Tribulation Special Lesson 1 The Seven Years

	The format for this series will be different. The lessons will be shorter than the regular length and include notes on the home page of the website at Bibleacademyonline.com 

	Introduction to Series
 
	Looking at the circumstances around us today, there is a real possibility that in a short time that the tribulation period could begin. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misleading and confused teaching on the subject of the tribulation and surrounding events. It is my goal in this study to give you a succinct study on those events with the clearest biblical documentation.
	
	Our first topic is  The Seven Years. Why is the tribulation seven years long? Where does that come from in scripture?

	Daniel
		
	Our study begins in the book of Daniel. Daniel as a young man, had been taken captive to Babylon during the 70 year Babylonian exile of the southern kingdom of Judah. It is there in captivity, where Daniel was given revelation through prophetical visions and dreams over several decades from his youth to his old age. It was then he received revelation about the coming years including the seven-year tribulation. 
	Those familiar with Daniel know that God used visions and dreams to reveal the future of the rise and fall of empires, rulers, and other important events both in the near and far future. The far future is what we call the last days or end-times, which is still our future.  

	Babylon, Media-Persia or just Persia, Greece and Rome are the nations revealed in the visions. In this study, historical Rome is labeled Rome I and what is popularly called Revived Rome is called Rome II. In the vision, Rome II is actually a futuristic extension of Rome I as explained in the Daniel series. 

	From the perspective of Daniel’s time, Rome I will happen during Christ’s First Coming and Rome II will happen during Christ’s Second Coming (Dan. 2:34-35, 44).

	The Seventy Weeks

	As the seventy years of captivity for Judah were nearing their completion, Daniel observed in the writings of the prophet Jeremiah that the seventy year captivity (Dan. 9:2 cf. Jer. 25:11-12) was near completion at which time the people of Judah were to be brought back to the land (Jer. 29:10). The prophet Isaiah nearly a century earlier had prophesied the LORD would use a man named Cyrus, king of Persia to begin the return of the exiled people to the land (Is. 45:1-7; 45:11-13).
	Upon realizing the seventy years were almost up, Daniel began to pray (Dan. 9:4-19). While praying, the angel Gabriel shows up (9:21) to give him “insight and understanding” (9:22).

	To repeat: When Daniel realized that the seventy year period of judgment in captivity was coming to an end, he began to pray and Gabriel shows up--

 Gabriel says--

	Dan. 9:24  “Seventy weeks (sevens) have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to put an end to the rebellion, to bring sin to completion, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy (lit. prophet), and to anoint the most holy place.  

	The Hebrew shabua is a period or unit of seven. In the OT translations, it is ofter translated week because it usually  refers to a literal seven-day week. But it is basically means seven as a period or unit containing seven something. In this vision the seven is a unit of seven years not days. History has proven that out. 
	
		A seven represents a period of seven years. 

	Remember that Judah was approaching its 70th year which officially ends their punishment in captivity.
	The angel Gabriel will build on that number 70 in teaching Daniel some of the major events concerning Israel and its future. 
	The angel informs Daniel that now the people will have “seventy times seven,” a formula for multiplied punishment (Lev. 26). Seventy years times seven years for a total of 490 years. 
					70 x 7 = 490 years

	For 490 years, when the clock is running, Israel will be at center stage until the kingdom of God is established on earth by the Messiah. 
A time clock is established for the nation of Israel. 
	The people of Judah, what was remaining of Israel, even though many returned to the land, remained spiritually lethargic. This is indicated by their lack of enthusiasm in rebuilding the temple (Hag. 1:2-9). Even though free from captivity, they showed little response towards the God of Israel. 
	Seventy sevens or 490 years of the time clock is started with a timetable laying out several events before the Messiah returns and establishes his ruling presence in his kingdom on earth. At the end of that 490 years, Israel will be united as a people and tribes and be set in place in the Kingdom of God on earth with their Messiah. 
	Let’s break down v. 24--

	Dan. 9:24  “Seventy weeks (sevens) have been decreed for your people and your holy city, 

	The events are interpreted as follows:

	1.	to put an end to the rebellion, 	

	This is to bring the transgressions to an end. Israel will finally stop their routine rebellion against God, and his Messiah. 

	2.  to bring sin to completion-- related to the above 					point.
		The period of sin for the Jewish people will have ended.

	3. to make atonement for iniquity

	Atonement for iniquity was completed at the cross.
	
	The next three accomplishments have to do with the establishing of righteousness. 

	4. to bring in everlasting righteousness, 

	Christ’s work makes possible everlasting righteousness, as the foundational work for the Millennial kingdom where his righteous is manifested throughout the earth. 

	5.  to seal up vision and prophecy, 

	Thus ending further visions and prophecies.

	6. —to anoint the most holy place or Holy of Holies. 

		The Millennial temple is the most holy place.  

	At the end of these 490 years, all these things will have been accomplished. Christ will be on his throne ruling on earth in the Millennial kingdom. 
	
	The first sixty-nine sevens/weeks are broken into two periods. 

	The First Sixty-Nine Weeks 

	Dan. 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 streets and moat, even in times of distress. 

		What we want to see here is that the seven weeks and sixty-two weeks add up to sixty-nine weeks, leaving out the last seven weeks or years--the seventieth week. Often called, Daniel’s seventieth week. 

		So the time clock of 70 weeks is paused at the end of the 69th week. What happens at the end of the 69th week? 

	Dan. 9:26  “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, the people of the prince who shall come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come as a flood; even to the end there is war; desolations are decreed. 

	Then after the sixty-two weeks, totaling up to 69 weeks (including the previous seven weeks)-- 

	the Messiah (Christ) will be cut off and have nothing. This refers to his crucifixion and having nothing includes being abandoned by his disciples and forsaken at the cross (Matt. 26:31 cf. 27:46). 
	The Jewish people as a whole did not respond to Christ and his message.  
	Two big things are going to happen.
	First -- the clock will be paused at the 69th week. 
	The second thing is not mentioned here because it is a mystery, something hidden to be revealed later. I will come back to that in a moment. Back to our verse 26.
	
	the people of the prince who shall come will destroy 	the city and the sanctuary, .
	This prophecy has a double fulfillment. 

	The first fulfillment is about 38 years later when the prince of the people representing the Roman general Titus leads his 
Roman armies to destroy both the city Jerusalem and the sanctuary--the temple in 70 AD (Lu. 21:20 ff.). 
	But it is also predictive of an even more distant prince and another people, that of Rome II.

	Its end will come as a flood; even to the end there is 	war; desolations are decreed. 

	The later prince in the distant future is the antichrist and the people are his Rome II armies at the battle of Armageddon (Matt. 25:15 ff.; Mk. 13:14 ff.). The Lord will come first and stop their complete destruction at the battle of Armageddon. 						                                                                      5
	   
	   Rome I			       		                                 Rome II   
		69th			Church       	               		                  							              70th Trib.
     ___Cross|_|______________________________|_______|  
		         Titus (70 AD)                                  Antichrist (?)
		         as prince               			             as prince
	
	Now we look at the second thing-- the mystery---
	It has been some 2000 years and we have not seen the later prince antichrist. In the meantime in comes the mystery.
Remember that Christ had been abandoned by Israel.  The response from the Jewish people had been minimal. In fact, the leaders plotted to have Christ crucified along with the Romans, who were of course, Gentiles.  
	God has paused the time-clock and inserted a new phase to his plan. The NT writers call it a mystery. The mystery is continued hardening of Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (Rom. 11:25). The mystery is that Gentile believers are to be fellow heirs with Jewish believers (Eph. 3:6). Together they form a new man, the Church (Eph. 2:15). 
	
	Now let’s return to our passage and focus in on the antichrist and the ----

	The Seventieth Week  

	Dan. 9:27 And he (antichrist) will confirm an alliance 			with the many (Israel) for one ‘seven (week),’ but in 			the middle of the seven (week), he will put a stop to 			sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of abominations 			will come one who causes 	desolation (the desolator) until a 	decreed end (complete 	destruction), is poured out on the 		one who is desolating (the desolator). 

	This verse gives us a brief on the major events of the last seven in relation to the antichrist. This seventieth week is the seven-year tribulation period. The verse gives three events that mark its beginning, its middle and its end.  
	It begins when the antichrist confirms an alliance or treaty 
(berith, covenant) for seven years with Israel. In the middle, after three and a half years, the antichrist will stop sacrifices and offerings and establish his abomination of desolation (an image of the antichrist). The decreed end is when the antichrist is destroyed and the tribulation ends.  He will be taken captive and thrown into the lake of fire (Dan.7:11 cf. Rev. 19:20). 

			The Final Seven (week) or Tribulation

  Begin                               Middle                                     End
	|______________________|__________________________|
Treaty signed                Abomination                               His 
							of Desolation 	                    Destruction

	That is the seven year tribulation period. 

	Tribulation 

	NT Greek  thlipsis  lit. pressing, pressure
	1) affliction, distress  (John 16:33; Rom. 2:9; 5:3; 12:12; 
	2 Cor 	1:8; 6:4; 8:2; Rev. 1:9;2:9 etc.)

	2) Period of Tribulation--
	Matt. 24:21, 29; Mk. 13:19,24; Rev. 7:14

	Matt. 24:21 “For then there will be a great tribulation, 			such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world 		until now, nor ever will again.
 
	Here Christ uses the terms “great tribulation” as descriptive of the second half of the seven year tribulation. 
In the parallel in Mk. 13:19 it is “such tribulation.”

	Matt. 24:29  “But immediately after the tribulation of 			those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE 		MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS 		WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens 		will be shaken.
						        NASB 2020
	Here tribulation is descriptive of those days. 

	In Rev. 7:14, a heavenly elder speaks to John--

	Rev. 7:14  So I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he 		said to me, “These are those coming out of the great 			tribulation and they have washed their robes and made 		them white in the blood of the Lamb.

	Jesus uses the term twice and a heavenly elder once pertaining a period or time of tribulation. 
	
	Other Terms Relating to the Tribulation Period

	Daniel 12:1, it is called a “time of distress” Heb. ‘eth tzara, 	which basically means trouble, affliction. 
	
	These same two Hebrew words are also used in Jer. 30:7, where is called “it is a time of distress for Jacob.” Often called “Jacob’s trouble.”

	time, times and half a time  Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:14
	Time refers to one year, times-- two years, half a time to 		half a year. Refers to half of the tribulation seven years. 

     	2300 evenings and mornings   Dan. 8:14
	Refers to 1150 days of two-a-day sacrifices or just over 	three years. 

 	the time of the end” Dan. 8:17, 19

	latter period of the indignation Dan. 8:19; 11:36

	Indignation zaam also means, wrath and anger. This latter period is the tribulational period when the world is suffering the wrath of God. 
       			                                    
	The Day of the Lord 

	The Day of the Lord in its ultimate or final use depicts the time of the Second Coming of Christ and surrounding events; final warnings, judgments, blessing including the coming kingdom. (Is. 13:9-11; Acts 2:20; 1 Cor.5:5; 2 Thess. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:10; Heb. 10:25). Often this day is referred to in different ways such  just the word “day” or “day of wrath,” day of his coming or something similar.
	The Day of the Lord is often used in Scripture portraying some aspect of that future day for a near event. It is especially true regarding judgment (Is. 13:6; Ezek. 30:3).