Many Bible students believe the Great Tribulation is in our future, but this idea simply isn’t true. If we truly believe that only Jesus (the Lamb) was able to open the seven sealed book (Revelation 5:5-7), which God gave to him to disclose to his disciples (Revelation 1:1), then we need to simply stop prognosticating our own ideas, thinking they are true, when all we have shown ourselves to be is newspaper exegetes. Nevertheless, Jesus told his disciples in the Olivet Discourse that at least some of them would see the beginning of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:15; cf. 16:27-28).
Notice that in Revelation 7:13 John was asked by one of the twenty-four elders who the multitude was that was dressed in white robes, and from where did they came, implying they were not present before the Throne before the opening of the 6th seal. John responded that he didn’t know, but surely the elder knew (Revelation 7:14). The elder told him they were those who were coming out of the Great Tribulation and had washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. The Greek word (erchomai – G2064) translated “came” should be translated as Young’s Literal Translation has it: “These are those who are coming out of the great tribulation…” (emphasis mine). In other words, the multitude wasn’t there before the Throne until the breaking of the 6th seal. At that time they were seen coming before the throne and were still coming, according to the Greek, as the elder questioned John.
Knowing that the great multitude were coming out of the Great Tribulation since the opening of the sixth seal, it precludes the idea they were coming out of the Great Tribulation during the breaking of any of the five previous seals. It seems apparent that with the opening of the 6th seal (Revelation 6:12-17) the nations, including the national Jews, were then being gathered together in one place for judgment, while the disciples of Jesus were being gathered together in another place for their protection (Matthew 13:30, 37-43; cf. Revelation 7:1-4). Therefore, however the Great Tribulation is understood, it must begin with the opening of the 6th seal, and in the context of a previous study of mine[1], this understanding embraces the time of the war between Jerusalem and Rome (cir. autumn of 66 AD to spring of 70 AD, or 3 ½ years).
Therefore, although the church endured tribulation prior to this time (viz. the opening of the 5th seal; Revelation 6:9-11; cf. 2:9-10), that was not the Great Tribulation (cf. Revelation 2:22). Undoubtedly, the Great Tribulation began with believers fleeing Jerusalem (viz. Matthew 24:15-16), at the very beginning of the war, itself, which lasted from autumn of 66 AD to spring of 70 AD or cir. 3 ½ years. The fleeing event took place at the time that Josephus records, writing that the Roman army under Cestius Gallus, the Roman general and governor of Syria, had surrounded and even entered Jerusalem, breaking down its north wall, but, instead of continuing to lay siege against those taking refuge in the Temple, they retreated for no good reason.[2]
It was at that time many Jews fled the city.[3] These Jews, evidently, included or were composed entirely of believers who recognized the sign Jesus gave in the Olivet Discourse (Luke 21:20-21). So, I believe it was at this point that the 6th seal was broken, the heavenly signs (viz. the signs Jesus gave in the Olivet Discourse) appeared, believers fled Jerusalem, and, in doing so, thus began the separation of the elect from the unbelievers (viz. Matthew 13:30, 37-43; cf. Revelation 7:9, 14; Matthew 24:29-31). The wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16), began with the opening of the 6th seal. Nevertheless, although the blowing of the trumpets and the emptying of the vials does come later in the Apocalypse, this doesn’t necessarily mean they follow the seals in time. Rather the trumpet judgments are, for the most part, overlaid upon the time of the seals. Only the Vial judgments occur over a period of cir. 3 ½ years or autumn of 66 AD to the spring of 70 AD. The three judgments (seals, trumpets and vials) represent the three offices of Jesus, the Messiah. He is the High Priest (Revelation 1 through the opening of the seventh seal), the Prophet (the Trumpet judgments to about the end of Revelation 14), and the King of kings, (the Vial judgments, beginning in Revelation 15:1 and on through the end of the Apocalypse). This will become clearer as we come to those sections of the book.
The multitude were given white robes, that is, they made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. At the time of John’s writing the Apocalypse, the church was going through a period of tribulation (Revelation 1:9; 2:9-10), but, as I mentioned above, this was not the time of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 2:22). Therefore, the multitude of Revelation 7:14 were believers who had apostatized and / or unbelievers who had repented, during the time of the Great Tribulation. All these repented under the discipline of God during this time.
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[1] See my study: The Wrath of the Lamb.
[2] Josephus: Wars of the Jews; 2.19.7
[3] Josephus: Wars of the Jews; 2.20.1
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