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Scripture Reading: 2 Pet. 1:19; Matt. 24:32-44; Luke 21:25-36; Rev. 3:10-11; Dan. 9:24-27
In this series of messages we want to study the prophecy of the four “sevens” in the Bible. If we are going to know the prophecy concerning the consummation of this present age, we need to know the truth concerning these four “sevens.” In this chapter we want to see the prophecy of the first “seven,” which is the last seven years of this age spoken of as the last week of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9. The three other sets of “sevens” are in the book of Revelation. They are the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. Revelation may be considered as a book of prophecy constituted with these three sets of “sevens.” The first “seven” in Daniel 9 is related to these three sets of “sevens” in Revelation. The prophecy of these four “sevens” is related to the Messiah (Christ), the nation of Israel, the New Testament believers, and the church.
For our study of the prophecy of the first “seven,” we would like to read Daniel 9:24-27:
The seventy weeks in Daniel 9 are apportioned into seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and one week. In Daniel a week is seven years, so seventy weeks is four hundred ninety years. Seven weeks are forty-nine years, sixty-two weeks are four hundred thirty-four years, and the last week is seven years. The last week of the seventy weeks will be the last seven years of this present age, the age of the church. After these coming seven years God’s kingdom will be on this earth, and that will be the thousand years for Christ to reign in the millennium.
The last week of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9 will be cut in half. The last half of this week is three and a half years, referred to by Daniel as “a time and times and half a time” (7:25; 12:7). These three and a half years are the very hub of John’s prophecy of the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls. If we are going to understand the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls, we have to understand the last half of the last week of the seventy weeks of Daniel 9. This will be the last three and a half years of this present age. The overcomers will be raptured before these last three and a half years. The believers on earth at that time who are not matured will be left on earth to pass through the last three and a half years, which will be the time of the great tribulation. We must understand the prophecy concerning this period of time because our destiny lies there.
In my study of the Bible in the past, I did not realize as I do today how John the apostle was so one with Daniel the prophet. During Daniel’s time the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and captured the Jews in 606 B.C. About seventy years later, Daniel received the revelation of the seventy weeks (cf. Dan. 9:2). About A.D. 100, John wrote the book of Revelation, so the time between the writing of Daniel and the book of Revelation is about six hundred years. Despite such a long period of time, their writings are one in their prophecy concerning the end of the present age.
The apostle John and the prophet Daniel were one in the prophecy concerning the consummation of the present age.
“A time and times and half a time” in Revelation 12:14 is a quotation from Daniel 7:25 and 12:7. “A time” is one year, “times” is two years, and “half a time” is half a year. John’s quoting of Daniel in this way shows us that he was one with Daniel and that his prophecy was given based upon Daniel.
Another evidence of John being one with Daniel is that the beast in Revelation 13:1 corresponds with the fourth beast in Daniel 7:7. In Revelation 13 there are two beasts. The first beast, referred to in verse 1, is the Antichrist, and the second beast is the false prophet. In Daniel 7 there are four beasts. These four beasts correspond to the empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. This fourth beast, which signifies the Roman Empire, is mentioned in Revelation 13 as the beast with seven heads and ten horns, signifying the coming ten kings of the revived and restored Roman Empire.
The ten horns, the ten kings, and the beast in Revelation 17:12 correspond with the ten horns, the ten kings, and the beast in Daniel 7:23-24.
John and Daniel’s being one in their prophecy can also be seen by the fact that the text of John 5:28 and 29 corresponds with that in Daniel 12:2. John 5:28 and 29 speak of the two resurrections. The resurrection of life is the resurrection of the saved believers before the millennium (Rev. 20:4, 6; 1 Cor. 15:23, 52; 1 Thes. 4:16), and the resurrection of judgment is the resurrection of the perished unbelievers after the millennium (Rev. 20:5, 12). Daniel 12:2 also speaks of these two resurrections. One is to life eternal, and the other is to reproach, to eternal contempt. This again shows the oneness of Daniel and John.
To see something we must have a proper standing and a proper angle. Many Christians read the Bible, but they do not receive any light or any vision. This is because their standing and angle are wrong. God’s prophetic word is very particular. If we do not have the proper standing and angle, we will not see the vision. We need to have the standing and angle of Daniel and John in receiving the revelation and in seeing the vision.
Daniel was in captivity in Babylon (Dan. 9:1-2a); his heart was fully on God and His people, His temple, and His holy city for God’s kingdom on the earth (vv. 2b-19); and he was in his spirit, fully occupied with prayer and supplications to God (vv. 20-23). We may be interested in prophecy, but what is our heart occupied with? Is our heart like Daniel’s? Our heart has to be fully on God and His desire in order for us to receive the revelation and see the vision.
John was in exile on the island of Patmos (Rev. 1:9b); his heart was for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus in participating in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus (v. 9); and he was in spirit on the Lord’s Day, seeking after the Lord and looking to His appearing (v. 10). Daniel and John were the same in their standing and angle, so they saw the vision.
Seventy weeks were apportioned for the people of Israel and for the holy city, Jerusalem (Dan. 9:24-27). At the time Daniel saw the vision of these seventy weeks, the country of Israel was lost into the hands of the Gentile nations. These nations were Babylon and then Medo-Persia. The holy city was destroyed, the holy temple was devastated, and the people of Israel were in captivity for about seventy years. Daniel was in such a situation. Daniel had no heart to be there, but what could he do? He could not do anything except pray. He prayed again and again. Then a vision came to him. Something secret was unveiled to him—the seventy weeks.
These seventy weeks were apportioned to close the transgression.
They were also apportioned to make an end of sins.
Furthermore, they were apportioned to make propitiation for iniquity.
The seventy weeks were apportioned to bring in the righteousness of the ages (2 Pet. 3:13). The transgression will be closed, sins will be ended, and iniquity will be propitiated. The righteousness of the ages will also be brought in. This is the righteousness of the ages, or the eternal righteousness, which will be in the millennium as well as in the new heaven and new earth. In the millennium Christ will be the righteous One (Jer. 23:5), and He will rule the thousand-year kingdom in righteousness (Isa. 11:5-6). In 2 Peter 3:13 Peter says, “We are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” Today there is injustice everywhere. But there will be an age, which will be the age of the ages, the age of the new heavens and new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
After the seventy weeks are completed, vision and prophet will be sealed up. Today we need the vision and the prophet, but when the seventy weeks are fulfilled, we will not need them anymore.
The seventy weeks were also apportioned to anoint the Holy of Holies (Dan. 9:24). Before the seventy weeks are over, the temple will be rebuilt. Later, Antichrist will devastate and contaminate the temple. He will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, setting up his image in the temple as an idol to defile the holy temple of God (Matt. 24:15; Rev. 13:14-15; 2 Thes. 2:4). After the final three and a half years of this age, Antichrist will be completely destroyed, and the temple will be cleansed and cleared up. Then the Holy of Holies will be anointed. When the Holy of Holies is anointed, the service of offering sacrifices and the oblation will be recovered.
The three and a half years of the great tribulation are referred to as forty-two months (Rev. 11:2), or twelve hundred sixty days (12:6). But Daniel 12:11 and 12 say, “From the time that the daily sacrifice is removed and the abomination that desolates is set up, there will be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits and reaches the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days!” In these verses twelve hundred ninety days and thirteen hundred thirty-five days are mentioned. The ones who wait until the thirteen hundred thirty-fifth day will be blessed.
At the end of the twelve hundred sixty days, Antichrist will be fully destroyed by Christ. Then thirty more days are needed to clear up the contaminated, devastated, and defiled temple. Therefore, at the end of twelve hundred ninety days, the temple will be cleared up. But still there will be no sacrifices or offerings. This service will need setting up. This will take another forty-five days, which makes thirteen hundred thirty-five days. Once this service is set up, all the people will be blessed in the offering of the sacrifices and oblations to God. For the children of Israel to be blessed is to enjoy the offerings. That blessing will be taken away by the Antichrist. From the time that Antichrist causes the offerings to cease to the day the Israelites enjoy the offerings again will be thirteen hundred thirty-five days.
Now we need to see the sections into which the seventy weeks are divided. The first seven weeks—forty-nine years—were for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and were fulfilled (9:25).
The next sixty-two weeks—four hundred thirty-four years—were to the cutting off (the crucifixion) of Messiah, Christ (v. 26a). History tells us that from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the year that Christ was crucified was exactly four hundred thirty-four years.
After the sixty-two weeks and before the last week of the seventy weeks, there is an interval, the length of which is not revealed and in which was the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary by the people of the prince (the Roman army of Titus) in A.D. 70; and the end of it will be with a flood, and even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined (v. 26b). The interval after the sixty-two weeks and before the last week of the seventy weeks is the age of grace and the age of the church. This is also the age of mysteries. In this interval everything that God did, is doing, and will do is a mystery. In this interval Christ is the mystery of God (Col. 2:2), and the church is the mystery of Christ (Eph. 3:4). Christ and the church are the great mystery (5:32). Revelation 10:7 says that these mysteries will be completed, finished, and over at the trumpeting of the seventh trumpet.
In this interval was the destruction of the city of Jerusalem by Titus with the Roman army in A.D. 70. Josephus, the Jewish historian, tells of how Titus devastated Jerusalem and the temple. This was a fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy in Matthew 24:2 concerning the temple: “Truly I say to you, There shall by no means be left here a stone upon a stone, which shall not be thrown down.” Daniel prophesies further that there will be war until the seventy weeks are completed. From the destruction of Jerusalem until today, there has been war after war.
At the beginning of the seven years of the last week of the seventy weeks, Antichrist will make a firm covenant with Israel, and in the middle of the week he will break the covenant. Daniel 9:27 says, “He will make a firm covenant with the many for one week; and in the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease and will replace the sacrifice and the oblation with abominations of the desolator, even until the complete destruction that has been determined is poured out upon the desolator.” Titus is a type of Antichrist. He destroyed, devastated, the holy city and the holy temple, and Antichrist will do the same thing. Titus killed and persecuted the holy people, and Antichrist will do the same thing. Daniel’s prophecy considers them as one. The person referred to in verse 27 is the prince in verse 26 who will destroy the city and the sanctuary. That prince was Titus. But verse 27 refers to the coming Antichrist.
In the middle of the last week of the seventy weeks, Antichrist will cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (12:7b, 11a).
He will replace the sacrifice and oblation with abominations, idols, of the desolator, Antichrist (v. 11b; Matt. 24:15; Rev. 13:14-15; 2 Thes. 2:4). In Matthew 24:15 the Lord spoke of “the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the Holy Place.” According to Revelation 13:14 and 15, the abomination of desolation is Antichrist’s image, which is set up in the temple as an idol. Then 2 Thessalonians 2:4 tells us that Antichrist will sit in the temple to claim that he is God. Daniel 9:27 refers to the “abominations [plural] of the desolator.” These abominations may refer to Antichrist himself, to his image, and to idols he will put into the temple.
These idols will remain in the Holy Place, in the temple, even until the complete destruction that has been determined is poured out upon the desolator, that is, Antichrist (v. 27; 2 Thes. 2:8; Rev. 17:11; 19:19-20). In other words, the idols will remain in the temple for three and a half years until Antichrist is fully destroyed by Christ. Christ will wipe him out with the appearing of His parousia, His coming.
The seven years of the last week will be the last seven years of the present age of the mysteries of God, concerning Messiah (Christ), the children of Israel, the believers, and the church.
Now we need to see something concerning the two halves of the last week. The last week of the seventy weeks will be cut into two halves by Antichrist’s breaking of the seven-year covenant that he will make with Israel (Dan. 9:27).
The first half will be before the sixth seal of the supernatural calamities on the earth and heaven (Rev. 6:12-17). During the sixth seal, the earth will become a place that is not suitable for man to live on. The sixth seal will be the initiation of the great tribulation of three and a half years, the last half of the last week.
The second half of three and a half years is referred to in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7.
This second half will be counted from the ceasing of the sacrifice and the oblation and the replacing of these with abominations, idols, by Antichrist probably at the time of the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-17). On the one hand, God will shake the earth and the heaven, making the earth an unsuitable place in which to live. On the other hand, Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel, and he will persecute the Jews and devastate the temple.
The second half of the last week, the last three and a half years of this age, will be the time of the great tribulation (15, Matt. 24:21), beginning from the sixth seal of the seven seals (Rev. 6:12-17) and ending at the seventh bowl of the seven bowls (16:17-21), which will be “the hour of trial, which is about to come on the whole inhabited earth, to try them who dwell on the earth” (3:10). The first five seals have nothing to do with the great tribulation. The great tribulation will be initiated by the sixth seal. The seven bowls will be the last woe of the great tribulation, and this tribulation is referred to as “the hour of trial.”
Before the three and a half years of the great tribulation, the overcomers among the believers will be raptured into Christ’s presence (parousia) in the heavens (12:5-6; 14:1; Luke 21:34-36; Matt. 24:36-44).
At the end (it should be in the last year) of the three and a half years of the great tribulation, the majority of the believers, both the dead and resurrected and the living, will be raptured into Christ’s presence (parousia) in the air (1 Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 14:14-16; 2 Thes. 2:1, 3-4, 8). The New Testament clearly reveals that there will be at least two kinds of raptures. One is before the tribulation, and the other is after the tribulation. The one before the tribulation will be for the overcomers, and the one after the tribulation will be for the majority of the believers.
The fact that the universal woman, who symbolizes the majority of the saints, will be nourished for three and a half years in a place on the earth prepared by God for the living saints (Rev. 12:6, 14) indicates and proves that the majority of the living saints will be raptured after the fulfillment of the three and a half years of the great tribulation; that should be in the last year of the three and a half years.
The harvest, which symbolizes the majority of the living saints, being reaped (14:14-16) after the worship of Antichrist and his image (vv. 9-13) also indicates and proves that the majority of the living saints at the Lord’s coming (v. 14) will be raptured after the great tribulation of three and a half years.
During the time of the great tribulation God will prepare a place to nourish His people who remain. This shows how kind our God is. This is similar to the way that the Lord took care of the children of Israel when they were in Egypt. God judged the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues, but the children of Israel were kept in a place called Goshen where they were covered, protected, and preserved.
These facts, which will transpire, prove that the majority of the saints who will not be matured before the great tribulation will be left on this earth to go through the time of the great tribulation. As we have pointed out, the earth at that time will be an unsuitable place in which to live. Those who have to pass through the time of the great tribulation will suffer something. The overcomers will have been raptured, and there will be many supernatural calamities. I believe it will be hard for the believers to love the world during that time. Do we believe that the Bible is the Word of God? We have to listen to all these things. My burden is not to teach prophecy. I am giving you a word of warning. Daniel’s and John’s hearts were on God. But where is our heart today?
In seeking the Lord’s appearing, there are some spiritual lessons. First, we need to give heed to the prophetic word as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts (2 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 22:16; 2:28). Preceding the Lord’s open coming, the Lord will appear as the morning star in the darkest hour of the night to those who are watchful and looking for His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). They have been enlightened by the shining of the prophetic word, which is able to lead them to the dawning day and to the rising of the morning star in their hearts.
The day and the hour of the overcomers’ rapture are not knowable to us (Matt. 24:36-44), but the year of the rapture of the majority of the believers can be figured out by us according to the last week of the seventy weeks, by the parable of the fig tree predicted by the Lord in Matthew 24:32-33. These verses say that the fig tree will become tender and put forth leaves. Then the Lord said that when we see this, we should know that the summer is near. In Matthew 24:32-33 the fig tree signifies the nation of Israel, becoming tender signifies the coming back of life, and putting forth leaves signifies the outward activities.
The fig tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel (Jer. 24:2, 5, 8; Hosea 9:10) and was cursed by the Lord in Matthew 21:19: “Seeing a fig tree on the way, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And He said to it, May there no longer be fruit from you forever! And the fig tree was instantly dried up.” The fig tree was full of leaves but fruitless, signifying that at that time the nation of Israel was full of outward show but had nothing that could satisfy God. From this time, the nation of Israel was truly dried up.
Eventually, the Jews in Israel lost their homeland and were scattered to many other nations. It seemed impossible that after so many centuries they could be brought back to their forefathers’ land and be formed into a nation. But in 1948 the nation of Israel was re-formed; that was the nation of Israel becoming tender, coming back to life.
When the Jews regained Jerusalem in 1967, that was the fig tree putting forth its leaves. One of the final signs that will take place will be the rebuilding of the temple. According to recent news reports, some of the Jews are preparing for the rebuilding of the temple with all its services. The temple of God will be rebuilt before the Lord comes back (cf. 24:15; 2 Thes. 2:4).
In view of the Lord’s coming back, we need to consider the world situation today. The tendency of the development in the political, economical, and military situation in Europe is toward that of a strong man rising up. This strong man will be the one who will sign the seven-year covenant with Israel. From the day that this strong man, Antichrist, signs this covenant with Israel, there are seven years left to the end of the present age. After three and a half years he will break this covenant, and the second half of three and a half years will be the time of the great tribulation. Just before the initiation of the great tribulation, the overcomers of Christ will be raptured. If the believers who are alive at that time are not ready and matured, they will be left on the earth to pass through the time of the great tribulation. The tribulation will come from three directions: from God, from Antichrist, and from Satan. God will judge the entire universe by supernatural calamities, making the earth unsuitable for living. Satan and Antichrist will do their best to destroy and damage mankind.
When we see the fig tree, symbolizing the nation of Israel, becoming tender and putting forth leaves, we should realize that the summer is near. Summer signifies the age of the restoration of the nation of Israel (Acts 1:6).
The fig tree becoming tender and putting forth its leaves takes place before Antichrist makes the covenant of seven years with the nation of Israel at the consummation of the present age; hence, the seven years of the last week can be figured out.
We need to watch and be ready to be taken, by being “stolen” by the appearing Lord as the secret “thief,” into His presence (parousia) in the heavens (Matt. 24:40-44). A thief comes to steal precious things at an unknown time. The Lord will come secretly as a stealing thief to steal us if we are so precious.
We need to take heed to ourselves lest our hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day of the great tribulation come upon us suddenly as a snare, as it will come in upon all those who dwell on all the earth; and furthermore, we need to be watchful at every time, beseeching that we would prevail to escape all the things of the great tribulation in the last three and a half years of the last week of the present age and to stand before the Son of Man, Christ (Luke 21:34-36). We need to be on guard that our hearts would not be weighed down with debauchery, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life. Debauchery is indulgence in drinking and feasting. If our heart is full of anxieties, then it has no room for God, for Christ. We may even come to a meeting, but our heart is not in that meeting, because it is preoccupied with worldly things. We need to guard our hearts because we do not want the day of the great tribulation to come upon us suddenly as a snare. This day will be like the flood that came suddenly to the people at Noah’s time. We need to watch and pray that we may prevail to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man. This corresponds with Revelation 14:1, which indicates that the raptured overcomers will stand before the Savior on Mount Zion in the heavens before the great tribulation (cf. 12:5-6, 14).
We also need to keep the word of Christ’s endurance that we may be kept by Him out of the hour of trial, which will come on the whole inhabited earth, to try those who dwell on the earth (Rev. 3:10). Today the word we keep is the word of endurance. As long as we keep the word of God, we will suffer. People will persecute us. Even our parents and relatives may despise us. We need to keep the Lord’s word of endurance so that we may be kept out of the time of the great tribulation as a trial that will come on the whole inhabited earth to try those who dwell on the earth. We have to be watchful and ready to learn the spiritual lessons. To become matured is not an overnight matter. Therefore, we have to prepare ourselves for His coming by loving Him so that we can grow in Him and be matured for His appearing.
