There are three things that kick off the tribulation or Daniel’s 70th week. They will happen nearly simultaneously. They are; the confirmation of the covenant, the release of the four horsemen, and the appearance of the two witnesses. Personally, I’m looking for these events to commence within the next few years. Let’s take a very brief look at each one of them.
Confirmation of the Covenant
“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week.” (Daniel 9:27). Simply put, this means the antichrist will confirm (strengthen an existent) covenant for one week (seven years). I believe this is referring to the Mosaic covenant which will allow orthodox Judaism to reestablish the priesthood along with daily animal sacrifices atop the temple mount. Of course, the antichrist will end that after 3 1/2 years.
Release of the four Horsemen
(Revelation 6:1-8). The apostle John was given a vision of four horsemen as the first four of seven seals on a scroll are opened by Jesus authorizing God’s judgement on the earth. When the scroll is fully opened, the very first action is the dispatchment of these horsemen to the four corners of the earth. They will unleash world-wide war and conflict, scarcity and famine, and death by the sword, hunger, and beasts of the earth. This of an intensity not seen since Noah’s flood. It’s during this period the antichrist consolidates his power and rule.
Emergence of the two witnesses
(Revelation 11:1-13). These two powerful prophets will be witnesses for Christ to both existing Christianity and orthodox Judaism. They will appear to the world at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week evangelizing, prophesying, and assisting in building the House of the Lord on Jerusalem’s temple mount. They will directly confront the antichrist and his methods, truly becoming thorns in his side. They will have unstoppable power from God to confront evil head-on. When their ministry is completed, they will be killed but amazingly raised from the dead 3 1/2 days later near the midpoint of the 70th week.
In summary, what I’m watching for is a sinister individual arising from the right geographical area promoting a stance toward Israel that will allow them to resume ancient temple worship. I’m also looking for a huge increase in world turmoil, unprecedented war, famine, conflict, and death following the release of the 4 horsemen. And, of course, two real prophets that fit the description given of them in chapter 11 of the book of Revelation. We know that once these events begin to happen, Jesus’s return is a mere seven years away.
These three events are presented in much detail in the book “Last Days Events-Sequence and Synchrony” in Chapters 5-8. I highly recommend you keep a copy on hand as it may prove invaluable to you for information on these events such as how to recognize beyond a shadow of doubt the two witnesses. You can access a copy here: Amazon.com : Last Days Events-Sequence and Synchrony
Maranatha, Jim