Regarding the Last Days we have the understanding that there will be seven bad years of tribulation. Following the example of Joseph and the great famine in Egypt and the world, some think that there will be seven good years followed by the seven bad years of the Tribulation. Perhaps we need to review our understandings.
The foreshadow of the life of Jacob at Padam Aram shows us three seven-year periods. The themes of these three periods were seven good years as Jacob worked voluntarily to pay the bride price for the girl he loved but instead was given her older sister, seven bad years as he had to work again for the girl he loved, and then an additional six years of servitude to his father-in-law with release from servitude in the seventh year in accordance with the law of the Lord.
When considering the periods of Jacob’s life in Padam Aram I discovered that they parallel another Biblical grouping of three sevens; the Seven Seals, Trumpets and Vials. I have long attempted to understand these three groups. It seems clear that there is a parallel between the Trumpets and Vials, and yet the Seals do not follow the same pattern.
Then I studied the themes of the three groups of seven events. First, the theme of the Seven Seals is the Lord Jesus claiming the title deed to the earth. This is a good thing, and corresponds in theme with Jacob’s seven good years.
The next theme has to do with announcements. Since trumpets announce things, I suspect that the Seven Trumpets are announcing the forthcoming Tribulation events, which is why they appear to parallel those events. The announcing and anticipation of Tribulation events in the Last Days are, as the Apostle Paul described them, “perilous times” (II Timothy 3:1), or bad years.
Recall that after the seven bad years of famine in Egypt, Pharaoh the ruler owned and controlled everything. This is a picture or foreshadow of the Man of Sin who will be the ruler and control the entire world.
Wrath is the final theme. The Vials or Bowls of Wrath of the Most High God are, in my opinion, the actual Tribulation events foretold by the Trumpets. These events occur during the seven years of the Tribulation and, in my opinion, will be a time of servitude to the person we know as the anti-Christ.
These events correspond to, and are foreshadowed by, Jacob’s seven years of servitude. Just as Jacob was freed of that servitude by the Lord, so Israel will be freed in the seventh year by the Lord Jesus after enduring the Tribulation.
In terms of understanding the Revelation, the themes of these three groups of seven events appear to be a summary, or outline, of the Last Days and the Revelation, and are shown to us by Jacob’s time in Padam Aram. The following is my opinion, but helps me to understand parts of the Revelation.
For years I have tried to understand the twenty years that Jacob spent in Padam Aram. I am amazed to discover that it was actually twenty-one years, divided into three groups of seven years, and in my opinion, the themes of those three groups reflect the themes of the Seven Seals, Trumpets and Vials of Wrath described in the Revelation.
Praise the name of our Almighty Lord, who placed this in His inimitable Word for us to understand. Praise Him, forever!