Now the world seems to be on the verge of a great conventional war, if not World War III.
YES, keep that in mind.
As already stated, I believe the GT to be seven years in length, unless the days have been cut short.
You believe? What does the Bible say? It says it is 42-months long. And it is never cut short in the way of ending before it was supposed to. It is cut short in that it was given a specific appointed time to occur.
[19 Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! 20 Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day; 21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.]
[23 Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! For there will be great distress on the land and wrath against this people. 24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations until the appointed times of the nations are fulfilled.]
Luke shows that the GT is the time Jerusalem will be trampled for the appointed times which John shows to be 42-months. That is the same time period that the 8th king has authority.
If you believe the GT is 7 years (84 months), where do you get the addition 3 1/2 years (42-months) that you believe is part of the GT, other than the 42-months I have shown?