Tribulation and The Great Tribulation

SCRIPTURE READING: Daniel 9:24-27

The tribulation, a seven-year period of time when God will finish His discipline of Israel and finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world. The church will be removed from the earth in an event known as the rapture. The church is saved from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
Throughout Scripture, the tribulation is referred to by other names:
1) the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6-9; Joel 1:15; 2:1-31; 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2)
2) trouble or tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:30; Zephaniah 1:1)
3) the great tribulation, which refers to the more intense second half of the seven-year period (Matthew 24:21)
4) time or day of trouble (Daniel 12:1; Zephaniah 1:15)
5) time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7)

Let’s look into scripture and see what it has to tell us about the tribulation.

Back To Daniel:

Understanding Daniel 9:24-27 is necessary in order to understand the purpose and time of the tribulation. It speaks of 70 weeks that have been declared against “your people.”, the Jews, the nation of Israel.
Daniel 9:24 speaks of a period of time that God has given “to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.”
God declares that “seventy sevens” will fulfill all these things. 70 sevens of years (490 years). This is confirmed by verses 25 and 26. Daniel is told that the Messiah will be cut off after “seven sevens and sixty-two sevens” (69 total), beginning with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. In other words, 69 sevens of years (483 years) after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, the Messiah will be cut off.
Biblical historians confirm that 483 years passed from the time of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the time when Jesus was crucified. Most Christian scholars, regardless of their view of eschatology (future things/events), have the above understanding of Daniel's 70 sevens.

Since 483 years had passed from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the crucifixion of Jesus one seven-year period needs to be fulfilled Daniel 9:24: “to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.” This final seven-year period is known as the tribulation period, it is a time when God finishes judging Israel for its sin.

Daniel 9:27 “He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”. The person who this verse speaks is the person Jesus calls the “abomination that causes desolation” (Matthew 24:15), “the beast” in Revelation 13.
Daniel 9:27 says that the beast will make a covenant for seven years, but in the middle of this week (3 1/2 years into the tribulation), he will break the covenant, putting a stop to sacrifice.

Revelation 13 explains that the beast will place an image of himself in the temple and require the world to worship him.
Revelation 13:5 says that this will go on for 42 months, which is 3 1/2 years. Since Daniel 9:27 says that this will happen in the middle of the week, and Revelation 13:5 says that the beast will do this for a period of 42 months, it is easy to see that the total length of time is 84 months or seven years.
Daniel 7:25 where the “time, times, and half a time” (time=1 year; times=2 years; half a time=1/2 year; total of 3 1/2 years) also refers to “great tribulation,” the last half of the seven-year tribulation period when the beast will be in power.
Revelation 11:2-3 speaks of 1260 days and 42 months. Daniel 12:11-12 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)

Tribulation, Great Tribulation, day’s, weeks, years. What does it all mean? It’s what this world has coming. Destruction, such as the world has never seen. Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior? Are you certain you are going to spend eternity with Him? As I have said the past three weeks, keep your eyes focused on Jesus and what we have learned will strengthen us. I pray that by covering the topic of the Rapture and the Tribulation that you are better informed as to what scripture has to say about the subject's. May God Bless everyone. The Christmas season is upon us and the next several sermons may be an eye opener for many of you.