Anyone else notice how the book of revelation is divided? Particularly chapters 1-3 to chapter 4-19.
The 4th chapter begins like this ‘After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. The Greek words for ‘after this’ μετά ταύτα (pronounced Meta Tauta) .
But after what? What was the theme of the first 3 chapters book of revelation? The Church, and only the Church of Jesus Christ. In Chapter 1 we are introduces to Lord Jesus who is walking around 7 golden lampstands which represents the 7 churches of chapter 2-3, 7 churches in Asia Minor which represent the whole church throughout the history up until Jesus takes His Church with Him.
Chapter 1-3 represent the age of the Church, the year of God’s favour (Isaiah 61, Luke 4). Let’s look at now verses 17-19 of chapter 1. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are [(καὶ ἃ εἰσὶν – kai ha eisin). The word εἰσὶν is the present tense of the verb ‘to be’. The Church IS.] And then verse 19 continues ‘and the things that will happen after this (μετά ταύτα). When? After this, after the age of Church. Therefore I am convinced, rev. chapters 1-3 talk about the age of the Church, then rapture happens and then starts chapter 4 onwards. Also the language from revelation 4 changes to OT language. We have the temple again etc. etc.
The problem with mid-trib rapture and post trib-rapture is that no one knows when the Lord is coming. Because if we believe in mid-trib rapture, we will know it will happen exactly 3.5 years after the revelation of antichrist. If we believe post-trib rapture, we wait 7 years after the reign of antichrist. The Lord will come like a thief to take what is His, no one knows when.
Also, the Lord says Matthew 24 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark. I highly doubt that during the horrible 7 years of the tribulation people will be joyful, marrying etc. because they will be going through trial, definitely not after God starts pouring His wrath, who could be joyful? 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Ivan, this is a theory, but it just does not stand up to good bible exegesis. John used "after this" or "after these things" or a similar phrase six times (if I counted right) in Revelation. What did he mean? All he meant was there was a transition in what God was showing him. In chapter 4, God had been dictating messages for the 7 churches, but then God called him (John) up to heaven (perhaps around 95 AD) so that we would have this amazing book to read.
Pre-trib, vs mid-trib, vs post-trib...did you notice that neither Jesus nor John pinpointed the beginning of the 70th week. It is my guess this confirming of a covenant will be done in secret, or with several people involved so no one will know who the man of sin will be. It may not be possible to count from that point. However, the abomination will be known by many, so people could count from there. The problem there is, Jesus will not return on the 1260th day. The week will end with Jesus still in heaven for the marriage and supper. So no one will know the day or hour of that coming either.
As for Noah, Jesus used the preposition "for" which tells us the one single aspect about Noah that he was making reference to: the SUDDENNESS of their destruction with no warning.
Chapters 4 and 5 give us the timing and context of the first seal. God showed John EXACTLY what He wanted John to see:
1. A throne room with Jesus NOT SEEN.
2. The Holy Spirit there in the throne room, when we would expect Him to be already sent down.
3. A search for one worthy to open the seals, but NO MAN WAS FOUND.
How could all these things be the throne room of 95 AD? Impossible! God was showing John a vision of the past - a throne room while Jesus was on the earth or under the earth. Why would God do that? What could be His purpose?
God wanted to introduce John to the book, sealed with 7 seals. But God chose to begin this part of the vision while the book was still with the Father. Since that was before Christ ascended, God had to show in the vision, a time before Christ ascended.
1. Why was Jesus not seen at the right hand of the Father, where Stephen saw Him? Simple: at that moment in time, He was on the earth.
2. Why was the Holy Spirit still there in the throne room? Because at this moment in time (in the vision) Jesus had not yet ascended and sent Him down.
3. Why was Jesus not found worthy in that first search John watched? Simply because He had not yet risen from the dead.
So after this, someone told John he could stop weeping - someone had been found worthy. What does this tell us? Jesus has just risen from the dead and was then found worthy in probably the next search. (I suspect this search for one worthy had been ongoing for some time.)
What happened next? John saw Jesus ascend back into the throne room he had left 32 or some years before. And He immediately sent the Holy Spirit down.
WHEN? When was the Holy Spirit sent down? As soon as Jesus ascended. WHEN? When did Jesus ascend? Around 32 AD.
What was the first thing Jesus did upon ascending? He took the book from the Father and began opening the seals. WHEN? Around 32 AD.
The first seal, opened around 32 AD, is to represent the church sent out with the gospel.
Seals 2-4 are to represent the devil's attempts to stop the advance of the gospel. God LIMITED them to 1/4 of the earth.
Because God sent the 120 out to spread the gospel, and because Satan was (and still is) the God of this world, people were MARTYRED as the gospel spread.
The 5th seal then, is for the martyrs of the church age. People are being added day after day to this group. Early on they cried out to God wondering how long it would be before God would judge their murders. They were told that they would have to wait for the very last martyr in their catagory: as church age martyrs. In short, they would have to wait for the final church age martyr. That is a HUGE hint to where the rapture will take place in Revelation.
Judgment and WRATH will begin with the 6th seal, so the rapture must come before that.
. My advice to you is keep your faith in the pre-trin rapture. It is the most reassuring. Read John 14 and believe it. And welcome. 
