Jesus’ return to this very earth and the catching up and gathering together of His saints to Him is a certainty (see Matthew 24:29-31 which Paul precisely iterates in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; see also Hebrews 9:28, Acts 1:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). So is the great tribulation, which Jesus defined as the greatest and most intense period of trouble the world will ever know (Matthew 24:21). The Pre-tribulation rapture doctrine teaches that the church will be raptured or caught up from the earth to escape the great tribulation, which will last for seven years. The major problem with this teaching is that there is not a single verse in the entire Bible which says so. The mid-tribulation rapture, on the other hand, teaches that the church will go through the first half of the “seven-year period towards the end of this age (Daniel 9)” but will be raptured at the mid-point of that period. Thus, the church escapes the last three and half years of that seven-year period, which the Bible expressly refers to as actual the great tribulation period (see below for details). Consequently, the mid-tribulation rapture, with its various forms, is essentially the same as the pre-tribulation rapture since they both preach the church’s escape from the earth before the actual great tribulation period, only that the pre-tribulation rapture has an earlier point of escape.
In Matthew 24, Jesus gave us the specific sign by which we will know that the great tribulation has started: “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak… For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will” (Matthew 24:15–21). From this passage, Jesus raised no alarm if people lived in Judea before the “abomination of desolation1” or “the abomination that makes desolates” stands in the holy place. But WHEN that event happens, He warns that those living in Judea must flee. The reason for His urgent warning is because at that time, there will be a great tribulation, such as has never happened on the earth and never will. If the great tribulation were to happen before the abomination of desolation stands in the holy place, then Jesus’ warning would have been needless. But in the words of Jesus, it is when (at the time) the abomination of desolation happens that the great tribulation will begin, and they were to flee as a result. This truth is important to understand because the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place is the one single event Jesus gave, which signals the beginning of the great tribulation. So, what is this abomination of desolation? The passage specifically refers us to the words of Daniel to understand this (see Matthew 24:15). Therefore, let’s go to the Book of Daniel to see what Daniel said about this.
In Daniel 9, the Prophet Daniel received a visitation from Gabriel where He was shown certain events that were to take place within a time frame consisting of seventy sets of seven years. This is what the angel Gabriel said the last seven years or week will entail: “And he (i.e., the prince or ruler who is to come – Daniel 9:26) will make a firm covenant with the many for one week (i.e. seven years), but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate” (Daniel 9:27). It is from this text that many have preached a seven-year great tribulation period. But this is not what the text said. Rather, the Bible says that in the last seven-year period, a ruler will come who will make a firm covenant with many for seven years. And in the middle (Hebrew—“khaytsee”—meaning half or middle) of the seven years, which equals three and a half years, this ruler will put an end to grain offerings and sacrifices, associated with Jewish customs and the Jewish temple, desecrate the temple, and the abomination that desolates or the abomination of desolation will come into effect (see Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 11:31).
In the words of Jesus, it is when the abomination of desolation, as spoken of by Daniel, shows up in the holy place (a designation in the Jewish temple—1 Kings chapters 6–8, Hebrews 9:1–5), that the great tribulation starts (see Matthew 24:15–21). Now, if it is in the middle of the last seven years that the abomination of desolation shows up, and at this point the great tribulation begins, then the great tribulation only has three and a half years to run its course, not seven years as has been wrongly taught.
This is the exact truth John corroborated when he wrote that the godless, global ruler or the anti-Christ who will come will be given authority to reign and war against the saints for forty-two months (Revelation 13:5–7), which equals three and a half years (Daniel 9:27) or 1260 days (Revelation 12:6) or time (one year), times (two years), and half a time (half a year) (Revelation 12:14, Daniel 7:25).
Moreover, the great tribulation could never start at the beginning of the 7-year period nor end in the middle of the 7-year period, since the abomination of desolation, which marks the beginning of the great tribulation takes place in the middle of the seven year period.
To be continued.
Dr. K. Omari
December 15, 2019.
A Very Important Message
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Therefore, If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, I invite you to put your faith in Him. Pray the prayer below to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour: “I come to you God in Jesus’ name and surrender my life unto you. I repent of my sins and I ask You to forgive me all my sins. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with my heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. I thank you God for saving me, in Jesus name, Amen”. If you sincerely prayed this prayer, believe and be assured that you are saved, for the Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 16:31). Find a Bible believing church to attend so that you can be discipled to grow in the ways of God. You can also email me ([email protected]) and I will be happy to grow together with you in Christ.