Gina,
When you wrote the following,
you "went to the Greek":
Looking
for a Sixth Seal, pre-wrath Rapture, Lord willing
SOON!
“These
are they who have come out of the great
tribulation” Rev. 7:14
In
reading the English it appears as if the Great
tribulation has already begun, but this is a
translation problem.
The
Greek word translated “out of” means out
of both the time and place of the event being
referenced, in this case the Great
Tribulation.
The
same Greek word is translated from in Rev.
3:10:
"
I will also keep you from the hour of trial that
is going to come upon the whole world to test
those who live on the earth."
It
means the Lord will keep us out of both
the time and place of the End Times judgments.
The word that
you were referring to is the word, "ek". In simply
that form, "ek", it shows up like 676 times in 574
different lines go the new testament.
The other form,
when written before a vowel, "ex" (or "eks"), shows up
like 254 times in 229 different lines.
Typically the
definition is: "from
out, out from among, from, suggesting from the
interior outwards". To draw
that final conclusion, based on the use in only one
other line, may not be the clearest approach to take.
It is better to get insight on scripture from the Holy
Ghost, rather than from Greek syntax or lexicons. It
would seem counter to the Lord's character, to think
that unless we go back and learn the ancient, dead
languages, that the real, deep meanings, would remain
hid to us. Would the Lord expect the average Christian
to not be able to understand, since all they have is
the word of God and the indwelling Holy Ghost - and
how could that compare to asking someone with advanced
college education, where they mastered the ancient,
dead languages? No, the meaning of a passage comes
from the true author, not from Greek syntax - it is
not the Greek language that gives life and power to
the scriptures. We should not expect to get spiritual
insight from "digging into the Greek". A lost person
could "dig into the Greek", as well, and get the same
mechanical, scientific information - but that is not
where spiritual insight comes from. The lost person
still cannot understand many of the things written, no
matter how much they study Greek, because only the
Holy Ghost opens our understanding - and he does it
even with those that only can speak one language, yet
are able to read the Bible in their lap.
Luke 10:21 In that
hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid
these things from the wise and prudent, and hast
revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it
seemed good in thy sight.