Rethinking the Apocalypse --- Meadowdale Ministries

Coming Next to our Planet

It has been well stated that since we have been living in the era of the Sixth Trumpet, that all seals and first five trumpet events occurred began in the first half of the twentieth century, and that three of the four angelic messages of the sixth trumpet era have come to pass, the very next prophetic event to unfold will be the killing of one third of mankind by the fire, the smoke, and the brimstone instigated by forces once bound at the great river Euphrates. It appears that Islam, that anti-Christian force will fire the first salvo. A great conflagration will ensue. But with respect to the Church alone, is that all we can say that is coming next?

Will the rapture of the Church take place before the return of Elijah? I submit there is a very good chance that is to be the case. Take a look at revelation 9:20-21 very carefully.

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts (NASB).

We see here after that great conflagration, where a third of mankind is killed by the fire, the smoke and the brimstone, those surviving so described cannot include true believers in our Lord and Savior. These cannot be among those “who are alive and remain [that] will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thess 4:17, NASB). These who survive include unbelievers and apostate of Israel. It is the time of the great apostasy, not of the Church but of the people of his original disciples (cf. Matt. 24 in it entirety), Israel, foretold by our Lord in His Olivet Discourse.

At that time many will fall away [apostasy] and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold (Matthew 24: 10-12, NASB).

If we look at the events versioned by John of Patmos as sequential, and there is no basis to see them otherwise, we see that this period of great apostasy occurs before the arrival of the two witnesses. The two witnesses after their 1260 day mission on earth are to be killed; that is taste death. The only persons who have seen heaven that have not yet tasted death are Enoch and Elijah, as they were both take up. Therefore, this great apostasy occurs before the arrival of Elijah. Since true believers can never become apostate, that is, can never be taken from His fold (cf. ), the Church has been removed before not only the arrival of Elijah, but the great apostasy itself. It is very possible, that their being “caught up in the air with Him,” may occur concurrently with the great conflagration itself, that event that sets all the remainder of the eschatological period in motion.

Yeah Team Jesus