Behold Him

One day things will change! Jesus will come? Eschatologically speaking, the first event which is spoken of in Revelation is us being made priests and kings. My last commentary pointed toward the end of time or the new beginning; i.e.; New Jerusalem.  The next event discussed is what theologians call "the rapture" - "the state of being carried away in overwhelming emotion" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). That "overwhelming emotion" is resurrection and/or ascension into heaven. Either way, I'm sure the day that day happens will be emotional!

Does John see that before any subsequent visions? Let's look at scripture:

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

The timing of the rapture is important. I have been taught that the rapture comes before the tribulation period. There are all types of fancy charts marking the sequential events of the last days. Admittedly, I'm not that smart, and not motivated or proud enough for me to dictate time. Those charts are of the apocalypse - end-of-time events in both the physical and spiritual world. Revelation is about the apocalypse - the destiny of everyone.

The scripture above says, "behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him". "Cometh" is present tense but John saw into the future. Nowhere does he place this in chronological order. "Every eye shall see him". Shall is future tense. From the time John saw the vision until any time afterward, the rapture would come about. Therefore, it does not necessarily initiate the apocalypse. We shall see.

There will come a time of tribulation - suffering emotionally or physically from persecution.  It's when Christians face severe oppression. Some see that as the past and present because Christians have always been persecuted. In fact, the apostolic period ended with the persecution of the apostles. Even the life of God terminated with his death, the ultimate persecution. What we look for is a particular time of severe persecution related to other events.

I have been educated to believe that the rapture will come before the tribulation period. That is called "pre-tribulation rapture" in the apocalypse (See the figure below from Wikipedia; "Rapture").  In this view, when the tribulation period arrives, all Christians would have ascended, and would not have to experience tribulations.

Tribulation Views

"Post-tribulation rapture", from the same illustration, is when the tribulation period comes before the rapture. Thus, all living Christians would suffer the tribulations. In either view,  those Christians already dead would never suffer tribulation. Of course, "mid-tribulation rapture" would occur part way through the tribulation period, generally considered to be after the first half of the seven-years of tribulation.

Regardless of the timing of the tribulation period, it will not come abruptly. Just as it took years for things to get so evil in the time of Noah, in the end, it will take considerable time to exhaust God's patience! I believe that there is a continuum of evil with a crescendo at the tribulation period. The continuum is not constant but variable. The general trend is for iniquity to steadily increase with occasional dips as God convicts more people. For instance, in the last century, economic depression revived people. They had no place to turn but to God.

On the other hand, I believe that the current period is the worse that we have had within my lifetime. Hatred is rampant as well as everyone "doing what is right in their own eyes" (Jud 17:6). Homosexuality is rampant as is every type of lasciviousness. Hollywood and entertainment in general would even embarrass Jezebel. Worst of all is the condition of the Church! When everything comes to a head, a tornado will explode, so to speak.

For those who know tornadoes, the storm resides, and all becomes quiet. Then, like a locomotive, a vicious funnel-cloud marches across the skyline, sucking up things in its vacuum, then spitting them outside the funnel. That's the way the tribulation period will come. We are in the storm at the present, the first half of the tribulation will be the silence, and the last half the explosion.

Before we proceed, let's look at Jesus "coming". It would seem to me that his first coming was at his birth. Rev 1:7 says "he cometh in the clouds". It would appear that his appearance in the clouds is the "second coming" but theologians refer to his "second coming" with the church to establish his thousand-year (millennial reign). Scripture does not number the times Jesus "comes". Mankind has elected to number them ourselves. It seems that since Christ only appeared in the clouds, that  those who count do not consider that a "coming again".

So, whenever the tribulation happens, let's see what happens:

1 Thes 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Tomorrow we will continue with this line of thought.