Revelation chapter 6 to Chapter 16 gives us a timetable for 21 seemingly sequential events, namely the seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls. This sequence of sevens will be referred to as the 7-7-7 timetable of the seven year tribulation, the time of trouble before the return of Christ. Interspersed into this timetable are ‘snapshots’ of specific events occurring during this time which contain some of the highlights. You may have noticed that the 7-7-7 timetable is interrupted in Rev 10 to 15 by a series of ‘snapshot’ events. (click on chart.) They include the two witnesses, the 144 000, the beasts, Babylon and so on. (refer posts 7.1 to 7.8) Hence these snapshots, by nature, are not entirely chronological, some of them spanning an full 3.5 year period.
The opening of the first seal in Rev 6 follows the glorious throne room spectacle of Revelation 4 and 5. A simple reading of the book gives the impression that the 7-7-7 timetable is closely preceded by this throne room event, and that this too is an ‘as yet unfulfilled’ prophecy. The first seal introduces the four horsemen of Revelation. These are followed by the remaining three seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls, which all appear to be in chronological order. Note that each event is announced by an angel, confirming that each event has a start and an end, and that one event seemingly follows the other.
However, note that the sixth seal already announces the second coming of Jesus. This may lead us to question whether the second coming could perhaps be at this point, and the cause of a distinct break in the ‘series of sevens’. It seems that Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Revelation 6 agree that the second coming and rapture does occur somewhere shortly after the midpoint of the seven years, after the ‘abomination of desolation’ (the A.O.D.) is set up at the mid-point. Thereafter the trumpets and bowls, which are clearly brought on by God in judgement, are only opened once the seventh seal is removed. Note that the seals do not represent God’s wrath, but rather are troubles caused by mankind’s sinful state. Seals one to five are events sinful mankind brings about and upon themselves. It’s mankind that’s responsible for the wars, famines and resulting pestilences. The Lamb’s removal of the seals is in all likelihood related to the removal of God’s restraining power on evil.
2Thess 2:3,4,6 …and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; {2:4} Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God,…. And now ye know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time. {2:7} For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now lets will let, until he be taken out of the way. {2:8} And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Then follows seal six, a relatively short event, where the sun, moon and stars is darkened, Jesus comes on the clouds and the elect are raptured. Seal seven concludes two events in heaven, and has no visible effect on earth other than introducing the commencement of God’s wrath. . Hence the seals may be seen as events preceding God’s wrath being poured out, with the prior removal of the elect. In this case the seals which the Lamb opens represent events before the rapture, and the scroll being opened at the seventh seal represents God’s wrath.
There is thus some care needed when transitioning between each ‘series of sevens’, when transitioning from the seven seals to the seven trumpets and the seven bowls of God’s wrath. (refer to 3.9)
Old Testament Prophets:
The events mentioned by other major end-time prophets, such as Daniel and Ezekiel, are more difficult to establish chronologically. This is because these prophets include both fulfilled and unfulfilled prophesies. They clearly include historical events, events which have already taken place, such as the Median & Persian Empire, the Greek and the Roman Empire.
From our perspective, these fulfilled events are interwoven among the ‘as yet unfulfilled’ end time prophecies. In other words, although these Old Testament prophecies are authoritative prophecies, as regards to end-time sequence and detail they seem less authoritative than Revelation. Revelation is our primary source of chronological events. Chronologically, the Old Testament prophecies pale in comparison to Revelation’s 7-7-7 timetable. In addition, in Revelation 6 to 22, we know with certainty that the events described here are in the future. There is no confusion or dilution from past events in the last 7 end-time years. It has not yet started, but is due to do so very soon!
A.O.D link to the 7-7-7 timetable:
Unfortunately, there is an initial hurdle to using the 7-7-7 timetable. The problem is that the Abomination of Desolation” (AOD) is not mentioned within the timetable. The A.O.D marks the start of the Great Tribulation, the last 3.5 years. Although an AOD related event is clearly mentioned elsewhere in Revelation, namely that the antichrist will require that he only is be worshiped, this is mentioned outside of the ‘timetable’.
These snapshots give details of significant events occurring ‘at the time of the end’. For example, Revelation mentions that 42 months (1260 days) remain after the abomination of desolation event occurs (Rev 13:4-15). This 1260 days, which equals the 3,5 years that Daniel prophesied, is unfortunately mentioned outside the ‘timetable’ in Revelation. Revelation has three 1260 day time references (the AOD, the witnesses, and the woman as already encountered in 3.7 above.)
Three interpretations may be considered:
1) Jesus clearly says that the great tribulation/persecution will occur before the sixth seal. Jesus says that the sun, moon will be darkened and the stars will fall from heaven after the tribulation of those days. (Matt 24:29-31). If we consider the antichrist responsible for the Great Tribulation, then the A.O.D. must occur before the the sixth seal, probably somewhere between the ‘birth pains’ of the first four seals and the sixth seal.
2) In the ‘preview theory’ mentioned in the previous post, the seals are interpreted as an introduction in which the seals only commence once the seventh seal is broken, and the scroll may be opened. This is an unlikely interpretation as the seals may be viewed differently with much more credibility if one considers the scroll to contain the wrath of God.
3) The Great Tribulation starts at the Seventh Trumpet. This theory is presented towards the end of this post.
The A.O.D. and the ‘preview’ theory.
The preview theory circumvents the significance of the sixth seal by considering it as a setting of trends.
According to this theory it is possible to discern a break in the pattern of the 7-7-7 events. This break could correspond with the introduction of the AOD. What we may notice is that this break occurs approximately halfway through the 7-7-7 timetable, and that it is accompanied by a change in the nature of the events. The first seven seals have passed, as well as the first four trumpets. At this halfway stage the three woes are introduced.
The three woes comprise a 3-event overlap with the 5th, 6th and 7th trumpets. The narrative of the trumpets is thus interrupted to introduce a new concept, namely the woes. It is therefore reasonable to expect that there is a reason for God to want to highlight the significance of the 5th, 6th and 7th trumpets. We think that it may well be a pause in order for us to take note of the change in nature of the events.
The woes.
Following the introduction of the woes, we will notice a clear difference in the nature of the plagues between the 4th trumpet and the 5th trumpet. Up to and including the 4th trumpet all the plagues seem to be due to natural catastrophes. These may be seen as cosmic disturbances commencing with the 6th seal, with subsequent after-effects of trumpets 1 to 4, which may be explained naturally, as if these were caused by meteorites and/or a large object (called wormwood) passing the earth dragging “Oort cloud“-type debris behind it. (refer Tim McHyde’s book “Know the future”, available on the internet. Personally, I think the ‘great mountain’ falling in the sea (2nd trumpet) is already enough to create the conditions Tim ascribes to wormwood (3rd trumpet) and that wormwood really refers to something else.)
Derek Prince gives a better explanation. Satan and his demons are likened to stars in Revelation 12:4. The great star, Wormwood, falling from heaven with the third trumpet, may well be Satan and a third of the angels,. They (the demons) now having the authority to destroy one-third of the rivers and springs, poisoning them. On the fourth trumpet, they cause a third of the sun, a third of the moon and a third of the stars to be darkened. Revelation 12:4 and 8:4 most likely refer to the same event, which is Satan being cast down out of heaven.
At the 5th trumpet the nature of the plagues themselves change to supernatural. The narrative of the trumpets is interrupted when the last three trumpets are announced as the three woes:
Re 8:13: And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! Re 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
(note Verse 1 gives further credence to Wormwood being Satan and his demons. Except in this verse the star is an angel, maybe an archangel, with the key of the bottomless pit. The ‘star’ is referred to as ‘him’. The star is certainly a ‘celestial object’, but clearly not a physical astronomical or orbiting body. It’s not possible to interpret verse 1 as a physical star, “holding the key of the bottomless pit”. If we agree that this star in verse 1 is an angel, it is almost certain that wormwood is Satan, or one of the chief demons.)
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
Abaddon.
Abbadon, who is the angel controlling the entrance to the bottomless pit, presumably has the keys to this pit. Abaddon previously had these ‘locusts’ locked up but now releases them, at God’s command, at the 5th trumpet. This is clearly a supernatural event, to torture those without the seal of God in their foreheads.
In the last 3.5 years of the sixth millennium, Satan takes control of the entire planet through the antichrist. The antichrist proclaims himself as God, and at the same time the powers of hell are released. A truly nightmarish scenario. But this five-month event is certain to come onto the ungodly and the weak, who have succumbed and taken the mark of the beast.
Tim McHyde in his above mentioned book has also concluded, but for slightly different reasons, that the second 3.5 years is likely to start at the 5th trumpet. His reasoning is that a great catastrophe like the cosmic disturbances up to the 5th trumpet will logically be required to create the right climate for nations to give up their freedom and submit to a world ruler. Combined with our reasoning that halfway during the 7-7-7 timetable there is a clear break in events as angel announces the three woes, it is a fair conclusion that the AOD is most likely to appear between the 4th and the 5th trumpet.
Hence it seems a valid option to consider the seals and the first four trumpets as belonging to the ‘birthpains”, before the AOD and the final 1260 days. This initiates the antichrist’s open reign of terror over mankind and the persecution of those not sealed as the 144 000 have been sealed. This knowledge will now assist us in clarifying some of the prophesied the events prior to the AOD, and the nature of the Antichrist.
Summary:
Whatever interpretation for the start of the Great Tribulation is used, which is the appearance of the A.O.D, its seems that the first five seal effects (at least) will be experienced during the first 3.5 years. This is the initial tribulation following the ‘birth pains’, as mentioned by Jesus. (ref 3.5). In the next post (3.11), which is based on the third interpretation above, we will explore the nature of the first four trumpets, and our response to them.