Editing Christian eschatology (section)

==The Great Tribulation==
{{Main|Great Tribulation}}

===The end comes at an unexpected time===
There are many passages in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, which speak of a time of terrible tribulation such as has never been known, a time of natural and human-made disasters on an awesome scale. Jesus said that at the time of his coming, "There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever will be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened." [Matt 24:21–22]

Furthermore, the [[Messiah]]'s return and the tribulation that accompanies it will come at a time when people are not expecting it:
{{blockquote|Of that day and hour no-one knows; no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.|{{bibleref2|Matthew|24:36–39}}}}

Paul echoes this theme, saying, "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them."<ref>{{bibleref2|1 Thessalonians|5:3}}</ref>

===The abomination of desolation===
{{Main|Abomination of desolation}}
The abomination of desolation (or desolating sacrilege) is a term found in the [[Hebrew Bible]], in the [[book of Daniel]]. The term is used by [[Jesus Christ]] in the [[Olivet Discourse]], according to both the [[Gospel of Matthew]] and the [[Gospel of Mark]]. In the Matthew account, Jesus is presented as quoting Daniel explicitly.

: Matthew 24:15–26 ([[English Standard Version|ESV]]) "So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

: Mark 13:14 (ESV) "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

This verse in the Olivet Discourse also occurs in the [[Gospel of Luke]].
: Luke 21:20–21 (ESV) "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains{{nbsp}}..."

Many biblical scholars<ref>{{cite book |last=McNeile |first=A. H. |url=http://www.katapi.org.uk/NTIntro/SynopGospel2.htm#IVIntEv |title=An Introduction to the Study of the New Testament |publisher=University Press |year=1927 |location=Oxford |pages=Chap. II part 2 The Synoptic Gospels – 2. Date |no-pp=true}}</ref> conclude that Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 are [[vaticinium ex eventu|prophecies after the event]] about the [[siege of Jerusalem (70)|siege of Jerusalem]] in AD 70 by the Roman general [[Titus]]<ref>Matt 23:37–38; Matt 24:1–2,15-21; Luke 13:34–35; Luke 21:20–21</ref> (see [[Gospel of Mark#Date|Dating of the Gospel of Mark]]).

[[Preterism|Preterist Christian]] commentators believe that Jesus quoted this prophecy in Mark 13:14 as referring to an event in his "1st century disciples'" immediate future, specifically the pagan Roman forces during the [[siege of Jerusalem (70)|siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD]].<ref>[[Craig Blomberg]], Jesus and the Gospels, Apollos 1997, pp. 322–326</ref><ref>[[N. T. Wright]], Jesus and the Victory of God, Fortress 1996, pp. 348ff.</ref>

[[Futurism (Christian eschatology)|Futurist Christians]] consider the "Abomination of Desolation" prophecy of Daniel mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24:15<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|24:15|NKJV}}</ref> and Mark 13:14<ref>{{bibleverse||Mark|13:14|NKJV}}</ref> as referring to an event in the end time future, after the removal of the "[[Katechon|one who now restrains]]", when a 7-year peace treaty will be signed between Israel and a world ruler called "[[Man of sin|the man of lawlessness]]", or the "[[Antichrist]]" affirmed by the writings of the Apostle Paul in [[2 Thessalonians]].

Other scholars conclude that the Abomination of Desolation refers to the Crucifixion,<ref>Peter G. Bolt, ''The Cross from a Distance: Atonement in Mark's Gospel'', [[New Studies in Biblical Theology]], Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2004. p. 18.</ref> an attempt by the emperor Hadrian to erect a statue to Jupiter in the Jewish temple,<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Synoptic Apocalypse (Mark 13 par): A document from the time of Bar Kokhba|journal=Journal of Higher Criticism|date=Fall 2000|first=Hermann|last=Detering|volume=7|issue=2|pages=161–210|url=http://www.radikalkritik.de/Mk13%20JHC.pdf|access-date=2008-01-14|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227161050/http://www.radikalkritik.de/Mk13%20JHC.pdf|archive-date=2008-02-27}}</ref> or an attempt by Caligula to have a statue depicting him as Zeus built in the temple.<ref>''The Crisis Under Gaius Caligula'', Harvard University Press, 1976, {{ISBN|0-674-39731-2}}. pp. 254–256:</ref>

===The Prophecy of Seventy Weeks===
{{Main|Prophecy of Seventy Weeks}}
Many interpreters calculate the length of the tribulation at seven years. The key to this understanding is the "seventy weeks prophecy" in the book of Daniel. The Prophecy of Seventy Septets (or literally 'seventy times seven') appears in the angel [[Gabriel]]'s reply to Daniel, beginning with verse 22 and ending with verse 27 in the ninth chapter of the [[Book of Daniel]],<ref>Scherman, Rb. (Ed.), 2001, p. 1803</ref> a work included in both the [[Jewish]] [[Tanakh]] and the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[Bible]]; as well as the [[Septuagint]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/40-daniel-nets.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704193606/http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/40-daniel-nets.pdf |archive-date=2008-07-04 |url-status=live |title=A New English Translation of the Septuagint. 40. Daniel |access-date=2018-08-15}}</ref> The prophecy is part of both the [[Jewish]] account of history and Christian eschatology.

The prophet has a vision of the angel Gabriel, who tells him, "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city (i.e., Israel and Jerusalem)." [Dan 9:24] After making a comparison with events in the history of Israel, many scholars have concluded that each day in the seventy weeks represents a year. The first sixty-nine weeks are interpreted as covering the period until Christ's first coming, but the last week is thought to represent the years of the tribulation which will come at the end of this age, directly preceding the millennial age of peace:

::The people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it will be with a flood, and till the end of the war, desolations are determined. Then he will confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week, he will bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations will be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate. [Dan 9:26–27]

This is an obscure prophecy, but in combination with other passages, it has been interpreted to mean that the "prince who is to come" will make a seven-year covenant with Israel that will allow the rebuilding of the temple and the reinstitution of sacrifices, but "in the middle of the week", he will break the agreement and set up an idol of himself in the temple and force people to worship it—the "abomination of desolation". Paul writes:

::Let no-one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. [2 Thess 2:3–4]