A Time, Times and Half a Time
"And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what [shall be] the end of these [things]? (Dan. 12.8 KJV)
"I heard what he said, but I did not understand what he meant. So I asked, 'How will all this finally end, my lord?'" (v.8 NLT).
We are being shown here not how long it will be from the time this message is given to when Christ returns, but rather during the return of Christ how long it will then be before Christ steps down on the mount of olives (Zech. 14.4).
"That [it shall be] for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these [things] shall be finished" (Dan. 12.7). This amounts to three and a half years.
"The abomination of desolation" (Matt. 24.15) refers to an idol. In the future when Antichrist shall come, he will place his image in the temple. This will mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation (for notice the words "then" and "those days" in verses 16,19 and 21.) For the end of the Great Tribulation, see verses 29 and 30. Soon after the Tribulation is over the Lord shall appear. Thus the Tribulation commences with the placing of an idol in the temple and ends with the appearing of Christ on earth. How long is the Great Tribulation? Forty-two months (Rev. 11.2), or 1260 days (Rev. 11.3, 12.6), or a time and times and half a time which is three and a half years (Rev. 12.14).
What Matthew speaks concerning the destruction of the holy temple is the same as that to which Revelation 11.2 refers as the treading under foot of the holy city. By reading Luke 21.20,23 and Matthew 24.15-21 together, we know that the holy city and the holy temple will be destroyed at the same time. So the end, which is the Great Tribulation, lasts for 42 months from the time of the placing of an idol in the temple to the moment of the appearing of the Lord.
