Mercer,

Your headline:

"Ola, they are the tribulation saints"

Many think this great crowd must be the tribulation saints, because of the two words, "great tribulation."

They also seem to think that Jesus put a title on the last half of the week, calling it "the great tribulation." Neither of these things are correct. Jesus did NOT put such a title on the last half of the week. People did that.
Many think this great crowd must be the tribulation saints, because of the two words, "great tribulation."

Always remember, context is everything. In context, in chapter 6 John has just showed us the signs of the beginning of the day of the Lord. At this time, the 70th week has not begun. Since it has not yet begun, of course John has not yet arrived at the midpoint or the abomination, so it is simply impossible that these were killed during the last half of the week.

So if we examine the context and those two words again, "great tribulation," we can find that John used the same two words before this, referring to Jezabel and those committing fornication with her. PLEASE remember that she was an actual woman in the church in 95 AD and men were committing fornication with her.  John wrote that Jesus would cast both her and those with her into "great tribulation" if they did not stop sinning. (Rev. 2:20)  the,point is very clear: God can create "great tribulation" any time. Here is great tribulation mentioned about 2000 years before the 70th week.  Now, before you want to spiritualize this verse, and think it is in reference to the church of today, remember that it was sent to that church in 95 AD, and was speaking to a REAL woman, named Jezebel.

Therefore, when John writes that this great crowd came out of "great tribulation," all he is telling us is that at the time of the rapture, there will be great tribulation around the globe. But what does this mean? It means that people will be dying for their testimony. "Tribulation" cannot get any greater than if you are put to death. You cannot be put to death twice!

This fits exactly with what Paul wrote in 1 Thes. 4 and 5, that the rapture would be the "trigger" for the day of the Lord. We get salvation and are ever with the Lord, while the lost get the sudden destruction of the beginning of the day of the Lord. John shows us the exact events: we get raptured as the first event of the 6th seal. The dead in Christ rising caused a mighty, world wide earthquake. John then sees the church in heaven, very shortly after the rapture, as shown in chapter 6. After we are gone, people see the sun darken and the moon turn to blood. It is the signs of the day of the Lord. Then, they cry for the rocks to fall on them, for they KNOW it is the signs of the day of His wrath.  Isaiah chapter 2 and Joel chapter 2 back this up: the 6th seal is the final fulfillment of these two prophecies.

The 70th week and Day of the Lord begin together at the 7th seal. We could say that the beginning of the 70th week is "marked" by the 7th seal. The 7th trumpet "marks" the exact midpoint, and the 7th vial ends the 70th week, while the day of the Lord continues on.

I might add, several here have mentioned the four blood red moons coming up in 2014 - 2015, with an eclipse of the sun (the sun will turn dark) in the middle. These five events make an AWESOME sign, and it seems to fit the 6th seal.

Coop