Arlene (1 July 2005)
"TRUMPETS"http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/july2005/arlene71.htm
From: Marilyn Agee
Hi Arleen and all the Doves;
> > When John turns he sees the Lord among the candlesticks, telling John to address letters to the churches, and send them to the churches. John has not been called up to heaven yet, with the “come up hither”, so this scene is on the earth, the churches being addressed by the Lord, JUST PRIOR TO THE RAPTURE. Christ is dressed in the garment of a “judge” (girdle around the paps, and feet like bronze), so this is a judgment scene. He is going to judge the churches, and warn them of the things which they fall behind in observing.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is like a dramatic production. Just as our movie directors always do, Jesus gave it a Preview of coming attractions. Then, he started at the beginning--when the Rapture was "at hand." It is "at hand" in both the first and last chapters (1:3 and 22:10). The setting is when the Rapture is at hand. When Jesus signs off in the last chapter, he says he will come quickly. He comes quickly at the Rapture (2:5; 3:11).
I think Rev. 1:10f is the Preview of the Rapture. In it, John was on Patmos, which means mortal. Then when he heard Christ's voice like a trumpet, he was suddenly in the spirit and in Heaven. Since Christ does not return to Earth until the Second Advent, He was in Heaven with the 7 churches around him in the Preview of the Rapture.
His garment and golden girdle means that he was attired as a King/priest. Gold is a symbol of deity too. Since judgment starts at the house of God, he has feet like fine brass and a sharp twoedged sword coming out of his mouth to cut off the foolish Laodicean virgins, as in Luke 12:46 and Mt. 24:51.
In Rev. 1:19, Jesus said, "Write the things which thou hast seen (before the Rapture, the 7 churches in Asia, meaning muddy, i.e., on Earth), and THE THINGS WHICH ARE (AT THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE), and the things which shall be hereafter" (after the Rapture).
John proceeded to do just that. He wrote Jesus' messages to the 7 churches in Asia that he had seen. Next, he wrote of the things which ARE at the Rapture (Rev. 4 and 5). With Rev. 6, he began to write of the things that would come "hereafter" the Rapture.
Agape, Marilyn Agee