Ron, we have been commanded to watch have we not, and there is nothing wrong with letting our spirit lead and blowing the trumpet if that is appropriate to how we feel. On the contrary, I think it is a duty!

I wanted to mention a theme and understanding that I have picked up from the book of  Revelation.

The book is of course about a detailed vision and visit to Heaven that John was given about the future. It was of course his future, or the future then and not necessarily just ours. So WW1 and WW2 may be included in the events!

The book starts of with Jesus introducing himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. But, and here is the point, the stage of this book is set by Jesus explaining what the Seven Spirit of God are saying to the Seven Churches.

It goes like this - to each Church:

- What it is doing that is good
- What is not good
- What will happen to those practising the 'not good' unless they repent
- What will be given to those who 'overcome'

Here are the rewards, as a reminder to many:

• "I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of paradise of God"
• "He shall not be hurt of the second death"
• "I will give eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name which no man knows save he who received it"
• "I will give power over the nations and I will give the morning star"
• "He shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels"
• "I will make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go out no more, I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is new Jerusalem"
• I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne"

There is a definite theme to what is in store for those who overcome. The rewards are all heavenly, in heaven, post second death, post Rapture.

Now I think this is extremely extremely important. Jesus chose to introduce such a vision of future events and outcomes with - what we are doing that is right, what is wrong and we must repent from and how we need to overcome.

You do well to balance the blowing of the trumpet with a reminder of the real struggle we all face - and that is to overcome, to wash our garments clean and to wait and watch (In other words, first make sure you have enough OIL).

In the book of Revelation, I have noted that a 'great earthquake' occurs when the sixth seal is opened. The mountains are moved and the stars fall out of the sky. Clearly a major earthquake like a WW3 or an Earth crust rotation or an event of cosmic proportion.

The very next verse starts, and after these things... the 4 angels are commanded to hold the four winds. Now the sealing of the 144,000 takes place, it is clearly after. But I don't know if these events are in such quick succession that they can still be regarded as simultaneous or not. So we have the major Earthquake and the sealing of 144,000. Then John sees a great multitude, which no one could number, in white robes! So this is clearly referring to the Rapture and it has taken place either so close to the sudden destruction that they are simultaneous to us or maybe very close.

It is clear who these people in white robes are. John asks and it is explained, "They are those who have come out of the Great Tribulation, and have washed their robes".  This is important, does it mean they have escaped the "Great Tribulation" or have come out of it? What does 'come out of' imply?

Depending on the interpretation, the great Earthquake event and Rapture could very definitely be simultaneous and prior to the Great Tribulation. Though I think it causes a lot of confusion for many,  for me it is still very plausible.

But I still think the events are in sequence without negating the pre- Great Trib theory.

In fact, if we then read on, we come across the seven Trumpets and it is clear that this is the Great Tribulation (if not then what is?) is happening when the saints are in white garments in heaven!

So for me, it is near the mid-point, not prior Trib and not after Trib and not in the second half!

Keep it up, till the end!

Lord Jesus, we wait on you..

FJ.