Jesus states in Rev. 22:12, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Paul states this as well in 2 Tim. 4:1. The significance of this statement regarding timing is the fact that Jesus tells us that at the time of His coming He simultaneously rewards, both the righteous and the wicked. So this give a clue to the puzzle. All a person has to do is discover at what point Jesus does precisely that…. Rewards. Rev. 11:18 tells us that at this point in time Jesus does exactly that, “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” This event happens at the time of the seventh trumpet of Revelations…Rev. 11:15-19.
Although the Bible tells us that no man knows the day or the hour… Matt. 24:36 and that Jesus will come as a thief in the night…Matt. 24:42,43, 2 Thess. 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10, Rev. 16:15. The Scripture also gives a very big clue and tells us when. In 1 Cor. 15:51,52 Paul tells us that it is “at the last trumpet”
[51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed
Often this fact doesn’t fit several doctrines so those who believe those doctrines immediately dismiss this fact. As a result they conjure up ideas that there are several “last trumps” in the Word. However, Rev. 10:7 and 1 Cor. 15:52 are the only two verses in Scripture that discuss the revealed mystery at the last trumpet. Take a look at Rev. 10:5-7
[5] And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven
[6] And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
[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.
Now lets take the actual event of the last trumpet: Rev. 11
[15] And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
[16] And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
[17] Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
[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.
[19] And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail
Take a look at some of the list of happens at the last trumpet..
1) Time is no more…. Rev. 10:6
2) The kingdoms of the world are become the kingdoms of Christ… Rev. 11:15
3) Christ rules forevermore… Rev. 11:15
4) Not only does Christ have the power…. He uses it… He HAS reigned at this moment in time/7th trumpet! Rev. 11:17
5) God pours out His wrath on the dead… Rev.11:18
6) He rewards His people (see list)… Rev. 11:18
7) People can no longer destroy the earth… Rev. 11:18
8) The rapture…. at the last trumpet…. 1 Cor 15:52
9) The mystery of God is finished… Rev. 10:6
Notice that Christ rewards His people… Point number 6…. At this point the reward is given out
Rev. 22:12
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be
Rev. 22:12 implies that the reward is handed out at the time of His return.
Could the fact that God wrath is poured out on the dead mean anything different than putting them into an eternal Hell?
2 Tim. 4:1 states, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom”
Digging still deeper into the Word. Rev 10 tells us that John eats the scroll or little book that gives him a bitter stomach. Is this not the climax of the chapter? This brings about the result of God giving him another word to release to the people… Rev. 10:11
[11] And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings
John wrote the Book of Revelation in his 90s if he were relatively the same age as Jesus. Some say it was written in 92 Ad others 95 during his exile to the island of Patmos when he recorded it. It is believed that he was released and lived the remainder of his days in Ephesus where he completed the finished copies of Revelation and John.
So the question is when did he prophesy AGAIN. John isn’t known historically as a prophet. He is known as John the revelator because of the book of Revelations.
The obvious conclusion is that the seventh trumpet is the END of the first prophesy. The angel had declared that “time is no longer” at the last trumpet just prior to giving John the little book, You simply cannot have the big long list of accomplished events such as Christ ruling and reigning forevermore and then events in the next prophesy such as the antichrist reigning a couple of chapters later and think that the events are sequential. The fact is that the first prophesy is finished at the 7th trumpet, and John is about to prophesy again.
In Rev. 12 the second prophesy begins and it is sequential through chapter 16. Note the absence of any angel leading John through this passage. The absence would give opportunity for the presentation of the little book’s second prophesy. Chapter 17 and 18 are explanatory chapters of that prophesy where the angel returns to explain them.
There must be two prophesies, because that would be the only way for the angel to swear correctly, and for Christ to rule and reign forevermore. The the second prophesy is complementary of the first. Therefore the trumpets and the vials/bowls are one in the same. Note the announcement of the Rapture right before the 7the vial/bowl….
Rev. 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame
Here again we have doctrines that dismiss this verse or tell us it is misplaced, but is it? If the trumpets and the bowls are one in the same, this placement of this verse absolutely complements the fact that Jesus comes at the last (7th) trumpet
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