A Time, Times, and Half a Time (Dan. 12:7)
Both Old and New Testaments prophesy about a three-and-a-half-year tribulation, and there is much evidence it was fulfilled in the first century.
In the book of Revelation, which was written around AD 65,[1] an angel prophesied that Gentiles would tread down the holy city, Jerusalem, for “forty-two months” or three-and-a-half years (Rev. 11:1–2). The angel also said, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand” (Rev. 22:10, italics mine; see also Rev. 1:1-3). The term “at hand” mean “about to happen,” which means these events of Revelation would be fulfilled shortly after the book was written. This timing fits perfectly with the three-and-a-half-year Jewish-Roman War of AD 67–70, in which the Romans (the Gentiles) destroyed the holy city, Jerusalem.
Jesus too had prophesied about this event around 30 years earlier. Compare Jesus’ words in the Olivet Discourse to John’s in Revelation:
Jesus (AD 33): “The days will come in which not one stone [of the temple] shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down…Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled…Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory…Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place” (Luke 21:24–32). Note: a biblical generation equates to around forty years (Heb. 3:8–10, Num. 14:30–34, and Neh. 9:21).
So Jesus said the temple would be destroyed. He also said the Gentiles would trample Jerusalem. He also said the Son of Man would come on clouds. And he said it would all happen within a generation, or forty years. Now compare this to what Revelation prophesied around thirty years later:
Revelation (AD 65): “Then I [John] was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city [Jerusalem] underfoot for forty-two months’…Behold, I [Jesus] am coming quickly…Do not seal [set aside] the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand” (Rev. 11:1–2, 22:10).
Same temple. Same treading down of the city of Jerusalem by the Gentiles. Same coming of Jesus. Same fulfillment timing. This is not a coincidence. Jesus and Revelation are describing the same event! And this prophecy was fulfilled just a few years later during the Jewish-Roman War of AD 67–70.
“Worst Ever” Judgment
This event had also been prophesied about way back in 600 BC, when Daniel spoke about “a time, times, and half a time” (Dan. 12:7). Most commentators agree this refers to a period of three-and-a-half years: “A time” (one year) + “times” (two years) + “half a time” (half a year) = three and a half years. Daniel also described this judgment as, “A time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation” (Dan. 12:1)—which is exactly how Jesus described the judgment in the Olivet Discourse:
“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21).
This is the same event! Logically, there can only be one “worst ever” tribulation/time of trouble. In fact, Jesus explicitly said he was referring to events “spoken of by Daniel” (Matt. 24:15)! It doesn’t get much clearer than this. And Jesus said in AD 33 that this event would happen within a generation: “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (Matt. 24:34). This timing fits perfectly with the Jewish-Roman War of AD 67–70.
This “worst ever” tribulation described by Jesus and Daniel also matches nicely with Josephus’s descriptions of the Jewish-Roman War of AD 67–70:
“It appears to me that the misfortunes of all men, from the beginning of the world, are not so considerable as those of the Jews…This makes it impossible for me to contain my lamentations…”[2]
“It is therefore impossible to go distinctly over every instance of these men’s iniquity. I shall therefore speak my mind here at once briefly: That neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries, nor did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was, from the beginning of the world.”[3]
Josephus, Jesus, and Daniel are all describing the same event, the three-and-a-half-year Jewish-Roman War of AD 67–70.
The Power of the Holy People
Here’s further confirmation of this. Daniel said this three-and-a-half-year judgment would happen “when the power of the holy people was completely shattered” (Dan. 12:7)—which refers to the “shattering” or end of the law, which happened in the first century.
Let’s look closer at the term “the power of the holy people.” We can be sure this refers to the law because Israel—a.k.a. “the holy people” (Rom. 11:28)—obtained her power from obeying the law. Whenever Israel obeyed the law, God blessed her immensely and conquered all her enemies. Conversely, when Israel disobeyed the law, God cursed her, and she was defeated by her enemies (Lev. 18:28; Deut. 4:40, 23:63). Israel’s power was not in her numbers or weaponry or any other earthly thing; it came from her covenant relationship with God (Deut. 7, 32:30; Ps. 41:11; Jeremiah 7).[4] Israel obtained her power by obeying the law. In other words, “the power of the holy people” was the law.
Furthermore, this law was “shattered” or ended in the first century (Heb. 8:13; 2 Cor. 3:7–10; Matt. 24:3, 34). Therefore, this is when the three-and-a-half-year “worst ever” tribulation must have happened too, per Daniel.
Possible objection: Some commentators try to get around this point by arguing that the “power of the holy people” refers to the gospel, not the law. However, this cannot possibly be the case because Daniel said it would be “shattered” (Dan. 12:7); yet the gospel, aka the new covenant, will never pass away (Matt. 24:35, Rom. 1:16, Heb 13:20, Jer. 32:40, Isa. 61:8). Therefore, “power of the holy people” must refer to the law, which was in fact shattered (ended) in the first century (Heb. 8:13; 2 Cor. 3:7–10; Matt. 24:3, 34).
Since “the power of the holy people” (the law) was shattered in the first century, this is when the three-and-a-half-year “worst ever” great tribulation must have happened too, per Daniel!
The Olivet Discourse = Daniel 12
Still another way to show Daniel’s prophecy (in chapter 12) was fulfilled in first century is by comparing it to what Jesus said in the Olivet Discourse. Both mention the “time of the end”/“end of the age” (Dan. 12:4, 9; Matt. 24:3), the greatest tribulation ever (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21), the abomination of desolation (Dan. 12:11; Matt. 24:15), and the end of sacrifices/destruction of the temple (Dan. 12:11; Matt. 24:1–2). In fact, right after mentioning the abomination of desolation, Jesus specifically adds “as spoken of by Daniel” (Matt. 24:15). Daniel and Jesus are clearly describing the same event. And Jesus said this event would happen within a generation of his ministry (Matt. 24:34)—which fits perfectly with the Jewish-Roman War in AD 67–70.
The evidence is overwhelming. The three-and-a-half-year great tribulation prophesied in both the Old and the New Testaments was fulfilled in the first century, during the Jewish-Roman War in AD 67–70.
For more information about the events described in this article, get my book The End Is Here: How the New Testament’s Prophecies Were Fulfilled, available at Amazon.
By Alex Polyak, Director of The Bible Fulfilled, 3/23/25
[1] Revelation had to have been written before AD 70 because Jerusalem and the temple—which were destroyed in AD 70—were still intact (Rev. 11:1-2). For more about the dating of Revelation, see my article “The Dating of Revelation.”
[2] Timothy P. Martin and Jeffrey L. Vaughn, Beyond Creation Science, Third Edition (Apocalyptic Vision Press, 2007), 51.
[3] Ibid. 62.
[4] Don K. Preston, Watching for the Parousia (Ardmore, OK: JaDon Management, Inc., 2020), 70.
