Locating the Great Tribulation’s Start Time on the End Times Calendar

Today I feel compelled to write an article on the general timing of the great tribulation’s start in context of the End Times. My intention is to not provide a specific date when I think the great tribulation will begin, but to give an idea of how long it will take once the End Times starts for it to begin.

Christ taught that the great tribulation (not to be confused with the term “tribulation”) will begin when the “abomination of desolation” mentioned by Daniel is established:

• Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
• Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

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• Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Daniel wrote that the abomination that causes desolation will be established in the second half of the final week or seventieth week of Daniel:

• Dan 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.

The seventieth week of Daniel (or what many call the “tribulation period”) is seven years in length.[i] Therefore, the great tribulation cannot be longer than 3.5 years in length given that it begins at the midpoint of the seventieth week of Daniel (the great tribulation is likely less than 3.5 years since Christ said it would be cut short for the sake of the elect in Matthew 24:22).

Daniel 9:27 indicates that the seventieth week of Daniel will begin when the Antichrist confirms a “covenant with many”. Given that the great tribulation cannot begin until the midway point of the seventieth week of Daniel, the “covenant with many” would have to be already confirmed for it to be possible for the great tribulation to begin in 2011, 2012, 2013, or 2014. However,

• There is no covenant with many yet (as Israel and the Palestinians have not reached a Middle East peace deal-let alone figured out the terms of negotiations for a peace deal).

The earliest that the great tribulation can theoretically start is March 18, 2015 or 1260 days from today (October 5, 2011), but this assumes that today is the start of the seventieth week of Daniel (October 5, 2011)-something that I doubt is the case as we do not have the Mideast peace deal yet (see the appendix for more about where 1260 days comes from).

Projected Start of Great Tribulation if the 70th Week Started Today (Oct 5, 2011)
Hypothetical 70th Week Start Date	+ 1260 Days (G.T. Hypothetical Start)
October 5, 2011	March 18, 2015

I don't think it is going to be too difficult for people living during the End Times to determine whether the start of the great tribulation is near if they understand what to look for and to pay attention to news events. Here are some indicators which can help people identify the relative closeness of the start of the great tribulation.

1. The confirmation of the “covenant with many” is probably going to be highly publicized event given that the Middle East often dominates news headlines around the world, so a person just needs to add 3.5 prophetic years or 1260 days to the day when the covenant’s confirmation is announced to find the start date of the great tribulation (see the appendix for more about why 3.5 prophetic years = 1260 days).

2. Recall that Christ warned that the great tribulation is about to begin when an abomination of desolation is established. I think this is event could be connected with what Paul described in 2 Thessalonians 2:4, which is a scene where Antichrist claims to be God while he sits in the temple:

• 2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
• 2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

I imagine that this event is probably going to be broadcasted around the world because it probably is going to be the Antichrist’s first public claim that he is God.

• People who see images of the Antichrist sitting in the temple claiming to be God should realize that the start of the great tribulation is imminent.

3. Related to indicator #2, the establishment of the abomination of desolation mentioned by Christ and Daniel will occur in a temple in Jerusalem where there is sacrifice and oblation taking place (Daniel 9:27). Consequently, it is not possible for the great tribulation to begin without the temple first being built in Jerusalem and the sacrifice & oblation to begin in that temple. People who claim that the great tribulation has already begun (like Harold Camping) miss this point.

4. The Bible indicates that the Antichrist is going to be an extremely arrogant leader who is going to attack the strongest strongholds/opponents.

• Dan 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

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• Dan 11:39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

People can probably get a sense of whether the start of the great tribulation is near by observing whether there is an arrogant leader on Earth who is waging war against very strong opponents. The presence of such a leader is an indication that the Antichrist is on Earth and is working to amass power prior to his claim that he is God.

I’ll offer one additional thing that is probably going to be more difficult to decipher than the other indicators. Satan and his angels are probably going to be cast to Earth around the midpoint of the seventieth week of Daniel-the time when Antichrist is about to establish the abomination of desolation in the temple:

• Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The arrival of Satan and his angels on Earth may serve as an indicator that the great tribulation is near if Satan chooses to publicize his arrival or the arrival of his angels in anyway (i.e. an “alien invasion” where Satan’s angels masquerade as aliens).

People can avoid being blindsided by the start of the great tribulation and can take steps to prepare themselves before it begins if they know what to look for and pay attention to what's going on. I hope this article helps people in any way to understand when the great tribulation will start in context of the seventieth week of Daniel and to understand what to look for when attempting to identify how close the great tribulation is from starting.


Appendix

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[i] The Length of the 70th Week of Daniel
Gabriel told Daniel that 70 weeks have been given to the people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem to end their disobedience, atone for their sins, and to be saved.

• Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
• Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
• Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Most Christians who study Bible prophecy agree that the first 69 weeks of this prophecy was fulfilled over a several-hundred year period with a call to rebuild Jerusalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus’s reign (Nehemiah Ch. 2:1-5) and the death and ascension of Christ. Therefore, Gabriel did not mean 70 literal weeks where each week is 7 days in length. The Hebrew translation of the word “week” in Daniel is shâbûa‛, which actually means “seven”. Therefore we can also refer to Daniel’s prophecy as “the 70 sevens”.

The length of a “prophetic week” can be determined by analyzing the structure of the 70th week of Daniel. Daniel’s 70th week is divided into two halves. In the first half Antichrist will confirm a covenant with many, but will break it halfway through the seven.

• Dan 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.

The second half of the week is a period of severe persecution. This period of time will last for “time, times, and a half”. The Hebrew word for “time” is “mô‛êd”, which also can mean “a year”. Nearly every commentator who analyzes Daniel’s 70 week prophecy agrees that “time, times, and a half” means 3 ½ years. Therefore, a “prophetic week” is a seven (prophetic) year period.

• Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

In Revelation 12:14 we learn that 3 ½ “prophetic years” is the equivalent of 1260 days. If we divide 1260 days by 3 ½ years we will find that a prophetic year is 360 days long.

• Rev 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

• Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Similarly, 3 ½ years is also defined as 42 months since seven years is the equivalent to 84 months. Therefore a “prophetic month” is 30 days long since 1260 days divided by 42 months equals 30 days/month.

• Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
• Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Given this information, we can confirm that the 70th Week of Daniel will be 2520 days long three different ways.

1. 30 Days (in a Prophetic Month) x 42 Prophetic Months (in Half a Prophetic Week) x 2 Halves = 2520 Days
2. 7 Prophetic Years (in a Prophetic Week) x 360 Days (in a Prophetic Year) = 2520 Days
3. 1260 Days in “Time, Times, and Half” x 2 Halves = 2520 Days.

For more about the 70 Weeks of Daniel you can access my research study where I provide a completely new explanation of the prophecy by clicking this link.