Dennis Edwards: It seems to me that the mystery is in fact the return of Christ and the rapture event of 1 Corinthinans 15:51-52. Another verse using the word "mystery" is Revelation 10:7 which says,
"In the days of the voice of the seventh angel (who has the seventh trump), when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets."
When does the seventh trump (the last trump) begin to sound? At the end of the period of the seven trumpets found in Revelation 8-10. These trumpets bring down 1/3 destructive plagues upon the wicked, at least the first 6 do. But the righteous have been sealed by God before the angels sound these trumpets into action (Revelation 7:3, see also Ezekiel 9:3-6). The plagues are falling on the wicked not the righteous, similar to the time of Moses and the children of Israel in Egypt. (Exodus 7-12)
The next point is that the seven trumpets occur before the seven angels pour out the seven vials of the wrath of God. The vials of wrath are found in Revelation 16 especially, but also alluded to in Revelation 11:18 which says,
"And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that thou should give reward unto thy servants the prophets (Revelation 19:7-9, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and 2 Corinthians 5:10, receiving the rewards for the resurrected righteous at the judgment seat of Christ), and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth."
We may notice in chapter 11 of Revelation, before the mention of God's wrath descending on the wicked, we find the event of the seventh trumpet. Let us read Revelation 11:15.
"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."
The last phrase was used by Handel in his "Halelujah" chorus signifying Christ triumphant return and victory over evil. Again we see the seventh trumpet occurring before the pouring out of the vials of wrath.
Where else do we see a similar phrasing about the last, or seventh trumpet? In none other than 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 which again talks about the rapture event. I will just quote verses 16-17.
"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."
Of course, the above verse is also similar to those in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 which read,
"Behold, I will show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (as in death), but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinking of and eye, at the last trump (the last trump is the seventh) for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
These verses again are similar to the depiction of Christ returning after the tribulation of those days, which must refer to the seven angels sounding their trumpets in Revelation 8-10. The last trumpet, the seventh trumpet being the glorious event of the rapture before God's wrath of the seven vials is poured upon the wicked as found in Revelation 16. Matthew 24: 29a,30-31 reads,
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days...and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man (Daniel 7:13-14) 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 (that last trumpet, the seventh), and they shall gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
So we see the mystery is the seventh trumpet rapture event, the last of the trumpets of Revelation 8-10 occurring before the short wrath period of the vials which follows.
In Revelation 14:14-16 it seems as if the Lord is again referring to the rapture. The Scripture reads,
"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like the Son of man (Jesus makes reference to himself being that Son of man in Mark 14:61-62), having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped."
Obviously, these verses are alluding to Jesus collecting his fruit of disciples at his coming. However, the next verses afterward allude to the wrath of God that will occur after the rapture of Christ's disciples. In Revelation 14:17-20 we see the imagery of the wrath of God which Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonian 5:9 said we were not appointed to suffer. The wrath is appointed to the wicked and unbelievers to suffer through. Let's read from Revelation 14:17-19 again.
"And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God."
Here we see the wrath occurring after the rescue of God's children in the rapture event at the last or seventh trumpet, the wrath occurring during the pouring out of the vials of wrath seen in Revelation 16 and ending in the great battle of Armageddon.
Further imagery of the wrath is found in the description of the Battle of Armageddon in chapter 19 of Revelation verses 11-21. In verse 11 we see Jesus coming back to judge and make war, not to gather his elect. He has already gathered his elect and lifted them up to the Heavenly realm for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and to receive their rewards at his judgment seat.
Now he's returning with the resurrected saints and the armies of heaven (verse 14) to defeat the forces of Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon and stop mankind from destroying the whole world. In verse 15 we read,
"And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
So this is definately the wrath of God, or the day of the Lord as mentioned in many of the Old Testament prophecies. In verses 17 and 18 that follow, we see the angel calling the scavenger birds to come and eat the bodies of those that die in the war at that time. Ezekiel 39:17-20 has the very same imagery and no doubt is referring to the very same event, the Battle of Armageddon.
The last verses in Revelation 19, we see that the beast, i.e. the Antichrist, and the kings of the earth and their armies are gathered together against the Lord. But both the beast and the false prophet are taken and thrown into a lake burning with brimstone. The rest of his followers were slain and the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Those unbelievers who did not worship the beast or his image or receive his mark on their right hand or forehead and lived through those horrible days will be blessed in that they will get to live into the millennium period that follows. They will be given further opportunity to receive the Lord and be saved. Isn't God's mercy unimaginable? His mercy endures forever.
Daniel mentions the "blessed" in Daniel chaper 12:12.
"Blessed is he that waits, and comes to the 1335 days."
The tribulation of the saints by the forces of Antichrist will last 3 1/2 years, 42 months, or 1260 days. 1335-1260 = 75. Doing the proceeding computation we find that it seems the Wrath of God will last 75 days. It will begin sometime after the persecution of the saints which last 1260 days. The Millennium period seems to begin on the 1335 day after the period of abomination of desolation (1290 days) has taken place. That is why those that make it through to that period will be blessed as they will still have opportunity to find God and believe.
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