There are four major views of Revelation: Preterist (past 1st century), Idealist (allegory), Historicist (Church history) and Futurist (future Tribulation/Millennium). Most prophecy teachers follow one of these views.

•  Preterist - Revelation is prophecy fulfilled primarily in the first century.
•  Idealist - Revelation is an allegory of spiritual lessons and conflicts between good and evil.
•  Historicist - Revelation is prophecy fulfilled during the Church Age popular during the Reformation.

The Futurist is the majority view of Protestant Christians. It follows a literal interpretation of Scripture that teaches the future Rapture occurs before the seven-year Tribulation and Second Coming occurs before the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on earth. Seals, trumpets and bowls occur sequentially within the Tribulation.

What happens when future prophecy becomes current events? We are at the end of the Church Age but see some prophecies already fulfilled. Here is a present or 21st century view.

The Presentist view is modified Futuristist view. It agrees with Futurists that teaches the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation and Millennium. The Rapture, Tribulation, Second Coming, Millennium, New Heaven and Earth are still future. However, Revelation is not sequential but visions are grouped by topics, with various beginnings but end at the Second Coming. At the end of the Church Age and 6th Day, a few prophecies such as seven churches, four seals, fives trumpets and Revelation 12 signs are fulfilled. The United States is in the Bible and nations are preparing for the Tribulation.

God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Revelation 12 Signs

Since 2014, there were many signs in the sky. From 2014-2016, a series of solar and lunar eclipses occurred on Jewish days. August 2017 was the Great American Eclipse from Oregon to South Carolina. April 2024 is a future Great American Eclipse from Texas to Maine.

God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, seasons, days and years (Genesis 1:14).

Revelation 12 is taught as a parenthesis: the past birth of Jesus Christ and future Tribulation between the woman Israel and red dragon. However, there is a literal sign of a woman in heaven. Jupiter's movement is the unique and amazing part. From November 2016 to September 2017, Jupiter traveled back and forth through the constellation Virgo for nine months. Then on September 23, 2017, the Sun covers Virgo and the Moon is under her feet. Nine stars of Leo plus "wandering stars" Mercury, Venus and Mars are the crown of twelve stars as the planets align. See Revelation 12 Signs, 2024 Eclipse.

There appeared a great wonder [sign] in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered (Revelation 12:1-2).

A second sign appears in heaven, a red dragon with seven heads. The seven crowns are seven stars of Corona Borealis. The dragon has seven serpent heads and parts of seven constellations that encircle the woman. In December 2020, ten meteor showers near Hydra dropped a third of the stars from the sky. These two Revelation signs are not the only prophecies fulfilled before the Tribulation.

Seven Churches

Revelation was written to seven first-century churches in Asia Minor (Turkey). They are used to evaluate the scriptural health of present day churches. Prophetically, the churches are seven sequential periods of the Church Age starting at Pentecost. Laodicea is the seventh and last church period. The Church is lukewarm but God uses trumpet blasts to wake up His people and prepare the world for the Tribulation. See Teshuvah. The Laodicean period starts ~1900 and ends at the Rapture. Noah had 120 years before the flood, so we have about 120 years (Genesis 6:3). On September 14, 1901 (Trumpets), Teddy Roosevelt became the first president of the modern era (Leviticus 23:24-25).

I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea (Revelation 1:11).

7th Trumpet: In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets (Revelation 10:7).
7th Bowls: The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done (Revelation 16:17).

7th Seal, 7th Trumpet, 7th Bowl - Armageddon/Second Coming

The Bible is not sequential but organized by type then time: Law, history, poetry, prophecy.... Genesis 1-2 describe six days of creation and man, God rests and then creates Adam and Eve. Like a spiral, the story goes back to day six for more details. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph are in order but overlap.

Just like Genesis, Revelation is not a list of events but a history book by topics that move the narrative along. Then it goes sequentially (Revelation 1:19) and like many books, follows a chiastic structure. Seals, trumpets, bowls, Tribulation, Antichrist and Armageddon begin at different times but end at the Second Coming. Notice the 6th seal, 7th seal, 7th trumpet, 7th bowl and Ezekiel 38-39 list lightning, thunder, voices, great hailstones, earthquakes, mountains and islands move describing just two events.

6th Seal - I beheld when he [angel] had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places (Revelation 6:12-14).

7th Seal - When he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake (Revelation 8:1, 5).

7th Trumpet - The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail (Revelation 11:15, 19).

7th Seal - When he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake (Revelation 8:1, 5).

7th Trumpet - The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail (Revelation 11:15, 19).

7th Bowl - The seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, thunders, lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague was exceeding great (Revelation 16:17-18, 20-21).

7th Trumpet: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:7)

7th Bowl: The seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done (Revelation 16:17).

7th Bowl - The seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, thunders, lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague was exceeding great (Revelation 16:17-18, 20-21).

Ezekiel 38 - For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, fowls of the heaven, beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep upon the earth and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:19-20, 22).

In a futurist consecutive order, there are seven seals ending with earthquakes, seven trumpets ending with earthquakes and seven bowls ending with earthquakes during the Tribulation. In a topicial spiral, two witnesses occur in the middle with an earthquake (Revelation 11:13), Russia with radical Islam ends with an earthquake (Revelation 6:12-13, 14, Ezekiel 38:19-20, 22) and 7th seal, trumpet, bowl are one grand finale. At the 7th trumpet, the mystery of the Tribulation is finished. Seals, trumpets, Tribulation, Antichrist, bowls, Mystery Babylon and Armageddon end at the Second Coming.

In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets (Revelation 10:7).

At the end of the Laodicean period of the Church Age and 6th day, seven church periods, four  horses, five trumpets and Revelation 12 signs are fulfilled. The 21st century view of Revelation makes it clear. America is in the Bible. The Tribulation is just as horrific as God judges the world with two witnesses, 144,000, seven bowls and three nuclear wars. However, God tells us His plan as He works in the lives of His people to bring the message of redemption to the world.

References: 21st Century Revelation: World Wars, Iraq Wars & End War Chapter 19 - Church Age & End Times, Chapter 21 - Four Horses on the Run, Chapter 22, Keys to the Trumpets, Chapter 25 - Iraq War III, Revelation Outline, Covenant, Tribulation, Revelation, 21st Century View, Daniel, America, Timeline of the Tribulation, Revelation 12 Signs, Eclipse, 2017 Eclipse, 2024 Eclipse, Unsealed - Harpazo, Stellarium