THE TRIBULATION IS FOR ISRAEL, NOT THE CHURCH

In order to understand the seven-year Tribulation, a.k.a. "The Time of Jacob's Trouble" (Jer. 30:7), and "Daniel's Seventieth Week" (Dan. 9:24-27), one needs to study and compare what the Books of Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation have to say on the subject.  We get the length and purpose of the Tribulation from the Book of Daniel.  We get the sequence of events from the Book of Matthew.  And, we get the details of the events from the Book of Revelation.

The Length and Purpose
Daniel 9:24 says, "Seventy weeks (periods of 7) are determined upon thy people (Israel) and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem) 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."  [We know from verses 9:25-26 and from Rev. 11:2-3; 13:5; 12:6, that these "weeks" are actually seven years of 360 days each.  The command to rebuild was issued in 444 B.C., and the Messiah (Jesus) was "cut off" (killed) 483 years later.  It took seven "weeks" (49 yrs.) to rebuild, and another sixty-two "weeks" (434 yrs.) before Israel's Messiah would be rejected and crucified].

The Sequence of the Events
In the Olivet Discourse (Mt. 24 - 25), Jesus explained the order of events that will occur during the remaining seven "weeks" (7 yrs.).  In Matthew 24:4-14, He describes the first three and a half years with Israel living peacefully in their land (Note they hear of wars and rumors of wars, but they do not experience them).  Then, in the midst of the seven-year peace covenant between the Antichrist and Israel (Dan. 9:27), the Antichrist will enter the Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be god (the Abomination of Desolation - Dan. 11:31; 12:11; Mt. 24:15; Rev. 13:1-10).  For the rest of Daniel's Seventieth Week (three and a half years = 42 mo. - Rev. 11:2; 13:5; = 1260 days - Rev. 11:3; 12:6; = a time, times, and a half time - Dan. 7:25; 12:7, 14), Israel will be on-the-run, hunted by the Antichrist's army (Mt. 24:16-28; Rev. 12 - 18).

The Details of the Events
Due to limited space, I cannot describe in a paragraph what John took thirteen chapters to write (Rev. 6 - 18).  The break between the first half of the Tribulation and the second half, known as the Great Tribulation, will occur when Satan turns on Israel (Ch. 12), and the Antichrist commits the Abomination of Desolation (Ch. 13).  The seven "seal judgments" and the seven "trumpet judgments" (Ch. 6 - 11) will occur prior to the "midst" of Daniel's Seventieth Week (Ch. 12 - 13), and the "bowl judgments" will occur after the Antichrist declares himself to be god.  The Rapture of the Church will occur prior to the seven-year covenant, and the Second Coming of Christ will occur seven years later.

It is crucial that all three Books be considered when interpreting the Tribulation.