Though it is true that the word "Ekklesia/Saints" are used interchangeably throughout the NT. Here in Revelation there is a separation, which God put there for those who are diligently seeking the words of this prophecy.
The
Within chapter 1 thru 3, only the word "Ekklesia" translated "church" is used. Within those same chapters you will not find the word "Hagios" translated as "Saints."
Likewise, from chapter 4 onward only the word "Hagios/Saints" is found and the word "Ekklesia/church is never seen again within the narrative of God's wrath, even though there are plenty of places that it could have been used. There is a reason for this. The absence of the word "church" means that the church is no longer on the earth, with Rev.4:1-2 being a prophetic allusion to the gathering of the church. The reference to "Saints" beginning in Rev.5:8 is referring to the great tribulation saints and not the church. You would think that after using the word "church" 19 times within chapter 1 thru 3, that it would be used at least once from chapter 4 onward. yet, its use abruptly stops.
The only reason for your claim above is because you are resisting the truth. First of all, the letters are not just to those literal churches of that time, but to the entire church period. And second, at the end of each of those letters we read "He who overcomes" and "he who has an ear" which is directed to each individual believer throughout the entire church period. Therefore, your apologetic regarding the use of the word "Saints" does not apply. The reason for the change is to make a distinction between the church and the saints who will be on the earth after the church has been gathered and during the time of God's wrath.
Those who are saved are those who are having faith in Christ as the One who provided salvation for them and who continue in that faith. However, there are some beliefs that prove that a person is truly not a believer, such trusting in one's own works for salvation, that Jesus did not resurrect bodily, that the resurrection has already taken place, as well as number of others.
Those who are not looking for the blessed hope, the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, are not trusting in His promise, but are teaching false teachings and are instead putting the church through God's wrath and thereby not really believing that Jesus took upon himself the wrath that we deserve. Those who believe this have no understanding of who God's wrath will be directed at and it certainly won't be to those who have been credited with righteousness and have been reconciled to God. They also don't understand the severity and magnitude of God's coming wrath.
Everything that I post is accompainied by scripture and therefore, not is of my own .
You presented no scripture that saints of God are in the body of Christ.[/QUOTE]
Joseppi,
The last seven years are divided up into two 3 1/2 year periods. The beginning of the seven years is when the antichrist establishes his covenant with Israel, which will allow them to build their temple and begin to sacrifice. in the middle of the seven years, is when that abomination is set up. The following 3 1/2 years, is the great tribulation, which will continue until the end when Jesus returns to the earth to end the age. There is no wrath after the end of the tribulation period.
Matt.24:15 marks the middle of the seven years when that abomination is set up.
Matt.24:30-31 marks the end of that last 3 1/2 years, after God's wrath and is when Jesus returns to the earth to end the age.
The seals are indeed apart of God's wrath and that because Jesus is the One opening them, which lead into the trumpets and are followed by the bowls. It's not straight forward accounting, because you don't understand that at the 6th seal when it says "the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand" that the words "has come" are in the aorist, which encompasses God's wrath in its entirety. In other words, what they will have already experienced and what is yet to come, namely the trumpets and the bowls. You are looking at the announcement the same way that many do, only considering everything after the announcement as being God's wrath. The seals, trumpets and bowls belong together as God's fulfillment of his wrath. They should not be separated into different categories. In the very first verse of Revelation, God's word says, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show His servants the things which must soon take place." The seals, trumpets and bowl judgments are those things that must soon take place and they are all God's wrath.
I presented scriptures that say when the wrath of God is ordained.
Notice that the following says, “the great day of his wrath is come.” Which is stated right after the sixth seal is opened and immediate to the opening of the seventh seal.
Revelation 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
But you say to retranslate the verse above to agree with the false doctrine of a secret rapture?
Now I am not going to ignore what the scripture above states.
Then you reasoned that all the seven seals occur after the great tribulation.
Which I know is not stated in scripture, so I looked for some more evidence and noticed the following.
Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Notice that when the fifth seal was opened the souls of them that
were slain for the word of God and their testimony were seen at that time.
Now you say these are them that died during the great tribulation of the wrath of God.
But note the following....
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
If these souls had seen the wrath of God during the great tribulation beginning with the first seal, then..
How come they testify that the wrath of God hasn’t come yet?
For they plainly state...
“How long, O Lord, holy and true,
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”
So, it is proven that the saints in the great tribulation testify that God’s judgment hasn’t come as wrath to earth to avenge their blood.
And that they are then told to wait till the full number of them are slain on earth, before the judgment of God’s wrath comes.
Revelation 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
After this comes the seventh seal and the full accounting of all who are slain in the great tribulation.