The seven years is about Israel, that’s why the prophets identified the period as Jacob’s trouble. The Tribulation is to put an end to sin in Israel thus all seven years and all seven seals are Jacob’s Trouble. The redeemed are in Heaven at the start of the seven years witnessing the opening of the seal judgments that JESUS is sending upon the Earthdwellers. The first is the rider on the White Horse carrying a bow but no arrows, the flase Messiah bringing false peace to ISRAEL so they are fooled into believing he is their Messiah.
I agree 100% this period is about Israel and God keeping his promises to David and to his heirs, Isaiah 11:11, notice he says the ‘second time’ when the first captivity and return of Israel still hadn’t take place yet, it would be 150 years into the future, I can only wonder what Isaiah must’ve thought writing that down,
The events in the Book of Revelation starting at Chapter 4 have entirely to do with the adjudication of the rightful ownership of the Earth and the Jubilee release using the Laws and Ordinances of Moses, the Kinsman Redeemer provisions enacted then being met with a timing element completing Daniels 70 weeks of years (490 years)
Jesus began his ministry reading from the Book of Isaiah and proclaiming the Jubilee (he himself is the Jubilee) and the Israel of his day did not accept it or know the time of their visitation. He read in the Synagogue that day and left out ‘and the Day of Vengeance of our God’ that will proceed from another future Jubilee, see Isaiah 61-63 it appears to also coincide with another Jubilee declaration,
Jesus departed 10 days before Pentecost to send us the Holy Spirit, this created the ecclesia, the Church and he placed us on a pedestal and we are with Jesus in the Kingdom of God (not Kingdom of Heaven which Israel rejected), just meaning we are with him in a very special position (Paul was astounded at what we have been given and provided for) and what is happening in the Book of Revelation between chapters 4 thru 19 are very much Jewish in their use of idioms and purpose,
In Psalm 110 we’re shown “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” It matches the order of how Jesus proceeds in the book of Revelation, the Father will perform the overthrow of this Satanic world system,
In Revelation we’re told ‘hear what the Spirit says to the Churches’ and it is repeated 19 times in the first three chapters, then later on (Chapter 13) we hear the same comment again and its very noticeable that the Church is not included, “If any **man** has an ear, let him hear,”
I’m very much willing to be convinced otherwise, but I do not believe the opening of the seven seals are Judgements, instead I believe that begins with the Trumpets, I also believe the book in the right hand of the Father is a title deed to the Earth and all of Creation, and the requirements to take ownership require each part to be met for that section as its opened, I believe the 24 elders are a Court and they adjudicate and confirm Jesus as rightful heir of the Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts as we’re shown in Isaiah 5 and as meeting ALL conditions necessary as a Kinsman Redeemer to Israel over the physical Earth and all of creation (not the Church as “it is finished” at the cross and we are with him at the right hand of the Father forever). All that believe this prior to the start of the great Tribulation are covered by His Holiness and Grace forever, it cannot be undone,
Only a ‘Son of Man’ could be a legitimate ‘Kinsman Redeemer’ and all conditions had to be perfectly met to spare the world complete destruction. One has to be found or this world will be over, no flesh will be saved alive, John understood what was happening and was greatly upset by it,
As each one of the Seals are opened, things that have been long held in check on the Earth are now being allowed to proceed, notice how they say ‘come and see’ as the Four Living beings around the Throne are the ones pointing out the changes, not performing any direct actions, not until later,
Jesus said that he would bind in Heaven what we bind on the Earth, I believe this is what is occurring here, he is loosing those things that are bound until that time including the anti-Christ spirit which has been at work all along until it is no longer restrained, which is exactly what we’re being shown here, I also suspect the four horseman are in some manner related to what Zechariah was shown, I could conjecture more on what is happening but it might get me into trouble :-)