I believe the 7 vials is the wrath of God, which happens after the Rapture of the church. God then pours His wrath out on creation. Why would God pour His wrath out on His own children, those that belong to Him?
Here is the basis for my belief. (see post 22 here
http://christianchat.com/bible-disc...-church-concerning-rapture-2.html#post1427655)
Namely, compare Revelation 6:12-17 to Jesus speaking in Matthew 13:22-29 and read through the seals of Revelation 6 and see that all have been broken and opened and, thus, have occurred, save the one that compares with these two verses of Scripture and the seventh seal, regarding silence in heaven for a half hour. Thus, according to Christ and the timing in Revelation, after the sixth seal is broken, the church is Raptured. I daresay, instantly, followed by the seventh seal being loosed.
Jesus prevailed and has authority to open the scroll and break the seals (Revelation 5:9). It is required to be opened before the contents of the scroll can be revealed. By loosing the seals on the outside of the scroll the contents can be read. Let us not confuse the seals for the contents, but rather see the necessity of loosing the seals to be able to see what is inside. What does it require Jesus to open the seals? All authority had to be passed to Him, which it was. Why does Jesus need to loose the seals? So that the end of the age can come.
Seal 1: The spirit of anti-Christ is was released (Matthew 24:4; 1 John 2:18, 4:3)
Seal 2: War, as we see daily everywhere (Matthew 26:6)
Seal 3: Famine (Matthew 24:7) This one has to do with famine and starvation, where there is plenty in some places, but scarcity in others, and though we could offer assistance to those who need it, we demand payment they cannot make, earthquakes, which we have seen the quantity and magnitude increase and pestilences
Seal 4: Death, which was released by Christ upon His return to heaven (ascension), for Christ was given the keys to hell and death, so until Christ released death once more, no one could die (Matthew 24:9)
Seal 5: Souls under the altar crying out for repayment (Matthew 24:9) Comfort offered for those who remain, as in those who are being persecuted and martyred today (1 Thessalonians 4:13-15)
Seal 6: The pending one, which is sun becomes darkened, moon turns to blood, and this is the coming wrath of the Lamb (Matthew 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-28)
After the seals are loosed, we see the sealing of the 144,000 and the great multitude none can number in Revelation 7:1-4. We know that the sealing of the 144,000 are the completed Jewish believers and the great multitude which no one can number, from every nation, tribe, people and tongues, is us, those of us who follow and believe in Christ and are His now, today. Those before, those who get saved tomorrow...this is the multitude spoken of.
In Matthew 24:31 we are spoken of as wearing white robes with palm branches in our hands. We are the ones that have come through tribulation, not the time of Jacob's Trouble, which is the wrath of God and is mistakenly labeled "the great tribulation" by many, and our robes have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. New Testament Great Tribulation is explained in Revelation 2:9, John 16:33 and Matthew 24:9, which are the times we are living in now.
Why do I believe that the Rapture happens at the loosening of the sixth seal, besides the reasons given above? Because we are not appointed for the wrath of God! The Bible tells us so in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10, namely verses 9-10, where it says, "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him." NKJV
The seventh seal is the great silence in heaven for half an hour, when the trumpets are passed out, incense rises from the altar in heaven, which is the prayers of the saints. Thus, at this time, the judgment required for 2000 years of forbearance that God has had for us comes upon the earth.
Thus, the trumpets, vials, etc. that follow are poured out after the church is raptured. The wrath of God has come.