The title of this post might appear to contradict the scriptures telling us the rapture happens at the last trumpet. However, this post shows the last trumpet is not the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11.
Although the seventh trumpet sounds like the most likely candidate for the last trumpet, it cannot be because it contradicts other scriptures identified in this post. Since the scriptures cannot contradict the scriptures there must be another explanation. So for now, let’s look at six reasons why the rapture happens before the seven trumpets.
Since God has promised to deliver his people from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9) the timing of the wrath of God is an important clue to locating the timing of the rapture. If we know when the wrath comes then we know the rapture happens prior to that. So the first four points listed below prove the seven trumpets are the wrath of God, then the fifth point proves the rapture already happened before the trumpets, and the sixth point proves the rapture does not happen after the trumpets. Then comes the explanation of why the last trumpet is not the seventh trumpet.
1. The Trumpets Release a New Kind of Trouble:
John saw two kinds of trouble coming upon the earth during the end-times. The first kind includes events that have happened throughout human history, which he saw being released during the seven seals. These include false messiahs, wars, famines, diseases, persecution of believers, and natural disasters. The only difference between these events and previous times in history is they happen with greater intensity during the seven seals.
By contrast, the kinds of trouble released during the seven trumpets are unlike anything that has ever happened before in human history. Consider how unusual these events are:
- First Trumpet – There came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up (Revelation 8:7).
- Second Trumpet – Something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed (Revelation 8:8-9).
- Third Trumpet – A great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter (Revelation 8:10-11).
- Fourth Trumpet – A third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way (Revelation 8:12).
- Fifth Trumpet – A star fell from heaven to the earth and the key to the bottomless pit was given to the angel. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man (Revelation 9:1-5).
- Sixth Trumpet – And the four angels, who are bound at the great river Euphrates, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm (Revelation 9:14-19).
- Seventh Trumpet – The 24 elders who sit on thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond- servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm (Revelation 11:16-19).
Each of the seven trumpets release a unique kind of trouble unlike anything ever seen before in human history because they are the wrath of God, which has never before been released upon the earth. Since the trumpets release the wrath of God, the rapture must happen before the trumpets.
2. The Trumpets Are Administered by Angels and Other Heavenly Beings
The book opened by the breaking of the seven seals has been sealed for thousands of years going back to the days of the prophet Daniel (Daniel 12:1,9). As the Lamb breaks the seals of the book, the events recorded in the book unfold. It is like each seal is locking a chapter in the book. As each chapter is unlocked the events recorded in it start coming to pass. Other than the Lamb breaking the seals, there are no actions required from any angelic or other heavenly beings to cause these events to happen. Although the Lord has the records of these events even before they happen, that does not make him responsible for causing them to happen. This trouble is not the will of God. It is caused by the dragon and the spirit of antichrist, the same culprits who have been causing these same kinds of problems from the beginning. Since these things are not the will of God and are not carried out by the angels of God, they cannot be the wrath of God.
In contrast, all of the trouble that happens during the seven trumpets are administered directly by the angels of the Lord and other heavenly beings. For example, at the sixth trumpet four angels kill one-third of mankind. Angels who only do the will of God by the command of God kill one out of every three people on earth. How can anyone claim this is not the wrath of God? The reason why that claim sounds so absurd is because it is false.
As shown below, heavenly beings are actively involved with causing these terrible things to happen.
- Four angels hold back the winds before the trumpets begin (Revelation 7:1-8)
- Seven angels blow seven trumpets (Revelation 8-11)
- An eagle cries out woes to those who dwell on the earth (Revelation 8:13)
- An angel unlocks the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:2)
- Four angels kill a third of mankind (Revelation 9:15)
- An angel makes a proclamation (Revelation 11:15-16)
- The 24 elders thank God because his wrath came (Revelation 11:17-18)
The will of God is always done in heaven and by all of the beings who live in heaven. They never do anything outside of his will. Therefore, since heavenly beings are responsible for carrying out the terrible destruction released by the trumpets we know these things are all done by the will of God. God himself has given the commands to cause these destructive events. Therefore, the trumpets are not caused by the wrath of the dragon or by the will of man, but by the will of God. The trumpets are the wrath of God.
Since the trumpets are the wrath of God and the Lord has promised to deliver his people from his wrath, the rapture must happen before the trumpets.
3. Only 144,000 Bond-Servants Are Protected During the Trumpets
Just prior to the first trumpet in Revelation 8 the Lord makes provision for protecting 144,000 bond-servants by marking them with the seal of God on their forehead in Revelation 7. We are told the exact number, only 144,000 bond-servants of the Lord are given the seal, which means no other believers have this seal. We are told the purpose for the seal was to protect them from the wrath of God, which means no other believers are protected from the wrath of God (Revelation 7:3). The fact that only 144,000 are protected with the seal provides further evidence that the rest of God’s people are not on the earth during the trumpets.
Question: The Lord knew his wrath was about to be poured out and even postponed it momentarily to give the angels time to seal the 144,000 so why did he not just go ahead and seal the rest of his people?
Answer: It is because the rest of his people have already been removed from the earth before the wrath is poured out. The 144,000 are the only servants of the Lord who remain on the earth during that time (not counting those who come to the Lord after the rapture).
We find proof for this with the locusts released by the fifth trumpet. The locusts are specifically commanded to harm everyone on earth who does not have the seal of God on their forehead (Revelation 7:1-8). If the rest of God’s people were still on the earth during the fifth trumpet, the locusts would be required to harm them because God commanded them to harm everyone who does not have the seal.
Question: Why couldn’t the 144,000 just rebuke the locusts in the name of Jesus and command them to go away?
Answer: Believers have been given authority over demonic spirits who do the will of the evil one. However, believers have not been given authority over the Lord to rebuke the commands of the Lord. The locusts are doing the will of God by the command of God to harm everyone who does not have the seal. If it was possible to rebuke them without the seal, there would have been no reason for giving anyone the seal. If the 144,000 were not able to rebuke them in the name of Jesus, then there is no reason for us to think any other believers would be able to rebuke them either because the 144,000 are bond-servants who have not been defiled with women. They have kept themselves pure. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes and no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless. (Revelation 7:3, 14:4-5)
So the sealing of the 144,000 is further evidence the rest of God’s people are already in heaven. Therefore, the rapture happens before the trumpets.
4. The Elders Call the Trumpets the Wrath of God
After the seventh trumpet, the twenty-four elders give worship and praise to God for all that he has done and is about to do. They summarize the events that just happened during the seven trumpets with the following statement:
“We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:17-18)
Notice they refer to the events that just happened during the seven trumpets as the wrath of God by saying, “Your wrath came.” They are referring to the previous seven trumpets in the past tense as the wrath of God. If the wrath of God had not started yet they would be referring to it in the future tense. This is further evidence the trumpets are the wrath of God.
5. The Rapture Already Happened Before the Seven Trumpets
Prior to the start of the seven trumpets, we find the raptured church is already standing before the throne of God in heaven in Revelation 7:9-17. John saw a great multitude from every nation and tribe and language, which was too many to count. Then the elder explained to John these people came out of the great tribulation. It is impossible to come out of anything without first being in it. So these people survived the 42-month tribulation and the first part of the great tribulation before being caught up to meet the Lord in the air in the rapture.
The location of this scripture comes immediately prior to the start of the seven trumpets. This is not a mistake or a coincidence. The church is raptured prior to the seven trumpets, immediately before the wrath of God is poured out.
6. The Reaper Brings Death, Not Rapture
There is a great harvest of souls in Revelation 14, after the trumpets, but it is not the rapture.
In Revelation 14:14 we see one like a son of man sitting on the cloud with a sharp sickle in his hand. We know this is not the Lord Jesus because Revelation 14:19 tells us it is an angel. The Greek word used here is aggelos, which means angel. The Lord Jesus is not an angel and is never called an angel. He is the one who made the angels. The one sitting on the cloud is described as “like a son of man,” which is not the same as saying he is “the son of man.” Also verse 15 tells us “another angel came out of the temple,” which would mean the person described in the previous verse 14 must also be an angel.
The other angel cries out telling the first angel to put in his sickle and reap because the harvest of the earth is ripe. This is another clue that the one with the sickle is not the Lord because angels do not tell the Lord what to do. Then he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth and the earth was reaped (Revelation 14:16).
Most of the souls reaped are thrown into the great wine press of the wrath of God (Revelation 14:19). However, we know some of those killed are believers because the verse 13 tells us so:
And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” (Revelation 14:13)
So both unbelievers and believers are harvested by the reaper at the same time with all of them being killed. The believers who die in the Lord are blessed so that they may rest from their labors and be rewarded according to their deeds. These are people who missed the rapture, but then repented and followed the Lord. It will not be easy for them. Their decision will cost them their life, but they will inherit eternal life.
We cannot separate verse 13 from verse 14. These two verses go together and each explains the other. Otherwise, we draw the wrong conclusion thinking this is the rapture. We know this is not the rapture because believers taken in the rapture are not killed. They do not die in the Lord like those who are reaped by the sickle. Raptured saints are caught up into the sky and given immortal bodies without dying. As Paul stated, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51).
There is no mention of any rapture in Revelation 14. There is no trumpet blast. There is no appearance of the Lord in the sky. None of the souls harvested are caught up into the sky. Instead, they are all killed. This is the work of what is commonly called “the grim reaper”. The rapture already happened back in chapter 7, prior to the trumpets.
The Last Trumpet:
Since we have proven the trumpets are the wrath of God, the rapture must happen before the trumpets begin. Therefore, the last trumpet referred to by Paul cannot be the seventh trumpet of the wrath of God (1 Corinthians 15:52).
This point is supported by the fact that Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthian believers many years before John saw the seven trumpets. So the Corinthian believers had not yet heard of the seven trumpets, but they understood Paul’s point about the last trumpet because the two events are separate.
Another point to consider is the seven trumpets all release the wrath of God while the trumpet announcing the rapture has an entirely different purpose of redeeming the saints. This is further evidence these events are not the same.
To understand Paul’s reference to the rapture happening at the last trumpet, we need to see the rapture in the context of the bigger picture, not just the events of the last days. The rapture marks the end of the 6,000 year dominion that God gave to Adam and Eve, which they surrendered to the serpent, and which the Lord Jesus restored back to those who believe in his name. It all comes to an end when the Lord returns to the earth to take back dominion. After 6,000 years it finally returns to where it started. Then he will rule the earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years, which is the day of the Lord, the seventh day, the day of rest.
The rapture is not just a rescue mission for the souls living on the earth during the great tribulation. It is also the grand conclusion of 6,000 years of human history. It begins with the resurrection from the dead of every person from every previous generation who ever lived and died in the Lord. The dead in Christ are all raised from their graves first, then those who are alive and still on the earth are caught up together with them in the sky. Both groups then come together and are given immortal, imperishable bodies. It is like the payday that comes at the end of a six-day work week. Every worker is paid according to his deeds. Then comes a day of rest.
It is important to see the contrast between the six days of man and the seventh day of the Lord because it helps us to understand the rapture is the event that separates the two ages. Once that trumpet sounds, man’s age of dominion is over. That is why Paul called it the last trumpet. Everything changes after that with the dawning of a new day.
Conclusion:
So we have six reasons why the rapture happens before the trumpets:
- The trumpets release a new kind of trouble.
- The trouble released by the trumpets is administered by angels and other heavenly beings.
- Only 144,000 bond-servants are protected during the trumpets.
- The 24 elders call the trumpets the wrath of God.
- The rapture already happened before the seven trumpets.
- The Reaper Brings Death, Not Rapture
Since the trumpets are the wrath of God and since the Lord has promised to deliver his people from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9) and since there are no scriptures to support any rapture after the seven trumpets, the rapture must happen before the trumpets.

Author: James Bailey
James Bailey is a blogger, business owner, husband and father of two grown children. In 1982, he surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. In 2012, he founded Z3news.com to broadcast the message of salvation by reporting end time news before it happens.
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Hi James here is something most people do not know or would never think of, but this knowledge should definitely make a difference in our understanding of the “last trump.” The Apostle Paul wrote 1st Corinthians in about 54-51AD, LONG before the Revelation was written. John wrote the Revelation around 95 AD which was about 41-44 years after Paul wrote his epistle to the Corinthians. The timing of the writing of these text is well documented, although there is some disagreement on the EXACT years. So knowing this, we have to realize that Paul was not speaking about the 7th trumpet of Revelation. I used to think this also, BUT IT MAKES NO SENSE, because I have learned that a first rule in scripture interpretation is that you cannot invent an interpretation that would contradict what the original hearers would have understood. When Paul spoke to the Corinthians, they would not have understood anything about the 7th trumpet in the Revelation because it had not even been written yet! In I Cor 15:52 Paul may have been speaking about the Feast of Trumpets, that is one of the 7 feasts of the Lord in Lev 23:24. There is a series of trumpets blown during that feast, and there is a “last trump.” Paul did not have to explain the “last trumpet” to the Corinthians because they knew precisely what he was speaking about. A side note: Jesus fulfilled the first 4 feasts of the Lord on exactly those feast days upon His death (Passover), burial (Unleavened Bread) and resurrection (Firstfruits). Many believe that the rapture may take place on the Feast of Trumpets for this reason. It is possible because the precedent is there. There is an Old Testament scripture that may be a shadow of the rapture. In Exodus… Read more »
Thanks for that confirmation. Six reasons felt incomplete so I am glad to have a seventh reason!
Excellent:) Good for you.
It’s possible that our LORD will keep us, His Church, “from the hour of tribulation” while keeping us on Earth, much like the woman with Child was protected in the wilderness from the Dragon. We do not necessarily have to be gone, or even sealed like the 144,000 to be protected. God may “tuck us away” while the locusts from Hell are here.
Good points Pablo. But it’s not the hour of “tribulation,” rather the hour of trial, which is “temptation” (Gr. pierasmos”) from which God’s people will be protected. A good example is the mark of the beast, which will be the greatest of temptations during the tribulation. God will keep His faithful and give them what it takes to avoid the mark. Pretribulationists like to site this verse as proof the church will not go through the tribulation, but it is temptation (hour of trial) from which she will be protected.
I CANT FIGURE OUT FROM WHERE THE 6000 YEARS COME FROM…..Your article is very detailed and helpful. May God bless you with more wisdom. TY
“The rapture marks the end of the 6,000 year dominion that God gave to Adam and Eve, which they surrendered to the serpent, and which the Lord Jesus restored back to those who believe in his name. It all comes to an end when the Lord returns to the earth to take back dominion. After 6,000 years it finally returns to where it started. Then he will rule the earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years, which is the day of the Lord, the seventh day, the day of rest.”
6,000 years comes from six days of creation followed by the seventh day of rest.
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts.
2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 2:1-3)
Then Peter wrote this:
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. (2 Peter 3:8)
Amazingly, we are getting very close to the end of 6,000 years since creation. The years are well documented in scriptures, so we can do the math. Now we see many signs being fulfilled, which must come to pass before the end of this age. These are not by coincidence. We are approaching the end of the sixth day and getting close to the dawning of the seventh day, which is the day of the Lord, the 1,000-year reign of the Lord on the earth.
The information shown at this link (http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/march2011/rauld324-1.htm) provides an interesting hypothesis whereby we are very close to the end of the 6,000 year period. In fact, after sunset tonight (March 27, 2017), it is believed that the final Jubilee year (Nisan 1, 5777) has just begun.
A related story from WND can be found here: http://www.wnd.com/2016/11/could-2017-be-a-jubilee-year/.
Another verse that I think goes with your analysis is Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’
It is not just that He knew the end from the beginning, He DECLARED the end from the beginning. Hence, we have a clue that to understand the end, we should start with the picture painted in the beginning . . . Six days of work and a day of rest. Literal days of creation as a picture of six thousand years of history, followed by the day of rest, or the millennium.
But no one knows the day or the hour. You have a good analysis but if no one knows then was the primitive church wrong for believing the end could’ve been the next day?
No one knows the day or hour, but He did not say anything about the year.
I think Luke gives the best picture of the imminence of the “day and hour” which follows the events recorded in Luke 21:25,26.
The years of Man are 6000, but “The heavens and the earrh” were created by God before the 6-day creation sequence involving Man and animals. How long the earth existed in Gen 1:1-2, the Bible does not say. This is why, even if Earth is proven to be billions of years old, it would not discredit the Bible.
I don’t buy the old earth theory because the Bible says God made the light and separated it from the darkness on the first day.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:3-6)
Even for those who dismiss the Bible, there is a lot of scientific evidence supporting the Biblical age of the earth, such as the amount of solar dust accumulated on the moon.
James I believe there is archaeological evidence to indicate there was a pre Adamic world . What if for instance the Pre Adamic worlds rebellion & technology was so great they put out the sun ( just a big atomic engine ) . Then Creator GOD had to restart it , just a possible theory thinking outside the box .
This would be a great victory for scientists who could now say the bible agrees with them on the age of the earth:) The folks at ICR (Institute for Creation Research) have done an outstanding job in proving a young earth.
James I’ve been reading your articles and they absolutely cleared my mind and made me understand God’s word even more. And I very much appreciate you.
My only question at this time is who are the elders especially mentioned in Revelation 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.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Are they men? We are also redeemed by His blood and promised to be kings and priests.
Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Are they the 12 apostles?
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Thanks for the feedback Tibs. I am glad you found it helpful. Beyond what you’ve already found in the scriptures, I don’t have anything more to add regarding the elders. My understanding is they are men, but their identity has not been revealed to me.
James,
I have been thinking and holding before the Lord your comment about Rev 6 & Math 24 being the same set of events. I do believe you are correct but I think you may be more correct than you realize. To explain, I’ve been reading in Jeremiah; recall the Lord gave his a picture of an almond branch and asked him “what do you see?” He replied I see an almond branch and the Lord said, that’s right and this is what it means…
This pattern is repeated throughout the scripture. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in which he saw correctly, but did not know the meaning. Pharoah saw the fat & think cows but did not know the meaning, and John saw the 4 horsemen but did not know the meaning.
The vision is given to man; John, Nebuchadnezzer, Pharoah, etc but the meaning/understanding comes from the Lord or his representative.
The key to understanding the rest of the book of Rev may follow this same pattern, Rev 6 is understood by Math 24 – what other sections of Revelation are understood by other sections of scripture?
I agree. The creation week also gives insights into end time events. Also, Daniel’s dreams and visions, Jeremiah’s prophecies, and many others. Scripture reveals scripture all throughout.
The seals and the trumpets are the wrath of God I believe, and God does not punish the righteous with wicked, as like in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah. I will stick to we will be out of here before the seals and trumpets. God bless everyone:)
This magnificient article is a brilliant bridge between pre – and post-trib teachings, thanks James, I believe pre-tribs can live with this. Some questions/remarks. Possibly addressed elsewhere.
– The introduction of the mark of the beast is before the ‘rapture’, correct?
– The rapture and the return of the Lord are separate events. (Pre-tribs are correct here, post-tribs wrong !?)
– Any indication of the time distance concerning rapture and second coming?
– ‘Day of the Lord’, – the day of the Wrath of God ending with the second coming. The reign of Christ on earth or both?
Once again thanks for sharing your wisdom.
Thanks for the positive feedback! 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 tells us the antichrist will be revealed before the rapture. Daniel 9:27 tells us he event described there occurs in the middle of the final seven years. Therefore the mark of the beast comes before the rapture, which also explains why we needed to be warned not to take the mark. If we were already in heaven we would not need to know that. Matthew 24:29-31 shows the Lord returns and gathers his people at the same time. There is only one return of the Lord and one rapture of the church revealed in the Bible. Not sure what your final question is asking. I wrote a previous post about the possibility of the Lord returning in 2032.
Once again thanks. There seems to be something I don’t get. The book of revelation (besides the millennium) ends at the end of Daniel 70th week with the return of Christ. All events of revelation take place during that week, so there must be a time difference between the rapture and the second coming, the seven trumpets will take considerable time isn’t it?
Or the divine judgements directly after the 70th week, please elaborate a bit. Blessings.
The book of Revelation begins prior to Daniel’s 70th week and continues long afterwards. Prior to the 70th week the first four seals in Revelation 6:1-8 are broken, which release the birth pangs Jesus described in Matthew 24:4-8. Regarding the time difference between the rapture and second coming, Jesus explained his return and the gathering of the saints in the air all happens at the same time (Matthew 24:29-31). The sequence of events is as follows: First comes the birth pangs, which is seals 1-4, which I believe last for 21 years from 2008 to 2028. Next comes the first half of Daniel’s 70th week, which is the 42 month reign of the antichrist and the mark of the beast. This corresponds to the fifth seal with the persecution of the saints and mass murder of many believers. However, none of these events are the wrath of God yet. In the middle of the week the antichrist takes his seat in the temple, which is the abomination that brings desolation. That triggers the end of the 42 month tribulation and beginning of the great tribulation, which corresponds with the breaking of the sixth seal. The sixth seal marks the beginning of the day of the Lord, which lasts for 1,000 years. It is the seventh day, the day of rest. However, the Lord must first destroy his enemies, which is why it is called the day of vengeance. Before he pours out his wrath the angels of the Lord protect the saints from harm. 144,000 are protected by the seal on their forehead (Revelation 7:1-8). The rest of the saints are raptured when the Lord returns to get them (Revelation 7:9-17). Immediately after that the wrath of God begins to be poured out through the ministry of the angels and… Read more »
James, I am deeply grateful for all your efforts.
It is very imported you stressed the rapture and the second coming occur at the same time. But some questions do remain because the wrath of God must take some considerable time.
What is the role of Christ and the Church during the wrath of God and then I am thinking of scriptures like Psalm 149:6-9 and Psalm 110:3. Will Christ remain on earth during ‘the wrath of God’, do we go to heaven for a limited time to be picked up again to be involved in the battle of Armageddon? This is where I am struggling, the timespan between His coming and the establishment of His Kingdom.
I believe Joel 2:1-11 tells us what happens during the wrath of God. We see the army of the Lord destroying his enemies. The armies of heaven are going to invade the earth to establish the kingdom of God, including angels (Revelation 8-11) and saints (Joel 2:1-11). The saints will include those who were resurrected from their graves and those who were still alive at the time of the rapture. Then the Lord will reign for 1,000 years.
Dear James
It is because of Z3 that I read the book of Revelation over and over again asking for the Spirit to interpret it word by word. I have the Lord to thank for bringing me to this site which got me questionning everything the church preaches from their alter. I was an ardent believe in a pre trib rapture until lately after comparing Revelation with Matthew I have come to discover that pre trib rapture is just a lie from the devil telling Christians not to worry if they live a reckless life and miss the rapture, that they have a 2nd chance but Matthew, Mark,Luke tell a different story. There is only one rapture and its not pre trib as the word of God says in Matthew 24:29 quotes ‘immediately after the tribulation of those days’. The book of Revelations can be divided into2, just like Jesus spoke in parables and explained them later in detail. Chapters 1-11 are brief discussions about the end while chapters 12-22 explain these events in detail beginning from the birth of Jesus. It is no wonder people don’t read Revelation too often because ‘having eyes they shall not see and having ears they shall not hear.’ The theory of the pre trib rapture is an excellent attack of the devil to deceive even the elect.
Thanks for sharing this great testimony Priti. I am glad to hear you dug into the scriptures to see for yourself the pre-trib rapture doctrine is only a fairy tale.
Very interesting and raises a question:
1. Rev. 14:14-16 – The one who sat on the cloud appeared “LIKE the son of Man on the cloud.” The same terminology is used in Dan. 7:13 where we see “one LIKE the son of Man coming on the clouds….” Luke records the Son of Man coming in “A CLOUD.” (Luke 21:27). Notice there are two reapings of the earth. The Son of Man thrusts in His sickle to reap the earth for the harvest is ripe (cp. this with Matt. 13:30,39). This could be the bride who has made herself ready for the rapture ((Rev. 19:7). The second reaping of the earth is for the “gathering” of the clusters of the vine. These were cast into the great wine press of the wrath of God. So this is not the same reaping as in verses 14-16. I think Rev. 14:14-16 are the strongest passages of the rapture in the Revelation.
This argument rests on the idea that the “wrath” referred to in 1 Thessalonians is the same as the “wrath of God” mentioned in John’s Revelation, and that the bible promises Christians that they will be rescued from the end time events described in various places in the bible. In fact, the entire concept of a rapture clearly rests directly on this interpretation, that “the salvation” provided by our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, means that, if we happen to be in the last group of believers on the planet earth, we’ll get to escape the disasters to come: 1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. The only problem with this theory is that Paul isn’t talking about a temporal event, but is clearly addressing the entire church body [ “whether we wake or sleep” ], not just those left alive, and is not promising to save us from our first death, but from the second death. Did Christ die on the cross to save the final round of Christians from the final round of tribulations? Maybe, but contrary to what many believe [ hope for? ], the bible never promises that – it’s just not in there. The word wrath is used in a variety of ways throughout the bible, and it’s a serious mistake to make all the references equal to one another [ a requirement for the rapture argument to work ]. For another example, from the same author as Revelation, John is not referring to “end times”, but to “all times”, in this use of the same term: John 3:36 He who believes in the… Read more »
The Bible is clear about the rapture so we can know it is coming and have no doubts about it. God has confirmed it through many witnesses as listed here:
Daniel 12:1-3, Matthew 24:15-44, Luke 21:29-36, John 6:39-40, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10, 1 Peter 1:3-5, Revelation 7:13-15, Revelation 20:4-6
The bible is clear about the “second” coming of Jesus Christ [ Hebrews 9:28 ], and it’s quite clear that we’ll be gathered together with him whenever he does return [ Thessalonians 4:14-18 ]. But it takes a lot of work to find “The Rapture” as an independent event.
Of course there’s a lot of motivation to find it since the whole idea of “escaping” from all or part of the end times revelation is a lot more pleasant idea. However, the real problem is that if the whole escape plan is just wishful thinking, then it is a serious false teaching with dangerous ramifications.
The bible does teach that ALL true Christians are exempt from God’s final wrath, but it never does promise that those saints left alive will not be present when the really nasty stuff happens in the last days of planet earth. In fact, it appears that we’re expected to overcome until the very end, when Christ does return and takeover everything.
Great summary and well said Samm. I agree.
You agree with Samm??? Now I’m REALLY confused! It seems he contradicted everything you said in your article. I must have missed something. Samm doesn’t seem to believe in your pretribulation statements.
Mary I won’t attempt to answer your confusion, or speak for James. I just wanted to say thank you so much for commenting. I never would have found this article but for your comment. I have been studying and praying for clarity on the book of Revelations for the past few years but have been frustrated. This article has brought me that clarity. After reading each of his points my heart shouted yes! that’s right! again and again. I have been comforted today at the revelation of these perplexing scriptures.
My view is the rapture happens after the 42-month tribulation and near the start of the great tribulation, just prior to the outpouring of the wrath of God. Here’s a link to a post that explains why I believe the 42-month tribulation precedes the great tribulation:
https://z3news.com/w/tribulation-vs-great-tribulation/
Beyond that, here are two links to more posts on this topic, including mine and posts shared by others.
https://z3news.com/w/category/prophecies/great-tribulation/
https://z3news.com/w/category/prophecies/rapture/
You post tribbers just make so much sense:)
Hello James, i just have a question regarding the beast number 666. If Christians will go through the time when the mark will be given and rapture happens afterwards. Who is getting raptured the second time by the angel, if the people left have the mark of the beast.
Sorry if the question is worded in weird context.
Nelli
No one who takes the mark will be raptured or saved, but will be doomed for all eternity. (Revelation 14:9-11) The righteous will refuse the mark, even if it costs them their life. (Revelation 12:11)
There is a very in depth discussion of the 666 number of the beast in
you tube et Cepher–Steven Pidgeon —why the 666 is not accurate in
Dan 9 . For inquiring minds ! Could be Stephen .
So who is getting raptured the second time, will there be people who do not take the mark, but are not saved yet?
I have only found one rapture in the scriptures, unless you count the man child being caught up to God in Revelation 12.
So just to be clear, are you saying you are sure the rapture will come BEFORE the Tribulation period?
The Bible describes ” rapture ” happens just before or at the beginning of great tribulation ( the wrath of God ), see: “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand),” Matthew 24:15 ESV For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” Matthew 24:21 esv. ““Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31 ESV ““So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place ( let the reader understand),” Matthew 24:15 ESV — this verse means the antichrist will stand on the new temple of God ( it has not been built yet). It is around that moment the rapture happens. Some Christian people use ” tribulations ” this word to include period of great tribulation. If you separate ” tribulations ” from ” great tribulation “, you should see more clearly the timing of rapture. I read one person has the revelation from the Lord that the precise moment of rapture is when God says ”… Read more »
woow. Thank you Brethren. God bless you. so then no need to argue about pre or post-repture. If you doubt, I’d advise you to just remain ready everyday to be safe than sorry. Nothing will eat you if you can just be ready and not care whether it happens pre or post, that is Jesus and God the Father’s business. He just requested us to be ready, not to argue whether is pre or post. Amen God Bless You