It requires both blessing and suffering to make a Christian disciple in God's image and perfectly obedient to Him. The fiery trials that come upon the saints result in their perfection as the firstfruits of the Bride of the Lamb.

The Scriptures teach that many of God's people will be overcome in the last days. They will fall by deception—the result of maintaining their sin and self-will.

It is the writer's point of view that there is coming a Divine intervention in the affairs of men and that this intervention will take place before the return of the Lord in the clouds of glory.

The period of which we speak is Daniel's seventieth week.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, 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. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Christ the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks : the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Christ be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week : and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:24-27)

Seventy "weeks" are required in order to make an end of sins and to bring in "everlasting righteousness," to bring to the earth the Kingdom of God.

Notice in the passage above that there are seven weeks, sixty-two weeks, and then a seventieth week. A "week" represents seven years, although a week, particularly the seventieth week, may not refer to a literal seven-year period.

It is the opinion of some Bible scholars that the sixty-nine weeks (seven weeks plus sixty-two weeks) brought us to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. Then, it is felt, the Kingdom clock stopped ticking while God created the Church. The seventieth week will take place in the last days—the clock will start ticking again.

From the above passage we see that the seventieth week will be divided into two parts: the first part will be a confirming of the covenant; during the second part the sacrifice and offering will cease and there will be abominations.

We think the eleventh chapter of the Book of Revelation describes Daniel's seventieth week. During the first half of the week there will take place the latter-rain revival, symbolized by the two witnesses. During the second half of the week, the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom will be driven from the cities of the earth. The Christian witness will be overcome.

To be continued.