JOEL 2 [31] The SUN shall be turned into darkness, and the MOON into blood, BEFORE the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
The sun is darkened and the moon turns to blood BEFORE the Day of the Lord will come
REVELATION 6 [12] And I beheld when he had opened the SIXTH SEAL, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the SUN BECAME BLACK as sackcloth of hair, and the MOON BECAME AS BLOOD;
When the 6th seal is opened we find the sun being darkened and the moon turning to blood. As found in Joel this happens BEFORE the great Day of the Lord
The day of the Lord is not just a day in length, nor does it just take place just before the Lord returns to the earth. But it is initiated by the gathering of the church and continues up until Jesus returns to the earth to end the age. To be clear, what happens after the sixth seal does not make up the entire day of the Lord, but is only apart of it. Consider the Following:
"Now about the times and seasons, brothers, we do not need to write to you. For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."
In the scripture above, regarding the "times and seasons," Paul was referring back to what he had just been talking about, which was the resurrection of the dead and the living in Christ being changed and caught up in 14 Thess.4:13-17. When Jesus comes like a "thief in the night" the church will be gathered with God's wrath to follow, all of which make up the day of the Lord.
[/quote]REVELATION 6 [12] And I beheld when he had OPENED THE SIXTH SEAL, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and THE SUN BECAME BLACK AS SACKCLOTH OF HAIR, AND THE MOON BECAME AS BLOOD; [13] And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. [14] And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. [15] And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; [16] And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: [17] For
THE GREAT DAY OF HIS WRATH IS COME; and who shall be able to stand?
And as you can clearly see {unless your a Rapturist} Gods wrath begins AFTER the 6th seal.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, but that announcement doesn't mean that God's wrath starts after the 6th seal. The only reason that people claim this is because they apply the wrath as taking place after the announcement. However, the words "has come" are in the aorist tense, which means that God's wrath is being spoken of in its entirety, which includes the plagues of the previous seals. The announcement includes the seals which have already taken place, as well as the 7th seal, the seven trumpets and the seven bowl judgments still to come. If you don't believe that, please tell me what you think about the following:
"The nations were enraged, and
Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead, and to reward Your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear Your name, both small and great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” - Rev.11:18
The above is stated after the sounding of the 7th trumpet. If we were to apply the same reasoning that you gave of God's wrath only beginning after the announcement at the 6th seal, then it would mean that God's wrath only begins after the sounding of the 7th trumpet, because the same announcement is proclaimed. However, that announcement at the 7th trumpet means the same thing that it does at the 6th seal, which is an announcement of God's wrath in its entirety. To be clear, it includes all of the seals, the trumpets and the bowl judgments yet to follow.
