In the Book of Revelation, we read of the seven trumpets and the seven vials. To explain both in a nutshell is very simple actually. The seven trumpets are amateur disturbances upon the earth, whilst the seven vials are the fullness of God’s wrath upon the earth. When we read of the seven trumpets in Revelation chapters eight, nine and eleven, it is a “third” of the earth that is being smitten, whereas when we read of the seven vials in Revelation 16, it is the entire world that is being smitten. This again establishes the fact that the trumpets and vials differ in their scope of impact upon the earth.
In the Tribulation period, Moses and Elijah will be revealing Christ to the 144,000 Jews in the nation of Israel, and whilst doing so, they will be smiting the earth with plagues according to Revelation 11: 6: These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. This is key to separating the trumpets from the vials, because named among the judgments here is the cessation of rain.
The cessation of rain is significant in accurately placing when the seven vials are poured out. If we turn our attention to Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39, we read of how Russia and its armies invade Israel and are destroyed by Divinely engineered disturbances of nature, malfunctioning weapons’ systems (Ezekiel 39: 3) and anarchy (Ezekiel 38: 21). Ezekiel 38: 19 – 22 expresses how God’s jealousy and wrath will be poured out upon the enemies of Israel, and in reading these verses, we learn that they parallel perfectly with what is happening under the vials in Revelation 16.
There will be a great shaking in the land of Israel (Ezekiel 38: 19 – 20), which is the great earthquake under the seventh vial (Revelation 16: 17 – 20). There will be pestilence (Ezekiel 38: 22) which is the noisome and grievous sore under the first vial (Revelation 16: 2). There is blood (Ezekiel 38: 22) which is seen under the second vial and the third vial (Revelation 16: 3 – 7). There are great hailstones, which is against seen under the seventh vial. There is fire (Ezekiel 38: 22) which is seen under the fourth vial (Revelation 16: 8 – 9).
Moses and Elijah are off the scene at that time, having been killed, resurrected and raptured to Heaven at the end of their ministry (Revelation 11: 7 – 12). Armageddon follows the Tribulation period, and is when God’s jealous wrath is seen in full force. Ezekiel tells us that when God’s fury is going forth, it will have an expression in the form of an overflowing rain. This rain can only come after Moses and Elijah are gone, for we will recall that it did not rain in the days of their prophecy. This is why the mention of rain is so critical in our placing of when the vials are actually being poured out.