The Seals and Revelation's Timeline Explained

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. © Copyright 2010 - 2019 All rights reserved.

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Other Information ... How does the rest of Matthew 24 compare with the Seals? Not only does the Rapture match the 6th Seal, but all the signs in Matthew 24 match all the Seals. Note: This chart is also on the Matthew 24 page because it makes up the left side. Daniel 11 - through history (*only two other interpretations to choose from) Other related pages: The 70th Seven Daniel 9:27 The Abomination Daniel 11:31

Daniel 11 Explained Condensed “one page” Commentary I.S. militants are killing Christians every day The Way [UK] – August 10, 2014 Quote: Its people were shot and some – already dead – were ‘crucified’, a final humiliation and an outrage against the individual, and the faith they had refused to abandon. Seal 2 text (click) Seal 3 text (click) Seal 4 text (click) Seal 5 text Seal 6 text Comparison of Seven Churches (good and bad qualities) click to enlarge For more on Israel’s restoration: The British Mandate (Daniel 11:20) Location of Seven Churches click to enlarge

Comparison of Seven Churches in Revelation (good and bad qualities)

Seven Churches Past & Present Church Prophecy (Rev. 2-3) Related page: ‘Trumpet Call’ vs. the ‘Trumpet plagues’ The Seven Churches (Rev. 2-3)

Related page: Exposing Post-Trib. Deceptions

Part 1: (running time: 24:35)

Chart of Revelation by chapters - explained in video

chart from video (click to enlarge) Video of Revelation ... by chapters I made this video back in the fall of 2013, as a response to a post-trib video that I saw, which criticized pre-tribs. (Yet, they skipped most of Revelation in their explanation.) Thus, I made this video to show that my explanation of ‘pre-tribulation’ includes all of Revelation and provides a logical timeline, no overlapping necessary. Part 1 happened to end where my summary of Revelation ended. Click here for part 2, which talks more about post-trib theories.

Note: 25 minutes is extremely fast for a summary of Revelation.

Home (back to introduction) Page available for printing on PDF. Related page: Proof of Rapture (Simple but concrete proof of pre-tribulation) The Seals and Revelation (Revealing Revelation’s True Timeline) Introduction The correct interpretation of the Seals is important because it straightens out Revelation’s timeline so nothing is contradicted, either within the book or with other books of the Bible. Basically, the signs that accompany the 6^th Seal are identical to the signs that accompany the rapture, in Matthew 24:29-31. That fact cannot be changed. Since both passages occur during ‘end times’, they must be the same event because there wouldn’t be two such events, with those unique signs, happening in close proximity to one another. Therefore, ‘pre-tribulation’ is proven in Revelation because the 6^th Seal must be the rapture, Seals 1-5 are in the past (explained below), and the Trumpet and Bowl plagues take place after the 6^th Seal rapture. That’s because the Trumpet plagues can’t start until after the 7^th Seal is done (Rev 8:1), which is a half-hour of silence. Naturally, trumpets can’t blow during a ‘silence’. So, since the multitude of Christians are in heaven between the 6^th and 7^th Seals, and the Trumpet and Bowl plagues take place afterwards, that proves ‘pre-tribulation’. (See more details on the “Proof of Rapture” page.) Note: The period of time that people call the ‘tribulation’ is actually the Trumpet and Bowl plagues, which complete God’s wrath. Thus, the Seals are not included in the tribulation. They are actually referred to as the “great tribulation” (Rev 7:14), which is where the multitude of Christians come from. That makes sense because the ‘great tribulation’ is spoken in ‘past tense’ and Seals 1-6, between the resurrection (Seal 1) and the rapture (Seal 6), is the only time that Christians could be saved by the ‘blood of the Lamb’, as the verse says. Note: Post-tribs try to overlap the Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls so that the 6^th Seal rapture comes at the end, but that’s obviously wrong because it creates contradictions. Omitting things to solve the contradictions is a direct violation of God’s warning in Revelation 22:19. Therefore, don’t believe any post-trib because they change God’s prophecy in Revelation, which by definition makes them false prophets. Of course, they generally don’t mention their overlapping practice, unless you ask, but they all do it because that’s the only way they can get the multitude of Christians, in Rev 7, to be at the end. Brief Summary of Revelation 1 - 5 (*leading to the Seals in Revelation 6) Revelation 1 is just an introduction where John explains his location and exactly what he experienced when he received the Revelation. Basically, Jesus appears to John and tells him to write down what he sees. The general appearance of Jesus is different from the gospels, but we know its Him because of how He introduces Himself to John. (Rev 1: 13-18) Revelation 2-3 are seven letters that Jesus tells John to write to the Seven Churches. As you can see from the map on the left, they were seven real churches in seven real cities. They contained details that were specific to each church at that particular time. They could also have a duel meaning because, as you can tell by the ‘comparison chart’ (left), they also sound like characteristics of the Church, from beginning to end, which is what I describe on the Seven Churches page. Yet, I describe them differently than most because the previous churches didn’t cease when a new one started. In other words, the churches distinguish themselves by a difference of beliefs, not just time. As such, the rapture doesn’t come after the 7^th Church, as previous pre-tribs believe. There’s actually evidence of all seven churches in the world today. Revelation 4, John’s ‘transformation in the Spirit’ was just for him to visit heaven and record the visions, as he did. It is not a representation of the rapture, as previous pre-tribs believe, because that wouldn’t happen before the crucifixion (slain Lamb) in chapter 5. John is just starting with a description of heaven, in Revelation 4, including the throne, elders, creatures, and what they’re all doing. Revelation 5 represents the crucifixion, which is the only logical explanation for the “slain Lamb.” It also introduces the 7 Seals, which no one could open until the Lion of Judah or Root of David (Jesus) triumphed and became worthy. That’s why Jesus is symbolized as the slain Lamb: because His crucifixion was the final act that defeated Satan and made Him worthy. The Seals Revelation 6 starts the Seals, which are being broken by the Lamb. Of course, the Lamb is no longer ‘slain’ because Jesus was resurrected. Seal 1 is clearly the resurrection, when Jesus went from being the “slain Lamb” to the “Rider on the white horse”. Notice that chapter 5 never refers to the slain Lamb as changing to any other form, but we know He did because Jesus’ description in Rev. 1:14 is vastly different. “He was given a crown and rode out as a conqueror, bent on conquest.” Jesus has been conquering Satan ever since by fulfilling every Word of God. (Matt. 5:18) Note: Previous pre-tribs try to say that the 1^st Seal represents the arrival of Satan or the antichrist, during tribulation, but that can’t be true because neither would ever receive a crown. Plus, Jesus is represented as the ‘Rider on the White Horse’, in Revelation 19:11, so God would never use the same representation for Christ and the antichrist, in the same series of visions. That’s almost blasphemous to suggest. I’ve also heard people complain that the descriptions are slightly different, such as the latter having ‘many crowns’, but that’s because one is the resurrection and the other is Armageddon, 2000-years apart. I’ve also heard people complain that the Lamb and the Rider can’t both be Jesus because they’re both in the same verse, and the Lamb opens the rest of the Seals. Don’t get tripped up by small technicalities such as that. John was just seeing visions (or representations) and writing them down as best he could; he wasn’t seeing every vision at the same time. Jesus will always be considered the Lamb, but the Rider in the 1^st Seal was a representation. The real Jesus was the person speaking to John in the first chapter; He wasn’t actually changing for each vision. In summary, the previous pre-tribs have contradictions in that: 1. The rapture can’t be in Rev 4 because that’s before the crucifixion in Rev 5. 2. The Rider on the White Horse can’t be Satan or the antichrist because Jesus is the Rider on the White Horse, in Rev 19. 3. The signs accompanying the rapture, in Matthew 24:29-31, perfectly match the 6^th Seal, in Rev 6, and those signs wouldn’t happen twice. My logical explanation of the Seals solves all those contradictions because Seals 1-5 are in the past. Besides, a major prophecy that had to be fulfilled was the banishment and restoration of Israel (Jeremiah 16:14-15), which was also prophesied in Seals 2-4. Essentially, God scattered the Jews in Seal 2, kept them safe in Seal 3, and restored their nation in Seal 4. God even embedded two 70-year periods for proof. (below) Seal 2 was the Jewish revolts against the Romans, 66-136 AD, which “took peace from the earth and made men slay each other.” Notice that the revolts lasted exactly 70-years, and the last one effectively scattered the Jews world-wide, which was needed in the Jeremiah 16 prophecy (above). The first revolt also resulted in the destruction of the second Jewish Temple, in 70 AD, which Jesus prophesied would happen in Matthew 24:1-2. Ironically, it was destroyed on the same lunar date, Tisha B’Av, or ninth day of Av, as the first Temple, in 586 BC. Something like that is too uncanny to be a coincidence and Tisha B’Av remains an annual day of mourning for the Jews. Note: The Temple’s destruction did not complete everything in the Bible, as the “Church of Christ” wants to believe. On the contrary, it was the first sign in Matthew 24, not the last. The third revolt, which completed the 70 years, was just as significant as the first. It was led by a false messiah, named Bar Kokhba, but the followers of Jesus didn’t support him, so it helped distinguish Christianity from Judaism. Bar Kokhba vowed to restore Israel but his loss in the third revolt resulted in death, slavery, or banishment from Jerusalem for all Jews. In fact, they were not allowed to own property in Palestine for over 17 centuries (until 1878). Note: It wasn’t until the 4th century that the Roman Emperor Constantine allowed them to enter Jerusalem, once a year, on Tisha B’Av, to lament their temples’ destructions. That’s a stark contrast from the Babylonian exile, which only displaced 4600 people (Jer. 52:30), for about 70 years. Therefore, without the third revolt, the restoration of Israel, as described in Jeremiah 16:14, would not have been possible. Seal 3 was God’s protection and prosperity for the Jews. It’s a vague reference to “a quart of wheat for a day’s wages, three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and don’t forget the oil and the wine.” The meaning of this seal eluded me the longest because I figured it was some kind of famine from the dark ages. However, it never actually mentions hunger or death. On the contrary, it could be construed as a shrewd business deal when food was scarce. People stereotype the Jews as being shrewd in business but according to Rabbi Levi Brackman (2008), Jews make up < 0.5% of the world population but they make up 20% of the “Forbes 400 richest people in the world”. I think the third seal was God’s protection, throughout the centuries, in the form of prosperity and business sense, so the Jews could regain the Promised Land. That’s not absurd when you consider how the Jews regained a foothold in Palestine. They didn’t fight or use unscrupulous tactics; they bought the land fair and legally. It was made possible by the Ottoman Land Code of 1858, which required Palestine residents to register their land for tax purposes and other control measures. Many residents ignored the law because they did not want to pay taxes or serve in the army. After a while, the land was claimed by rich Arabs who knew the legal system, paid the taxes, but never actually lived in Palestine. That gave the Jews access to buy the land from the registered owners. The first purchase was a multi-family settlement near Jaffa, called Petah Tikva, in 1878. Politicians took notice and urged Arabs not to sell to Jews. That caused prices to escalate, up to ten-times the fair value, but the Jews still had the resources to pay, thanks to their business sense and prosperity. Exactly 70-years after the first purchase, Israel became a nation again, in 1948, but considering the next seal, I don’t think that was any accident. Seal 4 was the Holocaust because it helped Israel regain their sovereignty, but they paid with their lives rather than money. Seal 4 brought “Death and Hades”, who were “given power over a forth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts of the earth.” According to estimates in the Nuremburg trials, taken from jewishvirtuallibrary.org, about 6 million Jews (1.5 million children) were killed between 1933 and 1945. If you subtract the children, it equals exactly one-forth of the estimated Jews at that time, (18 million/4.5 million). Additionally, all the various methods can be accounted for because the Jews were either shot (sword), starved (famine), and gassed to death (plague). If they were fortunate enough to escape, many hid in the mountains and forests where they became susceptible to wild animals. Although it was a tragedy, it sped up Jewish migration to Palestine and gave them a vote of sympathy in the United Nations. I’m not insinuating that God desired to kill that many Jews but He certainly predicted it. Given the timing (from seal 3) and the significance of fulfilling God’s prophecy in Jeremiah 16:14, I have no doubt that the forth seal was the Holocaust. Seal 5 is just a waiting period while the number of martyrs, destined to give their lives for spreading the testimony of God, is completed. That corresponds to the same waiting period in Matthew 24:14 (when the gospel is spread to every nation). Christians are still being killed in certain countries (left) but one could argue that satellite television and internet have, at least, carried the gospel to every ‘nation’. (The Bible doesn’t say to every ‘person’.) Effectively, the 5th Seal will be over when the 6th Seal takes place because the rapture will end the waiting period. Seal 6 is obviously the rapture because the signs in the sun, moon, and stars are identical to Matthew 24:29-31, as shown below, when Jesus appears in the clouds, to gather His elect. As I said above, it’s ridiculous to think that these two passages are two separate events.

Seal 1 text (click) Matthew 24 Explained Will people be saved after the rapture? The Antichrist Daniel 11:36 The 1000-years

Earthquakes during the 6th Seal and More Yes, there’s an earthquake during the sixth seal, which is omitted from Matthew 24, but it makes perfect sense because Jesus warns Judea to flee immediately to the mountains. That’s probably because the earthquake will cause a tsunami, so Jesus warning is actually a prophecy. Besides, since there’s an earthquake in the ‘middle of tribulation’ (when the two witnesses ascend) and another at the ‘end of tribulation’ (during Armageddon), then it makes perfect sense that there would be an earthquake at the ‘start of tribulation’ (during the rapture) just to complete the set. (illustrated below)

Personal remarks: True, the concept of pre-tribulation has not been around forever but “the Word of God is living and active”. (Hebrews 4:12) “Revelation” has certainly been around but no one understood it correctly. We know that God can conceal information for long periods of time because He ‘sealed’ Daniel 11 ‘until the time of the end’. Honestly, with the 4th seal happening in the 1940’s, and the 3rd seal being so vague, I don’t see how anyone could have interpreted it correctly, before WWII. Yet, people are clinging to a concept of ‘end times’ and Revelation that is hundreds-of-years old (if they have an opinion at all). Just remember, God pours new wine into new wineskins. Yet, some churches or denominations are more concerned about preserving their ‘religion’ or ‘doctrine’ than seeking the real Truth. Sure, people should be cautious and check the scriptures, like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), but not be stubborn and blind like the Pharisees. (Matthew 5:20) As I said, the correct interpretation of the Seals straightens out Revelation’s timeline, so it has no gaps, no manipulations, and no omissions. If that’s the case, (which it is), then why would anyone want to cling to an old interpretation with many flaws? God is revealing things to this generation that were previously unknown. Luke wrote, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11) All a person has to do is examine the scriptures, with an open-mind, and I think they will agree with this interpretation of end times, because it adheres strictly to the Bible.

Revelation Continued: Revelation 7 shows that there are two distinct groups after the rapture: 1. The 144,000 Israelites receive the seal of God on their foreheads but stay on earth. They are subsequently martyred in Revelation 14, between the Trumpet and Bowl plagues. They become priests during the 1000-years, as noted in Rev 20, after Armageddon (7^th Bowl). 2. The multitude from every nation (Christians) are gathered immediately to heaven, and stand before the Lamb, with palm branches in their hands, symbolizing arrival. Note: The two groups in Rev 7 are mirrored in Matthew 24:15-31, after the ‘abomination’, which is when the 6^th Seal rapture takes place. In other words, there are two groups in Matthew 24:15-31, because that passage must agree with Revelation 7, which is the later, and more detailed account of end times. 1. The 144,000 are highlighted in Matthew 24:22-24 because they are the ‘elect’ whose days will be “cut short”, during tribulation. Their days are “cut short” (v.22) because they are martyred between the Trumpet and Bowl Plagues. Thus, they will only have 45-days to avoid the mark of the beast, as noted in Daniel 12:11-12. Plus, the 144,000 will not be fooled by the false prophet, who does miracles and wonders in Revelation 13, as noted in Matthew 24:24. 2. On the other hand, the multitude of Christians are gathered immediately after the distress caused by the abomination, as noted in Matthew 24:29-31. That happens in conjunction with the 6^th Seal because the signs in the sun, moon, and stars are exactly the same. That’s why the Christians are in heaven between the 6^th and 7^th Seal. (see Matthew 24 for more details) Revelation 8-13 (The Trumpets, two witnesses, and rise of the 10-horned beast) Seal 7 is a half-hour of silence, before the Trumpet plagues can begin. (Revelation 8:1-6) Since trumpets can’t sound during a silence, and the multitude is in heaven between the 6^th and 7^th Seals, ‘pre-tribulation’ is proven naturally because the Trumpet and Bowl plagues must come after the multitude are in heaven. As I said in the introduction, post-tribs try to get around the facts by overlapping the Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls, but that creates contradictions, which in turn creates omissions, which are forbidden by God. (Rev 22:19) The Trumpet plagues start in Revelation 8, but actually last for 3.5 years, because the 7^th Trumpet sounds when the two witnesses ascend to heaven. (Rev 11:15) Thus, the Trumpets last 3.5 years because the two witnesses prophesy in Jerusalem for 1260-days. After that, they are killed by the beast and lay dead in the street for 3.5 days, before ascending to heaven. Revelation 12 starts near the rapture, and blends into Revelation 13, to explain how Satan will be thrown to earth for good (vs. 7-9), following the rapture (v.5), which causes his fury to be increased, because he knows his time is short. (Rev 12:12) I have a separate page on the Revelation 12 prophecy, which explains that verses 1-2 have already past (and possibly 3-4), but the “snatching up” of the male child, in verse 5, still represents the rapture. The woman who is taken care of for 1260-days, in verse 6, would be the 144,000 Israelites, who are protected by God during the same 1260-days that the two witnesses are prophesying. Note: The notion that the ‘male child’ could be the raptured Christians, and ‘Zion’s children’ (144,000) born at the same time, is supported by Isaiah 66:7-8. Satan is enraged at the woman (Israel), and her offspring who are following Jesus (144,000), so he goes off to make war against them. (Rev 12:17) Satan does that by giving the 10-horned beast all his power and authority. (Rev 13:2) It works because the beast gains power for 42-months (same time that the two witnesses are prophesying), at which time the beast makes war against the saints and conquers them. (Rev 13:5-7) Of course, that is the same as the 6^th Trumpet War, in Revelation 9:13-19, near the end of the 42-months, which kills a third of mankind, including the two witnesses. So you see, Revelation 12 & 13 cover the same 1260-days, starting at the rapture, as Revelation 8-11 cover with the Trumpets and two witnesses. It’s a busy time on earth. After that, the beast changes to 2-horns, in Revelation 13:11-17, which is when the false prophet performs miraculous signs and wonders, fooling everyone (except the 144,000) into accepting the mark of the beast. I suspect the mark of the beast will have something to do with Bitcoin, or other digital currency, because that could require everyone to get a mark (or chip) before they could buy or sell. It could be enacted earlier in some countries, but it will probably go into effect in Israel on day-1290 (Dan. 12:11), about a month after the two witnesses are killed in the 6^th Trumpet War. Thus, the 144,000 are martyred 45-days later, around day-1335, for not accepting the mark of the beast. Revelation 14 & 15 Revelation 14 and 15 mainly concern the 144,000 and their martyrdom. I discuss those chapters in detail on a separate page called: “Will people be saved after the rapture.” Revelation 16-19 Revelation 16 is the Bowl plagues, which start after the 144,000 are martyred. They are far worse than the Trumpet plagues and complete God’s wrath on earth. Armageddon is the 7^th Bowl, which is wheh Jesus defeats the beast and starts His 1000-year reign on earth. Note: Revelation 16:16-21 give an earthly perspective of Armageddon, whereas Revelation 19:11-21 give a heavenly perspective, but they are the same war, which defeats the beast. Revelation 17 and 18 give added details of the beast, who will re-build Babylon with gold, silver, and costly stones, only to have it destroyed by fire, either right before or during Armageddon. Those are discussed on separate pages. The following link lists the Bowls, along with an in-depth discussion of the 6^th Bowl, which prepares the way for Armageddon. Revelation 19 gives a heavenly account of Armageddon, after mentioning the conclusion of the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, which is the banquet that raptured Christians will be attending, while the people left on earth will go through the Trumpet and Bowl plagues. Note: The raptured Christians are most likely the “armies of heaven” (Rev 19:14) who are following Jesus back to earth because they are dressed in the same “fine linen” that the Bride is given to wear (Rev 19:8). Plus, Rev. 7:17 says that Jesus will “lead [the multitude] to springs of living water.” So, if Jesus is ‘leading’, the Bride must be ‘following’. Revelation 20-22 Revelation 20 starts Jesus’ 1000-year reign on earth, where the 144,000 Israelites, who are martyred in Revelation 14, become priests. The rest of the dead remain ‘asleep’, until the 1000-years have ended. (Rev 20:4-6) Besides that, there aren’t many details of the 1000-years, except that Jesus will rule the nations with an iron scepter. (Rev 19:15) From the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, I get the feeling that a “great chasm” will separate God’s people from the other nations, so no one can cross from one side to the other. (Luke 16:26) In fact, the “great chasm” is most likely the same as the “great valley”, which is created when Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives, during Armageddon, and the mountain is split from east to west, half moving north and half moving south. (Zechariah 14:4) People in the nations won’t live forever, such as God’s people, so I guess they will keep producing new generations. That must be the case because there are still people living in the nations, at the end of the 1000-years, who come against God’s people. That happens because Satan will be released from the abyss, one last time, so he can entice everyone in the nations to attack God’s people. That’s when they are destroyed by fire, and Satan is thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where with the beast and false prophet were thrown. (Rev 20:7-10) Note: That is the same war with “gog and magog”, as described in Ezekiel 38 & 39. That is evident because burning sulfur (fire) is rained down on the troops and nations in Ezekiel 38:22. Plus, Revelation 20 is the only other place, in the Bible, where a war with gog and magog are mentioned. Thus, the war in Revelation 20, which sounds quick, actually last for 7-years, as noted in Ezekiel 39:9. That makes sense because wars take time to develop and execute. Besides, nothing in Ezekiel gives any indication of the timing of the war. Thus, God gave the details of the war in Ezekiel 38 & 39, but revealed the timing in Revelation 20. After the nations are destroyed by fire, the Great White Throne judgment takes place, when the dead, from all times, will be judged to see if their names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life. If not, they will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where Satan will be. (Rev 20:11-15) Note: The Great White Throne judgment will be a formality for raptured Christians, who lived through the 1000-years, because they will already know their names were in the Book. Yet, only people who live between the resurrection (Seal 1) and the rapture (Seal 6), which is approximately 2000-years, could be ‘saved by the blood of the Lamb’ and thus be eligible for the rapture. I guess that’s why the angel told John to write: “Blessed are those who are invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.” (Rev 19:9) Other people, from the ages (except for ‘elders’, who are important people from the Old Testament), will just stay asleep for an extra 1000-years. But, when you think about it, a person who wakes up can’t really tell how long they’ve been asleep, so they won’t know. Yet, everyone will be judged eventually. Revelation 21 and 22 describe the new heaven and new earth that God will create, because the old ones will be destroyed by fire, during the war with gog and magog. Then, God will dwell with humans forever, without death, or mourning, or crying, or pain. (Revelation 21:3-4) Paul said, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1^st Corinthians 2:9) Praise Jesus.