There’s one more “theological fork in the road” to consider in selecting an end-time view. Remember though, the different end-time views may appear like options on buffet line, but our selection must come from Scripture not by just what sounds good.
We’ve worked through two “theological forks” so far — the nature of prophecy and the timing of the Millennial Kingdom. The third is the most divisive — the timing of the rapture. Before we tackle that, there’s an aspect of end-time events we need to address to further understand the timing of the rapture.
You know every prophecy teacher has to have a timeline. I’m no different, but my goal has been to boil my timeline down to the basic events needed to know the flow of the events at the end of the age. I love getting the chance to share my “simplified timeline.” The basic events included are the present age, the rapture, the resurrection, the return, the final seven years, the Millennial Kingdom and the new heavens and new earth. Most all premillennial timelines have these events, but I title one of the events differently than most modern timelines. Did you catch it?
Most include a seven-year period called the tribulation with the last half of that being called the Great Tribulation or Time of Jacob’s Trouble. I simply call the period the final seven years. Calling it the Tribulation isn’t incorrect but can be oversimplifying the time period and missing a major detail of the last days. I will explain more in my next article, but first, let’s look at where we get this seven-year time period. The Bible is crystal clear on it.
In Daniel 9, we’re given the Vision of the Seventy Weeks. This is one of the most incredible prophecies in the Bible. Though the phrase “weeks” (or as some versions have “sevens”) is confusing, the phrases are understood to refer to a group of seven years. This was a Sabbatical year cycle in ancient Israel. They would let the land rest every seventh year, or they were at least supposed to do so.
I’m skipping over the details throughout the prophecy because I want to focus on the last verse. In the prophecy, Daniel is told that from a decree made to rebuild Jerusalem, there would be 69 “weeks” or “sevens,” which means 69 groups of 7 years. This would be 483 years. After those years, the Messiah would be cut-off. Then the counting would stop.
How amazing is this? First, it foretells that the Messiah would be cut-off. Second, people before the first advent could have been counting down the years until the Messiah arrived.
The counting stops until an event foretold in Daniel causes the time clock of the final seven years to begin: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” (Dan. 9:27 NIV).
In this final verse of the prophecy, it is told that “he,” which seems to be the Antichrist, will make or strengthen an agreement with Israel for seven years. In Isa. 28:18, this agreement is called the covenant of death. This agreement starts the timeclock to these final seven years. Then in the middle of these final seven years, the Antichrist stops the Jewish sacrifices (which have restarted) and he sets up an image of himself or his god and desolates the temple. This event is often referred to as the abomination of desolation. At the time he breaks the agreement, he then turns against Israel. This is the start of the Great Tribulation or Time of Jacob’s Trouble. This is the only reference to seven years, but there are many passages that refer to the three and a half years.
In Dan. 12:7, Daniel is told that it will be after “a time, times and half a time” before the age is completed. Most believe this refers to the three and half years. In Dan. 12:11, the count of 1,290 days is used, which is nearly three and a half years.
This time frame appears again in Revelation. Revelation 11:2 says the Gentiles will trample upon Jerusalem for 42 months, again three and half years. In the following verse, it says the two witnesses will prophesy for 1,260 days which is close to the three and half year mark. The different amount of days matters, but in this article, I just want to point out that it is again near that half of seven years mark.
In Rev. 12:14, we find the “time, times, and half time” phrase, which refers to the amount of time a remnant of Israel is kept protected in the wilderness. In the next chapter, we see in Rev. 13:5 that the beast or Antichrist is given authority and is allowed to blaspheme God for 42 months.
Daniel 9:27 is clear on the final seven years, and the idea of a three and half year time the Antichrist is allowed to bring great tribulation upon Israel has witness after witness in Scripture. That’s what we want in deciding upon our end-time view — for it to be threaded throughout the Bible. This has been some of the thread for the final seven-year time clock.
Jake is the newest state missionary and would love to share about the work in Northwest Arkansas and encourage your church to stand firm. (standfirmministries.com)
