To place the final two trumpets, the two woes, into Daniel’s Week, we must also know when the rapture will happen within that week and when the resurrection of the Two Witnesses will occur. After describing the three woes, and the first woe, God reveals something new to John:
And the voice which I heard from Heaven spoke to me again, and said, “Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the Angel which stands on the sea and on the Earth.” And I went to the Angel, and said to him, “Give me the little book.” And He said to me, “Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make your belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey.” (Revelation 10:8-9 AKJV)
According to Ezekiel 3:3, prophecies are as sweet as honey when received by the prophet. Afterward, when prophesying about God sending harsh judgment upon people who were hard-hearted and rebellious against God’s ways, which was bitter in the belly. We can expect the same type of prophecy to come forth now.
And I took the little book out of the Angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And He said to me, “You must prophesy again before many peoples and nations, and tongues, and kings.” (Revelation 10:10-11 AKJV)
Until now, people have been unwilling to turn away from sin despite God’s strong warnings (trumpets). Jesus directs John to deliver another prophecy, this time for people outside Israel (the nations). Could it be that what he is prophesying is intended to help Christians identify when this prophecy will come to pass?
The book’s message is explained in the following three chapters. It is the only part of Revelation that is not in chronological order because when given, John is told to “prophecy again.” The next chapters reveal what happens during Daniel’s Week, often known as the Tribulation.
The new prophecy begins in Revelation eleven. It will help us determine the placement of the rapture by revealing the Two Witnesses.
And there was given me a reed like to a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given to the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. (Revelation 11:1-2)

John, the Revelator, is commanded to measure the new temple of God which means that this is an actual temple built on Earth. The courtyard is reserved for the Gentiles or those who are not Hebrew by birth: they are not permitted to enter the temple.
When the temple was invaded in the first century, it was defiled, so this scripture cannot refer to the Second Temple because an asteroid did not hit the earth causing events that would block out the sky. “Trample the Holy City” indicates that non-Israelites will flood into Jerusalem for forty-two months to see this temple even though they will only be permitted to enter the courtyard.
And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11:3 ESV)

It doesn’t say “after this,” it says “and,” so this means that while this is happening, the Lord will empower two people to prophesy as His Witnesses. Sackcloth denotes a state of mourning.
Do they actually prophesy from Jerusalem? Could they be anywhere in the world? There is no clear indication of which one it will be. The vital fact concerning the timing of the trumpets and rapture is this: they prophesy for three and a half years, 1,260 days.
Why was three and half years mentioned in two different numerical formats: 42 months and 1,260 days? We will have to look at the other times these numbers are mentioned:
And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given to him to continue forty and two months. (Revelation 13:5 AKJV)
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days (1260 days). (Revelation 12:6)

When God is talking about the world, those not following Him, He uses months; Genitals in Jerusalem, the AntiChrist. When God talks about His people, including Christians, He uses days; the two witnesses, Israel. How can we be certain this is in the first half of the week? Let’s take a slight detour to Daniel’s prophecy.
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days (1,290). Blessed is he that waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days (1,335). But go you your way till the end be: for you shall rest, and stand in your lot at the end of the days. (Daniel 12:11-13 AKJV)
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Revelation 12:14 AKJV)

The Hebrew calendar has 30 days for every month. On a leap year, there is an extra month. Instead of 12 months, there are 13 months which is an extra 30 days. This means God is counting a leap year in the second half of Daniel’s week: it is 43 Months! This is further proof that the two witnesses are prophesying during the first half of Daniel’s Week and explains why every mention of the second half of Daniel’s Week in Revelation is “three and a half” instead of in a number of days!

“Blessed is he who waits until 1335 days” means something happens forty-five days after Daniel’s week. The rapture cannot happen during the first three years of Daniel’s Week because the two witnesses are prophesying. It can’t happen in the second half of the week or the two witnesses would be raptured then. It looks like the Rapture will happen 45 days after Daniel’s Week.
This fits in with the information about the rise of the Two Witnesses:
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. (Revelation 11:8-9 AKJV)
You will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that these are the Two Witnesses when they are killed in Israel, in Jerusalem where Jesus died. Also, the AntiChrist will not allow their bodies to be buried in graves. They will be on display as trophies of his victory. It cannot be two people groups, Messianic Jews and Christians because they would not all fit in Jerusalem.
The Tribulation is referred to as Daniel’s Week. It is not seven days, but seven years. The only time the Bible references a half-day in any prophecy is when it is implied within the prophecy of Daniel’s week. Three and a half days is half a week. The second half of the week is often referred to as “time, times, and a half time,” which is three and a half days: exactly half a week. Could it be that the Two Witnesses will lay dead and on display for three and a half years?
One of the theories of the Sadducees and Pharisees claimed that Jesus’ disciples stole His body and nursed Him back to health because He wasn’t really dead. Perhaps the AntiChrist will attempt to prevent any deception of this type by displaying the bodies of the Two Witnesses in plain view of the world. When will the Two Witnesses rise? As we continue reading, we find a clue as we discover the second woe!
And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell on them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe comes quickly. (Revelation 11:11-14 AKJV)
The second woe is the sixth trumpet. Everything that has occurred up to this point occurs before the sixth trumpet. All seven seals and five trumpets will happen before the two witnesses rise for the whole world to see. At that time, a great earthquake will destroy one-tenth of Jerusalem and kill seven thousand men.
As the Two Witnesses rise, the sixth trumpet also brings death to billions:
And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were twice ten thousand times ten thousand (two hundred million): and I heard the number of them. (Revelation 9:13-16 AKJV)
This is either the biggest army mankind has ever seen or it represents a world war. This is most likely a war fought over resources because after ⅓ of the sun is blotted out and ⅓ of the rivers poisoned by the first four trumpets, now the sky is completely darkened. Food and water are getting scarce. How does this attack come?
And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound. (Revelation 9:17-19 ESV)
John witnessed this sight almost 2000 years ago and puts it into the language of his day and age. He describes an army of men wearing the color of “fire” which could be red or bright and glowing in the night, like the headlights of a car since the sky has been darkened. The word translated sapphire means either dark blue or red bordering on black, and sulfur is yellow. A coalition of countries may join under these colors since there is not a single army totaling 200,000,000 at this time. Whoever they are, what they use to attack is very clear:
Fire, smoke, and brimstone coming out of their mouths: when a rocket is launched, you see fire, smoke and it smells like brimstone.
Power in their tails: this is what follows the missiles: a plague of radiation
Wormwood has poisoned one-third of the world’s water, most likely reducing Earth’s population by over a billion people. When this trumpet is blown, two billion people, or one-third of the population that is left, around two billion people, are killed by this trumpet. How does mankind respond?
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21 ESV)
Idols are anything we place above God. How many people focus more on entertainment and wealth (gold and silver) than on their Heavenly Father? Mankind refuses to turn from the following sins:
Murder: which includes abortion since causing a pregnant woman to lose a child is considered murder (Exodus 21:21-22)
Sorceries: The Greek word pharmakon; where we get pharmacy from: means drugs.
Fornication: Sex outside of marriage. Gay marriages are considered fornication.
Thefts: how many churches are stealing from God by charging for the things that belong to Him?
This is why God’s wrath will be poured out on this Earth. Are you willing to turn from these things? This is what God expects of us! When will all these things occur within Daniel’s Week?

As discussed with the first four trumpets, how can they occur in the first half of Daniel’s Week? After the asteroid strikes the earth, everyone is hiding in caves. Can people flood into Jerusalem when sacrifices and offerings are being made if they are hiding in caves?

This is unlikely. With God, all things are possible, but this is highly improbable. Let’s continue in Revelation for further confirmation about what we have seen here. Right after the second woe, we see this in the next verse:
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15 AKJV)
This third and final woe, the seventh trumpet blast, follows quickly after the sixth which is the rise of the two witnesses. Jesus is now taking possession of the kingdoms of the Earth, which is why the final trumpet, the seventh blast will call His people home:
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed). (1 Corinthians 15:52 AMPC)
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10 AKJV)

How did most Christian teachers miss the simple fact that it actually says the “last trumpet?” As the seventh trumpet sounds, Jesus gathers the faithful to Himself! We are not appointed to the wrath of God, so we will be removed from the Earth right before the bowls of wrath are poured out. Now we have Biblical proof that the rapture occurs after the end of Daniel’s week, which is confirmed in Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 AKJV)
Until the abomination is in the Temple and the AntiChrist is revealed, there will be no rapture. We know that it will be seven years after the temple is built. Studying the trumpets has confirmed the most likely placement of the seals and trumpets. The sixth and seventh trumpet will occur at the end of Daniel’s Week, beginning as the two witnesses rise.

Now that we have the trumpets within Daniel’s week, the question is, when will that week begin? Several events will point us in the right direction and give us an idea of when to expect that week to start. The fact that we can identify this event is actually written about in Revelation!
But that when the days come when the trumpet call of the seventh angel is about to be sounded, then God’s mystery (His secret design, His hidden purpose), as He had announced the glad tidings to His servants the prophets, should be fulfilled (accomplished, completed). (Revelation 10:7 AMPC)
This is indeed the time when that last trumpet will sound and God His secret design at this time! The Book of Revelation is like a huge mountain we can now see on the horizon. There are a few dangers when looking at what is coming.
We may be tempted to focus on the mountain.
Our eyes and hearts must be fixed on Jesus! He can help us overcome every obstacle.
Strengthening our relationship with Him must be our first priority.
Fear may creep in because of the dangers ahead.
Jesus is our defender and our strength! He is able to show us where to be and what to do.
Discussing the events surrounding the return of our Lord should show us what to look for and help us pinpoint the time of this event to invigorate the body of Christ for the return of our Lord. After all, we should be expectantly waiting for the time when our Lord will come and personally rule the Earth. Unfortunately, instead of uniting us as a body working for the Kingdom of Heaven, it often creates division and strife.
As we study the Book of Revelation, please remember that what we choose to believe concerning the return of the Lord does not affect our salvation. We are all brothers and sisters who are adopted into the family of God. If what you believe doesn’t align with what I believe, that is okay. We can agree to disagree and celebrate the fact that one day, we will all know the truth!
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