The Seventh Trumpet, The Third Woe
The Rapture of the Bride
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14The second woe (calamity) has passed; now the third woe is speedily to come. 15 The seventh angel then blew [his] trumpet, and there were mighty voices in heaven, shouting, The dominion (kingdom, sovereignty, rule) of the world has now come into the possession and become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (the Messiah), and He shall reign forever and ever (for the eternities of the eternities)! 16 Then the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin], who sit on their thrones before God, prostrated themselves before Him and worshiped, 17 Exclaiming, To You we give thanks, Lord God Omnipotent, [the One] Who is and [ever] was, for assuming the high sovereignty and the great power that are Yours and for beginning to reign. 18 And the heathen (the nations) raged, but Your wrath (retribution, indignation) came, the time when the dead will be judged and Your servants the prophets and saints rewarded--and those who revere (fear) Your name, both low and high and small and great--and [the time] for destroying the corrupters of the earth. 19 Then the sanctuary of God in heaven was thrown open, and the ark of His covenant was seen standing inside in His sanctuary; and there were flashes of lightning, loud rumblings (blasts, mutterings), peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a terrific hailstorm.
Revelation 11:14-19 Amplified Bible
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During the sounding of the seventh trumpet (the last trumpet) three main events take place:
- The Rapture, the catching away of the Bride of Christ (Revelation 12:1-6)
- The Reign of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:1-10)
- The Unification of Israel, the nation of Israel's eyes are opened to the Gospel and they are reinstated into the Household of God with the Believer's. (Revelation 15:1-8)
The Rapture, The Catching Away of the Bride of Christ
After the death and glorious ascension of the Lord's Two Witnesses, these two witnesses or shomers stand ready in heaven to witness before all of heaven and eternity the entrance and exit of the Bride and Groom to and from the bridal chamber (or cheder yichud; or in Greek, the eremos) in order for the consummation of the marriage to be legal before eternity, and it is after they have ascended and are in position that the seventh trumpet (the last trumpet) is sounded.
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After the Apostle John hears the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the first vision that he receives is the vision of the women of Revelation chapter twelve, which is a vision of the catching away of the Bride of Christ (Revelation 12:1-6) as well as a vision concerning those that did not make themselves ready (Revelation 12:13-17), and it is the fulfillment of Christ's parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). So let's take a look at the first vision that John receives after hearing the seventh trumpet,
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7 Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels went forth to battle with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. 8 But they were defeated, and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer. 9 And the huge dragon was cast down and out--that age-old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, he who is the seducer (deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out and down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him. 10 Then I heard a strong (loud) voice in heaven, saying, Now it has come--the salvation and the power and the kingdom (the dominion, the reign) of our God, and the power (the sovereignty, the authority) of His Christ (the Messiah); for the accuser of our brethren, he who keeps bringing before our God charges against them day and night, has been cast out! 11 And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing]. 12 Therefore be glad (exult), O heavens and you that dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in fierce anger (fury), because he knows that he has [only] a short time [left]! 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he went in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male Child.
14 But the woman was supplied with the two wings of a giant eagle, so that she might fly from the presence of the serpent into the desert (wilderness), to the retreat where she is to be kept safe and fed for a time, and times, and half a time (three and one-half years, or 1,260 days). 15 Then out of his mouth the serpent spouted forth water like a flood after the woman, that she might be carried off with the torrent. 16 But the earth came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had spouted from his mouth. 17 So then the dragon was furious (enraged) at the woman, and he went away to wage war on the remainder of her descendants--[on those] who obey God's commandments and who have the testimony of Jesus Christ [and adhere to it and bear witness to Him].
This vision in Revelation chapter twelve is the first vision that John describes as, "a great sign or wonder (a warning of future events of ominous significance)", therefore, it is a vision that we need to have a solid understanding of. So let's begin with the first six verses that describe the woman.
 The Wife Appears in Heaven
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The word, "woman" comes from the Greek word, "gune" which specifically means "wife", it is derived from the primary verb, "ginomai" which means, "to cause to be" that is, "to become or come into being" and carries with it the sense of, "arising and being assembled", "to have been brought to pass", "coming to pass", "to be completed and fulfilled", "to have caused to grow", and specifically refers to, "the one who is to be taken and married." So the "woman" the "wife" became fully assembled, she came to pass and was caused to grow, completed and fulfilled and she was the one to be taken and married and she "fled" or from the Greek, "pheugo" meaning, "ran away, vanished, escaped" into the "eremos" which is the Greek for "a soliatry place or room that is separated by a great chasm" or in other words, the heavenly bridal chamber, (the cheder yichud or in the Greek, "eremos") where she is to be kept safe for a thousand two hundred and threescore days or the 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation (the second half of the seven year period).
6 And the woman (the gune-the wife) fled (pheugo-ran away, escaped or vanished) into the wilderness (eremos-solitary place or room that was separated by a great chasm), where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed (trepho-cherish, pamper or fatten) her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
It is as Isaiah calls out, "Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord's wrath is past."
Come, my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the [Lord's] wrath is past.
And the woman was delivered by delivering the Man child, she was delivered by delivering the image of Christ within her.
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
So the woman was delivered of a male child by delivering the image of Christ that was within her. Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Or shall a nation be brought forth in a moment? For as soon a Zion was in labor, she brought forth her children. "Shall I bring to the moment of birth and not cause to bring forth?" says the Lord. "Shall I Who causes to bring forth shut the wonb?" says your God.
6[Hark!] An uproar from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, rendering recompense to His enemies! 7Before [Zion] travailed, she gave birth; before her pain came upon her, she was delivered of a male child. 8Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Or shall a nation be brought forth in a moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she brought forth her children. 9Shall I bring to the [moment of] birth and not cause to bring forth? says the Lord. Shall I Who causes to bring forth shut the womb? says your God.
So on that Day when she was delivered, He met her under the wedding canopy (the chuppah), that spiritual dwelling place where the two became one flesh,
29 For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, 30 Because we are members (parts) of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning [the relation of] Christ and the church.
And because His consecrated people found that dwelling place within Him, He came and made His special dwelling place within them and the two became one flesh.
22 Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world? 23 Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.
They became one flesh so that on that Day He made Himself more glorious within His consecrated people, and He was marveled at and admired in His glory that was reflected in all who had believed.
10 When He comes to be glorified in His saints [on that day He will be made more glorious in His consecrated people], and [He will] be marveled at and admired [in His glory reflected] in all who have believed [who have adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Him], because our witnessing among you was confidently accepted and believed [and confirmed in your lives].
And on that Day, He made Himself more glorious within His consecrated people and they were transformed in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet (the seventh trumpet).
51 Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed). 52 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). 53 For this perishable [part of us] must put on the imperishable [nature], and this mortal [part of us, this nature that is capable of dying] must put on immortality (freedom from death). 54 And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?
So the Bride vanished into the bridal chamber (the "cheder yichud", the Room of Seclusion, or Room of Privacy; or in Greek the "eremos") where she is to be kept safe for a period of 3 1/2 years.
6 And the woman (the gune-the wife) fled (pheugo-ran away, escaped or vanished) into the wilderness (eremos-solitary place or room that was separated by a great chasm), where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed (trepho-cherish, pamper or fatten) her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
A Glimpse Inside the Bridal Chamber
If we skip over to Revelation chapter fourteen, we get a glimpse of the Lamb and the Bride inside the bridal chamber (the "cheder yichud", or Room of Seclusion, the Room of Privacy; or as it comes out in the Greek, the, "eremos").
1 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 [men] who had His name and His Father's name inscribed on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of great waters and like the rumbling of mighty thunder; the voice I heard [seemed like the music] of harpists accompanying themselves on their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne [of God] and before the four living creatures and before the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin]. No one could learn [to sing] that song except the 144,000 who had been ransomed (purchased, redeemed) from the earth. 4 These are they who have not defiled themselves by relations with women, for they are [pure as] virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These are they who have been ransomed (purchased, redeemed) from among men as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found to be upon their lips, for they are blameless (spotless, untainted, without blemish) before the throne of God.
After John is shown the Bride and Groom in the bridal chamber, we see that the Gospel is still going forth on the earth, and this we see in the following two verses,
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, with an eternal Gospel (good news) to tell to the inhabitants of the earth, to every race and tribe and language and people. 7 And he cried with a mighty voice, Revere God and give Him glory (honor and praise in worship), for the hour of His judgment has arrived. Fall down before Him; pay Him homage and adoration and worship Him Who created heaven and earth, the sea and the springs (fountains) of water.
Which brings us back to the woman in Revelation chapter twelve when she is given the wings of an eagle,
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So the Dragon was furious with the woman, and he went away to wage war on the remainder of her descendants--on those who obey God's commands and who have the testimony of Jesus Christ and bear witness to Him, which brings us to the reign of the antichrist.
