Revelation 6:17, "For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
Revelation 7:3, "Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."
If the Saints of God are to be Raptured from the Earth up in to Heaven prior to the Tribulations, why would there be a need to Seal the Servants of God in their foreheads?
Please take note of what David said:
Psalms 91:5-7, "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."
Take a look at the Children of Israel during the time of the pestilence sent to plague Egypt.
Exodus 8:22-23, "And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be."
Exodus 9:26, "Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail."
The opening of the first Seals begins in Revelation the 6th Chapter ~
Revelation 6:9-11, "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
The Holy Scriptures state, “Some shall die to try them.”
Revelation 6:17, "For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
The answer to the above question is found in the next Chapter.
Revelation 7:2-3, "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."
The Servants of the Living God are protected by His Seal. Therefore, there isn’t any reason for Them to be Raptured out of the line of Trouble. I can see them as being a Sign to the Non-Believers that the Tribulations will only hurt the sinners.
Revelation 7:13-14, "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
The sounding of the Trumpets begin in Revelation the 8th Chapter ~
Revelation 8:2&6, "And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. *And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound." After four Trumpets had been sounded there was another proclamation announced.
Revelation 8:13, "And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!"
Take a good look at this next Scripture. It indicates that after the First Seven Seals had been opened and the First Trumpets had been Sounded, the Saints of God were still on the Earth.
Revelation 9:1-4, "And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."
Revelation 10:7, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."
Revelation 11:14, "The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly."
It is now getting closer to the Time of the First Resurrection ~
Revelation 11:18, "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth."
Revelation 13:1-9, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear."
Revelation 13:11 & 16-17, "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
Why would there be a need to have the sinners to receive the Mark of the Beast if the Saints were already Raptured?
Revelation 14:6-7, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."
Revelation 14:9-10, "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:"
The next Verse is something that any one who wants to Survive the Tribulations needs to Remember and Take to Heart.
Revelation 14:12, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
Revelation 14:14-15, "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
When Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, He referred to the Saints of God as Wheat, but He referred to sinners as Chaff. Therefore, according to the above Scripture, the Saints have not been Raptured yet but are about to be Raptured.
Revelation 15:1-2, "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God."
Revelation 15:6-8, "And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."
Revelation 16:17, "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done."
Revelation 19:1, "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:"
Revelation 20:5, "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection."
Revelation 22:7, "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."
So you can see from The Holy Scripture that the Saints of God will still be on the Earth until the Last Angel pours out the Wrath of God on the Earth. Then, they shall be raptured up to meet Jesus in the air while the Earth is being destroyed and a New Earth established where the New Jerusalem shall be set up.
Let us therefore seek to serve the Lord with a pure heart that we might be counted worthy of that First Resurrection.
Derwood A. Stewart, Minister The House of Prayer Sabbath Ministries
Comments? Email Us: hope@preachersteacher.org
