The Bible speaks of a period of tribulation lasting 7 years, which God will bring upon the whole earth. Here, God will let His wrath be revealed against sin and ungodliness. God will reclaim the earth and punish people for their sins and no longer allow His creation to be a base of operations for the powers of darkness.

Some believe that we will enter parts of a 7-year tribulation period (Dan 9:27; 12:1). Others believe that we will go through this entire period.

Deliver us from the wrath

I believe the Bible is clear in its teaching on this point. When Jesus describes the end times, He says that we will be able to “escape all these things that will come to pass” (Luke 21:36). “Deliver us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thess 1:10) “… shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Rom 5:9) To the church in Philadelphia, Jesus says:

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

Rev 3:10

In John 14:1–3, Jesus describes the first phase of His return – His coming to gather His bride: “And 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.” Then comes a 7-year tribulation period. We are spared from this wrath from God's hand:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Rom 8:1

In Revelation 1–3, the word church is mentioned 19 times, but from chapter 4 to chapter 19, the word church is not mentioned once. Why? Because the church, the bride of Jesus, is in heaven and celebrates a wedding with her bridegroom, Jesus (Rev 19:7–8). The rapture of God's church occurs between chapters 3 and 4 in Revelation.

Caught up

This is how Paul describes the rapture:

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thess 4:16–18

Everything that happens from chapters 4 to 19 happens after we have been moved to heaven. Therefore, we shall not wait for the Antichrist, but for Christ:

“And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

1 Thess 1:10

The faith, prayers, and holy lives of Christians act as a spiritual restraint, preventing the Antichrist from being revealed:

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed …”

2 Thess 2:7–8

We shall never see the Antichrist, but be “taken away,” raptured before he emerges. We are spiritual restraints to his manifestation. But right after the rapture, he will rise on the stage with his antichristian propaganda. Therefore, Paul says:

“Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thess 4:18

What bridegroom would send His wrath (in the form of seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls of wrath) over His future bride? We can read about it from Revelation 6–18. This 7-year tribulation is God's righteous judgment that He allows to come upon the earth which is His, due to the sins of mankind and the devil's ravaging of God's creation. God can no longer tolerate that the earth shall forever be a base of operations for the devil. Enough is enough! God reclaims control of the earth and crushes the devil's kingdom through approximately 20 different acts of judgment, each worse than the last (cf. Isa 13:9; 26:11; 24:19–20). But all the while, He gives people the opportunity to be saved even in this time (Rev 7:14; 12:11; 13:7.10; 15:2-4; 16:15; 18:4).

Tribulation and revival

We can talk about a worldwide revival through 144,000 Jewish evangelists, as well as two anointed witnesses and an angel preaching the gospel from the heavens (Rev 7:4.9.14; 11:7; 14:6–7). The whole world will then hear the gospel (Matt 24:14). During this time, God will punish the world's nations because of their sins and persecution of the Jews (Deut 30:7; Isa 24:3–7). During this time, God will bring His Jewish people to faith in Him as the Messiah. This will happen through suffering (Deut 4:30). It is described as “a time of Jacob's trouble” – not for the church (Jer 30:7).

When Israel as a people repents and accepts Jesus as their Savior and Messiah, Jesus will return (Matt 23:39), and His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zech 14:4). This will occur as the conclusion of a 7-year tribulation period.

The first half of 3.5 years is called “tribulation,” the second half of 3.5 years is called “the great tribulation” (Matt 24:9; Rev 7:14. See also Dan 12:1; Matt 24:21). This 7-year period is also known as “the Day of the Lord” (Joel 1:15; 2:1; 3:4). After the 7-year tribulation period, Jesus will return visibly to the earth, “as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west,” “with power and great glory” (Matt 24:27.30). Jesus will judge the world from His new throne in Jerusalem, called “the throne of His glory” (Matt 25:31).

The visible return of Jesus

The bride (you and I who are saved) comes with Jesus from heaven, riding on white horses (Rev 19:11-16). The bride and the bridegroom cannot be separated. Those who were not ready will be killed (Matt 25:31-46). The Antichrist and his closest collaborator, the false prophet, will be the first to be thrown directly into “the lake of fire” (Rev 19:20).

Then begins the glory of the millennial kingdom on earth, where we who believe will rule with Him (Rev 20:4-5). After the thousand years comes the end of the world, “the day of judgment” before “a great white throne.” Here all people will be judged (except the believers who have already been judged). “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Rev 20:15) The world will burn up and vanish, and a new heaven and a new earth will appear (2 Pet 3:10; Rev 21:1).

We will dwell for eternity in the New Jerusalem, the city built of pure heavenly gold. Read Revelation 20–22 and rejoice! But in the time we live in now, we shall “wait for His Son from heaven … who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10).

Do you want to be even more blessed – here is a good piece of advice: Read about the end times in Revelation:

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Rev 22:7; see also Rev 1:3