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Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Dec. 16, 1998
Update	: Jun. 14, 2025
Parts	: 03

Synopsis:




Continuing our discussion from part two, as we learned in part one of this series, Jesus warned His followers that when they saw the Abomination of Desolation standing in the holy place -- that is to say, on the temple mount -- it was time for them to immediately flee to the hills surrounding Jerusalem, because it was an obvious sign that the Great Tribulation would soon begin. Furthermore, if they chose to remain in the city, they simply would not survive.

Being as I discuss this topic in considerable detail in a separate series, I don't want to expound upon it too much in this current series. However, let me state that contrary to what is erroneously believed by the modern-day Futurists, I am convinced that not only is the Great Tribulation NOT a future event, but I believe that it in fact corresponds to half of the seven-year First Jewish-Roman War, during which 600,000 to one million Jews died. Following are the verses where both Jesus and a few of the Apostles spoke and wrote about the tribulation which encompassed Believers of that era:

"For then shall be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elects sake those days shall be shortened . . . Immediately after the TRIBULATION of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."


"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."


"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have TRIBULATION: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."


"Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through MUCH TRIBULATION enter into the kingdom of God."


"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, INDIGNATION AND WRATH, TRIBULATION AND ANGUISH, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;"


"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall TRIBULATION, OR DISTRESS, OR PERSECUTION, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."


"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; PATIENT IN TRIBULATION; continuing instant in prayer;"


"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us IN ALL OUR TRIBULATION, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;"


"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, BUT WE GLORY IN TRIBULATIONS also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."


"I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you. Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful IN ALL OUR TRIBULATION."


"For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that WE SHOULD SUFFER TRIBULATION; EVEN AS IT CAME TO PASS, and ye know. For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain."


"We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith IN ALL YOUR PERSECUTIONS AND TRIBULATIONS THAT YE ENDURE: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, FOR WHICH YE ALSO SUFFER: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to THEM THAT TROUBLE YOU; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day."


"I John, who also am your brother, and COMPANION IN TRIBULATION, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."


"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and TRIBULATION, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and YE SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION TEN DAYS: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."


"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her INTO GREAT TRIBULATION, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."


"And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of GREAT TRIBULATION, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them."


Please carefully notice that Jesus very specifically referred to the soon-coming Roman siege and persecution as a period of "great tribulation". Likewise, we see that the Apostles are continually mentioning not only personal trials, but likewise tribulation which engulfs the First Century Church as a whole. It should be clear to you then that the Great Tribulation in actuality occurred during the First Century. It is certainly NOT a future event, despite what misguided Futurist-leaning Christians like to claim today. As such, please get that false doctrine out of your head. You need to be mindful of the fact that Bible prophecy centers around First Century Israel and the Jews. It is NOT about the modern, global Christian Church. Consider the following set of verses which discuss the very same events we have been talking about, and notice who they are talking about and to whom they are directed:

"Seventy weeks are determined upon THY PEOPLE and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy."


"Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall THY PEOPLE in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days."


"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of THY PEOPLE: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time THY PEOPLE shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."


As I mentioned a moment ago, and also in part two, the Great Tribulation lasted for a period of three and a half years, and not the full seven years that the First Jewish-Roman War endured. As I likewise mentioned earlier, from the time that this great war first began in 66 AD, until the time that it reached its peak three and a half years later in 70 AD when Titus and the Roman legions laid siege to Jerusalem, and destroyed the temple compound "in the midst of the week" -- as per Daniel's prophecy -- 600,000 to 1,100,000 Jews died, due to direct fighting, Roman crucifixion, famine, disease, or infighting amongst the various seditious factions which controlled Jerusalem.

It was a very horrible time as my "Vespasian, Titus and the Fall of Jerusalem" series explains. It was a period of Great Tribulation. This period is mentioned in the Books of Daniel and Revelation in the following ways. They all equate to the same length of time -- three and a half years -- because a Jewish month is equal to thirty days. The word "time" means a year:

1. "forty-two months"
2. "1,260 days"
3. "time and times and the dividing of time" (3 1/2)
4. "time, times, and an half" (3 1/2)

Following are the specific verses where these time spans are mentioned in both Daniel and Revelation. I have added a few words in brackets in order to clarify what is being said. I personally refer to this period as "the time of the Beast":

"And he [the Beast] shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until A TIME AND TIMES AND THE DIVIDING OF TIME."


"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for A TIME, TIMES, AND AN HALF; and when he [the Beast] shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."


"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot FORTY AND TWO MONTHS. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."


"And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND THREESCORE DAYS."


"And there was given unto him [the Beast] a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue FORTY AND TWO MONTHS. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."


At the end of the seven-year period, the Prophet Daniel informs us that there is another thirty-day period, which is then followed by another forty-five day period. At this point in time, I am not exactly sure what happened during these two brief periods. However, we're told that the person who survives the war to day 1,335 after the Abomination of Desolation has been set up, is truly blessed. Why is this? Please read "Jesus Christ's Return: Have We Been Deceived?" to find out:

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


So as you can see, the Bible is very consistent regarding the length of the Great Tribulation, and the persecution against the First Century Christians. While the Lord is explaining all of these things to His followers, He wants them to know that despite how dark and evil the situation will become, He does not want them to lose hope. Thus, He encourages them with the following words in the Gospel of Luke. These words in fact tie in directly to what we just read in Daniel 12 above regarding those who are blessed:

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh . . . So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled . . . Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."


When Jesus says "that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass", it should be very obvious to you that He is referring to the events which we have been discussing throughout this series. That is to say, the siege and invasion of Jerusalem by General Titus and his Roman legions and allies, and the terrible slaughter which followed thereafter. As we learned earlier in this series, the wrath of Rome would fall so quickly upon the people of Jerusalem, that Jesus warned His followers to flee to the hills the minute that they see the Abomination of Desolation standing on the Temple Mount. He told them to flee with just the clothes on their backs, and to pray that they would not have to do it during the winter, or on the sabbath day. Let me share those verses with you again from part one:

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elects sake those days shall be shortened."


Why does the Lord say "neither on the sabbath day"? Well, because First Century Jews were bound by the Mosaic Law to not travel outside of their city limits on the Sabbath day. This mandate was based on the following two verses which are found in the Old Testament. In fact, as I point out in other articles, when Jesus returned to Heaven in the first chapter of the Book of Acts, He ascended from the Mount of Olives, which was located a Sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem:

"See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day."


"And ye shall measure from without the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities."


"Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath days journey."


Based on the previous verses, a sabbath day's journey was equal to a maximum of 2,000 cubits, which equates to about .57 miles or .91 kilometers. These verses, and the Lord's warning to His followers, is yet another clear indication that the 144,000 were Jews of the First Century. They have nothing to do with modern Jews, and much less with modern Christians, contrary to a false belief which is propagated today. While modern Orthodox Jews still observe this law on the Sabbath, generally speaking, most Jews do not, and will walk freely on the Sabbath. Concerning Christians, I invite you to read my article entitled "Are Christians Obligated to Keep the Sabbath?".

In conclusion, this then is my understanding regarding the identity of the woman in the wilderness and the 144,000. In my opinion, it is scripturally-sound, and it makes a lot of sense as well. What do you think? Please pray about it, and ask the Lord to reveal the truth to you, if you are not already convinced by what I have shared with you in this series.

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you've found it informative and enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the BBB Bible web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

Abomination of Desolation: Explained!
Are Christians Obligated to Keep the Sabbath?
As a Thief in the Night
Facebook False Prophets and Misguided Teachers
Fight Against Futurism!
He That Shall Endure Unto the End
Humility in Our Understanding of God's Word
In the Ages to Come
It Is Time to Wake Up!
Jesus Christ's Return: Have We Been Deceived?
Modern Deception: Shall a Nation Be Born at Once?
Modern Deceptions: Return to Israel, the Fig Tree and This Generation
Please Stop Misinterpreting the Scriptures
Prophetic Comparisons: Moshiach, Mahdi and Messiah
Seventy Weeks Prophecy: What It Means
So, You Have Got It All Figured Out, Do You?
Sorry, Jesus Is Not Coming at Any Moment
The 70th Week of Daniel Error: Are You Guilty?
The Day I Am Waiting For
The Day of the Lord: What It Really Means
The Great Tribulation and the Rapture
The Last Seven Years Chart
The Misguided End of the World Predictions of Harold Camping
The Office of Prophets and Teachers
The Triumphant Touchdown of Jesus Christ
The Two Sackcloth Witnesses of Revelation 11
Tradition or Truth? Old Wine or New Wine?
Understanding the Bible in Context
Vespasian, Titus and the Fall of Jerusalem
When Was Satan Cast Out of Heaven?
Who Hindered the Antichrist?
Who is Babylon the Great?
Who is Moshiach ben David?
Who is Who?: Defining Important Prophecy Terms

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