The 7 year Tribulation – Part 1

Grace and peace to you. We’re praying the Lord’s blessings over all who read this blog, especially as we enter once again into the Christmas and Hanukkah seasons. Today, we’re going to take a high level look at what is known as the seven year Tribulation, the final 7 years of mankind’s self-rule on earth before Jesus returns and sets up His Glorious Kingdom. We can compare looking at the seven year Tribulation to the viewing of a mountain range. When we were centuries and decades away from its fulfillment, the mountain range was very fuzzy and extremely difficult if not impossible to make out any distinct features. In-fact, at the time of the writing of the book of Daniel (Old Testament), a book that deals with end-time events, Daniel was even told to SEAL the book until the time of the end. This means that the understanding of the end time events that were revealed to Daniel could NOT be understood until the time of the end. God purposely did this to hide the details of His plan from the enemy, who also has access to God’s Word; however, the enemy lacks the Holy Spirit so he lacks understanding and wisdom.

Daniel 12:4: But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”

As we draw nearer and nearer to this time period, we have begun to make out a few details of the mountain range. God is unsealing the book of Daniel and blessing us with the increase in knowledge that He promised to Daniel well over 2,500 years ago. The Book of Revelation, a book that was NOT supposed to be sealed, has greatly increased our understanding of Daniel, and also other prophetic Biblical passages. The book of Revelation (New Testament) was written approximately 2000 years ago by the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos. Revelation and Daniel fit together like puzzle pieces, along with other prophetic passages from both the Old and New Testaments. Today, we’re going to combine some of these puzzle pieces so we can get a High level view of the 7 year Tribulation period.

Revelation 22:10:  And he *said to me (John), “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.

As we rapidly approach the year 2020, the Tribulation period has begun to cast its shadow on the earth. For those with “eyes to see”, the enemy has been working OVERTIME to pull together the final kingdom of man, the Global New World Order. This “Kingdom” will be a divided kingdom, partly strong, and partly weak. In both the books of Revelation and Daniel, this Global Kingdom will be a completely different kind of Kingdom than any other global superpower. It will crush and devour every other kingdom, creating a New World Order. This Kingdom will be divided into 10 “regions” (toes/horns).

Daniel 2:40: Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. 41 In that you saw the feet and (10)toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. 42 As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. 44 In the days of those kings (Divided Kingdom/New World Order) the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these (man’s) kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. 

Daniel 7:7: After this, I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast (kingdom), dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts (earthly kingdoms) that were before it, and it had ten horns

Revelation 13: 13 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast (kingdom) coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.

Not that they have to stick with these groupings, but we can see that way back in 2009 the United Nations divided the world into 10 regions.

Like a freight train that started out slowly and has been rapidly been gaining steam, in recent years the Globalists have made a dramatic push to unite the world into a Global governance through their primary vehicle of change….”Climate Chaos”. For many decades, the enemy has moved the window of acceptability just enough so that the majority either wouldn’t notice or put up too much of a fuss. Dark deeds once done in secret just a few decades ago are now practiced openly and are even celebrated by the mouthpiece for the enemy’s kingdom – the entertainment industry, music industry, and the media. Sovereign Nation-States will not exist as they exist today. Instead, the world will be divided into 10 regions (10 toes/horns). This beast kingdom will be DIFFERENT than all other Kingdoms. Although this Beast Kingdom is not here yet, we can already begin to see it’s shadow take shape via the values that the globalist elite are pushing. Those who push back against “their values” are ridiculed, demeaned, bullied, harassed, threatened, censured, and even silenced.

Daniel’s Kingdom of “ten toes” (Dan 2), “ten horns” (Dan. 7 and Rev. 13), the New World Order is casting it’s shadow on the earth

Changes that reflect the values of this antichrist kingdom….

  • Drastic increase in homosexuality and transgenderism. The number of people identifying as homosexual or transgender has skyrocketed (probably due to the poisoning of our air, water, and GMO and hormone modified food). Globalists are celebrating the acceptance of what God calls sin, and they are rapidly pushing to “normalize” it. The primary target is the youth. Because young people’s minds are still being shaped, the LGBTQ agenda is making a huge push in the educational and entertainment systems to brainwash young people into unknowingly being advocates for their antichrist agenda. This behavior is being normalized in children’s cartoons, some characters having 2 moms or 2 dads. In California school public systems, a parent is no longer called mom and dad, but are labeled “parent 1 and parent 2”.
  • Abortion is also being pushed as a way to control the population, and is also the modern version of child sacrifice to their “god” Moloch (the devil). They stir up weak minded women (woman’s feminist movement) to celebrate and demand abortions under the slogan “my body my choice”, but their goal is population reduction. The New World Order is not really secretive about its goal to reduce the population. The Georgia Guidestones (the 10 commandments of the New World Order) want to see global population at a perpetual 500 million. We have 7 Billion people currently on this planet. They must be expecting some very big changes in the very near future.
  • By destabilizing governments and creating chaos in places like the Middle East, Africa, and Central/South America they have created a huge wave of “refugees” from these locations. The goal is to move people from these areas into Western Christian nations for the purpose of creating chaos in the West. All nations and people who desire to maintain sovereign borders are labeled as “racist“, and condemned by the Globalists. This began in Europe, and there has also been a huge push at the Southern border of the United States, with very large CARAVANS of people driving into the nation. Crime has increased dramatically in these nations, along with the opoid (heroin) crisis in the United States. Out of chaos..comes order, the “New World Order”.
  • Christianity has been under attack, while Islam is being venerated. Witchcraft and occultism is also being openly promoted. Churches burnt in France, Businesses sued and boycotted in the United States, Churches in the US are being threatened to lose tax exempt status as non-profit if they speak out against the LGBTQ agenda. We are also seeing massive censorship of Conservative Christians on Social media platforms such as Facebook and Youtube.
  • The once trusted and somewhat impartial media is pretty much owned by these elite kings without kingdoms, and 24/7 they push the global agenda in an effort to brainwash great masses of people. The Mainstream Media is a propaganda machine for the New world order. Their goal is to win the hearts and minds of the people, moving them AWAY from Jesus Christ and TOWARDS the antichrist, who will likely come across (at least initially) as very “loving”, “hip”, modern, and accepting.
  • There is a huge push to repeal the 2nd amendment in the United States. This is an amendment that allows law abiding American citizens to own firearms. The reason this amendment was initially adopted really has nothing to do with hunting or even personal protection, it was a way to keep a tyrannical government in check. Part and parcel with this push has been the unusual number of mass shootings in gun free zones. These mass shootings are being exploited by the media as a way to convince people that legal gun ownership is dangerous…The media PURPOSELY neglects to report the fact that the vast majority of the guns involved in the mass shootings were either stolen or illegal. Disarming the public was a strategy used against the Jews in WWII, and it is being used again for the New World Order.
  • Push to legalize certain drugs such as marijuana. It is easier to deceive and control people who are drugged, particularly with a drug that makes them passive.
  • Conservative leaders such as Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and Benjamin Netanyahu, who advocate for sovereign borders, have been under severe attack by the media and globalist members of their own governments. Yesterday was a Historic day, as Donald Trump was impeached without a crime by the Socialist Democratic party of the House of Representatives. This was a completely illegal act, as the Democratic party has been looking to remove the President since his inauguration day. At this point, we do not know what will be the outcome of these events. The Trumpet will not be removed until God Almighty allows him to be removed. Adonai (Triune God existing as Father/Son/Holy Spirit) alone is the one who establishes and dethrones “kings”.
  • Climate Change – This “religion” is being pushed hard by the Globalists in an effort to pull together the entire world and basically erase borders. We call it a religion, because it takes “faith” to believe their faulty scientific claims. Sure, there are severe storms, droughts, fires and floods, that Jesus Himself called “birthpains”. The elite of the world want to use these “storms” to destabilize nations and erase borders. Their claim will be that borders hinder people from migrating to safer areas. At the same time, they want to institute huge tithes (carbon taxes) as a way to redistribute wealth from the wealthiest nations to other nations, and also reorder the entire global economy. This is likely where the mark of the Beast will be instituted. In the antichrist government, a person must have the mark of the beast imprinted on their forehead or right hand in order to conduct commerce (buy or sell).
  • A huge push to get people to “identify” their DNA through kits such as “23 and me”, Ancestry, etc. Someone seems to be very interested in LOCATING every member of the Lost 10 Tribes of Israel. Psalm 83 makes it clear “They conspire against Your HIDDEN ONES”. God has HIDDEN His people (Lost 10 Tribes of Israel) among the nations, and the enemy won’t be able to find them all. These people likely have no idea, themselves, that they are part of this group via their bloodlines. Why does the enemy want to find them? Because Jesus said He won’t return until THEY (Israel) say “Blessed is HE who comes in the Name of the Lord”. Satan believes eliminating God’s “hidden ones” can STOP the return of Jesus Christ who the enemy KNOWS would NEVER go against HIS OWN WORD. If God went against His own Word, then He wouldn’t be GOD. But not to worry, God has a plan and the enemy’s plans are all laid bare before Almighty Adonai.
  • We’ll add one more thing here and that is Artificial intelligence and the surveillance State. All the technology that we have grown to “know and love” will one day be used against us. Computers, phones, smart home devices, etc will be used to “spy on individuals. Even as we speak, data is being collected about each person. You can believe that they know WHO is a Christian and WHO is not. They know WHO is a Conservative, nationalist and WHO is not. Satan is trying his hand at “Omniscience”..but he can only achieve a measure of this through technology. The enemy will NEVER be like God, even though that is what he desires.

These are just a few ways in which we see the Global New World Order, the antichrist government, stirring up people, changing the way young people think, and casting it’s shadow upon the earth. Because I believe we are THIS CLOSE to the start of the final 7 year Tribulation, I do believe that the antichrist is ALIVE on this earth today. Who is he? I have my ideas, but not necessarily a confirmation from the Lord. His identity will remain HIDDEN until he is REVEALED by the Lord. It appears in 2 Thessalonians that the antichrist will not be revealed until the restrainer is removed from the earth. Who is the restrainer (of evil)? Some say the Church, so the antichrist will be revealed at the Rapture or TRANSFORMATION of the Church. Others think that the Holy Spirit is the restrainer, but personally, I don’t think that Holy Spirit will be COMPLETELY removed from the earth at the Rapture or TRANSFORMATION. I DO think that the GIFT of the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit that we have NOW during this AGE OF GRACE will CEASE after the Bride is GLORIFIED (TRANSFORMED). After that, the Holy Spirit will still be here, but likely operating as He did during the days of the Old Testament Saints. I personally believe that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a wedding GIFT to the BRIDE OF CHRIST, and is very unique to the time period we are now in which began at PENTECOST and will conclude when the DEAD IN CHRIST RISE FIRST. Christians should REJOICE over this VERY SIGNIFICANT GIFT!

2 Thessalonians 2:7: For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he (Holy Spirit/Church) who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way (Transformation/Rapture). Then that lawless one (antichrist) will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

Now, let’s take a look at some Scriptures to get a general idea of the “order of events” in the final 7 year Tribulation period. In order to do this, we will pull out pieces of the puzzle from VARIOUS SCRIPTURE VERSES in different books of the Bible (OLD and NEW TESTAMENT) that refer to the same time-frame.

First, where do we get “7 years”? The period of seven years is NOT specifically written about in the book of Revelation, but is in the book of Daniel. However, Daniel calls this 7 year period “one week”. We added the words in italics so you can see what (OR WHO) is being referred to in these verses. At this point, it is our ASSUMPTION that the Seal Judgments in the book of Revelation occur during the first 3.5 years of the 7 year Tribulation written about in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 9:27: And he (antichrist) will make a firm covenant (confirm a covenant) with the many (international community) for one week (SEVEN YEARS),…

This is really the only place in Scripture that we see the seven year period SPECIFICALLY mentioned. God told Daniel (Daniel 9) that after the DECREE was issued to RESTORE AND REBUILD JERUSALEM, 70 “weeks” (seventy periods of 7 years, or 490 years) were determined for “his people” (Israel), to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, to anoint Messiah (Jesus Christ), and atone for and eliminate sin from the earth. Exactly on schedule, the Temple and Jerusalem were rebuilt by Ezra/Nehemiah after 7 weeks (49 years). Messiah Jesus arrived on the scene EXACTLY on schedule 62 weeks after the Temple was rebuilt (434 years from the Temple being rebuilt , or 483 years from the initial decree)…Messiah was “cut off” exactly on schedule, leaving the final period of 7 years as a MYSTERY fulfillment for a total of 490 years (70 “weeks” (70 periods of 7 years = 490 years)). There has been a 2000 year “gap” for God to complete the MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH since the time Jesus was crucified.

Daniel 9:26: Then after the sixty-two weeks (62 periods of 7 years, or 434 years) the Messiah (Jesus) will be cut off (crucified) and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come (antichrist) will destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (City and sanctuary were destroyed by the Romans in 70AD).

The only other place we see a period of 7 years is not in Scripture, but IS a part of the ancient Jewish wedding custom. Jesus followed this custom completely in His first coming, and there is no reason to think He won’t complete the wedding tradition in His 2nd coming. In the ancient Jewish wedding the Groom (Jesus) would select the bride (“Called out ones/Church”) and agree with the Bride’s family to pay a price for his bride (kichah – the Blood of Jesus).

1 Corinthians 6:20:  For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

The bride and Groom would seal or confirm the wedding Covenant by sharing a cup of wine (NEW COVENANT/HOLY COMMUNION.)

Matthew 26:27: And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

The groom would then LEAVE to His Father’s House (Jesus ascended and is seated at the RIGHT HAND of God Almighty) to build a room for His Bride.

John 14:2: In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

It was common for the groom to be gone between 1 to 2 years (1000 to 2000 years?) building the room onto his father’s house where he and his bride would live. Could this “pattern” have played out in the Old Testament book of Joshua when the people of Israel were told to allow the Ark of the Covenant (box that held the 10 commandments) to cross over the Jordan River first and then they should later cross over at a distance of 2000 cubits? If you remember, God MIRACULOUSLY dried up the Jordan River so that the Israelites could cross into the Promised land on Dry ground. If this is a pattern, then could the 2000 cubits be a “type” of the 2000 years since Jesus, our ARK of the Covenant (holding God’s commandments) CROSSED OVER, entered into GLORY and is seated at the right Hand of the Father?

Joshua 3:4: “However, there shall be between you and it (ark of Covenant/Jesus?) a distance of about 2,000 cubits (years?) by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.

The Groom would send his bride a GIFT (HOLY SPIRIT) to remind her why it was “worth it” to WAIT for him.

1 Corinthians 12: 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same SpiritAnd there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all personsBut to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

The Groom would then come back as a “thief in the night” to steal away his bride for the wedding celebration. The Groom would literally come at night to the sound of a Trumpet blast. There would be a trumpet blast and a great commotion when he would come to take away his bride (the last Trump). Bride and groom would go away for SEVEN DAYS (SEVEN YEARS) in the Chuppah (Wedding tent – RAPTURE/WEDDING SUPPER of the LAMB) to CONSUMMATE and CELEBRATE their marriage. They would return after 7 days so that the GROOM could PRESENT his bride to the community (Bride and Groom ride back on white horses at the 2nd Advent of Jesus Christ).

Revelation 19:11: And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. (His Bride returns with Him).

You see, the 7 years is IMPLIED in the ancient Jewish wedding custom and it is also EXPLICITLY written about in Daniel 9.

It appears that the 7 year Tribulation period will be kicked off by three events:

  • The Opening of the 1st Seal of Revelation.
  • The Last Trump kicking off the transformation of the Bride when the Dead in Christ RISE first.
  • and also some kind of agreement (covenant) concerning JERUSALEM with the International Community that will be CONFIRMED or MADE FIRM by the antichrist at the beginning of the final 7 years, also known as “Daniel’s 70th week”.

Final Seven year Tribulation begins…

  • Dead in Christ rise first to form God’s end-time army (Joel 2), these are the “we who are alive and remain” (1 Thess 4), for the purpose of calling God’s people to REPENTANCE AND bringing in the harvest prior to the Rapture. This TRANSFORMED group is also known in Malachi 3 as “The Elijah who must come first” BEFORE the Great and Terrible day of the Lord, and is the rider on the White Horse (wearing an overcomer’s crown) when the 1st Seal of Revelation is opened in Revelation 6. God’s end time army will be filled with the “spirit and power of Elijah”.
  • First Seal opens (God’s army/latter rain outpouring of Holy Spirit for the Harvest)
  • Rapture of the Church (Catching away/Harpazo before 1st Trumpet sounds).
  • Covenant that will last 7 years with “the many” is confirmed by the antichrist

1 Thessalonians 4:16: 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 will rise first. 

Revelation 4:1:  After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said,Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”

1 Corinthians 15: 51BEHOLD, I TELL YOU A MYSTERY; we will not all sleep (die physically), but we will all be changed (transformed), 52 in a moment, IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE, AT THE LAST TRUMPET; for THE TRUMPET WILL SOUND, AND THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED IMPERISHABLE, AND WE WILL BE CHANGED.

Malachi 3:5: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet (transformed saints manifesting the Holy Spirit (spirit of Elijah) before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LordHe will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

1 Thessalonians 4:17:  Then WE WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN will be caught up (Rapture) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Revelation 12:5:  And she (Israel) gave birth to a son (Jesus/body of Christ), a male child (body of Christ), who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child (body of Christ) was caught up (Harpazo/Rapture) to God and to His throne

2 Thessalonians 7: For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains (Holy Spirit/Bride of Christ) will do so until he is taken out of the way (Dead in Christ rise first/Rapture) 8 Then that lawless one (antichrist) will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

Daniel 9:27:  And he (antichrist) will make a firm covenant with the many for one week (seven years)

Above was a summary of the way that the 7 Year Tribulation MAY begin. We are doing the best we can to give you the “order of events” (based on our interpretation of SCRIPTURE) as they appear today. It is possible that some details within the order of events could change as we get closer and closer to the “big day”…but this is how it appears today.

Because this is getting very long, I think we’ll divide it into 2 parts, and finish in the next post. In the next post, we will incorporate the opening of the remaining seals of Revelation, placing them within these 7 years of Tribulation. We will take a look at the events that occur in the “middle of the week” (at the 3.5 year mark), which will include what is known as “the abomination of desolation”. We will overlay Daniel with Revelation, giving us a glimpse of the dragon being kicked to the earth, and also talk about the Trumpets and bowls that occur in the final 1260 days (3.5 years) of GREAT TRIBULATION, concluding with the Battle of Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ. We’re hoping that at the end of these two posts, we will have a better IDEA of the general order of events that we expect to transpire during the 7 year Tribulation period. Of course, the majority of the Church is either totally unaware of any of these events, or they have other ideas about how it will all “play out”. We can only give our OPINION based on our interpretation of the Scriptures. Holy Spirit inspires all true interpretation, but we also know that Progressive Revelation is a part of how we understand the Scriptures, meaning that God sometimes reveals additional details either at the time of the event or just prior that could potentially change our current understanding.

No matter what, we truly believe that we are very close to the start of the 7 year Tribulation period which also means that we are very close to the TRANSFORMATION and RAPTURE of the Church. Jesus’ Disciples described their own time period as “the last days”, so how much closer are we now, 2000 years later! We are now in the FINAL HOURS of the last days.

God Bless!

About TFJ 290 Articles
My name is TFJ, which stands for Thankful for Jesus. I'm a wife, a mom, and a grandma. I have a passion for Jesus because He literally drug me out of the pit, washed me clean, and made me new. I know He will do the same for you, if you let Him.