A Study on the Timing of the Snatching Away, Part 4 (Why the Snatching Away Will Most Likely Occur Before Daniel’s 70th Heptad Begins)

In parts 1-3 of my study on the timing of the snatching away of the body of Christ, I argued for the position that the “coming indignation” of God that will initially characterize the “day of the Lord” (as referred to by Paul in 1 & 2 Thessalonians) will commence no later than 3½ years before Christ’s eon-concluding return to earth (which I argued will take place immediately after the completion of the 70^th heptad or “seven” prophesied in Daniel 9). At the time I posted the first three parts of this study, I was open to the possibility that the day of the Lord and its accompanying indignation might begin earlier than the timeframe for which I argued. However, certain considerations made me hesitant at the time to affirm that the snatching away had to occur before the start of the 70^th heptad (even though I strongly suspected that it would). In this follow-up article, I will be arguing for the position that the coming indignation of the day of the Lord will most likely begin at the start of the 70^th heptad. If this position is sound, then it means that the latest that the body of Christ could be removed from the earth is just prior to the start of the 70^th heptad (which means the snatching away must happen at least 3½ years earlier than I suggested in my original articles on this subject).

Further Remarks on the Timing and Duration of the “Great Affliction”

Before I launch into my defense of this view, I want to address the subject of the timing and duration of the “great affliction” referred to by Christ in Matthew 24:21. This section can be considered as both a supplement to my remarks on this subject in the earlier parts of my study, as well as a defense of the position for which I’ll be arguing in this article against other competing views concerning the timing of the snatching away (such as the so-called “pre-wrath” view, as well as the more traditional and mainstream “post-tribulation” position).

In Matthew 24:15-22, Christ declared the following to his disciples concerning a yet-future period of time:

15 “Whenever, then, you may be perceiving the abomination of desolation, which is declared through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him who is reading apprehend!);
16 then let those in Judea flee into the mountains.
17 Let him who is on the housetop not descend to take away the things out of his house.
18 And let him who is in the field not turn back behind him to pick up his cloak.
19 "Now woe to those who are pregnant and those suckling in those days!
20 Now be praying that your flight may not be occurring in winter, nor yet on a sabbath,
21 for then shall be great affliction, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world till now; neither under any circumstances may be occurring.
22 And, except those days were discounted, no flesh at all would be saved. Yet, because of the chosen, those days shall be discounted.”

This same period of time is, I believe, also in view in Luke 21:20-24:

20 “Now whenever you may be perceiving Jerusalem surrounded by encampments, then know that her desolation is near.
21 Then let those in Judea flee into the mountains, and let those in her midst be coming out into the country, and let not those in the country be entering into her,
22 for days of vengeance are these, to fulfill all that is written.
23 Yet woe to those who are pregnant, and to those suckling in those days; for there will be great necessity in the land and indignation on this people.
24 “And they shall be falling by the edge of the sword and shall be led into captivity into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden by the nations, until the eras of the nations may be fulfilled.”

The word translated “eras” in v. 24 is kairoi, which is the plural form of the word kairos’ (“seasons,” or “appointed times”). We know from Rev. 11:2 that the “eras” or “seasons” during which Jerusalem will be trodden by the nations will constitute a period of 3 ½ years (i.e., forty-two months, or 1,260 days). This same period of time is also in view in Rev. 12:6, where it’s said to be the number of days that the “woman” (i.e., Israel) will be nourished in the wilderness after fleeing from life-threatening (and satanically-inspired) persecution. In Rev. 12:14 this same period of time is referred to as “a season, and seasons, and half a season” (with the words translated “season” and “seasons” being kairos’ and kairoi, respectively), and likewise refers to a period of time lasting 3 ½ years. We also know that this will be the exact period of time during which the man of lawlessness (or “wild beast”) will have authority to “do what [he] wills,” which will involve blaspheming God as well as violently persecuting and “conquering” the saints (Rev. 13:5-7).

This same period of time is referred to in Daniel 7:25, where we’re told that the wicked ruler of the final world kingdom - the man of lawlessness or “wild beast” – “shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High…and they shall be given into his hand for a season and two seasons and half a season.” This period of time is again referred to in Daniel 12:7 as “an appointed time, two appointed times and half an appointed time,” and is said to end “when the shattering of the hand of the holy people is concluded.” The “shattering of the hand of the holy people” is another reference to the saints being persecuted and “conquered” by the “wild beast” during this time period.

Significantly, this last reference in Daniel to the final 3 ½ years of this eon is part of a response to a question asked by a celestial messenger. In v. 6 the messenger asks, “How long until the end of these astonishing things?” The Concordant Version reads, “Until when is the end of the marvels?” The word translated “astonishing things” or “marvels” in this verse is the Hebrew word pele', and appears only here in the book of Daniel. However, it’s derived from the Hebrew word pala', which is found in Daniel twice. Significantly, both occurrences of the word pala’ refer to actions involving the “wild beast” or “man of lawlessness” (who, in Daniel 11:36, is referred to as “the king who does as is acceptable to himself”). In Daniel 8:24 the word is used to describe the “marvelous” or “astonishing” way in which the man of lawlessness will “ruin and prosper and deal” during his reign, and in Daniel 11:36 the word is used to describe the “marvelous” or “astonishing” blasphemies that the man of lawlessness will be speaking against God during this time.

Thus, the “astonishing things” or “marvels” referred to in the celestial messenger’s question in Daniel 12:6 are not to be understood as positive in nature (and most likely would not have been understood by Daniel as such). Rather, they have to do with events involving the man of lawlessness and the persecution of the saints under his reign during the second half of the 70^th heptad (which in Daniel 12:1 is referred to as “an era of distress which will come to pass such as has not occurred since there was a nation on the earth, until that era”).

The solemn manner in which the celestial messenger answered the question posed in v. 6 is also significant: he raised both his hands toward the heavens and “swore by Him Who is living for the eon.” As Albert Barnes remarks in his commentary on this verse, it is “as if the messenger were appealing to heaven for the sincerity and truth of what he was about to utter.” Thus, we have the solemn oath of one of God’s holy messengers that the time during which the man of lawlessness will persecute and “wear out” the saints of the Most High (i.e., the time period that Christ said would be characterized by “great affliction”) will be 3 ½ years in length.

From this we can conclude that any position which holds that the time of great affliction will be anything less than 3 ½ years in duration is necessarily mistaken.[1] This also means that when our Lord declared that “except those days were discounted, no flesh at all would be saved” (Matt. 24:22; cf. Mark 13:20), he simply meant that this time of great affliction would result in all life being destroyed IF it were to extend beyond the appointed limit that God, in his mercy, has already set. But because this time of great affliction will be exactly 3 ½ years in length (or “an appointed time, two appointed times and half an appointed time”), the hypothetical scenario that Christ referred to will not actually happen. The “great affliction” will cease when the appointed times, or seasons, have reached their conclusion.

What about the Celestial Events of Matthew 24:29?

Before moving on, I want to address an objection that could be raised at this point by those holding to the “pre-wrath” position (which seems to have gained in popularity among evangelical Christians within the past few years or so). According to the pre-wrath position, the “great affliction” referred to in Matthew 24:21 will continue for only a part of the last half of the 70^th heptad (rather than continuing until the end of the 3 ½ years). According to this view, it is only after the time of great affliction ends that the “wrath of God” will begin (which is understood as involving only the trumpet and bowl-related judgments).

Proponents of the pre-wrath position view the celestial events that Christ said would take place immediately after the great affliction (Matthew 24:29; cf. Mark 13:24-25) and the celestial events which are associated with the opening of the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12-17) as being not just similar in nature, but identical. Thus, according to the pre-wrath view, we should understand these two passages as referring to the same event and the same point in time. However, assuming that the events associated with the seals, trumpets and bowls are chronologically sequential (as I believe to be the case), this creates a problem. It would mean that the time of great affliction couldn’t possibly last for the entire second half of the 70^th heptad. It would have to end early enough to allow enough time for the trumpet and bowl-related judgments to occur (which we know will take longer than five months to complete, as this will be the duration of the judgment associated with the fifth trumpet alone).

Based on what scripture clearly reveals concerning the duration of the time of great affliction, I think the pre-wrath position is simply in error on this point. For example, verses such as Daniel 7:25 and 12:5-7 (among others considered earlier) directly contradict the chronological sequence of events proposed by proponents of the pre-wrath position. The scriptural evidence against this position notwithstanding, I do think the objection involving the time of the celestial event of Matthew 24:29 needs to be answered, if for no other reason than to demonstrate that this verse is perfectly consistent with a sequential understanding of the seals, trumpets and bowls of Revelation, as well as with the view that the great affliction will be exactly 3 ½ years long.

With regards to the view that the seals, trumpets and bowls referred to in Revelation are sequential (or consecutive-progressive), I am in full agreement with proponents of the pre-wrath view. A sequential interpretation of these events seems to be in accord with the most natural and straight-forward reading of the text. For example, the opening of the seventh seal (which opens the entire scroll) seems to prepare for, and introduce, the seven trumpets that follow:

“And when It opens the seventh seal, a hush occurred in heaven as it were half an hour. And I perceived the seven messengers who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them” (Rev. 8:1-2).

Also, the silence in heaven referred to in v. 1 seems to provide a contrast with “the thunders and voices and lightnings and an earthquake” referred to in v. 5 (which are the result of the golden thurible referred to in v. 3 being cast into the earth). And just as the opening of the seventh seal appears to lead to the trumpet-related calamities that follow, so the “third woe” connected with the sounding of the seventh trumpet can be understood as encompassing the last seven calamities associated with the “seven bowls of the fury of God” (Rev. 11:14-19; cf. Rev.15-16).

The following, then, seems to be the most reasonable view concerning the chronological sequence of events found in Revelation: (1) the seven seals are opened; (2) the seven trumpets are sounded; (3) the seven bowls are poured out. And we know that, after the sixth bowl is poured out, preparation is made for “the battle of the great God Almighty” (or the “battle of Armageddon”), when “the kings of the whole inhabited earth” are mobilized to do battle with Christ (Rev. 16:12-16; cf. Rev. 19:19). Since we know that Christ is to return to earth immediately after the 70^th heptad ends, it follows that the events associated with the pouring out of the sixth bowl take place shortly before the end of the 70^th heptad (with the pouring out of the seventh bowl possibly being the climactic event with which this period ends).

More could be said in defense of this chronologically sequential interpretation of the seal, trumpet and bowl calamities, but for the sake of brevity (and because the pre-wrath position doesn’t dispute it) I will simply continue from the assumption that this understanding is correct. But why is this view of the sequence of events important? The reason is this: Joel 3:15 describes a celestial event involving the sun, moon and stars that seems very similar to the event referred to by Christ in Matthew 24:29, but which (based on the context in which the verse is found) appears to be an event which will be occurring after the events that are related to the pouring out of the sixth bowl (as described in Rev. 16:12-16).

Since the context in which this celestial event is referred to is key to establishing the time at which it will occur, I’ll be quoting the majority of Joel 3. In verses 1-16 we read the following:

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it.

“What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples.  You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks in order to remove them far from their own border. Behold, I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will return your payment on your own head. I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far away, for the Lord has spoken.

“Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.” Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord. Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.  

“Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.  The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The Lord roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.

There are several observations that can be made concerning this remarkable prophetic passage. First, the judgment upon the nations that will take place at this time is said to be “because they have scattered them [i.e., God’s people, Israel] among the nations.” This judgment, then, will (at least in part) be God’s response to the events described as taking place in Luke 21:24 (which will begin shortly after the abomination of desolation has been set up): “And they [the Jewish people] shall be falling by the edge of the sword and shall be led into captivity into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden by the nations, until the eras of the nations may be fulfilled.” It is “the nations” into which God’s people will be led into captivity (and which will be “treading” Jerusalem at this time) that God will be mobilizing for battle and then judging on this day.

Second, the gathering of the “all nations” referred to will be part of a military campaign. It will involve armies that will consist of people from every nation, and they’ll be assembled for battle against what they’ll perceive to be a common enemy and threat[2] (what these “united nations” won’t realize at this time is that God will have gathered them there for judgment, and that the battle for which they’ve prepared themselves is going to be entirely one-sided). The battle for which the nations in this passage are described as preparing for is, I submit, none other than “the battle of the great day of God Almighty,” as referred to in Rev. 16:12-16:

“And the sixth pours out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. And its water is dried up that the road of the kings from the orient may be made ready. And I perceived, out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the wild beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as if frogs (for they are spirits of demons, doing signs), which are going out to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to be mobilizing them for the battle of the great day of God Almighty. ("Lo! I am coming as a thief! Happy is he who is watching and keeping his garments, that he may not be walking naked and they may be observing his indecency!") And they mobilized them at the place called, in Hebrew, "Armageddon."

Later we read that John “perceived the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered to do battle with Him Who is sitting on the horse and with His army” (Rev. 19:19). We can therefore infer from these verses that the “nations” which will be gathered for the war referred to in Joel 3:9 will constitute the armies of “the kings of the whole inhabited earth” (we can also infer that these will be the same “all nations” into which Israel will be led captive).[3]

Third, it is after the nations have been mobilized and gathered for battle in the “valley of decision” that the celestial event referred to in Joel 3 will be taking place. Consider, again, verses 14-15: “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.  The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.” Thus, the chronological sequence of Joel’s prophecy is as follows: (1) “All the nations” gather in the “valley of Jehoshaphat” (or “valley of decision”), prepared for battle; (2) After they’ve been gathered to this location, we’re told that the “day of Yahweh” is “near,” and the celestial event referred to in v. 15 takes place; [4] (3) God judges the nations gathered at this time, and begins to “restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem.”

Since we know that the nations will not begin to mobilize for battle until after the sixth bowl is poured out, we can conclude that the celestial event described in v. 15 will take place sometime after the sixth bowl. Thus, we can conclude that the celestial event referred to in Joel 3:15 will be taking place after the sixth bowl calamity has already taken place. It cannot, therefore, be identified with the celestial event related to the opening of the sixth seal (which will be chronologically prior to the judgments associated with both the bowls and the trumpets). This being the case, we can conclude that the celestial event related to the opening of the sixth seal will not be the only celestial event of this nature taking place before Christ returns to earth. But if that’s the case, then we need not identify the celestial event described in Matthew 24:29 with the event described in Rev. 6:12-13 (which means that the objection raised by the pre-wrath proponent loses any force that it may have otherwise had).

That there will be at least two celestial events of a similar nature occurring before Christ’s return shouldn’t be all that surprising, since we know from Revelation that there will be several events taking place during the course of the day of the Lord that will, in some way, involve the heavenly bodies. For example, Rev. 8:12 describes an event involving the light of the sun, the moon and the stars being diminished; Rev. 9:1-2 describes an event that will involve the sun’s being darkened by smoke; Rev. 16:8 describes an event involving people being scorched with great heat from the sun; and Rev. 16:10 seems to imply that the sun (and perhaps the moon and stars as well) will be completely darkened for a time.

There’s also no reason why God wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) do the same thing more than once, or do a similar thing on two different occasions during the day of the Lord.[5] Since we know that the celestial event related to the sixth seal will be occurring at least twelve calamities earlier than the celestial event described in Matthew 24:29, it’s possible that the connection between these two celestial events is this: both celestial events will be occurring “immediately after” a certain appointed time has passed, with the first celestial event marking the end of the first half of the 70^th heptad and the second event marking the end of the second half (this is, of course, purely speculative on my part, but it would at least be consistent with what we know concerning the chronology of the events foretold in Revelation).

To summarize the position advanced in this section, the time period that Christ said would involve “great affliction” will be exactly 3 ½ years long, and the celestial events referred to in Matthew 24:29 will be occurring “immediately after the affliction of those days.” That is, the “days” that Christ had in view (and after which the celestial signs will “immediately” occur) will be exactly 1,260 in number – i.e., the second half of the 70^th heptad. And since, according to the chronology of Revelation, the sixth seal involves events that will take place during the 70^th heptad (before both the trumpet-related calamities and the bowl-related calamities take place), and the events described in Matthew 24:29 will be occurring immediately after the 70^th heptad has ended, it follows that the celestial events described in these two passages are distinct, and will occur at two different times.

The Olivet Discourse and the Day of the Lord

There are several observations that I believe lend support to the view that God’s day-of-the-Lord indignation will begin at, or near, the start of the 70^th heptad (rather than midway through it). I’ll begin my defense of this position by first considering Christ’s “Olivet Discourse,” as found in the synoptic gospel accounts (Matthew 24-25, Mark 13 and Luke 21).

The consistently ordered content found in each account of Christ’s discourse suggests a general chronological sequence of events that will occur during the final years leading up to Christ’s return to earth at the conclusion of this eon. Christ seems to have provided his disciples with a general outline of events that will be taking place during a certain period of time that will have a beginning, a midpoint and a conclusion. And not only this, but Christ seemed to describe this future period of time in such a way that it can be divided up into two halves.

The first half of this future period of time will, it seems, be characterized by events that Christ referred to as “the beginning of pangs” (Matt. 24:8). In Matthew 24:4-8, we read:

3 Now at His sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what is the sign of Thy presence and of the conclusion of the eon?"

4 And, answering, Jesus said to them, "Beware that no one should be deceiving you.

5 For many shall be coming in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ!' and shall be deceiving many.

6 Yet you shall be about to be hearing battles, and tidings of battles. See that you are not alarmed, for it must be occurring; but not as yet is the consummation.

7 For roused shall be a nation against a nation, and a kingdom against a kingdom, and there shall be famines and quakes in places.

8 Yet all these are the beginning of pangs.

Luke’s account of Christ’s description of the “beginning of pangs” is as follows: “Roused shall be nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Besides, there shall be great quakes and, in places, famines and pestilences. There shall be fearful sights besides great signs also from heaven.”

In contrast with this earlier period (in which “pangs” will be “beginning”), the second half of the time period that Christ had in view will be characterized by what Christ called “great affliction” (Matt. 24:19-21), which will involve “affliction such as has not occurred from the beginning of the creation which God creates till now, and under no circumstances may be occurring” (Mark 13:19-20). Moreover, we know that it is the second half of the prophesied 70^th heptad that will be a time of “great affliction,” since this affliction begins shortly after the “abomination of desolation” has been set up in the temple by the man of lawlessness and false prophet (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:4-17).

We also know that this time of great affliction will involve “indignation” being upon the Jewish people (Luke 21:23; cf. Jer. 30:4-7). Shortly after the abomination of desolation has been set up in the future temple, it will be necessary for Israelites living in Judea to flee into the mountains in order to avoid being killed or led into captivity into all nations (Luke 21:24; cf. Zech. 14:1-2). We’re told that these will be “days of vengeance” in which there will be “great necessity in the land and indignation on this people.”

What Christ referred to as “indignation on this people” is not something that will involve only a relatively small number of believing Israelites who will be undergoing persecution while an unbelieving Jewish majority is spared. Rather, it will involve what seems to be a genocidal attempt (on the part of certain gentiles) to rid the land - and possible all of the earth - of the Jewish people. At this time, two thirds of all the Israelites in Judea will “be cut off and perish,” with only one third being left alive (Zech. 13:1, 8-9). And the spared remnant will clearly consist of believers with whom God will be in a newly-established covenantal relationship (as is evident from the final part of Zech. 13:9).

Thus, from the midpoint of the 70^th heptad on, the Jewish people in general - beginning with those living in the land of Judea - will be severely persecuted by the nations, and this persecution will most likely be directly instigated and authorized by the man of lawlessness and the false prophet. In contrast with this more general affliction of the Jewish people during the second half of the 70^th heptad is the affliction that Christ prophesied would more specifically target a believing minority during the period that will involve “the beginning of pangs.” Immediately after referring to the “beginning of pangs,” Christ declared the following to his disciples in vv. 9-10: ”Then shall they be giving you up to affliction, and they shall be killing you, and you shall be hated by all of the nations because of My name. And then many shall be snared, and they shall be giving one another up and hating one another.”

The fact that Christ used the same word translated “affliction” in both v. 9 and v. 21 - but added the word “great” in v. 21 (making it “great affliction”) - strongly suggests that he was referring to two different periods that would both involve affliction (with the latter time of affliction being worse than the time he had in view in verses 9-10). But what about the word “then” in verse 9? Does it mean “after that” or “during that time?” Since the Greek word τότε can have either meaning, let’s compare these verses with Luke’s account of Christ’s discourse to see if we can determine what Christ meant. In Luke 21:10-16 we read:

“Then He said to them, ‘Roused shall be nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Besides, there shall be great quakes and, in places, famines and pestilences. There shall be fearful sights besides great signs also from heaven.

“Yet before all these things they shall be laying their hands on you and they shall be persecuting you, giving you up into the synagogues and jails, being led off to kings and governors on account of My name. Yet it shall be eventuating to you for a testimony. Ponder, then, in your hearts not to be premeditating a defense, for I will be giving you a mouth and wisdom, which all those opposing you shall not be able to withstand or contradict. Yet you shall be given up by parents also, and brothers and relatives and friends, and they shall be putting some of you to death.'”

Since, in v. 12, we read that the persecution of the saints of this future era will be (or will begin) “before all these things,” it can be reasonably inferred that the word “then” in Matthew 24:9 should be understood as meaning “during that time” (i.e., just before the events described in Matthew 24:7 and Luke 21:10-11). In other words, sometime before nation shall be roused against nation and kingdom against kingdom, some (perhaps all) believers in Christ – i.e., those who’ll be believing “the evangel of the kingdom” (or “evangel of the circumcision”) at this time - will begin to be “hated by all because of [Christ’s] name,” and consequently will begin to be persecuted.

Thus, based on the chronology provided in Luke’s account, we should understand the time when persecution breaks out against the saints to be at the time when many will begin to be deceived by false christs, and when believers will be “about to be hearing battles, and tidings of battles.” This, again, will be immediately before the time referred to in Luke 21:10-11 and Matthew 24:7-8.

Here, then, is what I take to be the most accurate chronology of events, based on a harmonization of the synoptic gospel accounts:

1. Believers in Christ, specifically, will begin to be afflicted, and this affliction will involve their being killed, hated by “all the nations,” given up into the synagogues and jails, being led off to kings and governors on account of Christ’s name, being given up (and even put to death) by parents, brothers, relatives and friends.

2. Many false christs will arise and be deceiving many, and the saints “shall be about to be hearing battles, and tidings of battles.”

3. “Nation will be roused against nation and kingdom against kingdom, there shall be famines, quakes and pestilences in places, along with fearful sights besides great signs also from heaven.”

4. Jerusalem will be “surrounded by encampments” and “the abomination of desolation” will be “standing in the holy place” (which will be the sign that Jerusalem’s “desolation is near,” and that those Israelites living in Judea must flee into the mountains in order to escape what’s about to happen).

5. The time of “great affliction” will begin, and Jerusalem shall begin to “be trodden by the nations, until the eras of the nations may be fulfilled” (which, we discover from Rev. 11:2, will last forty-two months – i.e., the second half of the 70^th heptad).

The fact that at least some of the persecuted saints that Christ had in view would be “given up into the synagogues” not only implies that the persecuted saints in view will be Jewish, but it also implies that their unbelieving persecutors will be Jewish as well. This is also implied by the fact that some Jewish believers will be given up by (and even killed by) parents, brothers, relatives and friends. This persecution of believing Jews by unbelieving Jews suggests that the “great affliction” which will characterize the second half of the 70^th heptad will not yet have begun. How so?

As argued earlier, it will be the Jewish people in general who, at this point, will come to be under affliction, and not just a believing Jewish minority. But what might account for this change in the category of people who will be “targeted” for persecution during the 70^th heptad? Why will the later period involve a Jewish majority being persecuted by unbelieving gentiles (under the direction of the man of lawlessness), whereas the earlier period will involve a Jewish minority being persecuted by unbelieving gentiles and unbelieving Jews? This may very well be due to the fact that, by this point in the 70^th heptad (which will be around the midpoint of the “week”), the majority of Israelites will have become “un-calloused,” and come to believe the evangel of the kingdom being heralded at this time. Or, at the very least, it may be because the majority of Israelites will, at this time, have become opposed to the man of lawlessness (even if they remain unbelievers with regards to the evangel).

In any case, there seem to be significant differences between the second half of the 70^th heptad (the time of “great affliction,” which will involve “indignation” being on the Jewish people, in general), and the years preceding it during which the “beginning of pangs” will be occurring, and which will involve a believing Jewish minority being persecuted by both unbelieving gentiles and unbelieving Jews.

Part Five: http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2017/09/a-study-on-timing-of-snatching-away_18.html

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[1] For example, those who hold to the “pre-wrath” position on the timing of the snatching away hold that the time of great affliction could end one to two years before the 70^th heptad ends (see, for example, the following chart, which was created by one of the leading proponents of this position: http://www.alankurschner.com/2013/01/22/feel-free-to-use-this-prewrath-timeline-overview-chart-for-your-purposes/).

[2] Insofar as this is the case, the judgment described in Joel 3 should not, I don’t think, be identified with the judgment referred to by Christ in Matthew 25:31-46. The judgment referred to in Matt. 25 does not take place on a battlefield, or in the context of a military campaign. It will not involve people from every nation gathering in preparation for war. Rather, the judgment of Matt. 25 will be more formal in nature, taking place in Jerusalem after Christ has already been enthroned, and after all military forces hostile to his rule have already been neutralized.

[3] It may be objected that, in Joel 3:2, 12, the location of the battle is said to be “the valley of Jehoshaphat,” while in Rev. 16:16 it’s said to be “Armageddon.” However, it’s possible (and I think likely) that these are simply two different ways of referring to the same place. Although there is a tradition (dating from around the fourth century AD on) which equates the valley of Jehoshaphat with the Kidron Valley, this is simply one of several views on what location, exactly, Joel 3 is referring to. The Christian historian Eusebius, for example, identified this valley with the Valley of Hinnom (i.e., “Gehenna”). Others have suggested the Valley of Beracah, where King Jehoshaphat overthrew the enemies of Israel (2 Chr. 20:26).

However, given the fact that Jehoshaphat simply means “Yahweh shall judge,” it’s more likely that “valley of Jehoshaphat” is simply a figurative way of referring to the area in which judgment will occur, in accordance with Joel’s prophecy. In this sense, it’s no more the literal name of a valley than the expression, “valley of decision” in Joel 3:14. According to this view, the expression “valley of Jehoshaphat” (or “valley of decision”) could easily be applied to the Valley of Jezreel (also known as the plain of Esdraelon), which is an immense plain surrounded by hills and mountains. One of the hills that borders this plain (and from which one can overlook it) is the hill of Megiddo (“Armageddon” can be understood to mean either “Mount Megiddo” or “hill of Megiddo,” as the Hebrew word “har” can refer to either a mountain or a range of hills). For more information on this subject, see the article at the following link: http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2014/11/05/Megiddo-The-Place-of-Battles.aspx#Article. See also the following map: http://www.bible-history.com/geography/ancient-israel/plain-of-esdraelon-megiddo.html

[4] As argued in part two of my original study, I believe the expression “day of the Lord” is used in both a “broad” and a “narrow” sense in scripture, and thus does not always refer to the same exact time period. According to the broad sense in which this and similar expressions are used, the day of the Lord refers to both the coming time of indignation (which, in this article, I’ll be arguing encompasses the entirety of the 70^th heptad) as well as the entirety of the fourth eon (which embraces the entire millennial reign of Christ). According to the “narrow” sense, the expression refers only to the day of Christ’s return (i.e., the literal day which concludes this present wicked eon and ushers in the next). In Joel 3:14 (cf. 2:31), I believe the expression “day of the Lord” is being used in the “narrow” sense, and refers to the day of Christ’s return.

[5] There’s also reason to believe that there may be a slight difference between the celestial events related to the opening of the sixth seal and those that will take place immediately after the time of great affliction. It’s interesting to note that the celestial event related to the opening of the sixth seal will involve the moon becoming “as blood,” whereas the celestial event described in Matthew 24:29 is said to involve the moon “not giving her beams.” Might this mean that the moon will be giving off a blood-red light during the sixth seal-related event, and no light on the day that Christ returns? The wording used by Christ is at least consistent with this view.

It’s also worth noting that, in addition to referring to the celestial event that will occur on the day of Christ’s return to earth (at which point the sun and moon will both be “darkened”), the prophet Joel also referred specifically to a celestial event that will involve the sun’s being “converted into darkness” and “the moon into blood” (Joel 2:30-31; cf. Acts 2:19-20).