As noted previously, this Bible Study was shared on RITA. Part 2 follows:

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The book of Revelation opens in progressive, chronological order except for the few “parentheticals” that do not advance the narrative.

God’s TRIBULATION, JUDGMENT AND WRATH BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY OF THE LORD. Read over again- the Bible verses about SUDDEN DESTRUCTION that were posted. The terrible events occurring there are THE WRATH OF GOD.

There are TWO parts of the Tribulation- BOTH ARE GOD’S JUDGMENT AND WRATH POURED OUT upon the Earth dwellers- during the “birth pangs of the Messiah”- the “travail of the woman” for the first half-

The GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF WRATH is the LAST half of the tribulation – which is poured out FULLY and UNRESTRAINED upon the remaining utterly wicked.

The Bible says the 4 horsemen have power to kill 1/4 of the world’s population. Then in chapter 9, after the 4 angels that are bound at the Euphrates are released- they are given power over the remaining 1/3rd of the population.

25% and 33% = 58% of the earth’s population will be potentially annihilated by the middle of the Tribulation, and that is not counting all the other ways to be killed by man-on-man violence and the Trumpet Judgments, etc. All the judgments compound and overlap upon one another.

From Hebrew: the word “tribulation” is Strong’s #06862- it means “straits, distress, adversary”

The KJV/NASV uses these words for “tribulation”:

KJV (105) – adversary, 26; affliction, 3; distress, 5; enemy, 37; flint, 1; foes, 2; misc, 9; narrow, 2; sorrow, 1; strait, 2; trouble, 17;

NAS (107) – adversaries, 40; adversary, 15; afflicted, 1; affliction, 1; anguish, 1; anguished, 1; cramped, 1; distress, 17; distresses, 1; enemies, 5; enemy, 2; flint, 1; foe, 1; foes, 3; limited, 2; narrow, 2; oppressors, 2; privation, 1; rushing, 1; strait, 1; tight, 1; trouble, 7;

In the Greek tribulation is #2347: a pressing, pressing together, pressure
metaph. oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits

KJV (45) – affliction, 17; anguish, 1; burdened, 1; persecution, 1; to be afflicted + (1519), 1; tribulation, 21; trouble, 3;
NAS (45) – affliction, 14; afflictions, 6; anguish, 1; distress, 2; persecution, 1; tribulation, 16; tribulations, 4; trouble, 1;

Only a few titles of the Day of the Lord- the WHOLE 7 years- in the Bible are:

day of TROUBLE
day of AFFLICTION
day of PUNISHMENT
day of GRIEF and DESPERATE SORROW
day of the GREAT SLAUGHTER
day of VENGEANCE
day of DOOM
day of HIS ANGER
day of the WRATH OF THE LORD
day of YOUR FALL
day of REBUKE AND BLASPHEMY
the APPOINTED DAY
the DAY OF THE LORD’S SACRIFICE-Zeph 1:8
day of MY CALAMITY

It is very helpful to understand how a Scroll unfolds- as it is rolled up in such a way that the first seal is on top and must be opened first, followed in order by the opening of each succeeding seal- these are JUDGMENTS from the Lord that overlap and compound one upon the other all the way through the whole 7 years. However- God’s wrath in the first half is “measured” when compared with the FULL outpouring of the last half.

Notice- ALL the earth dwellers are in the caves and the rocks and they are FORCED to declare- and “the DAY OF WRATH OF GOD AND THE LAMB HAS COME and who can stand against it”

This statement is made BEFORE the 144,000 are sealed because the Holy Spirit’s opens up chapter 7 with the phrase…”AFTER THESE THING”….[that have gone on previously]

just as 4:1 begins with “AFTER THIS” [after the letters to the seven churches] and then John is called to “Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be HEREAFTER”

which I believe is the resurrection/rapture….followed immediately by the Bema because the 24 elders are shown wearing gold crowns- as obviously the awards ceremony has taken place- and the O.T. saints are not raised in resurrection nor are given their awards until the middle of Tribulation in Rev 11:15-19 at the blowing of the 7th trump.

Notice, that it is the 7th Seal that opens the 7 TRUMPET judgments and the three woes/

It is so helpful to take a highlighter pen and highlight the “afters” between chapter 1 and 19. It helps one so much to “rightly divide” the book of Revelation.

There is a reason the Holy Spirit inserted these 10 “afters” in the narrative of Revelation. It makes all the difference in the world for the Bible student to be able to mentally grasp the unfolding events…IN ORDER…throughout the whole Tribulation. I am reposting what I put up previously:

The Book of Revelation was written and meant to be understood in unfolding, progressive ORDER, with each new event following after the last one other than for a couple of exceptions, that of the ‘parentheticals.’ The proper understanding of the unfolding of a scroll and the opening of its subsequent and consecutive seals is a requirement for proper exegesis and “rightly dividing” of this book!

With the remembrance of this MOST important principle, all begins to fall into place and proper sequence. The Holy Spirit aids the reader in this with His important and crucial placement of the simple phrase, “after this” and “after these things.” There are 10 of these phrases strategically placed throughout the book. In the KJV, they are found in the following passages:

1. 1:19: “things which shall be hereafter”

2. 4:1 “After this”

3. 4:1 “things which must be hereafter”

[ Notice the “menorah” formation below- with the MIDDLE of the Tribulation falling in the MIDDLE of the 22 chapters of Revelation, in the MIDDLE of the last 7 “afters”….]

4. 7:1 “And after these things”

5. 7:9 “After this”

6. 9:12 “hereafter”

7. 11:11 “And after three days and a half” (in the MIDDLE of the 22 chapters)**

8. 15:5 “And after that”

9. 18:1 “And after these things”

10. 19:1 “And after these things”

**Notice the 7 branch menorah design….after the references to the Bride in chapter 4…..with the MIDDLE of the menorah- the “Servant Candle” reference in 11:11- in which Y’shua takes His great Power and BEGINS TO REIGN as King of Kings, which is the MIDDLE of the book of Revelation- with the resurrection/rapture of the Two Witnesses, the O.T. saints and the Tribulation martyrs from the first half of the Tribulation !

The EXACT middle verse (verse 202) of the book of Revelation’s 404 verses is this:

Revelation 12:8:

(verse 7:) “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels

(verse 8:) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.”

When the ORDER of the book of Revelation is observed (as well as in all other books of the Bible)- everything becomes so much clearer to the reader.

The entire 7 years of the Tribulation comprise the time of “I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, TO TRY THEM THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH” from which the Bride has been promised PHYSICAL salvation. Rev 3:10.
M