Tribulation Events Timeline

 

I was asked if I had some outline of events in the Tribulation and their timing. My response was to produce the following two tables giving the Tribulation timeline.

Approximate Timeline of Events Leading up to the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple
Mid-East battle: Damascus wiped out -- Israelis return in 2's and 3's -- Isaiah 17:1-11
Elijah appears in Jerusalem -- before Tribuation and perhaps before Rapture -- Malachi 4:5-6
Russia Gog and nations invade Israel; God intervenes -- Rapture? -- Isaiah 17:12-14; Zechariah 9:14; Ezekiel 38
144,000 sealed after Rapture. Tribulation begins. Moses and Elijah testify 1260 days -- Revelation 11
Antichrist signs 7 year covenant with Israel (lasting 2520 days); Temple work begins; white horse of Revelation 6
Temple sacrifices start 220 days after Covenant is signed -- Daniel 8:14; 9:27; 12:11-12
Antichrist attacks Egypt, huge armies involved; many killed -- Daniel 11:25-27; red horse of Revelation 6
Egyptian leader murdered by associates (Daniel 11:26-27); Civil war in Egypt -- Isaiah 19:2
Events of Revelation 8 fits first half of Tribulation; includes 2 major impact events and astronomical disasters
Antichrist vs. Egypt again, Antichrist intercepted by ships from Cyprus; he is enraged -- Daniel 11:29-30
Satan and hosts cast out of Heaven down to earth; Satan energizes Antichrist -- 3rd woe of Revelation 11-12
Antichrist kills Moses and Elijah leaving bodies in street 3.5 days; then bodies ascend to Heaven -- Rev. 11:7-12
Antichrist sets up Abomination of Desolation in Temple -- Daniel 11:32; 8:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:4
Antichrist receives fatal wound from which he recovers; world astonished -- Revelation 13:3-5
At this point, mid-Tribulation 1260 days have passed since the Covenant was signed

Note: it is possible the third and fourth horses of the Apocalypse, the black horse of massive inflation or economic collapse and the pale horse of death could occur at any time after the Civil War in Egypt and may be the result of the impact events which cause the disasters.

Approximate Timeline of Tribulation Events after Abomination of Desolation is set up at 1260 days
World economic collapse; new economic order; mark of the beast begins (see note on '666') -- Rev. 13:16-8
After helping beast to power, Harlot Church and Rome burned by 10 nation group -- Revelation 17
False prophet dircts all worship to Antichrist; false signs and miracles; image of beast set up -- Rev. 13:11-18
Religious persecution -- Daniel 7:21; 8:2; 11:32-35; Revelation 12:13-17; 13:6-9; 5th seal -- Rev. 6:9-11
The 6 bowls of judgments of Revelation 16 fit in the second half of the Tribulation; ends with Armageddon
City of commercial Babylon (Istanbul?) destroyed towards end of this time -- Revelation 18
Antichrist thrown out of Temple after Covenant period of 2520 days ends; Temple cleansed -- Daniel 8:13-14
Egypt attacks Antichrist (Turkey) -- Antichrist sweeps south, takes Egypt and N. Africa -- Daniel 11:40-43
News from East (China's army -- Rev. 9:14-16; 16:12) and North (Russia's army -- Ezekiel 39) that they are coming to fight Antichrist -- Dan. 11:44
Antichrist still controls Jerusalem; sets up his command center for battle on Temple Mount -- Daniel 11:45
Battle commences; beginning of Armageddon (1290 days after Abomination of Desolation is set up and 30 days after its removal) -- Daniel 12:11
Battle details in Zechariah 14:1-15; Ezekiel 39:1-29; Isaiah 9:4-7 and Revelation 19:11-19, etc.
When Jerusalem falls, Christ personally intervenes in battle; Antichrist and False Prophet into Lake of Fire; Satan into pit -- Revelation 19:20.
Tribulation martyrs raised to life and to reign with Christ -- Rev. 20:4,
Christ assumes throne over Earth; judgment of nations commences -- Matthew 25:31-46; Joel 3:1-2,12
Millenial reign begins, 1335 days after the Abomination was set up and 75 days after its removal. Daniel -- 12:12

Note on '666:' Although each of the numbers in our numerals is the same, the original text presents those figures in Arabic, not Greek! And, in Arabic, it reads "bismillah." That means "In the name of Allah." Therefore, and unknown for so many years, this number is the name of Allah, the Islamic god. This appears to be a direct reference to the identity of the Antichrist as a Muslim. An excellent explanation of this is given by Walid Shoebat, an ex-Muslim terrorist who is now a Christian (his explanation starts about one minute into the video).

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In response to these timelines, sent via email to the questioner, this response was received, asking questions:

"A few comments on your sequence of events.  Regarding Isaiah 17 I'm wondering if the timing is similar to Zec 12-14, and Ezek 38-39?
The two or three berries left [on the uppermost boughs from theharvest] in Isa 17:6 is similar to Zech 12:10  "bring the third part through the fire".  Zech 14:2-4 ends with all nations going against Israel and "Jehovah intervening against Israel's enemies.  Jesus appears to be present.  "His feet standing upon the Mount of Olives."  
Ezek ch. 39 ends with "God setting His glory among the nation and the house of Israel knowing that He is Jehovah their God...from that day and forward."   Psalm 83 is similar in respect to the enemy threat to destroy Israel and Israel's plea for God to intervene however doesn't describe God's intervention.
Could not all these be at the end of the trib with Christ intervening and appearing?"

Setterfield: Basically you are wondering if Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38 all fit in with the return of the Lord at the Battle of Armageddon. I agree that Zechariah 12-14 and Ezekiel 39 both refer to this event. Psalm 83 is a different battle altogether. As you look at the nations involved in Psalm 83 you find that the line-up is exactly what we had in the 6-Day war of June 1967 and the predicted results followed. This is explained in more detail on our website.

There is also a more detailed examination of other verses in the Old Testament which speak of the Isaiah 17 battle.

From the analysis given there, it is not possible for the Isaiah 17 battle to mark the coming of the Lord at Armageddon, even though there is a miraculous intervention of God. This intervention is picked up in the other references in our website link mentioned above and it appears that it could be associated with the Rapture.

There is another reason why Isaiah 17 cannot be Armageddon. We are given a complete exposition of  the events leading up to the Battle of Armageddon in Daniel 11:40-45. This scenario is entirely different from the events portrayed in Isaiah 17, as well as Psalm 83. The line-up of nations is different and the events for Israel are different.

By the way, your Biblical comment that He would bring 1/3rd of the Israelis through the fire is a persecution thing like the holocaust rather than a battle-induced casualty list. It is for that reason that the judgment of the living nations at the end of Armageddon in Matthew 25 majors on how an individual sheltered and nurtured the Jewish people during that time of intense persecution. For that reason, the comment in Isaiah 17 that only groups of two or three Israelis would come back from the Damascus battle indicates that it is a separate event.

Finally, as to the suggestion that Ezekiel 38 as well as 39 refer to the Battle of Armageddon, there are a few problems. First, there is no doubt that Ezekiel 39 refers to Armageddon and the Return of the Lord to rule, because in 39:21-29 it says "I will set my glory among the nations ... and the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord from that day forward ... and I will not hide my face from them anymore, for I shall have poured out my Spirit on the house of Israel."

Earlier, in Ezekiel 39:7 it says "Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in [the midst of] Israel." Furthermore, in Ezekiel 39:4 the birds of prey and the beasts of the field devour remains of the armies. This is also referred to in the Armageddon context in Revelation 19:17-18.  In addition, the idea of the burning of the weapons of the armies in Ezekiel 39:9-10 is picked up in Isaiah 9:5-7 when the Son is given back to us (after having been born, crucified and ascended) to rule upon the Throne of David. So there is no doubt that Ezekiel 39 is referring to Armageddon. 

As for Ezekiel 38, the situation is different. For a start, Ezekiel 39 does not run straight on from Ezekiel 38. There is definitely a division between the two prophecies in the most ancient manuscripts; one prophecy does not run on into the other, even though they are related by the involvement of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal (from which we get the modern names of Russia, Moscow and Tobolsk). So obviously Russia is involved on both occasions.

However, there is a key which allows us to discern two different events here. Daniel 8 and 11 both indicate that Antichrist comes from Turkey. In the battle of Armageddon, Antichrist and hence Turkish troops will be heavily involved according to Daniel 11:40-45. But the key commercial center of Turkey is Istanbul, which was ancient Chalcedon. In the original Alexandrian Greek translation of Ezekiel 38, it states that the merchants of Chalcedon enquire of Russia why she is coming and what she hopes to accomplish. Turkey apparently does not get involved in the battle in Ezekiel 38. But Antichrist and all his forces are involved in Armageddon, which is Ezekiel 39.

So the two prophecies are related, but represent two distinct occasions whereby Russia comes down into the Mid-east. Because Ezekiel 38:20 says that the Lord's presence is involved, coupled with the miracle of the battle in Isaiah 17:14 and the Lord appearing over them in Zechariah 9:14, and the Lord blowing the trumpet over the battle at the wipe-out of Damascus in Zephaniah 2:9 (LXX), all point to this event occurring around the time of the Rapture and just before the Tribulation. The only other time we are told that the Lord blows the trumpet (the Trumpet of God, 1 Thessalonians 4:16) is for the Rapture. So it is reasonable to conclude that this event will occur near the time of that battle, at least if the Lord leaves it to the last minute.

As mentioned above, more detail than I can give here is on our website links. These should be examined in conjunction with this answer.