) exercised by the horsemen of the first four seals. I can't help but be reminded of what Paul said in his letter to the Ephesians, in chapter six: 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. I would not argue that the first four seals were already open at the time Paul spoke these words, but I would put forth that what he was here describing will fit the four horsemen as much as any of Satan's forces (see Appendix #6 ) . If this direction proves to be correct, these horsemen bolted from their corral (the pits of Hell and the limits of their prior activity ) as early as late in the first century, and have been riding down through the corridors of history ever since, doing just what they have been insatiably bent on doing. It seems to me that they have left quite a trail. If you look back over the course of the Church Age and contemplate those things of which Jesus warned and what has happened, also contemplate this: Which horseman's activity might it have been that was behind this or that that took place? Again, it cannot be denied that the foregoing view is in keeping with the stated purpose of The Revelation, that it was given to show unto Christ's servants "things which must shortly come to pass." Moreover, as pointed out previously, for most anything that is going to come to pass, there is the time when it will begin to come to pass. If the four horsemen headed out of their corral gate near the first century, what John saw began to come to pass a lot sooner than has been realized. But, the common view has these horsemen still corralled. Can we know more assuredly what their present state is? Maybe it would be helpful to take a closer look at them—one by one.

Propositions 1-10 of a very different pre-trib rapture view, beginning with a focus on the 7th Seal of the Seven Sealed Book and continuing through the period hearlded by the 7th Trumpet... bACK tO TOP to more THE KEYS---PART II (PROPOSITIONS 1-10) (click or touch red or a key) PRELUDE TO PART II 1—The Day of the Lord begins the day the 6th and 7th seals are opened, which is the same day. 2—The geographical setting for Daniel's 70th Week will be the same as it was for the first 69 weeks. 3—The first four trumpets will effect the destruction of the lands that are not in Israel's hemisphere. 4—The lands on the United States' side of the earth are the lands not in Israel's hemisphere. 5---The time elapsing for everything from the 6th Seal through the 4th Trumpet can be one day. 6—The preparations for Daniel's 70th Week will become complete during the 6th Trumpet period. 7—The "little book open" that John sees during the 6th Trumpet period is the little book of Daniel. 8—The fulfilling of Daniel's 70th Week, as revealed in The Revelation, runs from 11:1 through 19:21. 9—The 7th Trumpet heralds a period that continues until the conclusion of the Last Judgment. 10—The period heralded by the 7th Trumpet results in COMPLETE CLOSURE FOR THIS WORLD. A REVIEW CONCLUSION

The account of Daniel's 70th Week runs from Revelation 11:1 through Christ's Second Coming in Revelation 19:11-21... The fulfilling of Daniel's 70th Week, as revealed in The Revelation, runs from 11:1 through 19:21. bACK tO TOP PART 11 HOME next KEY PROPOSITION 8 From the opening of the 7th Seal through Revelation chapter 10, whereas much is shown to take place, there is no clear evidence indicating that any of this (or anything prior) is part of the time of Daniel's 70th Week. Rather, according to what we have seen, it becomes clearer that what has taken place has been leading up to this seven year period. But, after John writes of the "little book open" that he sees in the angel's hand (10:1-2) and of his experience relating to it (10:8-10), real evidences of Daniel's 70th Week immediately begin to appear. This should not surprise us, if the little book just mentioned is the little book of Daniel, as I showed in the preceding proposition. As we saw there, it is in Revelation 11:2-3 that we find the first mentioning of the two 3-1/2 year time frames that make up the 70th Week. Once the account of this week of years begins, the evidences of it continue until Christ's Second Advent, the account of which is given in 19:11-21. Concerning the actual beginning of Daniel's 70th Week, the covenant that the Antichrist is prophesied to make with Israel is widely accepted to be what will mark its start (Dan. 9:27). It could rightly be supposed that there would be some evidence of this to be found in The Revelation, either occurring or having occurred. Well, there is. Look with me at the opening verse of chapter 11: 1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure THE TEMPLE OF GOD, and the altar, and THEM THAT WORSHIP therein. Some things about this verse that relate to Daniel's 70th Week really need to be noted. One, "the temple of God" is in existence here. If the rapture were to occur today, we know that the temple will not suddenly be in existence tomorrow, but the rebuilding of it will soon begin. Perhaps the temple will be rebuilt before the rapture, but I'm inclined to doubt it. If not, it will be rebuilt soon afterwards. Similarly, if the rapture were to occur today, it is doubtful that the Antichrist would be able to confirm his infamous covenant with Israel tomorrow, but he would begin his rise to power. As a little sidebar (for the moment), his rise to power may begin with the sounding of the 5th Trumpet, when it is said that the "bottomless pit" will be "opened" (Rev. 9:1-2). This easily connects with what we find just a few verses later in Revelation 11 concerning the beast and the two witnesses. Consider... 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast THAT ASCENDETH OUT OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. Something else that needs to be noted from Revelation 11:1 is that "worship" is taking place in the temple of God. I submit, however, that the worship occurring at this time is not worship of Almighty God. Realize that just because the account says this is the temple of God, this doesn't mean that it is God who is being worshipped. Consider Paul's words in the following verses from 2 Thessalonians chapter two: 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is WORSHIPPED; so that he AS GOD sitteth in THE TEMPLE OF GOD, shewing himself THAT HE IS GOD. Paul's words support that the worship spoken of in Revelation 11:1 will be towards that "man of sin" or the "son of perdition" of whom he writes, also known as the Antichrist or the "beast." The beast is not spoken of at all in The Revelation until this same chapter, in verse seven (see above). This is that "prince that shall come" spoken of in Daniel's prophecy of 70 weeks (Dan. 9:24-27), of whom we find these words concerning: 27 And he (the Antichrist) SHALL CONFIRM THE COVENANT WITH MANY FOR ONE WEEK (7 years) : and in the midst of the week (after 3-1/2 years) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus spoke about this person and the severe circumstances of his time. Consider the following from Matthew's account, in chapter 24: 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by DANIEL the prophet, STAND IN THE HOLY PLACE, (whoso readeth let him understand: ) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 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. Looking back at The Revelation, we find explicit examples of the worship that is happening on the earth during Daniel's 70th Week and to whom it is directed. All of this bears out what I have been trying to show. As you read the following, try to imagine what kind of person the Antichrist will be and what kind of promises he might make to garner the support he will need to become the world leader at that time. We know that the covenant he will make with Israel will be a sham. There has never been a politician like this one, nor with his degree of support. The Antichrist will bask in the worship he receives. Consider from Revelation 13: 4 And they worshipped the dragon (Satan) which gave power unto the beast (the Antichrist) : and they WORSHIPPED THE BEAST, saying, who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall WORSHIP HIM (the beast or Antichrist) , whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 12 And he (the false prophet /the Antichrist's cohort) exerciseth all the power of the first beast (the Antichrist) before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to WORSHIP THE FIRST BEAST, whose deadly wound was healed. 15 And he (again, the false prophet) had power to give life unto the image of the beast (an idol of the Antichrst) , that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST should be killed. While on this subject, the fate of those who worship the Antichrist is declared in the next chapter. Consider, from Revelation 14: 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man WORSHIP THE BEAST and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who WORSHIP THE BEAST and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. But, some will not succumb to worshipping the Antichrist, even to the point of martyrdom. John sees these in Heaven later, worshipping God and afterwards taking part in Christ's thousand year reign upon the earth, as he records in the following references from The Revelation: CHAPTER 15 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. 4 Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and WORSHIP BEFORE THEE; for Thy judgments are made manifest. CHAPTER 20 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which HAD NOT WORSHIPPED the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. It is hoped that what we have been looking at will establish for the reader that the worship mentioned by the angel back in Revelation 11:1 is toward the Antichrist, and the actual account of Daniel's 70th Week begins with this first verse as well. Also, don't forget: This is the very next verse following Revelation chapter 10, which is all about that "little book open" (10:2), which Scripture clearly supports to be the little book of Daniel. A lot more happens in the interval between the commencement of Daniel's 70th Week and the conclusion of it with Christ's Second Advent. Hopefully, the following closer look at Satan and his activity during that time will suffice for this study. Presently, Satan is referred to as "the god of this world" ( 2 Cor. 4:3-4). However, with John's account of the sounding of the 7th Trumpet, it is heralded, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev. 11:15). In Revelation 12, we see the beginning of the last days' overthrow of Satan (a.k.a. "the dragon") and his kingdom, along with his retaliation. According to what John heard at this time, Satan is to be cast down to a point below where he is now active as the "accuser of our brethren" (vs. 10). When Satan first revolted, God cast him out of His Heaven or the "Third Heaven" ( 2 Cor. 12:1-2). Satan does not now dwell in God's Heaven, as he once did. Rather, he is now the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2) or the first and second heavens, where the fowls fly (Gen. 1:20) and the stars are seen (Isa. 13:10). From here, in the spiritual realm, his approach to God is very limited, meaning, he can get about as close to God as darkness can to light! It is from this realm that he is allowed to accuse the children of God, as in the case of Job (Job 1:6-12 and 2:1-6). But, in the future, Satan is going to be cast further down, even "unto the earth" (Rev. 12:12-13). At that time he will mount his last days' offensive against God and all that is of God, "having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (vs. 12). The main focus of Satan's wrath during this time we are considering will be the nation of Israel and the 144,000 (Rev. 12:13-17), not the Church, for the Church will have been gathered out of this world. It is also evident that the time of this aspect of his overthrow and rebellion will be near the beginning of the last 3-1/2 years of Daniel's 70th Week (vs. 14). According to what John is seeing at this time, Satan's dominion as "the god of this world" can be broken down into the sky, the sea, and the earth. These together make up this world. In Revelation 12, we saw his overthrow initiated and he was cast out of his domain in the sky. In chapter 13, verse one, we see the rise of the "beast" (or Antichrist ) out of his domain in the sea to rule the revived political empire later referred to as "Babylon the great" (18:2). In verse 11, we also see the rise of "another beast" (the "false prophet"/compare 19:20) out of his domain in the earth to rule the religious system later referred to as "the great whore" (17:1). Grouping together what we are here looking at, Satan's activity in this world during Daniel's 70th Week can be seen to operate through three main personages (an unholy satanic trinity) and in three major realms as follows: THE PERSONAGES The Dragon (or Satan) The Beast (or Antichrist) The False Prophet THE CORRESPONDING REALMS Spiritual—Darkness Political—Mystery Babylon Religious—The Great Whore There are many other prophecies that relate to what we see unfolding in this section of The Revelation. Close attention should be given to those of Daniel, especially chapter seven, which dovetails remarkably with Revelation 13. Consider also Paul's prophecy of that "man of sin" and "son of perdition" in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 and Jesus' words concerning the "abomination of desolation" in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14—all referring to the Antichrist. Moving forward to the end of Daniel's 70th Week, the focus of Revelation 19 is the rejoicing in Heaven over the destruction of the Antichrist's empire, the event of Christ's Second Advent, and the Battle of Armageddon. In Revelation 14:14-20, 16:12-21, and 17:12-14 we have references and/or previews corresponding with this time. There is no evidence that this battle will be any contest, as the following portion of the account shows, from Revelation 19: 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

The complete list of 36 propositions that support my different pre-trib rapture view... APPENDIX #1 COMPLETE LIST OF PROPOSITIONS bACK tO TOP next ===================== PART I ===================== A. The Revelation reveals things that were "at hand" to begin to take place, even in that day. B. The Revelation is in chronological order, and chapters 11-20 overlap consistent with this order. C. The Revelation is a grid into which all end time prophecies will fit and find their order. D. The rapture of the Church could take place at any time—something all should seriously consider. E. The rapture will occur pre-The Seven Year Tribulation Period, or pre-Daniel's 70th W eek. F. The rapture closes the Church Age and will occur right before the Day of the Lord commences. G. The word "day" in phrases like the "Day of the Lord" can have a strict or a broad sense meaning. H. The book sealed with seven seals could rightly be entitled, THE DAY OF THE LORD. I. The seals of the Seven Sealed Book reveal things that will happen before the book is opened. J. The first four seals parallel what Jesus warned of in the opening verses of His Olivet Discourse. K. The Olivet Discourse pertains to both Church Age Christians and Last Days' Israelites. L. The Lamb (Jesus!) opened the first four seals not long after John was given The Revelation. M. The 1st Seal reveals Satan's Church Age scheme to conquer truth by deceivers and false Christs. N. The 2nd Seal reveals Satan's Church Age scheme to take away peace and bring abo ut wars. O. The 3rd Seal reveals Satan's Church Age scheme to effect poverty for most, but luxury for some. P. The 4th Seal reveals Satan's Church Age scheme to martyr Christians, but with a specified lim it. Q. The "fourth part of the earth" of the 4th Seal is a geographical, not a population, reference. R. The 5th Seal reveals the cry of Church Age martyrs for justice, nearer the end of the Church Age. S. The prophecy quoted by Peter in Acts 2:16-21 points to the Church Age and precisely spans it. T. The appearance of "the sign" Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:30 will precede His Second Advent. U. The Sign Appearance of Christ will be accompanied by signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars. V. The tribulation Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:29 concerns the tribulation of the Church Age. W. The Sign Appearance of Christ includes the rapture and occurs after the opening of the 6th Seal. X. The 144,000 Israelites and those in Israel's hemisphere will see Christ's Sign Appearance. Y. The "great multitude" of Revelation 7:9-17 is the just resurrected with the just raptured Church. Z. The "great tribulation" of Revelation 7:14 is what the Church has so long been through. ===================== PART II ===================== 1. The Day of the Lord begins the day the 6th and 7th seals are opened, which is the same day. 2. The geographical setting for Daniel's 70th Week will be the same as it was for the first 69 weeks. 3. The first four trumpets will effect the destruction of the lands that are not in Israel's hemisphere. 4. The lands on the United States' side of the earth are the lands not in Israel's hemisphere. 5. The time elapsing for everything from the 6th Seal through the 4th Trumpet can be one day. 6. The preparations for Daniel's 70th Week will become complete during the 6th Trumpet period. 7. The "little book open" that John sees during the 6th Trumpet period is the little book of Daniel. 8. The fulfilling of Daniel's 70th Week, as revealed in The Revelation, runs from 11:1 through 19:21. 9. The 7th Trumpet heralds a period that continues until the conclusion of the Last Judgment. 10. The period heralded by the 7th Trumpet results in COMPLETE CLOSURE FOR THIS WORLD.

The Second Coming of Christ is preceded by His "Sign" Return, hence two phases of His return... The appearance of "the sign" Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:30 will precede His Second Advent. A basic understanding (with which I grew up) of the common pre-trib view is that Christ's return will be in two phases. As it is normally expressed, the first phase will be His sudden and unexpected return as a "thief" for the rapture of the Church and the resurrection. The second phase will be His return as the "King of kings, and Lord of lords" for the Battle of Armageddon and His Millennial Reign. This second phase of His return is referred to simply as His Second Coming or Second Advent. While I still see things very similarly, I would like to call attention to something that has greatly helped my understanding, something that Jesus said that seems to have been missed, or even dismissed, by scholarship. As I see it, factoring in this that Jesus said can help to reconcile some of the difficulties we find in Scripture that children of God remain divided over relating to the timing of the rapture. In harmony with what has been revealed to us throughout Scripture, this that Jesus said supports that His Second Advent will be preceded by a sign appearance that He will make. A key to understanding what I am referring to is emphasized in bold in the following portion of His Olivet Discourse, from Matthew 24: 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear THE SIGN of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Because there are major differences of opinion concerning the correct interpretation of this passage, we will be studying it well beyond this present proposition. To simplify things, any time I speak of our focal passage, it will be the above three verses that I am referring to. As we begin, remember some things. One, it is Jesus who is using the words "the sign" concerning this event. Two, just like after the opening of the 6th Seal, something happens that affects the appearance of the sun and the moon at this time. And three, whether it be a sign appearance that He will make or His Second Advent, whether it be the raptured Church, the 144,000 sealed Jews, many eyes, or every eye, the next time Jesus is seen by anyone, He will be seen "with power and great glory"! Looking closer, just before Jesus began His Olivet Discourse, the disciples had asked Him, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be THE SIGN of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matt. 24:3). By this, they were as much as asking Him, "What shall be THE SIGN of Thy SECOND coming? " In reply, He reveals to them many things, but the only time He uses the definite article the with the singular word sign is in verse 30 of our focal passage. Based upon this and other evidences, Jesus is indicating that before His Second Coming (or Second Advent), He is going to make a sign appearance. Moreover, at this sign appearance, He is coming to get something before He returns later to stay. And, what is that? Look closer at the last verse of our focal passage: 31 And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. I wish I was talking to the reader in person right now, because I would like to ask you in your presence what it sounds like that Jesus is here speaking about. Why? Because many pre-trib scholars are interpreting this to be a reference to something besides the rapture. Knowing the reasons for this, to me, there are much better reasons to interpret this as a rapture passage than anything else. A prime example is what Paul said to the Thessalonians (in an accepted rapture passage) to quench rumors that Christ's Second Advent was about to happen. Remaining mindful of the preceding verse (vs. 31), consider afresh, from 2 Thessalonians 2 (with my clarifying notes in parentheses): 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (at His "sign" appearance for the rapture) , and by OUR GATHERING TOGETHER unto Him (during the rapture) , 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the Day of Christ (His Second Advent) is at hand. As can be seen, if Paul's words in verse one and Jesus' words were puzzle pieces, they would fit right together and without any forcing. Nevertheless, the fit of these pieces of Scripture seems to be largely, if not altogether, overlooked. For more relating to this from 2 Thessalonians chapter two, see PROPOSITION G , especially REFERENCE #4 . To be sure, there are other things we must look at and we will. But, for now, I would like to call your attention to the verses of Jesus' discourse that our focal passage is sandwiched within (its immediate context) and how these support my present proposition. First of all, in the three verses just before our focal passage (the top part of the sandwich), Jesus spoke these words: 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; SO SHALL ALSO THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Everyone accepts what Jesus says in verse 27 to be of His Second Advent. But, is this the same event of which He speaks three verses later, in our focal passage? There He says, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (vs. 30). These differing statements do not sound like different angles on the same event. The word sign denotes something far different than the substance of His coming for every eye to see as depicted in the above verses. My point is, why would Jesus use the word sign in connection with His Second Advent, when His substance will be right before everyone? However, the word sign, which can even mean something on the order of a glimpse, will easily fit the event of the rapture, especially with this happening so quickly and the likelihood (as we shall see) that He will make this appearance in the sky over Israel, for those in that hemisphere to witness. Said another way, Jesus' differing words in verses 27 and 30 are not different angles on the same event, but rather, different accounts of different events. From another angle, if what Jesus reveals in our focal passage is of His Second Advent, how would signs relating to the sun, the moon, and the stars at this time even rate an honorable mention? With His Second Advent being "as the lightning" and what John sees in Revelation 19:11-16, whatever else might be happening skyward would seem to pale into utter insignificance. Really, what relevance would any kind of sign have in the face of Christ's Second Advent? But, when understood to be connected with a sign appearance that He will make (and the rapture!), such makes perfect sense. Moving forward, in the three verses just after our focal passage (the bottom part of the sandwich), Jesus spoke these words: 32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things , know that it (His Second Advent) is near , even at the doors . 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. In the context of our focal passage, Jesus uses characteristics of the fig tree to illustrate just how near His Second Advent will be after the "sign" appearance that He will make—again reinforcing the truth of separate events. He had just spoken of things that will happen that Last Days' Israelites should keep in mind. And, what He says concerning "all these things" in verse 33 would have to also include the appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (not to mention the other signs), of which He had just finished speaking. Pause and read our focal passage together with the above verses to capture the true flow. This is also the tenor of Mark and Luke's corresponding accounts. But, from Luke's account, we find something more that Jesus said before giving His parable of the fig tree. Pay close attention to what I have here emphasized, from Luke 21: 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when THESE THINGS BEGIN TO COME TO PASS , then look up, and lift up your heads; FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH . 29 And He spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree... If what Luke records in verses 25-27 is interpreted to be of Christ's Second Advent, verse 28 does not fit. Do you see it? When someone is present, their return is not pending, or "nigh. " Verse 28 will only fit if verses 25-27 are understood to be of a preceding event, or the appearance of "the Sign of the Son of man in heaven," which is what Jesus refers to this as in Matthew's account. When the different accounts of Jesus' discourse are compared and factored together, everything comes into better focus, as should be expected. In reflection upon this and other things we have looked at (especially back in PROPOSITION K ), if in His Olivet Discourse Jesus purposed to provide information for both Church Age Christians and Last Days' Israelites concerning His future return, is it not reasonable that He would speak concerning a preceding event, if indeed there is going to be one? As it turns out, the evidence of His speaking of two events—His Second Advent and a preceding "sign" appearance—is there, right in the middle of His discourse. In tune with this, I often use the phrase "Sign Appearance" to differentiate between this and His Second Advent. I hope those of all persuasions, especially the common pre-trib persuasion, will not be too quick to dismiss this understanding. Before moving on, the difference between Christ 's Sign Appearance and His Second Advent is kind of like what many have experienced at a big concert. Imagine if you are at a concert, in the vicinity of the tour bus, and you get a glimpse of the star going in or out of it. That appearance of the star would be a sure sign that the concert is still on as planned. And, you will know that before the night is done, every eye (including yours!) is going to get to see the star on the stage. Suffice it to say, as all the stars in our night time sky bunched together would pale in glory compared to the sun, so is it going to be with THE SON compared with all the human "stars" of our present world. Just a little side bar: At Christ's Sign Appearance, the Church gets a backstage pass! While the foregoing hardly settles every question we are faced with relating to our focal passage, we are getting closer. Next, let us move beyond its immediate context and study the paragraph itself and how it interlocks with other scriptures, especially John's account of the 6th Seal. bACK tO TOP PART I HOME next key PROPOSITION T

How to better understand "those days" of Matthew 24:29, in light of my different understanding of Matthew 24:29-31 and Jesus' Olivet Discourse... APPENDIX #7 Consider now the basic chronology of The Revelation. What we find there supports the locating of the section of Jesus' discourse that I have above labeled as HIS SIGN APPEARANCE in accord with the arrow, for when we do, the result fits the order of The Revelation—exactly. Below, notice the new location of the box labeled as HIS SIGN APPEARANCE and the order of the Revelation references. For the sake of simplicity and symmetry, I only show Matthew's account of Jesus' discourse in this illustration: THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST Still considering the illustration, notice that the Church Age corresponds to the tribulation of now and the opening of the first five seals (Rev. 6:1-11). Christ's Sign Appearance is the intersecting event (which includes the rapture) and corresponds to the opening of the 6th Seal (Rev. 6:12-7:17). And finally, Daniel's 70th Week corresponds to the tribulation of then , which is not shown to begin or take place until later (Rev. 11:1-19:21)— more precisely, at least five months later (Rev. 9:5, 10), maybe longer (Rev. 9:15). Tying all of this back in to our verse of question (Matt. 24:29), when it is realized that the celestial signs that Jesus here spoke of are fulfilled at the time of the opening of the 6th Seal (Rev. 6:12), the only tribulation that these signs could be "after" is that of the Church Age, again, as Daniel's 70th Week is not shown to begin until much later (Rev. 11:1-3ff). It takes The Revelation to see this, and with everything else that we have considered, this cannot be dismissed. It is of great importance to remain mindful that the disciples and the early Church would have had no concept of the Church Age and the tribulation Christ's followers would be subjected to for all of the centuries since their time. The way things have come to pass, from their first century perspective, "those days" would easily be descriptive of all these last days of which we are presently a part. This knowledge fully justifies our seeking of an understanding that factors this in. A well known example of another phrase (like "those days") for which a different understanding was at another time justifiably sought is in the case of Jesus' words, "this generation," found in Matthew 24:34 (see also Mk. 13:30 and Lk. 21:32). At first glance, it can seem that by these words, Jesus was referring to the generation of His day. But, another valid interpretation is that He was referring to the future generation that would be living when the things of which He had been speaking would actually come to pass. As can be seen, remaining mindful of such a time element is helpful in discovering other possibilities that might not have been considered otherwise. ( origin is PROPOSITION V ) bACK tO TOP next As I acknowledged in the first paragraph of my book preface (see under ABOUT ), I have yet to encounter a view that is without some difficulties, and neither is my own. One of these difficulties concerns how to correctly understand what Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:29, which is the focus of PROPOSITION V . In addition to what I there point out concerning this verse, it may be wondered how I understand the phrase "those days" in light of Jesus' use of this phrase three times during verses 19-22. It is evident that these three uses of "those days" relate to the time of Daniel's 70th Week and, at first glance, may seem to be what Jesus is referring to later, in verse 29. How then can "the tribulation of those days" that He referred to in this verse be understood as representing anything other than the tribulation of Daniel's 70th Week? On my part, the only reason to even seek another understanding is because of what the Bible reveals or indicates elsewhere and the need to come to an understanding that will better align with all of Scripture. While I spoke of the chronological order of The Revelation and what this does for our understanding of Jesus' Olivet Discourse my PROPOSITION V, I would like to look at this from a little different angle here and with some further comments. Consider the illustration below of the three sections of Jesus' discourse and my labeling of these sections. In the Matthew 24 account, He opened by speaking to His disciples about the tribulation they and His future followers would face in what has come to be known as THE CHURCH AGE (vss. 4-14). He then speaks to them about DANIEL'S 70TH WEEK and the event of His Second Advent (vss.15-28). Finally, He turns His attention to the event of HIS SIGN APPEARANCE and the rapture, which remains His focus to the end of the chapter (vss. 29-51). Understanding Jesus' discourse in light of what we find in The Revelation (the focus of my next three paragraphs), the final days of the Church Age are one day going to converge fairly closely with the time of Daniel's 70th Week, but be separated from it by the appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven" and the rapture (Matt. 24:30-31). This means that this "sign" appearance and the rapture will be like an intersecting event between the Church Age and the later fulfilling of Daniel's 70th Week in "those days" when this convergence takes place, as shown below: JESUS' OLIVET DISCOURSE

All congregations should consider themselves in light of what is revealed in the letters to the seven churches... APPENDIX #9 bACK tO TOP next Some have believed that the letters to the seven churches (Rev. chps. 2-3) represent different stages of the Church in history and that we are presently living in the last or "Laodicean" stage. While I have been able to see some of the connections that may be made, I believe something is lost when overmuch attention or weight is given to this interpretation alone. Consider: I f the church of Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7) represents the first stage of the Church, how would those first things that were to be "hereafter" (1:19 with 4:1) have had any real substance of concern for them (according to the common pre-trib view), seeing that those things would have really only pertained more to the so-called last or Laodicean stage? Similar could be asked concerning the church in Smyrna or the church in Pergamos or any of the other churches—except for the church of the Laodiceans. Similarly, how would the first things that were to be "hereafter" really have any substance of concern for any Christians of the Church Age other than those, once again, of the so-called Laodicean stage? To be sure, Christians have often basked in the realization of knowing how the story ends. But, what of our realization of how the story begins? In my thinking, what is said in the opening three verses of The Revelation goes hand in hand with what John was shown that was to be "hereafter" from the perspective of his day and holds a lot of meaning for every generation of the Church. From another angle, I submit that the copy of The Revelation that made its way to the church at Ephesus was altogether as relevant and timely for them as the other copies were for their respective congregations. When it is understood that the first four seals were opened in the first generation of these churches, and that the horsemen of these seals have been riding ever since, it becomes Divinely remarkable that The Revelation is Divinely relevant for every generation of the Church—EQUALLY! And, it will continue to be so until the last day of the Church Age. Whatever may be believed about the letters to the seven churches holding multiple meanings, we dare not continue to miss this one. Finally, all congregations should consider themselves in light of what is revealed in the letters to the seven churches and Jesus' instructions to each. A congregation would do well to consider itself and then which of these churches in Asia it is most like. Also, in each letter there is a message to the individual who overcomes, so whether one is a part of a local congregation that is what it should be, any individual can overcome and be victorious in Jesus Christ! "He that hath an ear, let him hear..." ( origin is OUTLINE OF THE REVELATION )

The following shows key prophecy parallels that exist in sequence between Jesus' Olivet Discourse and the Seven Sealed Book... What follows further below is a breakdown of the key prophecy connections or parallels that exist between the accounts of Jesus' Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24, Mk. 13, & Lk. 21) and the Seven Sealed Book of The Revelation (5:1-8:1). As there are normally many ways that the same truths found in Scripture can be shown, what this page is about is another way of reinforcing by The Revelation what we need to understand about the order of Jesus' discourse and that of which He speaks there, especially in what I refer to as the closing section. As I have shown elsewhere, and using the Matthew 24 account of Jesus' discourse for an example, THE OPENING SECTION (vss. 4-14a) pertains to the Church Age and parallels what happens with the opening of the first five seals. THE CENTRAL SECTION (vss. 15-28) pertains to Daniel's 70th Week, which is not shown to begin until some months after the last or 7th Seal is opened (Rev. 11:1-3ff). THE CLOSING SECTION (vss. 29-51) pertains to the appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (vs. 30), the rapture (vs. 31), the relation of this to Christ's Second Advent (vss. 32-35), and the importance of being ready (vss. 36-51). As can be seen in the breakdown, this closing section opens with ten parallels (in sequence) to what will occur with the opening of the 6th Seal (Rev. 6:12-7:17). By these evidences, we can know that the event Jesus speaks of in verses 29-31 will take place with the opening of this seal. In other words, what He speaks of in verses 29-31 will be fulfilled at that time. Important to realize is that in the closing section, the event that Jesus begins to speak of there will mark the beginning of "the end " that He had mentioned a little earlier (vs. 14b). His words, "and then shall the end come," concerns the beginning of God's last days' judgment, which is also known as the Day of the Lord. As reinforced by the prophecy of Joel's quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost, the Day of the Lord will begin the day the 6th Seal is opened (cp. Acts 2:20 with Revelation 6:12, 17). Just as the time of God's judgment in the days of Noah had a beginning, so will it be with the time of His last days' judgment. Moreover, just as Noah and his family were safe within the ark before the time of God's judgment began in that day, so will the saved of these last days be safe in Heaven before the time of God's coming judgment begins—which could be today. When considering the breakdown below, remember that it shows the arrangement of the three sections I have spoken of as they occur in Jesus' discourse. Important to note is that in The Revelation, we discover a difference in this order, but it is a difference that helps us to better realize the fulness of what He was speaking of, especially in the closing section. I n the breakdown (as with His discourse), what I show is Jesus' original spoken order, as follows: THE OPENING SECTION THE CENTRAL SECTION and then THE CLOSING SECTION But, in The Revelation, we find this order of occurrence concerning what He said: THE OPENING SECTION THE CLOSING SECTION and then THE CENTRAL SECTION When studied according to this observation, we find that the 6th Seal event that Jesus spoke of in His closing section will precede what He had spoken of in the central section, which again, pertains to Daniel's 70th Week. Let me stress that we could not know this for sure if it were not for The Revelation. But, we have The Revelation, and we must regard it. Something that Jesus does not speak of in His Olivet Discourse is the time of preparation that will occur after the 6th Seal event, before Daniel's 70th Week begins. We find concerning this in The Revelation, in chapters eight through ten. According to the evidences, this time will last as least "five months" (Rev. 9:5, 10), maybe longer (Rev. 9:15). Scripture supports that during this time, a couple of key world conditions that existed during the fulfilling of the first 69 weeks of Daniel's Seventy Weeks' prophecy will again come into being for the fulfilling of the last or 70th Week—much like a stage reset. All of this is gone into more fully in the course of this site. Interestingly, everything that Jesus said in His closing section relates exclusively to THAT ONE DAY in the future when the time of "the end" will commence. This truth is consistent with each of the accounts and is something that I've never seen hinted at by anyone. While there are other things that will happen in the course of that one day, the initial event Jesus speaks of will include the appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven," the sealing of the "firstfruits" of "all the tribes" (Matt. 24:30; Rev. 7:4 with 14:1-4), and the rapture of the Church (Matt. 24:30; Rev. 7:9-17). In accord with what we have been considering, the following observation can also be made: The opening section of Jesus' discourse concerns what has become hundreds of years (the Church Age), the central section concerns seven years (Daniel's 70th Week), and the closing section concerns that one day, when "the end" will begin. Read that closing section with this in mind and see what it does for your own understanding (see also the NOTE at the bottom). Finally, bear in mind that if the sections below were arranged according to what is revealed to us in The Revelation, everything would align with the natural order of the seals (i.e., The First Five Seals, The 6th Seal , and then, The 7th Seal and afterwards). THE OPENING SECTION (The First Five Seals) ================= #1 Of deceivers and false Christs who will come—Matt. 24:4-5; Mk. 13:5-6; Lk. 21:8 PARALLELS The 1st Seal—Rev. 6:1-2 #2 Of wars and rumors of wars—Matt. 24:6-7a; Mk. 13:7-8a; Lk. 21:9-10 PARALLELS The 2nd Seal—Rev. 6:3-4 #3 Of famines, pestilences, and earthquakes (results in poverty)—Matt. 24:7b-8; Mk. 13:8b; Lk. 21:11a PARALLELS The 3rd Seal—Rev. 6:5-6 #4 and #5 Of the persecution and martyrdom of Christians—Matt. 24:9-14a; Mk. 13:9-13; Lk. 21:12-19 PARALLELS The 4th and 5th Seals—Rev. 6:7-11 THE CENTRAL SECTION (The 7th Seal and afterwards) ================= #1 Of the Antichrist beginning to be seen—Matt. 24:15a; Mk. 13:14a PARALLELS The stage being reset for Daniel's 70th Week—Rev. 8 and 9 #2 Of the connection made with Daniel the prophet—Matt. 24:15a; Mk. 13:14a PARALLELS The little book of Daniel now open—Rev. 10 #3 Of the Antichrist standing in the holy place—Matt. 24:15b; Mk. 13:14b PARALLELS The Antichrist being worshipped in the temple—Rev. 11:1 #4 Of Jerusalem being compassed with armies—Lk. 21:20 PARALLELS The Holy City being tread under foot by Gentiles—Rev. 11:2 #5 Of warnings to flee Judaea—Matt. 24:16-20; Mk. 13:14b-18; Lk. 21:21-24 PARALLELS The sight of the Antichrist and Gentile armies (first 3-1/2 years)— Rev. 11:1-14 #6 Of the time of the greatest tribulation ever—Matt. 24:21-25; Mk. 13:19-23 PARALLELS The sounding of the 7th Trumpet (last 3-1/2 years)— Rev. 11:15-19 with chapters 12-18 #7 Of Christ's coming as the lightning—Matt. 24:26-27 PARALLELS Christ's Second Advent—Rev. 19:1-16 #8 Of "the carcase" and the eagles being gathered to it—Matt. 24:28 PARALLELS Battle of Armageddon—Rev. 19:17-21 THE CLOSING SECTION (The 6th Seal) (Concerns "the end" in Matt. 24:14b) ================= #1 Of the sun being darkened—Matt. 24:29; Mk. 13:24; Lk. 21:25 PARALLELS The 6th Seal—Rev. 6:12 #2 Of the moon not giving "her" light—Matt. 24:29; Mk. 13:24; Lk. 21:25 PARALLELS The 6th Seal—Rev. 6:12 #3 Of the stars falling from heaven—Matt. 24:29; Mk. 13:25; Lk. 21:25 PARALLELS The 6th Seal—Rev. 6:13 #4 Of the powers of the heavens being shaken—Matt. 24:29; Mk. 13:25; Lk. 21:26 PARALLELS The 6th Seal—Rev. 6:14a #5 Of the sea and the waves roaring—Lk. 21:25b PARALLELS The 6th Seal—Rev. 6:14b #6 Of those left behind and their hearts failing them for fear—Lk. 21:26 PARALLELS The 6th Seal—Rev. 6:15-17 #7 Of the appearance of THE SIGN of the Son of man in heaven—Matt. 24:30/equals Mk. 13:26 and Lk. 21:27 PARALLELS The 6th Seal—Rev. 6:16-17 #8 Of those in Israel's hemisphere seeing or glimpsing the Son—Mk. 13:26; Lk. 21:27 PARALLELS The 6th Seal—Rev. 6:15-17 #9 Of "all the tribes" in Israel's hemisphere seeing or glimpsing the Son—Matt. 24:30 PARALLELS The 6th Seal interlude—Rev. 7:1-8 #10 Of the angels' gathering together of the Elect, or the Church—Matt. 24:31; Mk. 13:27 PARALLELS The 6th Seal interlude—Rev. 7:9-17 NOTE : About my statement that the closing section concerns one day, it might be wondered how to interpret Jesus' parable of the fig tree in light of this (e.g., Matt. 24:32-35). Still looking at the Matthew 24 account, for the Jews (most especially) that are left behind who will see "all these things" that Jesus had just spoken of (vss. 29-31), this parable conveys that when these things begin to take place, His Second Advent will be "near, even at the doors." In Luke's account of the things that Jesus had just spoken of (Lk. 21:25-27), he writes, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh " (vs. 28). What Jesus is speaking of will "begin to come to pass" the day that the 6th Seal is opened. Further, Luke then gives his account of Jesus' parable of the fig tree. Note this part: "So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled " (vs. 31-32). With this understanding, we can see that just a little over seven years after the 6th Seal event takes place, Christ will come as the King of kings and Lord of lords for the Battle of Armageddon and to set up His Millennial Kingdom. Easily within a "generation." bACK tO TOP next JESUS' OLIVET DISCOURSE AND THE SEVEN SEALED BOOK THE CLOSING SECTION

The book sealed with seven seals could rightly be entitled, THE DAY OF THE LORD... Every book has a title or could be given one that is appropriate for it. Of course, the book "sealed with seven seals" (Rev. 5:1) could rightly be entitled THE SEVEN SEALED BOOK, but this title would hold no hint concerning its content, other than the obvious suggestion that what's between its covers must be quite important! Add to this that John saw Almighty God holding it in His "right hand," and the thought that it "must be quite important" becomes quite an understatement! Pertaining to my present proposition, what originally caught my attention concerning THE DAY OF THE LORD being a fitting title for this book is how my understanding was helped when I began to think in these terms. Because of the convergence of the prophetic puzzle pieces at the place where we see this book about to be opened (and other evidences), I submit that the time of God's "Day of the Lord" judgment is what this book is all about. As far as the actual beginning of the Day of the Lord, consider again Joel's prophecy, quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost. In Acts chapter two we read, "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable Day of the Lord come" (vs. 20). As evidenced by John's seeing of these identical celestial signs at the time of the opening of the 6th Seal, this part of Joel's prophecy will be fulfilled when this seal is opened (Rev. 6:12). Moreover, we see this happening just before the people cry in their distress that the "great Day of His Wrath is come" (Rev. 6:17). Any perceived problem concerning this happening before the last or 7th Seal is opened is alleviated when it is realized that both the 6th and 7th seals will be opened the same day. This means that the day the 6th Seal is opened, the time of the "great Day of His Wrath" or the "great and notable Day of the Lord" will have begun indeed. That both the 6th and 7th seals will be opened the same day is made apparent by some things relating to what we find in Revelation 7:1-8. In this part of the interlude chapter between the 6th and 7th seals, John sees four angels that are instructed to wait on the specific destruction they are about to effect (earth, sea, and trees /vs. 3) until the 144,000 Jews of verses 4-8 are sealed. This sealing is not something that will take a month, a week, a day, or even an hour. When we are saved, our sealing happens immediately. Then, shortly after the 7th Seal is opened (Rev. 8:1), we see evidences of these four angels following through on the specific destructive activity that they had been ready to effect (earth, sea, and trees /vss. 7-8). The way it looks, these angels receive their cue to follow through on this as the first of seven other angels (vs. 6) sound their trumpets. As far as the ending of the Day of the Lord, Peter speaks to this in his second epistle. In 2 Peter 3:10-13, we find that in the time of God's Day of the Lord judgment, "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise" and "the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (vs. 10). John writes of this happening in Revelation 20:11, at the same time that the Last or "Great White Throne" Judgment is about to take place. We know that the time of God's Day of the Lord judgment will end after all the unsaved are "cast into the Lake of Fire" (Rev. 20:15), for right after this, John begins his account of that "Happily Ever After" part for God and all of His saved (Rev. 21-22). In short, what the foregoing shows is that the time of God's Day of the Lord judgment will begin the very day that the 6th and 7th seals are opened, at which time we can rightly gather that the Lamb will open the book. Then, once this time of God's judgment begins, it will continue until His destruction of this present world and judgment of the unsaved at the Last Judgment. This is very helpful to realize. Back to the book itself, as I indicated in the opening paragraph, the very nature of such a sealed book being held in the "right hand" of Almighty God bespeaks that its opening must represent something unfathomably major. With all that begins to take place the day it is unsealed, this is certainly substantiated. On that day (which could be today), the bottom is going to drop out of things in this world, on a level like unto what happened in the days of Noah. Interestingly, the finality of what John began to see at this time will not be a judgment by water but by fire. For me, the severity of such a judgment, for both this world and the unsaved, is unimaginable. Truly, THE DAY OF THE LORD would be a fitting title for the book sealed with seven seals. From a little different angle, when it is realized that what is between the covers of the Seven Sealed Book is an account of what will happen from the time after the rapture until the destruction of this world and the doom of the unsaved, a more thought provoking title for it might be, THE END. In any case, my understanding has been greatly helped by thinking in these terms, and I believe that yours will be too. Finally, for an interesting perspective on the book with seven seals, try to imagine each page in it as representing one year of time. Whereas seven pages would represent the Antichrist's rule during the seven years of Daniel's 70th Week, Christ's Millennial Reign would be represented by a thousand pages. This shows the time of the Antichrist's rule as being merely "a drop in the bucket" so to speak, occurring in the transition time between the last day of the Church Age and the day that Christ returns to reign. The time of the Antichrist's rule is really short-lived, for it falls between the days just mentioned (both literally and utterly). When Christ comes again for every eye to see, the battle for supremacy will be no contest, and long will be the rule of the true King of kings, and Lord of lords! bACK tO TOP PART I HOME next key PROPOSITION H The book sealed with seven seals could rightly be entitled, THE DAY OF THE LORD.

The 144,000 Jews of Revelation 7:1-8 and those in Israel's hemisphere will glimpse Christ's Sign Return... The 144,000 Israelites and those in Israel's hemisphere will see Christ's Sign Appearance. bACK tO TOP PART I HOME next key PROPOSITION X Though I have already touched on the subject of this proposition a few times, let's now look more fully at what has been revealed to us about this and some things it implies. Concerning where we have come to, the appearance of the celestial phenomena that occurs with the opening of the 6th Seal (Rev. 6:12-14) happens in fulfillment of what Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:29-31. Since PROPOSITION T , w e have been referring to these three verses as our focal passage. It is so very important to correctly understand what Jesus here said. The phenomena that He here speaks of will occur in conjunction with the appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (vs. 30). Jesus says that at this time, "all the tribes" shall see Him. This harmonizes with "all the tribes" of Revelation 7:4, which are 12,000 Israelites from each tribe that will be sealed in connection with the opening of the 6th Seal. These 144,000 Jews will have just witnessed what occurs at this time, meaning they will have just seen the Lamb too, right along with all the others of whom John writes (Rev. 6:15-17). Moreover, the very next thing John sees is "a great multitude" in Heaven (Rev. 7:9), which I submit to be the just raptured Church. This likewise harmonizes with the very next thing Jesus speaks of in our focal passage—the elect that the angels shall gather together (vs. 31). All of this also fits the blending of our focal passage with Mark and Luke's parallel accounts of it (Mk. 13:24-27 and Lk. 21:25-27). These prophecy pieces come together, interlock, and help us to more clearly see some of what will take place during this part of the prophetic puzzle that we have been looking at. But, there is more, especially a couple of things that will help to reinforce further the truth of what I have been trying to show. The first is this: The 144,000 Israelites that are sealed with the opening of the 6th Seal are referred to in Revelation 14:4 as "the FIRSTFRUITS unto God and to the Lamb." This is a very noteworthy statement. The term "firstfruits" is an agricultural term that relates to a greater harvest that is to follow. When these 144,000 of "all the tribes" (Matt. 24:30; Rev. 7:4) see the appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven," they are going to realize that Jesus was indeed their Messiah, the same Jesus that their ancestors, as a nation, had long ago rejected and condemned to be crucified. Their sudden realization of this when they see His sign appearance will cause them to "mourn" (Matt. 24:30) over their own rejection of Him and to now gladly receive Him as their Savior. These 144,000 will be "the firstfruits" of the later national harvest that will take place at Christ's Second Advent (Zech. 12:8-10; Rom. 11:25-27). The other thing that I was speaking of that further reinforces the truth of what I have been trying to show is something that just needs to be understood a little differently. What I am referring to is the common belief that Jesus will return invisibly at the time of the rapture. An understanding that will better fit all of what we find in Scripture, and what we now know concerning the earth, is that Jesus is going to be NOT visible instead of IN visible. By this I mean, not visible to anyone outside of Israel's hemisphere. What I am getting at is easily illustrated by something that all of us observe regularly. Let me explain. Because the earth is a sphere, the sun is not visible to everyone on the earth simultaneously. For example, when it is noon in Israel, the sun is not visible to anyone in the United States, however, it is very visible throughout the hemisphere of which Israel is a part—and vice-versa. So, while the sun is often not visible, it is never in visible. Of course, THE SON can be invisible if He wants to be! Or, He could be visible to some while at the same time invisible to others or whatever He wants! But, a lot of what He wants or intends to do is revealed to us in Scripture. We just have to try to interpret it correctly. The belief that Jesus will return invisibly at the time of the rapture has been based upon His return as a "thief" (e.g., Matt. 24:42-44). However, His returning in this way at this time does not have to mean that He will be invisible. No thieves have ever worked invisibly, but most do work in a manner in which they won't be seen or where their being seen will be limited. And, if they are seen or glimpsed, it is often not realized what they have done until it is too late! This is because they do what they do suddenly and unexpectedly, and then they are gone. According to what we find in Scripture, such will be the case when Jesus comes to steal away His Church (Matt. 24:40-41, 1 Thess. 4:16-5:4). In years past, when I would try to imagine Christ returning as a thief for the Church, my only concept was in tune with the common pre-trib view and without any consideration of the sphere shape of the earth. I too envisioned Christians disappearing the world over and none of those left behind getting a glimpse of anything, much less a glimpse of Christ. I too could see Christian's clothes settling to the ground in a ruffle as their bodies disappeared from within them or vehicles that some were driving suddenly being driverless and what that would mean. In other words, I never saw a problem scripturally with how things are commonly imagined or depicted. Believe it or not, this is still the way I see things happening, at least on our side of the earth. I mean, we have Scripture that things in this world are going to be shaken up. We have Scripture that this is going to happen without warning. And, we have Scripture that when it happens, it's going to happen very, very quickly. Hence, in my view, what is commonly imagined is simply a matter of doing the math. But, do we really have Scripture that Christ is going to return invisibly at this time? Let me suggest another equation. By my math, when it is time, the Lamb will open the 6th Seal, whereupon He will suddenly appear in the clouds over the land of Israel. This is what Jesus is speaking of when He says, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven" (Matt. 24:30). Barring a miracle to some other effect, it will not be possible for those left behind on our side of the earth to see this. Interestingly, Christians of the earlier centuries would have never been curious concerning such a thing, as they had no concept of there even being another side of the earth! Alas, it seems that on this point, the event of the appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven" will yet be the same as anything they could have conceived in their day, notwithstanding the later discovering of what is in our hemisphere. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE : The situation will be vastly different at the time of Christ's Second Advent, when "EVERY EYE shall see Him," as will be made clear in PART II. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to our equation concerning "the sign" appearance that Jesus will make, in Israel's hemisphere, even if it's high noon, I can envision everything suddenly brightening up intensely, like in a blink! Concurrent with this, there will be a great sound of a trumpet, whereupon the resurrection will occur, followed immediately by the rapture of the Church. Even though multitudes of Christians, arguably most, will not be in Israel's hemisphere, the angels will gather them together so quickly that they too will see (and meet!) Christ in the air within a twinkling of an eye! At this same instant, 144,000 Jews (in Israel's hemisphere) will get at least a glimpse of the Lamb (Jesus), a sight that will convict them of the realization that He was (and is!) indeed their Messiah. These 144,000 will be converted and sealed (Matt. 29:30, Rev. 7:4), but left behind, evidently for the purpose of bearing testimony to the Lamb and warning everyone concerning the Antichrist during Daniel's 70th Week (Rev. 12:11, 17). For all the rest left behind on Israel's side of the earth, many possibilities exist. Many will be in or near the land of Israel, but others will be at the far reaches of that hemisphere. Those who are outside and not facing in His direction at the instant of His appearance may not get the same glimpse of Him as those who are. It's not hard to imagine everyone that sees His brightness having to shield and shut their eyes, and opening their eyes, He may already be gone. Some will be inside at the time and may only see the flash of brightness in conjunction with everything else that will happen. Outside of the 144,000, there's no telling how many will get a glimpse of Him but won't survive all that will happen long enough to tell about it. Of those missing, some will be gone who were known to be Christians, along with some who were not known to be. On the other hand, of those left behind, there will be those who were thought to be Christians, but were not—those who were merely religious but lost. Meanwhile, on our side of the earth, in our hemisphere, those who are left behind will be left shaking their heads—IN MY THINKING , AS COMMONLY DEPICTED— left to experience all the aftermath of what will happen after the opening of the 6th Seal. As can be seen, my understanding of Scripture concerning what it will be like when the rapture takes place remains much like that of those who are still of the common pre-trib persuasion, as far as what it will be like for those left behind over here. However, for those left behind over there (in Israel's hemisphere), things will be somewhat different, for we can only imagine what the appearance of "THE SIGN of the Son of man in heaven" (Matt. 24:30) will be like, even if it's but a glimpse. But, Jesus and John give us a little insight—Jesus, in Luke's account of His Olivet Discourse (Lk. 21:25-27), and John, in his account of the 6th Seal (Rev. 6:15-17). In PART II we will be seeing that what all the day of the rapture entails is immense. Suffice it for now to say, when the dust settles from it all, 144,000 sealed Jews and a multitude of unsaved people will be left behind who will witness the rise of the Antichrist—and things are not going to be good.

The Revelation is a grid into which all end time prophecies will fit and find their order... The Revelation is a grid into which all end time prophecies will fit and find their order. bACK tO T0P PART I HOME next key PROPOSITION C The Revelation is the most comprehensive account of the last days in the Bible. If it is also in chronological order ( PROPOSITION B ) , by virtue of this, it becomes a grid, given to us by God, into which every end time prophecy will fit and find its order. This means, if The Revelation is in such order, when all end time prophecies have been fulfilled, nothing will have occurred outside of this order. Also, if The Revelation is such a grid, we need to recognize the great value of this and utilize it in our work of interpretation. An example of the benefit of utilizing a grid could be seen in your attempting to put a 1000 piece puzzle together that happens to be in a box that has no picture on it. A good strategy in putting such a puzzle together would be to get all the straight edged pieces together and to lay out the perimeter. This would become a sort of grid and would be of much help. If the puzzle is determined to be a scenery puzzle, it could be oriented so that the sky line will be positioned at the top. And, if there is a mountain, the mountain ridge could be put in place, and this would add to the grid. From here, it would at least become known that you are headed in the right direction. Though you might still wonder concerning the correct placement of some pieces, you would know that the blue sky pieces won't be going toward the bottom, and any rock, critter, or stream pieces won't be going in the sky area. With time, patience, and effort, the puzzle would begin to fill in, and when complete, you could rightly accept by faith that the picture before you would match the true picture, if it were to be revealed. The Revelation and other related prophecies is like such a puzzle, and we must accept by faith that what is being believed will likewise match the true picture that will one day be revealed. It is of the utmost importance though, how we arrive at our conclusions, for many are working on this puzzle, but everyone is not coming up with the same picture. Why? There are many possibilities, which can range from pieces being left out or being put where they do not belong, to portions being taken as the whole. Whatever the case, it is only when all the pieces that can be found are brought together and understood in such a way that everything will har monize with what we find throughout the Bible that a view can be considered plausible or sound. Extreme care must be taken against interpreting a questionable or obscure passage in such a way that a view is built that is contrary to any clear Scripture. Any view (even one in this website!) that will not meet this criteria, should be abandoned for one that will. The views set forth in this website have been ordered, and sometimes arrived at, on the basis of my conviction that The Revelation is a prophetic grid. Admittedly, with some key prophecies that have been interpreted various ways by others, my regard for this grid has held a lot of sway in my conclusions. But, if The Revelation is truly such a grid, this should hold a lot of sway. Indeed, if it is such a grid, our views need to be checked against this grid for soundness.

The Western Hemisphere (the Americas) represents the "third part" of the earth that will be destroyed with the sounding of the first four trumpets... The lands on the United States' side of the earth are the lands not in Israel's hemisphere. bACK tO TOP PART II HOME next KEY PROPOSITION 4 In consideration of the "third part" destruction that happens with the sounding of the first four trumpets (Rev. 8:7-12), the land area of the continents of North and South America is interesting. These continents (with part of Antarctica) make up what is commonly referred to as the Western Hemisphere. Just a cursory glance at a globe will reveal that the earth's land area is approximately one-third on our side of the earth and two-thirds on the other side. This means that about one-third of the land area is in the hemisphere of which the United States is a part, and two-thirds is in the hemisphere of which Israel is a part (the Eastern Hemisphere). Much more interesting is how the earth's land areas figure out by the data we have available to us in our day. For example, from the popular internet encyclopedia, Wikepedia, is the following data concerning the seven continents of the earth and the percentages of the total land area each represents (search continent area percentages): North America 16.4% South America 11.9% Antarctica 9.4% Asia 29.6% Africa 20.2% Europe 6.8% Australia 5.7% ---------- 100.0% If a globe is dissected into two halves, one including the United States and the continents on its side of the earth, and the other including Israel and the continents on its side of the earth, the percentage of the total land area each half would contain is thus (giving each half an equal part of Antarctica): North America 16.4% South America 11.9% 1/2 Antarctica 4.7% ---------- 33.0% Asia 29.6% Africa 20.2% Europe 6.8% Australia 5.7% 1/2 Antarctica 4.7% ---------- 67.0% It is easy to see that the land area of the half of the earth of which the United States is a part equals a third, to an exactness that is incredible (1/3 = 33.3% and 2/3 = 66.6%). As can be seen, there is not even a full one percent discrepancy (see NOTE below). Now, there were no globes in the Bible days, and the people who lived then could have had no concept of this. But, John got the opportunity for a little different perspective (Rev. 4:1)! It is easy to imagine that what he got to see was more on the order of what astronauts get to see and what we are blessed to be able to see on our televisions and computers. The devastation that John witnessed at this time, he referred to as affecting "the third part." It looks like he may have been pretty sharp on them fractions! The possibility of the destruction of North and South America is major and would represent all of the Far West from the perspective of Israel. Also, it is conceivable that the impact of an asteroid sizable enough to wipe out the population of our hemisphere would be prevented by the earth's mass from having the same effect on its opposite side. Moreover, if an impact like this were to occur in our hemisphere, the land of Israel is situated such that it would be shielded from tidal waves resulting from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Furthermore, the resultant dust, vapor, and smoke from such an impact could fill the atmosphere to the point of affecting day and nighttime light by one-third (Rev. 8:12). The earth, being a sphere, is ideal for a cataclysm resulting in such as this to occur. Of course, the size of what impacts the earth, its speed, angle of impact, and exact place of impact are all factors—but no problem for God. Admittedly, this possibility is beyond what we can know for sure, before the fact, but it is more than pure conjecture. It has both relevant substance and strong scriptural support. Also relating to the above, it is reasonable to wonder if God's primary purpose for bringing to pass the discovery of the Americas in the first place was to provide a further refuge for the Church as the population of the world increased. Refuge from what? The increasing persecution and martyrdom of true Christians. But, with the rapture, the Church will cease to need such a refuge. At that time, whatever might be left over here would seem to only complicate matters for anything related to Daniel's 70th Week. The bottom line may be this: As with the Church, what is in our hemisphere does not fit in the picture of Daniel's 70th Week, the same as it did not fit in the picture of the other 69 weeks. If THE DAY OF THE LORD is a fitting title for the book with seven seals ( PROPOSITION H ) , and Daniel's 70th Week begins a short while after it is opened, is it not reasonable that the first thing in God's plan for that time would be to remove from the picture what doesn't fit that time? The nature of what we have been considering supports the possibility that just prior to the beginning of Daniel's 70th Week, God is going to effect a systematic reversal of world conditions, so that in a very short while, things upon this earth may be looking much as they did in the Bible days. If this is what John is describing, this would be like a giant leap backward in time to the pre-Church era, the world's stage being reset for the fulfilling of Daniel's 70th Week and also for the Jew's witnessing of Jesus' Second Advent, this time as their King of kings, and Lord of lords—the same Jesus they rejected as their Messiah some 2000 years ago. I n PROPOSITION 2 , I made the following statement: "I'm believing that when you see it, you won't be able to unsee it." Are you seeing it? Consider the SPECIAL OBSERVATION near the bottom of PROPOSITION 6 . NOTE : Over the years, as I have reviewed what various sources list as the land area percentages of the continents, I have sometimes noticed some very small differences in the figures, like a tenth of a percent. Over time, I have seen this with the same source as well. There have also been times when I have noticed that the percentages listed did not add up to an exact 100%. Notwithstanding such discrepancies, the exactness of what I am pointing out has always remained essentially the same.