When Will The 7 Year Tribulation Begin
If one were to ask when will the 7 year Tribulation begin popular culture often would demand one answer. Many would say that the rapture taking place would kick off and begin the tribulation.
We need to turn to Scripture to find these answers. It is too easy to be misled by fiction novels, movies and traditional tellings by those who do not know the events beyond general concepts.
Here begins the rise of the fourth beast of Daniel chapter 7 of which the Antichrist will be a part of.
The Start
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Daniel gives us the answer clearly. The first line of the passage is the answer. The word he in the passage is the antichrist. He will confirm the covenant with many. It is often stated that he makes peace with Israel. I do not doubt that Israel is included for that should be a given fact. Nevertheless the passage says that this covenant will be with “many”. Who those many are this passage does not elaborate further on yet other passages in Scripture will. For the moment we will leave that topic for another time.
The word confirm is an interesting word. It precedes the words “the covenant”. While many assume that it is the antichrist who is the author of this peace, based upon the wording it appears that the antichrist is a broker. He is one who can bring different sides to a table to confirm this deal. It is as if the people desire peace yet disagree on how to achieve it. It may be that there is a loose agreement, cease fire, perhaps a world that has become tired from some event but a leader is needed to push them all forward. It does not appear that the antichrist is the author of the agreement, but rather the man who can make the deal happen.
The next key to our answer is the phrase “for one week”. Here understanding the prophecy of 70 weeks is absolutely critical. I have dealt with this topic lightly in other posts yet it will deserve its own topic in the near future. In short, the 70 weeks prophecy is a time line for the nation of Israel. The first 69 weeks were required to reach Christs sacrifice for sin on the cross. The last week, the 70th week is reserved for the tribulation. It is this 70th week that Daniel 9:27 is speaking of.
We could read this passage as follows: The antichrist will confirm the covenant of peace with the world which begins the tribulation. This truth will change a lot of ideas that people may have about the tribulation and its start but also the rapture and its timing. For so many years with the plethora of time lines which have been drawn the rapture and the start of the tribulation have been tied at the hip as if almost an instantaneous cascade. There is one other doctrinal problem with that idea though.
No Known Point in Time or Events
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24 gives us our next clue. Jesus is speaking of many events in Matthew 24. The reference in verse 36 is speaking to an event which no man can know the day or the hour. There are two references taking place here. First is His reference to the rapture event, yet there is a hidden confirmation that this is the event He is speaking of which can only be understood culturally.
Within the Jewish feasts we easily recognize them by names such as Passover, or Pentecost. Yet there is a feast which is referenced by the phrase “day or hour that no man knoweth” Yom Teruah or commonly called Rosh Hashanah. This feast is the Feast of Trumpets. It is this feast which is to represent the rapture event.
The feast itself would happen on a day dictated by the moon cycle. They could have an idea of when the feast would happen, yet two watchmen would have to monitor the moon. They would wait until the first sliver of the moon appeared as it moved out of the new moon phase then they would proclaim the feast. What exact day the feast would take place on was unknown to them in that time thus why it was referenced as the feast which no man knoweth the day or the hour.
Jesus Himself completed the Spring feasts with the exception of Pentecost being an event focused on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Fall feasts representing the end time events. I have shared this cultural knowledge to reaffirm Scripture for often within the Jewish culture you will find parallels to many doctrines.
This affirmation is greatly needed for too many in history, and still presently, attempt to pinpoint a day for the rapture. It simply is not possible. Many laugh when those in the world attempt to do this. Yet what many within the Church do not realize is that the Church itself has perpetuated this very idea of trying to pinpoint the day of the rapture, although in a different way. Rather than picking a date, the Church has often attempted to associate it with an event, being just before the start of the tribulation if not immediately before it.
We must realize that the rapture is not only immanent but it does not have to be associated with anything related to further end times events. In fact if God chose to do so He could place 20 years between the rapture and the start of the tribulation. Personally I do not believe that will be the case, yet He could if He chose to do so. There are no ties to other events to prevent it.
At this time I will not go further into this time gap between the rapture and the start of the tribulation. What I will say is that there is overwhelming, and yes I dare to say concrete evidence, that further prophecy when appropriately discerned show that there is a small gap of time. The only hint I will give here to this is to know Ezekiel and Revelation. In addition to this when those events line up it eliminates many of the “problems” which have led to issues such as the mid or post trib rapture theories. I do not mean to make those who believe those mid or post trib rapture theories to scream or fret. Rather it is an opportunity to better understand the world we are moving into and understand the accuracy of the pre tribulation rapture doctrine more fully.
Are there prerequisites for the rapture to take place? Absolutely not. Well at least not prophetically. There is one and only one prerequisite yet we cannot know the mind of God. The only requirement is that the last person God has decided to enter into the body of believers or the Church and they come to know Christ. There is no other prophetic events, no other alignments that we are waiting for. In fact Paul in his day was waiting on Christ before he came to the knowledge that his death would take place. The rapture could take place at any time.
Confirmation in Revelation
Is there other evidence within Scripture that the antichrist will facilitate the start of the tribulation? Absolutely yes. It is always good to find a parallel Scripture or a doctrine to support any position. If the position is true the Bible will always offer supporting structure around it. We go to the book of Revelation at the first seal.
Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
While there are other Scriptures to support this point I love using Daniel and Revelation 6 due to the clarity that each gives. In this scene within Revelation we see the first seal opened. If one were to back up one chapter you would see Christ holding this scroll with its seals which no one can open but Christ Himself. This picture has its own meaning as it is the title or deed to the earth and all creation as so to speak. The picture is imperative to not only our salvation story but a beautiful part of the conclusion of sin as we move forward into Christs kingdom.
As Christ opens the first seal this picture is the start of the tribulation. It is the first event to unfold on the earth. We see a rider on a white horse. This rider has a bow, crown, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. Yet note this, the rider has a bow yet no arrows. When read in light of Daniel 9:27 we know that the antichrist does conquer but it is through peace. When the covenant of peace is confirmed with the many he has achieved what no other world leader in history has.
Many leaders of history have tried to unite the world. Reach back to Alexander the Great, or further back to the first type depicted of the antichrist, a man called Nimrod from the book of Genesis. Napoleon is among those of history just as a man called Hitler attempted the same. Yet each of these attempted to do this feat through war. The antichrist will achieve this long sought after goal through peace.
The first seal found in Revelation is the start of the tribulation period. Here as well we can see that there is no mention of those who have been raptured causing any impact upon events. In fact the picture of the rapture event is found in Revelation 4 when John is called by the voice of a trumpet to “come up hither”. In Revelation 6 we only see the confirmation of the words of Daniel. It is this point which begins the last week or the 70th week of Daniel. Each day of that week being one year, the clock begins ticking once again to the conclusion of time.
The Recognition of Christ
I wish to present something here. It concerns Revelation 5. With Rev 4 portraying the rapture, and Rev 6 being the start of the tribulation, it is too easy to simply skip over chapter 5 missing the significance behind what John is seeing. Keep in mind that John is writing as a witness. We must see with John’s eyes what he is seeing.
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
There are ties in chapter 5 that reach all the way back to Genesis. Revelation 1:18 also holds significance to this same picture. Yet at the opening of chapter 5 we see that there is no one who is worthy to open the book, until Jesus appears. Chapter 5 is something to not miss. It is the recognition of Christ, His authority, His worship and in Revelation 5:9 praise and worship for what He has accomplished.
Chapter 5 appears as a coronation ceremony after the bride of Christ has been presented to the Father. While this gives no insight into time on earth it does give insight into God’s order. This is not a chaotic process. Nevertheless we do see the rapture in chapter 4, the recognition of the authority of Christ in chapter 5, and then the opening of the tribulation in chapter 6.
There is one other interesting note to bring forward here. Once this event begins, stop for a moment and think about the clock ticking. Prophetic time can once again be measured for those living within that period. If the rapture were to take place mid trib, or post trib, it would be on that clock. This would violate the principle doctrine of not knowing the day or the hour of the rapture.
The rest of the seal judgments deserve their own insight within their own posts. Nevertheless it is generally accepted that these seals are opened throughout the first half of the tribulation period. Each of them are unique in nature. The next takes peace from the earth. Some read this as being war. I rather believe that this is more associated with general peace among men being removed and life having little value. People will be willing to kill one another with ease.
The succeeding seals are equally unique in nature as they progress. Yet the threshold of the first seal marks the beginning. It will not be until this moment that the antichrist will be known. It is only at this time that he can be known. As a believer we have no need to be worried for we will not see this event from earth. We will witness Jesus as he unseals this first seal.