70th Week Study
Examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so. Acts 17:11b


Most Bible scholars assume that the seals, trumpets and bowls follow each other in chronological order. However in my attempt to honestly compare Scripture with Scripture and take each Scripture at it’s most natural meaning, the evidence led me elsewhere. The following discussion assumes a pre-wrath rapture of the church even though it is not the standard pre-wrath position. I have seen contradictions and inconsistencies in the standard pre-wrath view, so I assume others have seen them as well. I do not wish to tear down the pre-wrath view. I am seeking to offer a view which is distinctly pre-wrath, yet avoids the pitfalls I have found with the standard view.

See chart of my view.

See chart of traditional view.
The standard pre-wrath understanding of the sixth seal has a logical contradiction. The traditional pre-wrath view makes the following three claim. (See prewrathministries.org).
-The Day of the Lord includes or is the same as the rapture
-The content of the scroll with seven seals is the Day of the Lord so the Day of the Lord cannot start until all seven seals are broken.
-The rapture occurs between the 6th and 7th seals
The contradiction is obvious. How can the rapture occur before the 7th seal if it is part of the Day of the Lord which cannot occur until after the 7th seal? Clearly we need to rethink a few assumptions of the pre-wrath view. I firmly believe in a pre-wrath rapture, but I cannot accept all the tenants of the pre-wrath doctrine.
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Most believe the scroll contains punishments and the pre-wrath view is no exception. However it is important to look at what the Scripture says before accepting popular interpretations. Revelation chapter 5 describes why Christ is qualified to open the scroll. The qualifications for opening something often tells us what is inside. For example, if you must be a bank administrator to open something, it is probably a safe. If you have to be a jailor to open something, it is probably a prison cell. The first description of Christ’s qualifications is given by one of the elders.
and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals” (NASB, Rev. 5:5).
Notice that the description is of the Messianic King. The description given by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders paint a similar picture.
And they *sang a new song, saying, “Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (NASB, Rev. 5:9).
The description is of One Who paid the price for our redemption. The focus is on Christ ruling over those He redeemed. Of course, Christ is worthy to judge the wicked as well, but that is not what is in focus here. Rather Christ is worthy to open this particular scroll because He is our redeemer.
“And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (NASB, Rev. 5:10).
Christ redeemed us “to be a kingdom and priests” and we will “reign upon the earth.” The focus continues to be on ruling not on judging. Next we see many thousand of angels describing this One Who is worthy to open the scroll.
saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (NASB, Rev. 5:12).
Again we see no mention of worthiness to judge, but rather worthiness to receive kingly honors. Finally all creation describes the One worthy to open the scroll.
And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” (NASB, Rev. 5:13).
The focus on Christ’s kingly qualifications is overwhelming. It would be inconsistent with Revelation chapter five to say the scroll represents the punishment of God. It clearly represents the Kingdom of Messiah. Punishing the wicked is part of being king, but it is only a part. Punishing the wicked is not even mentioned in Revelation chapter five, so it is clearly not the main focus of the scroll. The scroll is all about the Messianic Kingdom which Christ alone is qualified to establish. As we will see, Christ will judge the wicked, but that is one of the steps to opening the scroll. The scroll itself is a kingdom not a punishment.
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Revelation 20:4-6 makes perfect sense from a pre-trib perspective, but of course I do not believe in the pre-trib rapture because of other verses. However, when I read the standard pre-wrath explanation of Rev. 20:4-6 it was so unconvincing that I started to reconsider the pre-trib rapture doctrine. The pre-wrath explanation starts with the idea that Revelation was written chronologically not topically. This causes them to see a resurrection of martyred saints occurring at the beginning of the millennium. They are forced to say that these saints were martyred between the pre-wrath rapture and the battle of Armageddon (Revelation commentary p. 171)*. The persecution of anti-Christ is cut short by the rapture (Matt. 24:22 a core teaching of the pre-wrath view), then after the rapture, more people convert and the persecution starts all over again. If the persecution only stops briefly, “Cut short” seems like a misnomer. Also, the mark of the beast began significantly before the rapture. Yet somehow, these people were not believers at the time of the rapture but still had not taken the mark of the beast (vs. 4). This raises several questions. Why did they harden their hearts when the witness of Christian martyrs was present, but accept Christ when the witness was gone (II Thess. 2:9-12)? Now what about the idea of people converting during the wrath of God?
And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished (NASB, Rev. 15:8).
This verse is describing the temple in heaven not an earthly temple. What does it mean then when it says, “no one was able to enter the temple?” The earthly temple was a copy of the heavenly temple. The earthly temple was where people went to be reconciled to God. When the heavenly temple is off limits, no one will be able to be reconciled to God. Therefore, no one can be saved during the seven plagues which are the wrath of God. However God will preserve the lives of some people to give them a chance of salvation after the wrath is complete.
Seek the Lord,
All you humble of the earth
Who have carried out His ordinances;
Seek righteousness, seek humility.
Perhaps you will be hidden
In the day of the Lord’s anger (NASB, Zeph. 2:3).
Then after the Day of the Lord we read:
“For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder (NASB, Zeph. 3:9).
“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the Lord has said, Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls (NASB, Joel 2:32).
These verses show us that God will preserve a remnant of Jews and even gentiles. They will be given a chance to accept Christ after the wrath of God is complete (See also Zeph. 3:11-13), but the very fact that they survived means they do not need to be resurrected.
Thus the idea that there will be a special resurrection for saints martyred during the wrath of God seems to conflict with Scripture. The text of Rev. 20:4-6 does not force us to believe in this special resurrection. If we see Rev. 20:4-6 as topical, talking about the ones who rule during the millennium, then the conflict disappears. There is never a clear contrast made between those already seated and those who are resurrected and then seated. If they are distinct groups, we would expect John to say, the resurrected saints joined the other saints on thrones or the resurrected saints sat on different thrones. However, we see no such contrast. In this passage we have a description of saints on thrones. John then backtracks to tell us more specifics about some of those who were on thrones. They are not a separate group but a subset of the first group. Now if this is a legitimate way of interpreting, we should see a similar usage elsewhere in Revelation. Look at Rev. 15:1, 6-7.
{1} And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished...{6} and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their breasts with golden girdles. {7} And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever (NASB, Rev. 15:1, 6-7).
Notice that in verses one and six, the angels are seen as already having the seven last plagues. In verse one, these plagues are clearly identified as being the wrath of God. Yet they are given bowls full of the wrath of God in verse seven. The contents of these bowls are the seven plagues (Rev. 16). What is going on here? How could the angels be given the seven plagues if they already had the seven plagues? The answer is simple, topical language. John introduces the topic of angels with plagues and then backtracks to show how the angels received those plagues.
Not only do we have a clear cut case of topical language in Revelation chapter fifteen, but topical language is common in Revelation.
{1} And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; {2} and she was with child; and she *cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. {3} And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. {4} And his tail *swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child (NASB, Rev. 12:1-4).
Most agree that the woman being described is Israel and the red dragon is Satan. In verse four, the red dragon “swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth.” It is widely accepted that this refers to Satan taking one third of the angels with him at the time of his fall. Thus, we have a several thousand year backtrack without any textual clues. The symbolism is clear, we just understand it if we do not try to force the passage into a strictly chronological order.
Now read Rev. 7:1-3. Notice that the angels are already holding back the four winds. Now think about what effect stopping the wind would have on the earth. Since the wind helps moderate the temperatures, we would see drastic temperature extremes very quickly. This would no doubt cause great devastation. Now notice in verse three that the angels are told not to begin harming the land, sea or trees yet. In verse one they were already harming the land, sea and trees by stopping all wind. Here we see yet another example of chronological back track consistent with a basically topical writing style. Now of course there is a certain amount of chronological progression even in topical writing. I am not denying chronological progression, I am merely saying that Revelation is topical in nature so we should not force it into a strictly chronological order.
*The Revelation commentary is available at prewrathrapture.com under Shopping - free prewrath resources.
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Let’s begin by reading Rev. 10:7. Here we see that “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished.” So the mystery of God is complete just prior to the 7th trumpet. What is the mystery of God? To answer this question we must look at the other verses which talk about the mystery of God (Mark 4:11; Ro. 11:25; 16:25; I Cor. 2:7; 15:51; Eph. 1:9; 3:3-9; 5:32; 6:19; Col. 1:26-27; 2:2; 4:3; I Tim. 3:9, 16). Notice that sometimes mystery is used as a synonym for the Gospel. Other times specific aspects of the Gospel are in focus. However, there is a clear unity of theme. The mystery of God is the Jews and the Gentiles becoming part of one body, the body of Christ. Now in one sense, the Jews and Gentiles are already part of one body. However the Rev. 10:7 passage says the mystery of God will be finished or completed just before the 7th trumpet. There are still many divisions among us, and many are still being added to the body. This passage seems to be pointing to the time after the church age is over AND all Israel is saved (Ro. 11:26; Ezekiel 20:40).

Now read Rev. 11:15-19. According to the Scriptures, what is the 7th trumpet? Taking the passage at its most natural meaning, the 7th trumpet is the battle of Armageddon (destroying the destroyers) and the millennial kingdom (the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ). Verse nineteen describes some physical events that will occur at this time, but the trumpet itself begins with the announcement that the millennial kingdom has begun. This announcement is not a prophecy, but a past tense statement of fact. It is beginning at that time. This interpretation is further reinforced by Rev. 10:7, the completion of the mystery of God.

What does all this mean? Since the 7th trumpet ushers in the millennial kingdom and the bowl judgments are against the anti-Christ (Rev. 16) who is thrown into the lake of fire at the very beginning of the millennial kingdom (Rev. 19:19-20:6), the bowl judgments must occur prior to the 7th trumpet.
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Start by reading Matt. 24:29-30, Luke 21:25-28 and Rev. 6:12-14. We already know that all three of these passages describe events just prior to the rapture. Yet there is something that still doesn’t quite make sense. Rev. 6:14 describes an earthquake of such magnitude the earth as we know it is destroyed. Some may contend that all the islands and mountains only shake but are not destroyed in the sixth seal. However the most natural reading of the text is that they are destroyed. The same Greek word is used here as is used in Rev. 2:5 where Jesus says He will “remove your lampstand out of its place.” This passage says, “every mountain and island was moved from its place.” Furthermore, a different Greek word is typically used to describe a mere shaking of the ground in an earthquake (Matt. 27:51; Acts 16:26). The fact that, in the sixth seal, only things which stick up are said to be removed (mountains and islands) is further evidence that a collapsing is in view. Why was such a catastrophic element left out of the descriptions found in Matthew and Luke? It is natural and normal to leave out details that are not central to the point being made. However, if this earthquake comes before the rapture, it is extremely pertinent to the Matthew and Luke passages. I think the most obvious reason to not mention the earthquake, is that it does not occur until after the rapture.

This leads us to an objection regarding the chronology of Revelation. The objection is based on the fact that the descriptions of the 144,000 and the rapture are not included in, but immediately follow the description of the 6th seal. However it is natural and common to finish talking about one topic before talking about a different topic that occurs chronologically during the event being described. For example a football announcer will report the events on the field and then go back and talk about the reaction in the stands which began during the play on the field. It is natural for the rapture to be described after the 6th seal because it occurs during the 6th seal but is not part of the seal itself. We must realize that the 6th seal is a long event. We know this because Rev. 6:15-17 describes everyone on earth understanding that God’s wrath is beginning and having had time to flee to the mountains. The natural normal meaning of people hiding from God’s wrath is that the wrath has already begun. All this occurred before the great earthquake because the mountains are still standing. The most natural interpretation is not to say that the wrath will begin after the next seal, but rather that it begins sometime during this seal.

This interpretation is further supported by a chronological backtrack given a few verses later in Rev. 7:2-3. Notice that the angel was told not to harm the land, trees or the sea until sealing the 144,000. Most say that 7:2-3 is not a backtrack but refers only to the trumpet and bowl judgments yet to be described. The first trumpet (Rev. 8:7) specifically mentions trees being burned, but the description of falling stars and a great earthquake (6th seal) does not specifically mention damage to trees. Thus the prohibition to hurting the trees is thought to apply to the first trumpet (Rev. 8:7) not yet described rather than the massive earthquake, torrent of falling stars and the stopping of all wind just described. However, an earthquake that makes all the mountains and islands collapse, a massive meteorite storm and drastic temperature extremes caused by lack of wind would without a doubt greatly damage the land, the sea and also the trees.
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Next read Rev. 15. Notice that the saints pictured here sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Now Moses is the center piece of the Old Testament covenant and the Lamb (Christ) is the center piece of the New Testament covenant. Thus when the saints sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, we have a clear picture of Old and New Testament saints. These saints are further described as people who were victorious over the mark of the beast and his image. This indicates that at least some of them had been on earth during the time of the mark of the beast, but had not taken it. It would seem that these saints now have glorified bodies (which they receive at the rapture) because they are no longer described as souls as in Rev. 6:9 and they were holding harps. We also see that these saints are in heaven during the bowl judgments because their description is bound in between Rev. 15:1 (an introduction to the bowl judgments) and 15:5-16:20 (a full description of the bowl judgments). In other words the vision of the saints in heaven is clearly a part of the vision regarding the bowls not a separate vision. So we place this event just before the bowl judgments. It seems strange to me that an event would be place so clearly and intentionally in the chronology of the bowl judgments unless that event was significant and identifiable. Are there any clues about what this event is?
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First, let’s look at the song that the saints sang in Rev. 15. Notice that the content of the song is recorded for us and that it is not the same as the song sometimes referred to as the song of Moses. Rather, this is a new song. A song that combines Moses and the Lamb. Read Rev. 14:1-5. Here we have the 144,000 on earth, on the Mount of Olives listening to a new song being sung in heaven. The songs in 15:2-4 and 14:2-3 seem compatible just as the musical instruments used and the location of the singers are compatible. Could they be the same event from different perspectives? If so, the 144,000 Jews are sealed on the Mount of Olives (7:4-8; 14:1) at the time of the rapture (7:9-17). Then they learn the new song that the newly raptured Christians are singing in heaven (14:2-3; 15:2-4). Remember Rev. 14:2-3 does not say the 144,000 go to heaven. It says they were on the Mount of Olives and John heard singers singing a song in heaven which the 144,000 learned. The singers are in heaven (the raptured Christians) and the learners are on earth (the 144,000 Jews). Now read Rev. 7:1-17. This passage starts with the sealing of the 144,000 (vss. 3-4) and is immediately followed by the saints in heaven from every tribe and language, a clear reference to the rapture. So we see the sealing of the 144,000 occurring immediately before or simultaneously with the rapture just like the songs in 15:2-4 and 14:2-3 seemed to indicate. We see therefore a strong correlation between 7:1-17; 14:2-3 and 15:2-4. This leads us to believe that the rapture occurs just prior to the first bowl judgement.
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These observations seem to rule out the idea that all the trumpet judgments occur between the rapture and the seven bowl judgments. This also seems to conflict with the idea that all trumpet judgments are the wrath of God. Remember that only the last trumpet mentions the wrath of God (Rev. 11:15-19). At this point, we need to review all the wrath of God passages in Revelation, so that we know what is unquestionably part of the wrath and what we need to re-evaluate based on our latest observations. The wrath passages are: Rev. 6:17 (the 6th seal), 11:18 (the 7th trumpet), 14:10 (describing the fate of those who worship the beast), 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19 (all seven bowls collectively) and 19:15 (Jesus treading the grapes). It will be necessary to look for more clues as to the chronological placement of the trumpets. What we can see so far is that part of the 7th trumpet and all seven bowl judgments are included within the 6th seal.

Let’s look at Rev. 11:18 (7th trumpet). Again the time of wrath is seen as already having started, but no starting point is mentioned. Some would say that all the trumpets are the time of wrath. However, that is merely an educated guess as it lacks specific Scriptural support. Not all judgments are part of God’s wrath (first four seals for example). There is no verse that specifically associates the first six trumpets with the time of wrath. Interestingly, three of the trumpets are singled out as distinct. The 5th, 6th and 7th trumpets are described as the three woes (or terrors). Now notice the 4th trumpet (8:12). Here we see part of the sun, moon and stars being smitten, causing darkness. This correlates very well with the beginning of signs in the sun, moon and stars seen in the 6th seal (Rev. 6:12-13) and Matthew 24:29. We have already established that these passages immediately precede the rapture. The very next verse (Rev. 8:13) announces the three woes. The 1st woe (9:1-12) is the only trumpet to mention the fact that the sealed saints were not hurt by the plague(vs. 4). Why was this only mentioned with the 5th trumpet and not the 1st trumpet? I think this gives further evidence that the 5th trumpet occurs just after the sealing of the 144,00 and the rapture. Taking all these clues together, it becomes quite clear that the three woes, which are the 5th, 6th and 7th trumpets, occur during the wrath of God.

At this point we need to consider the difference between the 5th trumpet(Rev. 8:12) and Matthew 24:29. The difference is that the 5th trumpet talks about one third and Matthew doesn’t. This is where different perspectives come in. Different writers often report different details of the same event. Most scholars agree that Matthew 24:29 and Luke 21:25 describe the same event. Notice that Luke mentions the seas roaring, but Matthew doesn’t. There is no contradiction, only added detail. The same can be said about Rev. 8:12 and Matthew 24:29. There is no contradiction, only added detail. What does the one third mean? The one third could mean, one third of the sun’s surface, or one third of the time, or one third of the area on earth would not be able to see the sun. All this to say, there is no basis to say Rev. 8:12 and Matthew 24:29 are incompatible. On the contrary the correlation is stark.
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Now read Rev. 16:20. Notice the similar severity of the earthquakes described in 6:14 and 16:20. It seems difficult to have two distinct earthquakes which both wipe out all the mountains and islands. Besides the issue of when the mountains re-formed, we also have the stark similarities between the Rev. 6:14 and 16:20 passages. Revelation 16:20 describes the islands fleeing away (presumably down into the water). To “flee” is the active way of saying the passive idea of “be removed.” In 16:20 the mountains “could not be found” presumably because they had been “moved from their place” in the skyline, i.e. collapsed. Thus we have a strong correlation between the 7th bowl and the last event of the 6th seal. As we have continued to carefully examine more and more Scriptures, they seem to all point in the same direction. We have compared Scripture with Scripture, and they all point to the same conclusion. The seals, trumpets and bowl run simultaneously not in series.
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This leads us to the question of why Christ gave us multiple but different chronological accounts instead of one clear time line. God probably has many reasons, but we can see at least one reason. They hide the chronology from the casual reader so as to keep the timing of His return a mystery. Because of the way Revelation is written, only the watchful will be able to see His return approaching. In other words, they are similar to the parables, they are meant to reveal while at the same time conceal from others. I am not saying that everyone who is watching will understand the chronology. The disciples didn’t always understand the parables. Still, they are meant to be understood, but it will take effort to understand them.

The next question that comes to my mind is: what is the distinction between the seals, trumpets and bowls? Seals are things put on scrolls to keep them from being read until the proper time. Thus the seals could represent a list of things that must happen before the Millennium begins. The seals were general in nature so do not serve well as signs, nor were they intended to be signs. Trumpets are used to announce things. Thus the trumpets could be signs which lead up to the eternal kingdom. Bowls hold things, in this case God’s wrath. The bowls are a description of what God will do to the anti-Christ and his followers. Thus we see three distinct purposes for the seals, trumpets and bowls. The book of Revelation is beginning to make a lot of sense.
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First let’s consider Rev. 1:19. The passage only claims to be a list of the different things John is supposed to write about, a list of the content of the book. In order to be used as proof for a strict chronological order, it should include a command to write "in order". If the intent was to dictate a strictly chronological account, Jesus could have said, "Write therefore the things which you have seen, then the things which are currently taking place and last write in order the things that will take place latter." Instead, the verse is written in list form. My point is that Rev. 1:19 cannot be used as proof for the strict chronology of Revelation because it lacks a mandate for John to write chronologically. I do believe that Revelation is written in a general chronological order. That is, there is a general chronological progression as you go through the book. The problem comes when people try to claim that Rev. 1:19 somehow proves a strictly chronological order.

Another reason people believe that the seals, trumpets and bowls are sequential is the chronological markers in the book of Revelation. However this point is easily refuted by the fact that many of the chronological markers relate to the sequence in which John saw things happen. Most of the book of Revelation is a series of visions John saw regarding the future. The sequence words indicate the order in which John saw these visions, but don’t in any way rule out the possibility that two visions relate to the same time period. When two events happen simultaneously, one of the events must still be reported or revealed first. For John to see a single event from two different perspectives, he must see and report the same event twice. There is a big difference between saying that “there will be seven seal judgments and then seven trumpet judgments” and saying “I saw seven seals and then I saw seven trumpets.” The first statement clearly sets the order of future events, but is not found in the book of Revelation. The second statement only sets the order of a past event, the order in which the visions were seen.

Most scholars admit that Revelation is not fully chronological. They see parenthetical sections which depart from the chronological order beginning at 10:1 (or 11:1 depending on their view) and 12:1. The fact that these portions are parenthetical is obvious because of the content of these portions. However there is no difference in the way these parenthetical portions are introduced. In other words, there is no statement that says, “but before this happened something else happened.” John just keeps on talking about what he sees next without telling us the order of their fulfillment. Compare 10:1 and 12:1 (the passages generally considered parenthetical) and 8:2 and 15:1 (the passages generally considered to continue chronologically). Is there anything in the way these sections are introduced that justifies our seeing the first two as stepping backwards chronologically and the second two as going forward chronologically? I certainly don’t see any. The reason scholars see 10:1 and 12:1 as stepping back in time is only because the events described have clearly already happened. Why can’t the same principle apply to the sequencing of the seals, trumpets and bowls? Remember that we found strong evidence to show that the seven bowls occur during the 6th not the 7th seal. We also demonstrated that the 7th trumpet is not compatible with the first six bowls. Therefore, using the same type of evidence as most scholars use for the parenthetical passages, we can deduce that the seals, trumpets and bowls are not sequential.

To further demonstrate that Revelation is not in strictly chronological order, let us look at the issue of Babylon's destruction. Every scholar I am aware of sees Babylon as being destroyed either once or twice. However the book of Revelation describes Babylon's destruction six times. It is described in Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 17:16; 18:2 and 18:10. Then in 18:21 an angel describes what will happen when Babylon is destroyed yet future. Finally in Rev. 19:2 the destruction of Babylon is again seen as a past event. In other words John saw the same event happen repeatedly. In order to be consistent with a strictly chronological interpret of Revelation, it would be necessary to contend that Babylon is destroyed many times. A much better interpretation is to say that at least two literary devises were used. The first literary devise is the mention of an event followed by a description of the events leading up to that event. This type of literary devise is clearly seen in Rev. 18:2 and the verses which follow. The second literary devise is the inclusion of an event in a chronological sequence and latter returning to describe that event in more detail at a latter time. This devise can be seen in Rev. 14:8 and the greater detail described in chapter 17. It can also be seen in Rev. 16:19 with greater detail being given in chapters 18 and 19. These are common literary devises, but they are by definition not chronological.

It is important to note that several visions had sequential elements within them; for example, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls and three angels. These numbered events are clearly sequential. However multiple sets of numbered events each starting with one, implies that the sets are not sequential, but rather occur simultaneously. If you were to give instructions for assembling a model airplane, you would number the steps that need to be sequential relative to each other. If however you number the steps 1-10 for assembling the wings and then you number steps 1-10 for assembling the fuselage, the builder would assume that his friend could assemble the fuselage while he assembles the wings. If however, the fuselage must be assembled after the wing is assembled, then you would number the steps for assembling the fuselage as steps 11-20 rather than starting over with another step one.

I am not proposing that Revelation is written in random order. Rather I am saying that some events are described several times from various perspectives. As such the book of Revelation has chronological sections, but different sections are not necessarily in series. Certain clues are given that help us determine which sections overlap with other sections. However the book of Revelation does not claim to be a time line of end time events. It is a description of end time events. Those who wish to determine the sequence must study it carefully. Even with careful study some uncertainties will remain.
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Why do I say the first four seals are prior to the 70th week? The first four seals are reminiscent of Matt. 24:5-6. Prior to Matt. 24:8 Jesus was describing birth pangs. The word "Then" in vs. 9 indicates a definite progression to another event. The fifth seal correlates well with Matt. 24:9-13. Therefore we seem to have crossed some line from the 4th to the 5th seal. I realize that many call the first half of the 70th week the birth pangs, but this does not fit the Scriptural account. Note that Matt. 24:9-13 was spoken by Jesus to his disciples. The disciples were to be persecuted for bearing the name of Jesus (vs. 9). Thus it seems clear that the passage is talking about persecution of Christians not Jews. At what point in the 70th week are Christians persecuted? Rev. 12:13-17 gives us the answer. Christians are persecuted when Israel is protected. We know from Daniel that Israel will be protected during the first 3 ½ years of the 70th week. This same protection and time span is referenced in Rev. 12:14. Therefore the time of Christian persecution is the first half of the 70th week. If Christian persecution (the 5th seal) is the first half of the 70th week, it seems obvious that the first four seals; conquest, wars and famine, are prior to the 70th week.

Why do I place the first three trumpets prior to the 70th week? I must admit that I place the first three trumpets prior to the 70th week primarily because it makes all the historical and prophetic events fit together nicely. I cannot point to any passage which prove my point, but neither do I see any passage which precludes it. It seems clear to me that the fourth trumpet is associated with the rapture (Notice stark correlation with Rev. 6:12-13 and Matthew 24:29). This means the first three trumpets occur prior to the rapture. It just so happens that the description of the first three trumpets is fully compatible with the fourth seal. Also the events described by the first three trumpets seem to accurately describe history (WWI, WWII, and Chernobyl respectfully). Although the evidence is admittedly somewhat circumstantial, it seems reasonable and as far as I can tell it does not contradict any Scripture.
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Those who ask this question will point out that two words are used in the Revelation for anger/wrath. They are thumos and orge. Some argue that since the bowl judgments described in Rev. 15:1, 7 and 16:1 use thumos and Rev. 6:17; 11:18; 16:19 and 19:15 use orge, the bowl judgments should not be considered as part of the Day of the Lord or the Wrath of God with a capital "W." To try and justify this conclusion, some say that thumos is never used without orge to describe the "Wrath of God", that wrath which is a reference to the battle of Armageddon and associated events. However a little bit of homework will quickly show this claim to be inaccurate.
And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God (NASB, Rev. 14:19).
Bible scholars from all the major pre-millennial viewpoints agree that this passage refers to the battle of Armageddon (Compare to Rev. 19:15f where orge is used.). The word for wrath in Rev. 14:19 is thumos not orge ! Furthermore orge is not used in this verse or even the immediate context. Rev. 14:19 totally destroys the premise that thumos used by itself cannot refer to the final judgment at Armageddon. However Rev. 14:19 is not the only example.
he also will drink of the wine of the wrath(thumos) of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger(orge); and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (NASB, Rev. 14:10 portion in parenthesis added for clarity).
In the case of Rev. 14:10 both orge and thumos are used. However they are not used as part of the same expression as in Col. 3:8, Rom. 2:8, Rev. 16:19 and Rev. 19:15. Rather they are used in grammatically separate phrases, separated by nine words in the Greek. Thumos is used without orge but in reference to the orge in the immediate context. It is abundantly clear that thumos is indeed used to refer to the Wrath of God not just a more general wrath of God.
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The Day of the Lord does not seem to begin with Armageddon as many assume. At the battle of Armageddon God will defeat Israel's enemies. However the Day of the Lord is described as something to be feared by the Jews (Joel 1:13-15; Amos 5:18-20). Amos 5 is written to Jews who know that the Day of the Lord will mean destruction for her enemies. However, Amos tells them that they should not look forward to the Day of the Lord because it will be a terrible day for the Jews as well.
{18} Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, For what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light; {19} As when a man flees from a lion, And a bear meets him, Or goes home, leans his hand against the wall, And a snake bites him. {20} Will not the day of the Lord be darkness instead of light, Even gloom with no brightness in it? (NASB, Amos 5:18)
The Day of the Lord is also associated with the day of wrath.
{14} Near is the great day of the Lord,
Near and coming very quickly;
Listen, the day of the Lord!
In it the warrior cries out bitterly.
{15} A day of wrath is that day,
A day of trouble and distress,
A day of destruction and desolation,
A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
{16} A day of trumpet and battle cry,
Against the fortified cities
And the high corner towers.
{17} And I will bring distress on men,
So that they will walk like the blind,
Because they have sinned against the Lord;
And their blood will be poured out like dust,
And their flesh like dung.
{18} Neither their silver nor their gold
Will be able to deliver them
On the day of the Lord's wrath ;
And all the earth will be devoured
In the fire of His jealousy,
For He will make a complete end,
Indeed a terrifying one,
Of all the inhabitants of the earth. (NASB, Zeph. 1:14-18 emphasis mine)
Furthermore, the Wrath is preceded by signs in the sun, moon and stars (Rev. 6:12-17) just like the Day of the Lord is (Is. 13:10; Joel 2:10, 31-32 etc.). Therefore it seems best to associate the Day of the Lord with the Wrath described in Rev. 6:17 (the 6th seal), 11:18 (the 7th trumpet), 14:10 (describing the fate of those who worship the beast), 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19 (all seven bowls collectively) and 19:15 (Jesus treading the grapes).
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The battle of Armageddon cannot be after the 70th week because the 70 weeks are prophesied:
"to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy place (NASB, Daniel 9:24).
The battle of Armageddon is part of what brings in everlasting righteousness and will allow for the anointing of the most holy place. The battle of Armageddon is clearly a part of the 70 weeks of Daniel.
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The pre-trib view separates the rapture and the second coming while the post-trib view places the rapture at the second coming. Both the pre-trib and post-trib views agree that the second coming is associated with Christ's coming to defeat the armies of the world at Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-16). However most in the pre-trib camp think that the rapture is distinct from the second coming. Let us look at Scripture to see if there are any passages which clearly associate the rapture with the second coming.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. (NASB, 1 Thes. 4:15-17 emphasis mine)
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming. (1 Cor. 15:22-23 emphasis mine)
And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. (1 Jn. 2:28 emphasis mine)
Scripture appears to be very clear that the rapture is closely associated with the second coming of Christ. However, I don't believe the post-trib view is entirely Scriptural either. The key is to understand what the second coming is. Most in the pre-trib and post-trib camps see the second coming as a point in time event. However, the Greek word parousia, translated "coming", does not focus on a point in time event. When we use the word "come" we are rarely focused on the person's actual arrival. Instead, we are usually focusing on his or her presence. When we say, "Come to the meeting" we don't really mean arrive at the meeting. We mean be present at the meeting. By the same token, we are not demanding that the person be present for every minute of the meeting. For example he may discretely step out for a few minutes and still be considered to have come to the meeting. A college professor may tell a high school student, "You should come to my school when you graduate?" When he says this, he is not telling the student to stop by the school on his way home from the graduation ceremony. He is not telling the student to start a long uninterrupted stay at the school either. The professor is asking the student to attend. If the student does attend, we would expect him to start spending a lot of time at school, but we would not expect him to never leave campus. The same is true if I say, "I am coming back to school next semester." Native English speakers understand that I intend to be actively involved at school next semester and will most likely arrive at school many times during that semester. This is not just true in English, it is also true in Greek. The same Greek word translated as "coming" in the above verses is also used in Philippians 2:12 where it is actually translated "presence".
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. (NASB, Phil. 2:12 emphasis mine)
When Paul refers to his presence with the Philippians, he does not mean uninterrupted presence. Paul was not in the presence of all the Philippians all the time during his stay and he was almost certainly completely alone part of the time. When Paul speaks of his absence, he does not mean the times when some of the Philippians were out of his sight. He means the time when he was away for an extended period of time. The meaning seems clear. When Paul speaks of his presence (parousia), he means the time when he was active among them, though not always physically present with each of them. It is important to understand this because without a proper understanding, some passages about the second coming seem to contradict each other.
The Scripture seems fairly clear that Christ will go back to heaven with the raptured saints (Rev. 7:9-11). At that time He will begin to pour out His wrath on earth, and then return to earth at the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-16). How can we justify the fact that Christ seems to be absent from the earth during part of His second coming? Although Christ is always active in the world, he will be active in a much more visible way during the wrath of God/Christ. During that time people will know that the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is judging them (Rev. 6:15-17; 16:9-11). Christ's active role on earth will be in your face for all to see, just as it was at His first coming. Also His physical absence during the Wrath will be very short compared to His physical absence during the church age. Therefore, it seems perfectly reasonable for the rapture and the entire Wrath of God to be referred to as Christ's second coming/presence on earth.
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All Scripture quotations are from:

New American Standard Bible ., electronic edition. (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1986; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996).






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