The entire timeline of the seven year tribulation period rests on the interpretation of Daniel 9. The modern tribulation view is relatively new in church history. For years, many considered Daniel 9 a beautiful prophcy fulfilled.
I grew up in a world that was constantly looking for the anti-christ and the beginning of a pre-tribulation rapture. For much of my life, I didn't even know other options existed, or that my worldview was relatively new in the history of the church. This article discusses a more traditional, alternate view of eschatology that recognizes that some parts of the Bible many have always viewed as "future" might have already taken place.