The Seven Years Tribulation & God’s Wrath
No single Bible verse directly states the reason why God sends the seven-year tribulation as a distinct event. The concept of a seven-year tribulation is primarily an interpretive framework drawn from various passages such as Daniel 9:24-27 and Revelation 6-19, and its purposes are described across multiple passages rather than in one definitive statement. While it doesn’t explicitly says the reason why God sends the tribulation, it implies the tribulation is part of God’s plan to judge sin and establish His kingdom.
Revelation chapters 6 to18 describe the tribulation’s judgments as expressions of God’s wrath against unrighteousness, and they focus on the effects. The seven-year Tribulation is a period where God's wrath is indeed poured out on the earth, which described a series of increasingly severe judgments (seals, trumpets, and bowls) that come upon the world. People on earth, in response to the devastating judgments (seals), cry out to be hidden from "the wrath of the Lamb" and acknowledge that "the great day of God’s wrath has come." This is a direct, on-the-ground recognition of God's active wrath during this period. The final series of judgments are explicitly called "the seven bowls of God's wrath," leaving no ambiguity about their source and nature of God’s wrath mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The subsequent descriptions of these plagues further confirm their punitive, divine origin.
The seals, trumpets, and bowls in Revelation 6–18 represent God’s escalating judgments on a sinful, Christ-rejecting world during the 7-year Tribulation, with the most intense wrath concentrated in the final 3.5 years (Great Tribulation). These judgments coincide with God’s wrath or the great day of His wrath that is to come in the Tribulation, and who can stand God’s wrath as mentioned in Revelation 6:17.Thus, when God unleashed His wrath in Tribulation, countless people worldwide will die of famines, plagues, pestilences, natural disasters, among others:
Judgment Seals - Revelation Chapter 6
Verses 1 to 8 - Description: Four Horsemen (conquest, war, famine, death)
Verses 9 to 11 - Description: Martyrdom of saints
Verses 12 to 17- Cosmic disturbance: (great earthquake, sun turns black, moon became blood, stars of heaven
fell, sky receded like scroll rolled up, every mountain and island moved out of its place
Result: Global chaos, mass death (1/4 of earth population killed, verse 8)
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Judgment Trumphets - Revelation Chapters 8 & 9
C8 V7 to 12 - Environmental disasters (hail with blood thrown on earth, 1/3 of earth set on fire and 1/3 of trees
and green grass burned, huge burning mountain thrown to sea, destroys 1/3 of all ships, 1/3 of sea
turn red, 1/3 of fish killed, great flaming star fell on 1/3 of rivers and springs, poisoned 1/3 of all
water on earth, numerous people died, 1/3 of sun-moon-stars strucked & 1/3 of them turned dark,
1/3 of day and night without light
C9 V1 to 11 - Demonic torment (locusts from the Abyss were released, men who don't have God's seal was
tormented for 5 months
C9 V15 to 19 - Army of 200 million kills 1/3 of mankind
Result: Nature and humanity devastated
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Judgment Bowls - Revelation Chapter 16
Verse 2 - Sores on worshippers of the Beast
Verses 3 to 4 - Seas/rivers/springs turned to blood, every living sea creature died
Verses 8 to 10 - Everyone scorched with great sun heat, darkness
Verse 12 - Euphrates rived dried up
Verses 13 to 16 - Demons conferred with all world rulers/their armies & gathers them in Battle of Armageddon
Verses 18 to 21 - Great-mighty-worst earthquake ever happened & unprecedented in human history, every island
fled away, mountains were not found
Result: Total collapse of society, final wrath before Christ return
Global catastrophes unlike anything in history that no man can live unless the days are shortened as written Matthew 24:21-22. The second half of the seven years Tribulation, or the last 3.5 years or the Great Tribulation is accompanied by unprecedented death tolls mentioned in Revelation 14:20: "And the wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia." The verse speaks of the immense amount of blood spilled by countless people killed during the final great judgment of the wicked, particularly associated with the Battle of Armageddon that culminates the Tribulation. The symbolism and the imagery of a "winepress" is a powerful biblical metaphor for God's fierce wrath and judgment, where the wicked are "trampled" like grapes, and their "blood" flows out like wine. This symbolism is also found in Old Testament prophecies, such as Isaiah 63:1-6. The description of blood flowing "up to the horses' bridles" and for a distance of "1,600 stadia" (approximately 180-200 miles, or 290-320 kilometers) indicates an utterly massive and unprecedented slaughter of blood spilled by countless people. The message is undeniably one of immense carnage and bloodshed. It signifies a complete and devastating defeat of God's enemies. It certainly implies millions, if not billions, of people killed globally. As we discussed earlier, Revelation already describes a fourth of the earth's population dying from earlier judgments (Revelation 6:8), and then a third of the remaining mankind being killed by a specific army (Revelation 9:15, 18). The final judgment symbolized by the winepress would add to these numbers, or represent the culmination of many of them.
Revelation describes several means of death for the ungodly during the Tribulation, culminating in the events surrounding the Battle of Armageddon:
• Direct Divine Judgment (Plagues/Bowls): Many people will die directly from the supernatural plagues and judgments poured out by God (e.g., grievous sores, water turning to blood, scorching sun, darkness, massive hail, earthquakes) as detailed in Revelation 8, 9, and 16. These are not just natural events but divinely initiated.
• Warfare (Battle of Armageddon): Revelation 16:14-16 and Revelation 19:11-21 describe the gathering of the kings of the entire world and their armies at a place called Armageddon (likely the plain of Megiddo in Israel) to wage war against Christ upon His return.
• Christ's Direct Action: Revelation 19:15 states that "from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations." This signifies Christ's direct and decisive defeat of these armies.
• Ezekiel 38-39: While distinct from Armageddon by some interpretations, the Gog and Magog war in Ezekiel also describes a massive invasion of Israel and a divinely orchestrated destruction of the invading armies through various means (earthquakes, pestilence, hailstones, fire, brimstone, and mutual slaughter). Many connect the scale of these Old Testament prophecies with the final events of Revelation.
• Famine and Pestilence: As mentioned, these are significant factors throughout the Tribulation, leading to widespread death (Revelation 6:8).
• Wild Beasts: Also mentioned that by means of wild animals - perhaps lions, anacondas, crocodiles, among others, will be use by God as a means of death of countless people in Revelation 6:8.
• Mutual Slaughter: In various instances, the wicked will turn on each other (e.g., the armies at Armageddon may contribute to their own destruction).
Revelation 14:20 serves as a chilling, climactic summary of the utter devastation and bloodshed that will occur as God's righteous wrath is fully poured out on the ungodly world during the Tribulation, culminating in the Battle of Armageddon at Christ's Second Coming. It certainly implies countless deaths from various direct and indirect divine judgments.
So if the approximate world population as of this time is 8.235 billion as of July 2025 as per worldometers.info website, and if we break down the death tolls from Revelation as follows:
• Fourth Seal (Revelation 6:7 to 8) – 1/4 of the earth's population killed. If the starting population is 8.235 billion, then 1/4 of that would be –––> 8.235 billion x 0.25 = 2.05875 billion deaths. Remaining population after this seal: 8.235 - 2.058 = 6.17625 billion.
• Sixth Trumpet (Revelation 9:13-19): 1/3 of mankind killed. This 1/3 is generally understood to apply to the remaining population after the earlier judgments, as the judgments are sequential and cumulative. So, 1/3 of the remaining 6.17625 billion would be calculated –––> 6.17625 billion x .333 ˜ 2.058 billion deaths (2.058 billion approximate death). Therefore, 2.058 billion (from 4th seal) + 2.058 billion (from 6th trumpet) = 4.11 billion deaths, so almost half of the entire world population will be destroyed during the Tribulation period. The overall death count during the Tribulation is indeed staggering and likely to reach 5 billion people, making it by far the deadliest period in human history. If we take into consideration other unaccounted deaths from other judgments, it could reach close to 5 billion people, especially when considering the cumulative and compounding nature of all the judgments. It is highly probable that the total number of deaths during the Tribulation period would indeed push the global death toll well beyond 4.11 billion and could easily reach close to or even exceed 5 billion people. This reinforces the biblical portrayal of the Tribulation mentioned in the Book of Revelation as a time of unparalleled judgment and catastrophe on planet Earth.
The Tribulation aligns with the Old Testament concept of "the Day of the Lord," which is consistently portrayed as a time of God's fierce judgment and wrath against ungodliness and rebellion (e.g., Isaiah 13:6-13; Zephaniah 1:14-18). The characteristics of the Tribulation—widespread destruction, cosmic disturbances, and the downfall of wicked systems—are consistent with these prophetic descriptions of God's just vengeance. While human wickedness and demonic activity are certainly involved, the ultimate instigator and orchestrator of the Tribulation's plagues (seals, trumpets, bowls) is God Himself. These are not merely natural disasters or human conflicts; they are divinely ordained and empowered judgments designed to punish sin and bring about God's purposes.
The Tribulation is a period where God's righteous wrath is poured out on a rebellious world that has rejected His grace and truth and persistently engaged in ungodliness. The “great tribulation” described in Revelation 7:14 primarily targeting the unrighteous, but its purpose is multifaceted. The judgments primarily affect those who oppose God, such as those bearing the mark of the beast (Revelation 16:2) or refusing to repent (Revelation 9:20-21). Believers are promised exemption from God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9), though they may face persecution or trials during the tribulation.
The tribulation addresses unrighteousness and rebellion. It purifies believers and Israel (Zechariah 13:8-9; Revelation 7:14, where the redeemed come out of the tribulation). The tribulation culminates in Christ’s return to defeat evil and establish His reign (Revelation 19:11-21). The tribulation’s judgments are God’s wrath against those who reject Him, persist in sin, and align with the beast or the Antichrist (Revelation 6:16-17, 16:1-2).
The tribulation also serves to refine believers, redeem Israel, and prepare the world for Christ’s return (Daniel 9:24; Revelation 7:14). While believers may endure tribulation-related persecution (Matthew 24:9), they are not the targets of God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Countless people will be converted and turn to Christ during the Tribulation period, particularly the last 3.5 years of Great Tribulation, but they are not the object of God’s wrath. The tribulation’s purpose as God’s wrath is inferred from multiple passages (e.g., Revelation 6, 16; Daniel 9).
The tribulation is a complex period of divine judgment, wrath, and redemption. While God’s wrath is a central theme, particularly against the ungodly, the tribulation also fulfills God’s redemptive plan.
The Tribulation (particularly the second half, the "Great Tribulation") is indeed God’s wrath, but it’s crucial to distinguish between Satan/Antichrist’s persecution (evil against believers & Israel) and God’s direct wrath (judgment on a Christ-rejecting world). The Tribulation Includes both human evil & divine wrath. This is the period of the Antichrist satanic ruling and reigning for seven years. The Antichrist wages war on saints (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7). This is not God’s wrath but evil’s fury against God’s people (Matthew 24:9-10). The seals, trumpets, and bowls (Revelation 6-16) are God’s direct judgments on a rebellious world (Revelation 6:16-17, 14:10, 16:1). These are explicitly called "the wrath of God" (Revelation 14:19, 15:1, 16:19). Believers endure persecution from the Antichrist, but Scripture promises deliverance from God’s wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9; Revelation 3:10). Revelation 15:1 calls the bowls "the last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete."
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 explains God sends "strong delusion" to those who reject the truth. The word “truth” is referring to the gospel and sound doctrine that lead to salvation. It is the divine revelation of the gospel and sound doctrine coming from the Bible, which alone saves. The Antichrist’s deception will target those who neglect Scriptural truth of salvation. The Antichrist will come as Satan tool, full of satanic power, and will trick those who reject the truth accompanied by strange demonstrations, and will do great miracles so as to deceived countless people during the Tribulation period. These miracles will convince them leading to their deception initiated by Satan and the Antichrist. He will completely fool those who are on their way to hell because they have said no to the truth, for they refuse to believe it. God will allow them with all their heart to believe Satan and Antichrist lies. The Antichrist is empowered by those who "refused to love the truth, so that the Great Apostasy mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 happens when people reject biblical truth for lies (e.g., false gospels, universalism, secularism). A strong delusion sent by God on those who reject biblical truth, and their rejection leads them to produce their false belief. Eventually, their spiritual and eternal destruction will be executed by God, for they would be justly judged by God for believing falsehood and refusing the truth.
Romans 2:5-6 warns of "storing up wrath" for the "day of wrath." People deceived won’t listen so that they are saving terrible punishment for themselves because of their stubbornness in refusing to accept the truth and to turn away from their sins. For there is going to come a day of wrath in the Tribulation period when God will be the just Judge of all. He will give each one whatever his deeds deserve. He will give eternal life in heaven to those who are obedient to God, patiently submitting to do to God’s will. But with absolute certainty, God will terribly punish those who fight against the truth and walk in evil ways, for God’s anger will be poured out on them during the Tribulation period.
The Tribulation is God’s wrath and it is also Satan’s last stand, for at the end of seven years tribulation, God has predestined that Satan and the Antichrist will be destroyed (Revelation 19:20, 20:10). God’s wrath is a righteous judgment because it targets unrepentant sinner (Revelation 9:20-21, 16:9). Believers suffer under the Antichrist but are spared eternal wrath (Revelation 7:14-17). Tribulation’s purpose is to purge evil, save Israel (Zechariah 13:8-9), and establish Christ’s kingdom (Revelation 19:11-20:6). The Tribulation is both Satan’s persecution and God’s wrath, but Scripture reserves the term "wrath of God" specifically for divine judgments (seals/trumpets/bowls), not human evil.
Generally speaking from a biblical point of view, Tribulation is commonly referred to as:
• A period where God's righteous wrath and God’s global judgment on a Christ-rejecting world is indeed poured
out on the earth.
• A part of God’s plan to judge sin, targeting unrepentant sinner and the ungodly, and eventually establishing
God’s kingdom.
• God’s wrath against unrighteousness and rebellion as an expression of divine judgment.
• "The Day of the Lord," a time of God's fierce anger and judgment against ungodliness.
• A period of global destruction, cosmic disturbances, and the downfall of wicked systems.
• A prophetic descriptions of God's just vengeance for those who reject Him and persist in sin.
• Natural disasters, human conflicts – divinely ordained judgments to punish sin and bring about God's
purposes.
• An event designed for the rebellious world that has rejected God’s grace and truth and persistently engaged
in their evilness.
• An event for those who oppose God, those bearing the mark of the beast (Antichrist) and aligns with the
beast refusing to repent.
• An event where believers are promised exemption and deliverance from God’s wrath, leading to their
redemption.
• An act of God to purify believers and redeem Israel addressing unrighteousness and rebellion.
• An event that prepares the world for Christ Second Coming that culminates in Christ’s return to defeat evil
and establish His millennial kingdom reign.
• An event where converted believers during Tribulation period may endure tribulation-related persecution, but
they are not the targets of God’s wrath.
• The fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
• The period of Antichrist ruling and reigning, persecuting the Jews and believers worldwide, where evil’s fury
(Satan and Antichrist) against God’s people is manifested,
• Satan and Antichrist last stand – God will destroy them at the end of seven years Tribulation.
• The period of time where evilness is purged, Israel is saved, and establishment of Christ’s kingdom.
• An event where more than 4 billion people will be killed
As established earlier, the Bible consistently portrays God's wrath as a righteous response to sin, rebellion, and rejection of Him. It's not arbitrary, but a just consequence for those who choose evil; for God gave us free will to choose between good and evil. God will not force us in choosing for good and evil. Like what Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden when they disobeyed Him. God did not force them, but instead He gave them free will to choose between good and evil.
God’s preordained seven years Tribulation is destined for "evilness" or the ungodly people, while true believers in Christ are to be removed in the Rapture and protected through this period of intense divine wrath; they are spared from God’s wrath:
• Romans 1:18: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men”. The word "revealed" (Greek: apokalyptetai) in this context signifies an ongoing, active, and increasingly evident manifestation of God's righteous judgment against sin. It's something that is being unveiled and taking effect in the present. "Revealed" pertains to those people practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness. God is taking action against their ungodly deeds. It's not just a mental disapproval from God. His wrath is actively being expressed. Their deeds will indeed merit God's wrath. Apostle Paul is establishing the universal guilt of humanity. The very nature of ungodliness (failure to honor God) and unrighteousness (immoral acts) inherently deserves God's wrath because it is a rebellion against His holy character and moral order. The "revelation" of wrath is the just response to this deservingness. God is working in ways that lead to the detrimental consequences of sin, ultimately culminating in spiritual, eternal death – an eternal separation from God and everlasting banishment from God’s presence in His heavenly kingdom for those who remain in unrepentant rebellion.
Further scriptural confirmation in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, says: “And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” The word “to wait for His Son from heaven” means believers are waiting for Jesus in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, and the word “wrath to come” means that the wrath will take place in the future, in the 7 years Tribulation. Thus, believers is really not the object of God’s wrath because they will be protected and taken away in the Rapture before the wrath of God comes.
The additional scriptural verses below will likewise confirm that that believers is indeed not the target of God’s wrath, it is reserved for unbelievers and to those who are disobedient to God, for those practicing ungodliness and unrighteousness before God:
1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Romans 5:9: “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him”.
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides in him.
Ephesians 5:6 The wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Colossians 3:6 The wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.
The verses that have just been presented are explicitly written with a very clearly indication of believers in Christ/Jesus followers are spared from God’s wrath; with absolute certainty, they are not the object of God’s wrath. These presented verses are irrefutable proof that the seven years Tribulation, accompanied by global destruction of natural calamities and disasters, cosmic disturbances, and human conflicts mentioned in the Book of revelation is not for believers; it is reserved for people who are disobedient to God and for nonbelievers practicing unrighteousness and ungodliness before God. Revelation 14:9-10 “If anyone worship the beast (Antichrist) and his image, and receive his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone”. Receiving the mark of the beast is presented as a deliberate, conscious act of allegiance to the Antichrist and rejection of God. It's the ultimate act of rebellion during the Tribulation. Because this act signifies a final, unrepentant rejection of God's authority and grace, it merits the most severe and eternal consequences of God's wrath that culminates in Hell. The Tribulation is a period of God's wrath on earth, preparing for Christ's return. However, the ultimate and eternal manifestation of God's wrath for the unrepentant is indeed Hell/the Lake of Fire. It is a stark warning that those who side with the Beast will not only face God's wrath during the Tribulation, but also after death, will face eternal torments in hell. The word "tormented with fire and brimstone" is indeed a direct reference to the ultimate, eternal punishment in Hell (or the Lake of Fire) for those who reject God and worship the beast. Those who worship the beast (Antichrist) and receive his mark will indeed be sent to Hell (the Lake of Fire) after they die. During the Tribulation period, those worshipping the beast and receiving his mark is simply the ultimate and final act of rebellion that seals the fate of the beast worshipper and choose their own path of their soul’s ruin and destruction, a path towards eternal torments in hell when they die.
Other passages clearly teach their eternal damnation. Unrepentant sinners who have rejected God's offer of salvation through Christ will ultimately be sent to Hell when they die. This is a fundamental teaching throughout the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 25:41, John 3:18, 3:36, Romans 6:23, 2 Thessalonians 1:9). Faith in Jesus Christ provides confidence that believers are spared from divine judgment. Believers in Christ who are righteous, God-fearing, and have faith in Jesus Christ will be Raptured—taken up to be with Christ—before the seven year tribulation begins; thus being spared from God’s wrath. Believers, through faith in Christ, are justified and thus not subject to God’s wrath, for they will have divine protection. Faith in Christ ensures ultimate salvation and exemption from God’s judgment (John 3:36; Romans 8:1), likewise from the wrath of God that will happen in the seven years Tribulation; a divine wrath that is mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
So we have established from this article that tribulation is only for nonbelievers, for godless, unrighteous people. That seven years tribulation indeed represents God’s wrath. All the cataclysmic events mentioned in the Book of Revelation is a representation of God’s wrath. Believers need not be afraid because they will not experience God’s wrath, for they will be removed from earth in the Rapture before the seven years Tribulation breaks out. God unleashed His wrath in the seven years Tribulation that will accompanied by horrifying events in human history that has never happened before, nor will it ever happen again.
Likewise we have established in this article by examining carefully the Book of Revelation that there would be more than 4 billion people in the entire world who will die in the Tribulation period. It is highly probable that a disproportionately large number of deaths during the Tribulation would occur in highly populated countries with a low percentage of evangelical Christians, such as China, India, and other nations where Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or secularism are the dominant worldviews.
It is indeed much better to turn to Jesus Christ now than to regret it in the end.
The Rapture is an imminent event that can come anytime. There are no prophetic events that must occur before it occurs. It could happen literally at any moment. This creates a sense of urgency for believers to be ready and for non-believers to consider their spiritual state. God promises to deliver Jesus followers from the period of His wrath, the seven-year Tribulation. Accepting Jesus now means being part of that group destined for removal before the horror begins.
Horrendous Nature of the Tribulation as described in the Book of Revelation are descriptions of catastrophe, involving widespread death, unimaginable suffering, ecological collapse, and intense persecution under the Antichrist. To be left behind means to face these very real, terrifying events. There would be second chance for people left behind in the Rapture. Countless number of people will turn to Jesus Christ in the Tribulation period. While people can come to faith during the Tribulation (as "Tribulation Saints"), they will do so under extremely difficult circumstances, facing persecution and likely face death through martyrdom. The unique, comforting "escape" of the Rapture is specifically for those who are believers before it happens. Beyond the Tribulation itself lies eternal consequences. The ultimate fate for those who reject Jesus Christ is eternal separation from God, symbolized by the "lake of fire and brimstone”, a literal representation of nonbelievers soul going to hell after death. Turning to Jesus now secures eternal life and avoids this ultimate, eternal consequence. Therefore, the call to "turn to Jesus Christ now" is a practical and urgent invitation based on the potential future events described in the Bible. It's an appeal for people to respond to God's grace and secure their salvation, avoiding both the earthly judgments of the Tribulation and the eternal judgment of Hell. The judgments in Revelation, tantamount to God's wrath are global and indiscriminate in their reach. It will directly affect people around the world who do not put their faith in Jesus Christ, for they are not protected by God's grace through faith in Christ.
It is indeed much better to turn to Jesus Christ now than to regret it in the end, accept Him as Lord and Savior while there’s still time, while there’s still hope, repent right now, turn from sin. Just take the winning side, on Jesus side in order not to be left behind when the Rapture takes place.
