“The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your
servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both
great and small— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
Revelations 11:18
This portion of the book of Revelations introduces what is going to transpire over next 11 chapters. The verse forces me to address a number of questions. This verse is and controversial. I have always said to those who have sat under my teaching that when a bible teacher meets a controversy he is obligated to teach the controversy. I readily admit that I am going to be biased to my position in this blog.
So where is the controversy?
It is the timing and the nature of the resurrection of the dead in Christ. In Revelations studies this is usually covered in chapter 20. The topic, however presents it self at just the place God wants it to. Revelation 11:15 is the center of the tribulation, and in my reading of the scripture initiates the coming of the Lord the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the righteous in one event. I think the scriptures are clear on this topic but I am in the minority in my position.
Six trumpets have sounded. Now the seventh is being blown.
Matthew 24:29-31 provide us a parallel time table.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
There is nothing that is unclear about “after the tribulation days” I think the problem is two fold. One is that the church, especially the western church, simply wants to avoid tribulation. The second is that waiting for the trumpet to sound removes the immediacy of the Lord's coming. Paul dealt with this question. We just don't like the answer.
The elements of this verse that are important are that the resurrection of the dead and the rapture are linked as one event and neither can happen until the antichrist is revealed. Contextually, 1 Corinthians 15 deals with the question of the the resurrection. Resurrection and rapture should always be linked as one event. The chapters concluding remarks on this subject say these words.
“in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-57
I want to reiterate that I am only covering the resurrection of the righteous not those who have died in their sins. “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelations 20:6
The other important point to make about the resurrection of the righteous and the rapture is that the saints that were martyred during the tribulation are there.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. And I saw souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” Revelations 20:4-6
If tribulation saints are at the first resurrection then it must happen after the tribulation is complete!
Now for those who quote the passage. From 1 Thessalonians 5:9 that say, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” I say I agree. The first three years of the tribulation are the wrath of man the second the wrath of God. I will take this topic up I the next blog.
This portion of the book of Revelations introduces what is going to transpire over next 11 chapters. The verse forces me to address a number of questions. This verse is and controversial. I have always said to those who have sat under my teaching that when a bible teacher meets a controversy he is obligated to teach the controversy. I readily admit that I am going to be biased to my position in this blog.
So where is the controversy?
It is the timing and the nature of the resurrection of the dead in Christ. In Revelations studies this is usually covered in chapter 20. The topic, however presents it self at just the place God wants it to. Revelation 11:15 is the center of the tribulation, and in my reading of the scripture initiates the coming of the Lord the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the righteous in one event. I think the scriptures are clear on this topic but I am in the minority in my position.
Six trumpets have sounded. Now the seventh is being blown.
Matthew 24:29-31 provide us a parallel time table.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
There is nothing that is unclear about “after the tribulation days” I think the problem is two fold. One is that the church, especially the western church, simply wants to avoid tribulation. The second is that waiting for the trumpet to sound removes the immediacy of the Lord's coming. Paul dealt with this question. We just don't like the answer.
“Concerning the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and
sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching
allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by
letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t
let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until
the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man
doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over
everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets
himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” 2
Thessalonians 1: 1-4
The elements of this verse that are important are that the resurrection of the dead and the rapture are linked as one event and neither can happen until the antichrist is revealed. Contextually, 1 Corinthians 15 deals with the question of the the resurrection. Resurrection and rapture should always be linked as one event. The chapters concluding remarks on this subject say these words.
“in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-57
I want to reiterate that I am only covering the resurrection of the righteous not those who have died in their sins. “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelations 20:6
The other important point to make about the resurrection of the righteous and the rapture is that the saints that were martyred during the tribulation are there.
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. And I saw souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” Revelations 20:4-6
If tribulation saints are at the first resurrection then it must happen after the tribulation is complete!
Now for those who quote the passage. From 1 Thessalonians 5:9 that say, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” I say I agree. The first three years of the tribulation are the wrath of man the second the wrath of God. I will take this topic up I the next blog.
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