Great Tribulation Cannot Start Before 2014

“Orthodox” 16th Century Representation of the “Apocalypse”

Although inaccurate “prophets” such as Ronald Weinland and Harold Camping have declared that the biblical period known as the “great tribulation” began some time ago, the reality is that this biblically prophesied event cannot begin prior to 2014.

Why?

Mainly because Jesus taught that the “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21) would begin shortly after “you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (Matthew 24:15).

Notice that the Daniel the prophet wrote:

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)

Without going into all the details, the above is understood by many (including the Living Church of God and the Arroyo Grande, California book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect) to mean that a seven year (one prophetic week) Middle East peace deal is confirmed. Of course, the sacrifices must start before they stop, and they have not started yet (and may not start until after the peace deal is in place).

The idea of this being a seven-year end-time deal was also understood by the Catholic theologian Hippolytus (died 235) in the third century:

…the iron and the clay shall be mingled together. Now Daniel will set forth this subject to us. For he says, “And one week will make a covenant with many, and it shall be that in the midst (half) of the week my sacrifice and oblation shall cease.” By one week, therefore, he meant the last week which is to be at the end of the whole world of which week the two prophets… will take up the half. For they will preach 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth, proclaiming repentance to the people and to all the nations…(Hippolytus. On Christ and Antichrist, Chapter 43. Online edition Copyright © 2008 by Kevin Knight).

Although he has several events out of sequence in his book, even the famed late Protestant theologian John Walvoord understood the importance of the deal in Daniel 9:27:

The seven-year peace treaty with Israel; consumated seven years before the second coming of Christ (Dan. 9:27; Revelation 19:11-16). (Walvoord J. The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook. Victor Books, 1990, p. 551)

One other reason that now is not quite the time, is that I have traveled to Europe many times in the past few years (my last trip was to Italy, Vatican City, and Germany a few months ago), and can state that the Europeans are simply not unified enough to be ready to fulfill their role as the supporters of the King of the North – the Final Beast power, yet. But they are looking at proposing peace deals in the Middle East (http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-11-13-voa26.cfm).

While the leader in Daniel 9:27 is only referred to as a prince when he confirms the one week covenant, he probably will not be known as the “King” until shortly before he breaks the covenant at the mid-week point (most likely he will be considered simply one of several leaders negotiating a treaty when this deal in Daniel 9:27 is initially made).

This peace deal is to be violated in the middle of it and the abomination will be in the old temple area (“the holy place” of Matthew 24:15). This is also consistent with another of Daniel’s writings:

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31)

The “him” mentioned about is the final biblical King of the North.

So, what does any of this have to do with 2014?

According to reports coming out of the Middle East in the past couple of days, there is still no Middle East peace deal in place that could possibly fulfill Daniel 9:27. Notice one such report:

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told the London-based daily Asharq al-Awsat on Saturday that no progress has been made in the proximity talks so far. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=133186&sectionid=351020202

And even if there was one announced later today, if one adds 3 1/2 years to today, that brings one to 2014.

Great Tribulation Cannot Begin in 2010, 2011, 2012, or 2013

Now I have been criticized in the past for pointing out that the “great tribulation” could not begin in 2008, 2009, 2010, etc.

But I was correct then, and am now.

Why?

Well in addition to the fact that there is no Middle East peace deal that fulfills Daniel 9:27, there still is not yet in place the final leader known as the King of the North. Nor is there a leader yet in place who is the final King of the South (and both of those leaders need to make their own deceitful deal per Daniel 11:27). And while these leaders could be in those positions relatively soon, several of the events that Jesus also said would occur first (Matthew 24:4-14) have not yet been completely fulfilled.

Additionally, the Europeans are not yet ready militarily nor economically to fulfill their role as the final Beast power. It is likely that Europe will need to see “signs and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9) to get fully ready and unified amongst themselves–but that is expected.

That is not to say that world events leading up to the “great tribulation” are not occurring (they are as I report about them frequently, notice Might Kurt Koch become or support the coming “antipope” antichrist? to cite just one example), but without the peace deal being made yet, the final 3 1/2 year countdown has not yet began, hence the great tribulation will not possibly start prior to 2014.

The end is coming. It is coming soon. But the end, meaning the “great tribulation” in this case, cannot possibly begin prior to the year 2014.

Some articles of related interest may include the following:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008 (first April 17th, then June 2008, now December 14, 2008). Why does the Bible show that Ron Weinland is a false prophet? He also has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the Church of God.
Harold Camping’s Teachings About the End of the World Do Not Agree with the Bible Harold Camping teaches that the rapture will be on May 21, 2011 and the world will end on October 21, 2011. What does the Bible show?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2018 or 2019?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might Barack Obama be involved in 2012?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This also has YouTube videos related to 2012. The book is for those truly interested in understanding how prophecies inter-relate and who want to see a real sequence of end time events.