Chapter 1 - Overview
There are some who say "why bother to study Daniel and the Revelation and try to arrive at the truths contained therein when all you have to do is to be right with the Lord when the rapture comes."
To these I reply, "this is sufficient if you are concerned only with your own safety. But if your heart bleeds when you think of those left behind; when you remember that there are multitudes who know nothing of the great tribulation coming on the world, you will try to warn them."
Two signs are given so Christians can know who is the antichrist and when the tribulation begins.
The first sign is the sign of the Ten Nations. These 10 nations are represented in Daniel, Chapter 2, by the 10 toes on the image. They are represented in Daniel, Chapter 7, by the 10 horns on the beast of iron (Rome). They are represented in Revelation, Chapter 12, by the 10 horns on the red beast (the devil), and in Revelation. Chapter 13, by the 10 horns on the beast that represents the antichrist, and in Revelation, Chapter 17, by the 10 horns on the red beast that supports the Harlot Woman (false church) in Rome.
Revelation 17: 12-13 says the 10 horns are 10 rulers who will give their kingdoms to the anti-Christ. When this happens, we will know who the antichrist is.
According to Daniel, Chapter 7, the antichrist will first come to power in one of the 10 kingdoms and will then get control of 3 more, making 4. Daniel, Chapter 8, tells us that these kingdoms are the 4 divisions of Alexander the Great's empire. Chapter 8 says the antichrist will rise in one of these 4 divisions (verse 9) which are Egypt, Syria, Greece, and Asia Minor (could be Turkey.) Daniel, Chapter 11, tells us that the southern division (Egypt) and the northern division (Syria) will have war with each other through generations and that in the time of the end, the antichrist will come out of the northern division, which is Syria. That is how we know the antichrist comes from Syria. After he gets the 4 nations as prophesied in Chapter 8 and Chapter 7 of Daniel, the other 6 nations will all sign a treaty giving their power and strength to him.
My personal opinion is that the Rapture will then take place because in Revelation, Chapter 4, we see all the redeemed in 28 great groups around God's throne – 24 Elder groups and 4 Living Beings groups (called Living Creatures or Beast in some Bibles.)
These 28 groups all play harps and sing and declare that they have been redeemed from the earth by the Blood of the Lamb, Revelation 5:8, 9, 10. It would be the height of folly to dispute these words or try to make them mean something else.
The redeemed from every kindred, tongue, people, and nation are assembled here and then Jesus, the Lamb, pulls a seal off the book in His hand (book of judgements).
The antichrist rides out on a white horse (trying to deceive) Revelations, Chapter 6, (First Seal). He has a bow, and is given a crown (by the 10 nations) then he goes out conquering (and with the purpose to conquer) the rest of the world.
I do not believe the tribulation begins here. It comes later because of the time element. The tribulation is 7 years long we learn from Daniel, Chapter 9. Under the Second Seal the antichrist makes war; under the Third Seal there is food rationing and famine; under the Fourth Seal pestilence and disease. Under these Four Seals, one-fourth of the people on the earth will die by war, famine, disease, and by Wild Animals. How long will this take? It is likely to be years, then there are 7 trumpets to be blown by Angels in the first half of the 7 years. As each angel blows, a plague similar to those sent on Egypt will be sent on the earth by God Himself. We know when the middle of the 7 years is reached, for the Bible tells us. The middle of tribulation comes right after the 7th trumpet blows. It doesn't seem like a worldwide war, famine, pestilence, and the plagues from the 7 trumpets could all be crowded into 3½ years.
There is another way to look at it. Evidently the seals are there to hold the book shut. As this will take place in the time when we have had modern books for centuries, I see no need to picture the book as a scroll. However, it can be pictured as a scroll. Anyway, the book does not open until the seals are taken off. As soon as the seals are off, the Bible tells us that God will commence to send plagues on the earth, 14 in all - 7 before the middle of the tribulation and 7 after the middle. (Don't be deceived; if the plagues are not here, we are not in the tribulation. If the world ruler, the antichrist, is not here, and if God is not sending supernatural plagues on the earth, we are not in the tribulation. Study the Bible. The plagues will be similar to those Moses sent (by God) on Egypt - 7 in the first 3 ½ years and 7 in the last 3 ½ years.
The second sign by which the antichrist can be positively identified is when the antichrist makes a 7-year treaty with the majority of the Jews. It seems logical that he would do this after he had conquered the world and so had power to order the mosque of Omar torn down so the Jews could build their Temple on the site. They will build no where else. Included in the treaty will be the right to build the Temple and commence offering animal sacrifices for sin as in the Mosaic Law.
Evidently, the 7 years tribulation begins after the 7 seals, that is, after the antichrist conquers the earth. It begins with the first trumpet. The middle of the 7 years is reached after the 7th trumpet, then there are 7 bowls of wrath in the last 3½ years.
The Rapture takes place before the 7 seals, for the redeemed are pictured in heaven before the seals are opened. There will be awful trouble under the seals (while the earth is torn by war, famine, disease, etc.) but this trouble will be man-made as in other great wars. The 7 years tribulation will be characterized by supernatural plagues from Heaven. God will show His power to those who defy him.
Many will be left behind at the rapture who know the way of God but do not walk in it. During the awful time under the 7 seals and the supernatural things of the tribulation, they will turn to God in very great numbers. I do not believe the plagues God sends will fall on them if they pray, but multitudes no one could number will be killed by the antichrist.
In the 24th Chapter of Matthew, verse 15 marks the middle of tribulation. Daniel says the abomination of desolation will begin at the middle of the 7 years, so we know that there are 3½ years before verse 15 and 3½ years after verse 15. Notice that the people who are to flee are those who live in Judea (verse 16) which is the country around Jerusalem. Jesus says there will be the greatest time of trouble during the last 3½ years that was ever on the earth or ever will be (verse 21.) Revelation gives more details of this. Many people will be deceived into thinking the antichrist is Christ and Jesus warns about this (verses 23, 24, 26). I believe verse 28 refers to Revelation 19, where the armies of the antichrist are killed by the brightness of the Lord as He comes.
This 19th Chapter of Revelation marks the end of the tribulation by killing of all antichrist armies and the birds eating their flesh. Verse 28 of Matthew Chapter 24means the same thing and marks the end of the tribulation. More details are given in Revelation 19 about the dead, and also about Jesus' coming back to reign on earth. In Revelation 19 we see the 28 groups of redeemed people (the Bride of Christ) getting ready to come back with Him, arrayed in white garments. The marriage feast will be held when they get back to earth and the invited guest will be the great multitude that were killed under the seals and those who were killed for not worshipping the image, also those whom Jesus will put on His right hand when he judges the nations.
Notice that the people of earth will see the Lord as He comes back (Matthew 24:30.) In the rapture his coming will be secret as he comes for His own, to keep them out of the tribulation (Thessalonians, Chapter 4.)
Matthew, Chapter 24:31 says he will send His angels to gather His elect from heaven. Mark 13:27 says from uttermost parts of the earth to uttermost parts of heaven. Some think that this means that redeemed saints who are in heaven (taken up in the rapture) will not return when He comes to destroy the armies of the antichrist but will be brought down when his armies are destroyed. Revelation 19 says he will be accompanied by the armies and angels of heaven.
Besides bringing down all the redeemed from heaven the angels will gather those who have been faithful to Him during the awful days on earth under the antichrist. Matthew 24:31 ends the continuous series of events of the tribulation, Verse 32 begins a series of parables, stories told to illustrate some truth.
Matthew 24: 32-35. Parable of fig tree. Verse 37-41, parable of the days of Noah. This is told to give more details of the rapture. Just as the flood did not come till Noah entered the ark, so the tribulation will not come till Jesus gathers His faithful ones, taking one from a field and leaving another, taking a woman grinding at the mill, leaving the other. And Luke says two shall be in one bed, the one will be taken and the other left. This could refer to nothing but the rapture.
Verses 42-44, parable of the thief
Verse 45 to end of Chapter, parable of good and evil servants
Matthew 25: 1-13, parable of the ten virgins Matthew 25: 13-30, parable of the talents.
First Resurrection (a period of seven years)
First resurrection covers a period of seven years. See I Corinthians 15:23 - each in his own order.
1st group - Dead in Christ and Living bodies changed. I Thess. 4:16
2nd group - 5th Seal martyrs. Revelation 6:9 and Revelation 7:9
3rd group - Manchild (the 144,000) Revelation 12 and Revelation 14:1. They did not die but were taken up with changed resurrection bodies.
4th group - Those beheaded for not taking the mark. Revelation 14
5th group - The two witnesses - Revelation 11:11-12
6th group - Those beheaded after the first group ascended. They may have just been killed as Jesus was returning. Revelation 20:4
Revelation 20:6 - includes all 6 groups
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