It's a 7 year period, the first 3.5 years is staging, the antichrist unrevealed but gaining power. The midpoint the antichrist reveals himself at the abomination of desolation. Any time in that last 3.5 years Jesus can return, but given some of the lengths of the judgements that will happen after His return, I would say it's under 2 years after the abomination of desolation, because there's a 5 month judgement and a 1 year, 1 month, 1 day, and 1 hour judgement. No times given on the rest of the judgements, but they happen after Jesus comes in the clouds and the day of the Lord's wrath is declared in Revelation 6:17.
The 42 months, I'm not sure where exactly that begins or ends. He could start ruling before the AoD but nobody knows for sure he's the antichrist until the AoD, and the 42 month reign may end at the 2nd coming because at that point.. I'd imagine his power diminishes.. or it might last all the way until armageddon. I'm less sure on the 42 month reign. All I know for sure is the AoD happens at the midpoint of the 70th week, and that Jesus returns after that midpoint.
Well this 7 years started last October, so now it is only a 6 year period. Satan's 42 months ends, then the vials, and then the battle of Armageddon. The harvest is now, not after Armageddon. Yes Christ returns at Armageddon. But the second coming is the 6th seal. Second Coming is not known, but happens when no one is expecting. The church is expectin the AC, but why? Well some are ready for the return now and still spreading the gospel. We all know the battle of Armageddon happens after the last few vials are poured out:
12 The sixth one poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water dried up, in order to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs; they came from the mouth of the dragon, from the mouth of the beast and from the mouth of the false prophet.
14 They are miracle-working demonic spirits which go out to the kings of the whole inhabited world to assemble them for the War.
16 And they gathered the kings to the place which in Hebrew is called Har Megiddo.
17 The seventh one poured out his bowl on the air, and a loud voice came out of the Temple from the throne, saying, “It is done!”
The same event as:
10 The people living in the Land rejoice over them, they celebrate and send each other gifts, because these two prophets tormented them so.
11 But after the three-and-a-half days a breath of life from God entered them, they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
12 Then the two heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up into heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.
13 In that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were awestruck and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Those 3.5 days are when the vials are poured out. The 7th vial they are given life and ascend to heaven during the earthquake. The next day is chapter 19 and the battle of Armageddon that the 6th vial set up. No harvest at all. But we know the 3.5 days of the 2 witnesses end Satan's 42 months, because the witnesses have 42 months, and both periods end with an earthquake that destroys Jerusalem. Not 2 different earthquakes, only one, and the next day Armageddon. That is the end of the tribulation. Count from Wednesday 3.5 days. The stone was moved from the tomb early Sunday morning. The 2 witnesses will rise early Sunday morning. The earthquake wakes all up. But Sunday is the battle of Armageddon. The vials cover Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Sunday is Armageddon. So we know when Christ returns for that battle. Why are we given the thief in the night church parenthetical? Because this last 42 months should not happen at all. Why did it happen? The apostate church is looking for the wrong return!!! Satan should get nothing, but the foolish virgins were 9 instead of 5 or just 1 foolish virgin. Only .5 wise virgins found, and like Lot, Satan had 42 months.
What if Revelation 14 was the end, and Satan never got 42 months? Chapters 15-19 would not happen at all along with 13. Could Abraham of today find any wise virgins, righteous people in the church?