Daniel’s 70th Week

We left off this study last month discussing Daniel 7:25, and how the scripture bears out the fact that people will be saved during Daniel’s 70th week of prophecy, otherwise known as the tribulation. This may sound hopeful to some who know enough about the Word of God to realize they are not spiritually where they ought to be with the Lord, believing if they don’t make the “catching up” of the saints (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18), they still have an opportunity to serve the Lord during the tribulation. I would only say to those who might entertain such a thought, that if they find it difficult to be faithful to the Lord now, and miss the catching up when most of the saints are not even suffering martyrdom at this time, how in the world might these believe they will lay down their necks for Christ and His Holy Word during the tribulation? In his visions, John the Revelator saw the saints that were beheaded during the great tribulation, “I saw thrones and those who sat upon them and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not worshiped the beast (antichrist), neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years (Millennial Reign – after the seven-year tribulation)” Revelation 20:4. Daniel prophesied, “And he (antichrist) shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws, and they shall be given into his hand until a time (one year) and times (two years) and the dividing of time (half a year)” Daniel 7:25. We know this is the last half of the seven-year tribulation period, because Daniel prophesied that the antichrist would confirm a peace covenant with Israel for one week (seven years) and in the middle of the week he would cause the oblation to cease (Daniel 9:27). So, it is clear from Daniel’s prophecy that the antichrist will feign a peace treaty with Israel, but he will break it after three and a-half years. Since his treachery is not revealed until the middle of the tribulation, we might assume that the beheading doesn’t begin until he breaks the treaty and declares himself to be God in the Third Holy Temple (2 Thessalonians 2:4), which will have been built in Jerusalem by that time. In fact, it seems very likely that the Temple will be built during the first three and a-half years of feigned peace, and not probable at all before that time, because nothing can be built until there is “peace” between the Arabs and Jews. We are heading rapidly toward the peace agreement. Pope Frances held an unprecedented prayer meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israel’s (former) President Shimon Peres on Sunday, June 8, 2014. If these three can get together for an interfaith prayer meeting at the Vatican gardens, everyone should know that the time of the peace covenant is near, which will also mark the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period. Jesus said (speaking to the faithful church in Philadelphia, among seven churches), “Because you have kept the word of My patience, I also will keep you from (out of – original Greek [EK THC]) the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth” Revelation 3:10. Right here in this passage, after the resurrection of Jesus, He promised the faithful church that He would keep us out of the temptation to come upon all the world. There can be no other interpretation, this is the only tribulation period spoken of in the Word of God after Jesus’s resurrection, and that He will keep us, who are faithful, out of this temptation to come upon all the world. There is no other interpretation that can accurately be given from this passage of scripture. The “temptation” Jesus is referring to will be the temptation to take the mark of the beast in one’s hand or forehead, as described in Revelation 13:16-18, or be beheaded, as described in Revelation 20:4. I don’t know about anyone else, but I certainly don’t want to be here. I want to be faithful to the Lord now, so I can reap this promise given to the faithful in Revelation 3:10. The promise is also explicitly spelled out in Matthew 25, the parable of the ten virgins. We have gone over the meaning of that parable previously, so I won’t belabor it, but for anyone who may have missed it, this parable given by Jesus reveals that only five, among 10 who were all virgins (indicative of the last days churches), were allowed to escape the earth with Christ; the other five foolish virgins, who did not have oil in their lamps (indicative of the Holy Ghost dwelling within) were left behind to face the great tribulation and martyrdom, because they were not ready. Are you ready for Jesus’s imminent return?