I had not read Apocalypse Road,<\/em> by Bill Salus because I thought it was just the continuation of Revelation Road<\/em> which I have read (it is). I thought it would just be telling me the traditional view about what happens after the Rapture (it does not). Apocalyptic Road<\/em> is really about events in the gap between the Rapture and the start of Daniel’s 70th week.<\/p>\n I recently watched some interviews with Bill Salus on his book Apocalypse Road<\/em>. What Bill said in those interviews sparked my interest because back in 2003\/2004 when I was writing my Revelation commentary, I also came to the conclusion that everything said could not occur in just seven years like so many Bible prophecy teachers were teaching. They were saying that as soon as the Rapture occurred, the last seven years for Israel would begin. I simply could not make everything in Revelation chapters 4 through 19 fit in just a seven-year period. In my Revelation commentary, I wrote it would likely be 10.5 years from the opening of the first seal until the second coming.<\/p>\n Part of my rational for the 10.5 years was that 7 years from the Rapture, many people would be expecting some form of Christ to appear and they would receive the false Christ. In my Revelation Commentary<\/strong><\/a> I claimed that the first five seals would be opened before the last 7 years and the last seven years started with the 6th seal. Of course, this is nothing to be dogmatic about, I could have this wrong and so can Bill Salus.<\/p>\n Bible prophecy teachers like to point out how the Church is not mentioned after chapter 4 of Revelation, suggesting that the Church was taken up to heaven. That is correct, but they fail to also point out that Israel is not even seen in Revelation until chapter 7 at the sealing of the 144,000 Israelites. If God was dealing with Israel for their last seven years before this, one might think they would be mentioned.<\/p>\n Bill Salus in Apocalypse Road<\/em> also sees a gap between the opening of the first seal and the start of the last seven years. He says the gap could be a few years. <\/em>From the interviews that I have heard, Salus gives a creditable thesis about events occurring during that gap. Bill astounds me with his ability to come up with new insights on prophetic scriptures and to parse out the details in his teachings. He came up with the greatly expanded Israel theory that occurs as the result of the Psalm 83 war and the Ezekiel 38 war. He also helped develop the theory that there would be a conflict with Iran before the tribulation where people in the Elam area of Iran would be totally evacuated to other nations because of nuclear radiation there. Now we have his gap thesis. Bible prophecy students need to study what Salus says and determine for themselves if his theories are the most likely explanations.<\/p>\n The traditional Dispensation Theology teaching is that when the Rapture occurs the Church Age will be over and then God will immediately turn to Israel to fulfill the last seven years that remain to be fulfilled for Israel. That seven-year period is known as the seventieth week of Daniel. Most claim there is no gap between the two events or if there is a gap it is only a matter of days. They claim that everything said from chapters 4 through 19 in Revelation spans only seven years.<\/p>\n The main scriptural support they use for such claims is Matthew 24 and Luke 17. They will point out that it teaches that as soon as Noah and Lot were removed judgment fell. However, the context in Luke does not support that Jesus was talking about the Rapture. Luke 17:30-31 is the day that the Son of Man is revealed. The context indicates that it occurs at the same time that Israel is told to flee to the mountains for protection. This flight occurs at the mid-point of Daniel’s 70th week. It also marks the start of the Day of the Lord. According to Revelation Chapter 6 the Day of the Lord arrives after the opening of the 6th seal. Therefore, it seems to me that Jesus was referring to Jews fleeing Jerusalem for physical protection and not the Rapture in those Matthew and Luke passages.<\/p>\n (Lately some top dispensational Bible prophecy scholars such as Dr. Thomas Ice and Dr. Andy Woods also claim there is some unknown time gap between the Rapture and the start of Daniel’s 70th week.)<\/p>\n I have a difficult time understanding how the two prophets of Revelation chapter 11 are doing their 1260 day ministry from Jerusalem at the same time the four horsemen of the apocalypse are riding on earth and when people are being martyred at the fifth seal. The first five seal events are not God’s judgments, they are satanically led happenings that lead to those judgments.\u00a0Revelation suggests that the two prophets have a great deal of control over things on earth during the time of their ministry. The whole world rejoices when they are killed by the Beast\/Antichrist suggesting the same thing.\u00a0God always sends His prophets before judgment. He sends His two prophets for 1260 days before the judgment of the great Day of the Lord begins. It seems to me that the four horsemen events followed by the 5th seal persecution of saints is what brings about God judgements on the earth. The angels of God announce the seven Trumpet and Bowl judgement.<\/p>\n Satan does not know when the Rapture will occur. He cannot have everything in place the exact hour the Church is removed. Satan can only implement his plan for conquest after the Church departs. The first four seals describe Satan’s conquest of a quarter of the earth. It is the makings of the Beast kingdom. First he rides to conquer through diplomacy, then through war. The war brings about world famine. Then comes death and spiritual deception that enslaves souls in Hades. Shortly after the four horsemen ride, the Harlot that sits in Rome starts to persecute those on earth that will not go along with her revolutionary religious agenda.<\/p>\n Bill Salus believes as I do that the first five seals begin to play out prior to Daniel’s 70th week.\u00a0 Bill believes the Harlot of Revelation 17 plays a big role during the gap between the Rapture and the last seven years. From the interviews I know that Bill believes the Revelation Harlot is the Roman Catholic Church.<\/p>\n A brief summary of Salus’ gap thesis goes something like this:<\/strong><\/p>\n The Rapture occurs, Harlot religion and satanic spiritual deception headquartered at the Vatican is the power behind the four horsemen. She also is the one persecuting true believers seen at the fifth seal. Israel does not want to be a victim of this overflowing scourge being carried out on earth by Harlot religion so Israel signs a seven-year covenant with the Harlot for protection. The Harlot is still riding Death and Hades of the fourth seal when Israel signs that covenant. Israel signs the covenant of appeasement that also allows the Vatican to administrate the religions sites in Jerusalem. Israel signs this covenant believing that her Messiah is coming anyway as soon as their Temple is completed. It does not work out the way that Israel thinks. The false Messiah enters the rebuilt Temple, claims to be God and He wars against the Jews. The main proof text for the thesis comes from Isaiah 28. Salus believes the seven-year covenant with the Antichrist is what is being talked about in this Isaiah passage.<\/p>\n Isa 28:15\u00a0 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:<\/strong> Bill also still believes the Psalm 83 war will play out before the seal judgments and he thinks the Ezekiel 38 war “might” also occur before the seal judgments. Bill says Apocalypse Road<\/em> contains a lot of information about the Harlot and how she will deceive the world. I do not know exactly what Salus wrote, but I would think that Marian signs and wonders and alien disclosures are very likely to be involved.<\/p>\n A gap between the Rapture and the final week of years seems appropriate to me. Enoch is the Rapture type in the Old Testament. There was a long gap between Enoch’s Rapture and the flood judgment. There probably is good reason scripture says that some will stop watching for the second coming. It may not be possible to countdown seven years from the Rapture to the second coming like some have taught. It could be 10.5 years or even more. The Lord seemed to have implied that visible observations pertinent to His coming would all occur within the span of one generation. He did not say it will all be fulfilled in only 7 years.<\/p>\n Keep in mind, that most of the 2.2 billion in Christendom will not be ready. Most are not born of the Spirit so they will not be going in the Rapture of the Bride of Christ. They do not even believe there will be a Rapture. After the Rapture, there will be many that believe that they only have to count down 7 years to the second coming of Christ. Some will do that and receive the Antichrist as their Christ. Others will be saved during the trials on earth but it will cost most of them their lives. The Harlot will persecute true believers found within religion. Then the Harlot is destroyed by the ten world leaders that give their allegiance to the Antichrist. The False prophet will then seek to kill all that do not worship the Beast\/Antichrist as God.<\/p>\n Bill Salus and I believe there is a gap between the Rapture and the start of the 70th week of years that remains to be fulfilled by Israel. The 70th week details will be in Bill Salus’ next book called Tribulation Road<\/em>. His Next Prophecies<\/em> also cover the gap details. You can find these book and more information on ProphecyDepot<\/a>. A gap theory makes the start of Revelation events even closer. That may be worth considering if you believe like us that end time events will occur in this generation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I had not read Apocalypse Road, by Bill Salus because I thought it was just the continuation of Revelation Road which I have read (it is). I thought it would just be telling me the traditional view about what happens … Continue reading
\nIsa 28:16\u00a0 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
\nIsa 28:17\u00a0 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
\nIsa 28:18\u00a0 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n