A Study of Israel's Feast Days in Relation to Prophecy

Tribulation Date Setting - When will the End Times Begin?

Antichrist 

And he shall confirm a covenant with the many for one week. And in the middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the corner of the altar, desolating abominations, even until the end. Daniel 9:27

 Our research suggests we will not know the identity of the antichrist until the covenant is "confirmed". This covenant or treaty "with the many", will deal with Israel and the Temple Mount sacrifice. Prophecy tells us the antichrist breaks the covenant or treaty by CAUSING THE SACRIFICE TO CEASE... therefore, the covenant must be one that BEGINS the system of sacrifice on the Temple Mount!  The covenant of Daniel 9 is no ordinary "peace treaty", but must deal specifically with the Temple Mount sacrifice. 
It was not valid to expect the Tribulation to occur in the year 1000, or any year between 70AD to 1948. The State of Israel did not exist. The end time prophecy of Daniel concerning the reinstated Jewish sacrifice can not be fulfilled by events taking place anywhere else but the Jerusalem Temple Mount. Apocalyptic prophecy simply could not have been fulfilled prior to THIS GENERATION.

In Israel, preparations have already been made for the prophetic rebuilding of a Jewish temple, which has not existed for 1,926 years. Such websites as templemount.org catalog the efforts of many towards this end.

The most coveted and contested property in all Israel is the temple mount. In 1967 at the victorious culmination of the 6 day war, Israel captured the temple mount. For the first time in over 2,300 years, Israel again had control of the holiest site in Judaism. Despite Israel's incredible victory of the 6 day war and their miraculous recovery of the land where the first and second temple once stood, the Israeli government turned over authority of the temple mount to the Moslems. Will they always control it? The prophet Daniel 9:27 is specific about the future of the temple mount in Jerusalem.

Our research suggests that Daniel's 70th Week starts on the eve of Passover. 
There are several clues:
     
  • Elijah will come back on Passover in fulfillment of Jewish expectations & prophecy.
  • Elijah will decry the antichrist for 1260 days - Revelation 11:3
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the
     coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD -Malachi 4:1-5 
    As a result of the tradition that Elijah did not die but is with God, significant expectations of Elijah's future return developed within Judaism and Christianity. It was believed that Elijah would someday come back to earth, and his arrival would signal the dawn of the Messianic era. For texts that seem to connect Elijah with the future messiah, see Malachi 4:4-6, Sirach 48:9, and in the New Testament Mark 9:2-13. The cup of Elijah of the Jewish passover seder is another example of this expectation.

This period of 1260 days reappears throughout end time prophecy.

Take note of these event-filled 3 1/2 Biblical years:

  • Antichrist's psuedo-peace reigns over the world for 1260 days - Daniel 12:7
  • Antichrist kills and persecutes Christians freely for 1260 days - Revelation 13:5
 Why is antichrist's power over Christians broken after 1260 days?


  • Antichrist goes in to the temple and breaks the treaty of Daniel after 1260 days!
And he shall confirm a covenant with the many for one week (7 years of 360 days each = 2520 days). And in the middle of the week (halfway through 2520 days = 1260 days) he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease; and on the corner of the altar, desolating abominations, even until the end. Daniel 9:27
Why is antichrist's power over Christians broken after 1260 days? After 1260 days antichrist goes in to the temple and breaks the treaty of Daniel 9:27. When antichrist desecrates the temple, those in Israel who thought he was Messiah will realize that he is a False Messiah ... antichrist will no longer be able to rule from Jerusalem.
 

 The Abomination of Desolation - Another Timeline Clue

The abomination of desolation takes place 1260 days AFTER the treaty of Daniel 9:27 is signed. 1260 days after Passover is Tabernacles, another typologically significant Feast of Israel. The Feast of Tabernacles alludes to another significant prophetic event, read our study here: http://www.mt.net/~watcher/taber.html

Because the treaty of Daniel 9:27 occurs on the eve of Passover "of some year", our studies conclude that a "False Armageddon" scenario will occur JUST BEFORE this treaty, perhaps around Purim. Interestingly enough, this Feast of Israel does occur just before Passover,  and the typology seems appropriate for the timing of the Gog/Magog scenario of Ezekiel -- which will SEEM like Armageddon. Haman has been viewed as a "type" of antichrist, and the prophecy of Ezekiel specifically calls the defeated forces of Gog/Magog "Haman - Gog".

Some groups among religious Jews believe that the messiah himself will miraculously come and build a new temple in Jerusalem. However, the Bible points out that men will build the temple, and messiah will come soon after. Adherents to the former view are vulnerable to the lies of a false messiah. When the Antichrist makes possible the miraculous restoration of sacrifice on the temple mount, many in Israel, and the world, will view this as evidence that he is the long awaited messiah. Without faith in Jesus, many will be blinded to the facts and timing of prophecy.
 

When considering the identity of the antichrist, keep in mind he must be acceptable to Israel
 

Antichrist Will SEEM Like the Messiah to Israel

antichrist will counterfeit the prophecy concerning messiah - Antichrist in Jerusalem with UFOs
The Coming of Antichrist Will be a Counterfeit Fulfillment of Prophecy

Another scenario might see the Gog Magog War occur just prior to antichrist's treaty, with Ezekiel 's Gog prophecy being fulfilled, and the Arab enemies of Israel no longer an obstacle. Please view the detailed analysis of Ezekiel 's Magog prophecy and Current Events:
 
 

Christians some times debate whether the whole seven year period of Daniel's 70th Week is the Tribulation, or only the final half , the time of God's Wrath, should be called the Tribulation. We at watcher understand the final half of Daniel's 70th Week as the time of God's Wrath, and refer to that time as the Great Tribulation.
Prophetic Significance of Tabernacles & the Rapture
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Prophetic Significance of Passover & Armageddon

Diagrams and "Simple Addition and Subtraction" -
Time Line of Tribulation Daniel's 70th Week

What is meant by church, is there a soul, where dwells Satan?

  • Common Misconceptions about Christianity - Heaven, Hell & the Church

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    The typical view of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture is Non-Biblical

  • Mistaken Notions about Pre-Tribulation Rapture

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  • A Problem with Marilyn Agee's TWO RAPTURES Theory

    • Satan wants us to think the "Gog Battle" is Armageddon