Further, note the wording here in verse 51: “Behold, I tell you [reveal to you] a mystery…” Where is the mystery of God revealed? “…there shall be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound [his trumpet], then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets… and the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.’ And the 24 elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, ‘We give Thee thanks, O Lord God the Almighty, who art and who wast and who is coming, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Thy wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged [the first resurrection], and the time to give their rewards to Thy bond-servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the great [this is the true rapture, right at the last trumpet where it belongs], and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” (Rev 10:6,7 and 11:15-18)

The seventh trumpet of Revelation is not quite the end of the great tribulation. Remember Jesus’ promise that, “…for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.” (Matt 24:22) But it’s nearly at the end. The only tribulation following is, “…the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” containing, “…the seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.” (Rev 16:1 and 15:1)

That makes sense, for we are promised that, “…God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess 5:9) for we have put our faith in, “…Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1:10)

Yes, it makes sense, but only if we are willing to give up that comforting secret pre-trib rapture heresy. But if we hang on to it, our Bible is full of contradictions, Daniel the Prophet and the Apostles Paul and Peter were terribly confused and/or ignorant, and Jesus Himself was flat wrong in His warnings to His disciples. But I believe in a God who is all-knowing and perfectly consistent throughout His Word. That is why I call the pre-trib rapture doctrine a heresy – it makes God out to be weak and misleading, and leads believers to put their faith in a false hope rather than in the sure Word of God.

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