If you’ve been following my Revelation blogs right along, you’ll know that I believe that the Seven Letters and the Seven Seals are parallel descriptions of the Ages of the Christian Church, that the Rapture will fall on the Sixth, and that the Seventh describes the period between the Rapture and the beginning of the last Seven Years of Time.
In my head, I call this last period “Laodicea”, because that is the name of the city to which the last Letter is addressed.
Months ago, when I was first working this stuff out, I was talking with Mama Buzz about how it seemed to me the Seventh Letter and Seventh Seal added up to a period of about six months when Jesus would knock on the hearts of the Left Behind. And Mama Buzz kind of blurted, “What if the reason it’s silent in Heaven is that we’re all on Earth helping Him?”
Wow! What a concept! I got so psyched about the idea that my most important prayer-for-me was to become truly holy before the Rapture so I could be a fit and willing tool for Jesus to use during Laodicea. And, boy howdy, has He ever been taking me at my word. Growing pains hurt. Spiritual growing pains hurt more.
A while back, I got a tad pity partyish and whined at Him about how hard He was pushing me and I heard Him say in my spirit, “It’s what you wanted and time is short.” Ooookay! Nose. Grindstone. Grindstone. Nose.
The past couple of weeks, I’ve been on a kind of fun fantasy ride about how … if I’ve got this stuff right … we’ll be like Ultimate Avengers in our glorified bodies. After Jesus resurrected, He stuck around a while, so we have some hints about what it will be like to have a glorified body.
Solid, for one thing, right? He invited Thomas to stick his finger into his wounds. Ick. But able to appear, disappear, come and go from locked rooms … soo coool. Plus He walked a long way along that road to Emmaus without appearing to be anything odd or ghosty to the fellas.
So, anyway … last night was a hard one. I got enough rest to function today, for which I am very grateful. The days I spend entirely on the couch drag like molasses in January. But I’m tired. And it really did hurt a lot. I’m not whining, just setting up that “walk in my slippers” thing ZMalfoy talked about so you can understand and get some good out of the private revelation God sent me with breakfast.
See ZMalfoy’s comment @ https://polination.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/catholic-teaching-on-private-revelation/
Yesterday, I forgot to put my bookmark in before I closed my Bible. The dogs were really antsy for their breakfast, so I just jammed the bookmark back in any old where. Today, I opened to that random spot and here is the very first thing my eyes landed on.
Goosebumps! Heart-stopping, jaw-dropping, eye-leaking, get your praise on goosebumps! Sigh. Thank you, Lord. Thank you SO MUCH. Amen.
polination.blog 
😀
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I needta write to you about this. I read this yesterday morning, and the synchronicity might have fired my brain just a little. Still trying to process. This is the weekend I bake all the King Cakes for Mardi Gras. . . perhaps while kneading those I’ll be able to figure out the proper words . . .
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The baking is done, the cakes delivered, and I’m still feeling less-than-eloquent. So I hope you bear with me while I ramble.
I’ve been following various streams on the internet and elsewhere these past several years regarding Christian prophesy. Even though many Catholics would say that it wasn’t worth the time, etc. . . (I’m sure you’ve heard it), I couldn’t not. I drink this sort of thing in, and always have. For the longest time (in fact, until I read your writings on the subject, Chrissy) I believed that our church didn’t believe in the Rapture, as such. I’d considered this “teaching” to be a little. . .off. Your writing has shown me that it (“no Rapture”) isn’t a teaching of the Catholic church, it’s just people are always saying such.
Some time ago, when reading Walid Shoebat’s God’s War on Terror, when he was speaking about the possible role of the New World Nations in the events of Revelation and Daniel. . . and he writes about the armies of the Lord, coming to the rescue of those who have turned to Jesus. I remember thinking, at that time, how totally cool and awesome it would be to be among that number. To have been completely cleansed, fixed, and given the spear or sword that my hands often itch for.
This idea has sort of haunted me. Anytime I would read about the Rapture, and ponder: “Why one whole lot of people gets zapped away first? To what end?” Because, if there’s one thing I know about God, it’s that He’s perfectly efficient. He’s The Author that wrote the rule Chekov declared–> If there is a rifle above the fireplace in Act 1, Scene 1, then it must go off by the end of the play. Nothing He does is without Reason and Purpose. So why a rapture? To spare people horror? Nah, couldn’t be it– history is replete with terror and horror and humans bringing about the most brutal of hells possible on earth. If they weren’t spared, why should some latter generation? Another way of looking at it is: What is the point, the purpose, of the raptured?
The point is that the raptured people are familiar faces to those still living in those final days. Aside from the rare historical figure. . . we’re the only people they might possibly trust. I am convinced that centuries from now, this time period will be known as the Age of Lies, or the Age of Deceit. We are all drowning in it, wading through such a morass of confusion and disorientation that I’m not sure previous generations really dealt with as much– which is why knowing you can trust a person is so very, very important. Imagine how much worse it will be in the Final Days. How will they turn to Jesus, unless there are friendly faces to show them the way?
But like you, Chrissy, I’ve noted the bit about the glorified bodies, how we shall run and not grow weary– as someone who hates cardio, this description resonates strongly. To run without fatigue, without loosing my breath or aching knees . . . !
My secret dream, that I often chastise myself for my foolishness. . . Well, you know how I’m a total angel fangirl, right? With this embarrassing total-schoolgirl-crush on Archangel Michael? This is what comes of a hobby of angelology when in college, when one is a natural-born-geek. *sigh* Anyway, my own secret foolish dream has been that if I don’t screw up, and I do get chosen for that lot. . . that along with the new, “glorified” body, there would be some awesome training (cue training sequence from Batman Begins, only more bad@ss), so that–just as you pray– I could be useful.
So I’ll daydream like the silly girl I am, then catch myself, and get very vexed with myself for being so very silly and foolish . . . but when I’m not guarding my daydreams, I can still feel the weight and the grain of the wooden staff of the naginata that Michael would have me train with in my dream. . . and then I catch myself, and when I pray, I ask God to take these dreams away from me because they are silly and foolish, and what has Michael ever done to have such an embarrassing groupie as myself?
[“Z” is for Zophiel, after all.]
The whole situation has had far more angst paid in than it should have. It’s really ridiculous.
The answer I get, the same that I’ve always gotten, is: “Trust me, I’ve got this.” and “You are exactly who I made you to be.” and “Just give it to Me, don’t you fret.” But self-doubt enjoys chewing on my ankles, and that’s a heavy beastie.
And so, with all this in my background, I come to this posting. And I see in your writings a reflection of my own inner thoughts. I don’t know if you’re plagued with the Self-Doubt-beast, or the Chastising-beast, or any of those other nasty blighters that like to gnaw on human ankles and remind you of what a sorry fruit-tree you are, but never seem to mention Grace or Mercy or Hope. . .but this post is something of a stick I can use to whack at their slavering heads. Because there’s someone else, a smart someone else that’s a better student of this stuff than I am, that has had similar post-rapture super-hero ideas. Which means that maybe, just maybe, I’m a little less silly and foolish than I’ve been assuming that I am.
It is truly my deepest hope that, one day in the future, you and I will be able to sit on a hillside together, and reminisce about our old dreams of being Ultimate-Avengers-with-Angelic-Ninja-Training-for-Jesus, and laugh about how seriously low our expectations and hopes were.
So. . . thank you for writing and sharing this.
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Oh how I wish I could “thumbs up” more than once!! I’m leaking at the eyes here. :)““““ (I always cry when I’m happy.) Never mind your compliments for moi (blush), what you say about “Why Rapture?” and Chekov is so PERFECT. I never ever thought of this! I have been thinking of Mama Buzz’s idea about us helping at Laodicea as a “little idea”, kind of a “wouldn’t it be nice if”, not the actual POINT of the Rapture itself! Yowza!
You and I chatted briefly once about Hogwarts. I’m totally Hermione, right down to the big teeth, curly hair and “when in doubt, don’t walk, RUN to the library.” I confess I’ve never understood your affinity for Slytherin, but what you say here gives me a little peek as to why.
I’m reminded of that scene at the giant chess board where Hermione says, “I’m just cleverness and books.” Yeah. That’s me. One of my girls grew up to be a Marine. I think she’d understand you better than I can, KWIM? Like you’re Teyla and I’m Mr. Woolsey with more hair. So Golly Miss Molly … am I feeling all goosebumpy and blessed that I’ve helped you in some way to understand anything at all about God and His glorious plan!
I’ve been sitting here trying to think which Avenger I relate to … Betty Ross is probably the best fit. Or what my military MOS would be. Something in the background somewhere. Analyzing data?
We love movies at our house and sometimes talk about what job we’d like best. I’ve always known my dream job would be editing. Sitting alone in a room full of pictures, cutting and pasting to get the best effect. My happy times are like right now, when I’m alone in my office with my computer, making words and pictures communicate something that matters.
It really fits us that my fave Archangel is Gabriel, the messenger, while you like Michael and Zophiel, the warriors. As for those stinking ankle biters, mine is named Scrupulosity. But God’s message to me is the exact same thing. “TRUST ME. I GOT THIS COVERED.”
I hadn’t ever considered before that the raptured would be IN that final army. Dunno why. It’s so OBVIOUS. Duh me! I’m going to have to give this some thought! 🙂 Maybe I’ve got some inner Marine that’s never been allowed to manifest itself because my body has been sick and weak from birth.
I am so looking forward to talking with you someday about how low our expectations were! What a GREAT thought! And here’s one back atcha that has blessed me again and again. “From before time began, God purposed me to be who I am and where I am.” Fantastic teaching from Beth Moore, who says she couldn’t imagine herself having any special gift apart from accessorizing, but here she is a teacher of God’s Word!
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Sarted reply, lost it. Will likely put it in a seperate post over at my place. Tonight sometime, or tomorrow. meatime, thank you so so so so much for tha tvid. I need to reply it like, once a day, everyday, until I’ve got it memorized. . .
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IKWYM I’ve watched it three times … so far. It’s SO RICH.
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Just a wonderful conversation here. And plenty eloquent.
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ITA. I love it when zmalfoy has time to comment here.
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Ok, finally finished it:
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