Comparing the Timelines of Three Different Rapture Theories

A Brief Comparison of Prospective Timelines of Three Differing Rapture Theories:

1.) Between now and the beginning of the peace (70th week), foretold in scriptures:
Pre-Trib--Jesus could come back at any instant, leaving the world he loves in utter chaos.
Pre-Wrath--Jesus probably won't come back yet, and life will go on 'business as usual.'
Peri-Wrath--see post, "Chronology of Future Events Based on Peri-Wrath Rapture Theory".

2.) The first three and a half years of peace:
Pre-Trib--this is really a "false peace" because the Devil is running the show. All sorts of trouble afflict the people of the world.
Pre-Wrath--Jesus probably won't come back yet, and life will go on 'business as usual.'
Peri-Wrath--see post, "Chronology of Future Events Based on Peri-Wrath Rapture Theory".

3.) The removal of the daily sacrifice:
Pre-Trib--this event doesn't matter much to us since we should be long gone by now, but for those "left behind" things are just getting worse and worse as all the plagues and troubles foretold in Revelation come to pass.
Pre-Wrath--this is when things go terribly awry and the Abomination of Desolation is set up at this same time, which brings about a long drawn out period of Great Tribulation.
Peri-Wrath--see post, "Chronology of Future Events Based on Peri-Wrath Rapture Theory".

4.) The second half of the prophecied seven years:
Pre-Trib--the world is a living Hell, with the exception of a few people that have managed to get their hands on a "How to Survive the Tribulation" movie or book and have come to know Jesus as a result.
Pre-Wrath--Jesus will take up his people at some point, thereby leaving the unsaved to struggle through the remainder of time leading up 'til all can be accomplished that must come before the Millenial Reign begins. It is unclear how long Jesus and his people will wait in the atmosphere while terrible trouble is unleashed onto the inhabitants of the earth, but they should be able to remain aloof indefinitely.
Peri-Wrath--see post, "Chronology of Future Events Based on Peri-Wrath Rapture Theory".

5.) The conclusion of the seven years:
Pre-Trib--It is time for the chaos to come to an end, which will require Divine intervention in the affairs of the world.
Pre-Wrath--It is time for the chaos to come to an end, which will require Divine intervention in the affairs of the world.
Peri-Wrath--See post, "Chronology of Future Events Based on Peri-Wrath Rapture Theory". (Also, note that the other two theories have already gone through the Great Tribulation, so we will skip right to the Millenial Reign for this comparison.)

6.) The Millenial Reign
Pre-Trib--1000 years of peace with Christ.
Pre-Wrath--1000 years of peace with Christ.
Peri-Wrath--" " Wow! We can all agree on something.

7.) End of the Millenial Reign
Pre-Trib--the end.
Pre-Wrath--the end.
Peri-Wrath--see post, "Chronology of Future Events Based on Peri-Wrath Rapture Theory". In my opinion, it is worth noting at this time how the seventh seal and the seven final trumpets ( ) occur after the beast and his armies are long gone. The sorts of trouble that are foretold by the seven trumpets are often confused with belonging to the Great Tribulation, which misunderstanding compels a lot of theorists to project that the Lord's faithful will not have to experience that time. This is in part true, but it foregoes the conclusion that we may be here for the bulk of the Great Tribulation, and that is a dangerous misunderstanding. The simple fact is that there may be a slight pause of approximately 1000 years between the sixth and seventh seals and likewise between the Great Tribulation and the seven final trumpets ( ). Confused? Don't worry; you are not alone.
Looking at the final seven trumpets (see below), that come with the opening of the seventh seal, there is not one single mention of the beast or his armies, for they were dealt with around the time of the opening of the sixth seal. What we have is a world repopulated of the descendants of those who were 'left behind' ( ) at the end of the Great Tribulation, and they are now once again, 1000 years later, subject to Satan's deceptions. We do not have to worry about the troubles of the seven trumpets because: either (A), we will have been caught up in the first resurrection and/or rapture toward the end of the Great Tribulation and are therefore now enjoying our new and immortal bodies, some or all of us under the shadow of his wing in Jerusalem ; or (B), we will be "sleeping" and awaiting judgment day at the the second resurrection; or (C), as children of the 'left behind' some of us have come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and are for that reason invited to come under his divine protection in Jerusalem.


Conclusion:
The Pre-Trib theory is scripturally invalid; although it bases its premise on a powerful faith in the Lord's desire and ability to protect his people, it often focuses primarily on physical protection without highlighting the importance of spiritual protection through trials and tribulations. The Pre-Wrath theory is more plausible, but there remain huge holes in the flow of its timelines that few or none care to explain; nonetheless, great numbers of people have adopted this theory, which makes me hopeful that they might someday be able to come around to considering some of the points of the Peri-Wrath theory. They are very similar theories, and even their spelling is similar with the most noticeable difference being a reordering of a couple of letters and the addition of one letter--I. With the addition of "I", one might come to a greater understanding of the last days through a willingness to put more of themselves into it: I will be better off if I prepare and equip for the foretold Great Tribulation than if I do nothing to prepare and equip; I will depend less on other men's conclusions and dedicate more of my personal time in the word to understanding the timelines that have been given in scriptures and to understanding what sorts of works the Lord would have me do as the world heads towards those days; I realize that most of the plagues of wrath are targeted at the beast and those with his mark, so I do not have to worry about most of them; also, I can do something to prepare for the couple of plagues that are more likely to affect me and those like me; And, I shall continue to put my faith and trust in the Lord, that no matter what I face physically, he can protect and deliver my soul, insomuch that not one hair of my everlasting head will be singed.


A brief look at the seven trumpets that will occur at the end of the 1000 years:

Trumpet 1--Revelation 8:7--Hail and fire mingled with blood; one-third of trees burn and all grass burns up.
None of these seven trumpets will be something we have to deal with in the Great Tribulation, but there may be some similarities to the plagues that occur during the Great Tribulation. For example, during the plague of great heat ( ), there may in all probability be some major fires going on in some parts of the world.

Trumpet 2--Revelation 8:8,9--mountain of fire cast into sea; one third of sea becomes blood; one third of life dies; and one-third of ships destroyed.
Wait a minute. Didn't all life in the sea die during plague 2 ( )? While this is a true prediction, it does not mean that the seas can never again hold life. It is probable that the oceans will be made clean in the early years of the Millenial Reign, and even if the only stock to go back into the oceans and seas come from aquariums, it still leaves 1000 years of being fruitful and multiplying, which can make a tremendous impact. Remember that Satan is going to be locked up for the greater part of that 1000 years ( ), which means the nations will not be following his destructive ways; therefore, the world and the creatures in it will experience very fruitful and productive growths.

Trumpet 3--Revelation 8:10,11--the falling star Wormwood effects the drinkability of one-third of the world's fresh water supplies.
This closely resembles the third plague ( ) where the fountains and rivers of waters become blood. Notice also this interesting trend of the effects of these trumpets only going after one-third of their intended targets. There must be some reason for this, but we could only speculate at this point.

Trumpet 4--Revelation 8:12--Sun, moon, and stars all diminished by one-third of their brightness, or they will shine one-third less than normal.
By now it should be apparent that something big is going on; these trends are too persistent to be considered coincidences by any rational person of the day. By all accounts, it stands to reason that Satan--the one who took with him one out of every three angels at the time he was expelled from heaven ( )--is once again loosed to pull the strings in worldy affairs, and for this reason God is sending these trumpets as signs and wonders to warn the people of the earth to refrain from following his deceptive ways. Upon the conclusion of this trumpet, there is a warning to the inhabitants of the earth that there are three more trumpets to sound ( ), and it isn't going to be pretty.

Trumpet 5--Revelation 9:1-11--An angel with the key of the bottemless pit releases terrible little creatures that afflict men with terrible pain for five months.
These creatures cannot hurt grass, trees, or the Lord's 144,000 chosen ambassadors ( ) during these last days. Any other human alive wishing to be spared the pain of this trumpet won't stand a chance outside of Jerusalem where the Lord will be able to protect those who serve him and have dedicated their lives to him.

Trumpet 6--Revelation 9:13-21--Four angels are released from the Euphrates for a set time to kill one-third of all men.
It appears that these angels might lead an army of 200 million special horsemen. It is rather difficult at this time to understand what John saw and how it will come to be, but as with the creatures from the bottomless pit, it is not out of the question that they may portray some supernatural appearances and abilities that are difficult to imagine.

Trumpet 7--Revelation 11:14-19--A trumpet of closure.
As far as woe goes to the inhabitants of the earth, closure in this case means fiery destruction; otherwise, this trumpet will coincide with some spectacular occasions. It's almost too overwhelming to really discourse on all that is involved with bringing an end to the elements of this creation ( ). There is an interesting transitional element into the exposition of John's vision that comes between the sixth and seventh trumpets, and we have one and a half chapters taking us on a bit of a long route around the greatness of the seventh trumpet. A part of that detour specifically denotes that he should not write down what he sees (chapter 10). The other part, Revelation 11:1-13, which tells of the two witnesses is a bit of a retrospective that involves events related back to the period of time leading up to the Great Tribulation. Maybe this looking back is to highlight the incredible parallels between the events that will mark the beginning and ending of the Millenial Reign. Or perhaps it serves to point out that Revelation cannot be written in a precisely chronological fashion; there are bound to be some tangents, some intersecting of events, and some proverbial wheels within wheels. Despite the pause in the telling of the events, it is worth pointing out that there is actually little or no pause between the sixth and seventh trumpets, for it is written: "The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." Revelation 11:14
The second woe in this context relates to the 6th trumpet, and the third woe relates to the seventh. Based on the fact that the seventh trumpet follows quickly after the sixth, this more or less rules out the notion that the ministry of the two witnesses, which will last for 1,260 days, and which will preceed the Great Tribulation and then the Millenial Reign, is in some way occurring within the events of the seven trumpets, especially since the seventh trumpet coincides with the end of time ( ) as we know it.
There are some truly remarkable parallels between the beginning and ending of the Millenial Kingdom, and in some contexts they could be mistaken for one another. Around the beginning of the Millenial Reign:
1) The Son of God brings about the first resurrection from the dead, and he takes up those who believe in him, first the martyrs of the Great Tribulation and then his servants who managed to survive without taking the mark; 2) Around the same time, the Son of God brings fiery destruction ( ) to his enemies, who are bringing all the armies of the world to a fight at Armaggedon in the Holy Land. Then at the end of the Millenial Reign: 1) God the Father brings fiery destruction to his enemies that have come up to surround Jerusalem ( ), but also consumes all of heaven and earth with fire ( ), and in so doing makes way for a new heaven and a new earth ( ); 2) God the Father brings about the second resurrection and judgment day ( ), to reward those who did righteousness and to punish the workers of iniquity. Both the beginning and the ending of the Millenial Reign occur with a fiery destruction and a resurrection from the dead.