Folks, the short version is this: the phrase “seven years” is never mentioned in the New Testament. Not ever. Never once. But somehow, it’s a doctrine in the minds of most modern evangelicals. Ditto for lots of other proclaimed doctrines. Amongst these are:
A rebuilt temple in Jerusalem—never mentioned in the New Testament. Jesus said the existing temple would be torn down during the generation that heard his voice. “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2.
A pig sacrificed in the temple—never mentioned in the New Testament. Folks, if you take a look at the book of Hebrews, I would argue that every animal sacrifice done in the temple after the Resurrection of Jesus was an abomination—a denial of His once and for all sacrifice. In the years following the Resurrection, the temple itself became an idol for the Jews. Whatever the correct understanding of the abomination of desolation was in the prophecy, it occurred between the Resurrection and the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. there is no gap of 2,000 plus years between the 69th and seventieth week of Daniel. This is injected into the text by Scofield, not derived from Scripture.
The Rapture—never mentioned in the New Testament. Appealing to the days of Noah, Jesus says that one is taken and on left, but who was taken in the days of Noah? Sorry kids, the bad guys, not the righteous. The good guys remained on the earth, the wicked perished. This is true throughout the Bible, the wicked are taken in judgment and the righteous remain. The “meek inherit the world”, not heaven.
A worldwide tribulation—never mentioned in the New Testament. The great tribulation was a local judgement that could be escaped on foot. “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.” Matthew 24:16. There is zero biblical warrant for belief in a worldwide, seven-year, tribulation. Oh, I know it’s a doctrine, just not a biblical one.
The Antichrist—only mentioned in the New Testament by one author. (“Antichrist” is only mentioned four times in the Bible. All four are in the epistles of John, never once in Revelation.) Antichrist is clearly religious by definition—denying that Jesus is the Christ—and the Bible never once described him (or them) as a political figures.
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
1 John 2:18–19
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1 John 2:22
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
1 John 4:3
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
2 John 7
The modern idea of ‘Antichrist” is a composite of several different and unrelated people and symbols mentioned in the Bible. Once these verses are separated from their historical context, they can be shaped to say whatever someone can imagine. However, people alive in the first century were expected to know what and who these people and their symbols were. Anyone offering something other than a first century explanation is lying, mistaken, or misled.
Broken Sevens
There are lots of broken sevens (three and a half year periods) in Revelation—at least five—but never are they constructed in a way to give you an overall period of seven years. A broken seven is a different symbol.
“Forty-two months (which equals 1,260 days and three and a half years) is taken from Daniel 7:25, where it symbolizes a limited period during which the wicked are triumphant; it also speaks of a period of wrath and judgment due to apostacy, a reminder of the three and a half years of drought between Elijah’s first appearance and the defeat of Baal on Mount Carmel (I Kings 17-18; cf, James 5:17). Whereas seven is used to represent wholeness and completion, three and a half appears to be a broken seven: sadness, death, and destruction (cf. dan. 9:24; 12:7; Rev. 12:6, 14; 13:5).”
David Chilton Days of Vengeance p. 274.
Four Groups of Seven Judgments in the Bible
David Chilton also points out that Revelation is four groups of seven judgments. This is because the Holy Land is portrayed as God’s Footstool. There are lots of occurrences of the numbers “four” and “seven” in Revelation and other Scriptures. Think, four directions of the compass, the four winds, four rivers in Eden, etc. Thus, four sets of seven judgments are a complete judgment upon Jerusalem and the temple. Chilton’s comments can be found here.
Chilton’s Old Testament citation, in tape one of the above link, is Leviticus 26. In this passage, you will find four occurrences of seven judgments on Israel due to apostacy. See verses 18, 21, 24, and 28. Chilton asserts that John is using this pattern as the template found in Revelation. Most symbols in Revelation have strong roots in the Old Testament. John may have put them together in a different form than the OT, but the symbols have a long history with God’s Covenant people in the Scriptures.
The book of Revelation, at least in part, is the execution of Israel for spiritual adultery. Chilton, on another tape, cites the law of executing a priest’s daughter with fire for committing adultery.
9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.
Leviticus 21:9.
As Chilton states many times, you can’t understand Revelation if you don’t know the Old Testament. There are at least 600 allusions, references, and citations, of the Old Testament in Revelation.
World, Land, or Civilized World
Part of the confusion with understanding the New Testament, especially passages touching on prophecy, is purposely sloppy translating. Here is one such example.
Just because a word is translated “world” in English does not mean it is in Greek. It could really be world, civilized world—think boundaries of Roman Empire—known world, or it could be the land in and around Israel. Without looking at the original languages, you can’t tell which is the case.
Here’s two examples. Which Greek word is translated “world”?
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Matthew 24:14.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be
Matthew 24:21.
Verse 21 is cosmos which is understood as the whole planet
Verse 14 in not planet but oikoumenē meaning civilized world—or Roman Empire.
Here is another verse that is ignored by most who claim to take the Bible literally but really don’t.
23b for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Matthew 10:23b.
Jesus said he would return before his disciples finished going through the cities of Israel. Do you believe him or not? He came in judgment in 70 AD and that was his proof that he was sitting at the right hand of the Father.
Look at this passage during his trial.
63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
Matthew 26:63–66.
This is a direct reference to Daniel where one like the Son of Man is going UP to the Ancient of Days. Jesus said that the generation that heard his voice would not pass away until his words were fulfilled. Modern Christians just dismiss the words of Jesus because they don’t believe him any more than the high priest did.
Closing Thought
Sorry, the Old Covenant age is over. Like it or not, you live in the early part of the Kingdom age. As Gary X Paxton used to sing, “You gotta take a little turf for Jesus.” The Kingdom of God is Christian Civilization. If you think waiting for the Rapture is the hope of Christians, then your theology and eschatology are fatally broken. You are suffering from unbelief and paralysis.
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