One of the confusing things about the chronology of Revelation is that the sixth seal stubbornly describes a major catastrophe where people want to hide from the face of the Lamb (indicating the coming of Jesus to earth on the Day of the Lord), but it is followed by the seventh seal, which is closely linked to the seven trumpets that follow.
There are two ways to interpret this:
1) the sun and moon are darkened multiple times, and the events in Revelation 6:12-17 just happen to be very similar to descriptions of the day of the Lord
2) Revelation 6:12-17 does describe the day of the Lord, and so do the seventh trumpet and the seventh bowl.
I think #2 is correct, but I also think the trumpets follow the seventh seal. This is possible if Revelation 6:12-17 does not take place at the time of the sixth seal.
The main focus of the sixth seal is the sealing of the 144,000 people of Israel, since the angel has the "seal" of the living God (Revelation 7:2-4). Revelation 6:12-16 provides the backdrop to the question in Revelation 6:17 (NIV) that introduces the 144,000:
Then the great multitude in Revelation 7:9-17 is shown having withstood the great day of wrath. Except they are from all nations, not just Israel, though it is likely that the 144,000 are somewhere in the crowd (the crowd includes every tribe, which should include the twelve tribes of Israel). But this too is far in the future, after the tribulation ends.For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?
If this resolves the sequence for the seals and trumpets, we are left with the seven bowls. I think given all the other narratives that separate the seven trumpets and the seven bowls, it is possible to treat the bowls as a microscope into the time leading up to the seventh trumpet.
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