Simplifying End-Times Terminology

When the fulness of the Gentiles is come in and the church exits to meet the Lord in the air, God will restart the clock on Daniel’s seventy weeks. Historically and scripturally two things need to be understood concerning these weeks. First, it can be proven that sixty-nine of the seventy weeks have passed. In fact, it was after seven and threescore and two weeks (sixty-nine weeks) that Messiah was cut off (Daniel 9:26), an event that paused Daniel’s prophetic weeks. This event was none other than the crucifixion of Christ. Additionally, each of Daniel’s first sixty-nine weeks were, in reality, sixty-nine seven year periods of time equaling 483 years (the years from the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the crucifixion of Christ). Seeing as how this is the case, it would be folly to expect Daniel’s seventieth week to break this pattern and be anything other than seven years in duration.

As further evidence that Daniel’s seventieth week is a period of seven years, a few puzzle pieces must be connected. First of all, Daniel’s final week is broken down into two parts with the turning point occurring when the prince, not Messiah, breaks a covenant with the Jews and causes the oblation to cease (Daniel 9:27). The latter half of this week is described by Daniel as lasting “a time, times, and an half” (Daniel 12:7), and by John as lasting “a time, and times, and half a time” (Revelation 12:14). Algebraically, this phraseology contains the following parts: 1.) a time = one year, 2.) times = two years, and 3.) half a time or an half = half of one year. In the same context, John defines this time as “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (Revelation 12:6). On two other occasions John explains this as lasting “forty and two months” (Revelation 11:2; Revelation 13:5). It all adds up.

Daniel’s 70th week = 7 years
½ Daniel’s 70 week = a time, times, and half a time = 1,260 days = 42 months

Daniel’s seventieth week is a future period of time lasting seven years and coming on the heels of the church’s departure. The first half of the “week” (three and one-half years) is marked by a time of peaceful union between the prince (the Antichrist) and the Jews. The second half of the “week” (three and one-half years) is marked by inhumane cruelty to the Jews. It is this latter half of the “week” that is the focus of the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew’s gospel. Matthew provided the common identifier when he wrote “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet . . . let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains” (Matthew 24:15-16). This passage matches the truths taught in Daniel chapter 12 and Revelation chapter 12.

As far as terminology goes, it is probably not theologically correct to call this entire week the tribulation period, for the first half seems to go somewhat peaceful for the Jews. What is correct is that it is Daniel’s seventieth week – a time “determined upon thy [Daniel’s] people [Jewish (descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)] and upon thy [Daniel’s] holy city [Jerusalem]” (Daniel 9:24). Likewise, theologically true is that the latter half of the week is what Jeremiah spoke of when he acknowledged a future time identified as “it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).

This time period has nothing to do with the church. There was no New Testament church present on the earth for the first sixty-nine weeks, neither will there be for the seventieth. Rather, it majors on the purification of the Jews (Daniel 9:24a) and their preparation “to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24b) – King Jesus. Though unsaved Gentiles (Revelation 11:2) and Jews are mentioned as being present in Daniel’s seventieth week, the church is not once, in any passage of scripture suggested to be present on the earth at this time. In fact, to suggest that the church is in any way the recipient of “Jacob’s trouble” or of Daniel’s seventieth week is replacement theology of another breed. One breed suggests that the church usurps Israel’s blessings, while the other suggests that the church usurps Israel’s wrath. This time of troubles was promised to the Jews as early as Deuteronomy 4:30 where the scripture promised the Jews would be “in tribulation . . . in the latter days.”

While the church’s last days are marked by spiritual apostasy such as men loving their own selves, a lack of thankfulness, despising of those that are good, and loving pleasures more than God (2 Timothy 3:1-5), Israel’s last days are marked by wars, famines, and earthquakes (Matthew 24:4-8). Spiritual problems plague the last days of the spiritual people – those birthed into the family of God supernaturally, and physical problems plague the latter days of the earthly people – those birthed into the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

When the covenant is broken, in the midst of Daniel’s seventieth week, the Jews will experience “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world” (Matthew 24:21). They will turn to survival mode and will flee for their safety (Matthew 24:16-17). Israel, the woman of Revelation chapter 12, will flee “into the wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (Revelation 12:6). The Jews will be confronted with hunger and thirst, homelessness, nakedness, and imprisonment (Matthew 25:31-46).

The Antichrist will exalt “himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). This event, along with the setting up of an image in the temple, is identified elsewhere as “the abomination that maketh desolate” (Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11) and “the abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14). According to scripture, this time provides the outpouring of the Devil’s “great wrath” (Revelation 12:12; see Luke 21:23). In the heart of these difficulties the Lord admonishes the saints to patience and faith, reminding them that those who then stand as the captures will eventually be the captives (Revelation 13:10).

Though the latter half of Daniel’s seventieth week unveils the outpouring of Satan’s wrath, the tide will turn at the sixth seal and God will unveil the outpouring of His wrath (Revelation 6:12-17). Both of these truths testify to the absence of the New Testament church as God promised that we are not appointed to wrath, but to salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Romans 5:9). In fact, we are waiting for “his [God’s] Son from heaven . . . which delivered us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). While some have erroneously suggested this only refers to hell and the lake of fire, it would include any “wrath to come.”

Just prior to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and the conclusion of Daniel’s seventieth week, signs begin manifesting themselves in the heavens (Matthew 24:29). These signs are indications of an event, often misunderstood, but very important in the understanding of last days prophecy. This event is called in one place “the great and the terrible day of the LORD” (Joel 2:31) – in other places simply the day of the Lord.