Signs of the End: Comparing Matthew 24 and Revelation
The disciples asked Jesus about the sign of His coming and the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). In response, He outlined the major events that will occur at the end of the age (Matthew 24:4-31). These verses describe events similar to the Lord's outline in Revelation 6-7 during the opening of the Seven Seals. After Revelation chapter 7, the Lord provides more specific details. It’s possible that all these events will happen within the seven-year period starting with the confirmation of a peace treaty concerning Israel (Daniel 9:27), but this is only a common assumption among most Bible teachers. Jesus referred to the first three and a half years after the peace covenant is signed as "the beginning of birth pains" (Matthew 24:8).
The Birth Pains and the Opening of the Five Seals
As each seal is opened in Revelation chapter 6, a related event occurs, worsening conditions on earth, which Jesus compared to a woman's labor pains intensifying as the time for birth draws near. Great persecution begins at the opening of the fifth seal (Revelation 6:7), targeting believers in Christ and Jews who refuse to take the mark and worship the Antichrist. Those who are martyred then pray for something significant.
9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been (Revelation 6:9-11; emphasis added).
The Great Persecution: Why the Fifth Seal Matters for Believers
There will be believers in Christ who are martyred during the time of the fifth seal. I believe the opening of this seal aligns with Jesus' warning about the Great Tribulation (KJV) or the Great Distress (NIV) in Matthew 24:21. I am convinced that this period should be called the Great Persecution rather than the Great Tribulation. We don't know how far ahead in time this persecution occurs, but as Christians, we must be prepared to endure and remain faithful. Many will fall away when this persecution begins (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Based on over 48 years of intensive study on this topic, believers in Christ cannot expect to be delivered (raptured) from the earth until sometime during this Great Tribulation or Persecution of the saints.
Does the Rapture Happen Before or During the Tribulation?
Some teachers say we shouldn't worry about the time ahead (how far ahead, we don't know). They insist that the Church will be raptured before the Antichrist appears on the world stage, and that the seals will open with devastating consequences on Earth. They believe that the seven-year period represents God's wrath, citing Paul's teaching, "God did not appoint us to suffer wrath" (1 Thessalonians 5:9). However, how can the seven-year period be considered God's wrath? In the Scripture passage above, some believers martyred during the Great Tribulation, or Persecution, will ask God:
"How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Revelation 6:10; emphasis added).
When Does God’s Wrath Actually Begin?
This appeal to the Lord to intervene occurs at the fifth seal (v. 9), sometime after the midpoint and possibly well into the second half of the seven-year period. This cry for justice and judgment to the Lord is because judgment against God's enemies has not yet taken place. The cry is against those persecuting true believers in Christ. The wrath and judgment have not yet begun with the fifth-seal persecution. The Lord’s reply encourages believers “to wait a little longer until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been” (Revelation 6:11). In my opinion, we cannot expect the rapture to occur until sometime into the second half of the seven-year period and before God's wrath and judgment start. We need to be spiritually prepared, study God's Word, and depend more on Him. It's time to put away distractions and take our faith seriously. It's time to draw closer to Christ. If the "Great Persecution" requires endurance, we must practice focus now.
Final Thought: As the world moves closer to these events, our goal isn't to fear the Antichrist, but to be found faithful by Christ. As Isaiah 60 promises, when the darkness covers the earth, the glory of the Lord will rise upon you (Isaiah 60:1-2; Daniel 12:3). Let us reflect Christ's light. Keith Thomas
Continue Your Journey…
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The full study on this topic is titled, The Rapture and Day of the Lord. The video teaching of this topic is found at the following link: https://youtu.be/55VR6a8P9Bo