Dennis Edwards
The Tradition View of the last days was that there would be great persecution or tribulation until the end when Christ would return to save His followers and condemn the wicked.
Since the time of John Nelson Darby and C.I. Scofield in the later 19th and early 20th centuries a doctrine of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture has been developed and wildly accepted in many Bible colleges in America and as a result throughout the world. No one can deny that the influence of C.I. Scofield through his Scofield reference Bible has been enormous.
The question is, Is that view correct? Do we find in the plain reading of Scripture room for a pre-tribulation rapture? The next question we must address is, Is there multiple comings of Christ, or one coming alone? Remember, the Traditional View is that there will be one coming alone.
I will try to defend the idea there are indeed multiple comings: one at the end of the seven trumpets of Revelation 8-10 and another at the end of the wrath of God found in Revelation 16 and 19. I prepose that though the Old Testament prophets saw these events as one, there is ample evidence in both the Old and New Testament prophecies to clarify the situation and show us there exists a short gap between the two events.
Old Testament prophets were looking at these events from a long distance and therefore saw them as one alone. However, today, we have additional information from Jesus’s endtime message. The information that Jesus gives us, we can combine with His revelations to Apostle John and Apostle Paul. Next, we entwine all of the information given in the New Testament with the prophecies of Daniel in the Old Testament. Jesus indicated that the Daniel prophecies were the key to understanding the endtime events. When we follow Jesus's clue, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can come to clearer conclusions about the prophetic events.
I propose a separation of the Great Tribulation from the Wrath of God. Rather than see these events as all part of the tribulation period, we shall separate them into two different and yet closely related events in time. I will show that the Great Tribulation spoken of by Jesus is the tradional 1,260 days or 3 and ½ years of persecution of God’s people. At the end of the Great Tribulation, or 3 and ½ years of persecution of God’s believing church, the rapture/resurrection event occurs.
The wrath of God immediately follows the rapture/resurrection event and will last a short 75 day period. At the end of the 75 day period, the Antichrist’s kingdom will have been destroyed and Christ will rule and reign for a 1,000 years of Millennial peace. Let us look at the Scriptures to see if these things be so.
The Great Tribulation Period.
Scripture references: Revelation 8-10, 11:1-15, 12:6, 12:14-17, Rev.13,5-7, 2 Thes 2:1-4, Matthew 24:15,21-24 ending with the Rapture/Resurrection in Matthew 24:29-31,1 Thes 4:14-18, 5:1-9, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Rev 10:7, Rev. 11:15, Rev. 14:14-16.
The Seven Angels With the Seven Trumpets!
First let us read from Revelation chapters 8-10 where the seven angels sound the seven trumpets.
Revelation 8 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
The Great Tribulation Period.
Scripture references: Revelation 8-10, 11:1-15, 12:6, 12:14-17, Rev.13,5-7, 2 Thes 2:1-4, Matthew 24:15,21-24 ending with the Rapture/Resurrection in Matthew 24:29-31,1 Thes 4:14-18, 5:1-9, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Rev 10:7, Rev. 11:15, Rev. 14:14-16.
The Seven Angels With the Seven Trumpets!
First let us read from Revelation chapters 8-10 where the seven angels sound the seven trumpets.
Revelation 8 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. 6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Revelation 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. 12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. 13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
What is important here in Revelation 8 is that we see the angels with the trumpets sounding and as a result of their sounding, there is 1/3 destruction on earth. The trumpets (I may at times call them trumpets of tribulation) are bringing 1/3 destruction, not total destruction.
Revelation 9 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Revelation 9: 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 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. 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Revelation 9: 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
What is important here in Revelation 8 is that we see the angels with the trumpets sounding and as a result of their sounding, there is 1/3 destruction on earth. The trumpets (I may at times call them trumpets of tribulation) are bringing 1/3 destruction, not total destruction.
Revelation 9 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Revelation 9: 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 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. 12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
Revelation 9: 13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. 16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Revelation 9:18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. 20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
God Seals His People Before Persecution Comes.
What we can note here, without trying to figure out what everything signifies, is again we see the 1/3 destruction. Note also in verse 4 it says that the plague was to fall only on those men who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. As you may remember, before the angels start sounding their destructive trumpets God has seen fit to put a seal on His people. In Revelation 7:3 we see the angel crying out,
Revelation 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
God’s people are sealed or marked before hand. The trumpets of tribulation shall fall only on the unbelievers, not on God’s people, and they are falling on the unbeliever to bring him to repentance.
Do we find a similar event in the Old Testament where God seals or protects His people, while others are receiving His judgments? Of course we do, we find it in the record of the events of the plagues of Egypt found in Exodus 7-12. The ten plagues fall on the Egyptians while God’s people are safe in Goshen. For the last plague, however, God’s people must put a sign in lamb’s blood on their doorposts to be protected from the angel of death.
Another place in the Old Testament where we find similar situation is in Ezekiel. The prophet Ezekiel, in a vision of the spirit world, sees God giving an unusual command to the angels before the destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel 9:3-6 reads,
Ezekiel 9:3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; 4 And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: 6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
God’s Promise of Protection Through the Difficulties!
Here we see that before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, God sent an angel to mark those who did not participate in the ungodliness which was taking place in the city. Those that sighed and cried in disgust at the abominations that were taking place were marked by the angel and spared miraculously by God. In a like manner, before the Great Tribulation begins, before the seven angels with the seven trumpets begin to sound, God will put a seal or mark on the forehead of His true children to keep them during the evil days to come. In chapter 3 of Revelation verse 10 the Lord has made a similar promise to the obedient loving church of Philadelphia. He says,
Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
The Lord promises to keep us through the difficult days of persecution and suffering which teach us patience. He promises to keep us even though we have little strength, because we have kept or obeyed His word and not denied His name. He does not promise to take us out of world, but to keep us from the evil. Like the old poem expresses.
Revelation 10 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, 3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Revelation 10: 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. 9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Here we see that when Apostle John was going to write down what the seven thunders had uttered, he was told not to write it. God keeps some things secret or hidden or He speaks in parables so that not all can understand. But if we search the Scriptures daily to see if these things be so, if we keep his commandments, if we meditate on his statutes, God promises to give us wisdom and help us to understand. Let’s review Psalm 119:98-100.
Psalm 119: 98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they (Thy commandments) are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
God promises to give us understanding, if we keep His precepts and commandments, and meditate on His testimonies. God promises to reveal His secrets unto us, His servants.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
I believe if we search Him with all our hearts, obey Him with our heart, mind and body, that God will indeed give us understanding in His word. He will help to open the Scriptures to us that we may behold wonderous things in His law and give us an understanding of things to come. Remember what Apostle Paul told us.
1 Thessalonians 5: 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
To go to part 2 click here
God Seals His People Before Persecution Comes.
What we can note here, without trying to figure out what everything signifies, is again we see the 1/3 destruction. Note also in verse 4 it says that the plague was to fall only on those men who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. As you may remember, before the angels start sounding their destructive trumpets God has seen fit to put a seal on His people. In Revelation 7:3 we see the angel crying out,
Revelation 7:3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
God’s people are sealed or marked before hand. The trumpets of tribulation shall fall only on the unbelievers, not on God’s people, and they are falling on the unbeliever to bring him to repentance.
Do we find a similar event in the Old Testament where God seals or protects His people, while others are receiving His judgments? Of course we do, we find it in the record of the events of the plagues of Egypt found in Exodus 7-12. The ten plagues fall on the Egyptians while God’s people are safe in Goshen. For the last plague, however, God’s people must put a sign in lamb’s blood on their doorposts to be protected from the angel of death.
Another place in the Old Testament where we find similar situation is in Ezekiel. The prophet Ezekiel, in a vision of the spirit world, sees God giving an unusual command to the angels before the destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel 9:3-6 reads,
Ezekiel 9:3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; 4 And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: 6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
God’s Promise of Protection Through the Difficulties!
Here we see that before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, God sent an angel to mark those who did not participate in the ungodliness which was taking place in the city. Those that sighed and cried in disgust at the abominations that were taking place were marked by the angel and spared miraculously by God. In a like manner, before the Great Tribulation begins, before the seven angels with the seven trumpets begin to sound, God will put a seal or mark on the forehead of His true children to keep them during the evil days to come. In chapter 3 of Revelation verse 10 the Lord has made a similar promise to the obedient loving church of Philadelphia. He says,
Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
The Lord promises to keep us through the difficult days of persecution and suffering which teach us patience. He promises to keep us even though we have little strength, because we have kept or obeyed His word and not denied His name. He does not promise to take us out of world, but to keep us from the evil. Like the old poem expresses.
WHAT GOD HATH
PROMISED
God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
many a burden, many a care.
God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep
But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love
Revelation 10 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, 3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Revelation 10: 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. 9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Here we see that when Apostle John was going to write down what the seven thunders had uttered, he was told not to write it. God keeps some things secret or hidden or He speaks in parables so that not all can understand. But if we search the Scriptures daily to see if these things be so, if we keep his commandments, if we meditate on his statutes, God promises to give us wisdom and help us to understand. Let’s review Psalm 119:98-100.
Psalm 119: 98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they (Thy commandments) are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
God promises to give us understanding, if we keep His precepts and commandments, and meditate on His testimonies. God promises to reveal His secrets unto us, His servants.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
I believe if we search Him with all our hearts, obey Him with our heart, mind and body, that God will indeed give us understanding in His word. He will help to open the Scriptures to us that we may behold wonderous things in His law and give us an understanding of things to come. Remember what Apostle Paul told us.
1 Thessalonians 5: 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
To go to part 2 click here
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