Smoodock's Blog

In Matthew 24:21 Jesus foretold a time of great tribulation. It is from here that we get our modern doctrine of “The Great Tribulation.” In Revelation believers are warned to repent or they would go through “Great Tribulation,”  (Revelation 2:22) and then in Revelation 7:14 we find that many did repent, while going through “Great Tribulation.” Unless we have evidence that there is more than one great tribulation, it seems we must understand these scriptures to point to the same event. 

In Matthew 24:22 Jesus predicted that unless these particular terrible days were shortened no one would survive this dreadful period. What is confusing is, our modern doctrine of the Great Tribulation says it occurs before a specific 7 year period or in the middle of that period, i.e. the final 3 ½ years of what is referred to as the 70^th week of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27). But how does one shorten 7 years (or 3 ½ years, if the tribulation occurs in the middle of the 7 year period)? It is either 7 years or it is not. It is 3 ½ years or it is not. How is it possible for either period of time to be shortened and remain what it is?

Apparently prayer can affect the time span of the events that must transpire by at least as much as 3 to 9 months (viz. winter or the human gestation period). Of course, modern travel wouldn’t be a problem for folks in Judea, but these Scriptures are perfectly understandable in a 1^st century AD setting. The reason for winter travel being a problem is obvious. A sea voyage would be out of the question during winter due to the fear of bad weather on the Mediterranean. We have no such fear today. “Them that are with child…” (Matthew 24:19) would be seriously affected, since travel was by foot or animal. But, why would it be of great concern under modern conditions?

The greater point is, if prayer can affect the timing of events in Matthew 24:15-22, there must be some conditional aspects to these events. If this is so, then how could there be a fixed period of time like 7 years or 3 ½ years? Neither could they affect the time of Jesus’ long awaited return to this earth. That event won’t change as an event or its timing, because God has that time set according to his will. God never has a better idea than the one he first conceived. He doesn’t change his mind (James 1:17; Numbers 23:19). He causes world and national events and their timing to change for our sakes, but he does not change his will. Instead, he works out all worldly matters in a manner that suits his will. So, if prayer can change the timing of the return of Christ to this earth, then God’s unchanging will can be affected by our hazardous condition, implying he has no actual control of worldly events, and, therefore, must change his own timing of Christ’s return. On the other hand, if our prayers can change the outcome of revealed prophecy so that 7 years really doesn’t mean 7 years, then how is the prophecy true?

Does this make sense to you? It doesn’t make sense to me. Jesus said his words would endure while heaven and earth would eventually pass away. How then should we understand Jesus’ words in the Olivet Prophecy?

It is a modern interpretation that the Great Tribulation is for our day or for the days just prior to Jesus’ return to this earth. Read it again. Jesus cannot be referring to any time but that period comprised by the generation of Jews who lived during Jesus’ public ministry. They would not pass away until all would be fulfilled, and the time of the Great Tribulation pointed to the siege of Jerusalem just prior to its destruction in 70 CE.

How did God shorten those days? He shortened them when he had Claudius Caesar stop Herod Agrippa from strengthening the walls around Jerusalem.[1] God shortened the days when he had Titus, the Roman general who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, change his mind during the siege, and he stormed the walls of the city rather than simply starving the people to death by preventing all supplies from entering the city.[2] He shortened the days, by causing internal strife between the different Jewish war parties, causing them to fight among themselves[3] as well as fighting the Romans. He shortened the days by having the zealots for no reason whatsoever depart from the great strongholds of the city, allowing the Romans to enter in virtually unchallenged. God shortened the days by causing the people to not prepare properly for a siege. They had to burn their crop fields just before Titus’ arrival, and no one benefited from the fruits of the land.

God shortened the days of the Great Tribulation of the Roman siege of Jerusalem in the 1^st century AD by bringing to maturity the wickedness of the various evil parties, both Jewish and Roman. They destroyed one another and ignorantly obeyed the will of God to end the war early so the elect would survive. The destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple is the sign that Jesus is in the heavens (Matthew 24:30). Daniel predicted that the Messiah would destroy the Temple with the king that would arise (Daniel 9:26). Notice how this verse reads in the Septuagint:

And after the sixty-two weeks, the Anointed One [Messiah] shall be killed, and there is no judgment in Him. And He [i.e. the Messiah] shall destroy the city and the sanctuary with the prince [Titus] that is to come: they [the Jews] shall be cut off with a flood, and to the end of the war which is rapidly completed [time is shortened] He [the Messiah] shall appoint the city to desolations. (Daniel 9:26 LXX – brackets mine)

Doesn’t this make much more sense that shortening 7 years? If the 7 years were shortened in any way, Daniel would be proved to be a false prophet. Let the 7 years be 7 years, and let the Lord speak clearly in the Olivet Prophecy.