The Timing of The Rapture.

The Timing of the Rapture is the sequence of events leading up to the Rapture. On the other hand, the time of the Rapture is the exact time and locus in the eschatological timeline that the Rapture occurs. This does not however mean that we know the day and the hour in which the Rapture shall occur. We may know the general time period of the Rapture, but we cannot know the day and the hour of the Rapture.

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”(Matt.24:32-36).

“And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 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. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”(Luk.21:29-33).

There are some that urge us to believe that the fig tree is symbol of Israel. And Israel became independent again in 1948 after nearly two thousand years in exile. When the fig tree begins to bud, we know that summer is near. When Israel begins to thrive as an independent nation, then the Rapture can take place at any moment. The fig tree may well be the symbol of Israel. For several centuries, there were believers who wondered aloud how end time prophecies were going to be fulfilled when there were no independent nation of Israel, and no temple. Admittedly, end time prophecies centered around the nation of Isreal and her Holy City, Jerusalem(Dan.9:24). Therefore the resuscitation of Israel as an independent state in her ancient homeland in Eretz Yisrael was a supernatural fulfillment of prophecy, and a practical step in the right direction, as would be the rebuilding of the temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, any time it takes place.

Was the major thrust of the parable of the fig tree the symbolism of Israel? That would be very doubtful; for that would mean that all the trees symbolize Israel as does the fig tree: for Christ called attention to not only the fig tree but also to all the trees, inasmuch as it is not only the fig tree that begins to bud in the Spring: ” Behold the fig tree, and all the trees.” The symbolism here is a reference to a natural seasonal observation. In temperate countries, in the Autumn which Americans call Fall, all the trees are denuded of their leaves, and they remain bare of leaves throughout Winter. In the Spring, as the temperatures begin to rise, and the weather becomes warmer, and there is rainfall, the trees begin to bud. The people are cheerful again and will say, ” Summer will soon be hear.” I have heard Americans say this in the Spring. This is the exact analogy that Christ made in this parable. Just as people “will see and know” in the Spring when the trees begin to bud, that Summer will soon be here: in like manner, believers, who are in expectation of the coming of the Messiah, shall see and know, when these events outlined in the Olivet Discourse begin to unfold that the coming of the Lord draweth near, that the Kingdom Of God is nigh at hand. These events are, the emergence of false christs, wars, commotions, and rumours of war, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, the Jerusalem Campaign, the Great Tribulation by the antiChrist, the Jehoshaphat Campaign, the cosmic and celestial disturbances, and the appearance of the sign of the coming of the Son Of Man in the heavens. When ye shall see these things come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads: for your redemption draweth nigh.

Jesus went on to say: ” Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” He also underscored in the strongest terms that ” Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Here is the clincher. It is now sixty some odd years since Israel gained independence. Although a generation is reckoned differently in various dispensations, it is now more or less generally reckoned as forty years. Considering the inviolability and infallibility of the word of God, we cannot but conclude that the fig tree in this parable does not refer primarily to the re-establishment of the state of Israel, but a general reference to natural seasonal observation. If it were not so, the words of Jesus would be of none effect. This cannot be allowed to stand.

It is therefore a sign of approximation that Summer is near. Likewise these events signal the nearness of the time of His coming. The budding of figs and all the trees in the Spring does not tell us the Day and the Hour that Summer will begin, but the general time period. So, also these events do not tell us the Day and the Hour of our Lord’s Second Advent, but the general time period. “But that Day and the Hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only”(Matt.24:36). The words in Mark are even more wonderful: ” But of that Day and that Hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only”(Mk.13:32). What Jesus says neither He nor the angels in heaven know, but the Father only, let us not think we can access this knowledge by flights of Higher Mathematics. No height of spirituality will grant us access to this divine secret. Jesus did not say that we the saints cannot know the time of His coming, that is the general time period of His coming, but the Day and the Hour. The Day and the Hour of His coming constitute a divine secret. “And the secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law”(Deut.29:29).

We know that Jesus is God, and knoweth all things. But as the Son , He has ceded certain decisions to the Father. It is only the Father who will decide on which Day and in what Hour He will come. As God, Jesus knows, but as the Son Of Man, He does not know.

The day and the hour of the Rapture are the exclusive preserve and prerogative of the Father alone. In this article we shall enumerate in chronological order the sequence of events leading up to the Rapture in order that when we see these events unfold before our eyes we shall recognize them, and also know that our redemption draweth nigh. The generation of believers that shall enter the 70th week, witness these events unfold, shall be the generation that shall be raptured alive. Until the cosmic and celestial disturbances associated with the breaking of the sixth seal, the coming of the Lord, the appearance of the sign of the coming of the Son Of Man in the heavens occur, and the attendant Rapture of the Church is not imminent. This is the doctrine of expectancy which is the central pillar of the prewrath rapture position. This generation of believers shall enter into the 70th week of Daniel, witness the Great Tribulation by the antiChrist, and be raptured prior to the commencement of the wrath of God during the Day Of The LORD. This is a biblical mystery: one generation of believers shall receive glorified immortal resurrection bodies without passage through the intermediate process of death. “Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”(1 Cor.15:51-55).

The 70th week of Daniel’s 70-week prophecy shall begin when the antiChrist signs a 7-year peace agreement with Israel. “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week 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.”(Dan.9:27). The prophet Isaiah called this peace agreement “the covenant with death.” “Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:”(Is.28:14-15).

The 70th week is the last seven years of the present age. It is divided into two equal halves of three and one-half years each which is equivalent to 42 months or 1,260 days according to Jewish calendar which is lunar. “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”(Rev.11:2-3). The reference here is to the second half of the 70th week within which the two witnesses shall minister as also says the prophet Daniel. “And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”(Dan.12:7). It is within this period also that the Great Tribulation shall be instituted against the saints of the Most High. “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”(Dan.7:25). During this period also, the unbranded remnants of Israel shall take refuge in the Edomite and Judaean wildernesses in order to survive the the Great Tribulation by the antiChrist. “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”(Rev.12:6).

There are extra 75 days beyond the expiry of the 70th week according to the prophet Daniel. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.”(Dan.12:11-12). This extra 75 days are divided into two interims of 30 days and 45 days. Within the 30-day period, the wrath of God in the bowls are poured on the living wicked earth-dwellers and worshippers and adorers of the antiChrist culminating in the battle of Armageddon. This period is dubbed the Reclamation Period Of The Kingdom by Robert Van Kampen. Within the extra 45 days, the Earth is renovated after the devastation caused by outpouring of the wrath of God. This period is dubbed the Restoration Period of The Kingdom by Robert Van Kampen.

The First Half Of The 70th Week

The first half of the 70th week is dubbed the beginning of sorrows or beginning birth pangs. “All these are the beginning of sorrows.”(Matt.24:8). There are three major events that shall occur within this period of three and one-half years.

1) The emergence of false christs: the breaking of the first seal

When the disciples asked our Lord Jesus of the sign of His coming and of the end of the ages, He started by warning them to take heed that no one deceives them. “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”(Matt.24:4-5). This is as far as the religious scene is concerned. On the political scene, the antiChrist shall begin to flex his muscle by signing a 7-year peace treaty to protect Israel from her hostile Arab and Islamic neighbors. Besides, he shall endeavor to conquer the whole world without firing a shot, as it were, through subtle peace diplomacy. “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”(Rev.6:1-2). We must remember that Revelation chapters 6 – 19 run parallel Matt.24 & 25, the Olivet Discourse, ending with the Sheep and Goat Judgment which occurs at the end of the battle of Armageddon. Certain details which border on earthly and heavenly events which are omitted in the Olivet Discourse are filled in by the Scroll of Revelation.

(2) Wars and rumours of wars: the breaking of the second seal

The second event in the first three and one-half years shall be wars and rumours of wars. “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”(Matt.24:6-7a). Wars and rumours of wars shall precede the end at which point in the eschatological timeline the Rapture shall occur and the Day Of Lord inaugurated. The end here is the end of the ages, the point of transition between the present age and the age to come. Our Lord Jesus the Christ promised to be with us, His Church, until the end of the ages. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world(Ages). Amen.”(Matt.28:20).

This event corresponds with the second seal of Rev.6. “And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”(Rev.6:3-4). At the breaking of the second seal, wars shall break out on Earth. Nations shall go to war one with another. “And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.”(Mk.13:7-8). The end(of the ages) at which point in the eschatological timeline the Lord shall appear and the saints taken to meet Him in the air shall be preceded by wars and rumours of wars. “But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.”(Luk.21:9). We can see that all the three synoptic gospels are unanimous in their assertion that the end, at which point in the eschatological timeline, the Lord appears, and the Church is raptured, must be preceded by wars, commotions, and rumours of wars. And Jesus promised to be with us till the end of the ages(Matt.28:20). And again, “he that endures unto the end shall be saved(Matt.10:22, 24:13). He also said that “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, then shall the end come(Matt.24:14). There is a confluence of events at the end of the ages at which point in the eschatological timeline the Rapture occurs.

(3) Famines, Pestilences, and Earthquakes: the third seal

The third event is a cluster of famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. “And there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”(Matthew 24:7). This cluster of events corresponds with the third seal of Rev.6. “And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.”(Rev.6:5-6). Weighed food is a condition of famine. Famines and pestilences are the natural consequences of wars and natural disasters like earthquakes. This cluster of events brings closure to the first three and one-half years. The famine, the pestilences, and the Earthquakes shall make the inhabitants of the Earth whose names were not written in the Lamb’s book of life vulnerable to the manipulations and machination of the antiChrist. The poor and the unprepared shall find it extremely difficult to survive.

The Midpoint Of The 70th Week.

The midpoint of the 70th week witnesses a convergence of events. To avoid being tedious, we shall enumerate these events with the relevant scriptural references.

(1) War in the heavenlies

After the satanic revolt in heaven in eternity past, Satan and his hordes of fallen angels were evicted from heaven’s premises to the dark void and starry heavens. Precisely at the midpoint of the 70th week, there shall be war in the heavenlies. “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.”(Rev.12:7-8). The leader of this divine assault against Satan and his host of fallen evil angels is Michael, the warrior prince that standeth for the people of God(Dan.12:1,2).

(2) Satan cast down to the Earth

In this war in the heavenlies, Satan and his host of fallen evil angels shall be defeated by Michael and the angels of God under his command and be evicted from the dark void and the starry heavens and cast down to the Earth. “And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”(Rev.12:8-10). With Satan cast down to the Earth, his frequenting heaven to accuse the brethren in the divine court in Heaven ceases.

(3) The removal of the restrainer

With Satan and hist hordes of fallen angels cast down to the Earth, the restrainer, archangel Michael is removed. “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”(Dan.12:1). Without the removal of the restrainer, the antiChrist shall not manifest. “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”(2 Thess.2:7-10).

There are some that teach that the restrainer is human government, and others, the Holy Spirit. None of these is tenable inasmuch as the antiChrist is the ultimate human government, and the Church is still present till the end of the ages. Our Lord Jesus the Christ promised to be with His Church till the end of the ages(Matt.28:20). Those who teach that the restrainer is the Holy Spirit are pretribbers who believe the Church shall be raptured before the commmencement of the 70th week, and the Holy Spirit therefore hitchhikes with Church at the Rapture. The Holy Spirit needs not hitchhike with the Church inasmuch as He has been working here on Earth with the people of God before the inception of the Church on the day of Pentecost. What happened on the day of Pentecost was a new relationship between God and man initiated by the soteriological and finished works of Christ on the Cross of Calvary. The restrainer is not an NT doctrine. He is a well known personality in OT Judaism.

The mystery of iniquity is already at work on Earth. The restrainer is the one who hinders iniquity on Earth. When the restrainer is removed, the antiChrist, the man of lawlessness, the ultimate iniquity shall manifest.

(4) Satan possesses the antiChrist

Because Satan is cast down to the Earth in preparation to his subsequent eviction from the Earth’s premises into Hell with his evil angels, he has great wrath. “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”(Rev.12:12). But he cannot possess the antiChrist and manifest his wrath until the restrainer is taken out of the way. God shall tell archangel Michael, do not defend my people anymore. Therefore Michael shall “amad.” Then Satan will possess the antiChrist, and give him his seat and Great authority. “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”(Rev.13:1-6). Satan like God is a spirit being without a physical body. So, he cannot rule the Earth directly; he must do so by proxy as also does God the Father. The antiChrist will be Satan’s representative on Earth. Satan shall possess him as he did Judas in order to pursue his purpose on Earth.

(5) antiChrist relocates his headquarters to Jerusalem

The antiChrist who is also called Gog of the land of Magog, the head of Meshech and Tuval(Ezek.38:2,3), shall relocate his headquarters from somewhere in the land of Magog to Jerusalem. “And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.”(Dan.11:45). There are any number of reasons why he does this. Firstly, Israel is the center of the Earth. It is the gateway to the three major continents. In preparation to world rule and domination, the antiChrist must have a more central headquarters from where he can best command his forces and administer his rule over the Earth. It is at the Third Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem that he shall deify himself. He is against the God of Israel and the Christians. Jerusalem and the Temple Mount is important to three major religions, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Since he is against anything that is called God or worshipped, he must possess this piece of real estate, the most contested property in the whole world.

(6) The antiChrist makes his debut at the Temple.

When the antiChrist arrives in Jerusalem, he makes his debut at the Temple Mount. He violates the sacred precincts of the Temple Mount by threading on it with his acolytes and cronies. Like his prefigure, the Greek ruler Antiochus Theos Epiphanes, he violates the Holy Of Holies of the rebuilt Third Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah by entering into it and placing a statue of himself in it. The Holy Of Holies is forbidden to all except the High Priest alone from the house of Aharon, and that once a year, only on the day of Atonement(Yom Kippur), after he has offered blood sacrifice for himself and the people of Israel(Heb.9:7). Because the antiChrist shall not regard the God of Israel, nor any god for that matter, he shall violate the sacred precincts of the temple and the Temple Mount.

(7) The antiChrist declares himself God

Apart from the court of the Gentiles, every other part of the Temple on Mount Moriah was forbidden to the Gentiles. By venturing beyond the courth of the Gentiles, the antiChrist was claiming to himself the position due only to the God of Israel, the Sovereign Lord of the Universe, the creator of all mankind. “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; 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. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”(2 Thess.2:3-5). He shall sit in the Holy Of Holies Of The Third Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah built for the worship of Jehovah displaying himself as God.

(8) Abomination of desolation.

The antiChrist sitting in the temple of God, displaying himself as God shall be the extreme point of abomination. “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week 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.”(Dan.9:27). This shall be the height of abomination. It shall make the temple desolate. That is why it is called the Abomination of desolation or the abomination that maketh desolate. This event shall cause the Jewish worshippers in the temple to desert it. We can see that the prophet Daniel tells us this event shall occur precisely at the midpoint of the 70th week.

(9) Abolition of the daily sacrifice

At the same time that the antiChrist declares himself God, he abolishes the daily animal, grain, and drink offerings reinstituted at the beginning of the 70th week or any time after the erection of the Third Temple. He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease(Dan.9:27b).

(10) antiChrist unveiled

Prior to the midpoint of the 70th week, the identity of the antiChrist shall be unknown to most people, except those of his inner circle and believers who have learned about him from the word of God. But at the midpoint of the 70th week, he shall unveil himself as dead man come back to life. The antiChrist is one who had ruled over one of the seven previous Beast Empires of Satan, and was killed with a military weapon in battle. He shall rise from the dead to rule over the 8th And Final Beast Empire of Satan. “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.”(Rev.17:8-11). He is the son of destruction. He ascends out of the bottomless pit and shall go into perdition. “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.”(Rev.11:7).

Since he shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition, it is most probable he is a fallen angel. Apollyon or Abaddon which means destruction or destroyer is the king and angel of the bottomless pit. “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.”(Rev.9:11). The antiChrist is the son of destruction and goeth into destruction. The angels imprisoned in the bottomless pit were those fallen angels who did not keep their first estate, but left their own habitation to cohabit with human females(Jude 6; 2 Pet.2:4,5). In Hebrew, they are referred to as nephelim which means fallen ones. Nephelim is the plural derivative of naphal which means to fall. These fallen angels caused the destruction of the antediluvian world by their corruption and hybridization of the human race. God had to destroy the antediluvian humans, sparing only Noah and his family in order to preserve a pure human race, inasmuch as Noah and his family were the only ones who were not hybridized. If God did not intervene, the whole of humanity would have been hybridized(Gen.6,7).

The statement that Noah was righteous in his generation is better rendered ” Noah was pure in his descendants”(Gen.6:9). In order words, Noah and his family were the only ones who were not hybridized. Satan has a large stock of these demons. He fielded some others immediately after the deluge who became the ancestors of the giants, the Anakim. These were they who frightened the children of Israel into disbelief of their ability to possess the land of Canaan which God gave to their fathers and their descendants after them by a covenant of salt. “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”(Num.13:33). Today, Satan is at work in his endeavors to hybridize the human race by the same means of fallen evil angels as well as through alteration of the human genome, and by the creation of cyborgs. A cyborg is a person who controls everything around him through microchips implanted in his body, who, in turn, is controlled by a giant computer somewhere run by the Big Brother. Today on BBC news, I heard someone say he no longer sees himself as a human being, but a cyborg. These things are going on around us unobserved by the uninformed.

Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians made it clear to them that the day of the Lord, and our gathering together unto Him(Rapture) shall not occur until the man of sin(antiChrist) is revealed. “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;”(2 Thess.2:3). It is the Revelation of the man of lawlessness that brings about the total abandonment of covenantal relationship with the God of Israel by Jews and Christians.

(11) antiChrist demands worship

At the same time that the antiChrist is unveiled as dead man come back to life, he shall demand that men worship him. He shall introduce a mark of allegiance to his rulership and deity to be borne on the forehead or arm by all loyal citizens of his kingdom. He shall also attempt to enforce this all over the World, and to a very great extent, he shall be successful. The second Beast, the false prophet shall be his enforcer. “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, 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. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”(Rev.13:11-18).

Apart from enlivened images of the Beast place at strategic locations for public worship, the false prophet shall instruct the followers of the Beast to make images of the Beast in gold, silver, metals, precious stones, and wood to worship in the privacy of their homes, in their cars, and offices. These images or statuettes of the beast shall they throw away to the bats and the moles when God arises to shake terribly the Earth in the Day of the Lord. “And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?”(Is.2:19-22).

(12) Jerusalem surrounded by armies

When the antiChrist signs a seven year peace treaty with Israel, he stations a protection force in the land of Israel consisting of the armies of the three power base nations of Magog, Meshech, and Tuval. These shall be the best armies in the world with the best sophisticated weaponry ever. This accounts for the relative quietness that Israel enjoys in the first three and one-half years of the 70th week. Any attempt by Israel’s hostile neighbors to attack her shall incur the wrath of the antiChrist. But at the same time that the antiChrist relocates His headquarters to Jerusalem, he surrounds Jerusalem with his armies for two reasons: for his own personal protection and to enforce the apostasy in the land of Israel. “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”(Luk.21:20-22).

Both evangelists Matthew and Mark make it clear that the surrounding of Jerusalem with armies is coincident with the abomination of desolation. “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:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.”(Matt.24:15-18). “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.”(Mk.13:14-16). Christ’s advice to the Judaeans to flee to the mountains is associated with both the surrounding of Jerusalem with armies and and the abomination that maketh desolate. We conclude therefore that these two incidents, the surrounding of Jerusalem with armies and the abomination of desolation are concurrent , coincident and simultaneous.

(13) The Great Tribulation begins

The demand by the antiChrist to be worshipped, the abomination of desolation, and the the surrounding of Jerusalem with armies as well as the unveiling of himself as a dead who had ruled one of the seven Beast Empires in the past, and is come back to life to rule over the 8th And Final Beast Empire(Rev.17:8) all converge to spark the Great Tribulation. The inhabitants of Jerusalem must run away from the city as far as possible to avoid being killed on refusal to worship the Beast or his image. And it would be more horrible if this incident occurs in the winter or on the sabbath day. It would even be more scary for pregnant women and nursing mothers. “But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.”(Mk.13:17-19).

This affliction or better still tribulation shall make any past or future ones pale in comparison. “And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”(Matt.24:19-21). The same Greek word rendered affliction in Mark is rendered tribulation in Matthew, and qualified with the adjective great, and also described as incomparable to any past or future tribulation. “But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”(Luk.21:23-24 KJV). The same phrase rendered great tribulation in Matthew is rendered great distress in Luke, and related to the invocation of woe on pregnant and nursing mothers. We can see that the abomination of desolation, the surrounding of Jerusalem with armies and the beginning of the Great Tribulation are related. They all occur at the same time, at the midpoint of the 70th week of Daniel.

(14) The apostasy begins

The English word apostasy is derived from the Greek word apostasia. It means the total abandonment of a cause or a person. Here it is used to describe Jews who abandon covenantal relationship with the God of Israel, and Christians who deny Christ and betray one another due to persecution by the antiChrist. It will begin at the middle of the 70th week, and lasts throughout the whole length of the Great Tribulation. It is therefore coincident, concurrent and simultaneous with Great Tribulation. “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”(Luk.21:24). Although the epicenter shall be Jerusalem and the whole land of Israel, the ripples shall be felt worldwide.

(15) The ministry of the two witnesses begins.

The ministry of the two witnesses which lasts for three and one-half years, 42 months, or 1,260 days begins precisely in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel. There is a consensus of opinion amongst the majority of biblical scholars that the ministry of the two witnesses occurs in the second half of the 70th week. “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”(Rev.11:3-4). The death of the two witnesses marks the terminus-ad-quem of the 70th week of Daniel. “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. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”( Rev.11:7-8).

(16) The three angelic announcements

There are three angelic announcements made precisely at the midpoint of time 70th week.

(1) The first is the everlasting gospel to be preached to the whole Earth, to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. This announcement is made by a horizontal flying angel. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”(Rev.14:6-7). This is necessary at this time because of the presence of a false god, the antiChrist, the eschatological antagonist, who demands worship of all mortals. As the horizontal flying angel makes this announcement, it shall be chorused by believers on Earth who have committed themselves to the desemination of the message of the gospel to all peoples, tongues and nations, most of whom shall pay with their lives. It is at this time, that the remote villages and unreached peoples groups shall be evangelized because believers who are persecuted in the towns and cities shall seek refuge in these remote areas.

(2) The second angelic announcement is made by a second horizontal flying angel who shall announce to the whole world the demise of Babylon. “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”(Rev.14:8). Babylon is the philosophical concept called humanistic evolution instituted by Nimrod which denies the existence of God and His creation of man. This concept issues forth in false human government, false religion, false education based on the notion that there is no God, and man was not created, and the attendant commercialism and consumerism. This concept was epitomized by the city of Babel also founded by Nimrod, the son of Cush, the son of Noah. At the center of this concept is the notion that man is God which shall find its ultimate fulfillment in the antiChrist, and the rebuilt city of commercial and religious Babylon. Precisely at the midpoint of the 70th week, God dispatches His angel to warn all mankind of the demise of all human institutions which shall occur during the Day Of The LORD judgments in order that no one will be left uninformed, and that no one might unknowingly put ones trust in man whose breath is in his nostrils. “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of.”( Is.2:22). The antiChrist is here referred to as man. Of course he is man. God through the prophet Isaiah called him man to remind of his limitations. He is a created being who took on human form. Therefore, he is not God and cannot be God.

(3) The third angelic announcement is a warning not to worship the Beast, nor to receive his mark on the forehead or hand. “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, 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: 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. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”(Rev.14:9-12).

The wrath of God abides on anyone who is Beast branded. This is the reason for the patient endurance of those who keep the commandments of God(unbranded observant Jews), and the faith of Jesus Christ(Christians). It is therefore ridiculous for anyone to posit that the Church will be absent on Earth during the Great Tribulation.

The Second Half Of The 70th Week

(1) The Great Tribulation: the fourth seal

The Great Tribulation shall begin with the Jerusalem campaign when the antiChrist surrounds Jerusalem with his armies. It shall end with the Jehoshaphat campaign when the antiChrist and his acolytes shall attempt to ferret out and liquidate and vaporize all those who have refused the mark of the Beast who are hiding in Jerusalem in basements, underground bunkers, sewers, and on rooftops and cellars. Within these two campaigns, believers shall be called upon by heaven to stand up for their faith. Some believers and observant Jews will be led captive into all nations. Others will be killed for their faith. Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Believers shall betray one another. So also members of the same household. A man’s foes shall be members of his own household. Believers who have not adequately prepared for this period could die of starvation and expose to the elements. It will be extremely difficult for pregnant and nursing mothers, the elderly, and children. There shall be also believers and observant Jews who shall take it upon themselves to warn their brethren not to worship the Beast nor to take his mark of allegiance. They shall pay with their dear lives when apprehended by the security agents of the antiChrist(Rev.20:4).

It is during this period of Great Distress that the everlasting gospel announced at the midpoint of the 70th week shall be preached to the whole world, and then shall the End come(Matt.24:14). Two very important things must be accomplished before the amputation of the Great Tribulation: (1) the complement of believers to be martyred, and (2) the gospel must be preached to the whole world. At this time, genuine believers shall know they have nothing to loose, and some shall go all out to get the gospel to the whole world. A good number of these brethren, men and women, boys and girls, whose spiritual blinders have been removed, shall sacrifice everything for the sake of the gospel. Some shall pay with their lives. Due to economic boycott, many will die of starvation, and exposure to the elements.

(2) Martyrs under the altar: the fifth seal

This event is a heavenly scene. It is superimposed on the Great Tribulation. Therefore the fifth seal is coincident, concurrent, and simultaneous with the fourth seal, the Great Tribulation. It is a heavenly reflection of the killings going here on Earth. There is no distance in the realm of the spirit. “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were 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, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”(Rev.6:9-11).

As soon as the saints are martyred here on Earth, their disembodied spirits and souls are arriving in heaven, and are kept under the Golden altar of incense in the Holy place of the temple in heaven until a complement of believers are martyred. When that number of martyrs is reached, the Great Tribulation is amputated with cosmic and celestial disturbances, the sixth seal. The complement of believers to be martyred is a divine secret. “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”(Deut.29:29). The fifth seal promises the wrath of God upon the perpetrators of the martyrdom of the saints.

(3) The cosmic disturbances: the sixth seal

When the full complement of believers to martyred is reached, and the gospel of the kingdom preached to the whole world, then God brings the Great Tribulation to an abrupt end with cosmic and celestial disturbances. The two points shall be reached simultaneously. No one knows the number of believers to be martyred: it is a divine secret. “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:”(Matt.24:29). According to the record in Revelation, this event shall be initiated with a series of worldwide earthquake and tsunamis. “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”(Rev.6:12-14).

The breaking of the sixth seal incapacitates the antiChrist and his acolytes. The Earth shall be darkened, cold, and frozen. Communications shall be disrupted all over the world by EMP, earthquakes, tsunamis, and the cold and frozen and frigid conditions on Earth. This will make it impossible for the antiChrist to continue to enforce the apostasy and to kill nonconformists. If the Great Tribulation is not cut short, no believer or observant Jew, nor anyone else without the mark of the beast shall survive the persecution by the antiChrist. “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”(Matt.24:22). Google has mapped out the whole Earth. There will be no where to hide. If the Great Tribulation by the antiChrist is allowed to run the full course of three and one half years allotted to the antiChrist, no unbranded human will survive.

The Interlude Between The Sixth And The Seventh Seal

There are three events that occur in the interlude of unknown duration between the end of the sixth seal and the breaking of the seventh seal. These three events occur in chronological order. The essence of the interlude is to protect the people of God, the unbranded believers, and the 144,000 Jews marked with the seal of God.

(a) The Shekinah in the heavens

After the Great Tribulation is the cosmic disturbances which in actual fact effectively put a period to the Great Tribulation. The sixth seal portends the wrath of God. The cosmic disturbances are accompanied by the appearance of the sign of the son of man in the heavenlies. “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: 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.” ( Matt.24:29-30 ).

This back-to-back sign given in the sun, moon, and stars constitute the sign of His coming and of the end the ages. This is the answer Jesus gave to His disciples to the second part of the question they asked Him: what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the ages? It is at the appearance of His coming at the end of the ages that the Church shall be gathered unto Him. Our brother, Apostle Paul, in his passionate appeal to the Thessalonians linked the coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto Him. “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,”(2 Thess.2:1). These two events are linked together and are therefore inseparable. When the Son Of Man appears in the heavens, we the saints shall be gathered unto Him. And His appearance occurs after the tribulation of those days at the commencement of the end of the ages.

(b) The sealing of the 144,000

The cosmic disturbances which portend the wrath of God promised by the fifth seal, the martyred saints under the altar of incense in the Holy place of the temple in heaven indicate that the Church is about to be taken away from the Earth inasmuch as the Church is not appointed unto wrath(1 Thess.1:10, 5:9). The appearance of the Son Of Man in the heavens seals it. If the Church is taken away from the Earth, God will have no witnesses on Earth except the two witnesses whose ministry is limited more or less to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and will end at the termination of the 70th week of Daniel. Therefore the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel must be brought into saving relationship with God of Israel, and sealed to represent God on Earth, and for protection from the wrath of God which is about to be poured out on the living wicked earth-dwellers immediately after the translation of the saints.

“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.”(Rev.7:1-8).

The 1444,000 are here on Earth in this mortal body of ours. Therefore they must be sealed for protection from the wrath of God. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”(Rev.14:1-5). These dear saints are not raptured. They are not part of the Church. They are selected strictly from the twelve tribes of Israel. Thaye are in their natural mortal bodies. They follow Christ whereas He goes here on Earth. They are members of His earthly entourage.

(c) The rapture of the church

When He comes, the saints shall be gathered unto Him. “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”(Gen.49:10). This verse of Scripture is the first indication that the people of God shall be gathered unto Him at His coming. After the tribulation of those days, shall He appear in the heavens, and then, the saints shall be gathered unto Him. “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: 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. 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.”(Matt.24:29-31).

After the appearance of the sign of the Son Of Man in the heaven, His angels shall be dispatched to the four corners of the Earth to gather together His elect, from one end of heaven to the other; for where the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered. “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. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”(Matt.24:27-28). The saints shall be gathered to meet Him in the air. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 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. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”(1 Thess.4:14-18). We shall be gathered to meet Him in the air at the last trump which is the breaking of the seventh seal. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”(1 Corinthians 15:50-52). This is the time of the Rapture, the exact locus in the eschatological timeline. This does not however mean that we know the day and the hour. We can know the general time period as indicated by the parable of the fig tree, but not the day and the hour which are the exclusive preserve of God the Father. The secret things belong unto God, but the things which are revealed are for us and our children(Deut.29:29).

The Breaking Of The Seventh Seal: Wrath Of God Begins

The very same day that the Rapture takes place, the wrath of God begins. Therefore the seventh seal announces and pronounces and the wrath of God. The wrath of God occurs at the sounding of the last trump which corresponds with the breaking of the seventh seal. As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the day when the Son Of Man is revealed. The same day that Noah entered the ark, the rain deluged the heavens. “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”(Matt.24:37-39). “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.”(Gen.7:11). “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”(Luk.17:26-27).

So was also in the day of Lot. The same day Lot left Sodom and Gomorrah, fire and sulfur fell from Heaven and destroyed them all. “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”(Luk.17:28-30). We can see from these scriptures that there is no gap of time whatsoever between the rapture of the Church, and the commencement of the wrath of God, because the very same day the Church is raptured, the wrath God commences.

The trumpet is brown on Israel’s feast days, on the new moon, to call a solemn assembly, and to prepare for war, and in their wilderness journeys(Num.10:1-10). When the last trump is blown, the saints are gather before the Lord. What a solemn assembly? Then God goes to war with His enemies, to recompense tribulation to those who trouble us.“ We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”(2 Thess.1:3-10). God will recompense tribulation to those who trouble us. There is no way the Church can be taken away before the Great Tribulation which is the ultimate tribulation which the saints shall suffer at the hands of Satan and his acolyte, the antiChrist. The wrath of God will come upon the children of disobedience after the tribulation by the antiChrist which is the great wrath of Satan mated out on the children of God.

The seventh seal has no judgments of its own, but opens into the seven trumpets. In like manner also, the seventh trumpet has no judgments of its own, but opens into the seven bowls. The seventh bowl culminates in the war of Armageddon. Therefore the wrath of God is contained in the seventh seal, and consists of the seven trumpets and seven bowls.

Avraham Shallom.