Introduction to the Seven Years of the Tribulation Timeline
Bible Study Guide
Important to Note: John is about to witness symbolic imagery like never before. When we look at this imagery, it’s important to understand that we must interpret it literally as God designed it.
In other words, while the images are symbolic, they represent literal people and events that will take place during the tribulation timeline. For example, with the introduction of the four horsemen, no one is going to see four horsemen streaking across the sky. But what we will see are the literal events that will take place that are represented by the four horsemen.
Then, if we allow scripture to interpret scripture we will better understand the message of Revelation that God wants us to see. Symbolic imagery has been used by God throughout the Bible from the beginning. And the imagery has always been symbolic of literal events or people.
If we take an allegorical approach to interpreting the seven years of the tribulation timeline, than we’ll be misled by subjective opinion. God is not interested in our opinion. No where in the book of Revelation does He ask for our opinion. What He asks from us is to use what He’s already told us to help us understand what He’s going to tell us.
In other words, let’s let scripture interpret scripture.
The Darkness of the Tribulation Timeline
The time between now and the last warning from Christ in the letters to the seven churches, the believers in Christ will be raptured from the earth. They will be kept from God’s wrath that is about to fall upon all people who have chosen to reject Christ’ free gift of salvation.
As dark as the next seven years are going to be, it’ll be nothing compared to the final White Throne judgment that will send all believers to the pit of fire that will separate them from God and everything that is good for eternity.
John is about to go from experiencing the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. After witnessing the glorious praise and worship to our God in heaven in the last two chapters, his visions are about to get very dark very fast.
Just as Daniel’s spirit was very troubled by the visions God showed him of the last days, so also will John be very troubled in what he’s about to see.
It’s not the last of the heavenly worship and praise that we’re going to see. In fact, it’s woven into the next dozen or so chapters in the form of interludes. There will be three interludes to be exact during the judgments.
Think of it as breaks in the action. John is going to need these breaks from the dark visions that will befall our family and friends who are left behind on earth.
Triggering the Dark Tribulation Timeline
Remember, the church (believers) have just been raptured. All that’s good in the form of the Holy Spirit in the believers has been removed from this planet. The confusion and chaos alone will start a panic among many people. Those who’ve willfully chosen to reject Christ will rejoice in the absence of those no good Christian Jesus freaks being gone.
It will be like the prison warden and guards leaving the prison while opening all the prison doors and allowing the inmates free. If you think evil has been rising in these last days, wait until the church is taken from the world. It’ll be unprecedented.
We the believers will see the darkness of the tribulation timeline events from a safe vantage point where we will not be harmed. But we will all know friends and family who have lived their lives thinking they don’t need God. They lived believing that all they had to do was be good, say good and do good and they would be alright with God. This is part of Satan’s lie.
Unfortunately, if they don’t give their life to Christ before it’s too late, there is no escaping the righteous judgments of God. I’m sure there will be great sadness for the ones we love who will experience things upon the earth that the earth has not seen up until this time.
The Order of the Seven Year Tribulation Timeline
Christ is now holding the scroll given to Him by the Father. He is set and ready to break the first of seven seals. Jesus is now going to be the wrath of God. Dispensing upon the earth what has been spoken of for thousands of years. The moment has arrived but the inhabitants of the earth are not ready for what’s to come.
These judgments are going to be poured out in orderly fashion. This is not going to be some random series of events. There is a reason and a purpose for each as we’ll see.
The 4-3 Pattern of Judgments
First, the Seven Seal judgments will be poured out on the earth. The last of the seal judgments will introduce the next series of Seven Trumpet Judgments. Then in similar fashion, the closing trumpet judgment will bring on the third and last series of Seven Bowl Judgments.
Each judgment of each series will crescendo in intensity. Once the first four judgments of each of the Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl judgments are released, the intensity of the next three will be much greater than the first four. We will see God intervene more directly in the last three judgments of each series.
Just when John thinks his vision of the wrath of God couldn’t get any worse, it gets even worse for the inhabitants of the earth who’ve rejected God and His free gift of Salvation. A gift offered to anyone who believes and accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The Order of the Seven Years of the Tribulation Timeline
Seven Seals
- White Horse
- Red Horse
- Black Horse
- Pale Horse
- Souls Under the Altar
- Whole World Trembles
- Silence in Heaven
Seven Trumpets
- Hail, Fire, and Blood
- A Mountain Thrown Into the Sea
- The Star Wormwood
- A Third of the Sun, Moon, and Stars Struck
- The Plague of Locusts
- Release of the Four Angels
- Woe on Earth & Worship in Heaven
Seven Bowls
- Ugly and Painful Sores
- Sea Turns to Blood
- Rivers and Streams Become Blood
- Sun Scorches People with Fire
- Darkness
- Euphrates River Dries Up
- Tremendous Earthquake – Armageddon
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