These [martyred believers] are they who have come out of the great tribulation;
they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:14
Let me start, once again, with a big disclaimer and reminder that prophecy teachers and students alike have come up with various explanations for every prophetic detail that seems coded. There are those that believe every prophecy found primarily in Daniel and Revelation, except for a very few, were fulfilled in the past. Others believe there are dual fulfillments. Still some believe the prophecies not associated with Jesus’ First Coming are to be fulfilled in the future.
What I am trying to accomplish is to assist you in some basic framework for further study. Keep this in mind as we now look at the “Great Tribulation”.
In addition to the verse above, Matthew 24:21 also uses the phrase “great tribulation” in certain translations: “For then there will be great distress (tribulation), unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” There is compelling evidence that the Great Tribulation is actually the latter half, or three and a half years, of the seven-year finale called the 70th Week of Daniel that we looked at yesterday.
We learned from Daniel that in the middle of these seven years, a covenant will be broken with God’s people. There are three other Biblical terms used to describe the three and a half years (assuming you believe they are literal years):
- Time, times, and half a time. An example where “times” was used to signify one year was in Daniel 4:32 where it was declared that King Nebuchadnezzar would lose his mind for “seven times” or seven years. This “time” terminology is used in Daniel 7:25 to identify when the beast (believed by many to be the Antichrist) blasphemes God, oppresses the saints, and tries to change the times and laws. In Daniel 12:7 it refers to when the “holy people” are broken, and in Revelation 12:14 to when the woman (believed by many to be Israel) flees.
- 42 months is mentioned in Revelation 11:2 and 13:5. The former is when Jerusalem is trampled upon. The latter is when the beast out of the sea blasphemes God’s name, makes war against the saints, and forces everyone to worship him.
- 1,260 days is used in Revelation 11:3 when the “two witnesses” will prophesy. Who these two men are is another debate that will be covered tomorrow. Revelation 12:6 also mentions this time frame as the length of time that the woman flees into the desert.
The fact is, several different terms and Scripture all seem interconnected and point to bad things happening in a literal or figurative three and a half year period. As always, whether we live to see these times or not, God is our refuge in the storm (Psalm 46:1).