Hi James,
That is a very interetsing web site. I can't see how he comes to the conclusion that the "rapture" takes place in the beginning of Rev. 7 which he ran together with Rev. 6:17. He states that this matches up with Matt. 24:29-31. I can't see how.
Look at this statement on Matt. 24:30 "and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory."
And then look at Revelation 14:14 "And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a Son of Man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand."
And if we read on we see the reaping of the earth by the Lord. Rev. 15-16. 15 "And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16 And He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth; and the earth was reaped. Matt. 24:31 is the gathering of the elect.
Those that remained on earth are the ones who took the mark of the beast in Rev. 13:11-18 and they are then gathered and thrown into the wine press of the wrath of God. The saints refused the mark and this was the seperating of the wheat from the chaff Matt. 3:12 & 13:30. In Matt. 13:28 His servants offer to gather the tares but in verse 29 He says, "No, lest while you are gathering up the tares, you may root up the wheat with them." But the wheat and the chaff are seperated through the mark of the beast. The saint will suffer tribulation but we are not appointed to wrath.
I am waiting to see the revealing of the anti-christ. Do you think that his appearance will be the beginning of the 7 year tribulation as I think the web site states? In Matt. 24:21 Jesus explains the great tribulation will occur and in verse 22 He says those days will be cut short for the sake of the elect. If the elect is already gone why cut those days short for our sake? We are not gone, that is why those days are cut short. In verse 24 He talks about false Christs so deceptive that even the elect could be at risk. We are still on earth in verse 24. We don't go until verse 31. The events that Jesus outlined just don't correspond to Rev. if we go in Rev. 7, it is too soon. It does match up very well if we go in Rev. 14:14-16.
It could be that 1998 is a pivotal year as many expect it is. It is soon, I would think by 2000 we could see these things unfolding very clearly.
This is a very contentious issue between christians. Please don't be offended by my persistance about this but this is the threads purpose.
Have a great day,
Bob
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