Lesson 40 — Daniel's Seventieth Week and the Tribulation

1. 1 DANIEL'S SEVENTIETH WEEK AND THE TRIBULATION

DANIEL’S SEVENTIETH WEEK AND THE TRIBULATION

The expression “seventy weeks” literally means “seventy sevens” of years. If days were meant it would be so expressed as in Dan. 10:3. Daniel’s prayer, to which this vision was an answer, did not concern days, but years Daniel 9:2. Then too, we know from Scripture that the last week Daniel 9:27 is divided into two parts of 3½ years each Daniel 7:25Daniel 12:7Revelation 11:2, 3Revelation 12:5, 14Revelation 13:5. The whole period of “seventy sevens” is 490 years which are determined or marked off from all other years and concern only “thy people [Israel] and thy holy city [Jerusalem],” for which Daniel was praying Daniel 6:10Daniel 9:1-23. Six prophetic events are to take place during these 490 years relative to Israel and Jerusalem for six purposes:

1. 1 “To finish the transgression.” The Hebrew word "pasha" means “to revolt,” “rebel,” or “sin against lawful authority.” It is often translated “transgression” Psalms 51:13Isaiah 43:27. This transgression has reference to Israel in her rebellion against God. This prophecy foretells the culmination of that rebellion. The law was added because of transgression until the Seed should come, and it served as a schoolmaster to lead Israel to Christ Galatians 3:17-25. Israel failed to receive the Messiah and was broken off in unbelief from God’s favor as a nation. She will not be fully received again until the second coming of Christ, who will turn ungodliness from Jacob and cause a nation to be born at once Romans 11:25-29Isaiah 66:7-10Ezekiel 36:24-30.

1. 1 “To make an end of sins.” Israel’s sins, if collected in the form of concrete matter, would fill the whole earth, for, she has been in rebellion against God from her beginning and she will be until the fulfillment of this prophecy at the return of Christ. This “end of sins” will not be made until after the Tribulation, but from that time on Israel will obey God forever Ezekiel 36:24-30Ezekiel 37:24-27Ezekiel 43:7Zechariah 4:1-21.

1. 1 “To make reconciliation [atonement] for iniquity.” The Hebrew word avon means “perverseness,” “to be crooked,” or “wrung out of course” 1 Samuel 20:302 Samuel 19:19. Atonement was made on the cross for the whole world, but Israel as a nation has not yet appropriated its benefits and will not until the return of Christ Zechariah 13:1-7Romans 11:25-27.

1. 1 “To bring in everlasting righteousness.” When the transgression has been finished, the end of sins made, and the full benefits of the atonement will have been realized by Israel, then everlasting righteousness will be ushered in Isaiah 9:6, 7Isaiah 12:1-6Daniel 7:13, 14Matthew 25:31-46Ezekiel 43:7Romans 11:25-29.

1. 1 “To seal up the vision and prophecy.” This means to make an end of prophecies by the fulfillment of those concerning Israel and Jerusalem. The word “prophecy” should be translated “prophet” as elsewhere. It means that there will be no need of inspired men to rebuke Israel in an attempt to lead them into the way of righteousness “for all shall know the Lord from the least unto the greatest” Jeremiah 31:31-40Isaiah 11:9.

1. 1 “To anoint the most Holy.” This refers to the cleansing of the Holy of Holies, the temple and the city of Jerusalem from the abomination of desolation and the sacrilege of Gentiles, and to the establishment and anointing of the Millennial temple of Ezek. 40-43; Zech. 6:12, 13. The “most Holy” is never used of a person, nor would the Jews ever associate this term with their Messiah, who is distinguished from this term in this passage by the title “Messiah.” This vision needs no explanation other than that of the angel who interpreted the vision to Daniel. All that is needed is an understanding of the explanation, the association of it with other Scriptures on the same subject, and the determination of the time of its fulfillment.

The 490 Years Are Divided Into Three Periods:

1. 1 THE FIRST PERIOD consisted of seven sevens or forty-nine years during which time the Holy City, its street, and wall were to be built “even in troublous times” Daniel 9:25. Therefore we see that these 490 years began with “the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah.” There were three decrees for the restoration of the city. The first decree was given during the first year of the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 3:8Isaiah 44:28Isaiah 45:1-4Isaiah 46:11. Cyrus reigned nine years, then Cambyses, his son, reigned seven years. In the reign of Cambyses the work on the temple and city ceased Ezra 4:1-24. Darius I of profane history reigned thirty-five years. In the second year of his reign he reconfirmed the decree made by Cyrus and the work was started again. The temple was finished in the sixth year of his reign, but the city was not then restored although fifty-seven years had passed since the first decree was made by Cyrus Ezra 6:1-15. Xerxes reigned twenty-one years Daniel 11:1-3 during which time the city was not yet completed. Artaxerxes reigned after Xerxes twenty years and he then gave the third decree to Nehemiah to restore “Jerusalem unto the Messiah” Nehemiah 2:1–6Daniel 9:25, 26. Nehemiah restored the walls in fifty-two days after he reached Jerusalem, but this was by no means the full restoration. That took place seven sevens or forty-nine years after the third decree, which was given about 452 b.c.

1. 1 THE SECOND PERIOD consists of sixty-two sevens or 434 years. It began immediately after the first period of seven sevens or forty-nine years, and continued without a break to the time when the Messiah was “cut off” or crucified Daniel 9:26. This phrase “cut off” is from the Hebrew karath, meaning “to cut off in death” Genesis 9:11Deuteronomy 20:20Jeremiah 11:19Psalms 37:9. These forty-nine and 434 years make 483 years from the third decree to the crucifixion of the Messiah, or sixty-nine of the seventy sevens of years, leaving the last period of seven years concerning Israel and Jerusalem to be fulfilled after the crucifixion.

1. 1 THE THIRD PERIOD will consist of one seven-year period better known as Daniel’s Seventieth Week. The crucifixion of the Messiah ended the sixty-ninth week and God ceased dealing with Israel as a nation. They were broken off in unbelief and their city destroyed as foretold in this same vision of seventy weeks Daniel 9:26 and by Jesus in Mt. 21:43; 23:37-39; 24:2; Lk. 21:20-24. Also see Acts 13:45-49; Rom. 11. This Seventieth Week will be fulfilled when Israel, partially gathered, will exist as a nation in possession of Jerusalem. That Jerusalem will be in their possession again is proven by the fact that it will again be given to the Gentiles in the middle of the Week Revelation 11:1, 2. Not one of the six above events have been fulfilled. They must be fulfilled in the future. The Seventieth Week will be the last seven years of this dispensation and will parallel the seven-years covenant between Antichrist and Israel Daniel 9:27. It is to be the time when all the events of Rev. 6:1–19:21 will be fulfilled, and when the whole tribulation will run its course. What is to happen during this Week was not revealed to Daniel in detail, but it was revealed to John. This Week of years will begin after the rapture of the Church, and at the second advent, and fulfill all the above six prophetic events concerning Israel. The present Church Age comes in between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks, or during the time of Israel’s rejection. It is fulfilled before the Seventieth Week. which is primarily concerned with Israel as were the first sixty-nine weeks.

II. The Tribulation Revelation 6:1–19

1. 1 The Time and Length of the Tribulation

The Tribulation will begin to affect Israel before the Seventieth Week begins; how long before is not certain, but when Antichrist rises at the beginning of the Week, Israel will be undergoing persecution by the whore and the ten kings of Revised Rome who are dominated by the whore until the middle of the Week. Antichrist will come out of one of the ten kingdoms mentioned in Lesson Thirty-nine and he will make a seven-years covenant with Israel assuring them of protection in their continued establishment as a nation Daniel 9:27. The Jews will not accept Catholicism when it again dominates the nations of the old world and begins to murder all heretics as it has done in the past. Because the Jews will not submit, there will be a widespread persecution of the Jews and “they shall be hated of all nations” during the time of “the beginning of sorrows” when Antichrist will be endeavoring to conquer all these nations Matthew 24:4-12. Antichrist will need Jewish moral and financial support to help him rise over these nations, so he will make an alliance with them for seven years. Therefore, the time of the Tribulation is during the whole of Daniel’s Seventieth Week Daniel 9:27. It will end at the second advent Matthew 24:29-31.

1. 1 The Divisions of the Tribulation

1. 1 The Purpose of the Tribulation

(1) To purify Israel and bring them back to a place where God can fulfill the everlasting covenants made with their fathers Isaiah 2:6Isaiah 3:26Isaiah 16:1-5Isaiah 24:1-25Isaiah 26:20, 21Ezekiel 20:33, 34Ezekiel 22:17-22Romans 11:25-29.

(2) To purify Israel of all rebels Ezekiel 20:33, 34Ezekiel 22:17-22Zechariah 13:8, 9Malachi 3:3, 4.

(3) To plead with and bring Israel into the bond of the New Covenant Ezekiel 20:33, 34Ezekiel 36:24-28Jeremiah 30:3-11Zechariah 12:10–13Malachi 4:3, 4.

(4) To judge Israel and punish them for their rejection of the Messiah and make them willing to accept Him when He comes the second time Ezekiel 20:33, 34Zechariah 12:10–13Zechariah 14:1-15Matthew 24:15-31.

(5) To judge the nations for their persecution of Israel Isaiah 63:1-5Revelation 6:1–19.

(6) To bring Israel to complete repentance Zechariah 12:10–13Romans 11:26-29Matthew 23:39.

(7) To fulfill the prophecies of Dan. 9:24-27; Rev. 6:1–19:21; Mt. 24:15, 29, etc.

(8) To cause Israel to flee into the wilderness of Edom and Moab and to be so persecuted by the nations that Israel will have to turn to God for help Isaiah 16:1-5Ezekiel 20:33-35Daniel 11:40–12Hosea 2:14-17Matthew 24:15-31.

1. 1 The Character of the Tribulation

The character of the Tribulation can easily be understood in view of God’s wrath being poured out upon mankind for their wickedness and corruption which will exceed the days of Noah and Lot Matthew 24:37-39Luke 17:22-372 Timothy 3:1-12. Men will reject the truth until God turns them over to the “strong delusion” of the Antichrist who will cause them to believe a lie and be damned 2 Thessalonians 2:8-122 Peter 3:1-9. Even after God pours out His judgments upon men, they will still defy Him Revelation 9:20, 21Revelation 6:2-11Revelation 17:1-18Revelation 18:1-24. Words cannot describe the utter rebellion and wickedness of men during this period of final struggle between God and the devil over possession of the Earth Revelation 11:15Revelation 12:7-12Revelation 19:11-21Revelation 20:1-3.

1. 1 Will the Tribulation Be Worldwide?

The old theory that the Tribulation will be worldwide is not stated in even one Scripture. On the contrary, the Bible is clear that the Antichrist will not reign over the whole world, but only over the ten kingdoms that are to be formed inside the old Roman Empire (See Lessons Forty-six and Forty-seven). Most of the judgments of the trumpets and vials are stated as being only upon a third or fourth part of the Earth Revelation 8:7-12, and upon “the men which had the mark of the beast” and “upon the seat [throne] of the beast: and his kingdom” Revelation 16:2, 10. However, nothing is said as to the limitation of the extent of the demon-locusts or of the extent of the devil’s wrath when he is cast out Revelation 9:1-11Revelation 12:7-12. The sixth trumpet kills only a third part of men Revelation 9:12-21.

When we speak of the Tribulation we mean the troubles that God’s people will have to undergo, especially the Jewish people, as Daniel’s Seventieth Week concerns only Israel and their city Jerusalem. The last half of the Week will be “the time of Jacob’s trouble” and these troubles primarily concern Israel, as may be seen under Point 3, above. The tribulation will not be worldwide, even if it covers all lands that Christians live in after the rapture. Unknown tribes of people in the interior of heathen lands will not know of the Tribulation caused by the Antichrist, as we shall see in Lesson Forty-six.