The seals of revelation chapter 6 align with 7 sign's of Matthew chapter 24. The seals are out of order. The trumps are in order. Satan as antichrist comes 6th trump. Revelation chapter 9, its 5 month period. Ephesians chapter 6, those who are biblically illiterate, won't get past antichrist lies and deception. The gospel armour is knowledge and wisdom of God's word. Many people are defenseless against antichrist near future. Micah chapter 3 warns people of false brethren, who teach tradition of men and false doctrine. I'm not knocking churches down. Thier are some dead churches. One verse Charlie's who dont teach verse by verse, and chapter by chapter. The flocks are spirtualty dead, illiterate of God's word. After 20 years congregations should be teachers of God's word. Get the picture. It's sad. Some priests and pastors have failed in their capacity to nourish their flocks and warn them of antichrist. Ephesians chapter 6 is the key to success.
Yes, some churches fail. Some denominations fail. Many priests fail and many Catholic churches fail. We can generalize and recognize that Christian Civilization is falling. But our purpose, as dedicated Christians, is to weather the storm--not gape at the failures and complain.
We saw this scenario played out for us in the Bible. Israel began with a holy calling, and eventually compromised and failed. They were restored, but then failed again. What did the dedicated saints do? They recognized the problems, but they continued to seek out what God wanted for their lives.
It really depends on where you live. If you live in a place where rebuilding is required, and it is possible, then like Nehemiah you rebuild. Like Ezra you teach restoration.
But if like Jeremiah you live in a place where only a small remnant will hear, and the majority will reject and persecute you, then you have to be careful to maintain a testimony of righteousness like Jesus did. We have to let individuals and societies make up their own minds and go the direction they wish to go in. We make our own individual decision.
As for the chronology of Revelation, I would argue that the similarities between Revelation and the Olivet Discourse do not mean they represent the same time and order. The birth pains of Jesus' generation, before the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, are not the same "birth pains" that take place just prior to the arrival of the Kingdom. The false prophets of Jesus' day are not the same false prophets who will exist in the time of Antichrist.
However, they are somewhat comparable in that Antichristianity is a NT phenomena that all Christians in all ages have to be aware of, avoid and expose. Some will be willfully deceived, and others will thank you later for having helped deliver them from lies.
Revelation is partly linear as a narrative. But it is hardly chronological from beginning to end simply because it is a series of visions, and not a single vision. The several large visions and the many smaller visions cover the same territory, and therefore cannot lead in time from one to the other. They cover the same material, the same persecution by Antichrist, and the same 2nd Coming. The story simply is told in several different ways to emphasize different matters.
