What is the Basis of YOUR Belief?
And a Look at Daniel Chapter 9
Many believers today say that they have faith in God. But too often, their faith is a presumption of facts not proven with evidence, or even based in Scripture. Then, when their assumptions prove false, people lose their faith and fall away. Presumption leads to false hopes that result in loss of faith. Prove what you believe by studying to show yourself approved by GOD, not man.
2Tim 4:3-5: 3For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear.4They will reject the truth and follow strange myths.5But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you.
How Long is the Great Tribulation?
Let’s look at Scripture as our ONLY source:
Matt 24:21: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. [Jesus was speaking].
Rev 11:1-2: Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers.2But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months.
Rev 11:3: 3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in sackcloth and will prophesy during those 1,260 days. [Note, 1260 days is 42 prophetic months of 30 days].
Rev 12:5-6: 5She gave birth to a boy who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And the child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to give her care for 1,260 days.
Rev 13:14-15: 13And when the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the child.14But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle. This allowed her to fly to a place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time. [Note: a time is one year, times is two years, and a half a time is half a year, so a time + times + half a time is 3 ½ years].
Rev 13:17: 17Then the dragon became angry at the woman, and he declared war against the rest of her children--all who keep God's commandments and confess that they belong to Jesus. [Note: war against the saints sounds like a tribulation to me . . .].
Rev. 14:5: 5Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do what he wanted for forty-two months.
And exactly what did Daniel say about the end times?
Dan 12:5-8: 5Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing on opposite banks of the river.6One of them asked the man dressed in linen, who was now standing above the river, "How long will it be until these shocking events happen?"7The man dressed in linen, who was standing above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took this solemn oath by the one who lives forever: "It will go on for a time, times, and half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally come to an end, all these things will have happened."
Dan 12:9: 9But he said, "Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is for the time of the end.
Dan 12:11-12: 11"From the time the daily sacrifice is taken away and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days.12And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days! [Note: 1,290 days is 43 months, so the Great Tribulation probably starts 30 days after the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet.. The 1335 days? The Lord has to conduct a battle and retake the earth from satan, conduct a judgment, rebuild Jerusalem, restore the earth, then get crowned King of Earth – probably won’t happen in a day. I think the Millennium starts after 1,335 days – the 1,000 year reign of our sovereign God on earth! ]
NOTICE A PATTERN HERE? I see at least 7 times that the Scriptures confirm the 3 ½ year period we have called the Great Tribulation. So if we are going to assume something different, like seven years, I guess there must be AT LEAST seven more places speaking of a seven year tribulation.
REALLY? WHERE DO THE SCRIPTURES SAY THAT?!!?
A 7 Year Tribulation?
Timothy LaHaye, in his book RAPTURE [Under Attack], states on page 194: “Daniel was specific in 9:27 that the Tribulation would be seven years long. Mid-Tribs have no authority for reducing it to three and a half years.” Pretty adamant, right? OK, let’s read Daniel, 9:27, since this is the ONLY verse that is the foundation for belief in a seven year tribulation, and see what it really says:
Daniel 9:27: 27He will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. Then as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the end that has been decreed is poured out on this defiler.
He who? With what people? Where does it say ANYTHING about a tribulation here? In context, the chapter is defining how much time there will be from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem [it was Artaxerxes who decreed it], until Messiah is cut off, and one week remains of the prophecy, which is described above in Dan 9:27. So the verse in context is about the Messiah, not about the Tribulation. He simply says that a peace treaty will be made with Israel, and half way through that treaty time, he will stop the daily sacrifice in the Temple – which has yet to be rebuilt. See end of this article for the complete prophecy in context and calculations he is referring to.
Do you see a seven year tribulation in this verse? I don’t. . .
Here is the verse in context: Dan 9:24-27: 24"A period of seventy sets of seven has been decreed for your people and your holy city to put down rebellion, to bring an end to sin, to atone for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to confirm the prophetic vision, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.25Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes. Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times.26"After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end.27He will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. Then as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the end that has been decreed is poured out on this defiler."
I still don’t see a seven year tribulation. So who are you going to believe, Daniel and John? Or some guy who got rich writing fiction?
