The Tribulation
John Hester
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Introduction
Introduction
Before we get into a deep study of the Tribulation, I want to define a few terms for you. These are terms that you will hear repeatedly throughout this discussion as well as our study of the Millennial reign of Christ. The reason I am defining them now is that a lot of theology today promotes two of these erroneous ideas. I will examine why they are so popular after I have stated what they are.
The first is what is know today as AMILLENIALISM. Amillenialism teaches that there will be rule of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth BEFORE the White Throne Judgment (Last Judgment) as recorded in Revelation 20:11-15. Those who hold to such a teaching often use an allegorical interpretation of Scripture which spiritualizes Revelation 20:1-6. Among conservative amillenialists, there are two schools of thought concerning Christ’s thousand year reign. Some see it as fulfilled during our present time of the local church, either on earth or in heaven. Others, however, see it as referring to Jesus’ rule over His people in the eternal state, immediately following His second coming to earth and the last judgment.
Another popular, but erroneous teaching today is POSTMILLENNIALISM. It is the view that the prophecies of the Lord’s millennial rule will be fulfilled before His return, with the whole world being Christianized by gospel preaching and teaching and by Christian legislation. After He returns, the dead will be raised and judged. This view is held today by those who advocated dominion or theodicy theology. Like amillennialsim, postmillenialism is growing in popularity. It is growing mainly because a the Biblical perspective of dispensationalism and its premillennial view is too gloom and doom concerning the Tribulation age. Consequently, they seek to sooth their own conscience by explaining away the Tribulation using an allegorical method of interpretation.
The third view is the Biblical view of PREMILLENNIALISM. Scripture is quite clear that the Tribulation will take place before Christ’s second coming. It will be a time of great judgment as we will see in this study of the Tribulation.
We now move to one of the most widely discussed and misunderstood events of End Times - the Tribulation. This will be a very lengthy study. Let’s begin by considering the phrase:
“The Day of the Lord”
“The Day of the Lord”
Throughout both the Old and New Testament runs a major line of prophecy known as “the Day of the Lord.”
Time Areas Within the Day of the Lord
Time Areas Within the Day of the Lord
Without a doubt, the scope of the Day of the Lord is the greatest debate among many theologians. Some claim that this phrase, “the day of the Lord,” refers to the seven years of tribulation only. Others claim that is applies only to Christ’s Second Coming and the judgments connected to it. Let’s see what the Bible teaches.
Note this term, “the day of the Lord,” occurs in the following passages. I would encourage you to underline it in your Bible each time you see the phrase.
12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, And upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
6 Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, And every man’s heart shall melt:
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; They shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: They shall be amazed one at another; Their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, Cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate: And he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.
3 For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.
15 Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, And as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: For the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: For his camp is very great: For he is strong that executeth his word: For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; And who can abide it?
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; Or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
20 Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?
15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee; Thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: For the day of the Lord is at hand: For the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, He hath bid his guests.
8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice, That I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, And all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, Which fill their masters’ houses with violence and deceit.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, That there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, And an howling from the second, And a great crashing from the hills.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, For all the merchant people are cut down; All they that bear silver are cut off.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time, That I will search Jerusalem with candles, And punish the men that are settled on their lees: That say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.
13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: They shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; And they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
14 The great day of the Lord is near, It is near, and hasteth greatly, Even the voice of the day of the Lord: The mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
1 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, And thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Now, in addition to this phrase, we also have the phrases “that day,” “the day,” or “the great day” which pertain to the same event. These references are found 75 times in the Old Testament. All of which stands to reason that this coming event is an extremely important event within prophecy. You will also note as we read them that the idea of impending judgment is the main topic. We see this especially in Zephaniah 1:14-18
14 The great day of the Lord is near, It is near, and hasteth greatly, Even the voice of the day of the Lord: The mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
15 That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of wasteness and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of the trumpet and alarm Against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the Lord: And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: For he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
You will also note our comprehensive reading of these passages contain the phrase “the day of the Lord” includes not only specific judgments upon Israel and the nations at the end of the tribulation, but also includes judgment that extend over a period of time prior to the Christ’s second coming. Therefore, we can safely conclude that the Day of the Lord is a time of great tribulation.
Note the passage in Zechariah 14:1-4
1 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, And thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; And the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; And half of the city shall go forth into captivity, And the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, As when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, Which is before Jerusalem on the east, And the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, And there shall be a very great valley; And half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, And half of it toward the south.
Here we see that the “day of the Lord” includes Christ’s second advent as “his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives.”
Note again the passage in 2 Peter 3:10
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
This passage indicates that entire 1000 year reign of Christ is related to the phrase “the day of the Lord.” Note that it states “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.” Now, think about this. Our study of Revelation will reveal that Christ’s Second Coming will not be unexpected and unheralded. It will, in fact, happen just the opposite. The entire tribulation period will have many signs and proclamations that Christ will return. Thus, “the day of the Lord” happening as “a thief in the night” must be related more to the events described in 1 Thessalonians 5:2
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
The only way “the day of the Lord” happens unexpectedly and without the world knowing is for the Rapture to take place ushering it in as believers are snatched out of this world.
What then is the scope of the tribulation or the “day of the Lord?”
It is the extended period of time beginning with God’s dealing with Israel immediately after the rapture at the beginning of the Tribulation period extending through the second advent of Christ and the millennial reign of Christ unto the creation of the New Heavens and the New Earth after the millennium.
The Events of the Day of the Lord
The Events of the Day of the Lord
As we will see in our expanded study, the Day of the Lord is momentous and must include a great portion of End Times’ prophecy. It will include all the events of the coming tribulation period such as:
A Federation of States (according to Daniel 2 and Daniel 7)
A Rising Political Ruler over the Federation of States (this rising political ruler will broker a covenant with Israel)(Daniel 9:27; Revelation 13:1-10)
The Formation of a False Religious System under the False Prophet (Revelation 13:11-18)
The Pouring Out of the Seal Judgments (Revelation 6)
The Setting Apart of the 144,000 Witnesses (Revelation 7)
The Sounding of the Trumpet Judgments (Revelation 8-11)
The Rise of God’s Witnesses (Revelation 11)
The Persecution of Israel (Revelation 12)
The Pouring Out of the Bowl Judgments (Revelation 16)
The Overthrow of the False Religious System (Revelation 17-18)
The Armageddon Campaign (Ezekiel 38-39; Revelation 16:16; Revelation 19:17-21)
The Proclamation of Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 24:14)
The “day of the Lord” also includes the events connected with Christ’s Second Advent such as:
Christ’s Return (Matthew 24:29-30)
The Resurrection of O.T. Saints along with Tribulation Saints (John 6:39-40; Revelation 20:4)
The Destruction of the Beast, his armies, The False prophet, and his followers (Revelation 19:11-21)
The Judgment of All Nations (Matthew 25:31-46)
The Regathering of Israel (Ezekiel 20:33-38)
The Restoration of Israel to the Promise Land (Amos 9:15)
The Binding of Satan (Revelation 20:2-3)
Furthermore, the “day of the Lord” also includes the events of the millennial ages which includes:
The Final Revolt of Satan (Revelation 20:7-10)
The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15)
The Great Purge of Earth (2 Peter 3:10-13)
“The Day of Christ”
“The Day of Christ”
This term is one closely associated with the “day of the Lord.” Unfortunately, there is much confusion surrounding it.
This term is found 1 Corinthians 1:8; 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Philippians 1:6-10; 2:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:2.
The word “day” in Scripture is not necessarily used as a time word. Remember context is extremely important. There are times when God uses the word “day” for events which fall into any period. Note how the Holy Spirit uses the word “day” in 2 Corinthians 6:2
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
We understand “day of salvation” to mean any time a person accepts Christ as Savior. Thus the “day of salvation” for me came when I was six years old. For others, the “day of salvation” came at other times. The “day of salvation” is not limited to a specific dates in time. It occurs when it occurs for each individual. This then is problem many fail to see or accept when considering the terms “day of the Lord” or “day of Christ.” Too many have tried to make these two separate events. They teach that the “day of Christ” refers to events of the tribulation period and the “day of the Lord” refers to even only related to Christ’s second coming and the millennial kingdom. While it may true that each term refers to two different programs respectively, it is totally acceptable to see them falling within the same time area or period. Both terms have the same beginning even though each emphasizes two different programs.
The Tribulation Period in Scripture
The Tribulation Period in Scripture
From here, we are going to dive deeper into the what is known as the Tribulation Period. Let’s start by considering...
The Nature of the Tribulation Period
The Nature of the Tribulation Period
The best way to understand the nature of this period is to simply read what Scriptures says. For the sake of time, we will not read all the passages describing the Tribulation Period. Only a few from the Old and New Testament are sufficient to paint the picture.
30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
31 (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, For fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, When he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
1 Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, And turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: For the Lord hath spoken this word.
4 The earth mourneth and fadeth away, The world languisheth and fadeth away, The haughty people of the earth do languish.
5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; Because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, And they that dwell therein are desolate: Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men left.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, The earth is clean dissolved, The earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, And shall be removed like a cottage; And the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; And it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, That the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, And the kings of the earth upon the earth.
20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, And shut thy doors about thee: Hide thyself as it were for a little moment, Until the indignation be overpast.
21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: The earth also shall disclose her blood, And shall no more cover her slain.
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; But he shall be saved out of it.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
15 Alas for the day! for the day of the Lord is at hand, And as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: For the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, A day of clouds and of thick darkness, As the morning spread upon the mountains: A great people and a strong; There hath not been ever the like, Neither shall be any more after it, Even to the years of many generations.
18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.
19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; Or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
20 Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?
14 The great day of the Lord is near, It is near, and hasteth greatly, Even the voice of the day of the Lord: The mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
15 That day is a day of wrath, A day of trouble and distress, A day of wasteness and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of the trumpet and alarm Against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, Because they have sinned against the Lord: And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: For he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
A compilation of passages reveal that the Tribulation Period will be a period of:
wrath (Zephaniah 1:15, 18; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; Revelation 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19),
judgment (Revelation 14:7; 15:4; 16:5, 7; 19:2),
indignation (Isaiah 26:20-21; 34:1-3),
trial (Revelation 3:10),
trouble (Jeremiah 30:7; Zephaniah 1:14-15; Daniel 12:1),
destruction (Joel 1:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:3),
darkness (Joel 2:2; Amos 5:18; Zephaniah 1:14-18),
desolation (Daniel 9:27; Zephaniah 1:14-15),
overturning (Isaiah 24:1-4, 19-21), and
punishment (Isaiah 24:20-21).
The Source of the Tribulation
The Source of the Tribulation
The time of Tribulation will witness the wrath of Satan in his animosity towards Israel as noted in Revelation 12:12-17
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
And, it will also witness the wrath of Satan’s puppet, the Beast, in his animosity against God’s saints as noted Revelation 13:7
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Yet, these manifestations of wrath do not begin to exhaust the outpouring of wrath in that day.
It is quite clear from Scripture that the source of Tribulation in that day will be the wrath of God, not the wrath of men nor even the wrath of Satan. Note these verses.
Isaiah 24:1 (KJV 1900)
1 Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, And turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
Isaiah 26:21 (KJV 1900)
21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: The earth also shall disclose her blood, And shall no more cover her slain.
Zephaniah 1:18 (KJV 1900)
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them In the day of the Lord’s wrath; But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: For he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
Revelation 6:16–17 (KJV 1900)
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Revelation 11:18 (KJV 1900)
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Revelation 14:7 (KJV 1900)
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Revelation 14:19 (KJV 1900)
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Revelation 15:4 (KJV 1900)
4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Revelation 15:7 (KJV 1900)
7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 16:1 (KJV 1900)
1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Revelation 16:7 (KJV 1900)
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
Revelation 16:19 (KJV 1900)
19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Revelation 19:1–2 (KJV 1900)
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
As you can see, no one can deny the fact that the Tribulation period will be a time when God’s wrath and judgment fall upon the entire earth. This wrath does not originate from man, nor from Satan. However, God does use these instruments as channels for executing His will. Thus, the Great Tribulation comes from God.
The Purpose of the Tribulation
The Purpose of the Tribulation
There are two basic purposes of the Tribulation.
The first purpose is to prepare the nation of Israel for Christ as their Messiah.
Note what the Holy Spirit tells us in Jeremiah 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; But he shall be saved out of it.
The phrase “the time of Jacob’s trouble” is a clear reference to this time, the Tribulation, is for Israel. There are number of Old Testament Scriptures that make this quite clear.
30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, Two parts therein shall be cut off and die; But the third shall be left therein.
9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, And will refine them as silver is refined, And will try them as gold is tried: They shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: And they shall say, The Lord is my God.
Even Christ noted this during His ministry on earth in His great Olivet Discourse found in Matthew 24. When we come to the book of Revelation we find the following passages.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Thus, there are number of references both in the Old and New Testament that speak of Israel and how God uses the Tribulation as a means of dealing with His people prior to establishing His kingdom. God uses the Tribulation as instrument in bringing about the conversion of a multitude of Jews. It is these Jews, the remnant, who will enter the Millennial Kingdom enjoying its blessing and realizing the fulfillment of God’s covenants with Israel. During the Tribulation, the good news of the King’s return will be the central message preached across the entire world with the main purpose of seeing Israel turn to Christ as their Deliverer. Just as John the Baptist was the forerunner for Christ’s First Advent, so Elijah will be the forerunner for Christ’s Second Advent. Note Malachi 4:5-6
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, And the heart of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Note also Revelation 7:1-8
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
Obviously, as noted from this passage, there will be a number of Israelis who are converted and await for the Messiah.
God will also use this time of Tribulation as means to populate the millennium using both remnant of Israel as well as a multitude of saved Gentiles who will be redeemed through the preaching of the believing remnant. Note Revelation 7:9
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Over in Matthew 25, we find the word “sheep” referring to those who will enter the Millennial Age. Therefore, we can conclude that one of God’s purposes is to populate the millennial kingdom by bringing a multitude from among Israel and the Gentile nations to Himself.
The second great purpose of the Tribulation is to pour out judgment on unbelieving man and nations.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
32 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
33 And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day From one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: They shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; They shall be dung upon the ground.
21 For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: The earth also shall disclose her blood, And shall no more cover her slain.
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
It is quite evident from these passages that God uses the Tribulation to judge the nations of the earth for their ungodly actions. Remember that all the nations of the earth will be deceived by the false teaching of the harlot.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Note that “ALL NATIONS” will drink “the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Additionally, all nations will follow the false prophet as this person leads them to worship the Beast.
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Of course, as we know and experience even now, sin and unrighteousness is rising exponentially around the world. It will continue to rise reaching its culmination in the Tribulation when all nations will abandon God and become godless as they follow the Beast and the Anti-christ.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
All these who are now hiding in this verse are the same one who...
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Now, remember that Christ comes back and when He does He will establish a kingdom of righteousness. Therefore, the Tribulation must be viewed as another step in God dealing with sin and purging the earth so that He, the Lord Jesus Christ, may reign. Thus, His program of judging sinner and purging the world becomes the second great purpose of the Tribulation.
The Time of the Tribulation
The Time of the Tribulation
For us to understand the timing of the Tribulation, we must go back to the book of Daniel. It is Daniel, the Revelation of the Old Testament, that we find the chronology of Israel’s future history outlined. Now, before we get into the discussion, there is one thing you must know and consider.
The Old Testament prophets saw only two mountain tops as God revealed to them future events. Both mountain tops centered upon Christ coming as both Savior and King. The first mountain top was Christ’ first coming when He offered Himself first to Israel and then to the entire world as Savior. The second mountain top is yet to be fulfilled with Christ’s second coming when He comes as King establishing His kingdom on Earth. When we come to Daniel’s prophecy, Daniel is seeing the second mountain peak and how it relates to Israel. Note Daniel 9:24-27
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
At the heart of the Tribulation’s timing is the words “seventy weeks.” So we are going to take an in-depth study of what was meant by “seventy-weeks.” Let’s being by considering
The Importance of Daniels’ Prophecy Concerning Seventy Weeks
The Importance of Daniels’ Prophecy Concerning Seventy Weeks
There are several important things attached to Daniel’s prophecy.
The first is that Daniels’ prophecy establishes the literal method of interpreting prophecy. Now is good time to remind you of the differences between an a literal interpretation of Scripture versus an allegorical interpretation of Scripture.
Allegorical Method - regards the literal sense as the vehicle for a secondary, more spiritual and more profound sense. Basically, this method denies or ignores the historical importance of a word and emphasizes secondary understandings of that word in such a way that the words have little or no significance. The allegorical method is not about interpreting Scripture, but seeks to pervert the true meaning of Scripture using the guise of seeking a deeper or more spiritual meaning. There are many dangers when using this method of interpretation.
Literal Method - gives each word the same exact basic meaning it would have in normal, ordinary, customary usage as it does in daily writing, speaking, or thinking. The meaning of word is determined by both grammatical and historical considerations.
Thus, when we consider Daniels Prophecy, it provides us with an excellent example of how prophecy must be interpreted using the literal method.
The second importance of Daniels Prophecy is it demonstrates the truth of Scripture. As we will see, the first sixty-nine weeks are already fulfilled to the minutest of detail. For example, the only One who could foretell that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem and present Himself as the “Prince” of Israel is God who is omniscient and truth.
Daniel’s Prophecy is also important as it supports the view that the local church is a mystery not revealed to Old Testament saints. Remember how the Old Testament saints only saw two mountaintops. They did not see the valley between which contained the age of the Grace or as some would say the Local Church. A literal interpretation of Daniel’s seventy weeks provides us a proper distinction between the Local Church and Israel within the framework of God’s purposes.
Additionally, it is important since it gives us the divine chronology of prophecy. The book of Revelation is simply an expansion of Daniel’s Prophecy within the chronological framework as outlined by the same Seventieth Week. The Seventieth Week is divided into two equal periods, each extending for 1260 days, or 42 months, or 3 1/2 years.
The Important Factors of Daniel’s Prophecy.
The Important Factors of Daniel’s Prophecy.
There are nine important factors.
It pertains only to the Nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. Daniel 9:24
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
There are two DIFFERENT princes named and the two must not be confused. There is the Messiah as Prince and a second Prince that shall come. Daniel 9:25-26
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
The entire time period involves exactly Seventy Weeks. These Seventy Weeks are further divided into three periods: a period of seven weeks, a period of three-score and two weeks; and a period of one week. Daniel 9:25
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The entire period is fixed at the event of verse 25. Daniel 9:25
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
The end of the entire period will be marked by the appearance of the Messiah as the “Prince” of Israel. Daniel 9:25
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
After 69 weeks, Messiah, the Prince, will be cut off and Jerusalem will be destroyed by another “prince” who is yet to come. Daniel 9:26
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
The beginning of the Seventieth Week will be marked by the establishment of a FIRM covenant or treaty between the Coming Prince and the Jewish nation for a period of “one week.” Daniel 9:27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
In the middle of that one week (the Seventieth Week), the coming prince will suddenly cause the Jewish sacrifices to cease and precipitate upon the people a time of wrath and desolation lasting to the “full end” of the week. Daniel 9:27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The end of the Seventieth Week will user in a time of great and unparalleled blessings for the nation of Israel. Daniel 9:24
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
NOTE THE BLESSINGS LISTED: finish up the transgression, make an end of sins, make reconciliation for iniquity, bring in everlasting righteousness, seal up the vision and prophecy, and anoint the most Holy.
These six blessings are related to the two works of the Messiah: His death and His reign (the two mountaintops). The first three (finish transgression, end sin, and make reconciliation) reference Christ’s atoning work on the Cross when He offered Himself as Savior. The second three (bring everlasting righteousness, seal up the vision and prophecy, and anoint the most Holy) reference His Sovereign rule during His millennial reign.
The Meaning of the Hebrew Word “Week”
At the heart of Daniel’s Prophecy is the word “week.” What the word means and how it is used is extremely important. The word “week” is, in Hebrew, the word “shabua.” It literally means “seven.” The Hebrew word for “seven” is the same Hebrew word for “week.” Thus, if you read Daniel 9:24
24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
You could also read it as “seventy sevens.” As we know, the number seven was important to the Jews. God ordained seven as a number for not only days but also for years within the Law of Moses. For example, the Jews were allowed to till and sow the land for six years, but in the seventh year they were to declare it as a “Sabbath of rest unto the land.”
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
Additionally, God ordained that every “seven Sabbaths of years” would result in a great year of jubilee.
8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.
When we arrive at Daniel’s prophecy, there are several reasons to believe that the “seventy weeks (sevens)” refers to this well known “sevens” of years.
Note the context of Daniel 9:1-2
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
Note that Daniel “understood the number of years” and that “he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”
Daniel also knew the very length of the Babylonian captivity God bringing about seventy years captivity coming at the end of 490 years which is exactly seventy “sevens.” 2 Chronicles 36:21
21 To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.
Thus, it is quite evident that the context of Daniel 9 is to be understood in terms of “seventy sevens” and thus as years. If we were to make it “seven” days, the entire period would extend for merely 490 days or a little over one year. Additionally, the word “shabua” is found only in one other passage in the book of Daniel. Daniel 10:2-3
2 In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.
3 I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
Obviously, the context here demands “weeks” of days. In Hebrew, the text literally reads “three sevens of days” for “three whole weeks.” If then, the Holy Spirit intended us to understand that the “seventy sevens” are composed of days, why did He note use the same form of expression adopted in chapter ten? He could have easily state it as “seventy sevens of days” just as He did in chapter ten as “three sevens of days.” Instead, we have “seventy sevens” in the very same context where Daniels is “understanding the number of years,” not days.
To further substantiate our argument for “seventy sevens” meaning years, note Genesis 29:27-28
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
The context is Jacob’s length of service in obtaining Rachel as his bride. Note a week here is not stated in days, but in years. Seven years was “her week.”
Let me conclude by drawing your attention this fact in prophetic Scripture. A year, in prophetic Scriptures, is composed of 360 days or twelve months of 30 days. There is ample evidence in Scripture to back this claim.
Historical Evidence
Historical Evidence
In Genesis, the Great Flood began on the 17th day of the second month.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
It ended on the seventeenth day of the seventh month.
4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
Note that is a period of exactly five months. Now note Genesis 7:24
24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
The same period of five months is also recorded as 150 days. If you divide 150 by 5 it equals exactly 30 days. Thus, the earliest known month used in Biblical history was 30 days. Consequently, a 30 day month of twelve months equals a 360 day year.
Prophetical Evidence
Prophetical Evidence
Look again at Daniel 9:27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Note that persecution of Israel begins in the midst of the Seventieth Week and continues to the “end” of the Week. The period in question is obviously three and half years. Now consider Daniel 7:24-25
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
You will note that this period is also determined as “a time and times and the dividing of time.” In Aramaic, this phrase means “three and half times.” Now turn to Revelation 13:4-7
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Note verse 5 gives us the time period of “forty and two months.” This is exact same time period of “a time and times and the dividing of times. Now read Revelation 12:6
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Here we have the time period of “thousand two hundred and threescore days.” Thus, we have the exact same period of time variously stated as 3 1/2 years, 42 months, or as 1260 days. Thus, we can safely conclude that Scripture associates the length of a year as exactly 360 days. If a year is 360 days, then it is the same for Daniel’s Prophecy.
The Beginning of the 69 Weeks
The Beginning of the 69 Weeks
Daniel 9:25 states the beginning of the 490 year period.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
When did the “commandment to restore and build Jerusalem” happen? There were several decrees made concerning the restoration of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity.
There was the decree of Cyrus in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.
There was the decree of Darius in Ezra 6:3-8
3 In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits;
4 With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expences be given out of the king’s house:
5 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.
6 Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:
7 Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.
8 Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expences be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.
There was the decree of Artaxerxes in Ezra 7:7
7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
However, as you read these decrees, you will find that permission was only granted to rebuild the temple, but not the city. We know from Ezra 4:1-4 that the rebuilding of the temple came to halt because the Jews had set about rebuilding the city as well without permission. However, when we come to the Artaxerxes decree, we find it recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8
1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
This was the first time permission was granted to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. This is the beginning of the prophecy period appointed by God in Daniel’s prophecy.
I am sure that you are curious now as to the date of Artexerxes decree. For this, we must turn to historical accounts outside of Scripture. Historians record that the Persian edict (Artexerxes’ decree) was issued in the Jewish month of Nisan. It may in fact have been dated from the 1st day of Nisan. Thus, without going into all the logistics of months and calendars, we have a date of Nisan 1 or, on our calendar, March 14, 445 BC.
The Fulfillment of the 69 Weeks
The one person to do an extensive study of the 69 weeks chronology is Sir Robert Anderson. Sir Robert Anderson was notable for two things. He was a crime fighter. He became the Assistant Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police and Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department of Scotland Yard in the late 1800s. He was also known as a theologian and wrote several great books on Biblical doctrine. He was ardent defender the book of Daniel and it authenticity. One of most famous books was titled “The Coming Prince.” According to his extensive study of the 69 weeks, he determined the following:
The 1st Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes was March 14, 445 BC.
The 10th Nisan was Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and thus is April 6, 32 AD.
The intervening period between the two dates was 476 years and 24 days. Thus...
476 x 365 = 173,740 days + 24 days + days for leap years (116 days) = 173,880 days. If you take 69 weeks of prophetic years of 360 days (69x7x360), you have exactly 173,880 days.
Thus, we have the 69 weeks beginning with Artaxerxes decree to rebuild Jerusalem and terminating the day Christ entered triumphantly into Jerusalem on the Sunday of the week leading to His death. Note Christ’s words on that day as recorded in Luke 19:41-42
41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Daniel’s prophecy states Daniel 9:26
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
The Gap Between the 69 Week and the 70 Week
The Gap Between the 69 Week and the 70 Week
When we study the 69 weeks and the 70 week of Daniel, both the post-tribulation rapturists and the amillenialist assert the 70 week of Daniel’s prophecy was fulfilled historically in the years immediately following the death of Christ. Some erroneously hold that Christ was cut off at the end of the 69 weeks and that the 70th week followed immediately after His death. Still others of this false teaching hold that Christ was cut off in the middle of the 70th week so that the last half of the week followed His death. Still other go further asserting that the entire present age is the 70th week. Again, these fallacies are a result of spiritualizing the prophecy outlined in Daniel 9:24 as fulfilled and not future. A literal interpretation of this verse clearly shows that none of these things have taken place. Consequently, they are yet to come.
Without a doubt, a complete study of Daniel’s prophecy in the context of all Scripture clearly reveals there is a gap between week 69 and 70. There are many arguments from Scripture which prove such a gap exists. We will only look a few.
A careful study of Daniel 9:26 reveals that a gap is necessary to fully understand its prophecy.
25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Note that two major events must take place after the 69th week and before the 70th week. One event is the “Messiah be cut off” and the other is the destruction of “the city and the sanctuary (the Temple).” Now note verse 27.
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Both events take place before the 70th week of verse 27. Again, note that these two events take place “after threescore and two weeks.” Thus, 69 weeks must be completed, the two events take place, and then the 70th week begins. Therefore, there must be a gap between the 69th and 70th weeks in which these two events take place. Remember our timeline. The 69th week ends with Christ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He then is “cut off”. However, the destruction of the city as well as the Temple did not take place until 70AD or about 40 years after the 69th week ends. 40 years is a long time. It is sufficient amount of time to recognize the fact there is gap between the 69th week and the 70th week.
Another argument for a gap is the New Testament teaching of Israel being set aside.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Obviously, in His pronunciation, Christ envisioned a time when Israel would be left desolate. The time of desolation would bring about a longing of Israel once again for the Messiah as they will once again say, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” It is quite clear that moment has not yet been realized. Add to that the clear reality that the present day local church is a completely different entity than Israel provide additional evidence there must be a gap between their rejection of Christ as Messiah and their eventual acceptance of Christ as Messiah.
A third argument from Scripture for a gap is all the promised blessings associated with Christ’s second coming list in Romans 11:26-27
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
If these promises were fully realized, Christ would have returned three and half years or seven years after His death to fulfill them. However, none have been fully realized or fulfilled, thus there must be a gap between the two weeks of prophecy.
The last argument comes from Christ Himself in Matthew 24.
Note that in Matthew 24:15, Christ references the coming of an “abomination of desolation.”
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
He then says in verse 21 that this “abomination of desolation” will be sign to Israel that the great tribulation is coming.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Yet, even in the great tribulation there will be hope. Note Matthew 24:29-30
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
By these words, Christ Himself placed the great tribulation just before His second coming. Now couple this with Acts 1:6-8
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
It is easy to understand that there is an undetermined range of time between the 69th and 70th week that only God knows.
The Beginning of the 70th Week
The Beginning of the 70th Week
Again, our attention is drawn to Daniel 9:27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Note that the 70th week begins with a covenant made with “many” for one week or seven years. Who then is the one who makes the covenant which initiates the 70th week? Daniel uses the personal pronoun “he” in referring to this covenant maker. It is the one noted in the preceding verse, Daniel 9:26
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
It is the “prince that shall come” which is not the same as the “Messiah” that is “cut off.” This is a different prince than the Messiah. It is the same prince noted in Daniel 8:23
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
It is the same prince of Daniel 11:36
36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
It is the same person described in 2 Thessalonians 2:3
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
It is the same individual described in Revelation 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
The Beast of Revelation begins the 70th week by making a false covenant with Israel.
The Program of the 70th Week
The Program of the 70th Week
Note that it is described as:
A period of seven years after the Rapture of the Local Church and the Second Coming of Christ to the earth.
The exact time period given in the framework of the book of Revelation from chapter 6 - 19.
Beginning with a “firm covenant” between the Beast of Revelation and Israel.
Betrayal of the that same covenant mid way through the seven years when the Beast causes a cessation of “sacrifice and oblation.”
A time of unparalleled “desolations” against the Jewish people.
ending with a time of great blessings as promised by God to the Israel.
