By Dr Neville van Eerten
Introduction
Many people fear the Great Tribulation because they believe it will happen in our lifetime. If that’s true, then Jesus’ prophecy that it would occur within forty years is incorrect. We will see that the Great Tribulation occurred as Jesus predicted, from 66 AD to 73 AD, and that it lasted exactly 2300 days, as Daniel foretold.
MATTHEW 24:21 FOR THEN THERE WILL BE GREAT TRIBULATION, SUCH AS HAS NOT BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD UNTIL THIS TIME, NO, NOR EVER SHALL BE.
In this series on the Great Tribulation, we’ll explore 22 key questions about it.
1. When was the Great Tribulation?
2. What was the Abomination of Desolation?
3. Had the gospel been preached to all nations before the Great Tribulation?
4. Why does Revelation equate Jerusalem to Sodom and Egypt?
5. Who was Josephus, and is he a credible historian?
6. What are the Seven Seals?
7. How did the seals relate to the Great Tribulation?
8. Was one quarter and one third of the population killed, as Revelation says?
9. Who were the 144,000?
10. Who were the armies crossing the Euphrates in Revelation?
11. How long was the Great Tribulation — seven years or 2300 days?
12. Why did Jesus say His coming would be like lightning from the east to the west?
13. When did the Great Tribulation begin?
14. When did it end?
15. When did the Christians flee Jerusalem?
16. How many people were killed during the Great Tribulation?
17. Why was there thirty minutes of silence in heaven?
18. When was the forty-two-month prophecy of Revelation?
19. What is the significance of the five-month prophecy in Revelation 9?
20. What was Daniel’s 1290 and 1335-day prophecy about?
21. What is the importance of Antioch in the prophetic calendar?
22. What was the blessing to those who lasted 1336 days?
The Great Tribulation Time Period
The Great Tribulation Will Never Occur Again
Jesus prophesied that there would be only one Great Tribulation and that it would never happen again.
MATTHEW 24:21 FOR THEN THERE WILL BE GREAT TRIBULATION, SUCH AS HAS NOT BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD UNTIL THIS TIME, NO, NOR EVER SHALL BE.
For this reason, it is THE Great Tribulation, not a tribulation that will be repeated.
When Would the Great Tribulation Occur?
There is a specific time limit for the start of the Great Tribulation. Jesus’ teaching on the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:15-21 is set within two scriptures that define its beginning as occurring within one generation. Before Jesus’ teaching on the Great Tribulation, He states:
MATTHEW 23:36 ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, ALL THESE THINGS WILL COME UPON THIS GENERATION.
Following this verse, Jesus begins to teach about the Great Tribulation. Once He finishes His teaching on the Great Tribulation, He repeats the phrase, emphasizing that it will happen within one generation of when He prophesied it in 30 AD, saying all these things will happen.
MATTHEW 24:34 ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, THIS GENERATION WILL BY NO MEANS PASS AWAY TILL ALL THESE THINGS TAKE PLACE.
In our introductory lesson on eschatology, we learned that, according to the Old Testament, a generation is most commonly forty years. Therefore, the Great Tribulation cannot be in the future and must have begun before 70 AD. We will determine the start date in late 66 AD within a few days, placing it within the 40-year generation timeframe.
If someone claims the Great Tribulation is near, you can be certain it isn’t. There was only one Great Tribulation, which must have happened within 40 years of Jesus’ prophecy in 30 AD. If the Great Tribulation is still to happen, then Jesus is a false prophet.
Great Tribulation of All Nations
All Nations Will Witness the Sign of His Coming.
Just before the teaching on the Great Tribulation, Jesus makes this statement:
MATTHEW 24:14 AND THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM WILL BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD AS A WITNESS TO ALL THE NATIONS, AND THEN THE END WILL COME.
How can the Great Tribulation have already happened if the gospel must be preached to all nations before His return?
Start of the Church
At the start of the church, on the Day of Pentecost, Luke, the author of Acts, stated that the entire earth was limited to those known at that time.
ACTS 2:5 JEWS WERE LIVING IN JERUSALEM, DEVOUT MEN FROM EVERY NATION UNDER HEAVEN.
Paul’s Teaching
Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, taught that he and others had completed the task of spreading the gospel.
COLOSSIANS 1:23 IF YOU INDEED CONTINUE IN THE FAITH, GROUNDED AND STEADFAST, AND ARE NOT MOVED AWAY FROM THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL WHICH YOU HEARD, WHICH WAS PREACHED TO EVERY CREATURE UNDER HEAVEN, OF WHICH I, PAUL, BECAME A MINISTER.
The Whole World was Reached by 57 AD.
By the time Romans was written in approximately 57 AD, the Word of God states that the whole world had heard the gospel.
At the start of Romans:
ROMANS 1:8 FIRST, I THANK MY GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST FOR ALL OF YOU; THAT YOUR FAITH IS SPOKEN OF THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE WORLD.
And at the end of Romans:
ROMANS 16:25-26 NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO ESTABLISH YOU ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL AND THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN BUT NOW REVEALED, AND MADE KNOWN TO ALL NATIONS THROUGH THE PROPHETIC SCRIPTURES, ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE ETERNAL GOD, FOR OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH.
View of Early Church Fathers
It was not only the view of the New Testament writers, but also that of the Church fathers. The first Church Father, Clement, accompanied Paul on his missionary efforts.
PHILIPPIANS 4:3 AND I URGE YOU ALSO, FAITHFUL COMPANION, HELP THESE WOMEN WHO LABOURED WITH ME IN THE GOSPEL, WITH CLEMENT ALSO, AND THE REST OF MY FELLOW WORKERS, WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.
Clement had this to say about the apostle Paul:
“HE TAUGHT THE WHOLE WORLD RIGHTEOUSNESS, TRAVELLING FROM THE EAST WESTWARD TO THE BORDERS OF THE OCEAN.”
Eusebius, another church father, mentioned “THE APOSTLES PREACHED THE GOSPEL IN ALL THE WORLD, AND THAT SOME OF THEM PASSED BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF THE OCEAN, AND VISITED THE BRITANNIC ISLES”
Abomination of Desolation.
Let the Reader Understand
Jesus quoted the prophet Daniel regarding the abomination that causes desolation.
MATTHEW 24:15-16 “THEREFORE, WHEN YOU SEE THE ‘ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,’ SPOKEN OF BY DANIEL THE PROPHET, STANDING IN THE HOLY PLACE” (WHOEVER READS, LET HIM UNDERSTAND), “THEN LET THOSE WHO ARE IN JUDEA FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS.
Jesus commands us to understand the book of Daniel. We must diligently study the Book of Daniel to see the many clues about the Great Tribulation.
Holy Place
Some have incorrectly claimed that the abomination is the Antichrist in the Holy of Holies; however, the term ‘Holy Place’ is never used to describe the temple elsewhere in Scripture. Nor is the Antichrist mentioned in any of Jesus’ eschatological teachings in the Gospels.
The words for “Holy Place” used in this scripture are the Greek words ἅγιος τόπος, which translate to “Hagios topos.” The word Hagios means Holy, and the word topos is where we get the English word “topography.” It is defined as an inhabited place or a city. The word before in the Holy Place doesn’t necessarily mean in; it can just as well be understood as against or to.
The Holy Place is Jerusalem, so the entire city becomes a desolation.
Armies Encircling Jerusalem
You will notice that this verse in Matthew is followed by a command to flee into the hills. If we now turn to Luke, we find his interpretation of what the ‘abomination that causes desolation’ is.
LUKE 21:20-22 “BUT WHEN YOU SEE JERUSALEM SURROUNDED BY ARMIES, THEN KNOW THAT ITS DESOLATION IS NEAR. THEN LET THOSE WHO ARE IN JUDEA FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS, LET THOSE WHO ARE IN THE MIDST OF HER DEPART, AND LET NOT THOSE WHO ARE IN THE COUNTRY ENTER HER. FOR THESE ARE THE DAYS OF VENGEANCE THAT ALL THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN MAY BE FULFILLED.
Luke describes the abomination of desolation as the armies encircling Jerusalem, not as a sacrifice in a future Third Temple.
Abomination of Lost Destiny Introduction to the Great Tribulation Israel did not fulfil its duty to the nations by proclaiming the God of Israel and His coming Messiah. They failed to fulfil their destiny as kings and priests.
EXODUS 19:6 AND YOU SHALL BE TO ME A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION.’ THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH YOU SHALL SPEAK TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.”
It was an abomination for a foreign country to plunder the wife of God, Israel.
HOSEA 2:2 “BRING CHARGES AGAINST YOUR MOTHER, BRING CHARGES; FOR SHE IS NOT MY WIFE, NOR AM I HER HUSBAND! LET HER PUT AWAY HER HARLOTRIES FROM HER SIGHT, AND HER ADULTERIES FROM BETWEEN HER BREASTS;
Allowing the Gentiles to plunder the God of Israel and mock Him was not God’s plan. Instead, God’s original intention was to enable both Jews and Gentiles to become one in God’s family. God aimed to have sons and daughters for Himself, a bride for Christ, and a temple for the Holy Spirit.
The Roman Armies
Jesus then says which armies would surround Jerusalem.
MATTHEW 24:28 FOR WHEREVER THE CARCASS IS, THERE THE EAGLES WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER.
It was the eagles that would gather to devour during the Great Tribulation.
The emblem of the Roman Empire was the eagle, known as the Aquila, which symbolized Roman prestige and power. It served as the standard of a Roman legion, carried by an aquifer, and represented the legion’s identity and honor.
The abomination of desolation was the Roman legion surrounding Jerusalem to bring God’s vengeance as a warning for the wise to flee the city in 66 AD.
Babylon
In the Bible, the eagle symbolized the Babylonian Empire. Ezekiel prophesied that Babylon would capture Jerusalem in 597 BC.
EZEKIEL 7:3 ‘THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD: “A GREAT EAGLE WITH LARGE WINGS AND LONG PINIONS, FULL OF FEATHERS OF VARIOUS COLOURS, CAME TO LEBANON AND TOOK FROM THE CEDAR THE HIGHEST BRANCH.
Babylon Spirit Ruling Through Rome
Although this relates to the Babylonian kingdom, the Bible mainly focuses on the underlying spirit.
REVELATION 18:10 ’ALAS, ALAS, THAT GREAT CITY BABYLON, THAT MIGHTY CITY! FOR IN ONE HOUR YOUR JUDGMENT HAS COME.’
In our lesson on the Beasts of Revelation, we will learn that the same spirit that ruled over Babylon (the Beast out of the Sea) was in Rome, the center of the Roman kingdom. Before referencing the woman Babylon, Jesus teaches us that this woman is seated on the city of seven hills—Rome.
REVELATION 17:9 “HERE IS THE MIND WHICH HAS WISDOM: THE SEVEN HEADS ARE SEVEN MOUNTAINS ON WHICH THE WOMAN SITS.
Jerusalem Judged Like Sodom and Egypt
Jesus likened Jerusalem to Sodom and Egypt because both nations faced God’s judgment.
REVELATION 11:8 AND THEIR DEAD BODIES WILL LIE IN THE STREET OF THE GREAT CITY WHICH SPIRITUALLY IS CALLED SODOM AND EGYPT, WHERE ALSO OUR LORD WAS CRUCIFIED.
Worst Jewish Death Record
The carcass in Revelation 11:8 mainly refers to the large number of Jews who would be killed. This proportion was higher during the Great Tribulation than during World War II.
We examined this in detail in Wars and Rumors of Wars, see the table on the website.
The Romans Believed God had sent them to Judge Israel.
Why else did Jesus refer to a carcass? The Romans believed they were doing God’s work by destroying what God could no longer tolerate. Jerusalem had become so abhorrent that even the Romans could not endure the cruelty of the Jews towards themselves. The Roman soldiers begged Vespasian to come and take Jerusalem because of the chaos unfolding. Vespasian refused, saying:
JOSEPHUS’ “WAR OF THE JEWS” 6.2
THEY WERE VERY MISTAKEN ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE DONE… BUT IF THEY STAY A WHILE, THEY WILL FACE FEWER ENEMIES BECAUSE THEY WILL BE CONSUMED IN THIS SEDITION: THAT GOD ACTS AS A GENERAL OF THE ROMANS BETTER THAN THEY DO, AND IT IS BETTER TO SIT STILL AS SPECTATORS OF THE DANGERS THEY FACE RATHER THAN FIGHT HAND TO HAND WITH MEN WHO LOVE MURDER AND ARE MAD AGAINST EACH OTHER.
The Law is a Carcass
Biblically, the Old Testament law died with Jesus on the cross.
COLOSSIANS 2:14 HAVING WIPED OUT THE HANDWRITING OF REQUIREMENTS THAT WERE AGAINST US, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO US. AND HE HAS TAKEN IT OUT OF THE WAY, HAVING NAILED IT TO THE CROSS.
Vanishing Away, Obsolete in 70 AD
Paul wrote to the Hebrews in the 60s AD before his martyrdom by Nero and the destruction of Jerusalem. He informs us that the Old Covenant is soon to vanish with the temple.
HEBREWS 8:13 IN THAT HE SAYS, “A NEW COVENANT,” HE HAS MADE THE FIRST OBSOLETE. NOW, WHAT IS BECOMING OBSOLETE AND GROWING OLD IS READY TO VANISH.
Destruction of Sodom
Jesus compared Jerusalem to Sodom because that city was destroyed by divine fire.
GENESIS 19:24 THEN THE LORD RAINED BRIMSTONE AND FIRE ON SODOM AND GOMORRAH, FROM THE LORD OUT OF THE HEAVENS.
Destruction of Egypt by Babylon Jesus also referred to Jerusalem as Egypt. In the Book of Jeremiah, we learn that God used Babylon to destroy.
JEREMIAH 43:9-11 ‘THUS SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL: “BEHOLD, I WILL SEND AND BRING NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE KING OF BABYLON, MY SERVANT, AND WILL SET HIS THRONE ABOVE THESE STONES THAT I HAVE HIDDEN. AND HE WILL SPREAD HIS ROYAL PAVILION OVER THEM. WHEN HE COMES, HE SHALL STRIKE THE LAND OF EGYPT AND DELIVER TO DEATH THOSE APPOINTED FOR DEATH, AND TO CAPTIVITY THOSE APPOINTED FOR CAPTIVITY, AND TO THE SWORD THOSE APPOINTED FOR THE SWORD.
God did not destroy Egypt through a divine act; He used Nebuchadnezzar to bring about Egypt’s downfall. Similarly, He would use Rome to destroy Jerusalem. This served as a chilling warning to the Jews reading the Book of Revelation, where Rome (Babylon) is depicted as the instrument of judgment against Jerusalem and the Jews. They remembered how Babylon had defeated Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish, marking the end of the Egyptian Empire. The warning was clear: their nation was on the brink of destruction at the hands of the spirit behind Babylon.
Josephus
We will refer to Josephus several times during this lesson, so we need to evaluate his trustworthiness.
Josephus: A True Prophet
Josephus was a Jewish commander who defended the city of Jotapata against Vespasian and his armies for 47 days. Eventually, the siege of Jotapata in 67 AD led to its fall, with Vespasian emerging victorious. Josephus was captured and asked to see Vespasian, during which he accurately prophesied that Vespasian would become emperor. Josephus was imprisoned because Vespasian did not believe him.
SUETONIUS THE TWELVE CAESARS, VESPASIAN 5 IN JUDAEA, VESPASIAN CONSULTED THE ORACLE OF THE GOD OF CARMEL AND WAS ASSURED THAT HE WOULD NEVER BE DISAPPOINTED IN WHAT HE PLANNED OR DESIRED, NO MATTER HOW LOFTY HIS AMBITIONS. ALSO, A NOTABLE JEWISH PRISONER OF VESPASIAN’S, JOSEPHUS BY NAME, CLAIMED HE WOULD SOON BE RELEASED BY THE VERY MAN WHO HAD NOW PUT HIM IN CHAINS, AND WHO WOULD THEN BECOME EMPEROR.
When Vespasian was inaugurated in 69 AD, he removed Josephus’s chains and shattered them, symbolizing that he should never have been imprisoned.
Similarity to Prophet Jeremiah
The similarity to Jeremiah, when the Babylonians took Jerusalem, and the kindness shown to him by Nebuchadnezzar is fascinating.
JEREMIAH 39:11-12 NOW NEBUCHADNEZZAR, KING OF BABYLON, GAVE CHARGE CONCERNING JEREMIAH TO NEBUZARADAN, THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD, SAYING, “TAKE HIM AND LOOK AFTER HIM, AND DO HIM NO HARM; BUT DO TO HIM JUST AS HE SAYS TO YOU.”
Jeremiah, the prophet of the Old Covenant, and Josephus, a prophet of the New Covenant, were both imprisoned by the kingdom’s ruler and later cared for by different leaders in recognition of the prophetic messages they conveyed. The same happened to the prophet Daniel.
Did Josephus Exaggerate?
Some critics argue that he is unreliable, claiming he tends to exaggerate the number of people killed. However, there is no historical evidence that contradicts him. For instance, critics say eleven hundred thousand people can’t die in Jerusalem. Yet, as we will see later in this lesson, he underestimates this figure compared to a careful calculation accepted by Cestius and Nero, which estimated more than three million people in Jerusalem during the Passover of 66 AD.
Others argue that he was driven by a desire to boost Vespasian’s reputation. Trying to uncover someone’s true motives behind their words is a risky undertaking. Once again, this remains purely speculative.
Summary
In this lesson, we have learned:
The Great Tribulation must have begun before 70 CE, or Jesus was a false prophet.
The Great Tribulation will never recur; therefore, it is not in the future.
Multiple New Testament scriptures confirm that all nations had heard the gospel before 57 AD and before the Great Tribulation. The church fathers affirmed this truth.
The Holy Place where the Abomination that Causes Desolation refers to Jerusalem, not a future Third Temple.
The Abomination that causes desolation referred to by Jesus and Daniel is the Roman Army destroying Jerusalem.
The XII Legion’s encirclement of Jerusalem in November 66 AD and its subsequent defeat served as a warning to believers to flee the city.
Jerusalem was called Sodom and Egypt because both were destroyed-Sodom by God, and Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar. Joel’s “army of God” (the Roman military) would destroy Jerusalem.
Josephus was a credible prophet and historian who accurately predicted Vespasian’s inauguration.
He bore similarities to Jeremiah and Daniel and correctly estimated Jerusalem’s population of over 3 million during the Passover of 66 AD for Cestius, who confirmed this and informed Nero that it was a potential prize if captured non-militarily.
In the next instalment of the series, we will investigate the Seven Seals of Revelation and the 144,000, and how they apply to the Great Tribulation