What I was indicating is to see what your take is on these things, as they relate to Chronology? I'm hoping you will give me even more food for thought..... Thank You for your dedication to this subject..
I will give you the exact Chronological Order of the book of Revelation, then answer your post later on. In order to understand fully the timing of the Rapture we must understand the Chronological Order of Revelation.
Revelations Timelines Explained.
The name Revelation/Apocalypse is from the Greek word Apokálypsis meaning to uncover or "Reveal". So, Jesus is given this book by God the Father, and he in turn gives it unto John the beloved disciple. He gives it via Visions/Angel Messengers etc. etc., and at times via the spoken word, but mostly through visions.
Rev. 1 is Jesus as seen in all his glory by John (and the other disciples saw this glory also) via on this earth and now in Heaven. Jesus then tells John to write what he sees in Visions down and to send it unto the 7 Churches that are in Asia-Minor. Jesus also tells John he is to write about the things which he
"has seen" (Jesus' Glory on earth and in heaven) about the
"things which are" (Church Age) and the
"things which will be hereafter".
(The 70th week Trib.)
Revelation 2 and 3 is the Church Age or time of the Gentiles. The 7 Churches of Asia-Minor represent the Complete Church Age as the number 7 = Completion. Thus these 7 Churches are not different periodic Churches from different times, but 7 different type Churches throughout the whole/complete Church Age. Rev. 2 and 3 represent the things which are
(meaning that back on earth the Church Age/Time of the Gentiles was current at that time).
Revelation chapter 4:1 is the dividing point of the Time of the Gentiles/Church Age and the 70th week tribulation point. Jesus via the Last Trump ends the Summer Harvest (Church Age) at that time, via his Visions unto John, as Jesus told John write the things you see in the Visions down, thus when Jesus says
"Come up here" that is John being Raptured just after the
"Things which Are" (Church Age) and
seeing the "Hereafter" as this verse clearly describes.
Rev. 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which
I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
(After the Church Age/Time of the Gentiles)
Rev. 4 and 5 in total are the beginning of the 70th week troubles back on earth in that the Time of the Gentiles is over, the 70th week troubles,
(DESIGNED to get Israel to repent/see Dan. 9:24-27) is now the timeclock the earth is on according to Jesus' vision, the Gentile Church are in Heaven here as evidenced via Rev. 4:4 where we see Rev. 2:10, Rev. 3:5 and Rev. 3:21 all fulfilled by us (Church) sitting in Heaven, on thrones, in white robes with gold crowns on, as "OVERCOMERS".
We are again seen in Rev. 5:9-10 as those Redeemed by God, angels do not need redeeming, so that is us there. We are present when Jesus starts opening the 7 Seals that bind-up the Trumpet Judgment Scrolls.
Rev. 6 sees Jesus start opening the Seals but the seals do nothing, Judgment can not be put forth until the Judgment Scroll is completely opened up. Jesus simply prophesies here via visions unto John what is about to befall mankind back on earth. He thus shows the Church (and John) in Heaven, in this futuristic vision. THE HEREAFTER is what John is now in, he will soon be shown the 70th week tribulation back on earth, as soon as the Seven Seals are all opened up, but here in heaven Jesus is simply showing the Church and John via visions what he will soon bring to pass back on earth, which he will show them again via visions starting in Rev. 8. The first Four Seals/Horses represent the Anti-Christs soon to come 42-month rule. 1.)He Conquers 2.) Brings War 3.) Brings Famine and finally 4.) His rule will bring Death, Sickness and the Grave. Seal #5 is Jesus showing John that this mans coming 42 month rule will see many Martyrs also. The 6th Seal is Jesus showing John that the same 42-month rule of the Beast will parallel with God's coming 42-months of Wrath, as soon as the Rev. 8 Asteroid/Mountain is cast into the Sea, this Anti-Christ will go forth conquering amidst the chaos. These Seals all happen just before the Judgments Fall, as Rev. 7 says below, HOLD UP the Four Winds (Judgment) until the 144,000 are sealed in their heads, these 144,000 are the 1/3 Jews seen in Zechariah 13:8-9 who repents just before the DOTL, that are 3-5 million Jew who will flee Judea when they see the AoD.
Rev. 7, as wee see above with the lead in, are the Judgments of God/Wrath of God has not yet started in Rev. 7. The Trees are not burning yet, the Asteroid has not yet hit earth, thus this chapters is designed by God to show us that the Jews who repented, now seen in Rev. 7 fleeing Judea after they repent (are sealed) and thus God protects them from these coming "Four Wind Judgments", thus the Angel is ordered to HOLD UP these judgments that will soon harm the trees, seas and the earth (Rev. 8 asteroid). Then in Rev. 7:9-17 we see the Raptured Church in Heaven, the same ones seen in Rev. 4:1, Rev. 4:4 and Rev. 5:9-10. The Church which came out of the "CONTINUAL GREAT TROUBLES" we have on this earth as Jesus cited John 16:33. Only now does God's Wrath will hit in the next chapter, after the Jews who repented are safe in the Petra/Bozrah area where God Himself will protect them for 1260 days.
Rev. 8, God's Wrath starts when the 7th Seal of the Judgment Scroll is removed. As soon as the 7th Seal is taken off the Angels start readying the Judgment Trumps.
NOTICE: no Angel readied a
"Seal Judgment" because there is no such thing, the Angels do indeed ready the 7 Vial Judgments in Rev. chapter 15, and these 7 Trump Judgments as seen here in Rev. chapter 8,
but not the "7 Seal Judgments", because there are no Seal Judgments, the 7 Seals simply seal up a scroll of Judgments. The Judgments are the 7 Trumps, and the 7 Vials, which are in essence the 7th Trump/3rd Woe. So, Trump #1 is God's Wrath falling (Seal 6 coming to pass along with Joel 2:31 coming to pass), the fire coming in burns up the trees as seen in Trump #1. Then the Asteroid impact happens via Trump #2. The same asteroids Wormwood fallout of Sulfur or whatever it is, after the impact, is seen in Trump #3. Then in Trump #4 we see that the Sun, Moon and Stars all go dark by 1/3 via the smoke in the atmosphere, this will thus fulfill both the Seal #6 and Joel 2:31 prophesies, and the moon will no doubt turn "Blood Red" because of the fires effect, the moon will have a "Red Hue" because of the fires back on earth, it will appear to be blood red to the naked eye. Finally, in Rev. 8:13 an Angel announces that the last Three Trumps yet to sound are indeed the three soon to come Woes.
Rev. 9 is the first two Woes. I see the First Woe as God allowing Apollyon and his hordes of bound up demons out of the bottomless pit in order to be over the 7 Headed Beast once again, as he was before as shown in Rev 17, the Beast that WAS.........IS NOT...........YET IS. Thus Apollyon is the Scarlet Colored Beast of Rev. 17, he is let out of the Bottomless Pit in Rev. 9, which shows chapter 17 will be a Parenthetical Citation type chapter. The Second Woe is IMHO, a host of Angels who bring forth God's Plagues onto mankind. Until this point in time every chapter has been in perfect Chronological Order, now the book of Revelation diverges onto a different path, we start seeing the Parenthetical Citation Chapters in Revelation chapter 10. I am going to SKIP to Rev. 15 & 16 which I think is all one chapter, later divided by humans, which goes together perfectly in that the Angels ready the 7 Vials in Rev. 15 and then deliver the 7 Vials in Rev. 16, whereas the Trumpet Judgments were both READIED & DELIVERED in Rev. 8, as shown in one chapter, not divided, thus I think Rev. chapters 15 & 16 also go together in like manner.
Revelation chapters 15 & 16 is the next chapter as pertaining unto the Chronological Order of the book of Revelation. Thus we see the Vials readied in Heaven, then we see the 7th Trump brings the 3rd Woe, which is the 7 Vials of God's Wrath in full. We see the final judgments brought unto the wicked, and in the 6th Vial we see that the Kings of the WHOLE WORLD gather to fight against God Almighty, thus in the 7th Vial when Jesus lands on the Mount and splits it asunder, and then defeats all of those gathered against Israel at Armageddon, God Himself calls them Babylon the Great (Rev. 16:19) whom He has given the cup of wine the fierceness of his Wrath. Thus we know Babylon is the WHOLE WORLD Governed by Satan the liar, who has deceived (Babel) and confused these people so much so that the have chosen to take up arms against their own loving Creator. Babel = Confusion, and thus it is aptly described in Rev. 1619, Satan's Dark Kingdom on this earth, over mankind is indeed
"Babylon the Great".
CONTINUED......
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