As you can see from the evidence in the last post, there is no gap in Daniel’s 70 Weeks. All of them are accounted for, which means that there is no such thing as the 7 years of peril called “The Great Tribulation.” The term occurs thrice in the New Testament and not one of those times is it a proper name. Not one of those times is it preceded by “the.” It is a description. Matthew 24:21 says, “For there will be great affliction/tribulation” (Literal translation, emphasis supplied); Revelation 2:22 says, “…those committing adultery with her into great affiction/tribulation” (Literal translation, emphasis supplied); Revelation 7:14 says, “These are those coming out of great affliction/tribulation” (Literal translation, emphasis supplied). It is Dispensationalists who capitalize the description, thereby turning it into a
proper name. Scripture does no such thing, and we should not either.
In speaking of the fact that “great tribulation” is mentioned thrice in the New Testament, what the believer is probably unaware of is that these are three different “great tribulations” that are in no way related to each other. With that said, let us look at each of them in turn.
Brothers and sisters, you cannot read Matthew 24 without reading the parallel passages in Mark 13 and Luke 17 and 21 in order to harmonize them correctly. If you try to isolate Matthew 24 from the rest of Scripture bearing on the subject, you are going to end up with deviously erroneous theology. Remember what we learned in The Rapture In the Synoptic Gospels? Within the synoptic gospels, the parallel passages will often contain more or less detail of the same account. In order to do the subject justice, we must consider it all together. When we include Luke’s account of the event, we are provided with greater detail that helps us to interpret Jesus’ explanation more accurately. The armies that would surround Jerusalem were there to bring her desolation. History bears record that this occurred in 70 A.D. under Titus (the prince of Dan. 9:26). For those who hold doubt in their heart because of what they have been raised with or taught, I will let history convince you.
In 66 A.D., under the rule of Nero, extreme violence erupted between the Romans and the Jews. So Nero dispatched Vespasian to conduct all-out war against the Jewish nation. Nero died in 68 A.D., and in 69 A.D. Vespasian was proclaimed emperor in his place. During Vespasian’s conquest, he had conquered all of Galilee and Judea, with exception of the capital. When he was proclaimed emperor, Vespasian went to Alexandria and left Titus in charge to end the Jewish rebellion and conquer Jerusalem. Prior to Titus and his armies arriving, multitudes of Jews had entered Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The irony here is that, because the Jews crucified Jesus during the Passover, God would take vengeance on the Jews during the Passover. While Titus laid siege to them from without, three rival factions fought amongst themselves within. Josephus records that two of these factions fought each other and “set on fire those houses that were full of corn, and all other provisions. ... destroying what the city had laid up against the siege ... almost all the corn was burnt, which would have been sufficient for a siege of many years (5.1.4).
“And now, as the city was engaged in a war on all sides, from these treacherous crowds of wicked men [the three factions within], the people of the city, between them, were like a great body torn in pieces. The aged men and the women were in such distress by their internal calamities, that they wished for the Romans, and earnestly hoped for an external war, in order to their delivery from their domestic miseries (5.1.5).
“Now, while these factions fought one against another, the people were their prey on both sides ... Simon held the upper city, and the great wall as far as Cedron... But John held the temple... and fought it out, and did everything that the besiegers could desire them to do; for they never suffered any thing that was worse from the Romans than they made each other suffer... those that took [Jerusalem] did it a greater kindness; for I venture to affirm, that the sedition destroyed the city, and the Romans destroyed the sedition (5.6.1).
“But the famine was too hard for all other passions... insomuch that children pulled the very morsels that their fathers were eating out of their very mouths... but the seditious every where came upon them immediately, and snatched away from them what they had gotten from others; for when they saw any house shut up, this was to them a signal that the people within had gotten some food; whereupon they broke open the doors, and ran in, and took pieces of what they were eating almost up out of their very throats, and this by force: the old men, who held their food fast, were beaten (5.10.3).
“I shall, therefore, speak my mind here at once briefly:—That neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries, nor did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was, from the beginning of the world (5.10.5).”1
The Romans caught 500 or more Jews a day trying to escape and crucified them before the walls of the city. They crucified 500 a day! The region outside the walls had become overflowing with crosses, so much so that “their multitude was so great that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses wanting for the bodies (5.11.1).
“The upper rooms were full of women and children that were dying by famine; and the lanes of the city were full of the dead bodies of the aged (5.12.3).
“There was found among the Syrian deserters a certain person who was caught gathering pieces of gold out of the excrements of the Jews’ bellies; for the deserters used to swallow such pieces of gold... So the multitude of the Arabians, with the Syrians, cut up those that came as supplicants, and searched their bellies (5.13.4).
“No fewer than six hundred thousand were thrown out at the gates... when they were no longer able to carry out the dead bodies of the poor, they laid their corpses on heaps in very large houses, and shut them up therein… some persons were driven to that terrible distress as to search the common sewers and old dunghills of cattle, and to eat the dung which they got there (5.13.7).
“I am going to relate a matter of fact, the like to which no history relates, either among the Greeks or Barbarians! It is horrible to speak of it, and incredible when heard. ... There was a certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan—her name was Mary; her father was Eleazar... and it was now become impossible for her any way to find any more food... she slew her son; and then roasted him, and ate the one half of him [see Deut. 28:52-57], and kept the other half by her concealed. Upon this the seditious came in presently, and smelling the horrid scent of this food, they threatened her that they would cut her throat immediately if she did not show them what food she had gotten ready. She replied that she had saved a very fine portion of it for them; and withal uncovered what was left of her son. Hereupon they were seized with a horror... and those already dead were esteemed happy, because they had not lived long enough either to hear or to see such miseries (6.3.3-4).
“As for the rest of the multitude that were above seventeen years old, he put them into bonds, and sent them to the Egyptian mines [see Deut. 28:68; Luke 21:24]. Titus also sent a great number into the provinces, as a present to them, that they might be destroyed upon their theatres, by the sword and by the wild beasts; but those that were under seventeen years of age were sold for slaves. ... Now the number of those that were carried captive during this whole war was collected to be ninety-seven thousand; as was the number of those that perished during the whole siege eleven hundred thousand [1,100,000], the greater part of whom were indeed of the same nation [with the citizens of Jerusalem], but not belonging to the city itself; for they were come up from all the country to the feast of unleavened bread, and were on a sudden shut up by an army... Accordingly, the multitude of those that therein perished exceed all the destructions that either men or God ever brought upon the world... And now the Romans set fire to the extreme parts of the city, and burnt them down, and entirely demolished its walls (6.9.2-4).”2
Are you convinced yet, brothers and sisters? The evidence has spoken. The great tribulation spoken of by Jesus has already taken place. It is an accomplished historical fact—not something in the future. It took place in 70 A.D. For anyone who is skeptical, go read Josephus’ The War of the Jews and compare what is written to what Jesus said in Scripture (Matt. 24:2, 21-22; Mark 13:19-20; Luke 19:43-44; 21:20-24; cf Dan. 12:1). Josephus lived during those times and accounts the calamities that came upon the city of Jerusalem and the Jews. Jesus said, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short” (Matt. 24:21-22). When the Romans invaded, they killed thousands of Jews. Many of the survivors committed suicide. If those days had not been cut short, every Jew would have died. The Holocaust was nothing compared to what took place in 70 A.D. True to Jesus’ words, those days were great tribulation such as never was and never would be again. To deny these facts is to deny the Word of God and to deny the inspiration of the Scriptures in favour of man-made myths and fairytales. Please notice carefully that the passage says nothing about a world war, but only about the destruction of a sole city—Jerusalem. This “great tribulation” had to do with the Jews because of their unbelief and rejection of the Messiah. Jesus called these days the “days of vengeance” (Luke 21:22), and said it was “in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (emphasis supplied). In Daniel chapter 9 verses 26 to 27 we read, “and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined” (v.26), “and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate” (v.27). So that ends our look at the first “great tribulation.”
1 Flavius Josephus, War of the Jews, 5.1.1—5.10.5.
2 Ibid, 5.11.1—6.9.4.
In speaking of the fact that “great tribulation” is mentioned thrice in the New Testament, what the believer is probably unaware of is that these are three different “great tribulations” that are in no way related to each other. With that said, let us look at each of them in turn.
“Therefore when you see the Abomination of Desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short.”This is without a doubt the most famous of the three passages regarding “great tribulation.” What you are probably unaware of is the truth concerning this passage. In order to get this right, we need to back up to the beginning of the chapter. In verse 1, the disciples point out the magnificent buildings of the temple. Mark 13:1 records them saying, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” Luke 21:5 says they were speaking of how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts. To this, Jesus declared to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here shall be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” The disciples then asked Him, “When will these things be?” Jesus then proceeds to answer their question. Luke 21:20-22 records, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the midst of the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” Forty years later, in 70 A.D., these words came to life with vivid accuracy.
(Matthew 24:15-22, emphasis supplied)
Brothers and sisters, you cannot read Matthew 24 without reading the parallel passages in Mark 13 and Luke 17 and 21 in order to harmonize them correctly. If you try to isolate Matthew 24 from the rest of Scripture bearing on the subject, you are going to end up with deviously erroneous theology. Remember what we learned in The Rapture In the Synoptic Gospels? Within the synoptic gospels, the parallel passages will often contain more or less detail of the same account. In order to do the subject justice, we must consider it all together. When we include Luke’s account of the event, we are provided with greater detail that helps us to interpret Jesus’ explanation more accurately. The armies that would surround Jerusalem were there to bring her desolation. History bears record that this occurred in 70 A.D. under Titus (the prince of Dan. 9:26). For those who hold doubt in their heart because of what they have been raised with or taught, I will let history convince you.
In 66 A.D., under the rule of Nero, extreme violence erupted between the Romans and the Jews. So Nero dispatched Vespasian to conduct all-out war against the Jewish nation. Nero died in 68 A.D., and in 69 A.D. Vespasian was proclaimed emperor in his place. During Vespasian’s conquest, he had conquered all of Galilee and Judea, with exception of the capital. When he was proclaimed emperor, Vespasian went to Alexandria and left Titus in charge to end the Jewish rebellion and conquer Jerusalem. Prior to Titus and his armies arriving, multitudes of Jews had entered Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The irony here is that, because the Jews crucified Jesus during the Passover, God would take vengeance on the Jews during the Passover. While Titus laid siege to them from without, three rival factions fought amongst themselves within. Josephus records that two of these factions fought each other and “set on fire those houses that were full of corn, and all other provisions. ... destroying what the city had laid up against the siege ... almost all the corn was burnt, which would have been sufficient for a siege of many years (5.1.4).
“And now, as the city was engaged in a war on all sides, from these treacherous crowds of wicked men [the three factions within], the people of the city, between them, were like a great body torn in pieces. The aged men and the women were in such distress by their internal calamities, that they wished for the Romans, and earnestly hoped for an external war, in order to their delivery from their domestic miseries (5.1.5).
“Now, while these factions fought one against another, the people were their prey on both sides ... Simon held the upper city, and the great wall as far as Cedron... But John held the temple... and fought it out, and did everything that the besiegers could desire them to do; for they never suffered any thing that was worse from the Romans than they made each other suffer... those that took [Jerusalem] did it a greater kindness; for I venture to affirm, that the sedition destroyed the city, and the Romans destroyed the sedition (5.6.1).
“But the famine was too hard for all other passions... insomuch that children pulled the very morsels that their fathers were eating out of their very mouths... but the seditious every where came upon them immediately, and snatched away from them what they had gotten from others; for when they saw any house shut up, this was to them a signal that the people within had gotten some food; whereupon they broke open the doors, and ran in, and took pieces of what they were eating almost up out of their very throats, and this by force: the old men, who held their food fast, were beaten (5.10.3).
“I shall, therefore, speak my mind here at once briefly:—That neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries, nor did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was, from the beginning of the world (5.10.5).”1
The Romans caught 500 or more Jews a day trying to escape and crucified them before the walls of the city. They crucified 500 a day! The region outside the walls had become overflowing with crosses, so much so that “their multitude was so great that room was wanting for the crosses, and crosses wanting for the bodies (5.11.1).
“The upper rooms were full of women and children that were dying by famine; and the lanes of the city were full of the dead bodies of the aged (5.12.3).
“There was found among the Syrian deserters a certain person who was caught gathering pieces of gold out of the excrements of the Jews’ bellies; for the deserters used to swallow such pieces of gold... So the multitude of the Arabians, with the Syrians, cut up those that came as supplicants, and searched their bellies (5.13.4).
“No fewer than six hundred thousand were thrown out at the gates... when they were no longer able to carry out the dead bodies of the poor, they laid their corpses on heaps in very large houses, and shut them up therein… some persons were driven to that terrible distress as to search the common sewers and old dunghills of cattle, and to eat the dung which they got there (5.13.7).
“I am going to relate a matter of fact, the like to which no history relates, either among the Greeks or Barbarians! It is horrible to speak of it, and incredible when heard. ... There was a certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan—her name was Mary; her father was Eleazar... and it was now become impossible for her any way to find any more food... she slew her son; and then roasted him, and ate the one half of him [see Deut. 28:52-57], and kept the other half by her concealed. Upon this the seditious came in presently, and smelling the horrid scent of this food, they threatened her that they would cut her throat immediately if she did not show them what food she had gotten ready. She replied that she had saved a very fine portion of it for them; and withal uncovered what was left of her son. Hereupon they were seized with a horror... and those already dead were esteemed happy, because they had not lived long enough either to hear or to see such miseries (6.3.3-4).
“As for the rest of the multitude that were above seventeen years old, he put them into bonds, and sent them to the Egyptian mines [see Deut. 28:68; Luke 21:24]. Titus also sent a great number into the provinces, as a present to them, that they might be destroyed upon their theatres, by the sword and by the wild beasts; but those that were under seventeen years of age were sold for slaves. ... Now the number of those that were carried captive during this whole war was collected to be ninety-seven thousand; as was the number of those that perished during the whole siege eleven hundred thousand [1,100,000], the greater part of whom were indeed of the same nation [with the citizens of Jerusalem], but not belonging to the city itself; for they were come up from all the country to the feast of unleavened bread, and were on a sudden shut up by an army... Accordingly, the multitude of those that therein perished exceed all the destructions that either men or God ever brought upon the world... And now the Romans set fire to the extreme parts of the city, and burnt them down, and entirely demolished its walls (6.9.2-4).”2
Are you convinced yet, brothers and sisters? The evidence has spoken. The great tribulation spoken of by Jesus has already taken place. It is an accomplished historical fact—not something in the future. It took place in 70 A.D. For anyone who is skeptical, go read Josephus’ The War of the Jews and compare what is written to what Jesus said in Scripture (Matt. 24:2, 21-22; Mark 13:19-20; Luke 19:43-44; 21:20-24; cf Dan. 12:1). Josephus lived during those times and accounts the calamities that came upon the city of Jerusalem and the Jews. Jesus said, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short” (Matt. 24:21-22). When the Romans invaded, they killed thousands of Jews. Many of the survivors committed suicide. If those days had not been cut short, every Jew would have died. The Holocaust was nothing compared to what took place in 70 A.D. True to Jesus’ words, those days were great tribulation such as never was and never would be again. To deny these facts is to deny the Word of God and to deny the inspiration of the Scriptures in favour of man-made myths and fairytales. Please notice carefully that the passage says nothing about a world war, but only about the destruction of a sole city—Jerusalem. This “great tribulation” had to do with the Jews because of their unbelief and rejection of the Messiah. Jesus called these days the “days of vengeance” (Luke 21:22), and said it was “in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled” (emphasis supplied). In Daniel chapter 9 verses 26 to 27 we read, “and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined” (v.26), “and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate” (v.27). So that ends our look at the first “great tribulation.”
To be continued...
1 Flavius Josephus, War of the Jews, 5.1.1—5.10.5.
2 Ibid, 5.11.1—6.9.4.