Enough, many commentators believe the great tribulation is to be seven years. Different ways to work it out. I personally go for 3 1/2 (trumpet blasts) + 3 1/2 (plagues) = 7 years. This comes from time, times and half a time = 3 1/2 years = 42 months, etc. I use the days of Daniel as confirmation. Some derive it from the last week of the seventy weeks (of years) of Daniel (9:24-27), but I disagree with such an interpretation. I view the latter as a unit.
Raymond, I appreciate your reminder of Rev. 8:9 but disagree with your conclusion. Certainly
God’s wrath is directed at Satan and his demons. But in this instance he is
referring to people. Man has indeed reached a point where he can bring literal
ruin to the earth. And with his genetic manipulation, he can also change (and
ruin) life. He is indeed now capable of completely “ruining the earth,” as well as
everything on it. As you might have noticed, the clock of the Atomic Scientists
is now at 90 seconds to midnight. Unfortunately, that’s where we are heading,
unless God puts a stop to it.
I agree Pete, context is important. I understand it to
mean moral degradation as well as physical destruction. As you mentioned, the
same word is used in the LXX at Gen. 6:11. The word here points to immorality as
well as violence. It reminds one of present conditions. But what about the immediate context of Rev. 11:18? The angel
emphasizes the importance of the seventh trumpet blast:
5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven
6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created
heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is
in it, that there would be no more delay,
7 but that in the days
of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God
would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets (Rev.
10:5-7 ESV).
What is the mystery or sacred
secret of God all about?
15And the seventh angel blew his trumpet. And loud voices occurred in heaven,
saying, The kingdom of the world did
become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will rule as king
forever and ever (Rev. 11:15).[Cursive
script added.]
Legally,
the world has now become the property of God and His Son, to be incorporated in
the kingdom. From this point onwards obedience and subservience to the kingdom
would be essential for survival. But how do the majority of survivors of the six trumpet
blasts respond and with what result? They would take on God and His Christ. We
know the end result:
18 But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came,
and the appointed time for the dead to be judged, and to give [their] reward to
your slaves the prophets and to the holy ones and to those fearing your name,
the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth (Rev.
11:18; cf. Ps. 2:6-9; Rev. 9:20, 21).
