Trouble Ahead

All the prophets describe a time of trouble in the end times. This is called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” in Jeremiah 30:7, and the “tribulation” in the gospels (Matthew 24; Mark 13).

The second half of the book of Daniel contains a series of prophecies concerning the end times. Here is an abbreviated and simplified survey of Daniel’s tribulation prophecies.

Chapter Seven – First Year of Belshazzar

1. Monstrous kingdom like a beast with teeth of iron (7, 23).
2. An evil king, the “small horn,” speaks boastful
   things against God (8, 20, 25).
3. He makes war against the “saints” of God (21,
   25).
4. He takes over government and calendar for 3 + 1/2 years (25).
5. The Ancient of Days (God Himself) appears on His throne of fire (9-10).
6. He judges the world (10, 22, 26).
7. The horn and beast will be completely destroyed by fire (11).
8. The other kingdoms will be allowed to continue for a certain period (12).
9. The Son of Man (Yeshua) is given authority over the nations and comes on
   clouds of glory (13-14).
10. That kingdom authority is transferred to the saints (18, 22, 27).

Chapter Eight – Third Year of Belshazzar

1. Two kingdoms fight against one another (1-8, 20-22).
1. Two horned ram [Persia-Iran]
2. Single horned goat [Greece-Europe]
2. A small horn evil king overcomes and then turns toward the Gazelle [Israel]
   (9).
3. He fights against God and makes war on the saints (10-11, 24).
4. He will have a stern face and know mysteries (23), demonstrate supernatural power (24); act with corruption, deceit, intelligence and peacefulness (24).
5. He will take over the Temple for 3 + 1/2 years (14).

Chapter Nine – First Year of Darius

1. Temple overcome and daily sacrifice stopped for 3 + 1/2 years (27).
2. Abomination set up in the Temple (27).

Chapter Ten – Third Year of Cyrus

1. Yeshua (apparently) appears in glory (5-6).
2. He and Michael fight against the princes of Persia and Greece (13, 20-21).

Chapter Eleven

1. King of North attacks land of the Gazelle [Israel] (16, 41), and sets up camp between the seas and Jerusalem (45).
2. Evil king rules with “accusations, flattery, slipperiness and peacefulness” (21,
   32).
3. Temple overcome, daily sacrifice stopped, abomination set up (31).
4. The saints during this period will
1. be crushed and persecuted unto death (33),
2. do mighty deeds (32),
3. receive great revelation (33),
4. bring many others to faith (33),
5. and be purified greatly (35).
5. Evil king of North will be greatly lifted up, defy God, succeed, conquer many in anger (36, 40, 44), but at the end will be destroyed (45).

Chapter Twelve

1. This is the Time of Trouble.
2. Michael fights for Israel (1).
3. Many will yet be saved (1).
4. The dead will be raised (2).
5. The saints will shine with glory (3).
6. The secrets of Scriptures will only be revealed in the end times, when transportation and information increases (4).
7. The saints will
1. be persecuted and crushed (7),
2. be purified greatly (10),
3. prove that the wicked deserve to be punished (10),
4. and bring many to faith (10).
8. The Temple will be defiled, the daily sacrifice stopped, and the abomination set up (11).
9. The time of trouble will last 3 + 1/2 years (7, 11, 12).

It is surprising and enlightening how the basic elements of the end times’ trouble are repeated and emphasized in Daniel’s prophecies.  Little by little the picture becomes clearer and clearer to us as we study the Scriptures.

The divine-messianic-angelic figure appears in each of the prophecies (7:13; 8:16; 9:26; 10:5-6, 13, 20-21; 11:1; 12:7). The evil king is mentioned 16 times; the persecution of the saints 7 times; the victory of the saints 8 times; the defiling of the Temple 4 times; the three-and-a-half year period 6 times.

May God give us grace not only to understand but to prepare ourselves to stand in faith, righteousness and victory in the end times!