Page 93 - Eschatology - Student Ebook

The tribulation is a future seven-year period of time when God will finish His discipline of Israel and
finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world. The church, made up of all who have trusted in the
person and work of the Lord Jesus to save them from being punished for sin, will not be present during
the tribulation. The church will be removed from the earth in an event known as the rapture (1
Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). The church is saved from the wrath to come (1
Thessalonians 5:9). Throughout Scripture, the tribulation is referred to by other names such as the Day
of the Lord (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6-9; Joel 1:15; 2:1-31; 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2); trouble or tribulation
(Deuteronomy 4:30; Zephaniah 1:1); the great tribulation, which refers to the more intense second half
of the seven-year period (Matthew 24:21); time or day of trouble (Daniel 12:1; Zephaniah 1:15); time of
Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).

For further references about the tribulation, see Revelation 11:2-3, which speaks of 1260 days and 42
months, and Daniel 12:11-12, which speaks of 1290 days and 1335 days. These days have a reference to
the midpoint of the tribulation. The additional days in Daniel 12 may include the time at the end for the
judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-46) and time for the setting up of Christ’s millennial kingdom
(Revelation 20:4-6). In summary, the Tribulation is the 7-year time period in the end times in which
humanity’s decadence and depravity will reach its fullness, with God judging accordingly.

These Future Events are also Predicted in the New Testament
While we will look deeper into the events of the Tribulation later in this study, we must realize that
these events described in Daniel 9:27 are also predicted in the New Testament as still being in the
future.

According to this prophecy, interpreted literally, the prince to come will enter into a covenant
relationship “with the many”, which are unbelieving Jews. John calls him the Antichrist in 1 John 2:18
and 4:3

1 John 2:18 (NIV84)18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist
is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

1 John 4:3 (NIV84)3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the
spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

This time of tribulation will be a literal seven-year period. This unholy covenant between this political
ruler and the representatives of the Jewish people will ultimately be the detriment of the people of
Israel, however promising it may be at its inception.

The covenant he will make will evidently be a peace covenant, in which he will guarantee Israel’s
safety in the land. This suggests that Israel will be in her land but will be unable to defend herself for
she will have lost any support she may have had previously. Therefore she will need and welcome
the peacemaking role of this head of the confederation of 10 European (Roman) nations. (Pentecost)

According to the prophecy, in the middle of the seven-year period the one who confirms the covenant
“shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease,” including both bloody and non-bloody sacrifices.
This could not refer to Jesus Christ at His death on the cross because, as a matter of fact, the sacrifices
did not cease until A.D. 70.

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