So many are realizing that just maybe we’re going to go through some things before the rapture. That is an amazing change of heart and mind, especially for pastors. I recently heard from a pastor that changed his mind about the timing of the rapture after preaching a pre-tribulation rapture for 40 years! I know that had to be hard for him, because it was hard for me, too, when God changed my mind after I studied every word of the Bible while in prison. And they say you can’t be rehabilitated!

So now we’re going to talk about the six things that have to take place before the rapture. Jesus told us that He didn’t want us to be caught unaware, that we’re to watch for these signs, signs that are popping all over the place right now. What’s happening in Israel right now is one of the signs of the time. The signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, many are happening right now. The floods, the droughts, the economic woes; all of this stuff is happening now. So, if we were instructed to watch that we would not be caught unaware, then how can these signs not mean anything?

My friend, John Shorey, continued in our recent broadcasts with an amazing revelation of the correlation between Matthew 24 and Revelation 6:

“When you study Matthew 24, what you end up seeing is that it’s an outline for Revelation, Chapter 6, the opening of the seven seals. Actually, six of the seals open in chapter six. So, when you take a look at the six seals, I mean the seals in chapter six, and you look at Matthew 24, you’re literally seeing all of those seals spoken about.

First Seal

And in fact, in verse 4 it says, “Watch out, be not deceived, for many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” Well, you know, this is like talking about antichrist, and of course, that’s the first seal.

Second Seal

And then in verse 7, it says, “Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.” The second seal is war. And it’s talking about war.

Third Seal

And the next verse says, “There will be famines and earthquakes.” The third seal is famines.

Fourth Seal

Now, the only seal that is not mentioned by name in Matthew 24 is plagues. But, when you have war and you have famine, you have plagues, because you’re going to have dead bodies, and whenever you have dead bodies from war, you’re going to have disease, and that is going to bring plagues.

Fifth Seal

When you continue reading the next verse, it says, “You will be handed over to be persecuted. You will be put to death and hated by all nations because of me.” That’s the fifth seal.

Sixth Seal

Then you go a little further, and it says, “Immediately…” this is where it gets really exciting. In Matthew 24 it says, “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light.” The sixth seal is, they opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun goes dark, and the moon does not give light. I mean, it’s right there, Revelation chapter 6, the sixth seal is the sun going dark.

Well you know, if you look in the Old Testament in Joel, it says, “At the time of the day of the Lord, the sun and the moon and the stars will go dark.” Well you know, the day of the Lord is the time of the Lord’s coming. And here we have Matthew saying the sun will go dark and the moon will not give its light. We have the sixth seal saying the sun will go dark and the moon will not give its light. We have Joel saying the sun, the moon, and the stars will go dark. Now let me tell you something, Joel really nailed it. If the sun goes dark, the moon goes dark, and the stars go dark, it’s not a solar eclipse that does it; it’s not a lunar eclipse that does it, because the stars go dark. Something literally fogs up the atmosphere so that all three go dark, the sun, the moon, and the stars go dark. And when you read the opening of the sixth seal, do you know what it says? It says, “They opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. And the sun goes dark.” I believe that great earthquake, and in fact, I have other scriptures from another study that I don’t have on my fingertips, but literally there are earthquakes happening at this time around the globe, and you know what, when Yellowstone goes off, there will be a great earthquake, and the dust cloud they say will create a nuclear winter, and there are other super quakes, super volcanoes, that literally could all go at the same time, and when they erupt and they go, let me tell you what, there will be such a dust cloud around the earth that the sun, the moon, and the stars, the fulfillment, all three will not be able to be seen.

This is so interesting, because when you read Matthew 24 and you see, “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light,” and then a little further down it says, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky,” that’s the rapture!

The sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. And if you don’t believe it’s the rapture, read down a little further. And it says, “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds.” Now, this is the rapture!

Now you know, I have always believed that following the opening the opening of the sixth seal of Revelation, which this is the outline of the seals, that following the opening of the sixth seal in Revelation, the opening of the seventh seal, there is silence in Heaven for 30 minutes. And I’ve always believed that silence in Heaven is the saints showing up at the throne, and it’s a holy hush. We are speechless, we are literally bowing before the throne, and we can’t say a word, and 30 minutes, and our Heavenly Father breaks the silence, and he introduces the Bride to our new home. Because then you read a few verses later after the opening of the seventh seal, Revelation 7:9, the elder says, “Who are these multitudes in white robes that you can’t even count,” and then they say, “These are those who have come out of the Great Tribulation.” So here we have the opening of the seals leading up to what I see as the rapture, and we have in Matthew 24, the parallel, the description of the seals leading up to the Rapture.

This is plain speak.”

(Continued in Pt. 4)