In consideration of the arrival of 2024, and while I’m working on a piece about Millennialism’s role in Social Justice, I thought it would be timely to repost two older articles from my friend Cheryl Devine Tuumalo’s Facebook page: This one about the 7-year tribulation, and the other containing some insights on the year 2024.
By Cheryl Devine Tuumalo – 9/13/2020
If this peaks your interest, I’m going to ask you to take off your ‘Church Glasses’ for a moment. Just because a belief is mainstream, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s accurate. Many times just the opposite is quite true. Such as, ‘The broad (popular) road leads to destruction yet the narrow (unpopular) road is the way’.
Many great men of God have had to change their way of thinking as they grew in their knowledge of the scriptures over the years, it’s a lifetime of learning and growing. And we must not be afraid to question what we have been taught, or why we believe what we believe. And you know me, my motto is, ‘Question Everything’.
Most seem to believe in a 7 year Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib or a Post-Trib. Now, just what ‘IF’ there is NO ‘7 Year Tribulation time period’? The Word tells us to be Bereans and test all things, right. I must say that my heart has been heavy as of late, watching so many believers having their bags packed, sitting on the curb and awaiting their secret rapture, many making no spiritual and mental preparation to endure through hard times that are to come. I have even seen some, so filled with pride, that they claim if you don’t believe in this secret rapture belief, you will be left behind, as a form of punishment. That is truly disturbing and disheartening. Let me just remind you that no where in the Word does it mention 7 years of Tribulation, this theory is based on an assumption.
Some believe this topic is not important as others see it as very critical. YES, it doesn’t matter when our Savior returns, as long as our hearts are in check, since we could take our last breath today. However, if we are being misled on this topic, it’s a game changer as to how we view the future.
I’ve been asked many times as to my view on this ‘7 year Tribulation period’. I have a few things to share that I hope will provoke you to question your belief, that our Father in Heaven put a 99% (literally) filled prophecy on pause for over 2000 years. That He took one week (a 7 year period) FROM a 70 week (490 year period) of prophecy from Daniel, and threw it all the way into the future AND gave it over to the Antichrist. Hmm!!!
Before we take a look at how this one week ‘7 year’ period was fulfilled (in my opinion) and is not thrown into the future, where would this teaching that the word ‘He’ in Daniel 9:27 is speaking of the Antichrist to come, even come from???
Well, from none other then the Jesuits! It goes back to a Jesuit priest named Francisco Ribera 1537-1591. He taught that the 69th week was concluded at Jesus’ baptism and that the Father extended the 70th week way into the future. But why? This was done to take the pressure off of the Vatican during the Counter-Reformation. It wasn’t until 1826 that Dr. Maitland (a librarian to the Archbishop of Canterbury) discovered this futurist view taught by Jesuit Ribera. He wrote a pamphlet on this. At this time, no Protestants taught such things, they were all Historicists. Then John Darby (1800-1882) took on this view, and influenced many people like Scofield (1843-1921). So much damage has come from the Scofield study bible of 1909. (Years ago our Scofield study Bible went to the trash!) Now today, sadly this has been popularized over the years by people like Hal Lindsey, Christian book stores are flooded with movies and books on this futurist interpretation, the secret rapture and the 7 year tribulation. It looks as if the Roman Counter-Reformation Jesuit tactic has worked wonders. No one is looking to the Vatican any longer.
When we read the book of Daniel, we know that Daniel was seeking The Father and pleading for mercy and forgiveness for sins through fasting and prayer, not only for himself but for all the people of Israel. Then the Father sends Gabriel to deliver an important message to him. He tells him that there will be a period of 70 weeks until this prophecy would be fulfilled. “To ACCOMPLISH seventy years”, key word there. That would be when Jesus the Messiah comes the 1st time and fulfills the Everlasting Covenant and this Prophecy. Jesus came to atone for sins.
✳NOTE….Remember the story of forgiving 70X7 (Taken from Matthew 18:22). Why did Jesus answer Peter in this way when asked how many times must I forgive my brother when he sins again me. Because the promise was given to Daniel when he prayed for Israel. Forgiveness of 490 was a reference to the fulfillment of this Prophecy. We have a wondrous Word of God to look to for details.
And this is why, the Word states that the fulfillment of time has come, when Jesus was baptized. Now there is one week left to bring this 490 year prophecy to an end. As you read on think about if this sounds like something to be left hanging for over 2000 years or was this fulfilled by our Savior.
✳Also note…”Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city” Daniel 9:24…. The Biblical meaning of ‘Determined’ is (Ended; concluded; decided; limited; fixed; settled; resolved; directed.) Taken from the KJV Dictionary.
We need to remember that ALL of the 490 years (70X7) is a Messianic prophecy. It’s about Jesus and the gospel….
70 weeks are determined upon thy people (the Jews)…
(7 weeks; 49 years) (62 weeks; 434 years) (1week; 7 years) =490 years. Let’s break this down….
🔹️7 weeks (49 years)
The 70 weeks of Daniel starts in the year 457 BC, The Decree went out from King Artaxerxes I (Daniel 9:25/ Ezra 7:1-27) This is the Decree to rebuild Jerusalem.
🔹️62 weeks (434 years)
Jerusalem was rebuilt, and then 434 years until the Messiah would be anointed in the year 27AD.
🔹️1 week (7 years)
This one week starts with the Messiah being anointed (baptized Mark 1:15) in the year 27 A.D. and bringing His ministry to the Jews. Jesus said that He came yet FIRST to the lost sheep of Israel Matthew 15:24, Romans 1:16. We know that Jesus’ ministry lasted 3 1/2 years. So when it states that in the mist of the week, (3 1/2 years later) He is cut off (Crucified) and the temple veil is tore in half and the animal sacrifice is CEASED in Dan 9:27, this makes perfect sense. Jesus’ timing is always flawless because He is fulfilling prophecy… “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified” John 12:23
Now the question remains, but we need a whole 7 years right, so where is the other 3 1/2 years of this last week (27A.D. to 34 A.D.). The disciples were FIRST preaching to the Jews just as Jesus did. Jesus said….”He that receiveth you receiveth me” Matthew 10:40. They were not allowed to go to the Gentiles YET, only to the Jews Matthew 10:5-6. At the end of the 3 1/2 years of preaching and witnessing to the Jews, Paul had his vision and conversion, Stephen was stoned to death by the Jews for preaching (blasphemy that Jesus was the Son of God). As well as Peter had his vision. NOW they were allowed to go to the gentiles and to the whole world and preach the gospel because it was time…”And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles” Acts 22:21. Remember in Acts 11:15-18 the Holy Spirit came down a second time, now for the Gentiles, because the one week (7 years) had been fulfilled for the Jews.
So now both Jews and Gentiles can receive the promise of the fathers through Jesus. “If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29.
The one week, 7 year period was about Jesus being anointed through baptism, His ministry, His death and preaching the gospel to the Jews.
He ‘Jesus’ confirmed ‘The Covenant’ (The Everlasting Covenant) with the Jews. Once time was up, then the gospel went to whole world. He fulfilled it all….
1. To finish the transgression…
“He was wounded for our transgressions.” Isaiah 53:5
2. To make an end of sins…
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29, 1 John 3:5, 1 Cor 15:3, “For he shall save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21, “He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:26 Jesus made an end of sins through His own sacrifice, if not what is the gospel then.
3. To make reconciliation for iniquity…
This is the gospel, Jesus came not only to atone but to reconcile. 2 Cor 5:19, Rom 5:10, Col 1:20, Eph 2:14-16, Isaiah 53:5.
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness…
“The Lord our Righteousness” Jeremiah 33:16, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” 1 Cor 1:30. Romans 3:21-22, 2 Cor 5:21
5. To seal up the vision and prophecy….
“And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed” Isaiah 29:10-11. Jesus while weeping for the city of Jerusalem said… ” If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.” Luke 19:42,
6. To anoint the Most Holy….
‘Messiah’ means the Anointed One. “Anointed” Luke 4:18, “The Holy One of God” Mark 1:23, “But ye denied the Holy One” Acts 3:14, “How God anointed Jesus” Acts 10:38.
❗We must remember that satan has used the Jesuits to infiltrate the Protestant Christian Churches for years. I believe this quote here can easily apply to the Vatican…
“He who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past.” -George Orwell
I’ll leave you with one last point. Some pastors love to harp on just one word in a verse to get you to accept their view. Right here is an example of one word being altered that can change the meaning of something…
The KJV states that “He shall confirm ‘THE’ Covenant”, yet the NIV says “He will confirm ‘A’ covenant.” Some other versions also use the term ‘Make’ instead of ‘Confirm’ as well.
So many have come to believe that the antichrist will ‘make’ – ‘a’ covenant, yet this prophecy is about the Messiah. And there is already a covenant in place, recorded in scripture, the Everlasting Covenant in Hebrews 13:20 “Through the blood of the everlasting covenant”, also Hebrews 9:14-15 and Matthew 26:28. Even Rom 15:8 tells us that Jesus came to ‘CONFIRM the Promises made unto the fathers’. And let us not forget, there is no verse in the Bible that states the Tribulation is seven years long.
Just something to think about. I don’t claim to have all the answers, as no man ever will. But I share this to stir up a desire in you to study for your own self and ask questions.
Lastly for what it’s worth, I’m not a Preterist or a Seven-Day Adventist or any other label you can find. I just want biblical truth. Keep searching the scriptures daily my friends and pray to the Father for discernment. May this be a blessing to you. I do understand that this may upset some of you, and that is never my intent. I always try to share in love, and I just want to give you something to ponder on. Much love!💗
