Revelation 8:1-6 “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. (3) Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. (4) And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. (5) Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. (6) So, the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.”
In this section we want to discuss the opening of the seventh seal and what that event reveals to the church. So why are we discussing the seventh seal before discussing the sixth seal? At the outset of this series we mentioned that the events initiated by the opening of the seals do not occur in strict chronological sequence. The event initiated by the opening of the sixth seal is a case in point, for as we will see later in this series, the opening of the sixth seal initiates the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Prior to that event occurring however, there are numerous other events which must still take place, a key one of which is the pouring out of God’s wrath on the earth. As we will see in the following two sections, God’s wrath will be poured out in two stages; beginning with the sounding of the seven trumpets and ending with the pouring out of the seven bowls. And so we will not examine the opening of the sixth seal at this time, but rather we will skip to the opening of the seventh seal, because that sequence makes it easier to understand the chronological sequence of events that must take place in the earth. The above quoted passage of scripture describes the opening of the seventh seal and the sequence of events that will take place in heaven just before God’s wrath begins to be poured out on the earth. In this passage we see that when Jesus opened the seventh seal, the apostle John described half an hour of silence that occurred in heaven. After the period of silence, John described the seven angels that stand before God being given seven trumpets, signifying that God’s wrath was about to begin as each angel prepared to sound their trumpets. And so we see that the opening of the seventh seal initiates the sounding of the seven trumpets. Clearly from this passage we see that the outpouring of God’s wrath is directly linked to the prayers of the saints, for it is only after the incense of the saints prayers are offered before God that fire from the altar is thrown to the earth and the seven angels begin to sound their trumpets. A type of this event is recorded in the Old Testament; when the children of Israel cried out to God for deliverance from the persecution they were enduring under Pharaoh’s reign in Egypt. God heard their cry and responded by pouring out His wrath on Pharaoh and the nation of Egypt. And so we see that in a similar manner, at the end of the age God will hear the cry of His saints as they are persecuted by the anti-Christ and his followers and in response God will pour out His wrath on the earth.
Matthew 24:37-41 “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (38) For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, (39) and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (40) Then two will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. (41) Two will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.”
Nevertheless, before the sounding of the seven trumpets can begin there is a very significant event that must take place which will affect the church. That event is more commonly known as the rapture. In other words the opening of the seventh seal will also initiate the removal of the church from the earth. In the above quoted passage of scripture our Lord Jesus teaches us that the sequence of events at the end of the age will be similar to the Flood; for just as Noah first entered the ark before God destroyed that generation, so it is that the church will first be removed from the earth before God pours out His wrath on the earth. This passage reveals to us that when the rapture takes place, the inhabitants of the earth will be continuing with their daily lives completely unaware of the devastation that it about to come upon them. In other words just before judgement begins all of the earth’s infrastructure will be in place and operating normally. For example, satellites and global communication will be working normally. But all of that will change overnight.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. (15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul describes the event of the rapture. There are a number of truths revealed to us in this passage which help us to more clearly understand this particular event, i.e. the catching away of the church. Firstly, we see that when the Lord Jesus returns that He will not descend directly to the earth, but rather that He will descend to a realm referred to in this passage as the air. The air that this passage refers to is in fact a spiritual realm located just above the earth, and is not to be confused with the physical atmosphere of the earth. This realm is also referred to as the first heaven, which Satan’s angels currently occupy (Ephesians 2:2). Satan and his angels would have been expelled from the first heaven by that time however, having lost their war against Michael and his angels (Revelation 12:7-9). Secondly, we see in this passage that the saints who are currently in heaven will accompany the Lord Jesus when He returns. Paul goes on in this passage to tell us that these are the saints that will rise from the dead. And so we see that these saints will not stop with the Lord at the first heaven, but rather they will descend all the way to the earth to enter into their resurrected bodies. Thirdly, we see in this passage that the saints who are still alive on the earth at that time will have their bodies instantly changed from being mortal to becoming immortal (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). And then finally we see that all the saints (both those raised from the dead and those instantly changed) will then rise together to meet the Lord Jesus in the spiritual realm of the air.
Michael E.B. Maher
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