Understanding the Individual Chronologies of Daniel, Matthew 24:3-31, and Revelation 6:1-20:3 -Sam A. Smith

Understanding the Individual Chronologies of Daniel,
Matthew 24:3-31, and Revelation 6:1-20:3

[For more complete information on the chronology of the tribulation, readers are urged to see chapter 7 of What the Bible Says About the Future, by Sam A. Smith. This article deals only with the individual chronologies of Daniel, Matthew 24:3-31, and Revelation 6:1-20:3, but not how those chronologies fit together.]

Before we can determine how the chronological details of the various tribulation prophecies fit together, we must first understand them separately. The three major tribulation prophecies that convey significant chronological information are: Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:3-31; and Revelation 6:1-20:3

The chronology of Daniel

While many details about the tribulation are revealed throughout the Book of Daniel, the basic chronology of the period is presented in the prophecy of the seventy “weeks” (or “sevens”) cf., Dan. 9:24-27. Daniel identifies three key events that are linked to the timeline of the period. These three events are: 1) the signing of a treaty between Israel and the Prince to come, which begins the period; 2) the abomination which marks the midpoint; and 3) the close of the period marked by the destruction of Satan’s prince.

From the prophecy of the seventy “weeks,” we learn that the duration of the tribulation is seven years and that the period naturally breaks into two approximately equal parts (9:24). Daniel indicates that there will be 1290 days from the abomination to the end of the period (12:11). He also mentions in 7:25 that the saints will be given into the hands of the Antichrist for three and one-half “times,” which appears to correlate with the length of the second half of the period (three and one-half years). [See the previous discussion for an explanation of Daniel’s seventy “weeks” prophecy.]

The chronology of Matthew 24:4-31

In His Olivet Discourse (Matt 24-25; Mk. 13; Lk. 21:5-36) Jesus gives an overview of the tribulation, including the judgment of the nations, which falls between the close of the tribulation, and the beginning of the millennium (Matt. 24:31-25:46). The chronological structure of 24:4-31 is of considerable importance in understanding tribulation chronology. Several schemes have been proposed for the chronology of this passage. The following are three examples. 1) One proposal suggests that verses 4-14 refer to events in the church age, leading up to the tribulation period, which according to this scheme, are described in verses 15‑31. The problem with this view is that it places events clearly associated with the second half of the period into the first half, and events associated with the first half of the tribulation into the period prior to the tribulation. 2) Another proposal is that only verses 4‑8 refer to the church age. The difficulty with this view is that it jumps from the church age (vv.4-8) directly to the second half of the period (vv. 9-31), with no mention of the events of the first half of the period. (The time of severe persecution described in verse 9 clearly falls into the second half of the period, cf. Dan. 7:25.) 3) Yet another proposal is that verses 4-14 describe the first half of the tribulation, whereas verses 15‑31 describe the second half. This view faces the same difficulty as number one above, in that it places events clearly associated with the second half of the period (vv.9-14) into the first half of the period (e.g., the martyrdom of the saints, cf. Dan. 7:25)

A better option is the chronology illustrated in Figure 1. According to this chronology, verses 4‑8 refer to the first half of the tribulation and verses 9-14 refer to the second half, with verses 15‑31 being a recursion back to the middle of the period in order to amplify certain details of the second half. (The second half of the period is, after all, when most of the significant events occur.) That this is the correct view is confirmed by the following: 1) it does not require events in one period to be shifted into another period; 2) it recognizes the natural breaking points between verses 8 and 9, as well as verses 14 and 15; 3) it recognizes that recursions are natural in this type of literature, perhaps owing to the inherent problems of explaining future events in a linear medium (cf. Figure 2 for examples of recursions in the Book of Revelation).

Chronological Structure of Matthew 24:4-31

[Figure 1: Matthew 24:9 begins the second half of the seven-year period (we know this because Daniel 7:25 establishes that the time of severe persecution and martyrdom begins in the middle of the period and extends to the end). Therefore, verses 4-8 refer to the first half of the period. (Note the transition between verses 8 and 9.) Verse 15 picks up at the abomination (which begins at the midpoint, cf. Daniel 9:27) and from verses 15 to 31 the details of the second half of the period are expanded upon.]

The chronology of Revelation (6:1-20:3)

The Book of Revelation (from 6:1 through 20:3) is essentially in sequential order (see Figure 2). However, there are four features to the chronology of Revelation that must be given special attention. 1) Revelation 6:1-20:3 contains three parenthetical sections (7:1‑7:17; 10:1-10:11 and 14:1-15:8). These parenthetical sections do not advance the timeline. 2)This portion of Revelation also contains two “recursive” sections (11:1‑11:13 and 12:1‑13:18); in both cases these recursions return to the middle of the period and continue to the end of the period. 3) Time compression and expansion can present problems in that a relatively short section of the book may cover a much longer period of time than a more expansive section. (The first half of the tribulation period occupies only eight verses.) 4) Some events may overlap, since it is not necessary for one event to completely run its course before another begins.

One major difficulty with the chronology of Revelation is that it only mentions one of the three chronological markers given in Daniel, which is the “end” of the period. (The abomination described in Daniel 9:27 is alluded to in 13:1-10, but that statement is in one of the two recursive sections of the Book—disconnected from the main timeline.) This makes aligning the events of Revelation with the events of Daniel somewhat more difficult. However, Matthew 24 is very helpful in aligning Revelation with Daniel.

Chronological Structure of Revelation 6:1-20:3

[Figure 2: The four solid lines in this figure represent four forward movements in the Book. These four movements form the base timeline of the seven-year period (as far a the Book of Revelation is concerned). In addition to the base timeline there are three parenthetical sections that do not advance the timeline, as well as two recursive sections that return to a previous point and continue forward. While this structure may seem cumbersome, it simply illustrates the difficulty of explaining multiple historical threads in a linear medium.]

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