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CHAPTER 6: The Tribulation

Both the Old and New Testaments speak of a time of great distress immediately preceding the second coming of Christ. According to the prophecy of the seventy “weeks,” in Daniel 9:24-27, this period is to be seven years in duration. It is usually referred to as “the tribulation.” Part of this period includes the beginning of “the day of the Lord” (a time beginning with an extraordinary outpouring of divine wrath upon the world, which transitions into great divine blessing for the redeemed, first in the millennium, then in eternity). The tribulation should not be confused with the day of the Lord; the day of the Lord is the time during which God will judge the earth and ultimately establish His earthly kingdom; it almost certainly begins sometime in the second half of the tribulation (2Thessalonians 2:3-4) and continues from that point forward, into eternity. After God’s judgment upon the world is complete, the day of the Lord progresses from a time of judgment to a time of transitional blessing in the millennium, to a time of eternal bliss in the new heavens and earth. It is a common mistake to identify the entire seven years of tribulation as a time of divine wrath (judgment), but this is without biblical and theological support and leads to incorrect assumptions regarding both the tribulation and the rapture of the church. The trouble of the tribulation period ensues from two primary sources. Much of the trouble of the period, at least initially, results from the activities of godless men, especially a satanically controlled world leader commonly referred to by students of prophecy as “the Antichrist;” once the day of the Lord begins, it will add the element of divine wrath to the trouble already being experienced.

The Purpose of the Tribulation

The tribulation serves a dual purpose in the divine plan. It includes a time for preparing an elect people, both Jew and Gentile, and an elect nation—Israel—to enter the kingdom at Christ’s return and also a time of judgment upon the world for its sin and rebellion. As such, the tribulation plays a vital role in preparation for the coming kingdom of Christ on earth.

The preparation of Israel to receive their Messiah

The Old Testament figure of the “refiner’s fire” is one of the metaphors employed to illustrate how God will use this time of great distress to prepare an elect people and nation for entrance into the kingdom. Concerning how God would use this time to purify a people to Himself, it was revealed to Daniel that:

[Dan. 12:10] Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

This passage reveals three important truths concerning the tribulation period. 1) God will use this time to purify a people for Himself. 2) The wicked will not understand what is happening, and in spite of the intense distress of this period will not repent—a theme echoed repeatedly in the book of Revelation (Rev. 9:20-21; 16:9,11,21). 3) Those who are wise (i.e., who know and believe the truth) will understand what is occurring. God also revealed to Zechariah that He would use the intense heat of distress to purify Israel as a people unto Himself and thus enable the fulfillment of His promises to their fathers:

[Zech. 13:8-9] “In the whole land,” declares the LORD, “two thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’”

It was revealed to Zechariah that one third of the Jewish nation would survive this day of distress, but God will purify that third and they will come into right relationship with God through this great trial. Ezekiel also foresaw the conversion of Israel during this time of distress:

[Ezek. 20:33-38] As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will rule over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath. I will bring you into the desert of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment upon you. As I judged your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will take note of you as you pass under my staff, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

According to Ezekiel’s prophecy, God will rule over Israel, and He will bring this to pass through a great outpouring of His wrath. Having gathered Israel from the nations, He will execute judgment upon them as He did upon their forefathers in the desert after they left Egypt. He will purge them of unbelief and rebellion, but those that remain will know the LORD. At the conclusion of the tribulation period, though only a portion will remain, God will have purified a people to whom He can fulfill the promises He made to their fathers concerning a land, a kingdom, and a relationship with Him forever.

Judgment upon the world

The other purpose of the tribulation is to execute divine judgment upon the world for its sin and rebellion. While the entire tribulation will be a time of distress, sometime in the second half of the period the day of the Lord will begin, in which God will pour out wrath upon the world (likely beginning at the seventh seal of Revelation). The result will be worldwide devastation; only a fraction of the world’s population will survive to the end of the period.

One might question the fairness of God suddenly executing retribution on this generation. However, several factors must be considered. 1) The generation living at the end of the age will have had more knowledge, more time, and greater opportunity than any preceding generation to respond to God’s mercy; yet their response will be a world-wide rejection of God to a degree that will overshadow the most pagan episodes of human history. 2) Throughout the period, salvation will still be available to anyone who will respond to the grace of God. 3) The spiritual delusion that characterizes the latter part of the period is merely the result of the world’s choice of darkness instead of light, so they will be given over to their desire (2Thess. 2:9-12). 4) Once the day of the Lord begins, the intensity of divine judgment is directly linked to the intensity of the world’s rejection and hatred of God (cf. Rev. 9:20-21; 16:9,11,21). 5) God’s forbearance shown to past generations, all of which deserved the same punishment, does not exempt the human family from judgment in this final hour. Far from accusing God of injustice, His past forbearance ought to be the occasion for praising His long-suffering and mercy. 6) Those who escaped God’s wrath on earth, in times past, are now suffering the eternal retribution of God; they have not escaped judgment. In the end, every unredeemed person will receive exactly what he or she deserves in full measure, whether that judgment begins in this life, or after death.

Isaiah commented on this judgment when he said,

[Isa. 13:9-13] See, the day of the LORD is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of the heavens and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. Iwill make man scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.

Notice the details of Isaiah’s prophecy. 1) The day of the Lord will be “cruel,” filled with “wrath” and “fierce anger.” 2) The land (the earth) will be made desolate (empty and unproductive), and its people (sinners) will perish. 3) The light of the stars will not be visible from the earth, and the sun and moon will be dark (likely referring to the obscuration of the earth’s atmosphere by dust and debris). 4) Man in his pride will be humbled. 5) A large percentage of the earth’s population will perish, so much so that men will become more scare than gold. 6) The heavens and the earth will shake (bespeaking great geophysical and astrophysical disturbances).

Concerning the day of the Lord as a time of judgment, Paul says,

[2 Thess. 2:8-11] The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refuse the love of the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

Not only will the wicked refuse to repent of their sin, they will fall into a delusion, believing that the Antichrist is God. This delusion is actually God sent; since they have rejected the only true God and His Son—Jesus Christ—God will send a delusion upon the world so they will believe “the lie,” i.e., that the Antichrist himself is “God” (2Thess. 2:11 cf. 3-4).

Biblical Background

As might be expected, none of the prophets foresaw all of the features of the tribulation. It is only by comparing one prophecy with another that we are able to put together the details of the period (see Figure 6.1). [It is important to note that most of the Old Testament prophecies pertaining to this period are focused specifically on the judgment to be manifested at the day of the Lord; Daniel 9:24-27 is the one notable exception. If we fail to realize this, it presents the illusion that the entire tribulation is composed of divine wrath. Daniel was the only Old Testament prophet to whom God revealed any specific chronological information about the extended seven-year period that has come to be called “the tribulation.” It is very easy to confuse “the part” (the day of the Lord), with “the whole” (the tribulation). As we look at the references which follow, keep in mind that virtually all of the Old Testament references to this period are focused exclusively on the judgment at the day of the Lord; God simply had not revealed the more extended features of the seven-year period to them as He did to Daniel, and subsequently through Christ (Matt 24), Paul (2Thess. 2:1-12), and John (Rev. 6-19).]

One of the earliest mentions of the period occurs in Psalm 110:1-7. In this passage, God speaks of judging the nations and crushing their rulers in preparation for the rule of Messiah. Other early references to the period occur in Joel (c.835 B.C.), Amos (755B.C.), and Isaiah (740-680B.C.). (For a more complete listing of references see, Appendix A: The Chronological/Topical Index to Future Prophecy, p.245.) Joel pictures the tribulation as a devastating military campaign (2:11), and a judgment upon the nations for their sin and rebellion against the LORD (3:1-16). Amos refers to the period as a day of “darkness.” This period is a major theme in Isaiah where it is the focus in nine extended passages. Isaiah pictures the period as a terrible time of divine judgment in which the splendor of the Lord’s majesty will be revealed and the eyes of arrogant men will be humbled (2:10-11). Furthermore, he says it is to be a time of “wailing,” all hands will “go limp,” every man’s heart will “melt,” they will be seized by “terror,” “pain,” and “anguish” (13:6-8). It is significant that in Isaiah the period is not viewed as a local phenomenon but a global event, even cosmic in proportions. God says to Isaiah,

[Isa. 13:13] Therefore I will make the heavens tremble and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD almighty, in the day of his burning anger.

Again, speaking through Isaiah, God is clear about the reason for this catastrophic judgment.

[Isa. 13:10] I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.

The language of Isaiah’s prophecies reaches a calamitous crescendo in chapter twenty-four where he says: “See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it, he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants” (v.1); “The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered” (v.3); “The earth’s inhabitants are burned up and very few are left” (v.6). This period includes a time of cosmic judgment. Isaiah says,

[34:4] All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

The fact that the tribulation includes a time of global, catastrophic, even celestial judgment is apparent in these passages; what is not clear is the precise nature of the individual components of the judgments and their chronological relationship to other events of the period.

The Tribulation as Foreseen by the Prophets

[Figure 6.1: The prophets are listed in chronological order. As can be seen, no single prophet spoke of all the elements of the tribulation. It is only through a comparative study of the details revealed to each prophet that we are able to derive a comprehensive description of the period.]

The book of Daniel (c. 530 B.C.) provides the first and most precise chronological statements, and lays the foundation for understanding the prominent role played by the one who is there referred to as “the Prince to come” (Dan. 9:26, AV). It is only in Daniel that we learn Israel’s final great time of distress in this age is to be a seven-year period (9:24-27 cf. 12:11), divided into two approximately equal sections of three and one-half years. Even the book of Revelation, which devotes fourteen chapters to the discussion of the tribulation, doesn’t give a clue to the period’s chronological superstructure (other than a simple sequence of events). Daniel also yields considerable information regarding a key period figure “the Prince to come.” This figure plays a central role in world political events, religious apostasy, and the persecution and death of many believers during the period (7:25; 9:27; 11:36-39). Likewise, it is in Daniel we learn of the coming world alliance which will be in operation just prior to and during the period, and through which Satan’s prince (the “Antichrist,” cf. 1Jn.2:18) will exercise his power (2:40-45; 7:19-27). [The term “Antichrist” occurs only in 1John 2:22 and 4:1-3; however, it has become the universal name employed by students of prophecy to refer to the satanically controlled dictator (and false messiah) to come i.e., the “Prince to come” (Dan. 9:24-27), the Man of lawlessness (2Thess. 2:3-11), the first “Beast” of Revelation (Rev. 13:1-10).]

While numerous passages picture this period as immediately preceding the millennial kingdom (Joel 2-3; Isa. 24-25; 34-35, Dan. 9:24-27), it is Zechariah (520-518 B.C.) who informs us that the tribulation will be brought to a conclusion at the personal appearing of the LORD (Christ)—bodily, to deal with His enemies and to personally establish His kingdom on earth. Speaking through Zechariah, God says,

[Zech. 14:2-4] I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.

Demonstrating the close connection of this event with the inception of the millennial kingdom, Zechariah continues:

[v.9] The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.

The connection between the second coming of Christ and the conclusion of the tribulation period is reinforced by Christ in Matthew 24:1-31 and repeated in Revelation 19:11-16. Jesus’ discourse recorded in Matthew 24 provides additional details concerning the character of the period. He mentions the profusion of false Christs and false prophets (vv.5,11,24), as well as persecution (vv.9,15-22), apostasy (v.10), and lawlessness (v.12). He also makes the only reference in Scripture to the “sign” that will precede His second coming (v.30). Another important feature of Jesus’ teaching on this subject in Matthew 24 is that He provides some important chronological clues that help in linking the timelines of Daniel and Revelation. (The importance of Matthew 24 in understanding the chronology of the tribulation will be discussed when we come to tribulation chronology in chapter seven.)

With the exception of Jesus’ discourse in Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation, the New Testament does not add significantly to the body of truth already revealed about the content of the tribulation. Paul mentions the nature of the abomination spoken of by Daniel as an act in which Satan’s Prince enters God’s temple and proclaims himself to be God (2Thess. 2:4). However, this is not an entirely new thought, since Daniel also alludes to it (11:36-37). Paul clearly links the power of Satan’s Prince with the activity of Satan (2Thess. 2:9) and mentions a strong delusion that will be sent upon the followers of the Antichrist so that they will be deceived into worshipping him (2Thess. 2:9-12). Perhaps Paul’s greatest contribution to the discussion of the tribulation is the revelation in 2Thessalonians 2:3-4 that the day of the Lord will not come until the Man of Lawlessness is revealed (contextually, in the temple), thus placing the beginning of the day of the Lord (in which God’s wrath will be poured out) sometime in the second half of the tribulation. (Daniel 9:27 indicates that this abomination in the temple will occur in the middle of the seven-year period.)

The Lord gives a condensed view of the entire tribulation in His Olivet discourse (Matt. 24), with a brief overview of the entire period (vv. 4-14), and an amplification of some features of the second half of the period (vv. 15-31), including details of His second coming (vv.29-31). As we will see when we come to tribulation chronology, the Lord’s discourse in Matthew 24 is of great importance in understanding the internal chronology of the tribulation period.

The book of Revelation advances our knowledge of the tribulation by a quantum leap. It is here for the first time we are given a glimpse of the period from the heavenly perspective. Through John’s narration of his vision we see Christ in Heaven before the throne of God breaking the seals of a book, the contents of which is a series of greatly distressing events (all of which qualify as “tribulation,” but only some of which is divine judgment). These events consist of three series. The seven seals represent the major movements of the period, with the seventh seal being unlike the others; seven trumpets unfold from the seventh seal; and seven bowls unfold from the seventh trumpet. Due to the unique nature of the seventh seal it is likely that this seal alone represents the day of the Lord. (The seventh seal has a unique and momentous introduction: Heaven is silent for the span of half an hour. The seventh seal is the only multifaceted seal; it contains two additional sequences of judgment, thirteen in all. The seventh seal embodies all of the elements attributed to the day of the Lord by the Old Testament prophets; and it is pictured as an answer to the prayer for vengeance (wrath) upon those on the earth who killed the saints unjustly during the time of the fifth seal (8:3-5 cf. 6:9-11). These reasons, in combination with Paul’s statement in 2Thessalonians 2:3-4 that the day of the Lord will not come until after the Man of Lawlessness has been revealed in the temple and the apostasy has taken place, make a strong case that the day of the Lord begins with the opening of the seventh seal, or close thereto.

Not only does John record the major movements of the period (the seals), he includes a considerable amount of information regarding other events. For instance, he records the tribulation scene as viewed from Heaven (4:1-5:14; 15:1-8), the sealing of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses (7:1-8), the great congregation of martyrs appearing in Heaven (7:9-17), the ministry of the two prophetic witnesses (11:1-14), war on earth and in heaven (12:1-17), the great persecution of the saints (13:1-10), the ministry of the False Prophet (13:11-18), world evangelism (14:6-7), the final end of those who worship the Antichrist (14:9-13), the destruction of Babylon—representing Gentile political and religious domination (17:1-19:10), the second coming of Christ (19:11-16), and Armageddon (19:17-21). As we will see later, John is also a major source of information for events following the tribulation, and an especially important source for events following the millennium.

Description of the Tribulation

In surveying the tribulation period, we will depend primarily upon the books of Daniel and Revelation, along with information from Matthew 24. The reason is that almost every detail of the period is contained in one of these three sources. Although the tribulation events will be set into a chronological framework, the rationale for that chronology will be presented separately in the next chapter.

Preconditions for the period

The book of Daniel lays the framework for the study of the tribulation period and Daniel alone gives the two critical preconditions for the beginning of the period: 1) the existence of Israel as a national entity; and 2) the re-emergence of a future form of the Roman Empire under the leadership of a small group of ten leaders, from which the Antichrist will ultimately derive his authority to rule and emerge as a satanically empowered dictator (Dan. 9:26-27), with the full knowledge and assistance of these ten leaders (Rev. 17:12-13). Since the period formally begins with the signing of a treaty between these two parties (Dan. 9:27), it is evident that the absence of either or both parties would preclude the start of the period (see Figure 6.2, p.107). In order for the tribulation to unfold, both national Israel and a modern alliance of nations roughly corresponding to the nations of the old Roman Empire (or the people groups thereof) must be in place.

At the time Daniel wrote, the nation of Israel was in captivity to Babylon (later to Persia, after the fall of Babylon). It would have been apparent to Daniel that in order for the prophecies he was given to be fulfilled, the nation would have to be regathered from captivity. In fact, it would even have been possible for Daniel to discern a second dispersion and regathering, based on information supplied by the angel in the prophecy of the seventy “weeks” (Dan 9:24-27). Nevertheless, the book of Daniel is very clear on this point: the tribulation involves the nation of Israel. Failure to acknowledge this key point has led to many false interpretations of both Scripture and history. One error that must be avoided is incorrectly identifying the church with Israel. These two are distinct in the prophetic program. It is impossible that the church could fulfill Israel’s role in the coming tribulation. Both the Old and New Testaments are clear on this point: the church is not Israel, and Israel is not the church (cf. Rom. 11)—though they are both key elements in God’s unified program for history. (For a more extended discussion of the distinction between Israel and the church, see chapter eight, The Rapture of the Church, and the discussion of Romans 11:1-36 beginning on page 315.)

We learn from Daniel not only that the nation of Israel must be in existence prior to the beginning of the tribulation, we also learn of an alliance of nations that will be in existence during the period and through whose rulers the Antichrist will derive his political authority. The details of the emergence of this kingdom are laid out in Daniel 2:1-45 and 7:1-28. In order to understand the place this alliance of nations occupies in God’s plan for the future, we must understand Daniel 2:1-45, the account of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, and Daniel 7:1-28, the account of Daniel’s prophetic vision (see Figure 6.2, p.107).

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:1-45)

The first information regarding the empire over which Satan’s prince will rule is revealed in Daniel 2:1-45. The revelation is in two parts: a dream given by God to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon (vv.29-35), and the interpretation of the dream given through Daniel (vv.36-45). Since Daniel’s interpretation includes the content of the dream itself, we need only quote the interpretation.

[Dan. 2:27-45] “As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind. You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.”

In his dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a great statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As Nebuchadnezzar continued to watch, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. This rock then struck the statue on its feet and toes and crushed them. At the same time the entire statue crumbled and was swept away by the wind, but the rock that struck the statue became a great mountain, filling the whole earth.

God revealed the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel, and Daniel explained it to Nebuchadnezzar (2:27-45). According to Daniel’s prophetic interpretation, each of the parts of the statue (the head, the chest and arms, the belly and thighs, the legs and feet) represents a world empire, four in all (vv. 37-40). Nebuchadnezzar—representing Babylon—is the head of gold. Afterward there are to be three more world empires (prophetically corresponding to Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome). Interestingly, the fourth empire is different from all the rest in that it is described as having two forms: the first form being the legs of iron, and the second being the feet partly of iron and partly of clay. (As we proceed from the head to the feet, we move forward in time; thus it is that the form represented by the feet and toes is to be the final form of the fourth empire—Rome.) God also revealed through Daniel the meaning of the rock, cut out, not by human hands, which crushed the feet and toes and caused the entire statue to crumble and be blown away. The rock represents the kingdom of God that will replace all the previous world empires and which will never be destroyed, but will endure forever (v.44).

There are several important observations to be made from this passage, all of which will be confirmed subsequently in Daniel’s vision (7:1-28). First, it would seem that the dream relates to that period of time elsewhere referred to as “the times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24)—the time during which Israel is to be dominated by Gentile powers, beginning with Babylon and extending through the tribulation up to the point at which Christ releases Israel from their bondage to foreign powers at His second advent. Second, the dream relates to the future since it pictures the inauguration of the eternal kingdom to be set up on earth by God (cf. 7:13-14, 26-27; 12:9). Third, some form of the fourth world empire (Rome) will be present at the time God sets up His eternal kingdom. It will be different from the original form of the Roman Empire in that as the feet and toes of the statue were composed of iron and clay, which do not adhere, so this “kingdom” will be an alliance of nations (some weak, some strong), each with its own national characteristics (vv. 42-44), it will begin as an alliance of ten world rulers (but we learn later from Daniel’s prophetic vision that three of these will be eliminated by one individual (not one of the ten) who is eventually to be installed as the supreme dictator. In destroying that alliance, or “kingdom,” God will end the period of Gentile world domination pictured in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:1-28)

Years after giving Nebuchadnezzar a revelation of future world history, God communicated a similar revelation directly to Daniel in the form of a vision. The main points of Daniel’s vision correspond to the main points of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (see Figure 6.2). Daniel relates his vision as follows.

[Dan. 7:1-28] In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it. And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, Get up and eat your fill of flesh! After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully. As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: ‘The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’ Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’ This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”

In his vision Daniel saw four beasts. The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. As Daniel watched, the wings were torn off and the beast was lifted from the ground so that it stood on its two feet like a man and the heart of a man was given to it. As Daniel continued to look, he saw another beast that looked like a bear. This second beast was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth (v.5). Afterwards, Daniel saw a third beast that looked like a leopard with four wings on its back. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. Finally, Daniel saw a fourth beast with iron teeth, terrifying and very powerful. It crushed and devoured its victims and trampled whatever was left of the former beasts. The fourth beast had ten horns, and another horn came up among them. This horn uprooted three of the original horns. Daniel describes it as having eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking boastfully (vv.7-8). Next Daniel saw thrones set in place, and the Ancient of Days [God] taking His seat of judgment. As Daniel continued to look, the little horn was slain and his body was thrown into the fire. At this point Daniel saw one “like a son of man” approach the Ancient of Days. This one was given authority, glory, and sovereign power to rule; and all the people of the earth worshipped Him. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, one that will not be destroyed.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream and Daniel’s Vision

[Figure 6.2]

Daniel did not understand the meaning of the things he had seen, so in his vision he approached one standing nearby and asked the meaning of the vision. He was told that the four beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise on the earth, and that the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever (vv. 15-16). He was still concerned over the meaning of the fourth beast. As he continued to watch, this beast was waging war with the saints and overcoming them (vv. 19-21 cf. Matt. 24:9; Rev. 6:9-11). However, the Ancient of Days intervened, and the kingdom was given to the saints (vv.21-22). [Revelation 8:1-20:6 is a detailed account of God’s intervention through the outpouring of divine judgment to prepare the way for His kingdom on earth.]

The explanation that Daniel received concerning the fourth beast is this: The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will arise on the earth. It will be a worldwide kingdom different from all the previous kingdoms and will crush them. The ten horns on the beast are representative of ten kings (leaders) who will arise, and the little horn represents another king who will arise and subdue three of the previous kings. This king will speak against God and oppress the saints, who will be given into his hand for three and one-half (years). However, God will judge this king and turn the kingdom over to the saints who will possess it forever (vv.23-27).

Correlating Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s vision

Both Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s vision pertain to a period in history known as “the times of the Gentiles;” it is the period during which Israel is under Gentile domination. As can be seen in Figure 6.2, each beast in Daniel’s vision corresponds to part of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Both Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s vision deal with the successive world empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the future alliance that comes out of Rome (i.e., Rome’s final form). Both prophetic revelations foresaw the fourth kingdom as present immediately prior to, and replaced by God’s eternal kingdom. Furthermore, both revelations contain certain details about the fourth world empire and God’s eternal kingdom that will replace it. [The first four kingdoms in these prophetic revelations are referred to as “the times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24), to be followed by “the day of the LORD,” which begins with the outpouring of divine wrath during the tribulation period.]

From a comparison of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s vision, we are able to construct the following picture of the alliance/kingdom that will be in place at the beginning of the tribulation. Both revelations indicate that this final form of the Roman Empire will be composed of an alliance of ten nations, or groups of nations. This is represented in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue by the ten toes and in Daniel’s vision by the ten horns. [There could actually be more than ten individual nations. The number “ten” refers to the number of principle leaders in the initial confederation; three of those will be eliminated early on by the Antichrist. Apparently the Antichrist is not one of the leaders of these nations, but a person chosen by the leaders of these nations, who give him their authority to rule (Rev. 17:12-13). We may surmise that some global disaster in the future (possibly natural/physical, economic, or political), or the fear of some impending disaster will be used as a pretext for these leaders to surrender their national sovereignty to the Antichrist.] Daniel 2:40-43 indicates that this final kingdom is to be a “divided kingdom” as indicated by the fact that while iron and clay can be molded together, they do not adhere firmly. Adding to this the fact that the “little horn” must subdue three of the original horns (Dan. 7:24), it is apparent that this empire is a confederation built with intrigue, coercion, and force. By comparing these two prophetic revelations with Daniel 9:24-27, it is possible to identify the “little horn” of Daniel 7:24-25 as the Prince who will make the covenant with Israel which begins the seven-year period of tribulation.

The first half of the seven-year period

We learn from Daniel 9:27 that the tribulation period is divided into two approximately equal halves (see Figure 6.3, p.143). It was revealed to Daniel that at the midpoint of the period Satan’s prince will break his covenant with Israel, even desecrating God’s temple. Paul expands on the nature of this desecration, sometimes referred to as “the abomination,” as the time when Satan’s prince will enter the temple and proclaim himself to be God, demanding that the people of the world worship him. Paul says,

[2 Thess. 2:4] He opposes and exalts himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, and even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

Jesus described this event as the onset of a persecution so severe that he referred to it as a time of great distress [AV “tribulation”], unequaled from the beginning of the world. His admonition in Matthew is this:

[24:15-22] So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

The covenant that begins the seven-year period

The tribulation formally begins with the signing of a treaty between Satan’s prince (the Antichrist) and the nation of Israel. While the precise nature and provisions of this treaty are not stated in Scripture (it is only mentioned briefly in Daniel 9:27), it is likely that it will be some type of security guarantee for Israel (the lesser and weaker of the two powers). It is very likely this treaty allows for the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, since it must be in operation by the midpoint of the period, and since the breaking of the treaty in the middle of the period involves a desecration of the temple itself (Dan. 9:27). Perhaps this treaty will be the occasion of great celebration and hopefulness on the part of the people of the world that the middle-east conflict, which has been the greatest threat to peace in recent times, is finally at an end. This may account for why Paul, in 1Thessalonians 5:3, said, “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” Paul is clearly referring to the onset of the events leading up to the day of the Lord (cf. v. 2), and it is interesting to note that “labor pains” is the metaphor used by Christ in Matthew 24:8 to describe the opening phase of the tribulation. (Just as labor pains are not the main event, but merely lead up to the birth, so there will be waves of distress in the tribulation leading up to the main event, which is the day of the Lord.)

The rebuilding of the Jewish temple (the third temple)

The Jewish temple must be rebuilt in order for the tribulation prophecies to be fulfilled. The construction of this temple could begin either before or after the seven-year period begins; however, it must be sufficiently complete prior to the midpoint of the period for sacrifices to be offered (Dan. 9:27). Since the reintroduction of the sacrificial system supposes not only the temple structure, but also a qualified and trained priesthood with all of its intricate procedures for worship, one could probably conclude the necessity for advance preparation extending back well before the beginning of the tribulation. (Not only must the Jews relearn the intricacies of temple worship, much research and preparation will be required both for the qualification of priests—including the determination of their genealogical qualifications—and the purification of the temple and its implements, which must also be re-created.) In any case, the temple and sacrificial system must be in place prior to the middle of the period. There are several reasons for this. 1) Daniel 9:27 states that, in the middle of the tribulation, Satan’s prince will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering, even desecrating the Holy Place. 2) Jesus, in Matthew 24:15, refers back to this passage in Daniel and warns that when believers living at that time see the abomination spoken of by Daniel standing in the Holy Place, they are to realize that the time of great tribulation is upon them. 3) The Apostles Paul and John both refer to the tribulation temple. Paul, alluding to the abomination in the temple, says that the Man of lawlessness will set himself up in God’s temple proclaiming himself to be God (2 Thess. 2:3-4), and John in his vision of the period is asked to measure the temple and the altar (Rev. 11:1).

The beginning of the tribulation events [Seals 1-4]

The most detailed account of the events of the tribulation is recorded in the book of Revelation. In John’s vision he saw the tribulation events unfold from the heavenly perspective, and it is from this perspective that he related his description of what he saw. In his vision John saw God seated on His throne in Heaven. The scene was certainly beyond the limits of what John could easily put into language. It is as if he struggles for words to describe these incredible, horrific events. In John’s vision, He saw God seated on His throne, attended by myriads of the heavenly host adoring, worshipping, and ascribing to Him glory and honor as their beloved Creator (Rev. 4:1-11). As John stood in awe of the heavenly scene he noticed a scroll in the right hand of God, sealed with seven seals. A proclamation was heralded forth by a mighty angel, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” John wept because no one in Heaven, or on earth, was found who was worthy to open the scroll; but then John saw in his vision a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing by the throne. The Lamb reached out and took the scroll from Him who sat on the throne. Suddenly, all of Heaven erupted in praise, adoration, and worship of the Lamb, who is none other than Christ Himself. As John continued to watch, the Lamb began to break the seals of the scroll (Rev. 5:1-14). Most of the events recorded in the book of Revelation are presented as the outcome of the breaking of these seven seals; they are the seven great movements of the tribulation period. It is important to recognize that the seals do not represent events, but rather seven movements within the period into which most of the events are grouped. While the book of Revelation generally proceeds sequentially, there are some parenthetical and recursive sections that interrupt the chronological flow (see Figure 7.5, p.171). It appears that the day of the Lord (which includes God’s wrath) begins during the time of the seventh seal. Paul indicates in 2Thessalonians 2: 1-3 that the day of the Lord cannot begin until after the abomination in the temple, which occurs at the midpoint of the period. As we will see, there are many reasons for suspecting that the day of the Lord begins during the time of the seventh seal.

Four of the seven seals will be broken in the first half of the tribulation period. (In the next chapter, we will discuss how we know this.) The first seal allows for the geopolitical events associated with the development of the kingdom of the Antichrist (Rev. 6:1-2). His “kingdom,” actually an alliance, or confederation of nations, seems to be in a state of flux throughout the period, as is indicated by the constant state of conflict.

The breaking of the second seal allows war (Rev. 6:3-4). We are not informed as to the identity of the participants in these wars, but it would not be unreasonable to guess that at least some of this conflict is related to the activity of Satan’s prince (though he is not publicly revealed until the middle of the tribulation, cf. 2Thessalonians 2:1-9). Daniel indicates that the “little horn” (Satan’s prince—The Antichrist), will pull up by the roots three of the leaders of the ten-nation alliance. Likely it is this event that propels him to the place of supreme control over the other leaders (Dan. 7:8). The third seal allows for a large-scale famine (Rev. 6:5-6), and during the time of the fourth seal, a quarter of the world’s population will perish as a result of the wars, famine, and pestilence (Rev. 6:7-8).

The invasion of Israel by many nations

In Ezekiel 38-39, Ezekiel describes a great invasion that will take place involving “Gog” of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. This power, located to the east and northeast of the Black Sea (now occupied largely by Islamic states that once formed the southern region of the former Soviet Union), along with its allies (Persia [Iran], Ethiopia [Sudan], Put [Libya], Gomar and Beth-togarmah [Turkey]) will invade Israel and eventually experience their destruction as God intervenes to protect his people. (It is interesting to note that at the present time all of these states are Islamic, and decidedly anti-Israel.) Not only will this invading army be destroyed, but the homeland of the principal nation (Magog) will also be destroyed (39:6). The prophecy in Ezekiel pictures this happening at a time when Israel is living in peace and safety, but prior to their national conversion (39:22-29). This puts the beginning of this invasion sometime in the first half of the period, and the final destruction of the invading forces sometime later (whether in the first half or the second half is uncertain). Placing this event on the tribulation timeline is one of the most difficult issues in tribulation chronology. Ezekiel describes this invasion, as well as the motives of the invading nations, as follows.

[Ezekiel 38:1-13] The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you. Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land. This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.” Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?”’

Ezekiel goes on to describe the destruction of the invading army.

[39:1-6] ”Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD.’”

Finally, Ezekiel prophesies the result this war will have on Israel.

[39:12-29] “’For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I am glorified will be a memorable day for them, declares the Sovereign LORD. Men will be regularly employed to cleanse the land. Some will go throughout the land and, in addition to them, others will bury those that remain on the ground. At the end of the seven months they will begin their search. As they go through the land and one of them sees a human bone, he will set up a marker beside it until the gravediggers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. (Also a town called Hamonah will be there.) And so they will cleanse the land.’ Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls—all of them fattened animals from Bashan. At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,’ declares the Sovereign LORD. I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them. From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them. Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

Since the initial conditions set forth in 38:8-12 (a time of peace and safety for Israel) cannot describe the second half of the tribulation, it seems clear that this invasion begins sometime in the first half of the period. [It is likely that both the invasion and the destruction of the invading armies occur in the first half of the tribulation, since any carryover of this event into the second half of the period would seem to interfere with the prophesied activities of the Antichrist in relation to Israel. It is also important to remember that the invading northern coalition is not the kingdom of the Antichrist; these are two distinct political entities.]

The spiritual rebirth of Israel

Although there is to be a partial regathering of Israel to their land prior to the beginning of the period (which has already begun), and almost certainly additional regatherings throughout the first part of the tribulation period, they are gathered in unbelief. Ezekiel indicates this in the prophecy of the “dry bones” (Ez. 37:1-14), where God showed him a field of dry bones (representing Israel) and how the bones came together and stood up, with flesh and skin covering them, but there was no life.

[Ezekiel 37:7-14] So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”

Ezekiel’s prophecy clearly indicates that Israel will be regathered in unbelief and experience a national conversion at some later time (cf., Ez. 36:22-38). Zechariah further places this conversion at the point when God defends Israel (and Jerusalem) from the nations that have invaded the land (likely the invasion by “Gog”).

[Zechariah 12:2-10] “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. On that day I will strike every horse with panic and its rider with madness,” declares the LORD. “I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of the nations. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD Almighty is their God.’ On that day I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place. The LORD will save the dwellings of Judah first, so that the honor of the house of David and of Jerusalem’s inhabitants may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the LORD will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them. On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

The second half of the seven-year period

The majority of events associated with the tribulation occur in the second half of the period. Not only is the frequency of events stepped up, but also the intensity of those events grows as one approaches the end of the period. There does seem to be some reason for this in that the intensity seems to reflect the intensity of man’s rebellion and blasphemy against God as the period proceeds (cf. Rev. 9:20-21; 16:9,11,21).

Satan and his host thrown down to the earth

Revelation records a conflict between Michael and his angels, and Satan and his angels, which appears to occur near the midpoint of the period.

[12:7-10] And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”

As a result of this war waged in the heavens, Satan and his host of fallen angels will be confined to the earth. “Heaven” undoubtedly denotes the physical heavens rather than the heavenly city (note the use of the plural “heavens” in v.12, which ordinarily refers to the physical heavens, i.e., the universe.) Of course, Satan’s confinement to the earth will also exclude him from the heavenly throne of God. This event signals the beginning of a period of great joy in the heavens (which are apparently the domain of certain of the angels, cf. v. 12), but great distress upon the earth. As Satan sees that his time is short, he will persecute believers with great fury, both Jews and Gentiles (v.12). His anger will be particularly focused on Israel (vv. 13-17), and he will seek to persecute believing Jews severely. This event is closely associated in time with the abomination in the temple. Clearly from this point forward things on earth are going to go from bad to worse; nevertheless, God’s wrath is yet to be poured out; all that has occurred so far is merely distress caused by human and angelic rebellion against God.

The abomination (desecration) in the temple

The midpoint of the period is marked by the abomination in the temple, an event first mentioned in Daniel 9:27. Jesus warned that this event would mark the beginning of the time of severe persecution (Matt. 24:15-22). But what is the abomination? Interestingly, this major event which marks the middle of the period is neither expanded upon by Christ, nor specifically mentioned by John in the book of Revelation, though John does mention in Revelation 13:1-8 the worship of Satan’s prince, which is directly related. It is Paul in 2Thessalonians 2:2-4 who pulls back the curtain of mystery and gives us a glimpse into the nature of this event. Paul indicates that the Antichrist, referred to as “the Man of lawlessness,” will oppose every god or object of worship, even taking his seat in the temple of God in an attempt to manifest that he himself is God. (Not “a god,” but “God” Himself! In other words, he will claim to be Almighty God—the Creator of all things.) As strange as this may seem, something even more strange will happen—many in the world of unregenerate humanity, having rejected the true God, will worship this blasphemous pretender as God (2Thess. 2:7-12).

Piecing together the accounts from Matthew 24:1522 and Revelation 12:7-13:18, the sequence of events is as follows. Satan and his followers will be confined to the earth (Rev. 12:7-12). Satan’s Prince, will enter the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God, and demand to be worshipped (Rev. 13:1-18 cf. 2 Thess. 2:3-4). Those with biblical discernment will immediately recognize the significance of these events and flee “Judea” (Matt. 24:15-22); God will provide a place of safety for them in the wilderness (Rev. 12:14). Satan will attempt to destroy those who flee, but divine intervention will prevent him from carrying out his purpose (Rev. 12:15-16). Enraged at his inability to destroy those believers, Satan’s prince will instead turn his wrath on whoever is within his reach (12:17). How much, if any, of the activity described in Revelation 12:15-16 will be effectuated through supernatural means is unknown, but clearly the Antichrist will be endowed with satanic power (13:2-4).

The new world economic and religious order

Once the true character of the world leader to come is revealed (through his desecration of the temple), two things will quickly fall into place. First, in a well-orchestrated move, a false prophet (referred to in Revelation 13:11-15 as the second “Beast”), himself satanically controlled and empowered, will immediately begin to perform false signs and wonders in attestation to the deity of the Antichrist (Rev. 13:11-18). Secondly, Revelation 17 indicates that an apostate religious system already in place will be utilized to promote the worship of the Antichrist, at least until he no longer needs it. In Revelation 13:11-15 John describes the appearing of the false prophet.

[13:11-15] Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

The reference to the healing of the “fatal wound” of the first Beast (i.e., the Antichrist) might be an attempt on the part of this satanic trio (Satan and the two “Beasts”) to mimic the resurrection, and thus claim messianic status for the Antichrist. As further inducement to worship the Antichrist the False Prophet makes provision for every person to receive a mark on his forehead or right hand, indicating acceptance of the Antichrist as “God” (Rev. 13:16-18). Without this identifying mark or number it will be unlawful for anyone to make financial transactions.

[Rev. 13:16-18] He also forces everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If any one has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.

Although we are given few details of the workings of this religious and economic system, we may guess that the use of global communications and information processing technology would certainly make is easier to implement this policy. Despite the fact that some will be thoroughly deceived into believing the Antichrist is God, the very necessity for such a coercive policy probably indicates significant resistance to the worship of the Antichrist. However, in the end when it comes to a choice between principles or being able to purchase food and other necessities, many people will choose to receive the mark.

The ministry of God’s two prophets

At the midpoint of the period God will raise up two prophets who will prophesy for most of the remainder of the period (Rev. 11:3-13). These two prophets will testify to the true God and their enemies will be powerless to do anything to stop them since they will be divinely protected (v.5). Not only will they prophesy, these two prophets have the power to call down plagues on the earth (v.6). They will clearly demonstrate the powerlessness of the world’s false messiah to stop the coming of the day of the Lord.

At the close of their ministry, God will allow the Antichrist to kill these two prophets. Their dead bodies will lie in the street for three and one-half days while the unsaved people of the earth celebrate their deaths and the power of Satan’s prince over them. However, their celebration will be cut short when the two prophets are raised from the dead and ascend into heaven in plain view of their enemies (11:7-13).

The martyrdom of Christians

The fifth seal (Rev. 6:9-10) is broken shortly after the midpoint of the tribulation and allows the Antichrist to overcome and martyr Christians. This persecution and martyrdom was foreseen in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation. Concerning this, the following was revealed to Daniel.

[7:25] He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.

Jesus also made mention of the severity of this persecution when He said,

[Matt. 24:9] Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

John adds little in the way of additional information except that he places the martyrdom of the saints as occurring during the time of the fifth seal, and seems to indicate the intense persecution activity will continue until the time that God’s wrath is poured out. Regarding the opening of the fifth seal, John says:

[Rev. 6:9-11] When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

Matthew 24:10 indicates that this severe persecution will lead to apostasy for many who once identified themselves as Christians. During the time of the fifth seal many who professed faith in Christ will deliver believers to be put to death (cf. v.9). Whether those who are put to death under this persecution are church-age believers, or individuals saved after the rapture of the church is uncertain, since we do not know when the rapture is going to take place. [The rapture of the church is imminent (i.e., it could occur at any time), and it is possible that the church might be raptured before the tribulation begins; it is also possible that the rapture could occur at any time during the tribulation as long as it is prior to the beginning of the day of the Lord (see chapter eight: The Rapture).]

Cosmic disturbance—the final warning

The sixth seal allows for a great cosmic disturbance that will affect the earth (cf. Rev. 6:12-17). As terrifying as this event will be, it seems that it is only a warning of what is yet to come with the wrath to be poured out during the time of the seventh seal. John gives us the following description of this ominous event.

[Rev 6:12-17] I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

In the past, the nature of this event was somewhat shrouded in mystery. However, in recent times astronomy and astrophysics has greatly illuminated our understanding of the nature of what will occur during the time of this seal. There can be little doubt from the description given that what John saw in his vision is the collision of an object from space with the earth (perhaps an asteroid, small comet, or fragment of one of these). The details given, though set in phenomenological speech (as they appeared to John in his vision) correspond closely with contemporary scientific theory and observations (e.g., the Shoemaker-Levy comet impact on Jupiter in July, 1994). Note the details: 1) A large shock wave (“a great earthquake”); 2) obscuration of the atmosphere (“the sun turned black like sack cloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red”); 3) debris falling through the atmosphere in a meteoric display (“the stars in the sky fell to earth”); 4) a blast-hole in the atmosphere projecting upward from the impact site (“the sky receded like a scroll, rolling up”); 5) effects of the shock wave (“every mountain and island was removed from its place”). These are precisely the same details, and even the same order of events hypothesized by astrophysicists were the earth to be impacted by a large body from space. Prior to the impact of fragments from the Shoemaker-Levy comet on Jupiter in July of 1994, some theorists disputed the catastrophic power that would be unleashed (i.e., whether or not the fragments upon impact would explode with thermonuclear-like force). However, once the Shoemaker-Levy fragments hit the giant gaseous planet, all doubt was erased, even some of the smallest of the these twenty-one fragments exploded with the impact of a huge nuclear arsenal; and the effects were recorded on film while virtually every telescope on earth able to view the planet was trained on this momentous event—the first of its kind ever observed by man. The power unleashed by these successive impacts was thousands of times greater than the world’s entire nuclear arsenal. Had one of the larger fragments hit the earth instead of Jupiter this book would never have been written, because all life on this planet would have perished instantly. Even one of the smaller fragments hitting the earth (only 1/300th the size of Jupiter) would have done catastrophic damage and killed untold numbers of people. Is it merely coincidental that God has so recently given us a front-row seat to witness such an event? It is a terrible thought, but nonetheless true: There is an object (or rather, objects) out there speeding toward a divinely appointed encounter with our planet.

That the event described in the sixth seal is astrophysical in nature is further supported by two additional observations. 1) The response of those who dwell on the earth is to hide in caves and the rocks of the mountains (v.16)—not a typical response for a geophysical event such as an earthquake, where caves would be the last place that a person would want to be, but the best place to hide from the falling debris of an astrophysical event. 2) This incident immediately precedes the first four trumpets (Rev. 8:7-13) which are all clearly described as astrophysical in nature.

It would appear that the sixth seal is a warning of what is to come in the seventh seal; it is perhaps earth’s final warning before devastating divine wrath is poured out upon the inhabitants of this planet during the time of the seventh seal. It is this event more than any other that will signal the great day of God’s wrath is imminent (cf. Rev. 6:16-17). Satan’s prince—the “god” this world has chosen to worship will watch in impotence, unable to prevent the divine judgment that is about to fall upon the earth, a fact certain to be pointed out by God’s two prophets.

The 144,000 Jewish men “sealed”

Although the distress of the first six seals will be difficult, it will pale in comparison to the divine judgment that is to come afterward. It will be well into the second half of the period when God seals 144,000 Jewish men (Rev. 7:1-8 cf. 14:4); the sealing apparently protects them from certain aspects of the judgments to follow (v.3 cf. 9:4) and signifies their election to a unique body of believers (Rev. 14:1-5). Beyond these simple statements we really do not know the full significance of this sealing. The 144,000 reappear in Revelation 14:1-4 where they are pictured on Mount Zion with Christ, apparently after the tribulation is over, singing a song which only they can learn. They are described as those who have not defiled themselves with women. (This statement is not meant to imply anything negative about proper relationships between men and women, only that these men are consecrated unto God.)

The day of God’s wrath

While it may not be possible to be dogmatic on this point, the day of the Lord (which includes the divine wrath) seems to begin during the time of the seventh seal (Rev. 8:1-6). Consider the following reasons. Of the three major passages from which it is possible to discern any tribulation chronology (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:3-31; and Revelation 6-19) the only passages that specifically delineate elements of the tribulation as “divine wrath” are Revelation 6:16-17 (spoken after the events of the sixth seal) and 15:1-16:21 (in regard to the seven bowls of wrath). Revelation 6:16-17 says,

…and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has [is come]; and who is able to stand. [Explanation in brackets added]

John’s statement in Revelation 6:16-17 is made after the terrifying astrophysical event which occurs during the time of the sixth seal. Whether it is spoken in an “actual” or “anticipatory” sense is not known [Gr. elthe “is come” is 2nd aorist, indicating definitive (rather than past) action]. It seems likely that the sixth seal is the final warning of the wrath to come with the opening of the seventh seal. Remember, the two witnesses will have been prophesying the coming day of the Lord for some time before this event happens. When the astrophysical event occurs during the time of the sixth seal, it will convey an unmistakable message: “Time has now run out”—even those who reject Christ will be fully aware of the fact that divine judgment is imminent. While it is tempting to include the sixth seal as part of the day of the Lord simply because of the nature of the event, and the fact that it is so similar to the first four trumpets (which are clearly divine wrath), from a purely literary standpoint it is clear that the intended break in the flow of events falls between the sixth and seventh seals, not between the fifth and sixth seals.

There seems to be a profound qualitative shift with the opening of the seventh seal. Consider the following. In Revelation 7:1-8, John records information revealed to him concerning the sealing of the Jewish witnesses. Why are the 144,000 Jewish witnesses sealed at this point (between the sixth and seventh seals)? If the sealing is some form of protection from at least some of the effects of divine wrath, does the time of their sealing not suggest that the divine wrath is yet to come? It is perhaps not without significance that from this point forward, God’s witness in the world becomes the domain of these Jews, twelve thousand men from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We see also that immediately after the sealing of these witnesses, John describes the great multitude of saints in heaven, of every nation, tribe, and people; a multitude so great they are without number. Who are these people, and where have they come from? Why are they described here, between the sixth and seventh seals? When John finally comes to the breaking of the seventh seal (Rev. 8:1ff.), our attention is immediately arrested in the first verse, for here John records something of great significance that is said in relation to no other seal; he wrote, “And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” How could there be “silence” in Heaven? What sound is in Heaven other than the continual praise of an infinitely worthy God? Was there ever silence in Heaven since the creation of the world? We don’t know, Scripture doesn’t tell us of any other occasion; but one thing we do know is that God is communicating something to us in the most powerful imagery imaginable: Something is about to happen that is unlike anything else in this period, or in world history, or (so far as we know) in cosmic history. As John proceeds with his description, we see neither horses called forth as in the first four seals, nor circumstances merely described as in the fifth and sixth seals, but we see seven angels who stand before the throne of God, each given trumpets. We also see another angel holding a golden censer with much incense, and added to it the prayers of the saints from the golden altar that is before God. We have seen this altar before; it is the same altar that is mentioned in 6:9, from which the saints, who were so cruelly killed (after the breaking of the fifth seal), made their petition to God for vengeance (wrath) upon those who dwell upon the earth. The imagery is clear. God is now ready to judge the world through the undiluted outpouring of His wrath. The implication is unmistakable, what has happened up to this point is that God has allowed evil people (with the help of demons) latitude to manifest their nature as never before in history. They have made war, caused destruction and death, and killed the saints. God now intends to judge them by an unprecedented outpouring of divine wrath. It is also worth noting that the activities recorded as occurring during the time of the first six seals are what one might call “ordinary.” That is to say, they are the kinds of things (qualitatively) that happen in the course of human history. But the elements of the seventh seal seem altogether of a different quality: devastating destruction from space, an ocean destroyed, a poisonous substance released contaminating much of the earth’s fresh water, a third of the sun and moon and stars stricken, a global demonic plague, demons released to provoke a war killing a third of mankind, loathsome sores on all mankind (except the sealed 144,000), life in the seas perishing, scorching heat from the sun, darkness over the earth, and finally Armageddon at which Christ will personally return to slay His enemies. One cannot help but see that there is more than a quantitative difference between these events and those that precede it—there is a profound qualitative difference.

To the above we need to add two additional observations. 1) In 2Thessalonians 2:1-9, Paul clearly teaches that the day of the Lord cannot begin until sometime in the second half of the tribulation period; he says,

[2Thessalonians 2:1-9] Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come, until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceived those who are perishing. They perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness”

In this passage, Paul states that the day of the Lord isn’t going to begin until after the Antichrist is “revealed” and the great “falling away” (NASB “the apostasy”), or “rebellion” takes place. Some have interpreted the “falling away” as a veiled reference to the rapture, and the revealing of the Man of Lawlessness as a reference to the appearing of the Antichrist at the beginning of the period. However, Paul clearly intends for us to understand that the “revealing” of the Lawless One is his revealing in the temple, and that event, according to Daniel 9:27, occurs not at the beginning but at the midpoint of the tribulation period. Since verses 3-5 are all one sentence in the original and must be read together, and the grammatical structure requires us to understand that the “falling away” and “revealing” are temporally related events, the associated “falling away” or “apostasy” to which Paul refers must be the apostasy that will take place in conjunction with the Antichrist’s revealing in the temple. If we look for a Scripture parallel to these events we don’t have to look far. In Matthew 24:3-25 the Lord outlines the events of the tribulation. In verses 4-8 he outlines the events of the first half of the period, and in verses 9-14 the events of the second half, with what appears to be a recursion (jumping back) to the midpoint beginning in verse 15 (see Figure 7.4, p.169). The thing we need to notice is that the particulars of the events given by Paul in 2Thessalonians 2:3-12 is the same set of particulars given by Christ in Matthew 24:9-25. The Lord said the abomination in the temple will be accompanied by false miracles and spiritual deception (v. 24) and will be followed by a great persecution and martyrdom of the saints (v.9), along with a great “falling away” from the faith (vv. 10-13); apparently not all who profess Christ will be willing to suffer and die for Him. Paul in 2Thessalonians 2:3-12 describes the same set of events (the revealing of the Antichrist in the temple, with false miracles and spiritual deception, and the associated “falling away” or “apostasy”). If we allow Scripture to interpret itself, we see that both Jesus and Paul were describing the same set of events. That being the case, the day of the Lord (and the wrath associated with it) does not begin until sometime in the second half of the tribulation period. 2) The event which occurs during the time of the fifth seal (the martyrdom of believers) seems to indicate that the period of divine wrath has not yet begun. The events of the fifth seal, recorded in Revelation 6:9-11 (cf. Matt. 25:10), involve the martyrdom of many, if not most, of the saints living at that time during the tribulation. How can the suffering and death of perhaps millions of God’s faithful be attributed to a direct act of God—especially an act characterized as “divine wrath”—which by implication must be “just?” The problem, of course, isn’t that believers are going to die, believers have died for their faith in every generation; the problem is whether or not God makes His redeemed the objects of His wrath. Unquestionably, divine wrath is by nature active rather than passive. If the event that happens during the time of the fifth seal is divine wrath, then this would depict God actively making His redeemed the objects of His wrath. If on the other hand, the martyrdom occurring at this time represents an event that God has sovereignly decided to allow, it is the direct causes (Satan, his agents, and evil men), not God, who are responsible for this evil. That the martyrdom during the fifth seal represents moral evil allowed by God, rather than divine wrath executed by Him, can be seen from the fact that the martyred saints beseech God for justice in avenging their deaths at the hands of evil men (Rev. 6:9-11). To maintain that this event is divine wrath would be to imply that God is the active cause of this evil against the saints. If God righteously punishes the evil committed during the time of the fifth seal (which He does in Revelation 8:1-6, esp. v. 3, cf. 6:9-10), how can it be maintained that the fifth seal is God’s righteous judgment upon the world? If the event that occurs during the time of the fifth seal does not represent divine wrath, then it seems likely that the day of the Lord has not yet begun by that time.

When we recognize that the day of the Lord clearly doesn’t begin until after the midpoint of the period, sometime after the time of the fifth seal, and we see the qualitative change between the seventh seal and what precedes it, we have good reason to believe that the day of the Lord—and the wrath of God associated with it—begins during the time of the seventh seal.

The seventh seal (which is the last of seven movements within the tribulation period) encompasses a series of seven judgments referred to as the “trumpet judgments,” and the seventh trumpet is another series of seven judgments referred to as the “bowl judgments.” Both the frequency and intensity of these judgments increase as the end of the period approaches. So severe is the judgment of this time that Jesus said if it were allowed to continue longer than the appointed time, no one would be left alive, but for the sake of God’s elect He will not let that happen (Matt. 24:22). God’s preservation of His elect is both merciful and necessary to the divine program, since it is the survivors of the tribulation that will enter the millennium in their natural bodies and repopulate the earth after the devastation of the tribulation period. (Isa. 65:17-25).

In his vision, as John saw the breaking of the seventh seal he recorded that there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour. It is as if Heaven gasps at the prospect of what is about to come upon the earth. Seven angels are given seven trumpets (v.2), and another angel appears at the golden altar with a golden censer and much incense (v.3). The smoke of this incense and the prayers of the saints ascended up to God. The prayers are those made by the martyred saints from under the altar; they are prayers for retribution [wrath] upon the those on the earth who so wickedly slew them because of their testimony of faith in Christ, cf. Rev. 6:9-11.The angel is seen taking the censer, filled with fire from the altar, and hurling it to the earth (vv.4-5). This gesture would seem to indicate that God is now ready to answer the prayers of the saints that their blood might be avenged, and that those on the earth will now be judged for their wicked deeds. We must understand such prayers not as selfishly vindictive, but rather as born of a desire to see the holiness and justness of God vindicated, and His kingdom established.

The trumpet judgments 1-6

The trumpet judgments are a seven-fold judgment. The first four of these judgments form a sequence of astrophysical events unleashing enormous destruction upon the earth. The first trumpet pictures something phenomenologically similar to hail burning as it falls from the sky. Its mixture with blood probably indicates the terrible result it will have as it falls upon men and beasts. Revelation gives this description:

[8:7] The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

The devastation to the earth will be catastrophic; falling debris will burn a third of the earth. Included in the destruction is one third of earth’s plant life. The second trumpet judgment depicts an object falling to the earth which John could only liken to a “a huge mountain, all ablaze.” He says,

[Rev. 8:8-9] The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The impact of this object will destroy one third of the earth’s ocean life and ships. It is of such destructive proportions as to be rivaled only by the biblical flood. The third angel sounded his trumpet, and something in appearance like a star, burning as a torch, fell from heaven (space). John says,

[Rev. 8:10-11] The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

Of course, John was speaking phenomenologically (describing the event the way in appeared to him). Any size star colliding with the earth would completely destroy the planet. This is an object that looked like a star from John’s perspective. The result of this object (possibly an asteroid or comet fragment) falling to the earth is that one third of the world’s fresh water supply will be poisoned and many people will die as a result of drinking contaminated water. It is conceivable that the impact of this object releases some harmful substance into the atmosphere where it subsequently finds its way into the water supplies of one or more of the earth’s continents. The fourth trumpet is another astrophysical judgment. We know only that some event will affect the visibility of the sun, moon, and stars for one-third of the day and one-third of the night. This event is probably the same phenomena described in Isaiah where the prophet said,

[Isa. 13:9-10] Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, cruel, with fury and burning anger, to make the land a desolation; and he will exterminate its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its light.

Isaiah provides a summary of this entire sequence of judgments when he says,

[24:19-23] The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls—never to rise again. In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days. The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously.

Undoubtedly these four astrophysical judgments will comprise the greatest catastrophe this planet has ever seen.

John’s attention is now turned to the voice of an “eagle” (an angel) flying and proclaiming, “Woe! Woe! Woe! to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels” (Rev. 8:13). It is difficult to imagine judgments any more severe than those that have already taken place, but that appears to be what this angel is proclaiming. These last three trumpet judgments are often referred to as the three “woe judgments.” They are terrible beyond imagination.

As the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, John saw an angel (referred to as a “star,” literally, “a bright one”) who had fallen [aorist participle—”fallen” at some time in the past] from heaven to the earth (Rev. 9:1-12). While the identity of this angel is not stated, it is entirely possible that this is Satan himself who was previously cast out of heaven and confined to earth. John says,

[Rev. 9:1-12] The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen f