(kriss;26178)
Rev 7 does not teach about the rapture Revelation 7:9 "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"This is after John's second vision has taken place. Only here, and in John 12:13 were palms used to glorify our Lord. The Jews used these palm branches, "and cried Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord". That is a fact, Jesus did come in the name of the Lord God Almighty.Revelation 7:10 "And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."In other words, these great numbers of people, came from all races and nations and languages on the face of the earth, and each and every one of them have been saved. This is not part of the "rapture" as many teachers teach. No; but it is the people who have died in the Lord's work, and have gone to be with Him. It is my father who died twelve years age, and my uncle Ron who has passed on; It's my grandmother Knecht, who passed on when I was a child, and every other saint of God, who lived a life on this earth, and died and went to be with the Lord; from any century in this earth age. Those are the ones John sees standing before the Lord in their white robes, washed in the blood of the Lamb, and their sins made white as snow.Though we laid their fleshly bodies in the ground, Praise God their souls went immediately to be with the Father. [Ecclesiastes 12:7] From Adam and Eve to this present time, all these saints of God are now angelic soul beings; though they sinned in the flesh, each has repented of their sins, and God is faithful and just to forgive all those sins, and make them white and pure as snow. Revelation 7:11 "And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts [living creatures], and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God."John is seeing in this vision this beautiful scene through the heavenly door.Revelation 7:12 "Saying, A'-men: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. A'-men."There are seven-fold blessings the saints are ascribing back from themselves to the Lamb of God [Jesus Christ]. These are given to Jesus Christ because of what Jesus has done. They again are; Blessing, Glory, Wisdom, Honor, Thanksgiving, Power, and Might. Remember back in Revelation 5:12 it named the seven spirits of life given Jesus Christ by the Father? Here the saints recognize them and praise the Lamb. However rather than "riches", in verses 5:12, we have "Thanksgiving".The saints have already received their riches, at this time; and they are part of those riches through all eternity. So now they stand before our Lord in their white robes and bow and praise God in Thanksgiving. What a glorious Wonder to watch.Revelation 7:13 "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?"Revelation 7:14 "And I said unto him, Sir [My Lord], thou knowest. and he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."Notice where they came from, the great tribulation. They came out of the tribulation and "washed their own robes" in the blood of the Lamb. Nobody washed the robes for them. They were made white by the blood of the Lamb by their repentance and confession in Jesus Christ. These "witnesses", we will read of in Revelation 19, and our robes are the product of our righteous acts done in our flesh body, while living on this earth. Those acts are the things you do, and in helping others in the name of the Lord. Our Salvation comes only by grace [unmerited favor] of God, through the blood of the Lamb [Jesus Christ on the cross]; yet our righteous acts are what we are clothed in throughout all eternity. True righteousness is only in Christ, but when you try, God accepts it as perfect. So these saints are standing there in their righteous works. The term "great tribulation" is better translated "great afflictions" in the flesh, or body. For these saints went through afflictions in the flesh, or body; However they may not have lived in the period of the "Great Tribulation". That is the time when Satan will rule the earth, in person, as Antichrist. Many millions have suffered greatly in the name of God, and even given their lives in His service. Revelation 7:15 "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he hat sitteth on the throne shall dwell among [spread His tabernacle over] them."Many of these saints will return with Christ at the seventh trumpet. However, when the Godhead, and His throne move to earth eternally, it will be following the Great White Throne Judgment. Then all souls will be on earth and in God's eternal kingdom, or they will simply not exist. Not even the memory of them will exist. Nor does this speak of any secrert raptureMatthew 13:33 "Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."This has a two fold meaning. You use wheat to bake bread. You take the meal of the wheat to bake and get your bread. The wheat here is the fruit of the seed that is planted. The seed that we plant is the Word, however there are two words given in the Greek, The one word for seed is "sperma" and it produced children, and in the flesh, if we allow them to influence our mind, they will bring us death [spiritual death]. The other Word is the "truth of God's Holy Scriptures", and from that seed, which came from Adam, is Christ. It is through Jesus Christ and only Him that we can have eternal life. The wheat in the parable are the elect of God, that God can depend upon. The "whole" [field] of the loaf will be one, in victory. The kingdom of God is the leaven that made the loaf rise, and come to the completed state that it shall come to. Matthew 13:34 "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:"Luke 12:37 Yes blessedare those who keep watching that means when antichrist comes first are you going to follow after him or keep watchiing for true Christ who comes once at the 7th and final trumpLuke 12:38 "And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants."Speaking as a soldier on duty at his watch, he is ready at nine at night or three o'clock in the morning. When ever the enemy come against the camp, they are ready to take the enemy on and defeat them.Luke 12:39 "And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through."Did you get what this verse is saying? You are not only to watch out for yourself, but you also are to watch out for your family. Don't let Satan rip off the children, if there is a open mind between you all. If they are in the Word with their spiritual eyes open, keep them open to the truth and the events of our time. We will see later in this chapter that this is not always possible.Luke 12:40 "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not."This is a very interesting verse, for the time that most people will be unprepared for Jesus Christ's return, is when they think that Christ is already here. When they are deceived into thinking that the first chirst is the True Christ.
Yes, Kriss! Very Good!May I add.....Parables of Matthew 13 regarding the Wheat and the Tares and the Fisherman's net....Mat 13:25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.Mat 13:26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.Mat 13:27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?Mat 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.Mat 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one];Mat 13:40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. ---------Very plainly, the TARES or "children of the wicked" are to be gathered FIRST, then the wheat will be gathered into the barns.The Parable of the Fisherman's Net.Mat 13:47-50 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."-------------Again, it is the "wicked" which are gathered FIRST and cast out or "severed from among the "just".SO, then we read the Olivet prophecy of Matthew 24:Matthew 24:40-41 "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.So WHO will be taken here? I wanna be left behind! Because it is the WICKED who are gathered FIRST.Mat 24:29 "Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:"Mat 24:31 "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."Mat 24:38-39 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.------------The "elect" are gathered AFTER the days of the Tribulation. I think it is very clear here.And it is the WICKED who are gathered FIRST and "severed from among the just".Kim