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Revelation is written using progressive parallelism. This means that the same facts are retold several times from different perspectives or in varying levels of detail. For example, Satans Doom, which is briefly described in Revelation 20:7-10 is the shortened version of the same events told in Revelation 9 to 19.
Knowing the style of writing used in Revelation we know that simply reading from start to finish does not give us a true chronological picture. We must recognize parallel events throughout the chapters in order to put them in the correct order. This writing will identify several of those parallelisms, while attempting to prove the timing of the trumpets.
The seventh trumpet is one of the most significant and certainly the easiest to understand of all the trumpets. It introduces some of the final events of our time. Such as the establishment of Gods kingdom, the outpouring of Gods wrath and the final judgment.
We will begin however with the most controversial of all Christian beliefs, the rapture. I dont like to use that word rapture because I think it is misleading, so I will refer to this event as our final resurrection or transformation. Whatever you like to call this event it is the event described by Paul in 1 Thess 4:17 and it takes place just before the seventh trumpet sounds.
Revelation 10:6-7 "There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished".
Just before the seventh trumpet sounds, the mystery will be accomplished. The mystery of God is the final resurrection and transformation of the righteous into eternal life.
1 Corinthians 2:7 No, we declare Gods wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
1 Corinthians 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed
Now, lets try to establish when, in relation to other events, is the seventh trumpet blown.
When the seventh trumpet blows, Revelation tells us three things.
But if thats not enough, we also know that the judging of the dead (which begins at the 7th trumpet) happens after Satan is thrown into the lake of fire. And, at the time of judging, death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, so there is no more death after the time of judging which begins when the seventh trumpet blows. How then can this trumpet blow before the millennium? We know that Satan will bring the armies of the earth against Jerusalem after the millennium, but if there is no more death, then whats the point? If you cant kill anyone, why have an army? This proves that when Satan is released from his prison, after the millennium, death has not yet been thrown into the lake of fire. Which means that the seventh trumpet can not have blown before the millennium.
Now lets see how the harvest and wrath fit into all of this.
Revelation 14:14-19. This passage describes the harvest of the earth and the grapes of wrath. The harvest of the earth is the second resurrection. This happens just before the seventh trumpet is blown. Then the harvest of the grapes happens just after the seventh trumpet is blown. We know this because the description of the grapes being trampled is a description of the pouring out of God's seven bowls of wrath. The seven bowls are God's wrath. Not the seals or the trumpets, only the bowls. So the seventh trumpet blows just after our resurrection/transformation and before wrath.
Now notice the similarities between the grapes of wrath and what happens to Satan after the millennium.
The Grapes of Wrath
Notice when the grapes of wrath are gathered, they are "trampled in the winepress outside the city" (Revelation 14:20). When the beast and his armies are defeated by Jesus (after Satan had been released from his prison) they had "surrounded the city". In this description in Revelation 20:7-10, it is explained that fire comes down from heaven and devours them. This fire is the sharp sickle that harvests the grapes of wrath.
Notice also in the description of the grapes being trampled in the winepress that it relates the depth of the blood to "horses bridles". The horses are representative of an army. Clearly when the grapes are trampled outside the city it is an army surrounding the city. Just as depicted in Revelation 20:7-10.
So the description of the grapes being trampled in the winepress of Gods wrath is the same event described in Revelation 20, which we know happens after the millennium.
The Battle of Armageddon is similarly depicted several different ways in Revelation.
The Battle of Armageddon
The first reference to the battle of Armageddon is in Revelation 16:12-16
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance. 13 And I saw three evil[a] spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.
15 Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.
16 And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.
Armageddon is the Hebrew word for Megiddo which is a place about 100 km north of Jerusalem. This is where they gather to prepare for battle. Notice that this description is part of the sixth bowl, which is after the harvest of the earth.
The second reference to this battle is in Revelation 19:19. Here the word Armageddon is not used but the description is the same.
Revelation 19:19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.
The third reference to this battle is in Revelation 20:7-10. This description is clear that the battle happens after the thousand years are over.
Revelation 20:7-10 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earthGog and Magogand to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of Gods people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
In all three references, Satan gathers all the armies of the earth and marches against Jerusalem. Clearly they are all describing the same event. Which proves that the trumpets and bowls all take place after the millennium.
And most importantly, when the seventh bowl is poured out, God says it is done!. It can not be done if Satan still has some cards to play. It can only be done when it is all done. That is irrefutable.
Knowing the style of writing used in Revelation we know that simply reading from start to finish does not give us a true chronological picture. We must recognize parallel events throughout the chapters in order to put them in the correct order. This writing will identify several of those parallelisms, while attempting to prove the timing of the trumpets.
The seventh trumpet is one of the most significant and certainly the easiest to understand of all the trumpets. It introduces some of the final events of our time. Such as the establishment of Gods kingdom, the outpouring of Gods wrath and the final judgment.
We will begin however with the most controversial of all Christian beliefs, the rapture. I dont like to use that word rapture because I think it is misleading, so I will refer to this event as our final resurrection or transformation. Whatever you like to call this event it is the event described by Paul in 1 Thess 4:17 and it takes place just before the seventh trumpet sounds.
Revelation 10:6-7 "There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished".
Just before the seventh trumpet sounds, the mystery will be accomplished. The mystery of God is the final resurrection and transformation of the righteous into eternal life.
1 Corinthians 2:7 No, we declare Gods wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
1 Corinthians 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed
Now, lets try to establish when, in relation to other events, is the seventh trumpet blown.
When the seventh trumpet blows, Revelation tells us three things.
- The kingdom of God begins and he will reign forever and ever.
- Gods wrath has come.
- Time for the judging of the dead (death is thrown into the lake of fire).
But if thats not enough, we also know that the judging of the dead (which begins at the 7th trumpet) happens after Satan is thrown into the lake of fire. And, at the time of judging, death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, so there is no more death after the time of judging which begins when the seventh trumpet blows. How then can this trumpet blow before the millennium? We know that Satan will bring the armies of the earth against Jerusalem after the millennium, but if there is no more death, then whats the point? If you cant kill anyone, why have an army? This proves that when Satan is released from his prison, after the millennium, death has not yet been thrown into the lake of fire. Which means that the seventh trumpet can not have blown before the millennium.
Now lets see how the harvest and wrath fit into all of this.
Revelation 14:14-19. This passage describes the harvest of the earth and the grapes of wrath. The harvest of the earth is the second resurrection. This happens just before the seventh trumpet is blown. Then the harvest of the grapes happens just after the seventh trumpet is blown. We know this because the description of the grapes being trampled is a description of the pouring out of God's seven bowls of wrath. The seven bowls are God's wrath. Not the seals or the trumpets, only the bowls. So the seventh trumpet blows just after our resurrection/transformation and before wrath.
Now notice the similarities between the grapes of wrath and what happens to Satan after the millennium.
The Grapes of Wrath
Notice when the grapes of wrath are gathered, they are "trampled in the winepress outside the city" (Revelation 14:20). When the beast and his armies are defeated by Jesus (after Satan had been released from his prison) they had "surrounded the city". In this description in Revelation 20:7-10, it is explained that fire comes down from heaven and devours them. This fire is the sharp sickle that harvests the grapes of wrath.
Notice also in the description of the grapes being trampled in the winepress that it relates the depth of the blood to "horses bridles". The horses are representative of an army. Clearly when the grapes are trampled outside the city it is an army surrounding the city. Just as depicted in Revelation 20:7-10.
So the description of the grapes being trampled in the winepress of Gods wrath is the same event described in Revelation 20, which we know happens after the millennium.
The Battle of Armageddon is similarly depicted several different ways in Revelation.
The Battle of Armageddon
The first reference to the battle of Armageddon is in Revelation 16:12-16
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance. 13 And I saw three evil[a] spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.
15 Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.
16 And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.
Armageddon is the Hebrew word for Megiddo which is a place about 100 km north of Jerusalem. This is where they gather to prepare for battle. Notice that this description is part of the sixth bowl, which is after the harvest of the earth.
The second reference to this battle is in Revelation 19:19. Here the word Armageddon is not used but the description is the same.
Revelation 19:19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.
The third reference to this battle is in Revelation 20:7-10. This description is clear that the battle happens after the thousand years are over.
Revelation 20:7-10 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earthGog and Magogand to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of Gods people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
In all three references, Satan gathers all the armies of the earth and marches against Jerusalem. Clearly they are all describing the same event. Which proves that the trumpets and bowls all take place after the millennium.
And most importantly, when the seventh bowl is poured out, God says it is done!. It can not be done if Satan still has some cards to play. It can only be done when it is all done. That is irrefutable.
