14 "When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!
18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them." ~ Mark 13:14-20
Today, we return to our study of Mark 13 where the main theme is the end times and when the Lord Jesus will return to the earth for a second time. According to Matthew's Gospel, today's passage is predicated upon the prophecy given in Daniel 9:24-27. In order to understand today's passage, we must have a working knowledge of Daniel 9:24-27 which reads...
"24 “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. 25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." ~ Daniel 9:24-27
This was a prophecy specifically about the nation of Israel. In that prophecy there were decreed 70 sevens which covers a 490 year period of time. When we multiply 70 x 7 we have 490, which is speaking of a prophecy which describes a 490 year period of time, specifically for the nation of Israel. As we read in Daniel 9:25-27, this prophecy is divided into three segments: 7 sevens = 49 years (Daniel 9:25), 62 sevens = 434 years (Daniel 9:25-26), and 1 seven = 7 years (Daniel 9:27). When we add the totals, we have 490 years.
The first two segments (the 7 sevens and the 62 sevens) of time have already been fulfilled. The last seven which is a seven year period is yet to be fulfilled but the last seven is yet to be fulfilled. Most theologians refer to this 70th seven as the "Tribulation", although it is never described as such in the New Testament. The Lord Jesus does refer to the second half of this seven year period as "a time of great tribulation." In Jeremiah 30:7 it is referred to as "a time of Jacob's trouble." Of course, Jacob was Israel as an unbeliever and Israel is Jacob as a believer. So, the design of the Tribulation is to bring Israel to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
According to Daniel 9:25, from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild the temple (the issuing of the decree to restore occurred in Nehemiah 2:1-8 which was 444 BC and it was completed in 395 BC) until the messiah there will be 7 sevens (Jerusalem was completed in 395 BC which took 49 years or seven sevens) and 62 sevens which is 434 years (444 BC to the day the Lord Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey = 483 yrs). And, then there is the final seven.
According to Daniel 9:26, after the 62 sevens the messiah will be cut off March 30, 33 AD. And then, the prince is one who will destroy the city and the sanctuary (this occurred in A.D. 70 under the leadership of Titus). According to Daniel 9:27 the one seven is a 7 year period of time (this is a time of tribulation on earth as described by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24.)
According to Daniel 9:26-27, the ruler or the prince will make a covenant with the many including Israel for one seven. This prince will be the anti-christ who is mentioned in Daniel 11:21. In the middle of this seven the anti-christ will discontinue sacrifice and worship and he will break his covenant with Israel. This 70th seven or the tribulation period is also described in Revelation 6:1-8:2 (7 seals) 8:3-10:11 (7 trumpets) 16:1-16 (7 bowls).
As mentioned, the final seven of Daniel's prophecy is yet to be fulfilled. The world could enter that period at any moment. Before that event takes place, the rapture of the church must happen. During the Tribulation, it will be most difficult to believe in the Lord Jesus, partly due to the fact that with the rapture of the church, the influence of the Holy Spirit in this world will be much different than it is today. With that said, you can avoid the Tribulation simply by trusting in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of your sin. If you have not done this, I encourage you to talk with God right now, tell Him that you know that you are a sinner in need of His salvation and ask Him to come into your life.
In Romans 10:9-10 we read, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."
