Your question:

Randy, I'm writing with honest curiosity. You say in the exerpt (below) from your website that there is no seven year period mentioned in the Bible but then the scripture that you use immediately after your statement says, "In the middle of the seven..." And when you figure that only 69 weeks of "Daniel's 70 weeks" have been accounted for, leaving the final seven for the
Tribulation period, how do you arrive at the idea that the Tribulation will not be seven years long?

One last question on another facet of this article. I personally hope that the Rapture will occur 'pre-trib' but I understand that it just may well happen 'mid-trib' or, as you contend, 'post-trib.' Is this an issue that is actually going to condemn people, such as Hal Lindsey, to mention only one of many, who really believe that the Rapture will occur pre-trib? I mean, there are all kinds of issues in the Bible that sincere Christians have sincerely differing views on. Why go so far as to say that an incorrect belief on this particular issue has the potential to send a person to hell?

Thanks for your time in reading my questions!
In Christ,
D.

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<<<Nowhere else do the scriptures specifically mention a seven year period, and nowhere is it associated as the time span of the tribulation. What we see in the second part of the verse is the anti-Christ ending the daily sacrifice and setting up the abomination that causes DESOLATION! This is a three and one half year period and is confirmed very literally in the scripture below.
"In the middle of the seven he [anti-Christ} will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
Daniel 9:27b
"From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days." Daniel 12:11-12>>>

 My answer:

Hi D.,
Thanks for the e-mail. I can discern from your email a seekers heart, this is good.

You wrote: You say in the exerpt (below) from your website that there is no seven year period mentioned in the Bible but then the scripture that you use immediately after your statement says, "In the middle of the seven..."

My response: Actually, you have quoted me incorrectly here. The text of what I wrote before what you quoted shows the actual desolation (tribulation) to be 3 1/2 years. Then what I wrote is that 'nowhere else' is a seven year period mentioned specifically. In other words I showed the seven year period in Daniel 9:27 as the only direct mention of a seven year period. The context of those verses clearly show the desolation starting in the middle of those seven years, making the desolation 3 1/2 years. There is no scripture that shows the desolation to be seven years long.

You wrote: And when you figure that only 69 weeks of "Daniel's 70 weeks" have been accounted for, leaving the final seven for the Tribulation period, how do you arrive at the idea that the Tribulation will not be seven years long?

My response: Please forgive my first answering your question with a question, but based on what can we safely assume that the last seven means a full seven years of tribulation? The context clearly shows the seven broken into two parts: The first part of the covenant does not speak of tribulation. This seven year covenant is the covenant with death Isaiah prophesied about (Isaiah 28:14-15). In the first part Israel will be at peace with her enemies, we see this in Ezekiel 38:8-12. The second 3 1/2 years we see the abomination that causes desolation. The abomination is the antichrist declaring himself to be the savior. Israel will accept this initially and thus she will have finished her rebelling against the covenant with God started when she agreed to the seven year covenant. The abomination will reveal who the antichrist is (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The desolation that follows is for 1290 days (Daniel 12:11-12) or 3 1/2 years. The seven year covenant does not mean that tribulation will span the entire period.

You wrote: One last question on another facet of this article. I personally hope that the Rapture will occur 'pre-trib' but I understand that it just may well happen 'mid-trib' or, as you contend, 'post-trib.'

My response: Please forgive my forwardness, but the term is not rapture, it is resurrection. And that the resurrection will happen on the last day should not be a matter of contention, unless one finds themselves at odds with Jesus Christ who said four times in John chapter 6 that He will raise us up on the last day. As Jesus, I am a last day resurrectionist. The LORD in no way corrected Martha when she correctly said that Lazarus would rise in the resurrection of the dead on the last day (John 11:24).

You wrote: Is this an issue that is actually going to condemn people, such as Hal Lindsey, to mention only one of many, who really believe that the Rapture will occur pre-trib? I mean, there are all kinds of issues in the Bible that sincere Christians have sincerely differing views on. Why go so far as to say that an incorrect belief on this particular issue has the potential to send a person to hell?

My response: I am glad that you used the word 'potential' in your question. I will not make speculation on who will be part of the first resurrection or a party to the second resurrection. I abhor the pre-tribulation theology. The teachers of this mythology are not subject to my abhorrence though. I love Hal Lindsay, Van Impe, Hagee and the like. But the danger is very real indeed. The resurrection of the dead in Christ is the promised salvation we are waiting for (Hebrews 9:28). By it we are saved from the wrath of God (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The resurrection is our blessed and perfect hope. The resurrection is the end of the race that we fix our gaze upon. Jesus warned us sternly that we had better be found watching (Luke 12:35-49). Watching what? The signs He gave us. If we relegate those signs to something that will happen after we are taken away, then we will be in danger of being deceived and fall away from the faith, just as Jesus prophesied would happen. There is no greater moment for the Christian to hope for and live for and die for then the resurrection of the dead, and this will happen on the last day. There are no promises that we will be spared from trial. On the contrary, we are to indeed suffer trials and tribulation, as Jesus did. The desolation (tribulation) is NOT the wrath of God as many erroneously teach. There will be wrath from God against Israel through her enemies for rebellion. There will also be certain judgments from God poured out on the earth, but those who are marked by the Holy Spirit or marked on the forehead by the angels of God, will be spared from harm by supernatural events, unlike those who are marked by the beast. The trial believers are subjected to is at the hands of man, induced by Satan's rage. Our trials come to test us, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. On the last day the wrath of God is poured out full strength upon the earth. This happens right after the resurrection.

The Bible says, For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They turn their ears away from truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4
The Bible is talking about now. Sound doctrine is the last day resurrection. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." The desire of Christians is to be removed from earth before the tribulation, because they do not understand what it really is and they fear death more than God. They gather around them a great number of teachers . . . has history ever seen so many pre-trib teachers? People have always surrounded themselves with false teachers and prophets who weave lies people want to hear. The truth is not comfortable. Let's face it, having to go through trials doesn't tickle anyone's ears, but the nice story of the mythical rapture sure sounds good to masses of people who do not know the scriptures or the power of God.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of repentance and the resurrection. Many people will fall away. They will be deceived by doctrines taught by demons. I don't know what will happen to Hal Lindsay, but if he really believes in the pre-trib rapture then it won't be hard to deceive him. Will he understand who the antichrist is if he believes we will be 'raptured' before the antichrist comes?

Our faith has a goal. The goal of our faith is the salvation of our soul (1 Peter 1:9). If the resurrection is our salvation then what 'Sunday sermon topic' could be more important?

Here are a couple of links to some Daily Watch (my newsletter) articles that may help:

http://www.lastday.info/watchv2i96.html

http://www.lastday.info/watchv2i97.html

I pray that I have served you well.

In the service of the LORD Jesus,

Randy