Signs of the Times and the Six Seals

I actually believe that Christians agree on most things in the Bible. I don't have any proof and have certainly not done the research, but my guess is the percentage of things we disagree about would be in the single digits. So today, I want to explore one of the areas where we disagree. While most of us agree that there will be a rapture, we disagree as to the timing. Most Christians who believe in a rapture fall into one of three categories: 1) Pre-Tribulationalists (the belief that Jesus will come at the beginning of the seven-year period of turmoil on earth); 2) Mid-Tribulationalists (half-way through the seven-year tribulation period); 3) and the Post-Tribulationalists (after the seven-year period of turmoil on earth). The Pre-, Mid-, and Post- (nobody ever said we were the most creative when it comes to labels).

The rapture is best described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 where Paul said, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

Read Matthew 24:30, 31, and notice the similarities: At that time (THEN IN THE KJV) the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Now read Matthew 24:21: “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.”

A careful reading of Matthew 24 reveals that Jesus used chronological words as he progressed through the events we commonly refer to as the signs of the times. As you read the passage, notice Jesus' use of the words then, when, immediately after, and at that time. It is as if he went to great lengths to show that the events of Matthew 24 are sequential. So the events of Matthew 24:21 occur before the events of Matthew 24:30, 31.

Why is that important? I believe it helps us understand the timing of the rapture in relationship to the seven-year period know as the Great Tribulation. In Revelations, the pre-tribulationalists believe the rapture occurs in Revelation 4:1: “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Then they believe there is a group in Revelation 7 who represent those who are left behind, but become followers of Jesus after the rapture.

I personally believe it is a real stretch to compare John’s call to “come up here" as being the rapture of all the saints, both living and dead, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16.

A comparison of the opening of the six seals in Revelation 6 with the Matthew 24 signs of the times will help us understand why I believe Revelation 4:1 is not the rapture. To save time and space, I am just going to give the Scriptural references and and you can study them on your own.

1st Seal (Revelation 6:2): a rider went forth conquering, a description of One who will conquer or rule the world. While this is not specifically mentioned in Matthew 24, verse 5 does talk about deception and in 2 Timothy talks about the anti-Christ ruling the world through deception.

2nd Seal (Revelation 6:4): a rider went forth causing war. Matthew 24:6

3rd and 4th Seal (Revelation 6:6-8): Pestilence and famine. Matthew 24:7b

5th seal (Revelation 6:9-11): Persecution. Matthew 24:9, 10

6th Seal (Revelation 6:12-17): Heavenly Wonders. Matthew 24:29, 30

Then the 7th Seal is opened in Revelation 8:1-5, which appears to mark a shift in the turmoil of the Great Tribulations from natural or man-made phenomenons to the supernatural turmoil of the wrath of God. However, between the shift, Revelation 7:14 describes an important event: "Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Much like the descriptions of the rapture in Matthew 24:31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17, Revelation 7:14 describes those who have come out of the great tribulation. If the events of Revelation 6 and 7 are chronological, then it appears that the saints of God are still here for the opening of the first six seals. The opening of the sixth seal marks the coming of the Son of Man, Revelation 7 describes those who have come out of Great Tribulation, and is before the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8 where God's wrath is poured out on those who rejected Christ.

Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (KJV): "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ..." If we could consider the 1st part of the seven year period as the Tribulation time and the 2nd part as the Wrath of God, Paul says that we are not appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation.

Why is this important? If the rapture occurs in Revelation 7, there is no indication after Revelation 7 that anyone else would repent and be saved. This is important groundwork for a question I want us to explore in my next blog? What if the Pre-Tribulationalists are wrong? What if no one can be saved after the rapture?