Does Revelation 19:6-9 Show Us A Rapture?

End of Times Matthew 24:40-41

40 At that time two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.

41 Two women will be grinding at the hand mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

So often in my life I have heard these verses used to say that there is a pre-tribulation rapture. However, this parable is also told to us in Luke 17. In Luke the disciples ask Jesus specifically where these people would be taken.

Then they asked Him, Where, Lord? He said to them, Wherever the dead body is, there will the vultures or eagles be gathered together. Luke 17:37

Jesus tells the disciples that the ones who are taken will be taken to Armageddon.  

And the rest were killed with the sword that issues from the mouth of Him Who is mounted on the horse, and all the birds fed ravenously and glutted themselves with their flesh. Revelation 19:21

Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather the darnel first and bind it in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my granary. Matthew 13:30

Now let’s get into some meat here. Many of us believe that the people destroyed at Armageddon are people who took the Mark of the Beast. We believe this because of Revelation 19:20, where it tells us that those who take the Mark of the Beast will be destroyed at Armageddon. But what exactly is the Mark of the Beast? We are told that if we take this Mark, we will be destroyed. We are told that there is no coming back from it once we accept it, Revelation 14:9-10. But the Word never tells us exactly what it is? Go and look in the scriptures, you will not find a definitive description of the Mark of the Beast? I use to guess at what it was, but the Word never tells us plainly. Isn’t it funny that our Father tells us that if we take the Mark, then we are doomed, but then He never tells us what it is?  Could you imagine me telling my kids that if they committed the act of ABC then they would be cast out from my home and never be allowed back in, but I never tell them what the act of ABC is? I would be a terrible parent for placing such fear in my kids. So why would our Father not tell us plainly what this unforgivable act of taking the Mark is? Our Father is not about fear, He is about Love, 1 John 4:8. 

Think about this, who are we told about in the Bible that cannot be forgiven? The answer is the fallen angels, Hebrews 2:16. Where exactly are these fallen angels now? We are told in Revelation 12:9 that they are here on the earth. So do angels look like people? They sure do. In Hebrews 13:2 we are told that we may be entertaining them and be unaware of it. In Genesis 6 we are told that angels actually had children with the daughters of men. So the fallen angels are down here right now and they look like men. 

Darnel, or another word for darnel is a tare, is a false wheat. It looks like wheat, but it produces no fruit. A tare is not a wheat that has gone bad, it has always been a tare. Wheat is wheat and a tare is a tare. The tares are gathered first at Armageddon because they took the Mark of the Beast. We are never told what the Mark of the Beast is, but we are told that a third of the angels did side with satan and that they cannot be forgiven. We are told that the angels are here on the earth right now. We are told that they have mated with men and we are told that we can actually see them. 

So what I am coming to believe is that the Mark of the Beast cannot be taken by humans, but only by angels. If humans could take the Mark of the Beast, then wouldn’t our Father plainly tell us what it was? This study could go on for days. I just wanted to start the discussion here. But I believe, and this is just what I believe, and I share the scriptures constantly as to why I believe this way, is that the ones taken first are the fallen angels that have been living amongst us. They took the Mark of the Beast when they sided with satan and they are being delivered to their doom at Armageddon. If you believe differently that is alright. I use to believe differently. The Holy Spirit however will bring us to a clear understanding of what the actually Mark is, amen. 

Revelation 19:20-21

20 And the beast was seized and overpowered, and with him the false prophet who in his presence had worked wonders and performed miracles by which he led astray those who had accepted or permitted to be placed upon them the stamp (mark) of the beast and those who paid homage and gave divine honors to his statue. Both of them were hurled alive into the fiery lake that burns and blazes with brimstone.

Think of the world watching all of this unfold on television and Facebook. The wicked will see millions of people, who have been spewing worldly man focused rhetoric, be destroyed in an instance. They will have just seen the two witnesses raised up to Heaven and as they watch, Jesus crashes as lightening onto the scene. They will watch as millions of people, who they thought were the leaders of the world, be destroyed instantly and they see the anti-christ and false prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire. Those who remain on the earth, those who weren’t killed and who haven’t accepted Jesus as Lord yet, will have to rejoice like crazy. They have heard before from the true saints what they are seeing. And even though they didn’t believe the chosen of God, they will be able to live under the just and loving rule of Jesus for the Millennial Reign of Christ. There will be no more war, no more natural disasters, and no more plagues. But as we will read, some of these people will still rebel with satan when he is released in a 1,000 years.

There is a Truth here in verse 20, our Father is not a respecter of persons, Acts 10:34. The anti-christ and false prophet are thrown directly into the Lake of Fire when Jesus returns. In Revelation 20:14, we will study that death and hell are thrown into the Lake of Fire after the lost are judged, which is at the end of the Millennial Reign of our Lord. Our Father doesn’t respect one sin over another, it is all sin to Him, and our Father doesn’t respect one person over another. So if the anti-christ and false prophet are human, why will our Father have them skip the judgement that every other wicked and lost human will have to go through and throw them directly into the Lake of Fire? 

Remember that we studied in Revelation 17:8, that the anti-christ came from the Abyss. And here we see that he forgoes the day judgment and is sent right to the Lake of Fire. The more we study the Truth, the more we see that our Fathers Word shows us that the anti-christ and false prophet are not human. We will see further evidence of this in Chapter 21.

21 And the rest were killed with the sword that issues from the mouth of Him Who is mounted on the horse, and all the birds fed ravenously and glutted themselves with their flesh. 

The last Pope and the last American President are thrown into the Lake of Fire alive and all of the other troops of the wicked, those who took the mark of the beast, are killed instantly. And when they are killed at Armageddon, our Father has the birds clean it all up. Notice that these people are not thrown into the Lake of Fire. We are only told that their flesh is eaten by the birds. I think this is so wonderful because our Father tells us plainly that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, Philippians 2:10. We are also plainly told that this is all that it takes to be saved, Romans 10:9-10. Our Father tells us that everyone who will have ever lived will be there, Revelation 20:11-13. I honestly believe that these people will have another chance to repent and be saved from being thrown into the Lake of Fire. If not, then Jesus respected those who He went to preach to in Hades after He was crucified more then these people, 1 Peter 3:19-20. That just ain’t so! Jesus will not lose any that He has beeb given, John 6:39, and Jesus has been given all, John 17:2.  

Revelation 19:16-19

16 And on His garment (robe) and on His thigh He has a name (title) inscribed, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

17 Then I saw a single angel stationed in the sun's light, and with a mighty voice he shouted to all the birds that fly across the sky, Come, gather yourselves together for the great supper of God,

Look at Matthew 24:21-29 and you will see Jesus referring to this event that John is shown here in Revelation.

18 That you may feast on the flesh of rulers, the flesh of generals and captains, the flesh of powerful and mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all humanity, both free and slave, both small and great! 

There is a great Truth here and it is that the birds eat the flesh of these people. John is not shown that the souls or the spirits of these people are destroyed, only that they die and their flesh is eaten. Instead of being buried and their flesh decay, our Father just cleans everything up quick. But grace does not cease, our Father has not abandoned these peoples souls. He has just removed their flesh and the cares of this world that go along with flesh. He has done it so that He can bring them to a place of revelation into the Truth that will set them free. Just as He did with those who Jesus went and preached to in Hades, 1 Peter 3:18-20.

19 Then I saw the beast and the rulers and leaders of the earth with their troops mustered to go into battle and make war against Him Who is mounted on the horse and against His troops. 

This is the battle of Armageddon! The demons that leaped from the mouths of satan, the anti-christ, and false prophet have miraculously gathered a great number of the tares, Matthew 13:25-30, together to fight against Jesus, Revelation 16:13. Without ships, without planes, without armored carriers, millions of those who took the mark of the beast will be super naturally gathered together at Armageddon to be destroyed as Jesus returns. This all ties right in with Matthew 24.

Revelation 16:13-14

13 And I saw three loathsome spirits like frogs, [leaping] from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false prophet. 

14 For really they are the spirits of demons that perform signs (wonders, miracles). And they go forth to the rulers and leaders all over the world, to gather them together for war on the great day of God the Almighty.

Here is a great Truth about what the demons are used to do by our Father, they miraculously gather those who take the mark of the beast to Armageddon. Think of what we have been shown so far in Revelation: a 1/3rd of the ships of the world will have been destroyed at this time. We have been shown that the air will be so thick with ash that a 1/3rd of the sun will be darkened. We are told that there will be extreme world wide famine. We are told that anyone who joins with the anti-christ will be vexed with extreme ulcers and soars, so they won’t be able to travel. These things mean that the anti-christ will not be able to move armies with ships or airplanes or by marches. The anti-christ will not be able to supply the massive troops with food and water to sustain them. Yet millions will be gathered to Armageddon to be destroyed. They are gathered there miraculously by these three demons. They are gathered without being shipped to Armageddon or flown there. 

With that in mind now look at Jesus’ parable in Luke 17 about the two men in one bed, one will be taken and one left. The disciples asked Jesus where would they be taken to and Jesus told them plainly to Armageddon, where the birds are gathered to consume their flesh, Luke 17:37 and Revelation 19:21. In Luke 17:22-29 Jesus was telling the disciples about the last days. So in Luke 17, Jesus was showing us that those who follow the anti-christ will be miraculously transported to Armageddon to be destroyed.

Now you want to see something very powerful. Look at the parable of the wheat and darnel in Matthew 13.

Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather the darnel first and bind it in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my granary. Matthew 13:30

Jesus tells us that the darnel will be gathered first. Now darnel is not wheat. It never was wheat. It is not wheat that has been perverted. Darnel is a weed and it was sown by the enemy. Think of our enemy satan and the third of the angels that followed him. Where could they do more damage then in the leadership of religion and government? We know that angels can take on the form of being human, Hebrews 13:2, Mark 16:5, and Genesis 6:2. These fallen angels, or darnel, know that their time is short here on the earth, Revelation 12:12. They want to make people trust in themselves and others instead of our Father, which is exactly what governments and religions do. 

Jesus has been given all men, John 17:2. Jesus will not lose any that He has been given, John 6:39. So the darnel must be the fallen angels who we are told can look like people, but they are not people. They are angels and they are not used by our Father to produce fruit as man is. Our Father allows them to stay among us until the end to use them to strengthen us in Him, 2 Corinthians 12:6-8. Then He removes them first, by taking them to Armageddon to be destroyed.   Satan cannot sow men, because he has not been given men, but he has been given a 1/3rd of the angels. 

Revelation 14:19-20 Part 3

19 So the angel swung his scythe on the earth and stripped the grapes and gathered the vintage from the vines of the earth and cast it into the huge winepress of God's indignation and wrath. 

20 And [the grapes in] the winepress were trodden outside the city, and blood poured from the winepress, [reaching] as high as horses' bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia (about 200 miles).

Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather the darnel first and bind it in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my granary. Matthew 13:30

In Jesus’ parable about the wheat and the darnel in Matthew 13, we are told that an enemy came and sowed weeds resembling wheat in the field. Now darnel is not wheat, even though it looks like wheat. Darnel was never wheat and it never could be wheat, even though it resembles wheat. 

Also notice that an enemy sowed the weeds, not the owner of the field. So what exactly am I getting at? It is that I am coming to believe more and more that the fallen angels are right here among us, not just as spirits, but as bodies who look like humans. Our Father allowed satan to sow them here and they believe that they are harming us, when actually they are strengthening our Father within us, 2 Corinthians 12:10. 

We are told in the Old Testament that angels actually came and had children with human women, Genesis 6:4. We are told in the New Testament that we can be entertaining angels and not even be aware of it, Hebrews 13:2. So these beings, or darnel, look like people, act like people, yet they are not human. They are unable to ever be one with our Father through Jesus Christ and will never be used to produce fruit by the Holy Spirit. These beings marvel at the relationship that we have with our Father and the attention that He gives us, Hebrews 2:6. They rebelled and have been cast down to the earth and they know that there time is short, Revelation 12:9. During the end times these fallen angels will actually believe that they can do battle with Jesus and win. This is why they are caught away and taken to the place where our Father gathers together the birds to consume their flesh, Armageddon, Matthew 24:28. 

The darnel, or the fallen angels, are gathered first. Jesus so plainly tells us in John 17:2 that He has been given all human flesh and that He will give eternal life to all that He has been given. In John 6:39. Jesus tells us that He will not lose any that He has been given and He has been given all humans. I believe that Jesus was more successful on the Cross then satan was at the Garden of Eden. I believe that the sin of Adam that allowed all sin to come into the world is in no way to be compared with the victory of the Cross, Romans 5:16. I believe that because of Jesus the number of people who spend eternity with Him will be as the sands of the sea. There is a reason that in the parable of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb that Jesus only said one wasn’t allowed to stay and then in John 17 Jesus tells us that only Judas was lost. Jesus was very successful and the more that our Father shows me with His Word the more clearly the greatness and the mass quantity of those saved becomes to me.  

I hope that this study of Revelation is bringing you peace and hope and that our Father uses you to read Revelation out loud and hear it being read out loud in groups. There is such a blessing on us when He does. 

Revelation 14:19-20 Part 1

19 So the angel swung his scythe on the earth and stripped the grapes and gathered the vintage from the vines of the earth and cast it into the huge winepress of God's indignation and wrath. 

20 And [the grapes in] the winepress were trodden outside the city, and blood poured from the winepress, [reaching] as high as horses' bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia (about 200 miles).

These last two verses in Revelation 14 hold so much Truth. The first thing that I want you to see is that while this amount of Blood seems huge, and it is, it only represents a very small amount of the population of the world. Here is how I calculated this:

3,097,600            Yards in 1 square mile

619,520,000        Yards in 200 square miles

1,858,560,000     Yards in 200 cubic miles 

3,717,120,000     Yards in 200 Cubic miles 6 feet deep

202                       Gallons in a square yard

18,401,584           Gallons of blood in 200 square miles 6 feet deep

1.5                        Gallons of blood in average person

12,267,723           Number of people to fill 200 square miles 6 feet deep

3,500,000,000      Half of Earth’s population (estimated who are left after 3 1/2 years of wrath)

0.35%                   Percent taking to Armageddon

58”                        Height in inches of average horse

I am sure that there are math major’s that will be able to clarify this formula far better than I, but even if I am 100% short, that still means that less than 1% of the worlds population will be gathered to Armageddon to be destroyed. That shows us the power of salvation during the last 3 1/2 years of this age in our history!