Day 20 – the Tribulation Week

Read Daniel 9: 20 – 27

We know that God’s people rejected the Messiah and He turned from His plan for the Jews and inaugurated His plan for the Gentiles. God still has a plan in store for his chosen people – i.e. the seventieth week – but that plan is on hold for now as he deals with His Church. At some point in the future known only to God, He will decide that the church age is finished, and Jesus Christ will return to collect his saints at an event commonly called the rapture (1 Thes. 4:13-18). This event starts the time clock on the last seven-year period (the seventieth week) and we refer to this final period as the Tribulation Period.

This tribulation period is sometimes called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” and is described in great detail in Matthew 24: 15 – 22. During the tribulation period, a new, charismatic world leader, called the Antichrist, will come upon the scene and make a treaty with the nation of Israel to assure them peace and the opportunity to worship their God. The Antichrist will initially appear to be an effective leader who offers peace and effective problem solutions. At the end of the first 42 months, he will break the treaty with Israel and reveal himself to be an evil despicable man under the control of Satan himself. The history of the Jewish people has been a history of rebellion against God, but God is going to purge the rebellion out of them through the trials of the Tribulation. When Christ comes to establish His kingdom at the end of the seven-year period, sin and transgression and rebellion will be put behind Israel. They will be ready to accept their true king, the promised Messiah, that they have been waiting for all these many years.

At the Second Coming, which comes at the close of the seventieth week, our Lord will reconcile His chosen people to Himself. Rebellion will be gone and the reign of the King of Kings will begin. The Temple, the most holy place, will be anointed, and the beauty of the Jewish worship will be re-established for a thousand-year period called the Millennium.

Q1. As God’s people sat in captivity in Babylon, they surely had to be wondering “what good can come out of this?” Have you experienced difficulties that made you wonder if God had a plan for your life?

Q2. What purpose is served in the study of prophecy? How does knowing the prophecies of Daniel affect your spiritual life? Does it serve to strengthen your faith?

Q3. What are the six things that must happen, according to Daniel 9:24, for the seventy weeks to be completed? Have these occurred? How will each be fulfilled in the end?

Final thought: Every Christmas we recite the prophetic verse Isaiah 9:6 which says, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” We know this happened when Christ was born in Bethlehem! But the verse goes on to say “And the Government will be on His shoulders …” The prophecy of the verse won’t be completely fulfilled until Jesus comes a second time to subdue enemies and establish his kingdom.