Tribulation
The seven year Tribulation
is the period when God completes His plan for Isarel
and He tests, purges and purifies them,
returns at His second coming
and establishes their promised kingdom.
The Bride of Christ is not a part of this period
when God purges Isarel and the Gentile nations.
The first three and a half years will be tribulation
At the mid-point (3.5 years) will start the great tribulation
the "beginning of sorrows," Matthew 24.8,
the Great Tribulation of Matthew 24.21
The devastating events of Revelation 6.16-17 and Revelation 7.14
occur before the middle of the Tribulation.
The Tribulation Daniel's Seventh Week
begins with the outpouring of the Seal judgments,
followed by the Trumpets
and ending with the Bowl or Vial judgments.
There is no break in the progressive judgments
only a worsening of the wrath of God as they are cast upon the earth.
The events of Revelation 6
reveal a very terrible time for the Earth.
Note the terrible events of the seven seal judgments
and the six trumpet judgments:
First seal White horse
introduces the Antichrist Revelation 6.1–2)
The rider goes forth conquering and to conquer.
It is probably the Antichrist who appears to be white
in that he offers peace to the world.
He deceives the nations
and all the while he is talking peace he is conquering the nations of earth
and setting up himself as the world dictator.
Without question Revelation 6.1
is telling us that the Seal Judgments
are the beginning of God's pouring His wrath on the earth.
They are initiated by the Jesus Christ
and under His direction and control and part of His plan.
Revelation 6.5-6
Second seal Red horse
rider with a large sword
great warfare breaks out on the earth Revelation 6.3–4
Third seal Black horse
holding a pair of scales in his hand
famine
Fourth seal Pale horse
rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him” Revelation 6.7–8
one fourth of the earth’s population are killed “by sword, famine and plague,
and by the wild beasts of the earth.
One fourth of the earth is killed
with the sword, hunger, and beasts of earth.
Lord Jesus is opening the seals
and the riders are going forth in power
to perform the Lord's plan.
Fifth seal
those saints martyred during the tribulation Revelation 6.9–11
dwelling under the altar in heaven
The saints cry out to God,
"How long before you judge the earth and avenge our blood.
These are said to be saints slain for the Word of God
because they would not recant their testimony of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Revelation 6.11 further identifies them
with their "brethren" still on the earth
and states those too would be killed.
Clearly these are people
who are saved during the first half of the Tribulation
and there is nothing to identify them as believers of the Church Age.
They are crying out to God to avenge their deaths
plainly recognizing that the Lord is in control
and He is bringing about these devastating events.
Revelation 6.12
Sixth seal
a devastating earthquake occurs, sun turns black, moon turns blood,
heavens receded like a scroll
Everyone on earth flees to caves and rocks in mountains,
begging them to fall on them
and hide them from the face of Christ and His wrath.
These terrible catastrophes in nature are being brought about by God,
Revelation 6.17 "For the great day of his wrath is come;
and who shall be able to stand?"
This statement contextually comes after these cataclysmic events
and is intended to sum up what has been revealed.
The next statement is Revelation 7.1 and begins with the statement
"And after these things I saw four angels."
Grammatically, the thought is changed and a new event is to be revealed.
This restricts the statement of Revelation 6.17
to referring to the five seals that have been just described.
There can be no question that the Lord
is saying the seal judgments are part of God's wrath
and this negates the Pre-wrath view as being accurate.
Seventh seal
there was silence in heaven for about half an hour Revelation 8.1
First Angel
It rains hail, fire mingled with blood
and a third part of the tree and grass is burned up.
Second Angel
A great mountain burning with fire cast into the sea
and third part of the waters turned to blood.Revelation 8.8-9
Third Angel
Third of creature in the sea killed and third of all ships.
Great Star from heaven falls
and third part of all fresh water is made bitter. Revelation 8.10-11
Fourth Angel
Third of the sun, moon and stars smitten.
Third part of the day is darkened. Revelation 8.12
The angel flying through heaven
saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe.
Clearly all that is happening is a continuation of the Seal Judgments
and is part of God's wrath.
Fifth Angel
First Woe Bottomless pit opened
and scorpions that have power to kill men
by tormenting them five months till they die.
Sixth Angel
Four deamons loosed from Euphrates river.
They kill a third part of all men on earth.
Revelation 9.20
- 20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues
- yet repented not of the works of their hands,
- that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver,
- and brass, and stone, and of wood:
- which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
- 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries,
- nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Revelation 6-10 reveals these terrible events
are a part of the wrath of God poured down on the earth.
The time of God's wrath begins with the first Seal
and continues through the sixth Trumpet judgments.
It is completely erroneous to say
that the first three and half years of the Tribulation
are not part of the wrath of God.
1 Corinthians 15.51-52
1 Timothy 6.14
James 5.8
2 Peter 3.10,17
Titus 2.13
Philippians 3.20-21
Clearly the Lord is telling us
to be expecting the Rapture at any moment
According to Daniel
the first three and a half years begin
with the signing of the of the covenant
between Israel and the Gentile Antichrist. <ref>
