Dear Doves,

 

     I heard an interesting theory concerning resurrections, earthquakes and the 6th seal of Revelation by author David Lowe.  He was interviewed on www.pidradio.com on June 6-8, 2006.  (You can access the interview on the website.  The hosts talk about current events prior to the interview.)

 

     According to Lowe, earthquakes occur in conjunction with resurrections.  For example, earthquakes occurred after the resurrection of Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:2 and some Old Testament saints in Matthew 27:51-52, and will occur after the resurrection of the 2 Witnesses in Revelation 11:11-13.  Consequently, he believes that the Rapture will also be accompanied by a huge earthquake, which he believes will occur at the opening of the 6th seal of Revelation 6:12-17.

 

     What I found interesting is that he puts the opening of the first 6 seals of Revelation before the Tribulation.  (In his interview, he did not state when he thought the Tribulation would start.)  He believes that Jesus began to open the seals as soon as he ascended into heaven.  He points to the fact that just prior to the opening of the seals, Jesus is not in heaven.  "And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?'  But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it."  Revelation 5:2-4.  He reasons that since Jesus is now seated in heaven, the search for someone to open the seals must have occurred before He ascended into heaven.  And if you think about it, the only time that Jesus was not actually in heaven, on earth or under the earth was when He was in the process of ascending into heaven.

 

     Lowe thinks that the rider of the white horse -- who comes at the breaking of the first seal -- is not the Antichrist, but rather a spiritual entity, like the other horsemen of the Apocalypse.  (This actually makes sense to me, because the horsemen are around many years earlier in Zechariah 1:8-11.)  Consequently, all of the plagues, wars, and famines etc. that have occurred since Christ's resurrection are a fulfillment of the first 4 seals.  He thinks that we are currently on the brink of the opening of the 6th seal.

 

     Many prophecy scholars believe that the next two major events on the prophetic calendar will be the Rapture and the Gog-Magog Invasion of Ezekiel 38-39.  However, there is disagreement as to which will come first.  I don't know if Lowe makes this connection in his book, but I immediately thought about the great earthquake that is going to happen during the Gog-Magog Invasion.  "In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.  The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence.  The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.  I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord.  Every man's sword will be against his brother.  I will execute judgment upon him with the plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.  And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations.  Then they will know that I am the Lord."  Ezekiel 38:19-23.  Perhaps the great earthquake of Ezekiel 38:19 and the great earthquake of Revelation 6:12-14 are one in the same: "I watched as he opened the sixth seal.  There was a great earthquake.  The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.  The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place."  Or perhaps the Rapture will occur right before the earthquake of the Gog-Magog Invasion.  It's exciting to think about the possibility, considering the headlines lately.  At any rate, there may be a whole lot of shaking going on when we make our exit! 

 

     Maranatha!

 

               -- Lisa Taylor