THE 7 TRUMPETS OF REVELATION PART 2 BY LARRY WILSON

(this is Part 2 [the conclusion] – read Part 1)

Let me say from the beginning of this study that the following material is meant for serious Bible study. It is not intended for casual reading, but instead, an intense study for those individuals who are sincerely interested in the Word of God and are willing wrestle with its profound contents.

In last month’s issue, I presented and explained a few reasons why I find the historical view of the seven trumpets to be unacceptable. After a brief review, I will present an explanation of why I cannot accept the idea that a pre-Second Coming rapture of the saints occurs before the seven trumpets.

I use the inclusive term "pre-Second Coming rapture" because certain Christians believe the saints are gathered up to Heaven in a pre-trib, mid-trib or pre-wrath rapture. Since my understanding of the seven trumpets is not embraced by any church or denomination that I know of, the reader may wonder why I continue to insist that this subject is of utmost importance. Here are three reasons:

   - I believe that every person will soon experience a number of distressing manifestations displaying God’s wrath. To love God and have a meaningful relationship with Him, understanding something about God’s ways is necessary. An enduring faith in God is necessary, especially when God does "strange" or unusual things.
   - To understand the entire end-time drama presented in Revelation, it is necessary to understand the nature and integral purpose of the seven trumpets properly.
   - The fulfillment of the seven trumpets will be catastrophically overwhelming – both physically and spiritually. Except for Noah’s flood, no parallel in world history exists for such dishevelment.

Is Understanding Necessary for Salvation?

Many people have scolded me by saying that an understanding of the seven trumpets is not necessary for salvation. On a superficial level, such a statement could seem true because the topic of the seven trumpets does not affect our need for a personal Savior right now, this very day. Butdo not forget, years before Noah entered the ark, no one needed the ark.

However, when the appointed day arrived, the ark and its warning message became essential to a person’s salvation. The same is true concerning the seven trumpets of Revelation. At the appointed time, a correct understanding of Revelation’s story (including the mark of the beast and the seven trumpets) will become essential for salvation.

Why is the mark of the beast explained in Revelation if it is not a necessary aspect regarding salvation for those people who live during the time of the test?
A Brief Review

For the sake of review and for new readers, I will list three objections (from the least to the most important), presenting why I believe the historical view of the seven trumpets (trumpet events happened in the past) is unsatisfactory.

1. A continuing disagreement among historicists exists over which historical events satisfy the specifications given in Revelation concerning the seven trumpets. This demonstrates an inherent deficiency with the historical approach.

Here is why: If scholars defending the historical school of thought cannot agree on which event is the singular and unique fulfillment of the specifications describing a particular trumpet, to the exclusion of all other events in history, then it seems fair to conclude that this method of interpretation is unsafe. I use the word "unsafe" because a false conclusion on this topic could be disastrous. Conversely, I believe the coming fulfillment of the seven trumpets will be so clear that every child of God will be able to easily identify the fulfillment of each trumpet as it occurs.

2. My second objection to the historical approach is based on relevancy. Simply put, the historicists rob the seven trumpets of their relevancy. The same is also true of futurists (those holding to the pre-trib approach). Both schools of thought place the timing of the seven trumpet events at a time that has no significance to this current generation. This is distressing because I believe the seven trumpets will begin imminently and be directed at this current generation.

This is the generation that either (a) believes the seven trumpets are not important, or (b) is totally ignorant of the seven trumpets.

3. – Finally, the most important reason I cannot accept the historical approach to the seven trumpets is because it creates far more complexity and frustration than necessary. Historicists and futurists alike have many predispositions which need to be defended before their views can be seen as plausible.

Unfortunately, in order to do this, they often insert a layer of explanation between the Bible text and its intended meaning to defend these predispositions. For example, historicists cannot accept the possibility that the fifth trumpet is in the future because the fifth trumpet involves a time-period of five months. (Revelation 9:5) Many historicists defend the predisposition that in Bible prophecy, a day always equals a year, therefore, five prophetic months would equal 150 years (5 x 30).

So, even if the fifth trumpet event began today, it would still delay the Lord’s appearing for more than 150 years from now! Although the Bible does not indicate that all prophetic time-periods should be reckoned as day/year units, historicists believe otherwise and insist on a consistent use of the day/year method of reckoning.

This predisposition forces a wrong conclusion. Consequently, they place the fifth trumpet in the past and to justify or defend this predisposition, they insert a confusing "layer of explanation" so the specifications of the fifth trumpet "fit" with some arbitrary historical fulfillment. This creates a host of unnecessary problems.

Historicists have to define a precise 150-year time-period that can be defended as a fulfillment for the fifth trumpet. Since there is none (at least no unanimity among historicists exists regarding one), they try to explain away the obvious inconsistencies and then obfuscate whatever remains of the specifications in the fifth trumpet.

This method of interpretation is dangerous, unwarranted and illogical. I believe the Bible should be as free as possible from layers of explanation. Is there something wrong with taking the Bible as it reads? For example, the Bible states that the people who do not have the seal of God will be tortured for five months during the fifth trumpet. (Revelation 9:10)

Therefore, we can be sure five months of torture (not 150 years) will occur during a time-period when people receive the seal of God! Historicists cannot explain how people living during the fifth trumpet (which they understand to be a historical event) could have the seal of God when the Bible obviously states that the placement of His seal on the 144,000 is a future event. (Revelation 7:1-4)
Looking to the Future

Let us turn our attention to prophetic ideas about the future. Even though most Protestants believe the seven trumpets are in the future, they eliminate the relevancy of the trumpets by placing them after a pre-trib rapture. Understand the excellent logic, but fatal consequences that follow: If one accepts the pre-trib rapture doctrine, this logically eliminates the need to consider the seriousness of the seven trumpets personally.

As one man told me, "To fret and fuss over the seven trumpets would be like Noah and his family worrying about how deep the water might get during the flood. What difference does it make if you are taken in the rapture?" This attitude is potentially dangerous because the seven trumpets will occur, but the question remains: What if there is not a pre-trib rapture? If not, what prophetic support will disappointed rapture believers cling to as they experience the trumpet events?

When rapture believers finally realize no pre-Second Coming rapture is forthcoming, I am fearful that many of them will become very bitter at God because their leaders misled them.
Inertia

It is well known that there is much resistance toward changing prophetic views. Why? Because a significant change in understanding apocalyptic prophecy requires a significant paradigm shift. It is that simple. It is that painful. A paradigm is a pattern or orderly way of thinking.

With time, every Bible student uses a set of thought patterns and organization of data. Consequently, our ability to understand prophecy is determined by what we believe to be true. A paradigm shift occurs when concepts we thought to be true prove to be wrong.

When confronted with this information, we have two options. We can admit our error and start again, using a new approach as we search for understanding, or we can avoid further study and investigation altogether. As you might guess, paradigm shifts rarely occur, especially in religious matters.

This is demonstrated by the fact that less than 5% of the world’s population change religious systems. Usually, whatever a person is "born into" is what he or she usually "dies out of."

I am convinced that religion produces stronger paradigms than any other form of education, so religious paradigms produce very powerful corporate cultures. A "corporate culture" is a type of "dictator." Corporate culture determines how a body of people approach and view truth and how they go about fulfilling their mission. Just as ethnic culture and language is unique to each nation, corporate culture is unique to each group of people, both at work and at church.

Have you heard it said, "We just do not do things that way around here?" This statement is a declaration that corporate culture is alive and it is dictating how things are done "around here." With the passage of time, corporate culture develops within every institution and the longer the institution exists and the "old guard" remains in control, the less likely new ideas or views will surface and change the direction of that corporation.

History confirms this truth: Those individuals who have power, prefer to maintain power – it is basic human nature. To let go of power and control is almost impossible. Fortunately, change does not happen until people move, retire or die. For example,consider the Chrysler corporation.

When Lee Iacocca became CEO in 1978, a dramatic change took place at Chrysler. A transformation was urgently needed because Chrysler was about to go bankrupt. To keep that from happening, the U.S. Congress guaranteed enormous loans to Chrysler. Chrysler nearly went bankrupt because consumers stopped buying the clunky automobiles that Chrysler designers insisted on producing although sales, year after year, continued to decline.

The corporate culture "dictator" at Chrysler was unable to tolerate new ideas and changes. So, new leaders were chosen and the "old guard" was terminated – only then did Chrysler sales begin to improve. Today, Chrysler produces some of the nicest looking automobiles on Earth and their financial success reflects it!

My point in the previous illustration is that churches are not much different from corporations. Churches usually promote people as leaders who will (a) conform to the culture values of that organization (respect the old guard), and are (b) unlikely to make fundamental changes (respect prior thinking).

After all, church leaders see themselves as "defenders of the faith," protecting the church against encroachment and change! How ironic! It explains, in part, how all churches eventually end in darkness. The flashlight of truth continues to move forward toward a perfect understanding of God’s Word.

Regrettably, churches and people cannot corporately follow because of dictating paradigms. As a result, new churches are established. (This does not categorically mean that every new church is walking in advancing light.) Whether we like it or not, we have to accept the fact that corporate culture and religion are very powerful forces in our lives.

I have explained paradigms and corporate culture, hoping people will understand why change for some people and organizations seem so insurmountable. Unfortunately, I really do not believe this presentation will change the minds of those people who believe in a pre-Second Coming rapture.

No human argument is powerful enough to compel a believer’s firm faith in the rapture to change – only the Holy Spirit can do that. At best, I hope this study will prompt believers in a pre-Second Coming rapture to consider several issues. I also hope this study will benefit those people who are still trying to sort out the importance of the seven trumpets.
Prophetic Potholders

Protestants basically support one of four views about the gathering of the saints. Many Protestants believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. A smaller, but significant number, believe in a mid-tribulation rapture (e.g., Christians are taken to Heaven midway through the 70th week of seven years). Third, a number of Protestants believe in a pre-wrath rapture (e.g.. Christians are taken to Heaven just before the outpouring of the seven last plagues).

Last, a minority of Protestants believes in a post-trib gathering of the saints at the Second Coming. The concept of a pre-Second Coming rapture (regardless of timing) is a complicated study because so many ideas are involved.

In fact, a study of Bible prophecy is a lot like weaving a potholder out of many pieces of colored yarn. Small pieces of yarn are not very strong or important by themselves. However, if one weaves them together just right, an attractive and durable potholder will be created.

The same is true with the study of prophecy. Eventually, every student of prophecy ends up creating his own "prophetic potholder" out of his own yarn or the yarn given to him! (Sorry for the pun.) As so often happens, many rush out to assure others about the superiority of their potholder and the weakness of all others. (If this topic was not so serious, I would find this entire process, which also includes me, to be amusing.)

The object of owning a potholder is to keep from getting burned and a parallel can be drawn for a prophetic potholder as well. Each week I receive multi-paged letters from people who assure me that I am totally wrong because my prophetic potholder could not possibly come from a logical study of God’s Word, (i.e., the loom.)

My standard response (defense?) is that nothing is wrong with the loom. Instead, it is the quality and arrangement of the yarn that makes the difference! Be assured, time will confirm all that God has said. Nothing but the passage of time can confirm how close or how far we are from reaching the intended meaning of God’s Word.
A Pre-Second Coming Rapture?

Let us consider six concepts that are intimately woven into to the "potholder" of a pre-Second Coming rapture doctrine. At the end, I will give a brief summary from each point, showing why I cannot accept a pre-Second Coming rapture of the saints.

1. – My first concern with the fallacy of the pre-Second Coming rapture doctrine concerns the dead. Why are the righteous dead excluded from the benefit of a pre-Second Coming rapture? Why is the rapture limited to those people living on Earth at the time of the rapture?

The Bible shows that the dead are a priority to God! Notice how the Apostle Paul describes the resurrection of the righteous dead occurring before the living are gathered to the Lord at the Second Coming: "For the Lord himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17, italics mine)

This verse clearly bonds three items together. First, Jesus Himself will come down from Heaven with great authority and power to gather up His children – both the dead and living. Next, since Jesus holds the key to the grave (or hades, Revelation 1:18, KJV) because He is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18), He alone has the authority to resurrect the righteous.

The righteous dead are those people who were judged to be "in Christ" at the time of their death. Last, Paul says, "after that, we who are still alive and are left" will join with the resurrected saints to meet the Lord in the air. The order of events is very clearly stated in this text.

Yes, some people who support the rapture doctrine believe that Paul mentioned in this verse "those who were left," as though they were left behind after a pre-trib rapture. I believe this imposition on the text distorts the intended meaning of the verse.

Consider the preceding verse: "According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep." (1 Thessalonians 4:15)

Paul clearly states two things: First, the living will not precede the dead to Heaven. Second, he refers to those "left till the coming of the Lord" in the sense that they remain alive until the Lord appears. This idea is quite different than being "left behind after a rapture."

Read all three verses without imposing any preconceptions on them. Notice that Paul uses the pronoun "we" in these verses. Look this sentence, "After that, we who are still alive and are left…." Why does Paul use the inclusive pronoun "we" in these texts?

The reason is that Paul thought he, along with other living believers, would see Christ return without seeing death! In other words, Paul did not believe in or teach a pre-Second Coming rapture. Paul thought that he and the other believers would live to see Christ return and the dead raised from their graves.

After the resurrection of the righteous dead, Paul concludes, "we who are alive and left" upon Earth will be "caught up together" with the resurrected saints to meet Jesus in the air! Notice that Paul said "together" because he did not know anything about a pre-tribulation rapture. To impose this idea on Paul is inappropriate.

Notice this supporting text written a few years later to the Church at Corinth: "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:51,52, italics mine)

Again, the Apostle Paul includes himself. He uses the third person plural pronoun we to make the point that Jesus will imminently return before we all die!

To give a fair rendering of these texts, we need to put a time-stamp on Paul’s comments. He was not writing to Christians living in 1999. He had no idea time would last so long. Instead, he waswriting to believers in Thessalonica and Corinth around A.D. 51 and A.D. 57 respectively.

To verify Paul’s thoughts on the nearness of Christ’s return, please review each of the following texts. These verses clearly demonstrate that Paul thought he was living at or near the time of the Second Coming. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Romans 13:11-14; Hebrews 1:1,2 and Hebrews 9:25,26.)

Another interesting point. The sounding of the "last" trumpet mentioned in this text is not the seventh trumpet of Revelation, as some claim. The sounding of the trumpet mentioned by Paul is "the trumpet call," the loud and piercing command of Jesus calling the righteous dead to life!

Compare 1 Corinthians 15:51,52 with 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and notice how the seventh trumpet sounds in Heaven (Revelation 11:15) just before the seven bowls of wrath begin.

2. – The second problem I have with the concept of a pre-trib rapture concerns the judgment of the living. A pre-trib rapture mandates that Jesus (John 5:22) pronounce judgment upon each living person before the rapture takes place. Obviously, He has to decide who can be raptured and who cannot.

The fact that Jesus judges people before the Second Coming is well supported in Scripture, but no Scriptural support exists for the judgment of the living before the commencement of the Great Tribulation. In fact, I find just the opposite to be true. Jesus judges the living during the Great Tribulation, then at the Second Coming He separates the sheep from the goats. Notice what He says about the Second Coming:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left . . . "Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ "They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ "He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)

In these verses, Jesus clearly establishes when the sheep are separated from the goats. Nothing is said about gathering His sheep before the Second Coming. Why this silence? Could it be there is no pre-Second Coming rapture? Let us notice other comments by Jesus:
[Jesus said] "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6: 38-40, italics mine)

Here, Jesus says that eternal life will be granted to those people who believe in Him at the last day. He also associates the resurrection of the righteous dead with "the last day." If we integrate these points with the texts reviewed in 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4, we must conclude that the Lord Himself comes down from Heaven to raise the righteous dead at "the last day." Consider this text:
[Jesus said] "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come [this time] to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge forthe one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day." (John 12:47-48)

Jesus makes another interesting point about the last day in these verses. We know from earlier comments by Jesus that the last day occurs at the Second Coming. Therefore, no one knows whether he or she is saved or condemned until the Second Coming or the last day. Keep in mind that I am speaking of knowing, not about believing. You may believe you are saved or even lost, but faith is not the same thing as knowledge. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen . . . "

Knowledge, on the other hand, is a matter of fact.

This is why the tree in Genesis was called "the knowledge of good and evil." Humankind had no knowledge of sin until sin occurred. God gave instructions about sin (Genesis 2:17) and Adam and Eve knew that sin could occur, but they did not know what sin was. However, once sin was experienced, it became a matter of fact. The point here is timing: First, according to Jesus, no one can know whether he is saved or condemned until the last day that occurs at the resurrection.

So how can certain living people be raptured to Heaven (saved), if the rest of the living have not been condemned? Logically, if a pre-Second Coming rapture takes place, everyone else would be condemned to eternal death. So, what would be the point of having a pre-Second Coming rapture in the first place? My statement aligns with two other texts. Notice what Jesus said:

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done . . . Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (Revelation 22:12-15)

These verses indicate that when Jesus returns, His reward of salvation or condemnation is with Him. When He arrives, everyone will have been judged according to their deeds (works, KJV) and Jesus Himself will physically distribute everyone’s reward at His appearing.

Those individuals condemned (the goats, the wicked) will be given the penalty of death by a command from Jesus (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:21), the righteous dead will come to life and rise from the Earth upon command (Revelation 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), and the righteous living will join the resurrected saints and "fly away" to meet the Lord in the air "at the last day." (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

Let us confirm the point that judgment does take place before rewards are handed out at the last day: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

This verse confirms that God will judge each person that lives on the face of the Earth. He will review every deed during the judgment process and make a determination regarding each person, whether for salvation or condemnation. If a person lives by faith, then his deeds or works will confirm his faith. (James 2:17)

This is why we are judged by our works. Notice this confirming verse: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Did you notice that Paul uses the inclusive pronoun again? "For we must all appear . . . " Paul knew that he too must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So everyone, good and bad, including Protestants believing in a pre-trib rapture, have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ. When does the judgment of the living occur? Answer: During the Great Tribulation. God is going to test the faith and loyalty of the living with tribulation! (Revelation 3:10)

In fact, this is why God permits the worldwide mark of the beast test to be established – to see who will obey Him and live by faith to the point of death. (See the April and August 98 back issues of Day Star and also "The Sanctuary" – Study # 5 from The Five Essential Bible Truths series for further discussion on this matter.)

"I Will Keep You From the Hour of Trial . . . ?"

3. – Revelation 3:10 is often used by pre-Second Coming rapture believers to defend their escape from the Great Tribulation. So, let us carefully examine this text. To be fair, if the book of Revelation had only one verse in it, and this was the only verse, I could be persuaded that Revelation supported the idea that the saints will escape the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world.

However, this is not true.

Revelation has a lot more to say about this subject and the notion that the Church of Philadelphia is the only church to escape the hour of trial because of a pre-Second Coming rapture is not supported in Revelation! People, who use this text to support the rapture, fail to identify who the remaining six churches represent and what happens to them during the Great Tribulation?

Revelation 3:10 states (italics mine): "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."

Notice two points within this verse: First, Jesus says an hour of trial is going to come upon the whole world to test the living. For reasons beyond the scope of this study, I agree with pre-trib rapture believers that the Great Tribulation is imminently before us!

I believe this verse points to a final tribulation that has no equal in world history. (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1,2) When a person first reads this text it may appear that the Church of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7) will be kept from experiencing the hour of trial, that is, they will escape this testing time. Unfortunately, many Christians have come to regard this single verse as proof that Christians will escape the suffering that will overcome the world during the Tribulation.

Actually, this verse does not teach that Christians will be taken to Heaven before the Tribulation begins, but instead indicates that believers will be sustained beginning from the hour of trial until Jesus appears. I will try to show why this is true.

My conclusions are based on my study of Greek and the reference book, A Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (Bauer, Arndt and Gingrich, 1952, Fourth Ed.) This lexicon is recognized as one of the world’s best on early Christian use of the Greek language. The Greek preposition ‘ek used in this verse is translated "from" both in the NIV and KJV.

Therefore, the phrase reads, " . . . I will keep you from the hour of trial . . . " However, this tiny preposition is also translated in a variety of other ways in both versions of the Bible and has more than a dozen different English equivalents in meaning. For example, it can mean "from, out of, away from, coming out of, descending from, by, because of, beginning from, begins from, for," etc.

On page 235, the authors indicate that when the preposition is followed by a measurement of time – as in "the hour of trial," ‘ek can convey the meaning "beginning from." In other words, a person is justified in reading this verse as follows: "I [Jesus] will also keep you beginning from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world . . . "

When one word, especially a preposition, determines the meaning of a highly pivotal verse, we must be very careful in our research. We can and should turn to additional lexicons and other word study helps for insight. Although this effort may be valuable, it is not the highest authority regarding the intended meaning of the verse.

Higher and more weighty evidence must come from the Bible itself. So, let me present three points for your consideration about why this verse should be understood as "beginning from the hour of trial":

a. – Jesus told His disciples, " . . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age [world (KJV)]." (Matthew 28:20) I take this verse at face value. Jesus plainly said He will be with His disciples to the very end. I take the very end to be "the last day" when He physically and gloriously appears in the clouds. Jesus did not say His disciples would be with Him, but instead He is with them. If the saints were with Jesus before the very end of the age, He would have said something different. Notice these supporting words: [Jesus said,] "In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." (John 14:2,3) These two texts and the texts we discussed earlier cause me to conclude that:

   Jesus has gone to Heaven to prepare a place for His children.
   Jesus is coming back at the last day to gather up all of His children so that we may live where He lives.
   When He comes, He will first call the righteous dead to life
   Then, those people who remain alive will be caught up together with them in the air to meet our Lord.
   However, until He returns, He lives within us to the very end of the world through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:20, Galatians 2:20)

b. – The second reason I believe Revelation 3:10 does not imply a pre-trib rapture is this: Several verses in Revelation indicate that the saints are on Earth during the Great Tribulation. The word "saints" is mentioned 12 times in the NIV and 13 times in the KJV. Except for the 144,000 servants who are taken to Heaven after the trumpets and the 24 elders, not once does Revelation place living saints in Heaven before the Second Coming. (See back issues of Day Star, February 98, April and May 97.) Notice what happens to the saints in these verses:

"Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest [remnant, (KJV)] of her offspring – those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus . . . He [the beast] was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation . . . If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints." (Revelation 12:17; 13:7; 13:10, italics mine.)

These three verses are intimately related to the saints. First, the saints that live on Earth during its final days are called the last of the woman’s seed (KJV) or offspring (NIV). The devil is about to make war against them. The woman in Revelation 12 represents the bride of Christ – His people. (Revelation 19:7-9)

The whore in chapter 17 represents world leaders who will direct the nations to obey the devil who is masquerading as God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 17:1,6,15)

The contrast between the two women is obvious. One woman is loyal and pure, while the other is disgusting and corrupt. The last of the woman’s offspring in Revelation 12 are the last generation of saints who live upon Earth. The word translated "offspring" (NIV) or "seed" (KJV) comes from the Greek word sperma. It is the same word from which we derive the English word sperm. These saints will be the objects of the dragon’s wrath. (Revelation 12:17)

The devil, operating through ten kings and seven religious systems (the beast) will persecute the saints for a miserable 42 months. This intense persecution calls for patient endurance and faithfulness. I do not find support in Scripture for the idea that some saints are enjoying the bliss of Heaven while others are living through a hellish nightmare on Earth.

No, the purpose of the Great Tribulation is to test those people who live on Earth and to expose who the saints really are! Revelation 14:12 confirms that the saints will suffer because they chose to follow truth. It says, "This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who [suffer because they] obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus."

For a more comprehensive discussion on this topic, please see the March 1998 Day Star issue, "The Four Beasts of Revelation Exposed."

c. Let us step back for a moment "from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world" and review the comments Jesus made to all seven Churches. The meaning of Revelation 3:10 becomes clear when placed within its larger context.

Does Jesus intend to honor the people in the Philadelphia Church with a pre-trib rapture and simultaneously, dishonor the other churches by putting them through the Great Tribulation? Who belongs to the Church of Philadelphia today? How can we tell? Notice the chart on the following page to see what Jesus says to each church.

Taken as a whole, this writer regards the seven messages to the seven churches as local and timely messages. This means that when these messages were given, they were directed at seven specific churches that existed in John’s day.

Therefore, we have to understand these messages within their local situation, their day and time. (Similarly, we have to treat the two epistles of Paul to the Church at Thessalonica in the same manner.)

To appreciate the meaning of these messages, we have to put on John’s sandals and stand where he stood. I do not find any justification from Scripture to say that the seven churches represent seven phases of historical development within the Christian Church over the past 2,000 years as historicists claim.

Neither do I find the message given to the first century Church of Philadelphia uniquely applicable to those people who believe in a pre-trib rapture today. I do find these seven churches in Asia Minor to be essentially typical of Christians during all ages.

Therefore, the messages should not be promoted as apocalyptic prophecy, but as warning and edifying messages for all Christian churches. Jesus sent timely messages to seven Christian churches that had problems in John’s day, so that Christians everywhere could see that Jesus closely observes those people who proclaim His Name. (Incidently, more than seven Christian churches existed in John’s day, but Jesus chose these seven because their corporate behavior represented Christian churches everywhere).

The number seven is often used as a number of "completeness" and therefore, seven messages to seven churches suggest Jesus’ comprehensive analysis of Christian behavior.)
Church Item Censure Reward
Ephesus You have lost your first love for the gospel The removal of you lampstand Overcomers will have the right to eat from the tree of life
Smyrna You are about to suffer persecution for 10 days Overcomers will not be frightened by the second death
Pergamum You are eating food offered to idols and sexual immorality I will destroy you with the sword that comes out of my mouth Overcomers will receive hidden manna and a white stone
Thyatira You are eating food offered to idols and sexual immorality I will fully repay you according to your evil deeds Overcomers will be given authority over the nations
Sardis Your deeds indicate you are alive, but you are spiritually dead Wake up or I will come upon you like a thief Overcomers will never be blotted out of the Book of Life
Philadelphia You are weak, but you have been loyal and faithful to me Overcomers will be like pillars in the temple of my God
Laodicea You are compromising and lukewarm I am about to spew you out of my mouth Overcomers will sit with me on my throne

Continued to Part 3