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BRIEF OVERVIEW OF
THE DAY OF THE LORD
The 70th week of Daniel begins when a dynamic European leader, arrogant
and skilled in intrigue, will establish peace in the middle east and confirm
a 7 year covenant with Israel which will allow them to have a
sanctuary on Mt. Moriah and to offer animal sacrifices. (this is represented
by the 1st seal of Rev. 6) By the way, this 7 year period is never designated
in scripture as the tribulation or the time of Jacob's distress.
In the middle of the week, 3 1/2 years later, this leader will be revealed
as the man of lawlessness, who will be indwelled by Satan, and will break
the covenant by putting a stop to sacrifice and grain offering and taking
his seat in the sanctuary (temple) of God, displaying himself as God.
This of course, destroys the peace which began the week. (It is represented
by the 2nd seal of Rev. 6)
This then begins the great oppression of this man of lawlessness who is
the beast out of the sea - the antichrist.
His rigid economic control through the mark will produce great hardship
on the whole world - it is represented by the 3rd seal of Rev. 6.
His reign will result in total chaos over 1/4 of the earth and that will
result in death by weapons, famine, disease and wild animals - as seen in
the 4th seal.
His massive persecution of believers is represented at the 5th seal where
we see those who have been killed for their faith.
Jesus calls this the great tribulation at Mt. 24:15-21
Jeremiah calls it the time of Jacob's distress - Jer. 30:5-7.
and I must say again, that this is not 7 years long.
Now, all of this that we see in the first 5 seals takes place because of
the oppressive reign of the beast - it is not God's wrath on the world -
but God allowing man to be oppressive.
The wrath of God begins at the Day of the Lord. This is Christ's coming
on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
(represented at seal #6 -Rev. 6:12-17)
At 2 Thes. 2, Paul equates the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering
together to Him (in v. 1) WITH the Day of the Lord (in v. 2).
He then indicates that the Day of the Lord will not occur until "the
apostasy" takes place and "the man of lawlessness. is revealed.
Now with a proper DEFINITION for the Day of the Lord, we realize that Christ's
return for the church must take place AFTER the mid-point of the week.
Joel 2:30-31, says that the Day of the Lord WILL BE PRECEDED by the same
celestial signs as mentioned in Rev. 6:12 and at Mt. 24:29.
But Mt. 24:29 tells us it is immediately AFTER the tribulation of those
days - which began at the mid-point of the week and goes - - -
- - - not for the remaining 3 1/2 years of the week (for
it shall be CUT SHORT in order to deliver the elect. [church age believers]).
How are they delivered?
Mt. 24.31 - after the Day of the Lord arrives, the angels are sent out to
gather His elect from the earth. And then in Mt. 24:36-44, Jesus describes
this
"gathering" in language which we all should recognize as a "catching
out" such as is described at 1 Thes. 4:17, ie., rapture.
Now, how short is the tribulation cut?
We are not told. Why? - Mt. 24:36, we don't know the day or the hour.
But we can know the times and the epochs - - (Acts 1.7 is not contradicted
when we compare it with all the apostolic revelation given later) And even
Jesus gave them the answer when he taught the parable of the "trees"
(not just a fig tree) at Mt.24:32ff and Lk. 21:29.
Now, at the Day of the Lord, after the church is taken out, and BEFORE the
7th seal which initiates the 7 trumpets of God's wrath, is opened - -
We see in v. 1-8
on the earth, Israel's remnant sealed and protected by
God for a special work in the remaining short time.
And we see in v. 9-17
A large multitude of believers in heaven who have come out of the great
tribulation, as Jesus taught it at Mt. 24:29-31.
Then in Rev. 8, the 7 trumpets which announce God's judgments on the world,
etc, etc - with some chronological twists and turns which can all be worked
out.
That time of oppression will be cut short probably during the last 18
months - approximately. We do not know the day, hour, week month or even
year - JUST the SEASON.
The man of lawlessness is revealed 3 1/2 years into the week.
There needs to be time for his economic controls (3rd seal) -
Time for the world-wide chaos of the 4th seal -
Time for his persecution of believers of the 5th seal -
Now after the rapture, (6th seal) there needs to be time for the 7 trumpets
(at least 5 months because of Rev. 9.10)
And there needs to be time for whatever the 144,000 are going to do.
Actually, maybe only 5-6 months is all that is needed.
But that is the whole point of not knowing the day or hour.
We could actually give the beast about 3 years to "do his thing"
-
have the tribulation "cut short" at that time - (Mt. 24.22)
and then the 6 trumpets, which brings us to Rev. 11.7 -
The 70th week does not end when the great tribulation is cut short.
The 70th week is over when the 2 witnesses complete their testimony.
Rev. 11:3-7. (the end of 1260 days when the 2 witnesses are killed.)
Then we begin the 30 days period of Dan. 12.11, during which the 7th trumpet
sounds and the final 7 bowls of wrath are poured out.
Armageddon takes place in connection with bowl # 6-7
No where does it say that the great tribulation IS 3 1/2 years.
We have been conditioned to think that way because it begins at the mid-point
of the week. The disciples who were oriented to Daniel - would also be
thinking - 3 1/2 years for the beast's oppression. That is why Jesus clarifies
and says that the time of oppression will be cut short.
Again, we are not told that the time of oppression is 3 1/2 years.
We are told that his "reign" is 3 1/2 years. Rev. 13.5.
At Dan. 12:6, the question is asked, "how long till the end of these
things?" The "these things" begin with the oppression of
the beast at Dan. 11.36.
There it says that "he will prosper until the indignation is finished."
That is the great tribulation. That's when his prospering stops.
He still reigns but Dan. 11:40-45 indicates that toward the end of his reign,
it will not be so "prosperous."
When the Tribulation is cut short by the Day of the Lord - then the wrath of God
begins to be poured out - especially on the kingdom of the beast - and although
he still is reigning, he is unable to hold everything together; unable to
carry out his plans as at the mid-point of the week.
His reign officially ends when he kills the 2 witnesses and then the 7 bowls
of wrath are poured out "very quickly" it appears - probably during
that 30 day period of Dan. 12.11.
It is during this 30 day period that bowl #6 occurs which gathers the nations
to Armageddon.
Bowl #7 which brings the world-wide earthquake (v. 16.18)
and the huge hailstones - world-wide (v. 16.21)
And then, restricted to Palestine - Rev. 19.11-21 -
His physical descent to the earth - as outlined previously.
This then is an overview without much detail, but let me say, that the whole
crux of the issue lies in seeing the proper definition for the Day of the
Lord.
Traditional pre-trib has the Day of the Lord beginning the 7 years of Daniel's
70th week. Scripturally, that is impossible. There are events within that
70th week which must take place BEFORE the Day of the Lord can occur.
Furthermore, there must be a more scripturally PRECISE definition for the
tribulation instead of equating it with the 70th week. And lastly, there
is no
difference between the "tribulation" and the "great tribulation"
for both terms refer to the very same period of time as can be established
from Mat. 24:9-21.
And that period of time begins at the mid-point of the 70th week.
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