End Time Charts

By Gary Vaterlaus & Scott Holmgren

Rapture Positions Compared

This chart provides a simple comparison of the four general positions that are taken in reference to the timing of the Rapture in relation to Daniel's 70th Week - the seven-year period at the bottom.

Both the Pretrib and Prewrath positions have question marks that indicate that there is no fixed time for when the Rapture will occur. Midtrib places the Rapture at the halfway mark, or three-and-a-half years from the beginning of the 70th Week. Posttrib fixes the Rapture at the completion of the seven-year period.

Click here to get more detailed information on the Rapture positions as well as Millennial Positions.

Daniel's 70th Week

This chart diagrams Daniel's 70th Week as described in Daniel 9:27:

"And he [the "prince who is to come," i.e. the beast or Antichrist, in v. 26] will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."

"The middle of the week" refers to the mid-point of the seven-year period. Since a prophetic year is 360 days, half of seven years, or three-and-a-half years, equals 1260 days or forty-two months.

Several other passages confirm that forty-two month timeframe after the covenant is broken:

Daniel 12:7b
"… that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed."

Revelation 12:6
"And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days."

Revelation 12:14
"And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent."

Revelation 13:5
"And there was given to him [the beast/Antichrist] a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him."

Daniel's 70th Week and Armageddon

This chart incorporates the timeframe given in Daniel 12:11 with Daniel's 70th Week as described in Daniel 9:27.

"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (Dan. 9:27)

"And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days." (Dan. 12:11)

When the "abomination of desolation" (see Matt. 24:15 for Olivet Discourse context) is set up there are 1290 days (Dan. 12:11) "until a complete destruction... is poured out on the one [the prince, Antichrist] who makes desolate" (Dan 9:27b). This complete destruction of Antichrist will occur at Armageddon (Rev. 19:20-21).

Daniel's 70th Week, Armageddon, and the Millennium

This chart adds Daniel 12:12 to the timeframe given in Daniel 12:11 and Daniel's 70th Week as described in Daniel 9:27.

"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (Dan. 9:27)

"And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days." (Dan. 12:11)

"How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days!" (Dan. 12:12)

The 1,335 days refer to a "blessed" event which, although not explicitly stated as such, can be understood to refer to the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom Rule of Jesus Christ upon the earth – the next event to occur after Armageddon in Revelation 20.

The First Six Seals Opened

The chart below adds the first six seals of Revelation 6 to the timing of Daniel's 70th Week as described in Daniel 9:27. When compared with Christ's Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24, the events can be seen in their proper sequence.

The 1st Seal - The appearance of the false messiah, Antichrist (Rev. 6:1-2; Matt. 24:5)

The 2nd Seal - Wars (Rev. 6:3-4; Matt. 24:6)

The 3rd Seal - Famine (Rev. 6:5-6; Matt. 24:7)

Then in Matthew 24:8, Christ identifies what has transpired, "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs." At that point, Antichrist begins his authority to rule for "forty-two months" (the second half of the seven-year period; Rev. 13:5). Christ calls what will happen next "a great tribulation" (Matt. 24:21).

The 4th Seal - Death, the Great Tribulation of Antichrist (Rev. 6:7-8; Matt. 24:9; Rev. 12:12-17)

The 5th Seal - Cry of those Martyred by Satan's wrath (Rev. 6:9-11; Matt. 24:10, 12; Mark 13:11-12)

The 6th Seal - The signs that initiate the Day of the Lord (Rev. 6:12-14; Matt. 24:29)

How do we know that the 6th Seal initiates the Day of the Lord? What does the Old Testament teach will initiate the Day of the Lord?

"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars lose their brightness. And the Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the Lord is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel." (Joel 3:14-16)

In what sequence does the Old Testament indicate these events will occur?

"The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes." (Joel 2:31)

The Timing of the Rapture

The chart below adds the timing of the Rapture, the seventh seal of Revelation 8, and the Day of the Lord to the first six seals of Revelation 6 and Matthew 24.

This depiction of when the Rapture will occur does not place the event at a specific time, for no one knows when it will occur (Matt. 24:36). Rather the timing of the Rapture is shown relative to the sequence of events that occur before and after it.

The opening of the 6th Seal results in the signs that initiate the Day of the Lord (Rev. 6:12-14; Matt. 24:29; Joel 2:31 and 3:14-16). This also results in the Great Tribulation being "cut short" (Matt. 24:15, 21-22, 29).

Christ, in the Olivet Discourse, taught that after the sun, moon, and stars go out, "the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky,... and He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other" (Matt. 24:29-31).

This harmonizes with God's promise to deliver His church before His wrath begins (1 Thes. 1:10 and 5:9). This harmonizes with John's description of the great multitude in Revelation 7 that occurs after the seals of chapter 6 and before the trumpets of chapter 8 (Rev. 7:9, 13-14). This harmonizes with Paul's description of the Rapture itself (1 Thess. 4:15-17).

Once the Rapture takes place, and God has rescued His own, the wrath of God will be poured out upon the wicked who remain during the Day of the Lord.

Christ taught that the sequence of rescue and wrath when He comes again will be just as it was in the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37-39; cf. Gen. 7:13, 17) and Lot (Luke 17:28-30; cf. Gen. 19:15-25).

The opening of the 7th Seal then initiates the Day of the Lord (Rev. 8:1-6) which is executed through the trumpet and bowl judgments.

Paul confirms the sequence thus far in his second epistle to the Thessalonians (2:1-4):

The "coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together with Him" (v.1) and "the day of the Lord" (v.2) "will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness [Antichrist] is revealed" (v.3). He will take "his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God [the midpoint of the 70th Week, thus beginning the Great Tribulation]" (v.4).