Some religious scholars call the Tribulation Period the "Time of Jacob's Trouble" or "Daniel's Seventieth Week". Why do they use these two phrases to describe this coming time?
The first, the Time of Jacob's Trouble, comes from a single verse in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 30:7- Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
Many of the Old Testament prophets spoke about a coming troublesome time period where almost the entire world would turn against the Jewish people. Many thought that they had arrived at that point during World War II with Hitler's concentration camps.
The frightening reality is that the Tribulation Period will be so much worse than the horrors of World War II!
Daniel was told that there were seventy weeks where trouble would come upon the city of Jerusalem. There is even a sort-of timetable given.
Daniel 9:24-27-Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy 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. 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. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not 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. 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.
Trying to break this down has been quite a challenge for even the most learned theologian. Some things are quite easy to understand, while others are very difficult.
With God, you cannot take just one verse and use it to come to a conclusion. The Bible is written in a way that you will get more understanding by looking at many verses that all deal with the same topic.
Numbers 14:34- After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
Ezekiel 4:6- And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.
God has told the Jews before that when He passes judgment that He exacts more than was committed (reaping more than they sowed). In these two verses, He gives a year of punishment for each day of rebellion. This is why we reference these weeks as 7-year periods of time.
The first part of the verse above speaks about the restoration and rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity and ends with the Messiah. Most Jewish people had no idea that the Messiah would have two comings- one where He died, and a second one much later where He reigned.
Daniel 9:25- 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.
Seven weeks plus threescore and two weeks (or sets of seven). The Bible never does anything without reason, and there is a reason why this is divided up in this manner. 7 weeks, and 62 weeks- however, this only adds up to 69 Weeks (missing the 70th week).
This means there will be at least three different dates associated with these total Seventy Weeks.
Daniel 9:2- In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
God tells Daniel that Jeremiah the prophet was correct when he prophesied that the land of Israel would be desolate for 70 years as a punishment to them for not keeping the Law of Moses.
Jeremiah 25:11- And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
But after the seventy years, the Jewish people would return to the land of Israel and rebuild it.
Jeremiah 29:10- For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
Both Cyrus and Artaxerxes sent out calls for Jerusalem to be rebuilt; Cyrus around 537 BC, and Artaxerxes I Longimanus issued the decree around 457 BC. That's an 80-year time gap.
Cyrus was prophesied to issue this decree by Isaiah. He is the one who started the whole recolonizing effort.
Isaiah 44:28- That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.
Ezra is a unique historical book because it gives you the original story of Cyrus' decree, and just a few chapters later gives you the same proclamation from Artaxerxes. The difference of about 80 years between chapter 1 and chapter 7!
Ezra 1:1-4- Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
The second temple is estimated to have been completed around 516 BC, during the sixth year of the reign of Darius.
Ezra 6:15-17- And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy, And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.
However, the city of Jerusalem wasn't completed until later.
The entire proclamation of Artaxerxes is in Ezra 7:11-26.
Ezra 7:12-13- Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
Anyone who was willing was granted permission to return to Jerusalem. The King also said that they would supply any requirements needed to accomplish this work.
But it wasn't such an easy task. Throughout Ezra and Nehemiah, you see where the local population tried their hardest to hinder the rebuilding. The walls of the city are estimated to have been completed under Nehemiah around 425 BC.
I believe that these first seven weeks had to do with how long it would take to accomplish the building. The religious leaders tell Jesus that it took 46 years to build the temple.
John 2:20- Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
The walls took 52 days for Nehemiah and the workers with him to build.
Nehemiah 6:15- So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
But, that didn't include the homes inside the walls for the people to dwell in. The Bible doesn't tell us how long it took them to build the homes, and complete the rebuilding of the city.
Nehemiah 7:4- Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.
Should I hazard a guess, I would say about 3 years to rebuild the homes.
This is where we get the first seven weeks, or 49 years.
If this is indeed the case, then that tells us why there was a separation of the first two weekly sets. One set would be the completion of the rebuilding of the city, while the other set would start the timetable until the Messiah.
Christ was born at the turn of the millennium. We place His birth at AD 0 BC. He began His ministry when He was about 30 years old.
Luke 3:21-23- Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
He walked this earth for about three and a half years, and then was rejected by the Jews and crucified by the Romans around 34 AD. This was also foretold in Daniel, but the Jewish religious leaders just couldn't understand it.
Daniel 9:26a- And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:
The Messiah was always destined to die for the sins of mankind. It was always the plan. Way back in Genesis, it was pictured by the lamb that was slain to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve after they sinned. It was represented by the lamb that was killed at the first Passover where the blood on the door protected the firstborn. It was told in the Law of Moses that the blood of a lamb was the only thing that would be accepted as an offering for sin. Christ came to be the Lamb of God which would die to take away the sins of the world.
Those first seven weeks are a different timetable than the last sixty-two weeks. From the rebuilding to the death of the Messiah is 62 weeks. If Christ was crucified in 34 AD, this means that the beginning of those 62 weeks was 400 BC- the time around the prophet Malachi when God fell silent and there were no prophecies to the Jewish people.
Malachi's last words were for the Jewish people to look for Elijah.
Malachi 3:1- Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Malachi 4:5- Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
John the Baptist was the fulfillment of this prophesy. He was the one sent to open the eyes of the Jewish people and prepare their hearts to accept the Messiah.
John 1:6-9, 15, 23, 29- There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
An interesting phenomenon in the Bible is where a simple punctuation mark can actually be a difference of thousands of years. In Daniel 9:26, that is exactly what is happening. From the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah to the time when the Man of Sin begins his administration has been a gap of almost 2,000 years.
Daniel 9:26b-27- 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. 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.
This is where we get the timeframe for the Tribulation. The covenant is for one week; the Tribulation is for seven years. In the middle of the Tribulation, the Man of Sin gets assassinated and is raised as the Son of Perdition, Satan incarnate. The Antichrist breaks the covenant with Israel and begins slaughtering anyone who refuses to take his mark and worship him.
A few things need to happen before this portion of Scripture can come to pass. First, the Temple needs to be rebuilt. A covenant will need to be established. And a smooth talking politician needs to begin his rise to power.
Daniel 11:20-21- Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
The politician is the Man of Sin. He will be assassinated, and when he resurrects it will be the devil incarnate, the Son of Perdition, the Antichrist, who takes the reins.
Revelation 13:1-4- And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
It's a question that most humans alive will ask. How do you defeat someone who can come back from the dead? It's the reason why so many will willingly bow to his demands, even though they know it means eternal damnation.
Revelation 13:16-18- And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
People will line up to take that mark, because they won't be able to buy food without it. The Covid pandemic was a dry run to see how well people would comply.
II Thessalonians 2:3-4- Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth 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.
This is what Daniel meant by the abomination of desolation. When the devil sits on the throne and declares himself to be god, it's just the beginning of his war on humanity. He will destroy the world.
Daniel 12:11- And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
1,290 days is about three and a half years. There are 3.5 years where the Man of sin rules, and then 3.5 years where the Antichrist rules.
If you are alive when this happens, you should obey Christ's instructions in Matthew- run and hide.
Matthew 24:15-22- When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Get you a King James Bible and learn to live off what's left of the land. Because you will be hunted and killed for not accepting the mark. This is not a time anyone wants to live through. None of the apocalyptic movies can show just how awful this period will be.
If you are wise, you'll take steps now to get saved and avoid that Tribulation.
