The Seventieth Week
The Seven Years of Tribulation
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."
Seventy Weeks of years were determined (given by decree) to the Jewish nation. Sixty-nine of those weeks of years have already been fulfilled. There is yet one week of years that must be fulfilled; seven years that God will again deal with the nation of Israel. Between the sixty-ninth and seventieth week there is a period of grace in which God deals with all the world. We are now living in that period of grace.
According to what I understand from prophetic truth, there will be another World War in which God will fight for the nation of Israel, as He did in the Old Testament. This will be the ushering in of the SeventiethWeek of years, which is often referred to as the Seven Years of Tribulation. Before this World War the Bride of Christ (the Overcomer) will be translated,as is plainly revealed in the Scripture.
Lk. 21: 36 "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to Escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
The Bride of Christ will be translated in the First Watch of the night which is followed by the dark night of Tribulation. It is during this dark night that the sleeping Church will be awakened by persecution during this first three-and-a-half years.
Matt. 25: 5, 6 "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made. Behold the Bridegroom cometh; goye out to meet Him."
Lk. 12: 35--38 "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding; that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants."
The Bible Teaches that Several Things Will Take Place
The Bible teaches that within this Seven Years of Tribulation several things will take place.
The Anti-christ will Arise
II Thes. 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;"
The Persecution of the Church
Matt. 24: 9 "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake."
The Revival of Joel's Prophecy
Joel 2: 28, 29 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour outMy spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My spirit."
The Rapture of the Church
I Thes. 4: 16, 17 "For theLord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
The Great Tribulation
Matt. 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."
Rev. 7: 14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And He said to me, These are they which came out of Great Tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in theBlood of the Lamb."
The Releasing of God's Judgments
The Wrath of God
II Thes. 1: 7, 8 "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the LordJesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming firetaking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of ourLord Jesus Christ:"
Rev. 6: 17 "For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be ableto stand?"
The Kingdoms of this World Becoming the Kingdoms of Our Lord
Rev. 11: 15 "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices inheaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord,and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."
The Bible Teaches there are Three Major Sections
The Bible teaches that there are three major sections to theSeventieth Week (the Tribulation).
The Beginning of Sorrows
Matt. 24: 8 "All these are the beginning of sorrows."
The Great Tribulation
Matt. 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."
Rev. 7: 14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me,These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed theirrobes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
The Day of the Lord
Matt. 24: 29-31 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
Mk. 13: 24-26 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sunshall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars ofheaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."
Rev. 6: 17 "For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be ableto stand?"
Rev. 16: 14 "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them tothe battle of that great day of God Almighty."
The Bible Teaches that Two Events Must Take Place
The Bible teaches that two events must take place before theDay of the Lord.
The Apostasy of the Church
II Thes. 2: 3 "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall notcome, except there come a falling away first…"
Rev. 3: 14-16 "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth."
The Revealing of the Man of Sin
II Thes. 2: 3, 4 "…And that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped;"
The Bible Teaches Concerning the Great Tribulation
The Bible teaches that the Great Tribulation begins in the middle of the Seven Year period. The Great Tribulation covers only the last three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation.
Matt. 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."
Rev. 7: 14 "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
The Bible Teaches Concerning the Day of the Lord
The Bible teaches when the Day of the Lord will come.
The Sounding of the Seventh Trumpet
Rev. 11: 15 "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, Thekingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ;and He shall reign for ever and ever."
The Great Day of His Wrath
The day of the Lord will come when the day of His wrath is revealed.
Rev. 6: 17 "For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
The Time of Unprecedented Judgment
The Bible teaches that the Day of the Lord is a time of unprecedented judgment upon the whole world.
Declared by Daniel the Prophet
Daniel the prophet declared that there is going to be a time of judgment such as there has never been.
Dan. 12: 1 "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of Thy people: and there shall be a time oftrouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: andat that time Thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."
Declared by Matthew the Disciple
Matthew declared that there is going to be a time of trouble such as the world has never known.
Matt. 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."
Declared by Paul the Apostle
Paul declared that the Lord Himself will come in flaming fire.
II Thes. 1: 7, 8 "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the LordJesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming firetaking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of ourLord Jesus Christ:"
The Bible Teaches Concerning His Second Coming
The Bible teaches there are two phases to His Second Coming.
The Secret Coming -- "In the Air" -- "Like a Thief in the Night"
I Thes. 4: 16, 17 "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the deadin Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain (left) shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and soshall we ever be with the Lord."
"Harpazo" -- "Rapture" -- to snatch or catch away
Latin "Rapere" -- "Raptum" -- to seize and carry away
This is where our English word rapture comes from.
I Thes. 5: 1, 2 "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of theLord so cometh as a thief in the night."
The Revelation -- "The Literal Return"
The "Epipheneia" - Eng. "Epiphany" - The appearing
Lk. 21: 25-27 "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon,and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; thesea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heavenshall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
II Thes. 1: 7 "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the LordJesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels,"
I Tim. 6: 14 "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable,until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:"
II Tim 4: 1 "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord JesusChrist, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and Hiskingdom;"
Titus 2: 13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;"
Rev. 1: 7 "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail becauseof Him. Even so, Amen."
The Bible Teaches Some Will Escape All
The Bride (The Overcomer)
Lk. 21: 36 "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand beforethe Son of man."
Rev. 3: 10 "Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, totry them that dwell upon the earth."
Rev. 3: 21 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in MyThrone, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne."
The Bride will Return with the Bridegroom
The Bride will return with the Bridegroom to catch away the church for the Marriage Supper.
Matt. 25: 1--6 "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him."
The Vulgate (Latin), Syrian and Moffatt versions all include both the "Bridegroom and Bride" in their translation of Matt. 25: 6. It is stated that the King James translators left out the "Bride," because they did not feel the Bride had equal rights with the Bridegroom. (Lk. 12: 35-38;Rev. 19: 9)
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