The great tribulation?

Question

Does anyone have any concrete reasons why most people believe the great tribulation to last 7 years? Why do we convert Daniel's 70th week into years? I am a rock solid Christian and a firm believer that the Bible is God's word. I am just running in circles with this issue and why we believe that the rapture preceeds the tribulation. Also, why does Jesus tell his disciples that these things would take place in their generation in Mat 24? I am interested in good feedback from Christians who are well grounded in the word. Thanks.

Answer 1

There is reason to believe that the tribulation described in Mat 24 happened within that generation. The Romans destroyed the temple in 70AD, not leaving one stone upon another. As was their custom, they even removed the foundation stones. The desolation of the temple site would have indeed been an abomination to the Jews at that time. It also signified an end of Jewish traditions and ceremonies associated with it.

The rapture and end times studies are interesting, and we should all be ready for his coming. The most important thing is to be living our lives in such a close relationship with Him that we do not need to know when He will come. It just simply would not matter.

Answer 2

Revelation 11:2 refers to the second half of the Tribulation as a period of 42 months (3 and 1/2 years) when the Gentiles will tread the holy city underfoot. The halfway point of Daniel's 70th week is the breaking of the covenant and the abomination of desolation (associated by Jesus with the Tribulation). It therefore assumed the weeks (lit. Heb: a group of seven) are weeks of years.

Answer 3

I think that most people are wrong, most of the time when attempting to pin down anything to a date and a time when it comes to Biblical interpretations. The jews were great numerologists as their alphabet was also their numbering system and more often than not the numbers they allude to such as here with Daniel is more likely a reference to some symbolic expeience that Daniel himself was going through in relation to his own tribulations in overcoming the hurdels to Faith. Perhaps it could mean, for instance, that he was expeiencing some form of doubt regarding his human relationships, which may have gotten in the way of his relationship wiht God - that kind of thing still happens today with almost everyone on the planet! The number 70 is the number alloted to the letter Ayin, meaning "an eye" which is usullly taken to mean the eye of God, which is ever mindful of those things inside us which all others, save the God of our heart, do not see on a day to day basis. Maybe the great scribes of the Book of the Law were attempting to show us that even Daniel endured some doubts when getting through the Lion's den!

I personally do not believe that the rapture preceeds the tribulation. I feel that is backwards. On this subject my own personal experience is that we all go through many trials and tribulations in life and what makes it worth getting through is the rapture that comes from knowning that we have not given up hope, that we have not lost sight through faith, that we have maintained our fidelity to our beliefs, though we are but humans in a world created by God and may never truly understand God in totality. After all, we are human and God is divine. What drives us to even forget that for an instant to begin with is probably a Socratic way of answering that question.

As to the last question. Christ was both Divine and human. He knew what we all feel and think. He experienced it for himself and was probably just giving us a heads-up on the fact that being human means that when we set ouselves to the task of coming home to God we are all (who make this trip) going to go through the tribulation, be it seven days, seven years, or whatnot. He knows that this will be no easy thing for us to leave behind our earthly ties and forsake our selfish wasys to retun to the Garden of Eden where we once belonged. He tells us we will experience this in our generation because he is all wise and knows that everyone who sets out on this path will experience the same no matter what year it is, thus it will ever be that we all go through it in our generation, because that is when we are alive and experiencing it to begin with.

Christ says that things are unknown to us now only to be revealed at a later time. Here, is an example of the rapture following the tribulation - grounded in the words of the Lord...

Hope this helps some.

Michael L. Whiteley

Answer 4

This type of question requires a lot of time to answer. I would have to teach you why based on the book of Revelation and the linked prophetic books. That takes a heck of a lot of time.

I would recommend picking up some of Hal Lindsay's books. The Late Great Planet Earth is old but still valid today... it will help you get started in this area. He covers these questions in detail.

The Prophecies of the Bible by Walvoord is more intensive. But is also a good read.

Answer 5

Jesus also stated that no one really knows the time of the tribulation except God the Father. If I were you I would stop worrying about it. the messages on the time of trial are intentionally obscure.

Answer 6

Harpazo = Rapture

END-TIME BIBLE PROPHECY

The Messiah Lord Jesus said BIRTH PANGS would signal the time of the end (Matthew 24:8). There are NINE birth pangs, they are all PRE-TRIBULATIONAL and the 1st three already occurred.

The first birth pang was worldwide conflict coupled with famines and earthquakes (Matthew 24:7-8). Worldwide conflict was fulfilled in 1914-1918, major famines happened in 1918-1921 and most of the world’s major earthquakes began to occur since 1900.

The second birth pang was the restoration of a Jewish State (Ezekiel 20:33-38; Ezekiel 22:17-22; Ezekiel 36:22-24; Zephaniah 2:1-2). This was fulfilled in 1948.

The third birth pang was Jewish control of the Old City of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1-2). For the third Jewish Temple (Tribulation Temple) to be rebuilt, Jerusalem needs to be under Jewish control and this was accomplished in the Six Day War in 1967.

The fourth birth pang will be the Ezekiel 38 war. Russia, allied states of Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia, Germany and Armenia will invade Israel. God will miraculously destroy the invading army by earthquake, civil war among the invading soldiers, pestilence, blood, flood, hailstones, fire and brimstone. This will bring a revival in Israel where many Jews will turn to the Lord, and Israel will spend 7 years and 7 months burying the bodies and burning for fuel the military equipment left behind (Ezekiel 39:9-16).

The 5th birth pang will be the development of a one world government (Daniel 7:23-24).

The 6th birth pang will be the splitting of the one world government into 10 kingdoms and this Ten Kingdom Stage will continue until mid-Tribulation (Daniel 7:24).

The 7th birth pang will be the revelation of the Antichrist (II Thessalonians 2:1-3; Daniel 7:24).

The 8th birth pang will be a period of peace and false security that will be shattered by the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).

The 9th and final birth pang before the Tribulation is the signing of the 7-year covenant between Israel and the Antichrist. THIS EVENT IS WHAT BEGINS THE (7-year) TRIBULATION - NOT THE RAPTURE!

The Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) is also a pre-tribulational event (Luke 21:34-37; 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 19:6-8). The fact that the Church is not mentioned in any of the Tribulation Scriptures proves the Rapture is pre-tribulational. All raptured Christians will receive glorified bodies (Romans 8:22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54)) and it can happen at any second.


THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION (SUPPORTING VERSES IN REVELATION 6-9 AND 17)

The Ministry of 144,000 sealed Jewish believers will bring many throughout the world to accept Christ.

There will be a powerful Ministry of Two Witnesses who will also be anointed Jewish believers.

A one world religious system (Babylon the Harlot) will rule. Under this one world religious system, many who are saved during the Tribulation will suffer persecution and death.

The Political system of the 10 kings of the one world government will continue.

During the first half of the Tribulation there will also be war, worldwide famine, death (1/4 of the world’s population will die), a huge earthquake, a blackout and a meteor shower. 1/3 of earth’s dry surface will be destroyed, 1/3 sea life and salt water will be destroyed, a fallen angel called Wormwood will make 1/3 of earth’s fresh water bitter, 1/3 of earth’s natural light sources will be destroyed, there will be another blackout and demons in the form of “locust-scorpions” will come up out of the abyss led by Abaddon their king and they will inflict harm and pain for five months upon those who are not sealed by God (unbelievers). Another demonic invasion will occur and the demons involved will be led by four fallen angels who will be released from the Euphrates River and this army will kill 1/3 of the earth’s population.


MID-TRIBULATION (SUPPORTING VERSES IN REVELATION 10-14 AND 17)

The Antichrist will war against the 10 kings, and during the war the Antichrist will be killed.

Satan will be cast out of the atmospheric heavens onto earth and will resurrect the Antichrist.

The Antichrist will kill 3 kings (the kings of Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia) and the 7 other kings will submit to him.

The Antichrist will kill the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem and the wicked people will celebrate this event. Three and a half days afterwards, God will resurrect the Two Witnesses and take them up to Heaven and the people who celebrated will become terrified. The city of Jerusalem where the murder of the Two Witnesses occurred will then suffer an earthquake which will kill 7,000 people.

The False Prophet will receive from Satan the power to perform great miracles and will deceive many. The False Prophet will command all people to worship the Antichrist and have persons create an image to the Antichrist. The False Prophet will use his satanic powers to give it life and the ability to speak. The False Prophet will cause those who refuse to worship the Antichrist and the image to be killed.

The False Prophet will issue his own counterfeit seal known as the Mark of the Beast and it will be placed on all those who surrender to the Antichrist’s authority and accept him as god. Those who refuse to take this mark will not be able to buy or sell. Those who take this mark will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.

The Antichrist will break the seven-year covenant he made with Israel, cause the sacrifices to stop, sit in the Jewish Temple, declare to the world that he is really God and set up an idol called the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple (Daniel 9:27; Daniel 12:11; Matthew 24:15-16; 11Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:11-15).

Through the Antichrist and the False Prophet, Satan will attempt to destroy the Jews once and for all but he will fail because 1/3 of the Jews will succeed in fleeing into the wilderness. These Jews who escape will accept the Lord Jesus as their Saviour during the Tribulation (Zechariah 13:7-9) and while they are in hiding, God will miraculously provide for them (Zechariah 13:8-9; Isaiah 41:17-20). Divine intervention will also destroy the pursuing army.


THE SECOND HALF OF THE TRIBULATION (SUPPORTING VERSES FOUND IN REVELATION 15, 16, 18, 19, 20)

In the second half of the Tribulation, those with the Mark of the Beast will suffer skin sores, the remainder of sea water and fresh water will be destroyed, the sun will cause terrible burns and the wicked will blaspheme God. There will be yet another blackout and persons will suffer gnawing pains.

Babylon will be the center of world economy and political system but Babylon will be swiftly destroyed by fire and become uninhabitable for man.

The Antichrist will locate the Jews who sought refuge in the wilderness and surround them with his armies to wipe them out. The Lord Jesus will then descend from Heaven with His angels and Saints. He will come with great glory riding upon a horse and will destroy the Antichrist, the False Prophet and all of their armies. After this, a loud voice will cry out “It is done!” followed by the greatest earthquake in the earth’s history and hail weighing 120 pounds will fall.

At the end of the Tribulation, there will be another blackout, the stars will fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken (Matthew 24:29), the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be thrown into the eternal Lake of Fire and Satan will be cast into the Abyss and bound for 1,000 years.


THE MILLENNIUM

The Lord Jesus will reign over the entire earth during the Millennium. The Jewish and Gentile believers who survive the Tribulation will go on to populate the Millennium. Believers who died before and during the Tribulation and believers who were raptured will be present on earth during the Millennium and because they will have glorified bodies they will not reproduce. All believers will be given special tasks by the Lord Jesus (Revelation 20:4-6). There will be no wars (Isaiah 2:2-4), animals will return to the Edenic state and become vegetarians (Isaiah 11:6-9), people will not labour in vain but eat what they plant and inhabit what they build, there will be renovations in the heavens and earth and there will be righteous and unrighteous children born during the Millennium (Isaiah 65:17-25).

At the end of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed from the Abyss and will deceive and gather the unrighteous for a war against the righteous. This will be his final attempt to destroy the righteous and when the unrighteous of the Millennium surround the good people, God will send fire down from Heaven which will suddenly and massively annihilate all of the wicked people. Satan will then be cast into the Lake of Fire where he will remain in torment for eternity (Revelation 20:7-10).


THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT

The Great White Throne Judgment will be the next main event. The old heavens and earth will be done away with and all will stand before God’s throne to be judged (Revelation 20:11-12). Those whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire which will be their final and eternal abode (Revelation 20:14-15).


THE ETERNAL ORDER (REVELATION 21 AND 22)

Those whose names are found in the Book of Life will enjoy paradise with God forever. The heavens and earth will be made new and the New Jerusalem will come down upon the earth making the earth like Heaven. All curses from the fall will be removed and the earth will be inhabited by the Triune God (The Father, Son and Holy Spirit), all angels and all of the righteous. The seas, moon, night and sun will be done away with and the glory of God will illuminate the earth. The River of Life will flow from God’s throne, the Tree of Life will bear health-giving fruits and leaves and the name of Jesus will be on the foreheads of all of the righteous.


God’s Plan of Salvation for Us
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZkDk1GZ7do

Answer 7

remember that to God, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.