What is the so-called “tribulation period” anyway?

“Tribulation period” comes from the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 24-25 (Rev. 7:14 speaks of the great tribulation).  Answering the disciple’s questions (24:3) about the signs indicating His return and of the end of the age.  He said there would be difficulties He called the beginning of sorrows (24:8), followed by something called the abomination of desolation (24:15) which would be followed by great tribulation of unparalleled magnitude (24:21).  In other words, a “period of tribulation.”

But what was Jesus talking about?  When He spoke of the abomination He said it was the one spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).  Jesus was talking about a well-known prophecy in Daniel 9.  (Now might be a good time to read Daniel 9:24-27.)

Daniel was an Israelite captive in Babylon.  He knew the 70 years of captivity promised by God was almost finished and he was praying to God to forgive His people and turn away His fury from Jerusalem.  God answered Daniel’s prayer through Gabriel, the same angel who is part of the Christmas story (9:21).  

Here is what Gabriel told Daniel: seventy weeks (lit. seventy sevens) are determined for your people and for your holy city (9:24).  The 70 years was to be followed by 70 X 7 years, or 490 years.  Six “goals,” so to speak, for Israel and Jerusalem (Daniel’s people and holy city) define this time (9:24; more on that later; today we are concerned with the timing of these events).

The 490 years began with the command to rebuild Jerusalem.  From that date until Messiah the Prince there would be sixty-nine periods of seven years (7 + 62 weeks) or 483 years.  In that difficult time the city would be rebuilt.  At the end of the 483 years Messiah would be cut off (Jesus’ death on the cross).  Then Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed (which happened in 70AD).  

This leaves one week (seven years).  This week will begin with a covenant between the people (Israel) and the prince who is to come.  In the middle of the week he will break the covenant, will bring worship at the temple in Jerusalem to an end, making the temple desolate through abominations.  This was what Jesus referred to in Matt. 24:15.

The goals have not yet been accomplished.  Between the rejection of Messiah and the establishment of this covenant is a time of which Daniel was not aware.  Peter talked about this time that the Old Testament prophets didn’t understand (1 Peter 1:10-12).  It is the time in which we live, when Israel is temporarily set aside and many Gentiles (non-Israelites) are saved (Rom. 11:25).  But some day God will return to His people Israel and will complete His goals.  

Now perhaps you understand why, in our previous article, we maintained that the Church does not belong on earth during that 70^th week of Daniel.  This may leave you with many questions but our purpose here was simply to establish the fact of a 7-year period when God will complete His purposes for Israel. 

(Next week: what are the “goals” God has in mind in this period of time?)