Hey Ahwatukee,
I agree that there's overlapping...but have to disagree that everything that happens is under "God's Wrath". For instance, 5th seal (regardless of whenever we believe it happens) involves saints dying for their testimony. The Almighty then comforts them, telling them that their fellow servants must die with them, and then they'll be avenged. This couldn't possibly be God's Wrath...upon saints??
See what I mean?
Those that are seen under the altar in heaven at the opening of the 5th seal, are those who will have become saints after the church is gathered and who will have died during the first 3 1/2 years of the seven year period. The reference to them waiting until their fellow servants and brothers are to be killed in the same manner as they were, is referring to those killed during the last 3 1/2 years of that seven year period, which is the great tribulation.
Fifth Seal Martyr's = Those who become believers after the church is gathered and during the first 3 1/2 years of God's wrath.
Fellow servants and brothers = The saints who die during the great tribulation which is the last 3 1/2 year period
The great tribulation saints are introduced in Revelation 7:9-17 as that multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language.
God leaves us clues throughout His word and one of them is the fact that the word ekklesia translated as church is used 19 times. In addition, within those same chapters you will not find the word 'Saints.' After the end of chapter 3, the word 'church' disappears from print. Coincidence? I think not! God is giving us some masked information here, demonstrating that there is a distinction being made between church and Saints.
The church period ends when the Lord descends to the atmosphere and gathers up the church both dead and living. Those who become believers after the gathering, though believer, are not a part of the church, which is why they are never referred to as such. They are another saved group under Christ whose faith will be tested by their very lives. Those who make it alive through the entire wrath of God, will be those who, along with the remnant of Israel, will repopulate the earth, still being in their mortal bodies.
Well we don't see the word antichrist anywhere in the book of Revelation either but surely you believe that spirit is still present during the time and described using other words. My point is, the words "saints" and "servants" are used during the recorded events so couldn't these be describing the very same body of believers? Is it possible?
That comparison is not relevant. Daniel calls him the little horn, Paul calls him the man of lawlessness, John calls him the antichrist and John in Revelation calls him the beast. We know who they are all referring to. The disappearance of the word church after using it 19 times and then it never being used again during the narrative of God's wrath, is relevant. What is also relevant, is the fact that after John has just written letters to the seven churches, he then sees another group which is too large to count. The fact that the elder is asking John who they are tells us that they are not the church, but another group. In addition, John doesn't know who they are.
Again, I do not post information off the cuff of my sleeve. This comes from many years of study on these end-time subjects.