The Last Days Time Line
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1).
Almost 2,000 years ago the Son of God came to earth. At His coming, He literally fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies and revealed Himself to be the Anointed One and only Son of God. He taught and prophesied about the coming Kingdom and claimed that He was God. He was called Jesus of Nazareth; He was the long awaited Messiah, the King of the Jews as prophesied in Daniel 9:25 over 600 years earlier. Jesus entered Jerusalem and offered Himself as King of the Jews in the year and on the exact day that Daniel foretold. Daniel prophesied that the Messiah the King would make a covenant by sacrifice, which Jesus did at the cross when he gave His life for the sin of the world. Daniel also prophesied that Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed which it was in 70 AD. For more details regarding these prophecies refer to chapter 3. Spoken Of Through The Prophet Daniel. Below is a timeline of Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” prophecy.
To date sixty-nine “sevens” of Daniel’s prophecy have been completely fulfilled which leaves just one seven-year period unfulfilled. This remaining seven-year period is called Daniel’s 70th Week.
At the end of Jesus’ First Advent He ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives. But, before He left, he instructed the Church to make disciples, to baptize them and teach them to obey everything which He had commanded until His return. During Christ’s First Advent He prophesied about the signs and the circumstances that would characterize His return at the end of the age. Below is the Last Days Timeline including Daniels 70th Week.
Daniel's 70th Week
Present age
The Present Age is the time from Adam to the End of the Age. Since Christ’s crucifixion, at least two biblical prophecies have been fulfilled. First, the destruction of Jerusalem and Herod’s Temple.1 Second, the restoration of Israel as a nation on May 14, 1948.2
There are even now a number of biblical prophecies remaining which must be fulfilled before we reach Daniel’s 70th Week. Three prophesied events which must occur before Daniel’s 70th Week are;
1. The rise of a world superpower known as Mystery Babylon the Great as prophesied in Revelation 17 and 18. This wealthy superpower will exercise authority and influence over the whole world until it is destroyed by a conspiracy headed by the Antichrist.
2. The rise to power of the Fourth Beast Kingdom as prophesied in Daniel 7:23-25 and Revelation 17:9-16. This kingdom will dominate the whole world by force once it has destroyed Mystery Babylon the Great.
3. The rise of the beast known as the Antichrist as prophesied in Daniel 7:23-25 and Revelation 13:1-8. This powerful and extremely successful world leader will rise to power out of the fourth beast kingdom. He will become so powerful that at the peak of his career he will be worshiped by most of the people of the world.
Now let’s look at some of the key aspects of Daniel’s 70th Week.
A – The covenant confirmed
Israel will continue to be a center of trouble for the world,3 until the Antichrist confirms a covenant of peace with Israel as prophesied in Daniel 9:27 and Isaiah 28:15-18.
He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven’ (Daniel 9:27)
You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place" (Isaiah 28:15)
B – The abomination that causes desolation
The covenant made with the Antichrist will not last.
In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, (Daniel 9:27)
While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it (Isaiah 28:18).
After three-and-a-half years of peace the Antichrist will set himself up as God in the temple of God. By that time a new Jewish temple will have been built on the temple mount in Jerusalem. Today, even though Israel has possession of the temple mount, they are unable to rebuild the temple because of the presence of the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque. The temple mount is also a Muslim holy site (Haram al-Sharif) and because of the religious strife between the Jews and Muslims it is currently impossible to rebuild the temple. The Bible strongly indicates, however, that there will be a Jewish temple by the time of the abomination that causes desolation.
There is no indication in Scripture regarding when the temple will be reconstructed. It may be rebuilt during the Present Age or at the latest during the first half of Daniel’s 70th Week. However, we know that the temple will be rebuilt.
The abomination that causes desolation is a very significant event. Jesus gave it as the first of the specific signs of His return and the end of the age. This event has been prophesied about in Scripture from Isaiah to Revelation. It takes place in the middle of Daniel’s 70th Week, point “B” on the time line.
C – The Great Tribulation
When the Antichrist declares that he is God in the temple of God, he will also begin the time of unprecedented persecution known as the Great Tribulation. This three-and-a-half year time span is referred to as.
1. A time, times and half a time – Daniel 7:25, 12:7 & Revelation 12:14
2. In the middle of the 'seven' – Daniel 9:27
3. 42 months – Revelation 11:2
4. 1,260 days – Revelation 11:3 and 12:6
This period of tribulation and testing will also be a time of incredible supernatural activity on the earth and in the lives of mankind. The following list includes some of the signs and events that will take place during the Great Tribulation, “C” on the time line.
Signs to occur during the Great Tribulation: (Not necessarily in chronological order.)
1. The “rebellion” or “falling away” from the faith.4
2. The Antichrist will persecute and kill the people of God.5
3. The Jewish remnant will flee into the wilderness for three-and-a-half years.6
4. Angels will proclaim the Gospel, announce the fall of “Mystery Babylon the Great” and warn the world not to worship the beast or take his mark.7
5. The two witnesses will prophesy for 1,260 days.8
6. A second beast called the False Prophet will perform great signs to deceive the world and cause everyone to worship the Antichrist and receive his mark or be killed.9
7. The sun, moon and stars will be darkened before the Day of the Lord.10
D – End of the age
The disciples asked Jesus “what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age.” Their question reflects their understanding that His return would be at the end of the age. Jesus had taught them that the harvest, which is the resurrection of believers, would come at the end of the age.
They also wanted to know what signs would signal His return. Jesus gave them several signs and warned them to “watch” and “stay alert” because of the great deception that would come in the last days. Here is what the Lord has revealed will occur – on the Day of the Lord - at the end of the age.
Prophesies to be fulfilled on the Day of the Lord: (Not necessarily in chronological order.)
1. The Son of Man will come down from heaven and will appear in the clouds of the sky with His holy angels.11
2. The seventh and last trumpet will sound.12
3. The elect of God will be gathered at the resurrection.13
4. The Lord Jesus Christ will judge His people.14
5. The Lord will stand on the Mount of Olives.15
6. The Lord will prepare a wedding feast on Mount Zion.16
7. The kingdom of this world will become the Kingdom of our Lord.17
8. The wrath of God will be poured out on the unbelieving and disobedient world.18
The Kingdom Age
The Day of the Lord also ushers in the Kingdom Age which is the thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. On the Day of the Lord, Christ will renew everything and restore Israel. Jesus will reign from the throne of David in Jerusalem, as it is written.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever (Isaiah 9:7).
Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High (Daniel 7:27).
After the 1,000 years, He will turn everything over to the Father and God will be “all in all.”
Richard H Perry
1 Daniel 9:26, Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 19:44 and Luke 21:6
2 Ezekiel 39:27 and Micah 5:3.
3 Zechariah 12:2
4 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Matthew 24:9-11, Daniel 8:11-12
5 Revelation 12:13-17, 13:5-7, Daniel 7:25,
6 Revelation 12:14
7 Revelation 14:6-11, Matthew 24:14
8 Revelation 11:3-13
9 Revelation 13:11-18
10 Joel 2:31, Matthew 24:29, Isaiah 13:10, Acts 2:20
11 Matthew 24:30
12 Matthew 24:31, 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Revelation 11:15
13 Psalm 50:4-5, Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:31, 1 Corinthians 15:51, 1 Thess. 4:15-17
14 Psalm 50:4-5, Revelation 11:18
15 Zechariah 14:4
16 Isaiah 25:6-8
17 Revelation 11:15, Revelation 20:4-6
18 Revelation 19:17-19, Revelation 16:16
