The Last 7 Years | This Is What You Are Beginning To See Worldwide

The last several years, the Bible reveals to us three phases or sets of judgments sent by God throughout the tribulation period. These separate phases continue to get worse and worse as the timeline moves forward. Although some ambiguity exists with some of the events of the tribulation, it's still fairly easy to get a sense of how everything goes down.

Let's dive in and gain an understanding of what exactly people will endure during the tribulation time: the Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Vials. Seven is an important number in the Bible that represents completion, so it is appropriate that the end of all things and the world as we know it would have frequent uses of the number seven. There are seven years of tribulation; the Antichrist will reign for seven years; and in terms of the judgments on Earth, there are seven Seals, seven Trumpets, and seven Vials, or B judgments.

This continuous grouping of the number seven all reinforces the idea that this truly is the end. John is the author of Revelation, written after a revelation given from Jesus Christ. We use this to determine the future of the world.

The church is mentioned in chapters 1 to 3, with the Rapture of the church likely taking place in Revelation 4. The judgments that take place following the Rapture are the bulk of the book. A scroll is mentioned in Revelation 5 that only Jesus Christ has the authority to open.

This scroll has writing on both sides, showing that it is a weighty scroll with a lot happening inside of it. Also, it is said to have seven Seals. In order to open the scroll entirely and expose all the contents inside, each Seal must be removed.

Seal number one: a white horse. This first Seal starts with what are known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. A rider is seen on this horse with a bow, and he is headed out to conquer.

He is also given a crown upon his head. Many believe that this is the Antichrist. This would make sense because the rider from Seal number one appears to be directly mimicking what we gather from the return of Jesus in Revelation 19:11.

The Antichrist is meant to be in the place of Christ, so it makes sense that he would do everything in his power to appear to be our Savior. The devil is nothing but an impostor and is envious of God. Seal number two: a red horse.

This rider comes on the scene to take peace from the earth. A large sword is given to the rider of the red horse; this symbolizes warfare. This is likely what Jesus is referring to in Matthew 24:6-7, where the Bible reads, "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.

See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. " Seal number three: a black horse.

This rider is holding a set of scales. This represents a severe famine. Things at this time will cost an astronomical amount of money.

People will spend an entire day's wage on basic food just for survival. This is not hard to imagine. Even in our day and age, it is getting more and more expensive just to bring home groceries for a family.

The cost of each item is going up, and the size of the food you get for it is going down. Imagine how hungry people will be in this time period. Imagine if one whole day of pay went to a bowl of cereal.

Imagine if a loaf of bread was a week's worth of pay. No doubt people will be tired and miserable at this time, not only from warfare but from famine. Seal number four: a pale horse.

The color here, translated as pale, can be thought of as a faint yellow or green. The color is thought to provoke images of sickly and dying flesh. This horseman is actually given a name: Death.

Hades is said to follow this. Undoubtedly, this is representing the major death that will take place at this time. This will be terrifying for the people who are alive and hardly hanging on as it is.

Death is given the authority to kill 25% of the people on the earth with famine, weapons, pestilence, and even wild beasts. This is truly a scene that will be so horrific that no novel or movie could possibly paint a picture so troubling. Seal number five: the saints who were killed for their faith in Christ are seen in heaven.

These people are given white robes and are told to rest. They are also seen pleading with God that He would avenge their deaths. The fact that we see these people suggests that many people will be getting saved in the tribulation period.

A lot of people will likely repent and trust God. This could be for many different reasons, which we will talk about in a moment. I think a major factor is certainly the fact that all the death and chaos around them will humble many to seek our Savior.

Seal number six: great earthquake and darkness. The Apostle John tells us the incredible and inedible things he sees in Revelation 6:12-16: "I looked when He opened the sixth Seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair. The moon became like blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great. .

. ” Men, the rich men, the commanders, the Mighty Men—every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. " A terrible earthquake causes the Earth to split, and mountains and islands move locations.

A major earthquake would be enough to frighten anyone, but the fear only heightens as people look up to see the sky appearing to vanish, the sun being darkened, and a blood moon. As many of these end times judgments mirror the plagues we see in Exodus, this darkness bears a resemblance to the darkness that can be felt, as we find in that story. At the sixth seal, people are really feeling the darkness that has filled the Earth.

Every person alive is fearful at this point, so much so that they're hiding in the rocks, begging for cover and shield from the eyes of Jesus Christ. Now, between the sixth and seventh seal, we find that, in Revelation 7, two significant events take place. The first thing we see is that 144,000 males of the children of Israel are sealed.

Notice that these Israelites have become born again. It says that they are servants of God. I believe that these 144,000 men go on to preach the gospel and be a testimony for those still alive on the Earth.

It just happens that in the same chapter, immediately after we see the sealing of the 144,000 men, we see a multitude of people arrive in heaven. That is the second significant event. Revelation 7:9-10 says, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!

'" This is such a huge number of people arriving in heaven that nobody can even number it. Right here is a good place to talk about salvation during the tribulation. Although many people will, of course, die during these seven years, Scripture also tells us that many will be saved.

I think there are multiple factors that cause this, one of them, of course, being the 144,000 of the children of Israel. Another reason is that the destruction around them has humbled them to a point of repentance, as I just mentioned. Another factor I believe will take a toll on people is them reading the Word of God or remembering Christians who had an influence on their lives.

I am sure that even though the Antichrist will be in power and attempt to stamp out real Christians, I believe that the Word of God will be available for people to read, even if just in fragments, and that will provide not only hope but also the good news of redemption through Jesus Christ and an end to their suffering. Perhaps the books, articles, letters, poetry, and other works of art that glorify God will be left behind from the Rapture. This will have an impact on many people getting saved even after the Rapture.

The last factor is what the Bible calls the two witnesses. They are introduced in Revelation 11, and they undoubtedly will play a significant role in people coming to Christ during the tribulation. They are martyred in the same chapter, which causes celebration from the people still alive, but their rejoicing is cut short because shortly after this, the two witnesses are resurrected by God.

Seal number seven unfolds, and there is silence for half an hour in heaven. Everything is quiet. This does not seem severe, but this is the calm before the storm.

This is the final seal that is opened to usher in the second phase of God's judgment. The silence is a time of remembrance before God of the prayers of His beloved saints. God remembers every last tear and every last prayer of every saint who has ever walked the Earth.

Every hurt, every struggle, every painful memory we create—God remembers. God will make everything right one day, and that is His focus in the tribulation. Lightning and thunder and yet another earthquake strike as the seals are done away with and the trumpets begin.

Now for the trumpet judgments: trumpet number one. What is worse than hail? Hail that is fire.

What is worse than hailing fire? Hailing fire mixed with blood. That is what happens here at the first trumpet.

This causes one third of the Earth to be completely burnt to a crisp. Trumpet number two: Revelation 8:8 says, "The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. " We cannot know for sure, but many believe that it's very possible this is a volcano that is plucked out of the Earth and thrown into the sea.

This does not just cause steam and then fizzle out; this has some sort of supernatural action that takes place. This volcano, or whatever it may be that is tossed into the ocean, causes the ocean to become blood. Note that the ocean does not just turn red or look like blood; it says the ocean actually becomes blood.

Because of this, a third of the sea creatures die, and a third of the ships on the sea are destroyed. Trumpet number three: a great star, which many believe to be an asteroid that is on fire, falls from the sky and crashes into the Earth. This falls onto a third of the rivers and springs; this falls on fresh drinking water.

This star is called wormwood. And many people die from drinking this water that turns bitter. Trumpet number four—this is very similar to Seal number six, which brings about darkness.

This trumpet brings about even more darkness than had previously existed. A third of the sun is struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars. This causes the day and night to both produce 33% less light than they were already producing by this point.

Again, like we see through the tribulation, things keep on getting darker and darker, literally and metaphorically. Trumpet number five—this trumpet causes a star to fall from heaven, believed to be a demon, or perhaps quite likely Satan himself. He is given a key to hell below, where he literally opens a portal to hell.

Smoke billows out like a furnace, followed by locusts that are much worse than the locusts we see in the book of Exodus. These locusts begin harming all the plants and anyone who does not have the seal of God, like the 144,000 we saw. They torment those alive for five months, and the pain they inflict is like being stung by a scorpion.

They are not allowed to kill anyone, which is torture because the Bible tells us that in these days people will desire to die but will not be able to take the easy way out. In a way, this foreshadows hell. Hell will be an everlasting conscious torment that never ends and can never be escaped.

Let this be a warning to anyone that is not saved. This does not have to be your reality; you can escape going through this if you call on Christ to save you. Christian, we must warn others so that they can escape not only the tribulation but also an eternity in hell, being tormented and separated from the love of God.

Trumpet number six—the four angels bound in the Euphrates River are released. These are demons that were prepared by God for this very moment. They lead an army of 200 million horse riders, and their horses have the ability to release fire, sulfur, and smoke from their mouths.

One-third of the population is killed; the amount of people left on the earth continues to dwindle down. After all three horrible events that have taken place so far, how will the remaining people on earth act? Revelation 9:20-21 tells us: "The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

Nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. " Even in the face of death and sorrow, many people will choose to reject God and embrace the very wickedness that is bringing on the judgment. It's very sad.

What we can learn from this is that human nature has a very strong desire to hold on to the very sin that is destroying us and placing a wedge between us and God. Trumpet number seven—the temple of God in heaven opens with flashes of lightning, hail, and an earthquake. This sets the stage for introducing the last phase of God's judgment, which are the seven bowls of His wrath.

Bowl number one—when this bowl is poured out, every person who has the mark of the beast receives severely painful sores, i. e. , boils.

Bowl number two—this is poured into the sea and turns it into blood. At this point, all sea life dies. Bowl number three—this is poured into the rivers and springs; now every last drop of fresh water becomes blood as well.

The angel that pours this bowl out makes an important declaration amidst all the cursing of God's name for the events that are taking place. The angel says, "Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink; it is what they deserve.

" We must remember that God is certainly love, mercy, and grace, but that He is also righteous and just. In order for Him to make things right and bring all things under His goodness, sin must be dealt with once and for all. Bowl number four—this bowl, surprisingly, is poured out onto the sun.

This causes the sun to burn so hot that people become scorched. This makes people blaspheme His name all the more and still without any repentance. Bowl number five—this bowl is poured out onto the throne of the beast.

There is no time here to expound on this concept, but the beast is being worshiped at this point in place of God. When this happens, the entire kingdom is plunged into darkness. People are gnawing their teeth because of the pain they have already gone through, and this darkness makes matters worse for them.

One possibility that people believe is that now, instead of the scorching sun, the sun doesn’t exist at all and it is too cold, and that is a new pain compiled onto the boils of scorched flesh. Bowl number six—here, the Euphrates River dries up. Also, demons begin performing signs, and they align themselves and prepare to fight against the Lord at His arrival.

Bowl number seven—this final bowl is poured into the air. A loud voice proclaims, "It is done! " The worst earthquake that mankind has ever seen takes place at this moment.

Jerusalem is split into three parts, and the rest of the cities of the nations fall. Islands and mountains disappear; there is total destruction all around. The people left are still shouting blasphemies about God, and hailstones weighing around 100 pounds start falling on them after all these judgments.

Jesus returns and sets things right. All the saints live along with their Savior for a Thousand-Year Reign, where Christ rules and shows what true justice and leadership look like. After this, Satan is bound forever, and the saints live with Christ forever in the new heaven and new earth.

No sin exists there, no sorrow, and no pain. If you are not saved, you can settle this today by admitting your sin before Christ and asking Him to save you. If you are saved, let's use all of this as motivation to reach the lost.

All these things we looked at are directly ahead of us; they could easily happen in our lifetime or begin at any moment. We cannot afford to allow these terrors we have seen not to stir up our hearts to reach people.