Tribulation - Lull Before the Storm?

I have some questions about the popular idea that the Tribulation begins with a worldwide period of peace.

Most people don't know the basis for it, but keep preaching it anyway.

Other end-times preachers attempt to base it on a passage where Daniel prophesied that the "prince" shall confirm the covenant for "one week".

But to claim that this refers to a future seven-year period of worldwide peace requires a lot of assumptions.

Firstly, you have to say that the word "week" means seven years. It probably does.

Secondly, you have to say that the "prince" is a future Antichrist and not the Messiah or a first-century figure.

Thirdly, you have to say that he "makes" [instead of CONFIRMS] a covenant [instead of THE covenant].

Fourthly, you have to deny that he confirms the covenant for a whole week - you would have to say that he only confirms it for half the time and then completely breaks it.

Fifthly, even though it is a historical fact that sacrifice and oblation ceased in the first century, you will have to say that the sacrifice and oblation must start-up again sometime in the future and then the Antichrist will cause it to cease again.

Sixthly, you have to stretch the meaning to include the whole world instead of just Israel, even though Daniel doesn't say that.

Seventhly, you have to assume that the Temple will be rebuilt and then destroyed again - because the sanctuary was in fact already destroyed in the first century just as Daniel here prophesied.

Eighthly, if Jerusalem's desolation caused by the Antichrist is a future event, then you have to imagine that the last 2,000 years of Jewish desolation was something that Daniel was never told about - which is unthinkable.

Ninthly, you would have to explain why the Book of Revelation never mentioned a period of worldwide peace.

Tenthly, you would have to explain why the Bible says that terrible worldwide calamities happen before any mention of the beast - catastrophes like: 33% of the world's population, trees, oceans, marine-life and water-sources destroyed; all of the earth's mountains and islands removed from their place; and meteorites scorching 33% of the earth; plus the sun, moon, stars and universe no-longer existing. That doesn't sound like a period of worldwide peace before the Antichrist shows his true colours!

Eleventhly, you would have to explain why Revelation mentions nothing about a Temple being rebuilt and sacrifices starting-up again and then being destroyed again by the Antichrist.

And you'd have to explain why the Book of Revelation never mentions a seven year tribulation, or even the word "Antichrist".

And the list could go on...

That's a lot of assumptions to make just to prove an idea!

Any rational person should be able to tolerate someone asking questions about an idea that relies so heavily on mere assumptions.