How did I pull anything out of context. The seals are in chronological order. They have not yet taken place. Nothing I have said has been theory. The seals are the beginning of God's wrath, which the church is not appointed to suffer, which is what you are not understanding. And that because you don't understand that the announcement of wrath includes the previous seals and the fact that the Lamb/Jesus is the One opening them.
This is completely false and has nothing to do with the church. These are seals of wrath! The rider on the white horse is symbolically representing the antichrist, not the church. This is all assumption on your part.
These events have not yet take place, but will once the church has been gathered from the earth. As I said previously, there has been no time where complete peace has been taken from the earth so that a fourth of the population is killed. It has nothing to do with "their theater of operation." Just as the scripture says, death and hades will be given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth. It doesn't say maybe kill a fourth of the earth, but a fourth (25%) is how many are going to die and that in a short period of time.
More assumptions! Aren't you the one who keeps talking about sticking to what is written? Yet, you assumed everything above.
I say again, the seals are future events of wrath. They take place after the church period and during the "what must take place later" portion of what John was told to write. Currently, we are still in "what is now" portion" which is the church period and which will end once the Lord comes for His church. Everything from Rev.4:1 onward belongs to the "what will take place later" portion of what John was told to write.
How did I pull anything out of context. The seals are in chronological order. They have not yet taken place. Nothing I have said has been theory.
If this wasn't so sad, it would be funny. The truth is, when someone says the seals have not yet taken place, they have already been pulled the seals out of context. What you are saying is, you simple don't know the context of the first seals. You simply don't believe John is talking about the real Jesus raising from the dead, then the real Jesus ascending into heaven and then the real Jesus sending the Holy Spirit down. You don't understand what John is showing us - that when the real Jesus rose from the dead, then ascended, then sent the Holy Spirit down, it was RIGHT THEN, 32 AD, that He took the book and opened the first seal. That is what is written, but you just don't believe it.
But go ahead anyway: PULL that first seal out of its ascension context and imagine it is for something still in our future. You will still be mistaken the next time you post.
Another truth: OF COURSE this is your theory! You just admitted to it! I know, you imagine it is truth. I know it is a false theory. It does not fit the text.
Do this: find ONE WORD in the first seal description that even hints at wrath.
the church is not appointed to suffer, which is what you are not understanding
I understand the truth: Paul said it: God is not setting any appointments for us with His wrath. In context, Paul is saying WE get caught up, but THEY get the sudden destruction start of God's wrath which is the Day of the Lord. The rapture is JUST BEFORE wrath, but this wrath starts at the 6th seal. It is silly to imagine God has wrath towards his martyrs at the 5th seal. This I am sure of: if the DAY started with the first seal, John would have told us. What he did tell us is it starts at the 6th seal.
What you fail to understand is if you in error say that the first seal is the Antichrist Beast - or even the man of sin - Then you are also saying that God will limit him to 1/4th the earth. We KNOW this cannot be truth, for in another verse God said: "power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. " This is the truth.
God has limited Satan to 1/4 of the earth to try and stop the gospel, but that is during the church age.
This is completely false and has nothing to do with the church. These are seals of wrath! The rider on the white horse is symbolically representing the antichrist, not the church. This is all assumption on your part.
This is just another part of your disagreement with John. Why don't you BELIEVE John?
Rev 5:
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
These verses portray Jesus' ascension and His sending down the Holy Spirit. If your theory was true, then this will happen again some time in the future! That is just silly. It happened around 32 AD - but you don't seem to believe John. My friend, that is on you. The truth is, Jesus got the book and opened the first seal shortly after He ascended - exactly as John has shown it.
YOU say they are seals of wrath: can you FIND the word wrath anywhere in the first 5 seals? You KNOW you can't, yet somehow you imagine what is not written. Again, that is on you. (I will admit that Satan has always had wrath towards the church, for He hated Jesus and so hates the church - but you are speaking of God's wrath.)
so that a fourth of the population is killed. It has nothing to do with "their theater of operation."
It seems you just don't read these scriptures very well. Let's look together:
AMP
So I looked, and behold, an ashen (pale greenish gray) horse [like a corpse, representing death and pestilence]; and its rider’s name was Death; and Hades (the realm of the dead) was following with him. They were given authority
and power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with plague (pestilence, disease) and by the wild beasts of the earth.
BRG And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth
CSB They were given authority over a fourth of the earth
Barnes Notes: "Over the fourth part of the earth - That is, of the Roman world. It is not absolutely necessary to understand this as extending over precisely a fourth part of the world. "
Gill's Commentary: "over the fourth part of the earth; not of the church, which is never called the earth in this book, but is distinguished from it,
Revelation 12:16; nor the land of Judea, but the Roman empire; some understand it of Europe, the fourth part of the world: "
Adam Clarke Commentary: "Over the fourth part of the earth - One fourth of mankind was to feel the desolating effects of this seal. "
Darby's Commentary: "I have to notice that in the full plagues of Revelation 6:8 (NAS)
Revelation 6:8 the whole Roman earth is not included. It is a fourth, not a third. "
Knolly's Commentary: " in the fourth part of the habitable earth; that is Europe. "
Smith's Commentary: "
Thus in a fourth part of the earth men will die by the sword, by famine, by pestilence, and by ravenous beasts of the earth.
It has been generally recognised that these first four judgments correspond to those which the Lord speaks of as "the beginning of sorrows." When telling His disciples of the future judgments coming upon the prophetic earth, He speaks first of "wars and rumours of wars," then of internecine warfare- "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom;" thirdly, the Lord foretells famines, and finally pestilence..."
I did not mean to hit post. Notice how John writes it if he is speaking of people dying:
Re. 9:15 " to slay the third part of men. "
This proves without a shadow of doubt that John is talking about God LIMITING the land area Satan is allowed to work in to stop the church: only 1/4th of the earth