Hi Lisa, John and Doves,
Lisa - I cannot find the words to express the insight your post gave me. It peeled away the blinders and gave me confirmation as to what I have suspected, regarding prophecy, for a long time. It has caused me many a restless night - until now. This all goes to show that the body of Christ has many moving parts - each contributing to the Big Picture. Your description of the angels standing at each end of where the body of Christ lay in the tomb, post crucifixion, personified the Ark of the Covenant. With the cherubs (angels) and minus the 'man'. Because the 'man' has been taken away. He has Risen! The new Ark of the Covenant is Jesus Christ, Himself. Jesus is the 'continual and daily sacrifice' described in Daniel 12:11. Our LORD Jesus became our sacrifice - day in and day out. Jesus IS the Ark of the Covenant. The continual daily sacrifice. There is no other! The picture of which you painted so beautifully in your post. As you will see in the 2nd link - some translations say "by the time to daily sacrifice is TAKEN AWAY, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days".
This ties into Revelation 12. And it ties into Revelation 5:6 - links below. In Revelation 12, we are told that the woman's child is snatched up to the throne of God. The woman's child is Jesus Christ! The woman is Israel - and Israel was the land of birth of our LORD. Israel is 'the woman'. Jesus has been serving as our daily and continuous sacrifice since His crucifixion. He is our ultimate sacrifice. No other sacrifice counts. Jesus IS the Ark of the Covenant. And He has been in the heavenly Temple of God since His death and resurrection. Serving as our eternal, daily and continuous sacrifice. Restraining satan.
Revelation 5:6 has Jesus entering heaven (God's Throne Room) looking like a lamb who has been slain. In other words - like a sacrifice. Only then does our LORD Jesus have the power to open the seals. Prior to this, Jesus serves us as the ULTIMATE Ark of the Covenant. The ULTIMATE sacrifice. A 'Restrainer' if you will. And he has been sharing space, in the heavenly Temple, with our accuser - satan. - who still has limited access to the heavenly realms. The apostasy (rebellion) comes when satan's time comes. He sets himself to devour 'the child' (Jesus) who is then snatched up to heaven ( out of the heavenly Temple and into the Throne Room). Jesus leaves the heavenly Temple ( He is snatched up out of harms way) then enters the Throne Room of God, 'looking like a lamb who has been slain'. In other words - our sacrifice. His time has come and He begins opening the seals.
We were given the Revelation 12 sign indicators by our talented Luis Vegas. Luis discovered the Revelation 12 sign - don't let anyone tell you differently.
Please consider Revelation 11: 18 and 19 in this context. Revelation 11: 18:- "The nations were enraged and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your Name, both small and great - and to destroy those who destroy the earth." Revelation 11:19:- "Then the Temple of God in heaven was opened and the Ark of His Covenant (Jesus) was seen in His Temple. And there were flashes of lightening, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm".
Consider Matthew 24: 15-21. I have come to believe, through scripture, that the abomination of desolation will be seen by all - especially in Israel - where they are told to flee the second they see this. They must run like the wind. I believe that this is when the Temple of God in heaven is opened (to human eyes) and all will see satan attempting to kill Jesus and usurp His rightful place. We are told "let the reader understand". LORD Jesus is taken out of harms way. He is swept up to God's throne. But - He is no longer serving as a continual, daily sacrifice in the Temple in heaven. This is when the tussle for human souls begins. Satan is given a very short time in which to act and do his worst. 1,260 days. The same length of time that Jesus walked this earth before He was slain.
Lisa - your post strengthened my understanding. What a catch you made. Wonderful. I pray that my words are clear and understandable. In Jesus' Beloved, precious Name.
God's Blessings to you. And to all the Doves.
Prophecy in the Mercy Seat (fivedoves.com)
Revelation 5 NIV - The Scroll and the Lamb - Then I saw in - Bible Gateway
Revelation 12 NIV - The Woman and the Dragon - A great sign - Bible Gateway