The tribulation is not 7 years. I went to Bible college where the tribulation is taught as Daniel's last week or 7 but I could never figure out how the last week was shot into the future. It isn't. All of Daniel's weeks are accomplished. The temple was already made desolate. Now the original says time, times, time, and a half, not months like some modern translations. This doctrine has affected Bible translation. I personally believe that world war 1&2 were the horses and that we are living in a tribulation that could last 1,000 years. Look at the tribulation as a list of historical events over time. Especially see how it divides time times time and a half. Times meaning several separate times. Revelations is the prophecy of all great suffering in the future. There's no biblical proof the tribulation is 7 years. It's not the big giant people make it out to be. I say we've seen all the tribulation we're gonna see. Don't be afraid.
Let's take a look in the Bible and break some of this down, because five times the bible set the time of the great tribulation at 3 1/2 Years which also is the time of the reign of the beast and the false prophet: 1 in Daniel 7:25;...time and times and the dividing of time. 2 Daniel 12:7 "times, times, and an half." 3 Revelation 11:2...and the holy city shall they tread under foot for forty and two months. 4 Revelation 11:3...and they (two witnesses), shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score
days (1260 days), and 5 Revelation 13:5
"power was given unto him to continue forty and two month (3 1/2 years)."
Now, let us go to the 9th chapter of Daniel and see what it is talking about. When you read this chapter, you will find in the second verse that the prophet Daniel was reading the books of the prophet Jeremiah. Daniel understood through Jeremiah's writing that the lord would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem. Daniel knew that Jerusalem was going to be laid to waste for more that seventy years. So he prayed to the Lord for understanding. While he was praying, the Lord sent the angel, Gabriel, to explain to Daniel what he wanted to know as well as many other things, including:
the first coming of Jesus, the time of his ministry, his death for the sins of the people, and the destruction of Jerusalem and its people by the Roman general, Titus, in 70 A.D. Except for the 3 1/2 years that Jesus must teach, the prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D.
Now, let us break this down verse by verse, starting at the 24th Verse, and let the Bible interpret this prophecy. Daniel 9:24-27.(Verse 24) "
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon the 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." (Verse 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: (Verse 26). "And after threescore and two weeks shall the Messiah be cut off, but 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." (Verse 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."
Now in verse 24, Gabriel informed Daniel that seventy weeks are determined upon his people. That put the time far beyond seventy literal years. To be more accurate, he talking about seventy times seventy years, which is equal to 490 years (7x70 = 490 years). Within this period of time, the temple had to be rebuilt, Jesus had to be anointed (Anoint the most Holy), then he had to die for the sin of the people (make reconciliation for iniquity) and seal the vision and the prophesy. What vision you ask? The one concerning the people and the city of Jerusalem.
Daniel 9:25 tells us that from the time that the commandments is given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem unto the Messiah the prince (to the anointing of Jesus), shall be seven weeks, threescore and two weeks (69 weeks = 483 years). The restoration of the temple and the city of Jerusalem started in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. It took them forty and six years to build the Temple. (St. John 2:20) "
Then said the Jews, forty and six years was this building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?" Take into consideration that the city had to be restored also, to which we can attribute the other three years, which make up a full week of years (7x7 = 49 years). In verse 26, this week of years was not counted, because it said, "After threescore and two weeks the Messiah was cut, (62 weeks = 434 years). Add the seven weeks back on to this 62 weeks (434 + 49 = 483 years), and will get the amount of time that had to pass between the commandments to restore Jerusalem to the anointing of Jesus (Messiah means the anointed one).
Now that we understand that it took 69 weeks to bring us to the Messiah, there is only one week left. Now this is where the error is made by most theologians and Bible scholars: They all say there is one week left (1x7 = 7 years), and this is the week that the false prophet is going to make a covenant with the Jews and, in the middle of the week, break the covenant, and stop them from sacrificing animals.
Who were the people of the prince? The Romans. After the death of Jesus, Jerusalem lasted until 70 A.D. That is when the Roman general, Titus, came in and destroyed it.
Now, lets go back to Daniel the 9th chapter and look at verse 27. This 27th verse is the same as verse 26. It is telling what happened before the Messiah (Jesus), was cut off, and what happen when he was cut off (he was crucified), and what happen after he was cut off. Therefore, we must break this 27th verse down into three parts.
Part one: “And he (the Messiah) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (1x7 = 7 yrs.)” What covenant?
Note: I wrote and broke down all that already, that's not where the problem is with your understanding. I understand that it took 69 weeks to bring us to the Messiah, there is only one week left. One week left (1x7 = 7 years). These years have to be cut in half. Why? Again because the prophets Daniel said so. Daniel: (Verse 26). "And after threescore and two weeks shall the
Messiah be cut off, but for himself: I shouldn't have to prove Jesus taught for 3 1/2 yrs. Now within those years Daniel says
(Verse 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. This parts of the prophecy is lateral just like the 3 1/2 yrs Jesus taught was lateral days that made up those years that be cut off
. Jesus was cut off in the mist of the week and died on the Passover, because he is the Passover. Just like the sacrifice and the oblation had to cease in that same time period.
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the
veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; (Matthew 27: 50, 51). Once the veil was rent that end animal sacrificial laws, no sacrificing animals. The last 3 1/2 yrs is at Jesus second coming, and he will finish his ministry with his people.
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