Here is one to search out. The other day I was reading Revelation 22:10 and as I read it Daniel 12:4 come into memory. In Daniel 12:4 Daniel is told to " shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end:" But in Revelation 22:10, John is told to " Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." One to really study for.

[Diligent]

I think concerning the Jews, the book of Daniel is indeed a sealed book.

2 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

Never thought of it that way. Seeing that the prophecy that was written in Daniel was concerning the Jews and that the book of Revelation started with the letters to the church.But one question still remains, once the time of the Gentiles be fullfilled then God will once again be dealing with the nation of Israel. Revelation speaks of what Daniel chapter 9 speaks of.

You mentioned one question - but nothing in your reply is stated as a question. I will confirm what you said though - Revelation 4:1 deals with the rapture of the true believers and chapter six is the start of the Tribulation period, where God turns back to the Jews.

First of all, don't we need to establish a date of this book?

Some say prior to 70AD. Others seem to think app. 96 AD.

Why is this so important? Well, if this book was wrote prior to 70 AD, then we can assume that John was referring to the destruction of Jerusalem.

Jerry, where do we read of a rapture in the book of Rev.?

In fact I can't seem to find any scripture that deals with rapture.

Also, I'm not aware of any Early Church Father, speaking on a rapture.

Yahweh Bless

Kevin

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 is the clearest passage on the rapture. The term is not used in an English Bible, but "caught up together" is what rapture means. Revelation 1:19 states this:

Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

Chapter one describes what John saw (the vision of Christ).
Chapters 2-3 describe the things which are (the seven churches, and the church age which they picture).
Chapter four onward describes the things which shall be after the church age - ie. the rapture, the tribulation, new heavens and new earth, etc.

Laodicea is the last of the seven churches, then comes this passage, where John is caught up to Heaven (compare this passage and the wording used with 1 Thessalonians 4):

Revelation 4:1-2 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

First of all, don't we need to establish a date of this book?

Some say prior to 70AD. Others seem to think app. 96 AD.

Why is this so important? Well, if this book was wrote prior to 70 AD, then we can assume that John was referring to the destruction of Jerusalem.

A date has been established - it was AD 96 - during the reign of Domitian. The book does not refer to the destruction of Jerusalem (except in chapter 11), but is referring to destruction and judgment coming upon the whole earth. There is no way you can apply that only to the first century. Revelation chapters 6-19 are covering the same events as Matthew 24, Mark 13, 2 Thessalonians 2, Isaiah 24-25, Daniel 9:26-27. Luke 13 is the only chapter in the Bible that refers to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70.

I think some have missed the point. When we put on Christ we become heir to the promises of Abraham given to the Jews.

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

We become Abrahams seed. Could it be that those who are Abrahams seed and accept Jesus Christ are part of the lost tribes of Israel?

Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Bro. Danny

The twelve tribes were never lost - they were carried to Assyria, then later Babylon - but the OT says many came back to Israel. Then the Jews were scattered in the second century by the Romans after the Bar Cochba (I might be off on my spelling) rebellion.

We are spiritually heirs of Abraham - we inherit his spiritual blessings and promises, not his physical ones. The literal Jews will inherit them when the Lord turns back to them.

This verse:

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

is referring to this scattering of believers during Saul's persecution of the early church:

Acts 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Acts 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

The church up to that point in the book of Acts was mostly made up of Jews - safe to say, from the twelve tribes, which were then scattered abroad.

Jerry how in the world do you get rapture out of Rev. 1:19?

When I read Rev. I believe that John was a that point in time at the end of the tribualtion period.

Note what is wrote in 1:10, "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,"

The Lord's day. Many teach this has John being there on Sunday. I totally disgree with this. I believe the Lord's day is that day spoken by the Prophets.

Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
Isa 2:13 And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,

Isa 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.


Eze 13:5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.

[footnote on this Chapter 13, read this whole Chapter and you will find out this Yahweh is mad at those that teach the souls to fly away!]

Joe 1:15 Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

Oba 1:15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

I believe I made my point.

When John was in that time period of Yahweh, beginning to pour out His wrath upon the world, he was instructed to write those things before this wrath of Yahweh, the things that were beginning to happen in that day of judgment, and those things after the day of Yahweh's wrath.

Yahweh Bless

Kevin

I did not say the rapture was in Revelation 1:19 - obviously your reading skills are lacking. That verse gives the breakdown of the book of Revelation. I said the third thing mentioned is what happens from 4:1 on - the things which shall be hereafter.

The tribulation period has not happened yet - it did not happen at the end of the first century, no matter how much you want to spiritualize things. There has never been a one world ruler yet, a one world religion, the mark of the beast, the seven year tribulation.

P.S. I don't believe in Yahweh, which is a pagan god.