Re: Jacque Koivuniemi (10 Sep 2005),"Re: the ten year tribulation"http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/sep2005/jacquek910.htm
Where Jacque writes:
Hi John and Doves,My Response:My mother and i was discussing all that is happening around us and the signs
of the times etc, i brought up the thoughts others shared here regarding
possible ten year tribulation and explained to her how it was being figured
according to scripture namely Daniel. I explained to her the best I could as
I understood it and she told me she heard a pastor preach one time that said
the extra three years are the time after the millenium reign that satan is
loosed one last time before he is gone forever. Wonder if this could be the
three years difference? Any thoughts on that?Thank you every onne for your posts filled with so much of God and His love
toward us. Educational pieces. Writings of mercies and well I am just
thankful to be here soaking this all in and waiting and watching with you
and learning more of our Beloved in the process.See ya soon!
YSIC
Jacque
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. Revelation 20:3
The Bible calls this period of time after the millenium when satan is loosed a "little season". Do we have any clues as to how long a "little season" is, in the Bible? The term "little season" can be found, (in the KJV anyway), in only one other place, chapter 6 of Revelation:
And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. Revelation 6:11
This happens right after the opening of the 5th seal. So "a little season" is also the period of time between the 5th seal and the triumphal return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords to set up His millennial reign. But how long is this? We know that the opening of the 5th seal is before the beast sets up his 42 month reign which is stopped by the return of Jesus. So if "a little season" is the same in both instances, it must be more than 3 1/2 years, (42 months), not just 3 years. How long do I think it is? Well, I think the little season that satan is loosed after the millennium is 7 prophetic years, which I'll explain why later. Note that this could mean by inference that there are 3 1/2 years between the 5th seal and the start of the reign of the beast.
Let's first review some of the very good clues for a 10 year tribulation versus a 7 year or 3 1/2 year for that matter:
1. No verse in the Bible has both the word "tribulation" and "seven" in it. To verify this use the tool Bible Plus:
http://members.aol.com/bibleplus/
No verse in the Bible has both the word "tribulation" and "three" in it. However there is a verse containing "tribulation and "ten" which is:
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10
Again, a reference to the Christians that will be killed during the tribulation period like Revelation 6:11. This is to the church of Smyrna which I like to call the "tribulation" church because this verse specifically tells this church that it will have tribulation a certain number of years, those being 10.
2. As Christ fulfilled the Spring Feasts in Order at His First Coming, He will continue to fulfill the Feasts in Order. And there are embedded time clues in this order. The first fall feast is Rosh Hashana. This is the day called "the day that no one knows" and is when we should most expect the rapture, (His first coming in the clouds). This day also begins the "10 days of awe" which may be more appropriately translated the "10 days of tribulation". This is also more the meaning understood by the Jewish people. This is a very good indication that the tribulation will indeed be 10 prophetic years long.
But back to why I think the time satan is loosed, the "little season" is seven prophetic years. It comes from Daniel's 70 week prophecy. My belief, which many others also believe at least on this point, is that these weeks are not consecutive and that they represent 70 weeks of prophetic years, not 70 weeks of days.
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. Daniel 9:24
There are many phrases that are final that this 70 weeks encompass. When the 70 weeks are up, it "finishes THE transgression". What transgression? If it is the original transgression, THE BIG transgression of man sinning from satan tempting man in the garden of Eden, then can this be finished before satan's "little season" is finished?
When the 70 weeks are up, it will also "make an end of sins". When will this be? While we are battling against our fleshly nature don't we constantly sin? When satan is loosed a "little season" won't there be much sin? In fact, until heaven and earth pass away, meaning all of this universe made up of decaying matter, won't there be sin? In fact, doesn't the second law of thermodynamics that the whole universe is constantly in a state of increasing disorder, demand that this physical universe be destroyed to destroy decay, the natural consequence of sin?
When the 70 weeks are up, it will also "bring in everlasting righteousness". When will this be? Can the 70 weeks end before the millennium? If it brings in just Jesus Christ for 1,000 years when Scripture tells us that satan will be loosed for a little season, and by inference many will be led astray, is the rightenousness established by Jesus Christ during the millennium everlasting? No, it can't be.
There are so many people that seem unable to grasp that the 70 weeks goes past the millennial reign of Christ and to the end of the "little season".
Hopefully this convinces you though that the 70 weeks are not up until after the "short season" when heaven and earth pass away and all matter ceases to exist. And a new heaven and a new earth, not made of matter, are created. When this happens this is the final day of creation. The first 7 days of creation, are at the beginning of time. The eighth day destroys all matter and creates a new heaven and earth not made of matter but made of the everlasting, that never sees decay. Truly this EIGHTH day is the final day of the Lord spoken of in scripture. Truly this "brings in everlasting righteousness". (Eight represents new birth as there were eight people on the ark and Christ rose on the "eighth" day).
I've spent a lot of time on this which doesn't leave much time to deeply explain the rest of the prophecy. So, the way I look at the rest follows in much less detail. (Which I admit the 70 week prophecy is written purposely in language to conceal to an extent, and some translations may confuse the reader even more based on the translators interpretations. However, I've included the King James translation at the end for reference.).
First, 7 + 62 weeks was the length of time from the directive to rebuild Jerusalem to the entrance into Jerusalem of Messiah as the Prince of Peace. He was rejected by "thy people" when this came to pass. Then, 7 weeks will be the length of time from another directive to rebuild Jerusalem to the return of Messiah as the Prince of Peace. This time "thy people" will have just gone through 10 years of tribulation, the last 42 months made up great tribulation after "thy people" had accepted the anti-Messiah as their prince of peace, who is actually the beast, for it is written:
I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. John 5:43
The Messiah the Prince is crucified and then in 70 AD, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace returns to execute judgment and justice on "thy people" who had rejected him, using as his instrument of justice, the Romans. Josephus records the appearance above Jerusalem apparently seen by many of the heavenly hosts prepared for battle during the siege of Jerusalem where Jerusalem is destroyed. Some have taken these recordings of angelic descriptions of apparently Jesus returning in the skys above Jerusalem in 70 AD as a fulfillment of the rapture, not just an event fortold in Daniel's 70 weeks. I don't take it that way but believe the rapture must be shortly before the 10 years of tribulation starts.
The 70 week prophecy also fortells Jesus Christ confirming the 1 week covenant God made between Himself and man. Only Jesus Christ could confirm it because only He had the authority to act on behalf of the original maker, God, as He was with God, and He is God. Obviously, this 1 week is not 7 days nor 7 prophetic years but 7 prophetic 1000 years, mans lease on this universe, the time span for God's covenant with man. For a day is like 1000 years to God. Jesus Christ was cut off, died, in the midst of these 7000 years, at the end of the 3rd day to be exact. Some want to say that Jesus Christ confirmed a 7 prophetic year covenant with man but God did not make just a 7 prophetic year covenant with man. Nor did Jesus confirm any sort of 7 prophetic year covenant with man. Still others have taken the "he" and say that Daniels 70 weeks is not in this one particular verse discussing the relationship of God and man but the relationship of a future coming antichrist and man. Several "historists" eschatology websites state this particular interpretation is called "futurist" and began through a Jesuit plot to discredit the Protestant assertion that the pope was the antichrist. Regardless, I think it is worthwhile to watch 7 year Peace agreements made with Israel. Especially ones that confirm prior peace agreements. They show the timing that it could be said that the great deceiver, satan, is setting in motion, or the timing that God himself is setting in motion, as is it not God that sends the "strong delusion"?
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: II Thessalonians 2:11
Regardless, be careful of the 7 year tribulation that the great deception planned many years ago is the acceptance of the antichrist as the Messiah the Prince of Peace, (see Chapter 8, "Tribulation & Great Deception", starting ebook page 101, book page 89, of the below link.)
http://www.endofage.com/PPGVIEW1.PDF
So from this all encompassing 70 week prophecy we really have 69 human weeks or 173,880 days and one "God" week or 2,520,000 days. Both the "God week" and the 70 human weeks though culminate at the end of a "short season". From this I had inferred that the "short season" to fill out the 70 prophetic weeks must be the last prophetic week, in other words, 7 prophetic years.
Shalom!
Ted Porter
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. 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. 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. 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 9:24-27