DANIEL'S 70TH WEEK
DANIEL'S 70TH WEEK IS THE SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD
The book of Daniel is one of our favourite books as it specifically and clearly teaches about the days we are now living in, namely, THE END TIMES. The prophecies of Daniel are so precise that higher biblical criticism scholars try to dismiss the existence of Daniel and that the book of Daniel “was written probably by an educated Jew, knowledgeable in Greek learning, and of high standing in his own community.” It is bizzare that these scholars write such a nonsense because Jesus mentions his name in Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through DANIEL THE PROPHET, standing in the holy place “, quoting a prophecy that Daniel has written down for us.
ALWAYS remember: History does NOT prove the Scriptures are true. The Scriptures prove that history WILL happen.
Many of the prophecies written by Daniel have already happened precisely as prophesied. Many of the prophecies written by Daniel will soon take place. We ARE living in the END TIMES.
In Matthew 24:14 Jesus says ““This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and thenTHE END WILL COME.” Well this prophecy by the Lord has well and truly now been fulfilled with the Gospel reaching into the remote parts of the world through, books, radios, tv’s, cellphones, computers and let not forget the missionaries who still risk their lives for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Satellites make it possible to reach even the most remote parts of this Earth.
In Matthew 24:21 Jesus stresses ““For then there will be a GREAT TRIBULATION, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.” This terrible period of time will be so bad that Jesus said there has never been such a terrible period on this Earth since the creation and never ever will there be such a terrible period again. He calls it A GREAT TRIBULATION.
Now we shall delve into what DANIEL’S 70TH WEEK is.
Tribulation and the Great Tribulation (Jacob's Trouble)
There are many instances where the word tribulation is used in the Scriptures, mainly in the New Testament, depending on what translation of the Bible you use. What we will look at in this Topics page is the Tribulation and The Great Tribulation periods. The word Tribulation used in the Old Testament in some translations means a period of trial Israel had to endure in their times. In the New Testament the word tribulation is often used for the difficult times Christians had to endure during the Church Age (which runs from Pentecost to the Rapture). On several occasions the word tribulation is used for a definite period of time and that is the time we are going to discuss, which we call THE TRIBULATION, a period of time that last seven years. The last three and a half years of this seven year period is called THE GREAT TRIBULATION or JACOB’S TROUBLE
All these things CAN ONLY HAPPEN in God’s time.
Before He created anything God already knew what, where and when anything would happen, right down to the minutest split second.
At the APPOINTED TIME it will happen.
GOD IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL AND NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR HIM.
Just as well.
PRAISE THE LORD
LET US MAKE ONE THING CLEAR
Revelation 17:14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and THOSE who are WITH HIM are the CALLED and CHOSEN and FAITHFUL”
This verse proves that the Church, the Body of Christ, will be raptured BEFORE the Tribulation period. Throughout the New Testament the Church is mentioned as the CALLED and CHOSEN and FAITHFUL.
DON'T LET ANYBODY TELL YOU OTHERWISE!
What is the Tribulation period?
The Tribulation period is a definite period of time, lasting 7 years. The Hebrew word used here is šāḇûaʿ (sabuawa) meaning group of seven and the Greek word for this is Heptad. The Webster dictionary describes heptad as “a group of seven”.
This group of seven (heptad) is here seen as a group of seven years.
We can read the use of the word šāḇûaʿ in Genesis 29:27 “Complete the WEEK of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another SEVEN YEARS.” where Laban told Jacob to serve him another 7 years (šāḇûaʿ) for his other daughter Rachel.
Daniel wrote in Daniel 9:24 “SEVENTY WEEKS (groups of seven) have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.”
So this period of 70 weeks (heptads/šāḇûaʿ) is a period of 490 years (70 x 7 years).
The purpose of these 490 years (or 70 weeks [heptads]).
Now these 490 years are to deal with the nation of Israel and the Jews.
We can read this in Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks have been decreed for YOUR PEOPLE and your HOLY CITY.
- TO FINISH THE TRANSGRESSION
- TO MAKE AN END OF SIN
- TO MAKE RECONCILIATION FOR INIQUITY
- TO BRING IN EVERLASTING RIGHTEOUSNESS
- TO SEAL UP THE VISION AND PROPHECY
- TO ANOINT THE MOST HOLY
1. TO FINISH TRANSGRESSION
Remember the JEWS are in view here. It has nothing to do with the transgressions (sinning) of Gentiles and Christians.
To finish the transgression of the Jews happens the moment they, as a nation, REPENT and turn to God.
Hosea 5:15 tells us “I will go away and return to My place
Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
In Ezekiel 20:37-38 we read “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; and I will purge from you the rebels and those who TRANSGRESS against Me;”
Here they are refined in the furnace of God’s WRATH and the rebels will be separated from them and the remnant will be brought into Covenant with the Lord God.
Further in Ezekiel 22:21-22 we read “I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My WRATH, and you will be melted in the midst of it. As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out My WRATH on you.”
Daniel goes on by breaking down these group of 490 years into 3 groups.
These first two groups SEVEN WEEKS AND SIXTY TWO WEEKS equal to 49 years + 434 years = 483 years.
Remember these weeks are periods of 7 years (heptad)
The first group is in Daniel 9:25 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be SEVEN WEEKS AND SIXTY TWO WEEKS; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.” started when the decree was given to rebuild the city of Jerusalem by King Artaxerxes in 444 BC.
It took 49 years (7 heptads or 7 groups of 7 years) to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem (The first 49 years).
You can read all about this in the books of Ezra and Nehemia.
The second group of sixy two weeks (or 434 years – 62 heptads), ended 483 years later in 32/33 AD where Jesus Christ enters Jerusalem riding triumphantly on a donkey which was prepared for Him (“UNTIL MESSIAH THE PRINCE“), is hailed by the people as the king sent by God, and was soon afterwards crucified (“CUT OFF,” Daniel 9:26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks THE MESSIAH WILL BE CUT OFF”).
The moment Jesus breathed His last breath the cutting off of the Messiah was fulfilled.
THAT’S THE MOMENT GOD STOPPED DEALING DIRECTLY WITH ISRAEL AS HE HAD DONE IN THE PAST.
Shortly afterwards at Pentecost the CHURCH AGE STARTED AND WILL END AT THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
REMEMBER: Daniel did NOT know anything about the CHURCH as it was still a MYSTERY, revealed to the Apostle Paul and preached to us the believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. (See our Topics page “The Church”.) That is why Daniel did not mention anything about the Church and jumped from the end of the 60th Week to the 70th Week without explaining the big gap of approximately 2000 years, the CHURCH AGE.
During the Church Age God is bringing in people from the Jews and from the Gentiles to become the CHURCH – THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
God is now dealing with both Jews and Gentiles (non Jewish)
This is the open invitation to ALL the people of the world.
Alas, many will hear the invitation but only A FEW will respond.
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to DESTRUCTION, and there are MANY who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to LIFE, and there are FEW who find it.”
All that sincerely acknowledge that they are sinners, repent of their sins, ask God for forgiveness and belief and trust in Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord will be BORN AGAIN OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WILL GO UP IN THE RAPTURE.
THEY HAVE CHOSEN THE NARROW WAY THAT LEADS TO LIFE.
WIDE GATE & BROAD ROAD ------- SMALL GATE AND NARROW WAY
After the Rapture, when the Apostasy is at its strongest and the man of Lawlessness (Antichrist) is revealed, he will make a 7 year (week or heptad = 7 years) covenant (peace treaty) with many.
THE BEGINNING OF THAT 7 YEAR COVENANT (PEACE TREATY) IS THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST WEEK (DANIEL’S 70TH WEEK) OR 7 YEARS (heptad) of the 490 years (70 weeks [heptads]) of Daniel’s vision in Daniel 9:24.
That is when God will will again start dealing directly with the people of Israel.
To quickly summarise here:
The first 483 years of Daniel’s 490 years vision from Gabriel (whom he also had seen “as a man” in a vision in Daniel 8:15-19) started with a decree from King Artaxerxes to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and ended when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and died on the cross shortly after (“the Messiah cut off”).
God STOPPED dealing directly with Israel from this moment. We are now in the CHURCH AGE which started at Pentecost and will end at the moment of the RAPTURE.
The final 7 years (Daniel’s 70th week or Tribulation period) will start at the moment the man of Lawlessness (the Antichrist – the prince who is to come, Daniel 9:26) makes a 7 year covenant (peace treaty) with many, including Israel.
Daniel 9:27 “”And he will make a firm covenant with the many for ONE WEEK…”
That’s when God will AGAIN directly deal with Israel.
REMEMBER: Daniel’s 70th week (The Tribulation) can NOT start until the Man of Lawlessness (Antichrist) is revealed.
The Man of Lawlessness (Antichrist) can NOT be revealed until the Rapture happens and He that restrains now restrains no longer.
We strongly believe that He that restrains is the Holy Spirit working through the Church (born again believers) and in His individual power. The Scriptures clearly state we are the salt of the earth. This salt must have the power of salt which is preservation and savouring the food. In life you can let the salt preserve that what is good and add love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, which all will help in that process of preserving goodness. It will not cure the world from evil but helps restraining evil from spreading faster and faster through the manifold ministry of the Holy Spirit explained to us in Revelation 1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne.
The number 7 in the Scriptures speak of perfection and completeness which are reflected here in the description of the Holy Spirit as the seven Spirits, namely
1) The Spirit of the LORD
2) The Spirit of wisdom
3) The Spirit of understanding
4) The Spirit of counsel
5) The Spirit of power
6) The Spirit of knowledge
7) The Spirit of the fear of the Lord
One Holy Spirit in a manifold ministry. The same can be found in Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD, which rested upon Jesus when John baptised Him in the appearance of a dove John 1:32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.
It is that manifold ministry of the Holy Spirit that produces in us the fruit of the Spirit which in turn helps preserve goodness and restrain the power of the sinfulness of unbelievers. Therefor, YIELD to the Holy Spirit so you are fruitful vessels for the Holy Spirit to work through. Also remember that the Holy Spirit restrains more than that. Ephesians 6:12 tell us “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
REMEMBER, at the APPOINTED time it all will happen. At the APPOINTED time the seven year covenant will be signed!
That is when the Tribulation starts. Not earlier, not later. Right on the second of that APPOINTED time.
You have guessed it, we are firm believers that EVERYTHING happens at the APPOINTED time. God foreordained it and at these appointed times things that have been foreordained will happen. GOD is in complete control. NOTHING can thwart Him.
ALLELUIA FOR THE LORD OUR GOD THE ALMIGHTY REIGNS
THAT IS THE START OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD
WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING THE TRIBULATION?
We won’t go into all details about what happens during the Tribulation. We hope to cover that in a commentary on the book of Revelation.
We will summarise a good number of things that will happen.
Always remember that with ALL these things happening GOD IS IN CONTROL.
We will start with the Blessed Hope, the event of the Rapture when the COMPLETED CHURCH will meet the Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and Saviour, up in the air and He takes us back to Heaven.
This moment is also described in Revelation 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “COME UP HERE, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
Most scholars believe that this describes the Rapture and we definitely do believe this is the case.
We believe that between the moment of the Rapture and the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation is a small gap, with a duration perhaps of a few days, weeks or months, nobody knows exactly.
John sees things playing out in Heaven, one of them being the moment the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ opens the little book with the seven seals, as He was the ONLY one worthy to open the seals.
When He opens the first seal we read that a rider on a white horse arrives on the scene with a bow in his hand but no arrows and a crown was given to him. This rider went out conquering and to conquer.
Revelation 6:2 “I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”
We all believe that this is the coming of the Man of Lawlessness (the Antichrist). We can see that he can not come on to the earth stage until after the Rapture and Jesus has opened the first seal.
There have been many speculations on what the meaning is of the bow the rider has. We won’t go into all these speculations as some are quite bizarre. We are happy with the bow, without arrows, meaning this rider, which we believe is the coming Man of Lawlessness (Antichrist), will be a very clever strategist, orator, and military genius. At this stage the world, after the Rapture, will have been taken over by an evil world government (most scholars agree this to be the revived Roman Empire) which will exist in the form of ten economic blocks created by the New World Order that is to come. Ten leaders will be appointed for these ten blocks which the Scriptures call “ten kings that NEVER had a kingdom before” and these will be given authority with the Antichrist for an hour. (an appointed period of time). These ten kings wil have one and the same purpose and give their power and authority to the Antichrist.
Revelation 17:11-12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.” Three of these “kings” will be uprooted by the Antichrist.
Daniel 7:7 reads ““After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.”
Daniel 7:24 “‘As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.”
THESE ARE OUR INTERPRETATIONS AND NOT NECESSARILY THE CORRECT ONE for these verses!
Looking at the two verses above we can read that Daniel could see the fourth beast and the ten horns, but because it was in the future, he didn’t know it would be the Roman Empire. Neither did he know that this empire would disintegrate, kept alive through a religious system and revive again in the last days. This revived Roman kingdom will be revealed as a world government divided in ten economic sections governed by ten appointed kings who NEVER had a kingdom before. These have to be new leaders (kings) who had never led a kingdom before. This is something completely new destined for the coming END TIMES. These are the ten horns Daniel saw and are also on the beast in Revelation 17:11-12.
Let us quickly explain why we believe it is the revived Roman Empire.
First we look at Revelation 13:1-3 “And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;
Remember, Christians that are alive now, before the Rapture, WILL NOT know the identity of the coming Lawless One, also know as the Antichrist. He will NOT be revealed until AFTER the Rapture.
ANTICHRIST'S IDENTITY WILL BE REVEALED AFTER THE RAPTURE
When Jesus opens the second seal, a red horse comes out and the rider on this horse is given the power to take peace from the earth, meaning of course war. This could be the Third World War which eventually wll lead to the Battle of Armageddon.
Revelation 6:4 “And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.”
Who this rider is Scriptures don’t say, but it is most likely a mighty angel. Lets look at some Scriptures that speak of an angel having the power to kill many people. A world war will most likely break out under the Antichrist.
2 Samuel 24:16 “When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel WHO DESTROYED THE PEOPLE, “It is enough! Now relax your hand!” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. “
2 Kings 19:35 “Then it happened that night that the angel of the LORD went out and STRUCK 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when men rose early in the morning, behold, all of them were dead.”
Revelation 9:15 “And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that THEY WOULD KILL A THIRD of mankind.”
When Jesus opens the third seal, the rider on the black horse is called upon the scene and he has a pair of scales in his hand.
Revelation 6:5-6 “When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.””
This clearly depicts the most devastating famine the Earth has ever seen. A denarius in the Biblical times were equal to a day’s wages a quart of wheat was just enough to make a loaf of bread. This means that a loaf of bread will cost more than $100. This will happen because of the war and also the increasing natural disasters the world is experiencing now. War will prevent the shipments of wheat as we can see already, but also weather disasters will devastate crops around the world. “Do not damage the oil and the wine” is a difficult section to explain and many scholars have come up with all sorts of explanations. We think that wheat is primary staple food while oil and wine are secondary staple foods. Whatever the explanation is we know that there will be a severe famine and many will die.
When Jesus opens the fourth seal, the rider on the ashen (sickly pale) horse arrives on the scene and the rider is non else than Death himself.
Revelation 6:8 “I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.”
Hades is following Death closely as that is the place where the unbelieving dead will end up the moment they die, awaiting the Great White throne Judgement of Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”
Many people will die because of war, famine and pestilence and wild beast. These are the most horrible times to come upon the Earth.
We also read in Revelation 20:14 “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.” which is because after the Great White Throne all evil (Satan, fallen angels, demons and all unbelievers) are in the Lake of Fire and God creates the New Heaven and Earth where sin will be no more.
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