Hello Suzi and Doves,It facsinates me what we sometimes look to as our "clues and signs" as to how close or when the rapture will happen.ButAll we have to look to is God's Word!!! The book of Daniel takes us up to and through the 69 weeks and Revelation the last 7 years.The Book of Daniel gives us the EXACT DATE of Jesus coming into Jerusalem so the Bible will reveal what we are looking for now.......Pick up your Bible.Why is it that the the Book of Revelation is the only Book that gives us a special "Blessing?"Why? It's our road map to the FINAL 7 YEARS.So, Suzi, please grab your bible and open to Revelation and go along as scripture tells you the timetable.Interestingly, just last night I was charting Revelation for my own study since a few here have us in the tribulation already and in my "spirit" I know that is wrong.In Chapter 1; We are told God the Father gives this revelation to Jesus. "To show His servants what shortly must take place" Furthur it states; "Blessed is he who reads and hears and keeps those things which are written in it. Time is near,"Revelation 11The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
In verse 4 it is established who Jesus is:4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7Behold, he cometh with clouds (This is the raptured Bride clothed in White); and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Continues with John seeing Jesus amist the 7 Candlesticks;
12And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
17And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
20The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Suzi do you see here the church has been raptured?
John was in the "spirit" and is told to write was he sees to the 7 churches;
10I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. ( These churches represent the "stages" the church went through, it's history!)
Let's Jump forward to the letter to the Laodicean Church and Chapter 3 verses 19-22;
18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (THIS IS THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB)
21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, ( Watch for the Elders and their thrones in Rev 4:40 even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
NOTE: Scipture is showing us that when the "church" gets to be like the Laodiceans Christ is literally "at the door" and that is what we are strongly feeling !!OK?Now lets look at Chapter 4;Revelation 4
1After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: ( the door in Chapter 3, that Jesus was standing at , knocking, is now open!!) and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
2And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. (Raptured Bride)
5And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. ( Sea of crystal is a picture of the "Laver"where the priest washed. A picture of being "washed in the word of God", therefor the 24 elders standing on the Word/crystla of God) http://www.the-tabernacle-place.com/tabernacle_articles/tabernacle_laver.aspx
7And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. Please see PASTOR RILEY'S NEW STUDY:
You Must study this information to understand that after rRevelation 5 the Church is not mentioned again!!!!
8And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, ( Of course we know this is Jesus)
10The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Isn't it interesting there are Crowns being cast down?.....Crowns given at the Bema seat!!
Crowns
There is NO TRIBULATION before the catching away of the Bride of Christ. The "tribulation" is all about God bringing Israel to Him and judging the unbelievers / earthdwellers.........It's a different "dispensation"
I always thought it was: Suzi, don't guess.....be a good Berean...Act 17:11. Study and search for yourself
7 years begins
AC starts working behind the scenes to set things up
Rapture/Sudden Destruction
AC inhabits his 'man' who 'acts as savior' during the confusion
Witnesses start their ministry
AC allows the rebuilding of the temple, only to step in and demand worship to HIM
Witnesses denounce AC outright and are killed for it
Finally, before the 7 years comes to an end (the days were shortened for the elects sake) God steps in and his Wrath is poured out on the AC and all who stood by him.
How off am I? I've only been thinking about, stirred to question End Times since I first heard of and saw Obama not salute the flag.
I was always of the mind that we didn't need to worry, just trust in God and He was going to take us out before things got 'too bad'. *which I believe we are near*.
Blessings~
Suzi