Gr. meta tauta, after these things (note m, Jn. 5:1). This Gr. phrase is used at the beginning and at end of this verse thus: “After these things (after writing the things concerning the churches of Rev. 2-3), I looked… a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice… said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be after these things, “that is, after the churches (4:1). This confirms and settles the question as to the time of the fulfillment of all the events of Rev. 4-22. They MUST BE after these things of the churches, or after the rapture of the church. The church is no longer on earth when the events of Rev. 4-22 take place.

1. Christ said the things of Rev. 4-22 MUST BE hereafter, that is, after the churches, as proved above and also in note r, Rev. 1:19. If this is true, then the church is raptured before these things of I Rev. 4-22, and after the things of the churches of Rev. 2-3. If the things which are (Rev. 2-3) con-cern the church, then the things which must be hereafter the things which are must concern events after the churches. The church must be here during the time of the fulfillment of the things concerning the churches, and it must not be here during the fulfillment of the things after the churches. The church then is raptured in Rev. 4:1 between the things which are (Rev. 2-3) and the things which MUST BE hereafter, that is, after the churches (Rev. 4-22).

2. The words church and churches mentioned in the book up to the last verse of Rev. 3 found 19 times in Rev. 1-3 and not one time in the third division of Revelation which contains the things which MUST BE after the churches (4:1-22:5). They are found again in the conclusion of the book (Rev. 22:6-21), but only after the things which MUST BE after the churches are fully revealed. If the church were on earth during the fulfillment of Rev. 4-22 it certainly would be mentioned.

3. The enthroned elders are representative of the raptured saints and they are always seen in heaven after Rev. 4:1. See note a, Rev. 4:4.

4. The 70th week of Daniel will be the last seven years of this age, during which time all of Rev. 4-19; Mt. 24-25 will be fulfilled. This week concerns Israel, not the church, therefore, the church must be raptured before this week, as in Rev. 4:1. See - Rapture Before Antichrist, p. 405.

5. There is no place for the rapture of the church and O.T. saints other than in Rev. 4:1. The manchild and the great tribulation saints are the only com-panies to be saved and raptured during Daniel’s 70th week and these are distinct companies from the church and O.T. saints, as proved in notes on Rev. 4:4. Therefore, the church is either caught up in Rev. 4:1 - after the churches of Rev. 2-3 and be-fore the events coming after the churches of Rev. 4-22, or it is never mentioned in Revelation as to its rapture. If it were to be caught up any time during this week it surely would have been mentioned. The church could not be the manchild or the tribulation saints, as proved in notes on Rev. 7, 12, and 14.

6. In Lk. 21:34-36 we have the promise of Jesus that the saved will be accounted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand before the Son of Man. The things they will escape are those of Mt. 24:4-26; Lk. 21:4-19 and Rev. 6-19.

7. In I Th. 5:1-11 we have another definite promise assuring us that saints will escape the wrath of God (of Rev. 6-19). God has not appointed us to this wrath, but to obtain deliverance through Jesus Christ so we can live with Christ (1 Th. 5:9-11). How could saints comfort one another as stated in this scripture and in I Th. 4:16-17; Tit. 2:13 if the only hope they had was the coming wrath of God in the future tribulation?

8. In 2 Th. 2:6-8 it is definitely shown that the rap-ture takes place before the revelation of the Anti-christ and before the 70th week of Daniel. The events of Rev. 4-19 will take place during this week, so the rapture must take place in Rev. 4:1.

9. There is a marked change in God’s attitude to-ward humanity in general, from that of mercy (Rev. 1-3) to that of judgment (Rev. 4-19). The seals, trumpets, and vials all picture judgment throughout Daniel’s 70th week. If the church does not go through any of these things, as proved already, then the rapture must take place in Rev. 4:1.

10. An individual or a body of individuals can be identified by peculiarities and characteristics. If the church is to be on earth and is the subject of Rev. 4-19, then its earmarks should be seen. But such are not to be found. On the other hand, earmarks of Israel are seen throughout the book after Rev. 4:1. The earmarks of the church are seen up to this point only. This proves that two different insti-tutions are dealt with in different parts of the book first, the church until its rapture in Rev. 4:1; sec-ondly, Israel after the rapture of the church to the second advent of Christ (Rev. 4-19).