THE SEVEN SEALED BOOK
and a different pre-trib rapture view
To the Church,
the Body of Christ, of which I am most grateful to be a part.
Consider now the basic chronology of The Revelation. What we find there supports the locating of the section of Jesus' discourse that I have above labeled as HIS SIGN APPEARANCE in accord with the arrow, for when we do, the result fits the order of The Revelation---exactly. Notice the new location of the HIS SIGN APPEARANCE box below and the order of the Revelation references. For the sake of simplicity and symmetry, I only show Matthew's account of Jesus' discourse now...
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THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
In the above, notice that the Church Age corresponds to the tribulation of now and the opening of the first five seals (Rev. 6:1-11). Christ's Sign Appearance is the intersecting event (which includes the rapture) and corresponds to the opening of the 6th Seal (Rev. 6:12-7:17). And finally, Daniel's 70th Week corresponds to the tribulation of then, which is not shown to begin or take place until later (Rev. 11:1-19:21)---more precisely, at least five months later (Rev. 9:5, 10, & 15?).
Tying all of this back in with our verse of question, when it is realized that the celestial signs that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:29 are fulfilled at the time of the opening of the 6th Seal (Rev. 6:12), the only tribulation that these signs could be "after" is that of the Church Age, again, as Daniel's 70th Week is not shown to begin until much later (Rev. 11:1-3ff).
To be sure, the trueness of any belief hinges on the correctness of one's interpretations, which can often seem complicated to those new to them. In respect to this realization, I strongly encourage the continued prayerful study of the Bible and the comparing of the various views in an effort to come to an understanding that will align with all that God has seen fit to reveal to us in His Word. It has been my own endeavor to do this that has resulted in the understandings that I have published on this website---all of which supports and is supported by what I have here shown.
Before concluding this appendix, it is of importance to remain mindful that the disciples and the early Church would have had no concept of the Church Age and the tribulation Christians would be subjected to for all of the centuries since The Revelation was given. But, we certainly have a concept of it now, and this fully justifies our seeking of an understanding that factors this in.
A well known example of another phrase (like "those days") for which a different understanding was at another time justifiably sought is in the case of Jesus' words, "this generation," found in Matthew 24:34 (see also Mk. 13:30 and Lk. 21:32). At first glance, it certainly seems that by these words, Jesus was referring to the generation of His day. But, another valid interpretation is that He was referring to the future generation that would be living when the things of which He had been speaking would come to pass. As can be seen, remaining mindful of such a time element is helpful in discovering other possibilities that might not have been considered otherwise.
So, is the foregoing interpretation of "the tribulation of those days" correct, and how can this really be known? My prayer is that it will not be too quickly rejected simply because it is different or unorthodox, especially when it results in so many prophetic puzzle pieces coming together as they do. Further, it cannot be dismissed how that it is supported by The Revelation and what it does for our understanding of it. Much is said about allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. Relating to what has been our present verse of focus, this is a must. Similar to what I conveyed earlier, to any who may yet be unconvinced, I would enjoin you to do as I have endeavored to do---to prayerfully be as the noble Bereans, who "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11).
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APPENDIX #5
As I acknowledged in the first paragraph of my book preface (see under ABOUT), I have yet to encounter a view that is without some difficulties, and neither is my own. One of these difficulties concerns how to correctly understand what Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:29, which is the focus of PROPOSITION V. In addition to what I there point out concerning this verse, it may be wondered how I understand the phrase "those days" in light of Jesus' use of this phrase three times during verses 19-22. It is evident that these three uses of "those days" relate to the time of Daniel's 70th Week and, at first glance, can seem to be what Jesus is referring to later, in verse 29. How then can "the tribulation of those days" He referred to in this verse be understood as representing anything other than the tribulation of Daniel's 70th Week? On my part, the only reason to even seek another understanding is because of what the Bible reveals or indicates elsewhere and the need to come to an understanding that will better align with all of Scripture.
Consider, for example, the following three paragraphs (as a whole) concerning what happened in Noah's day and a concept I believe we all have of that. If someone speaking of that day were to say, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the flood came," we are all aware of the difference between the tribulation being spoken of and the flood, as these were two completely different categories of bad times. On the one hand, the tribulation of Noah's day would point to the time when "every imagination of the thoughts of [man's] heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5) and "the earth was filled with violence" (Gen. 6:11). On the other hand, the flood, or the time of God's judgment, would point to the time when "all the fountains of the great deep [were] broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened" (Gen. 7:11). In other words, looking backward, we can easily recognize the difference in the tribulation of those days and the beginning of God's judgment, which was the flood.
Comparing our day to Noah's day, but looking forward, we should also be able to recognize the difference in the tribulation of our day and God's last days' judgment, as these are two completely different categories of bad times as well. The time of God's judgment that is looming in our day is referred to in the Bible as the Day of the Lord (e.g., Acts 2:20, I Thess. 5:2, II Pet. 3:10). Important to note is that this time of the last days' Day of the Lord judgment will begin the day that the 6th Seal is opened, when the celestial phenomena that John wrote of in The Revelation and Jesus spoke of in His Olivet Discourse will take place (Rev. 6:12/Matt. 24:29). Of that day, John records the people who are left behind saying in their distress, "For the great day of His wrath is come (i.e., the time of God's Day of the Lord judgment): and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. 6:17). It is easy to imagine those outside of the ark in Noah's day crying out very similarly!
Bringing together what we are looking at, we could paraphrase what Jesus said in Matthew 24:29 in this way: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the Day of the Lord judgment will begin." The correctness of what I show in bold can be seen by recognizing the connection between the beginning of the Day of the Lord judgment and the celestial phenomena that Jesus actually speaks of in this verse, as I pointed out in the previous paragraph (see also Acts 2:20). Now consider: If "the tribulation of those days" that Jesus also speaks of here is interpreted to be the tribulation of Daniel's 70th Week (the common view), this would have the time of the last days' Day of the Lord judgment not even beginning until "after" Daniel's 70th Week is over. By this example it can be seen that this would be tantamount to Noah and his family not even getting on the ark until the flood had already begun or was even about over! Moreover, it is inconceivable that the Day of the Lord could come "as a thief in the night" (I Thess. 5:2) if it begins "immediately after" the fulfilling of Daniel's 70th Week. Sometimes it's not easy to see what the truth of the matter is until we can see what it can't be.
The truth of the foregoing is also supported by the basic chronology of The Revelation and what this reveals for us concerning the structure of Jesus' Olivet Discourse. Looking first of all at Jesus' discourse and using Matthew's account from chapter 24, He opened by speaking to His disciples about the tribulation they and His future followers would face in what has come to be known as the Church Age (vss. 4-14). He then speaks to them about Daniel's 70th Week and the event of His Second Advent (vss.15-28). Finally, He turns His attention to the event of His Sign Appearance and the rapture, which remains His focus to the end of the chapter (vss. 29-51). Understanding Jesus' discourse in light of what we find in The Revelation, the final days of the Church Age are one day going to converge closely (within a few months) with the time of Daniel's 70th Week, but be separated from it by the appearance of "the sign of the Son of man in heaven" and the rapture (Matt. 24:30-31). This means that this "sign" appearance and the rapture will be like an intersecting event between the Church Age and the time of Daniel's 70th Week in "those days" when this convergence takes place, as illustrated below:
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JESUS' OLIVET DISCOURSE
