Thus far in our fellowship, we have seen the prophecy of the four "sevens" in the Bible—the last seven years of the present age (the last week of the seventy weeks), the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls. The last week of the seventy weeks, the final seven years of this present age, are very crucial, but actually nearly all the crucial matters will be crowded into the last three and a half years. This is why we need to see the events in the last three and a half years of this present age and the great tribulation of the three and a half years.
The three and a half years, called "a time, and times, and half a time" in Revelation 12:14 as a quotation from Daniel 7:25 and 12:7, equals forty-two months (Rev. 11:2; 13:5) or a thousand two hundred and sixty days (Rev. 11:3; 12:6).
These three and a half years mentioned in Daniel and Revelation will be the consummation (end) of the present age (Matt. 28:20; 13:39, 40, 49; 24:3; Dan. 12:13). The word consummation means that there is a process that will be brought to completion or fulfillment.
The last three and a half years are for the Lord, on the negative side, to clear away all the negative persons and things, leaving only the dead unbelievers and the demons to be cleared away through the judgment at the great white throne after the millennial kingdom (Rev. 20:11-15). The world is becoming more evil as time goes on. It is full of evil persons and evil things. In the last three and a half years, the Lord will use a "universal broom" to sweep away all the negative things on the earth. Only the dead unbelievers and the demons will be left to be judged after the millennium at the great white throne and to be cast into the lake of fire.