The name of The Great Tribulation comes
from the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus is quoted as using the phrase
“Great Tribulation” in reference to a future time that many believe takes place during the
same time period that Jeremiah calls the "Time of Jacob’s Trouble"
In the book of Daniel, a mysterious 70 "weeks of
years” are introduced (Daniel 9:24).
Many reputable scholars believe that everything
prophesied concerning the prophet Daniel's 70 weeks has already been fulfilled with
the exception of one week—the final “week.” And this final week is what is most often
referred to as the "70th Week of Daniel" or "Daniel’s 70th Week"
(Daniel 9:25, 27).
Does the 70th week of Daniel correspond
to the time that Jesus referred to as "The Great Tribulation" and that Jeremiah referred to as the "Time of Jacob’s Trouble?"
To answer this question, it is necessary to ascertain as to what the 70 Weeks have to do with. And to answer that question, it is
necessary to ask another one; what, or more correctly—who—do the
70 weeks concern?
The angel told Daniel (9:24) that, “Seventy weeks are determined
upon thy people and upon thy holy city.”
In this verse, we see two things
explained:
The 70 weeks concern "thy people"
(Daniel’s people—the Jews).
The 70 weeks concern "thy holy city"
(Daniel’s holy city—Jerusalem).
In Daniel 9:21-24, the angel, Gabriel, is speaking
to Daniel and making reference to Daniel’s people—the Jews. And
in Daniel 6:10, we see Daniel praying towards his holy
city—Jerusalem.
In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel’s prophecy concerns not only
the Jews and Jerusalem exclusively, but it concerns the Jews only
when they are in possession of their holy city, Jerusalem. That is
the reason for the gap between the 69th and 70th weeks. That gap
represents the time the Jewish people were in exile—not in
possession of their land—and more specifically, when they were not
in possession of their holy city--Jerusalem.
70 WEEKS DEFINED
In order to understand Daniel 9:24-27,
the seventy weeks mentioned there need to be defined scripturally. The 70 weeks are obviously
not referring to 70 "7-day" weeks. Verse 25 makes that clear.
The Bible is a self-defining book, and that is why it is so important to develop a working knowledge of its contents by simply reading it on a regular basis. Genesis 29:27-28 gives the key to
understanding how long each week is. It says here in reference to Jacob and Rachel: “Fulfill her week...serve with
me yet seven other years. Jacob did so and fulfilled her week.”
Thus we see that, according to Genesis 29, Daniel's seventy weeks can be scripturally defined 70 weeks of years with each week equaling 7 years.
When we multiply each of the 70 years
by 7, it comes to a total of 490 years (70 x 7 = 490).
The prophecy, in Daniel 9:24-26, covers the time period beginning with the commandment to rebuild the
wall of Jerusalem up to the time of the crucifixion of Christ. Both
history and Daniel 9:25 agree that the total time period, from the
proclamation to rebuild the wall through the crucifixion of Christ, equals
483 years (which according to Genesis 29:27-28, equals 69 weeks).
But 70 weeks of years equals 490 years
(70x7=490), not 483 years (69 weeks). That means there is a total of
7 years (1 week) left unaccounted for.
For good reason, many believe the
remaining 7 years--the final week--to be the Time of Jacob’s
Trouble. Many also believe the Time of Jacob’s Trouble encompasses both the Beginning
of Sorrows and The Great Tribulation.
After the Church is caught up, the Man
of Sin will pretend to be a savior to Israel. They will believe him
and make a 7-year treaty with him—which he will honor for only 3 ½
years—some correspond this to the Beginning of Sorrows. Then he will renege and spend the
next 3½ years in brutal persecution of them and anyone else who
opposes him—many correspond this to The Great Tribulation (3 ½ years Beginning of Sorrows
+ 3 ½ years Great Tribulation = 7 years).
Both the final stages of the Beginning of Sorrows and entirety of The Great
Tribulation take place during the final 7 years preceding the visible
and physical return of Christ. Many believe the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, The Great Tribulation, and the
70th week of Daniel are one and the same.
Although the Church, the spiritual seed
of Abraham, will share in many of the promises given to the Jewish people,
none of the promises given to Abraham concerning his physical descendants, the Jews, have been, or will ever be, transferred from the Jewish
people to the Body of Christ--his Church.
When Christ was rejected by his people,
Israel, and crucified, a change in focus took place at the creation of the Body of Christ at Pentecost. At that time, God’s focus shifted from the nation of
Israel, to His Church—the Body of Christ. Although it is true that the Church has been given great and precious promises, no transfer of promises--from Jews to Christians--took place at that time, or ever will take place at any time in the
future. After this present dispensation (or age) is completed, God’s focus
will once again shift. Only this time it will shift back from His Church
(which will no longer be on earth but in Heaven with Him) to his
people Israel. At that time, he will bring to fulfillment all of his promises to them, and their
purpose here on earth will be fulfilled.
Yes, the Jewish people still have a purpose yet to be fulfilled on the earth.
Because the 70 weeks that have been
determined upon the people of Daniel--and on their holy city--are for a
special purpose, the purpose can only be fulfilled while the Jewish people
are in possession of their holy city, Jerusalem.
That has somewhat been the case since 1967, when God restored his people to their land. West Jerusalem was established as the national capital in 1950; and in
1980 the Jerusalem Law made the entire unified city of Jerusalem the
Israeli capital. International debate over Jerusalem continues to rage. In 2015, the United States Supreme Court declared that Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel .
Additionally, the 70 weeks can only be fulfilled
after God fulfills His purpose for, and shifts his focus from, His
Church back to His people Israel. That will happen, but not until this
present age of grace, the time of "Christ In You," is
fulfilled at the raising of the dead [in Christ] and the catching up of
those [in Christ] who are alive and remain. (1 Corinthians 15: 51-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8).
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