How Long, How Bad?
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Most modern prophecy scholars believe that the great tribulation will be at least 3 1/2 years long. Many say that it will be 7 years long. How long is "Time, Times and the Dividing of Time" or 1260 prophetic days?" Are we looking at three and one half years or 1260 years? Simply asking this question will cause some to shutter in fear while others will chuckle in scorn! Yet, the day for a year principal is occasionally accepted by all. Consider Daniel's "70 weeks" prophecy and the fact that each prophetic day counts for one literal year. On our site we are exploring the old Protestant interpretation of prophecy and how the old reformers understood the 1260 prophetic days of Scripture. We hope our narration will prove informative. Naturally, we have included necessary background leading up to the discussion of 1260 days. Consider how the old reformers viewed the great tribulation as a very long event that encompassed many generations. They believed that the reign of the Beast would last 1260 years. (See our commentary on Revelation 12 and 13.) They also understood that God's great wrath would fall upon the wicked at the return of Christ.Today, most define the future reign of Antichrist as the Great Tribulation while refusing to assign any prophetic importance to the past and present sufferings of humanity. The goodness of modern life affirms that the Great Tribulation is totally in the future. However, today's prosperous American church has forgotten the great suffering of most all believers throughout history and in other parts of the earth today. Simply put, we Westerners now live in a golden moment and in the right place. Our good life is not representative of what most true born again Christians have experienced since the time of Christ. Most suffered unthinkable persecution while living on an earth that was rocked by plagues, war, and affliction. The reformers knew this well and recognized that they were living the very fulfillment of Bible Prophecy. The reformers also looked forward to the coming of Christ and to the day when Jesus would make the kingdoms of this world the kingdoms of our God. Notice: If we diligently study history we will see that the dark ages embodied more evil than is projected to be fulfilled by a yet to come physical Man of Sin. Perhaps John was right when he identified antichrist as a spirit that enters many and appears in every generation!
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