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.
Well, I'll start with this and if you want to take it to freepmail that's cool. I love this stuff, especially with someone else who likes it and can have a friendly discussion without necessarily agreeing. (I also don't mind posting since I hope it might help others who are viewing.)
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:8.
By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. Revelation 9:18.
1/4 X 1/3 = 1/2.
This should still be in the first half of the 70th week because "the abomination that makes desolate" in the middle of the week (Dan. 9:27) has not yet been revealed.
The third woe, the seventh trump, and Rev 12-14 is a picture of this revelation (see also I Thess. 2:3-4). This begins the last 3 ½ years, God's wrath without mixture (Rev.14:10), which means there's no mercy mixed with His wrath. Many are saved ("sealed") in the first 3 ½ years (wrath mixed with mercy). However, no one is saved in the last 3 ½ years except for a remnant of Israel hiding in Edom (Matt. 24:16-20; Rev 12:14 “time (one year), and times (two years), and half a time” (half a year) = 3 ½ years).
The scenes of the two harvests in Chapt 14 are:
1) the slaying of God’s people - all who do not take the mark of the beast (Rev 14:13-16 notice it's the Son of man who “reaps” the harvest of souls here (later they’re seen in heaven Rev 15:2-4).) Those who are still alive at this point and choose to be God’s rather than the beast’s are swiftly executed immediately at the outset of the revelation and demands of the beast beginning the second 3 ½ years.
2) the slaying of the damned - everybody else who took the mark of the beast at the beginning of the second 3 ½ years up to and through Armageddon (Rev 14:17-20 notice it’s not the Son of man but an angel and there no “reaping” but a gathering into the winepress of the wrath of God (Rev 14:19) where the blood comes up to the horses bridles (Rev 14:20). By the end of the second 3 ½ years pretty much the whole world is dead except for the remnant of Israel hiding in the mountains of Edom.