Hello John and Doves,
 
I've been reading the back and forth on the "3.5 Year Tribulation" and the "7 Year Tribulation" for a while.
 
I can go either way - I understand why and how each time period is supported - I understand that there are scriptures, reasoning, etc. for both time periods.  I use to be 100% "7 Year Tribulation", now, not so much.

And, as my brother says, this is not a salvation issue at all - as we will be watching this time period unfold from Heaven.  PTL!
 
In the mean time, I would like to point out some issues that I have with the "7 Year Tribulation" time period.  If anyone would like to address these, please do.  Much thanks before hand.
 
This "7 Year Tribulation" is based on two main thoughts, as I see it:  A 3.5 year Lesser Tribulation followed by a 3.5 year Great Tribulation, with the AC breaking a 7 year peace treaty with Israel half way through - thus two equal halves of 1260 days.  A somewhat 'peaceful' 1260 days, followed by a horrific 1260 days.
 
1) In The Revelation there is no mention of any 7 year day count - there are 5 days counts of 1260 days.  (42 months, 1260 days, and time, times, half a time).  Somehow 2 of these day counts of 1260 days are added together to make 7 years.  Which 2?  I've seen much confusion over this through the years.  Why aren't 3 day counts added together or all 7 to make 17.5 years?
 
2) In The Revelation there is no mention of a peace treaty with Israel. And this is suppose to be what is broken by the AC to start The Great Tribulation.  That 'treaty' is what keeps the first half of the tribulation 'not so bad'...so where is the treaty?
 
Some would say, well, it's broken when the AC commits the abomination of desolation in the newly built 3rd Temple.  So then 'the treaty' is assumed in The Revelation?  Hmmm.  I'd like to refer to Luke Matthew 24:15 to where Jesus is talking to His disciples on the Mount of Olives:.
 
Matthew 24:15-18  So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation', as described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
 
The 'holy place' referred to here is Jerusalem, and 'the abomination of desolation' is Jerusalem surrounded by armies.  People can not see the AC committing an act of abomination in the Temple from their field or from their house top - but they can see an army surrounding Jerusalem!
 
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John are parallel gospels; this is what Luke says about Jesus talking with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, I refer to Luke 21:20
 
Luke 21:20-22 But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that her desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. For these are the days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
 
Continuing.....There is only one verse in The Bible that the 7 Year Tribulation period is based on and that's in the book of Daniel.  (Daniel also lists a 1260 day count and a 1290 and a 1335, and we aren't sure whether the extra 45 days or 90 days go before the 1260 or after the 1260 or somewhere in between - that's a whole 'nother issue).  I refer to Daniel 9:26,27.
 
Daniel 9:26,27
26 26And after three score 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 to the end of the war desolations are determined.

27And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the middle 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 on the desolate.

The "7 Year Tribulation" interpretation is that 'he' of verse 27 is referring to the prince of verse 26 - assuming this prince is the AC - and the AC makes a covenant for one week or 7 years - thus the 7 year Tribulation period.

The 'catch' comes with who is the subject in verse 27.  The Messiah or the AC?

IF it is Messiah that breaks the covenant (the Old Covenant of The Written Law by ripping the curtain in the Holy of Holies in twain, and ending the blood sacrifices as He's the LAST Passover Lamb), and it is the Messiah that makes a New Covenant that is written on our hearts......

then this would explain why His ministry is 3.5 years.  From the fall feast (some believe Christ may have been born on Feast of Tabernacles to come and tabernacle with man) to 3.5 years later on Passover/or Palm Sunday.  I would speculate to say then, that Christ's ministry was EXACTLY 1260 days long.

One has to ask, why was the Messiah here only 3.5 years?  Why not 4 or 1 or 10 years?  Why couldn't He have been here with us longer?  Why such a relatively short period of time?  Why specifically 3.5 years?

Maybe, because the Messiah's ministry of 3.5 years or 1260 days fits exactly with the first half of the 70th week of Daniel.....leaving exactly 1260 days to fulfill the 70th week...and 1260 days is the ONLY day count given in The Revelation?  Just a thought.
 
I do not read Hebrew or Greek or Aramaic, so I have to rely on the translators for these various verses.  We could be missing somethings in the translations...as we have seen some things come to light concerning Jewish idioms used in the New Testament that have shed light on what was actually going on or being said  or what was meant.  Translators using differing punctuation can change things up a bit too.

These are just some musings that I have.  Very interesting topic, imo.

Maranatha!

Chance