Biblically, God has set a pattern of working for six “days” or time periods, then ceasing work on the Sabbath: the seventh “day” or time period.  This pertains to Creation (Exodus 20:11a), as well as to people (16:23-20, 20:9,10, 21:2), and even to land (Leviticus 25:2-4).

From Daniel 9:27a, we know that there is to transpire a “week” of seven years: the 70th Week (which may have commenced with the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy).  In the 70th Week, during the time period encompassed by the first six seals (Revelation 6:1-17), the Lamb (Jesus) is seen to be opening each of the seals.  Then, in sequence, He will open the Seventh Seal (8:1).

Would God command something which He Himself would not follow?  The 70th Week is a very significant week of years on God’s prophetic timetable.  Why would this week be different from any other God-ordained week, when it comes to the seventh day as being distinctive and unique?

Because of God’s principle of doing something for six units of time and then discontinuing that task during the seventh unit of time—the Sabbath—it seems reasonable to suppose that the seven years of the 70th Week will be no different.  That is, He actively will be in the process of opening the seals for six years and then will cease doing so for one year.  Interestingly, this final period will begin with a brief period of “silence in heaven” (Revelation 8:1)—perhaps to signify, to all of creation, that God has concluded a six-year-long process of opening the seals and has begun to rest from this task on the seventh day/year.

This is not  to say that God will be pouring out His wrath during the first six years of the 70th Week (as this period of trials, birth pains, and great tribulation will not  be a direct result of God’s wrath).  It does indicate that the “work” of Jesus, the Lamb, as far as opening the seven seals of the heavenly scroll (Revelation 5:1-5), will be over when He opens the Seventh Seal.  As soon as he does this, He will have completed this activity.  Then He will direct the seven angels to be the instruments who will pour out the trumpet judgments (constituting the initial phase of God’s direct wrath)—very likely for a period of one year.

The wrath of God will be imminent only after the Sixth Seal has been opened (Revelation 6:16,17).  As soon the Seventh Seal is opened, the Lamb’s undertaking of unfastening the seven seals will be concluded.  Maybe the silence of about half an hour (8:1), at that point, will be a pause separating the sixth and seventh “days” (years) of the 70th Week.  Then, “the seven angels who stand before God” will be given the seven trumpets: the instruments by which the first phase of God’s wrath will be blown out upon the earth (8:2,6,7a,8a,10a,12a, 9:1a,13a, 11:15a).

The Seventh Seal: Day of the Lord portion of the 70th Week is the period of time during which God’s wrathful vengeance will be unleashed upon the earth, followed directly by the glorious Millennium.  Isaiah made three different references to this wrathful period, each time calling it the “day of vengeance” and, in each case, seeming to imply that it would last for a year:

For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause (Isaiah 34:8).

...to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn... (Isaiah 61:2).

For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come (Isaiah 63:4)

1. The word “retribution” means “vengeance.”  This will be the year that the ultimate outpouring of God’s wrathful retribution or vengeance, upon an unrepentant, rebellious world, will take place (followed by the Bowl Judgments for 30 days).
2. The word “favor” implies that God will look favorably upon those who are saved.  They will be caught up at the Rapture, spending the next year in heaven, while God’s wrath is being discharged upon the earth, via the trumpet judgments (Revelation 8:6–9:21).
3. The word “redemption” implies that those who have believed in the saving power of the Lord Jesus will be redeemed or saved, via the Rapture, which will take place at the beginning of that year-long period.

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you” (Isaiah 35:3,4).

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.  They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Revelation 6:9,10).

See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins.  The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer (Isaiah 26:21).

Interestingly, a “sabbatical” is a hiatus, typically one year in length, during which an individual takes a break from what he/she has been doing to fulfill some goal.  The person does not cease labor for that year; he/she merely interrupts his/her regular, repetitive work schedule to do something else.  Perhaps the seventh year of the 70th Week will be God’s “sabbatical,” from opening the seven seals, to accomplish His goal of culminating human history as we know it.