As the sign of the Son of Man appears in the sky, angels rapture Christians from the earth. This is how the rapture is described: And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:31) As Jesus flashes across the sky, appearing as lightening, angels accomplish this harvest. This lightening will likely be accompanied with a thunderous noise; Christ’s appearance will be with power and great glory.

The sign of the return of the Son of Man immediately follows the sign of the end of the age. When that initial sign occurs, it will be critically important that you know that very soon, the early rapture will occur. Jesus said once you become aware that day has arrived, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. (Luke 17:31b-34)

When the initial sign, which is sign of the end of our age, appears in the sky the wrong priority would be to make sure your emergency supplies are in order. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28) At the moment you become aware that the sign of the end of the age is occurring, focus only on your impending redemption – focus on Christ, and Christ alone. Remember the mistake Lot’s wife made – and do not look back at the world you are about to leave. When Lot was called to leave Sodom, his departure took place within 24 hours.

Learn from another mistake made in Sodom. The two angels, appearing as men in the following story, sent Lot to warn his two sons-in-law. Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be jesting. (Genesis 19:12-14)

The sign of the end of the age puts Christians on notice, that they are being called to immediately depart. It is at that moment that angels are being instructed to identify who will be selected for this early rapture.

Servants Identified

During the sixth seal, the earth has not yet been harmed: And I saw another angel … and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, (Revelation 7:2) This is a fifth angel, and he is about to give instructions to the four angels (horsemen) from the first four seals, concerning when they will bring destruction upon the earth. “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:3)

Those who receive this seal are identified as being the bond-servants of our God. Three distinct categories of believers are found in Revelation: servants, saints, and those who fear God. … the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name (Revelation 11:18b). Here servants are being referred to as prophets. Peter foretold concerning the end-times: Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:18)

Servants of Christ exist in every nation, tribe, people and tongue. Because of the focus on Israel in Revelation, details are given about its impact on Israel; this seal will be placed on the foreheads of 144,000 Israeli believers. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel (Revelation 7:4). These Israelis are never again seen on earth but are later seen on Mount Zion, which is an expression that means “heaven” (Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 14:1).

Next these bond-servants are seen following their rapture into heaven. John observed, After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; (Revelation 7:9). The palm branches indicate this is a Palm Sunday type of celebration, a celebration of deliverance.

A question is asked about the identity of those who suddenly appeared in heaven: “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” (Revelation 7:13b) The answer is that “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14b) The answer clearly states that this multitude was drawn out of the great tribulation; they were just raptured from earth. That more than just the 144,000 Israeli believers were raptured is evident from the number being a great multitude which no one could count.

Wrong Interpretation

Popular interpreters of Bible prophecy often teach that those arriving in heaven were martyred, and deny that a rapture occurs at the sixth seal. But other places in Revelation, martyrs are clearly identified, given special recognition. To not have mentioned that all those participating in that gathering were martyrs would have been remarkably inconsistent. (Revelation 6:9; 20:4).

The sole purpose for placing a seal on the servants of God is for protection. Yet the most common interpretation is that those sealed become gifted evangelists; supposedly 144,000 Israeli supernaturally empowered evangelists come from this moment. However this sealing appears to be very similar to a previous one, when selected believers received a mark on the forehead.

At that time the LORD gave an angel these instructions “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” But to the others He said in my hearing, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark (Ezekiel 9:4b-6a).