So
many people seem to be confused about this book, the Book of
Revelation, written by the Apostle John. I have had clarification on it
and will now share that.
However,
I know there are some of you that will still disagree, that’s fine,
this is my page and I am going to express my views herein, you are free
to do so on your own page. And, for the record, I am simply expressing
my views after much study, I don’t claim to know it all, I am not trying
to *teach* anyone, I am not trying to solicit or sell you anything. I
am not asking you to *follow me*. If what I say so offends you by all
means UNfriend or UNfollow ... I will still love you in the Lord.
{FB-related}
Now, on to my findings ...
The Seven Churches:
I’m not going to say much about the seven churches since that’s not my
main focus here, except to say that the majority of them were destroyed
at some point in history. However, the people of those original churches
that survived took the gospel with them into all the world, as
commanded, and here we are today as a result. We are the seven churches
to this very day, all believers throughout the world. As for the
original churches in Asia Minor (Turkey), just do a web search for any
of the churches names and you will see most are no longer. That’s not to
say there aren’t Christians in those lands today, there are, but of the
original seven at their original locations ... do a web search and you
will find at best tourist attractions, ruins. There are plenty of
pictures on the web to show you how, for a fee, you can *tour* the
ancient ruins of your brethren that died for the name of Christ; sadly,
many actually died for their idolatry and backsliding just as Jesus
warned. Quite frankly, that’s not the kind of *attraction* I’d care to
spend money on. Do your own research.
The Seven Sealed Scroll:
Did you know you can’t open nor read a -sealed- scroll until AFTER
you’ve broken all of it’s seals? Think about that, really ... think.
Even if its written within and without, you can’t see much at all,
perhaps the *back of the book* at best. That being said, I believe we’re
somewhere between the fifth and sixth seal being broken right now.
These seals began to be opened when the “Lamb that was slain”, Who is
Jesus, arrived at the throne of God in heaven sometime -after- His
resurrection. Remember, in heaven a day is as a thousand years ...
what’s been almost 2000 years to us since Jesus’ death &
resurrection is only 2 days in heaven. I believe the bible is clear when
the seals began to be opened since no one could do so until He arrived
in heaven, only He (Jesus/Yeshua) was qualified to open that sealed book
(scroll). No one can deny that we’ve been having wars, rumors of wars,
famines, earthquakes, pestilences, death and hell since His departure.
No one can deny those were called “birth pangs” and that they are
increasing in intensity and frequency in these last days. No one can
deny that we’re on the cusp of the ultimate world war, a nuclear war
perhaps. So, to sum up, Jesus began to open the seven seals of the
scroll at His arrival in heaven, after His resurrection. The scroll, to
this very day is still sealed, you cannot fully read its contents (the
seven trumpets followed by the seven vials/bowls) until all seven seals
are open. The Book of Revelation IS Matthew 24 KJV & Matthew
25:1-13 KJV, Mark 13 KJV, Luke 17 KJV & Luke 21 KJV, compare
them for yourselves; as well as many of the OT prophets who also wrote
about these things.
The Times of the Gentiles:
The sealed scroll represents the “times of the Gentiles” and has been
ongoing since 70 AD when the 2nd temple was destroyed and Jerusalem
sacked. The “times of the Gentiles” has NOT yet come to its fulness, we
are still in it. It did not end when Israel became a nation in 1948, nor
did it end when Jerusalem came back under Israel’s control in 1967, nor
has it ended with Donald Trump’s decree that Jerusalem is Israel’s
capital and that the US embassy has officially moved to Jerusalem. It is
not ONLY during the last seven years of Daniel’s 70 weeks either. The
“times of the Gentiles” has been ongoing for 1918 years (70 AD to 2018
AD) and will continue to do so until the church {ready virgins of
Matthew 25:1-13 KJV} are removed at the rapture. Then, and only then,
will the final seven years culminate in the ending of the “times of the
Gentiles”. The end of the “times of the Gentiles” will continue through
Jacob’s (Israel’s) trouble, which will be trouble for the world as well
... this period at the end of the “times of the Gentiles” is Revelation's
trumpets judgments (wrath of the Lamb) followed by the vials/bowls
judgments (wrath of God).
The Seven Trumpets Judgments:
Again, I can’t stress enough that you cannot read a scroll that still
has seals on it, all seals must be broken before you can read the full
contents of the scroll. The contents of the scroll are the seven
trumpets followed by the seven vials/bowls judgments. Once all seven
seals are broken and the scroll is open, it can be read. So, the next
thing we see in Revelation is the Trumpet judgments, also called the
“wrath of the Lamb” {Revelation 6:16 KJV}. When the seventh seal is
broken then the Trumpet judgments begin. The seals are not the trumpet
judgments, nor are they the vials/bowls judgments. Separate the scroll
and it’s seals from the judgments the scroll contains. These seven
trumpet judgments are clear in Revelation so I’m not going to hash them
out here. Suffice it to say, none of them has happened as yet. I don’t
believe the church will be here to see these because we are not
appointed to wrath.
One
other thing, the seventh trumpet is NOT the trumpet Christians are
waiting to hear. We are awaiting to hear God’s voice, that sounds like a
trumpet, calling us to the wedding of His Son. We, the church, are His
bride {2 Corinthians 11:2 KJV}. We are espoused (betrothed) to Jesus
until He comes for us and consummates the wedding. Biblically, being
betrothed is to be married but not living together until the Son builds a
place for His bride at His Father’s house. Only when the Father tells
the Son to go get His bride, once the Father inspects the addition to
His home and declares it completed, will the Son come for us. This
occasion is a special trumpet sound, not one of the seven trumpets that
sound the judgments of Christ; it is akin to the trumpet (voice) of God
heard when Israel was betrothed to God at Mt Sinai back in the days of
the Exodus from Egypt under Moses. Israel said “All that the Lord has
said, we will do.” (I do). Today we take that same vow. Israel accepted
the marriage covenant but they did not keep themselves pure unto the
Lord only. We Christians are the same, we accept the betrothal by
declaring Jesus as our Lord, Savior, and in essence ... Husband (Ishi)
... and we are to remain pure and set apart, only for Him, until He comes. Do that.
The Seven Vials (Bowls) Judgments:
Again, I can’t stress enough that you cannot read a scroll that still
has seals on it, all seals must be broken before you can read the full
contents of the scroll. The Vials/Bowls judgments (so called, depending
on what translation you are reading) follow right after the wrath of
the Lamb (Trumpet judgments). These are not the same thing: the seals
are not the same as the trumpets, and the trumpets are not the same
thing as the vials/bowls. Some people try to say they’re all the same,
they are not. If you simply read the words you will see the likes of
“and then” or “and after these things” ... “and” ... “and” ... “and” and
so on. The trumpets and the vials/bowls are also tied together by the
“three woes”, so before the sixth trumpet is sounded we see that one
“woe” is past and two more are coming. We see that the sixth trumpet IS
the second woe and that before the seventh trumpet sounds the second woe
has passed and warning of the third woe to come. The third woe begins
with the blast of the seventh trumpet, which heralds the wrath of God is
about to fall. The trumpets and the vials/bowls are clearly NOT the
same events.
The
third woe is ALL of the vials/bowls judgments. We see that these woes
indicate the gradual severity of judgments that befall Israel, and the
world. We see that people don’t learn and that’s why the severity
continues and gets worse {see Revelation 9:20-21 KJV and later again in
Revelation 16:9-11 KJV}. Further, the wrath of God (vials/bowls) is NOT
the same as the wrath of the Lamb (trumpets). The wrath of the Lamb
scripture is in the trumpets section above. The wrath of God scriptures
are here in Revelation 14:19 KJV, Revelation 15:1-7 KJV, and Revelation
16:1 KJV. These are completely different events, I don’t know how anyone
can mix them together.
The
three woes not only indicates that these events are consecutive but
also that they are joined, just as the Son is joined to the Father. I
believe the seven trumpets represent the first 3-1/2 years of the
tribulation (Jacob’s trouble) and the vials/bowls represent the last
3-1/2 years of great tribulation (Jacob’s trouble, and worldwide
trouble). Again, I don’t believe the church will be here to see these
because we are not appointed to wrath.
Comments:
Finally, if you don’t agree, that’s fine ... we can agree to disagree
and still remain brethren in the Lord. Truth be known, none of us knows
for sure, we’re all just expressing our own understanding according to
our own studies. To say someone isn’t a Christian ... or worse ... not
saved, because they disagree with your conclusions is just plain mean.
There will be a time when we will all know for sure and that will be
when we meet Him in the air. Let’s not *fight* over non-salvation
issues. Am I saying I have it all down pat, nope, I don’t ... but
neither do you though you may think you do ;o}
On
these things, according to John & Paul, we must agree:
Jesus is the Son of God {1 John 4:15 KJV}; Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh {2 John 1:7 KJV}; Jesus Christ is the Lord {Philippians 2:11 KJV}.
That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. {Romans 10:9 KJV}
Be blessed in Jesus ;o}
{Originally posted to my FB page today. All scripture quotes are from the KJV. This article is Firefox Reader View friendly.}
