Why the Great Trib May Be of Short Duration

[WilliamL]

40 days has been the standard biblical period of trial/tribulation and testing.

The pounding downpour and great upwelling of water in Noah's time lasted 40 days, and the Book of Jasher records that even in the ark they were in great distress, until it all ended.

At the beginning of the Exodus, 40 days marked the period of trial and testing of Israel, ending with the Amalekite attack upon them, after which they had rest.

Another 40 day-test of Israel came in the searching out the Holy Land by the 12 spies, and the peoples' response to their report.

Jesus, the Divine Human, underwent 40 days of trial at the beginning of his ministry.

Then later, after his resurrection, there came a concluding 40 days' testing of the faith of the disciples up to the time of his ascension.

In our time, a collapse of government, banking, the food distribution system and the electrical grid, coupled with chaos, war, and plague (the events of Seals 1-5), would cause near immediate tribulation for most people. Even those prepared might find it difficult to survive 40 days without either Divine or human (Church) assistance. Which may be why the Lord said, "unless those days were [i.e., will be] shortened, no flesh would be saved." Plus, Paul clearly stated in Hebrews 12:18-28 and elsewhere that the Church's coming to heavenly Mount Zion will mimic Israel's coming to earthly Mount Sinai. I suspect this will apply to the time period also.

So those are my reasons for a short Trib: not conclusive, but at least highly plausible if not likely.

[Montana Marv]

 

Just general questions;

Shortened from what period of time.  What is shortened.  What causes the need for a shortened something. (relationship)  The 70th Week cannot be shortened.  A 1260 day period cannot be shortened.  Opens the door for many possibilities.  I would like to see what responses will be given.

William; This has all the makings for a very good thread.

In Christ

Montana Marv

[Zemke]

Well the question that comes to mind is how does 40 days get established in the trib? All the 40 days of testing you listed are testings for Gods people at specific times for specific purposes and it's for our learning we seek what those purposes were but if the church does not experience the wrath of God then what is a 40 day trib for?

There is a number for judgement I think I've heard teachers use and maybe that amount of days can work in somewhere, I don't know, just my two cents worth.

[Last Daze]

Authority over the saints is given to the little horn for 1260 days.

The great tribulation lasts for only a fraction of the 1260 days.

If the intensity of the great tribulation persisted for the full 1260 days, no flesh would be saved.  The number of days of intense tribulation is what's cut short.  There will still be 1260 days but not all of it is "the great tribulation."

[Watching for Jesus]

Daniel 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

If you interpret Daniel 12:11-12 like this:

Daily sacrifice taken away ------------------ 1,290 days until ------------------ abomination of desolation ------- 44 days until -------- the 1,335th day

The 44 days between the abomination of desolation and the 1,335th day will be the "great tribulation" period.

I believe the 1,335th day will be "the day of the Lord".

I believe the Second Coming of Christ will be on the day of the Lord.

[WilliamL]

3 hours ago, Montana Marv said:

 

Just general questions;

1) Shortened from what period of time?  2) What is shortened?  3) What causes the need for a shortened something? (relationship)  4) The 70th Week cannot be shortened.  A 1260 day period cannot be shortened.  Opens the door for many possibilities.  I would like to see what responses will be given.

1) I would say from the standard 40-day period of trial/testing/tribulation.

2) The period of the Great Tribulation: the context is clear about that:

Matthew 24:21 “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 “And unless those days [of great tribulation] were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

3) "No flesh would be saved" without the period being shortened: the context is clear about that also.

4) The Trib has nothing to do with the 70th week, which has already been completed. Neither is it contingent upon the 1260 days, which has to do with earthly Israel and the foolish virgins of the Church, not the raptured Church.

[WilliamL]

3 hours ago, Zemke said:

Well the question that comes to mind is how does 40 days get established in the trib? All the 40 days of testing you listed are testings for Gods people at specific times for specific purposes and it's for our learning we seek what those purposes were but if the church does not experience the wrath of God then what is a 40 day trib for?

None of those previous 40-days periods of trial/testing/tribulation had anything to do with the wrath of God upon the ones going though those periods.

Rather, 40 days is the standard period for God testing the faith of his people, not bringing his wrath upon them. Periods of wrath of God upon his people always have lasted much longer.

[WilliamL]

3 hours ago, Last Daze said:

Authority over the saints is given to the little horn for 1260 days.

The great tribulation lasts for only a fraction of the 1260 days.

If the intensity of the great tribulation persisted for the full 1260 days, no flesh would be saved.  The number of days of intense tribulation is what's cut short.  There will still be 1260 days but not all of it is "the great tribulation."

The way I understand it at present, the first 40 days [minus however much shortened] of the 1260 will be the time of testing of the Church = the Great Tribulation. Then the Church will be removed, and only Israel and those of the Church who were not "ready" (Matt. 25:10f.) will remain on earth during the remainder of the 1260 days.

[Guest]

Sorry, but the 70th week is yet to be fulfilled. And the book of Jasher is extra-Biblical and is not part of the Word. The Tribulation period is set at 7 years (week of sevens), with the last 3.5 years being the Great Tribulation. That is scriptural, that is settled.

[Montana Marv]

My take is a different approach.

I tie the shortening to the scorching by intense heat. If continued no flesh would survive. God reduced or cut short the amount of daylight. This is so the heat index will be reduced. More cooling allowed at night. So the length of daylight is reduced.

In Christ

Montana Marv