Chapter 17 Outpouring of the Latter Rain
Joel 2:23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Joel prophesied about the former rain and the latter rain. The wheat harvest needed these two important rains in Judah. The former, or early, rain was to have the seeds sprout and start to grow, and the latter rain was at the end of the season when the grains were fully grown, but the seeds still had to develop. The latter rain would allow the wheat to grow their seeds for a successful harvest. These rains that Joel refers to is not for literal crops, but for the spreading of the gospel, and the gathering in of God’s saints. Peter, at Pentecost, acknowledged that the outpouring of God’s Spirit at that occasion was the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy – the Former Rain:
Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Revelation refers to the outpouring of the Latter Rain in at least four places. Let us look at these references and learn what we can about the outpouring of the Latter Rain: Rev 7, 8, 11 and 12. In Rev 7 an angel calls for the four angels holding the winds of strife not to let them loose before all of the 144 000 are sealed. The sealing of the 144 000 is the outpouring of the Latter Rain:
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Verse 4 is written in the past tense, so the sealing actually takes place in this chapter. This whole chapter is about sealing, first the 144 000, and then the great multitude.
As we have seen in the previous chapter, Rev 8 describes the sealing of the 144 000, where Christ atones for them before the Father, and when the Atonement is complete, He shares His priesthood with them by casting down the censer to them:
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
The casting down of the censer filled with fire will probably be seen on Earth as tongues of fire falling on the 144 000 just like was observed at Pentecost at the Former Rain. A prophetic vision of this event was seen by Isaiah when he saw the throne of God in heaven. He realised his humanity and sinfulness, lamenting it, and then an angel came and touched his lips with a coal of fire from the altar, purifying him:
Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
We see in the vision of Isaiah that once purified by the coal from the altar, God calls him for a work, and Isaiah declares himself prepared. The 144 000 will have a great work to do during difficult times after their sealing, because after their sealing the winds of strife will be let loose.
Rev 11 differentiates between the sealing of the 144 000 and that of the great multitude. This concept is illustrated symbolically by measuring the temple, the worshippers and the altar, but the outer court should not be measured for another 3.5 years. The 144 000 are sealed at the Outpouring of the Latter Rain, but the rest of the living saved are sealed at the General Close of Probation at the end of the 3.5 years:
Rev 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
The measuring of the temple, the worshippers and the altar is indicative of the 144 000 having their propensity to sin removed when they are sealed. This passage echoes the concept of purification from the type where on the Day of Atonement the temple, the altar and the people are cleansed, giving them a fresh start. The type, however, is an annual cycle, so the people start afresh but still have the propensity to sin, so they will sin again and their “new sins” are dealt with a year later at the end of the new cycle:
Lev 16:33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
The antitype has no cycle. The 144 000 may not sin again, so God removes from them their natural tendency to sin. This is also indicated in the experience of Isaiah where his iniquity is removed:
Isa 6:7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
In Rev 12 the focus is on the sealing, and the objection of Satan because of the sealing. Satan hates the fact that these saints who had a propensity to sin have that taken away and they are like Christ – living among sin and being tempted, but without sin. Satan in his anger tries to persecute the 144 000, but God protects them from being harmed:
Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 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.
The casting down of Satan the dragon takes place at the sealing of the 144 000. He tries to prevent God from sealing them because he feels that sinful people may not become sinless. They have been snatched from his domain and he puts up a fight for them. Rev 12 describes it as war in heaven, leading to the casting down of Satan and his angels:
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
We see this event mirrored in prophecy where Joshua the high priest is wearing filthy robes, and Satan tries to prevent him from officiating as priest. God simply shuts him up and clothes Joshua with clean priestly garments:
Zech 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
Here too we see that the propensity of the 144 000 to sin have been removed at the sealing in verse 4 where God has caused their iniquity to pass from them. The sealing is confirmed here to take place before the 3.5 years.
If the 3.5 years represents year-days as Adventist believe, stretching from 538 to 1798, then the sealing, which we have seen in four chapters of Revelation, makes no sense. The 3.5 years is real time in the future from the sealing of the 144 000 to the Close of Probation. The Trumpets are blown during this time period, and the winds of strife are released, causing a season of great and grave difficulty for all the dwellers on Earth. This is why Rev 12:12 warns us that it is a time of woe:
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
If you love God more than your own life, He can use you during the 3.5 years. He is looking for people with this kind of love for Him:
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Make your commitment of love to God anew. He just may have work for you, sealing you to successfully embark on that work. May God bless you with the abundant blessings of heaven.
Joel 2:23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Joel prophesied about the former rain and the latter rain. The wheat harvest needed these two important rains in Judah. The former, or early, rain was to have the seeds sprout and start to grow, and the latter rain was at the end of the season when the grains were fully grown, but the seeds still had to develop. The latter rain would allow the wheat to grow their seeds for a successful harvest. These rains that Joel refers to is not for literal crops, but for the spreading of the gospel, and the gathering in of God’s saints. Peter, at Pentecost, acknowledged that the outpouring of God’s Spirit at that occasion was the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy – the Former Rain:
Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Revelation refers to the outpouring of the Latter Rain in at least four places. Let us look at these references and learn what we can about the outpouring of the Latter Rain: Rev 7, 8, 11 and 12. In Rev 7 an angel calls for the four angels holding the winds of strife not to let them loose before all of the 144 000 are sealed. The sealing of the 144 000 is the outpouring of the Latter Rain:
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Verse 4 is written in the past tense, so the sealing actually takes place in this chapter. This whole chapter is about sealing, first the 144 000, and then the great multitude.
As we have seen in the previous chapter, Rev 8 describes the sealing of the 144 000, where Christ atones for them before the Father, and when the Atonement is complete, He shares His priesthood with them by casting down the censer to them:
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
The casting down of the censer filled with fire will probably be seen on Earth as tongues of fire falling on the 144 000 just like was observed at Pentecost at the Former Rain. A prophetic vision of this event was seen by Isaiah when he saw the throne of God in heaven. He realised his humanity and sinfulness, lamenting it, and then an angel came and touched his lips with a coal of fire from the altar, purifying him:
Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
We see in the vision of Isaiah that once purified by the coal from the altar, God calls him for a work, and Isaiah declares himself prepared. The 144 000 will have a great work to do during difficult times after their sealing, because after their sealing the winds of strife will be let loose.
Rev 11 differentiates between the sealing of the 144 000 and that of the great multitude. This concept is illustrated symbolically by measuring the temple, the worshippers and the altar, but the outer court should not be measured for another 3.5 years. The 144 000 are sealed at the Outpouring of the Latter Rain, but the rest of the living saved are sealed at the General Close of Probation at the end of the 3.5 years:
Rev 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
The measuring of the temple, the worshippers and the altar is indicative of the 144 000 having their propensity to sin removed when they are sealed. This passage echoes the concept of purification from the type where on the Day of Atonement the temple, the altar and the people are cleansed, giving them a fresh start. The type, however, is an annual cycle, so the people start afresh but still have the propensity to sin, so they will sin again and their “new sins” are dealt with a year later at the end of the new cycle:
Lev 16:33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
The antitype has no cycle. The 144 000 may not sin again, so God removes from them their natural tendency to sin. This is also indicated in the experience of Isaiah where his iniquity is removed:
Isa 6:7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
In Rev 12 the focus is on the sealing, and the objection of Satan because of the sealing. Satan hates the fact that these saints who had a propensity to sin have that taken away and they are like Christ – living among sin and being tempted, but without sin. Satan in his anger tries to persecute the 144 000, but God protects them from being harmed:
Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 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.
The casting down of Satan the dragon takes place at the sealing of the 144 000. He tries to prevent God from sealing them because he feels that sinful people may not become sinless. They have been snatched from his domain and he puts up a fight for them. Rev 12 describes it as war in heaven, leading to the casting down of Satan and his angels:
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
We see this event mirrored in prophecy where Joshua the high priest is wearing filthy robes, and Satan tries to prevent him from officiating as priest. God simply shuts him up and clothes Joshua with clean priestly garments:
Zech 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
Here too we see that the propensity of the 144 000 to sin have been removed at the sealing in verse 4 where God has caused their iniquity to pass from them. The sealing is confirmed here to take place before the 3.5 years.
If the 3.5 years represents year-days as Adventist believe, stretching from 538 to 1798, then the sealing, which we have seen in four chapters of Revelation, makes no sense. The 3.5 years is real time in the future from the sealing of the 144 000 to the Close of Probation. The Trumpets are blown during this time period, and the winds of strife are released, causing a season of great and grave difficulty for all the dwellers on Earth. This is why Rev 12:12 warns us that it is a time of woe:
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
If you love God more than your own life, He can use you during the 3.5 years. He is looking for people with this kind of love for Him:
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Make your commitment of love to God anew. He just may have work for you, sealing you to successfully embark on that work. May God bless you with the abundant blessings of heaven.
Chapter 17 Outpouring of the Latter Rain
Joel 2:23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Joel prophesied about the former rain and the latter rain. The wheat harvest needed these two important rains in Judah. The former, or early, rain was to have the seeds sprout and start to grow, and the latter rain was at the end of the season when the grains were fully grown, but the seeds still had to develop. The latter rain would allow the wheat to grow their seeds for a successful harvest. These rains that Joel refers to is not for literal crops, but for the spreading of the gospel, and the gathering in of God’s saints. Peter, at Pentecost, acknowledged that the outpouring of God’s Spirit at that occasion was the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy – the Former Rain:
Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Revelation refers to the outpouring of the Latter Rain in at least four places. Let us look at these references and learn what we can about the outpouring of the Latter Rain: Rev 7, 8, 11 and 12. In Rev 7 an angel calls for the four angels holding the winds of strife not to let them loose before all of the 144 000 are sealed. The sealing of the 144 000 is the outpouring of the Latter Rain:
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Verse 4 is written in the past tense, so the sealing actually takes place in this chapter. This whole chapter is about sealing, first the 144 000, and then the great multitude.
As we have seen in the previous chapter, Rev 8 describes the sealing of the 144 000, where Christ atones for them before the Father, and when the Atonement is complete, He shares His priesthood with them by casting down the censer to them:
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
The casting down of the censer filled with fire will probably be seen on Earth as tongues of fire falling on the 144 000 just like was observed at Pentecost at the Former Rain. A prophetic vision of this event was seen by Isaiah when he saw the throne of God in heaven. He realised his humanity and sinfulness, lamenting it, and then an angel came and touched his lips with a coal of fire from the altar, purifying him:
Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
We see in the vision of Isaiah that once purified by the coal from the altar, God calls him for a work, and Isaiah declares himself prepared. The 144 000 will have a great work to do during difficult times after their sealing, because after their sealing the winds of strife will be let loose.
Rev 11 differentiates between the sealing of the 144 000 and that of the great multitude. This concept is illustrated symbolically by measuring the temple, the worshippers and the altar, but the outer court should not be measured for another 3.5 years. The 144 000 are sealed at the Outpouring of the Latter Rain, but the rest of the living saved are sealed at the General Close of Probation at the end of the 3.5 years:
Rev 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
The measuring of the temple, the worshippers and the altar is indicative of the 144 000 having their propensity to sin removed when they are sealed. This passage echoes the concept of purification from the type where on the Day of Atonement the temple, the altar and the people are cleansed, giving them a fresh start. The type, however, is an annual cycle, so the people start afresh but still have the propensity to sin, so they will sin again and their “new sins” are dealt with a year later at the end of the new cycle:
Lev 16:33 And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
The antitype has no cycle. The 144 000 may not sin again, so God removes from them their natural tendency to sin. This is also indicated in the experience of Isaiah where his iniquity is removed:
Isa 6:7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
In Rev 12 the focus is on the sealing, and the objection of Satan because of the sealing. Satan hates the fact that these saints who had a propensity to sin have that taken away and they are like Christ – living among sin and being tempted, but without sin. Satan in his anger tries to persecute the 144 000, but God protects them from being harmed:
Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 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.
The casting down of Satan the dragon takes place at the sealing of the 144 000. He tries to prevent God from sealing them because he feels that sinful people may not become sinless. They have been snatched from his domain and he puts up a fight for them. Rev 12 describes it as war in heaven, leading to the casting down of Satan and his angels:
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
We see this event mirrored in prophecy where Joshua the high priest is wearing filthy robes, and Satan tries to prevent him from officiating as priest. God simply shuts him up and clothes Joshua with clean priestly garments:
Zech 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.
Here too we see that the propensity of the 144 000 to sin have been removed at the sealing in verse 4 where God has caused their iniquity to pass from them. The sealing is confirmed here to take place before the 3.5 years.
If the 3.5 years represents year-days as Adventist believe, stretching from 538 to 1798, then the sealing, which we have seen in four chapters of Revelation, makes no sense. The 3.5 years is real time in the future from the sealing of the 144 000 to the Close of Probation. The Trumpets are blown during this time period, and the winds of strife are released, causing a season of great and grave difficulty for all the dwellers on Earth. This is why Rev 12:12 warns us that it is a time of woe:
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
If you love God more than your own life, He can use you during the 3.5 years. He is looking for people with this kind of love for Him:
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Make your commitment of love to God anew. He just may have work for you, sealing you to successfully embark on that work. May God bless you with the abundant blessings of heaven.
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