Is the Seven-Year Tribulation Closer Than We Think?

Prophetic Insights About Apophis, the Two Witnesses, and the Third Temple

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Many of us have seen the movies—Armageddon, Deep Impact, Greenland. The possibility of an extinction-level asteroid impacting Earth is the subject of one of humanity’s worst nightmares.

Remarkably, a potentially hazardous asteroid was discovered by NASA in 2004. The scientists who identified this massive space rock named it after Apophis—the Egyptian god of chaos, darkness, and destruction—because early tracking data pointed to a frighteningly high probability of a catastrophic threat.

Apophis is forecast to swing by Earth in 2029, 2036, and 2068, but on Friday, April 13, 2029, the asteroid is expected to make its closest approach to Earth, with its trajectory dipping below the orbit of our satellites—yikes! Although Apophis will visit Earth several times, recent calculations indicate that 2029 is the only year it poses any possibility of impact for at least the next century. While NASA confirms Apophis will safely pass close to Earth in 2029, if there were a meaningful chance of impact, would they tell us?

Bible scholar, Dr. Tom Horn, believed the prophecies about the first four Trumpet judgments describe events that could be associated with this asteroid. Is this possible? Despite the fact that impact isn’t certain, it depends on when the seven-year Tribulation occurs, and more specifically, the timing of the Trumpet judgments.

Based on scripture, the Millennial Day Theory, the Dead Sea Scroll calendar, and the current convergence and acceleration of prophetic signs, some prophecy watchers speculate that Jesus will touch down on the Mount of Olives on the Day of Atonement in 2033 (12 Reasons the Rapture Could Happen in 2026).

If Jesus returns in the fall of 2033, the seven-year Tribulation would begin in the fall of 2026, and its midpoint would be in the spring of 2030. And if the two witnesses prophesy during the first half of the Tribulation, then the 2029 visit of Apophis could fulfill these prophecies. Let me explain.

The timing of the two witnesses’ testimony is significant because it lays the foundation for the timing of the Trumpet judgments. Like the Rapture, there’s considerable debate about this topic. Some prophecy scholars believe the two witnesses will prophesy during the first half of the Tribulation, and others believe it will be during the second half.

For some time, I’ve held the belief that the testimony of the two witnesses will occur during the first half of the Tribulation. But recently, I questioned my stance, so I revisited Revelation 11. What I discovered not only reinforced my conviction regarding the two witnesses, but also provided further insight into the third Temple. This is the breakdown.

Analysis

Scripture tells us:

Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.” (Revelation 11:1-3, NLT)

John is being told to measure only the Temple, the altar, and those who worship there, but not the outer courtyard because “it has been turned over to the nations” (some translations say “Gentiles”). This implies that beyond being physical and functional, the Temple’s inner courts remain holy and unprofaned—they have not yet been desecrated.

Furthermore, the phrase “it has been turned over,” which is in the present perfect tense, indicates an action that started in the past and continues in the present. Some translations state, “it is given,” which is in the simple present tense and denotes an established, ongoing condition.

However, the Greek word “edothē” (“it has been given [up]”) from the original text is in the Greek aorist tense, which confirms the turning over (the giving) was a completed action in the past. Although the aorist tense doesn’t show that the action continued, the next sentence tells us that it lasted for 42 months.

Simply put, the original Greek text verifies the outer courtyards of the Temple were turned over (given to) the nations/Gentiles at some point before John measures the Temple, and when he measures the Temple, its inner courts are still holy. Since the Antichrist does not desecrate the Temple until the midpoint of the Tribulation, the 42 months mentioned in these verses appear to apply to the first half.

Moreover, because the testimony of the two witnesses is tied to this 42-month time frame (1,260 days), it appears their ministry will also occur during the first half of the Tribulation. And since the 42 months of trampling were already underway when John measures the Temple, one could also infer the seven-year Tribulation begins before the construction of the Temple.

The prophecy goes on to reveal:

These two prophets [witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. (Revelation 11:4-6, NLT)

When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. (Revelation 11:7, NLT)

All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them. (Revelation 11:10, NLT)

According to prophecy scholar, Mondo Gonzales, it makes sense for the Antichrist to kill the two witnesses at the midpoint of the Tribulation, just after he is resurrected from his fatal head wound. Given that no one has been able to kill the two witnesses up to this point, the Antichrist’s resurrection and subsequent victory over the witnesses would convince the unsaved world to take the Mark of the Beast and worship him. Additionally, because the two witnesses bring such devastation, unbelievers would view them as the source of their suffering and, consequently, celebrate their deaths.

If we interpret Revelation 9 and 11 both literally and chronologically, the two witnesses are killed by the Antichrist in between the sixth and seventh Trumpet judgments. If this happens at the midpoint of the Tribulation, then the first six Trumpet judgments must occur before that time, which means the 2029 arrival of Apophis could fulfill the prophecies of the second or third Trumpet judgments.

On the prophetic clock, Israel is the hour hand, Jerusalem is the minute hand, and the Temple is the second hand. If the Temple is built during the first half of the seven-year Tribulation, then recent events are noteworthy:

• During his visit to the Temple Mount, National Security Minister, Itmar Ben-Gvir waved an Israeli flag and declared, “The Temple Mount is in our hands”. He later wrote on Facebook, “The time has come to get rid of all the mosques and work to construct the Temple!”

• Shmuel Eliyahu, a prominent Israeli rabbi and member of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Council, is calling for the establishment of a synagogue on the Temple Mount. Although a synagogue is different from a Temple, this demonstrates the changing attitudes of religious leaders concerning Jewish worship at the holy site.

• Reports indicate that the United States and Israel have explored diplomatic discussions that would end Jordan’s custodianship of the Temple Mount and transform the site into a multi-faith complex accommodating Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

A multi-faith arrangement on the Temple Mount, including the construction of a new Temple, could be part of the covenant with many confirmed by the Antichrist during his rise to power (Daniel 9:27). It’s possible the covenant would allow the Jewish people to build their new Temple on the condition the outer courts remain open to the nations/Gentiles.

Is there time to build a Temple during the first half of the Tribulation? According to Google AI, a building the size of a church can be completed within as little as 12 months, if plans and preparations have been made ahead of time. The Israeli Temple Institute has already manufactured many of the sacred ritual vessels, constructed a modular stone altar, completed the specialized priestly garments, drafted architectural blueprints, and established a breeding program for red heifers to fulfill biblical purification requirements.

Conclusion

God doesn’t need an asteroid to fulfill Bible prophecy, but He might use one so humanity has prior warning. If Apophis is meant to fulfill the prophecies of the second or third Trumpet judgments, its arrival in 2029 lines up with all the other prophetic signs we’re currently witnessing. Furthermore, based on a literal, grammatical interpretation of scripture, it’s plausible these prophecies could be fulfilled in the spring of 2029.

Considering the proximity of the first flyby of Apophis (2029), its potential relationship to the first four Trumpet judgments, the recent Temple fervor, and the current convergence and acceleration of all the other prophetic signs—is the seven-year Tribulation closer than we think? You decide.

Sources:

Cambridge University Press. (n.d.). Retrieved on June 1, 2026, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/aorist

Carney, S. (2026, March 24). Asteroid Apophis Facts. NASA. Retrieved on April 16, 2026, from https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/apophis-facts/

Edroos, F., Mathews, S., & Masarwa, L. (2026, May 25). US and Israel ‘actively working’ to strip Jordan of Al-Aqsa custodianship, sources say. Middle East Eye. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestine-al-aqsa-us-israel-strip-jordan-custodianship-sources-say

Hawkins, J. (Host). (2026, January 7). The Two Witnesses Revealed | Timing, Identity & End-Times Mission | Mondo Gonzales [Video]. Prophecy Watchers. YouTube.

Hawkins, J. (2026, May 15). Third Temple Talk Intensifies. Prophecy Recon. https://www.prophecyrecon.com/news/third-temple-talk-intensifies?fbclid=IwY2xjawSJblRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE5WGc1dTdmZ3U0eVp3YXpwc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvrJlZ1gu2slkr_pW4Qp4oR7qjAbVyN1PFmA4UveKt0REBDL3dFEtW-fRnb7_aem_9m_p9x1Jti-L7-NbHIzRCA

Open Bible. (n.d.). Bible Hub. Retrieved on June 1, 2026, from https://openbible.com/text/revelation/11-2.htm

Sokol, S. (2026, May 14). Ben Gvir waves Israeli flag on Temple Mount with far-right MK who calls ‘to get rid of all the mosques, construct the Temple’. The Times of Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/ben-gvir-waves-israeli-flag-on-temple-mount-with-far-right-mk-who-calls-to-get-rid-of-all-the-mosques-construct-the-temple/

The 700 Club. (2020, March 9). The Wormwood Prophecy [Video]. CBN. YouTube.