This outcome is why I think we can be "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:12). There's no way I'm wanting to hasten the Day of God if I'm still in a world where half the people are killed (first 3 1/2 years) and almost everybody else the second 3 1/2 years.
Someone being chased down by machete-weilding Muslims in an Indonesian forest might disagree with you. :) Thing is, many people the world over experience tribulation-style persecution every day. In America we read about it, but remain detached from it, for obvious reasons. Here it’s easy to believe we’ll be gone before anything too painful happens.
I’m not so sure from where your figure of half the world’s population during the first half and the other half during the second is derived. Can you elaborate? I know that most pretrib teachers (at least I think, from remembering my days holding that viewpoint) talk about the seals comprising the first half and the trumpets and bowls comprising the second half...is that what you base your figures on? Having the answer to that question would probably clear things up regarding our respective viewpoints. (Hint - I believe the wrath starts at the 6th seal, just like Revelation suggests, and that the 6th seal isn’t until close to the end of the 70th week, and that the trumpets and bowls happen in relative speed after that. The seals are all man-induced but God-allowed, while the trumpets and bowls are His answer to where man takes the world when given enough rope.)
And hey, if you have any urge or inclination to have an eschatological discussion via freepmail, I’d love to. Just throwing that out there. :) Have a good weekend.