Chronology

Figure Notes:

Christ's Parousia at Midpoint: Christ's Parousia, from heaven to earth, is found in Matthew 24:27 (cf. midpoint vv. 15-27), was determined to be associated with the 5th seal (start of great tribulation) and not the 7th seal (elect dispensational rapture in last verse of Rev. 8:1-5), since the sixth seal of extended darkness (Rev. 6:12; Matt. 24:29) demands this separation. Another reason is there must be planting and building (Luke 17:28), which are events only during daylight.

Matthew 24:28 opened seal association, sixth or seventh, is unclear. The term "Light" refers to a normal 24-hour cycle, encompassing both daytime and nighttime. "Darkness" refers to extended darkness, possibly for days, without light. Therefore, there must be a transition from "light" (fifth seal) to "darkness" (sixth seal) to "light" (seventh seal) before the elect dispensational can occur in Revelation 8:5. (Ref. 1)

6th Seal Duration: Watch my YouTube video, which limits it to a maximum of 35 days. A deeper analysis to tighten the duration of the sixth seal as 27 to 32 days can be found in Chapter 3 of Beyond Prewrath End-Time Prophecy. (Ref. 2)

7th Seal Duration: The analysis to determine the duration of the seventh seal can be found in Chapter 4 of Beyond Prewrath End-Time Prophecy, which is based on the number of days before the flood (wrath of God) came with Noah (Gen. 7:10; Rev. 8:5). See "Seventh – Seven Days Before the Flood" below. (Ref. 3)

Listen to the YouTube video to "solve" Daniel 8:13-14: Recommend you listen to my YouTube video on "solving" the two Holy Ones question and answer of Daniel 8:13-14. See my next tab to the right labeled "YOUTUBE," then click on the internet hyperlink, and search for the YouTube subject. This represents a huge historic advancement in understanding prophetic chronology, though largely overlooked by scholarly circles. This is based on my first book chapter 4.

7 reasons Rev 6-8 are not chronological

Seven Reasons Revelation 6 to 8 Are Not Chronological (Outcome View #1)

The following provides seven similar chronological reasons as discussed in chapter 6 (prewrath problems - Part 2) of my third book Jesus Returns the Way He Left Based on His Ascension. My first book, Beyond Prewrath End-Times Prophecy, on pages 46 to 47, discusses it though to a lighter degree.

First - Revelation 7 not Identified as a Seal: Revelation 7 is not explicitly identified as any opened seal, though Revelation 6:12–17 is clearly marked as the sixth seal, and Revelation 8:1–5 the seventh seal. This places Revelation 7 in an ambiguous position—open to interpretation as to where it chronologically falls. The Beyond Prewrath view interprets the events of Revelation 7—specifically the sealing of the 144,000 on earth (vv. 1–8) and the rejoicing of the great multitude in heaven (vv. 9–17)—as an immediate consequence of the earthly theophany in Revelation 8:5, which is proposed as representing the rapture of the elect.

Second – Theophanies Indicate the Presence of God:
There are three earthly great eschatological theophanies in Revelation (8:5, 11:19, 16:18; cf. 4:5), all marked by lightning and thunder. These manifestations represent the presence of God (Ref. 4), though for the righteous (day of Christ-rapture), each symbolizing a dispensational rapture event. Consider Elijah’s rapture in 2 Kings 2:11, which involved "chariots of fire and horses of fire"—similar symbolic imagery.

The three proposed dispensational rapture events—of the Church, the Jewish people, and the "sheep"—correspond well with the Scripture locations of the three great theophanies: at the end of the seventh seal (Rev. 8:5), the end of the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:19, end of the 70th week), and near the end of the seventh bowl (Rev. 16:18).

Third – Rev. 8:7 is Representative of Lot’s fire and brimstone:
Revelation 8:7 “hail and fire, mixed with blood” seems representative of Jesus’s Luke 17:29-30 analogy to Lot’s death by “fire and sulfur” is a first analogy. Noah and Lot experience in Luke 17:27, 29 represents the righteous being physically separated the same day the wicked are destroyed, is a second analogy. The Revelation 8:5 rapture theophany located only two verses from v. 7 is a representative same day event, as with the Lot and Noah.

Fourth – Normal Life with Elect Rapture:
The references to marriages, planting, building and two in bed the day the righteous are taken in Luke 17:28 must be understood as occurring during a normal earthly day—sunrise and sunset, with daylight and darkness, not during a time of extended 24-hour darkness. This undermines the idea of the elect rapture occurring at the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12–17) with its darkness. Also, since people would not be engaging in everyday activities if they were hiding in rocks, expecting death (cf. Isa. 2:9, 17-19). Notably, the sixth seal presents mental anguish but does not explicitly mention death, contrary to the prewrath view. The next seal, the seventh, must be considered as where the righteous are taken.

Fifth – Scripture Is Not Always Chronological:
The books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel demonstrate that biblical narrative is not always presented in chronological order. Revelation should be approached with a similar understanding.

Sixth – No Such Thing as an "Interim" Between Seals:
There is no historical precedent for a chronological duration of time “interim” between the opening of seals. Seals must be interpreted as either one is opened or the next. Revelation 7 must be looked at as being lifted and inserted into one of the seven structured opened seals.

Seventh – Seven Days Before the Flood:
Jesus’s reference to Noah in Luke 17:26 seems to parallel Genesis 7:10, where there was a seven-day period before the righteous were physically separated. Revelation’s "silence in heaven for about half an hour" (Rev. 8:1 ESV), which is prior to v. 5 (theophany rapture) and v. 7 (fire and death) may symbolically represent “about” 7.5 days, derived using the prophet Daniel’s 480:1 ratio (seven years to one week). This suggests a third analogy that the physical deliverance of the elect occurs at the end of the five verses (vv. 1-5) of the seventh opened seal, specifically in v. 5. Third reason above has first two analogies.

Outcome View #2 – Seals and Trumpets Do Not Overlap:
Beyond prewrath recognizes that the first blown trumpet (Rev. 8:7, wrath of God in first blown trumpet) comes after the seventh seal is opened (Rev. 8:1-5, with deduced elect rapture in v. 5). This mirrors the experiences of Lot and Noah, in which the righteous were physically separated—though still remained on earth—on the very day the wicked were destroyed (Gen. 7:11–16; 19:15–29), just as Jesus foretold in Luke 17:27, 29.

Therefore, the seals and trumpets must be understood as chronological with no overlapping. Lot and Noah experience suggests that the three verse 5-7 as a same Jewish day event. This undermines interpretations that suggest simultaneous or interwoven events. There are twenty-one events in the book of Revelation: seven opened seals, seven blown trumpets, and seven poured bowls.

Outcome View #3 – Elect Rapture defined in Rev. 8:5 (7th Seal) vs Rev. 7:9-17 is Paramount:

To some prewrath proponents this meticulous chronological examination may seem trivial (elect rapture in Rev. 7 "interim" (between sixth and seventh seals) vs proposed seventh seal rapture). That is the elect rapture is still after the great tribulation though before the first blown trumpet, so who cares.

We should care since it becomes paramount in chronological analysis with Jesus's Return Based on the Feasts of the Lord book (Ref. 4). Secondly, during a time of persecution and longing for the Lord’s return, who wouldn't want to understand the sequence of prophetic events as precisely as possible?

Note 1: In my first book Beyond Prewrath End-Times Prophecy book, chapter 3, a second prophetic meaning to the Jesus's Noah analogy in Luke 17:27–30. This analogy uses Daniel's derived prophetic ratio of 360:1, where seven years equals a prophetic week. This gives exactly 7.5 days (360 * half an hour, then divide by 24 to convert to days), considering Rev. 8:1 "about half an hour," this should be considered a great second analogy to the Luke prophecy. The seven days before the flood (Gen. 7:10) and Revelation 8:1 "about half an hour in heaven" is made.

A chronological analogy to Revelation 8:1 is made to before the righteous (Noah) were physically separated from the flood, which helps add support that the later verse 5, with its theophany, is representative of another physical separation, though called a rapture event. There is more detailed reasoning in my book. Basically, time in heaven and on earth are at different rates, called time dilation. Time dilation has been scientifically proven (Ref. 5, see the quote on my page 42). Einstein is correct that time is only a stubborn illusion.

Reference (3): ibid, 49-59.