These years fall into three-categories:
- First period, 49 years during which Jerusalem will be rebuilt (9:25). It was a difficult time as we read in Nehemiah book.
- Second period, 434 years (sixty-two sets of seven), at which time the Messiah the Prince of Peace, who has been crucified for the sins of the world. It was His death on the cross that accomplished the purposes given in (9:24). Even after the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel didn’t accept Him and His message. They lied about Him, persecuted His messengers, stoned Stephen, and refused to acknowledge His kingship. The consequences are: Rome came and destroyed the city and wrecked the temple in 70 AD. The nation which cut off Jesus Christ, has been cut off from being a nation until May 14, 1948, Israel got its freedom.
- Third period, a 7-years is both (prophetic and literal).
- The prophetic 7-year period is the Grace period from the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to the rapture of the Church.
- The literal 7-year period divided as 3 ½ tribulation and another 3 ½ great tribulation for the people of Israel which is after the rapture of the Church.
There are much discussions and views:
- Antiochus IV Epiphanes from 168 to 167 BC (11:31) was a shadow of the Anti-Christ did much damage to the Temple, profaned the altar, made sacrilegious offering (a pig on the altar) on the altar and killed many Jews.
- Again under the Roman General Titus in 70 AD the Temple was totally destroyed and one-million Jews were killed.
- The literal 7-year period would be under the Antichrist (Matt.24:15) prophesy would be fulfilled in the near future. The end will come with a flood, and war and its miseries are decreed from that time to the very end. He will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. Then as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the end that has been decreed is poured out on this defiler.”
The return of the Lord Jesus Christ is in 2-stages: i) Rapture and ii) Revelation
- Rapture : The church (all living and dead believers) will be caught up in the air to meet the Lord Jesus Christ The world will not know.
It is a Greek word (rapturo) which means to snatch or take away. It is derived from (1 Thess.4:17) “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.” The same word is used for Philip caught up in the spirit (Acts.8:39), Paul’s experience of being caught up into the third heaven (2 Cor.12:2-4).
- Return: The glorious public appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ in the sky so that every human being would see Him. All the believers will descend with Him to the earth (Zech.14:4).
“Look, He is coming with the clouds, and “every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen” (Rev.1:7; Matt.24:30; Titus 2:13)).
Prophet Daniel gives his calendar when the angel Gabriel told him:
“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” (Dan.9:24).
This will occur after 7-years of tribulations. During the tribulation period, there would be famine, pestilence, earthquakes, and Satan’s dominance for a brief period. This period of calamity is for only those who have rejected Christ during the grace period.