So how does anyone know if they are "a child of God" or a "Church member"?
Hi OldSage,
I've posted this before many times, which is one of the God-given clues found within Revelation.
Revelation chapters 1 thru 3 = Ekklesia translated as Church found 19 times. (The word 'hagios' translated as 'Saints' is absent from those same chapters
Revelation chapter 4 onward = No ekklesia/Church, but only the word hagios/Saints
Throughout chapters 1 thru 3 the word 'ekklesia/church' appears 19 times and then is never used again, until Rev.22:16 in the epilog. As some may believe, this is not a coincident, nor did the Spirit just get tired of using the word 'church.' It was done purposely to alert those searching out the book of Revelation, to show that the church is no longer on the earth and that by drawing a division between 'Church' and 'Saints.'
In Revelation 1:19 John is told to write:
What you have seen = Everything written from Revelation 1:1 to 1:19
What is Now = Represented by the letters to the church, which is also representing the entire church period
What will take place later = Everything that happens after the "what is now," i.e. what happens after the church period
In Daniel 9:24, God made a decree upon Israel for seventy seven year periods. Sixty nine of those seven year periods were fulfilled when Messiah was crucified. There still remains one seven year period to be fulfilled.
After Christ was crucified, God put a pause on that last seven years of dealing with Israel and began to build His church. Once the church has been completed, according to the Lord's promise, He will descend from heaven and raise the dead and change the living believers and then take us back to the Father's house to those places that He prepared for us. Currently, we are living in the "what is now" portion of what John was told to write. Once the church has been gathered the "what is now" portion will end and the "what must take place later" will begin, with God picking up right were He left off in fulfillment of that last seven years with Israel.
Revelation 4:1 is also another clue hidden right out in the open. John hears the same voice that sounded like a trumpet in Rev.1:10 and that same voice like a trumpet says to him "come up here and I will show you what must take place after this," which is synonymous with "what will take place later." This is what I call a prophetic allusion to where the church is gathered, which again is supported by the fact that the word 'church' never appears in print from that time forward, demonstrating that the church is gone.
Revelation 7:9-17 introduces the reader to a new group, which is a vision of those white robed saints which is too large to count from every nation, tribe, people and language. These are those who become believers after the church has been gathered and during the time of God's wrath. The reason that they will be on the earth during that time, is because they will not have been believers prior to the gathering. I also believe that they will be made up of those who will have received Christ earlier, but will have wandered away and gone back into the world willfully living according to the sinful nature. Once they see that the church has been taken, they will realize what has happened and will rededicate themselves to Christ knowing that they have now entered into the period of God's wrath. It is this group, along with Israel who will be on the earth during the tribulation period.
If you are currently in Christ and are keeping watch, being faithful, then you belong to the church and will be gathered with the church when the Lord comes. Those who do not believe, but believe after the fact, they will be the saints of the tribulation period.
Sorry about being long winded. Just wanted to splain a few things.
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