It is commonly believed today by Christians that the events of the Apocalypse, occurring under the opening of the seven seals, takes place within a predestined time period of seven years. This belief is not based upon anything stated in the Book of Revelation, for as we will see, the events that transpire on earth during events connected with the seals take in far more than seven years. This is so obvious that one wonders why a seven year limit for those events is imposed upon the Apocalypse record.
Those who espouse a time period of seven years for the events of the seals do so because they think the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9: 24-27) is to be imposed upon the timeline of events in the Apocalypse. But, there is absolutely no warrant for doing this, and the fact that it has been done has created much confusion and contradiction.
More Than Seven Years
Revelation's time line takes in more than seven years. There is not a single verse from Revelation that says there will be a seven year tribulation period. Although there are lots of sevens in Revelation (the number appears more than fifty times), there is no mention of seven years. There are two forty-two-month periods (11:2; 13:5), two 1,260-day periods (11:3; 12:6), and one “a time and times and half a time” (12:14), each adding up to three and one-half years. If they are added up, the result is seventeen and one-half years. This is besides those references to "five months," "a year, a month, and a day," and also excludes all those events that occur and in which no time period is given for their occurrence.
In the Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible the division is explained this way: “John in Revelation divides [the Tribulation] into two periods of three and one-half years each or 1,260 days each, a total of seven years.”
But where in Revelation does it say this? Consider the fact that all the three and a half year periods appear more than halfway through Revelation.
Now, let me give a time line up to the sounding of the seventh trumpet of the seventh seal.
First Seal (white horse)
- no indication of a time period for the events connected with it
Second Seal (red horse)
- no indication of a time period for the events connected with it
- there is worldwide civil war and no peace (nothing but conflict) nor safety
- assume that this period encompasses months, perhaps years, but at least weeks rather than days
Third Seal (black horse)
- no indication of a time period for the events connected with it
- Scarcity and famine
- world's food supply is rationed
- assume that this period encompasses months, perhaps years, but at least weeks rather than days
Fourth Seal (pale horse)
- no indication of a time period for the events connected with it
- death everywhere by famine, conflict, pestilence
- assume that this period encompasses months, perhaps years, but at least weeks rather than days
Fifth Seal (activities around the altar in heaven)
- no indication of a time period for the events connected with it
- petitions for justice and vengeance by the martyrs and persecuted ones
- the martyrs in heaven are told to "rest yet for a little season"
- we cannot determine exactly how much time is calculated therein
Sixth Seal (earthquake)
- no indication of a time period for the events connected with it
- sealing of 144,000
- assembling and equipping of saints and angels in heaven
- the catastrophes connected with this seal's opening show that it must encompass weeks, if not months and years
No indication for how much time the events of the first six seals takes.
Seventh Seal (destruction of vegetation)
- seven trumpet angels prepare to sound
- activity around heaven's altar by departed saints
- 1st trumpet sounds and brings destruction of vegetation by fiery hail
- no indication of a time period for the events
- assume months or weeks
- 2nd trumpet sounds and brings destruction of 1/3rd sea creatures and ships by turning water to blood
- no indication of a time period for the events
- can assume weeks or months
- 3rd trumpet sounds and brings wormwood (bitter or poisonous) toxins to rivers, streams, fountains and causing widespread death
- no indication of a time period for the events
- assume months or weeks
- 4th trumpet sounds and brings abnormal darkness over earth via sun, moon, and stars
- no indication of a time period for the events
- assume months or weeks
No indication for how much time the events of the first four trumpeters takes.
- 5th trumpet sounds and brings opening of the bottomless pit and release of infernal locusts
- the torment upon unbelievers by the locusts goes "five months"
- "One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter"
- 6th trumpet sounds and brings the freeing of the four angels and their hellish armies from Euphrates River imprisonment.
- "a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men" (13 months)
- the angel with the rainbow head covering, feet of brass, and face as the sun, sets his foot on land and sea and makes announcement
- the two witnesses appear in Jerusalem and begin their mission of judgment
- the period of the two witnesses is given as 1260 days (42 months)
- the period when the Gentiles are occupying Jerusalem is 42 months
- these periods seem to be the same time period
- killed by the Antichrist
- "the second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe comes quickly"
- how much time then under the 6th trumpet?
- it seems clear that the 13 months precedes the 42 months, and even if the 42 month periods run concurrently, there still is a total of 55 months.
- 7th trumpet sounds and begins with announcements among heaven's grand assize
- "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth"
- battle between the heavenly woman and her seed and the Dragon and his seed envisioned
- the woman in her seed are protected for 1260 days and as "time, times, and half a time" (42 months)
- battle in the heavens between Michael and his angels and the Devil and his angels
- the victory of Michael and the casting down of the Devil to the earth
- battle between saints on earth with the beast's military police
- Antichrist comes to power and "continues 42 months" along with the false prophet
- it is probable that the 1260 days or the woman's protection is simultaneous with the 42 months of the beast's reign of terror
- Lamb appears on Mt. Zion with the 144,000
- the appearance of Christ in the clouds preparing to harvest
- the appearance of the seven plague angels
Allowing no time to be allotted for what happens during the opening of the first six seals, and allotting no time for the sounding of the first four trumpets of the seventh seal, there is still more than seven years time involved in the events occurring under the sounding of the 5th, 6th, and 7th trumpets of the seventh seal. We begin with the stated "five months" under the 5th trumpet. Next, under the 6th trumpet, we have three time periods given. First, the 13 months and a day and hour, second, two references to 42 months, one for the prophesying of the two witnesses, and one for the reign of the Antichrist. It is clear that the 42 month reign of Antichrist begins with his killing of the two witnesses. Thus, the 42 month period of the witnessing is followed by the 42 month period of the beast's reign. This all being so, we have but to add 13 months + 5 months + 42 months + 42 months to get 102 months (eight years and six months)! And that excludes so many time periods not stated.
So, there is without a doubt more than seven years involved in the timeline of events for the opening of the seals, from Rev. 6 through Rev. 19.
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