Daniel's Strange 1260, 1290 and 1335 Days!
What are the mysterious sequences of days mentioned in Daniel
12? What does the 1260, 1290 and 1335
days have to do with this END TIME generation?
How do they correspond to the Seventh Trumpet of Revelation? Here is NEW
INSIGHT on the historical and future fulfillment of these amazing prophetic
periods of time! Truly God is beginning
to make clear these cryptic, strange, and mind-boggling prophecies of Daniel!
William F. Dankenbring
In
the book of Daniel we read these mysterious words, fraught with significance
for the end-time generation living just before the coming of the Messiah: “Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others
standing, one on one bank of the river, the other on the other bank of the
river. One said to the man clothed in
linen, who was above the water of the river, ‘How long until the END
of these awful things?’ Then I heard the man dressed in linen, who
was above the water of the river, swear by the Ever-Living One as he lifted his
right hand and his left hand to heaven: ‘For a time, times, and half
a time; and when the breaking of the power of the holy people comes to an
end, then shall all these things be fulfilled.’”
Daniel
continues:
“I
heard and did not understand, so I said, ‘My Lord, what will be the outcome of
these things?’ He said, ‘Go, Daniel, for these words are SECRET AND SEALED to
the TIME OF THE END. Many will be
purified and purged and refined; the wicked will act wickedly and none of the
wicked will understand; but the knowledgeable will understand. From the time the regular offering is
abolished, and an appalling abomination is set up -- it will be a thousand
two hundred and ninety days. Happy
the one who waits and reaches one thousand three hundred and thirty-five
days’” (Dan.12:5-11).
What
are these mysterious 1260, 1290, and 1335 days?
These periods of prophetic times have perplexed, dumbfounded, and
stumped generations of students of Bible prophecy!
Students
of Bible prophecy know that the prophetic year is 360 days in length. Apparently, the original length of the year
was 360 days (whence we get the 360 degree circle), as the book of Genesis
implies. During the time of Noah 5
months equaled 150 days (thus 30 days per month; this would extrapolate out as
360 days in 12 months – see Gen.7:11; 8:3-4).
Also, in Biblical language one “time” equals one year. In Daniel
How,
how do these mysterious dates figure into the END-TIME SCENARIO of Bible
prophecy? How are they to be reckoned?
When
does the period of 1260 days or three and one half years commence? And when does it end? And what about the 1290 days, and the 1335
days?
A
simple key to the beginning of the 1260 days is that it begins when the
appalling abomination -- or “abomination of desolation” -- is set up in the
Notice! Mid-way through the final “week” of years,
this prince or king will stop the sacrificing and offerings performed at the
This
signal event is also mentioned in Daniel 11.
Notice again! “So shall he return
and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant. And forces [arms] shall be mustered by him,
and they shall DEFILE the sanctuary fortress [that is, the
These
two passages are discussing the same event.
It occurs in the MIDST of the final week of years of this age, leading
up to the END of the age!
What
great event will END this age – and terminate this 3 1/2 year prophetic period?
This
period of conquest and end-time Great Tribulation, during which God’s Temple is
defiled, and the saints are persecuted, which lasts for 3 1/2 times (Rev.13:5,
11:2), or 42 months, or 1,260 literal days, will only be terminated by the
intervention of the Messiah from heaven – the coming of Yeshua in clouds of
glory! (Rev.19:11-19;
The
wicked king who does these things will have “power” for three and one half
times or years at the very end. “He will
think of changing times and laws, and they will be delivered into his power for
a time, times, and half a time. Then the
court will sit and his dominion will be taken away, to be destroyed and
abolished for all time” (Dan.7:25-26).
Immediately
after this “appalling thing” – the “abomination of desolation” -- is set up in
the Temple of God, many of God's people will FLEE to a place of safety to be
spared from the coming invasion, captivity, and tribulation (Matt.24:16-22).
They will be protected during this 1,260 day period of tribulation, distress
and captivity on
When
does this vicious persecution stop? When
is the coming king or tyrant finally conquered, and his kingdom brought to an
end?
As
we have seen, Daniel and John tell us he will reign for 3 1/2 times. What will terminate his reign? “But the court shall be seated, and they
shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion and the
greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people,
the SAINTS of the Most High. His
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom” (Dan.7:26-27).
His
kingdom will come to an abrupt end when the Messiah Yeshua returns, and gives
rulership of the earth to the resurrected SAINTS (Rev.2:26-27;
When
will THIS occur?
John
tells us in the book of Revelation, these fateful words: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His
Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever!’” (Rev.11:15). This is the last of the seven trumpet plagues
which God will pour upon mankind (Rev.8-9).
It pictures the coming of the Messiah!
John
goes on to describe it: “We give You
thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is, and who was, and who is to come,
because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You
should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear
Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth” (Rev.11:17-18).
Thus
the 42 months of the reign of the Antichrist will terminate with the SEVENTH
TRUMPET – and the return of Christ, when the saints will be resurrected, or
changed into immortality, and will receive the kingdoms of the world to rule
over (see I Cor.15:50-52; I Thess.4:16-17).
Therefore the period of 42 months, or
1260 days, or 3 and one half times comes to its fulfillment and termination
when “everlasting righteousness” is ushered in (Dan.9:24) – that is, when the
Messiah returns in glory and power.
But
what then about the 1290 days of Daniel 12?
What do they refer to? What will
happen next?
As
should seem obvious, both periods of time BEGIN at the same point. Therefore, the 1290 days simply goes 30 days
further into the future! The 1,290 days,
then, must extend another 30 days or one month AFTER the return of the Messiah,
when He completes conquering His enemies around the earth, and BRINGS HIS
PEOPLE OUT OF CAPTIVITY, BACK TO JERUSALEM.
As
Isaiah foretold, “And in that day, the LORD will beat out [the peoples like
grain] from the channel of the Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt; and you shall be
PICKED UP ONE BY ONE, O children of Israel!
And in THAT DAY, a great ram’s horn shall be sounded; and the strayed
who are in the land of Assyria and the expelled who are in the land of Egypt
shall come and worship the LORD on the holy mount, in Jerusalem” (Isa.27:13).
When
Christ returns, WAR will be waged against the kingdoms of the world. His return is pictured by the seventh
trumpet. But notice! How long will this trumpet sound?
We
read, “But in the DAYS of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about
to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His
servants the prophets” (Rev.10:7). It
will sound for a number of “DAYS”!
When Christ returns, His presence
will be accompanied by the pouring out of SEVEN LAST PLAGUES. They are mentioned in Revelation 15-16. The pouring out of these plagues will take
TIME! Notice!
Revelation 16 Examined
The apostle John writes, “And I heard a great voice out of
the temple saying to the SEVEN ANGELS, Go your ways, and pour out the VIALS OF
THE WRATH OF GOD upon the earth.”
Notice, first of all, these vials contain the undiluted WRATH OF GOD --
that is, they ARE, they CONSTITUTE, the wrath of God!
Now, continue: “And the first went,
and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a grievous sore upon the
men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image”
(v.2). This is, of course, a mighty
plague of God. It is important to note,
at this point, how these end-time plagues of God parallel, and were typified,
by the ancient plagues of God on Egypt, just prior to the Exodus of Israel!
In Exodus 9 we read of one of those
ancient plagues: “And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you
handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven
in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall
become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil with blains breaking
forth upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood
before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a BOIL
breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. And the magicians could not stand before
Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon ALL
THE EGYPTIANS” (Exo.9:8-11).
Now notice!
This plague upon ancient Egypt was
not merely of a few hours duration.
Undoubtedly, it lasted for several days, while the Egyptians suffered
pain and torment from this noisome disease and its excruciating pain. Then, the next morning God told Moses
to tell Pharaoh He would smite his people with additional pestilence (verses
13,14, and 15) and plagues. Moses was to
tell Pharaoh, “Behold, TOMORROW about this time I will cause it to rain a very
grievous hail. . .” (v.18).
So, just from the time the plague of
boils was sent till the coming of the plague of hail, was at least three
days duration! Yet, these plagues
were TYPES or FORERUNNERS of the end-time plagues! Therefore, this implies that the end-time
plagues will also cover a span of time lasting at least many days and several
weeks, and will not all be poured out in one single day, as some have
erroneously concluded!
Let us proceed through the chapter
of Revelation 16, and discern exactly what God is telling us through His
servant John. John writes, “And the
second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a
dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon
the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood” (Rev.16:3-4).
God also caused water to turn into
“blood” when He smote the Egyptians! (Exodus 7:17-24). How long did that plague last? “And seven days passed after the LORD
had struck the river” (verse 25).
Obviously, all the plagues were not poured out in one single day!
Let’s continue. John records: “And the fourth angel
poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men
with fire. And men were scorched with
great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these
plagues: and they repented not to give him glory” (Rev.16:8-9).
This coming plague of scorching heat
from the sun is also prophesied in the book of Isaiah. The prophet declares, “Moreover the light of
the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be
SEVENFOLD, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the
breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from
afar, BURNING with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are
full of indignation, and his tongue as a DEVOURING FIRE: and his breath, as an
overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations
with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the
people, causing them to err” (Isa. 30:26-28).
“And the fifth angel poured
out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of
DARKNESS; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of
heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds”
(Rev.16:10-11). This plague, also, was
paralleled by the plagues upon ancient Egypt.
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven,
that there may be DARKNESS over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be
felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand
toward heaven; and there was a THICK DARKNESS in all the land of Egypt three
days: they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three
days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings”
(Exo.10:21-23).
This darkness lasted three
days. Similarly, the plague of darkness
which will be poured out in the future will also last several days. Of what point would a plague of darkness be
if it were only a few hours in duration?
It makes no sense whatsoever for the
rivers and water to be turned to blood for only a few hours; and the sun to
scorch men for only a few hours; to be followed by a plague of darkness for
only a few hours! It should be obvious,
by now, that each of these plagues is of several days duration, or even
longer. Remember, these plagues are all
poured out during the sounding of the seventh trumpet -- a period of “DAYS” (Rev.10:7). How many days?
The Time Element of the Sixth Plague of
Revelation
An expanse of time is obviously
indicated by the sixth plague of Revelation 16.
Notice!
“And the
sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the
water
thereof was dried up, that the way of the KINGS OF THE EAST might be
prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs
come out of the mouth of the
dragon,
and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false
prophet.
For
they are the spirits of devils (demons), working miracles, which GO FORTH
UNTO
THE KINGS OF THE EARTH, AND OF THE WHOLE WORLD, to
gather
them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. . . . And he gathered
them together into a place called in the
Hebrew tongue Armageddon” (Rev.16:12-16).
This sixth plague signifies WAR and
the convergence of armies to do BATTLE.
It involves the gathering of nations, their mobilization, and marching
across hundreds, or even thousands of miles, to come together at Armageddon, or
Har Megiddo, to the north of Jerusalem.
This plague along would very likely involve at least many days of time
-- not just a few hours!
These “kings of the east” represent
the vast hordes of Asia and Russia, and their allies, including Japan and
China! But notice the FINAL plague which
accompanies the return of the Messiah!
“And the seventh angel poured out his vial
into the air; and there came a great
voice
out of the temple of heaven, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and
thunders,
and lightnings; and there was a GREAT EARTHQUAKE, such as was
not
since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the
great
city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and
great
Babylon
came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine
of
the fierceness of his wrath. And every
island fled away, and the mountains
were
not found. And there fell upon men a
great hail out of heaven, every stone
about
the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of
the
hail; for the plague of it was exceeding great” (Rev.16:17-21).
A light talent equaled 60 manehs,
and a maneh was equivalent to a Roman pound.
Thus a light talent, used in weighing metals, was about 60 pounds. A heavy or double talent was 120 pounds.
Thus these hail stones will weigh
from 60-120 pounds! As in the case of
ancient Egypt these hail stones could also refer to meteorite showers peppering
the earth at the time when Christ returns!
An example of such a meteorite shower, which destroyed an army fighting
against God's people, occurred in the days of Joshua. We read: “And the Lord discomfited them
before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them
along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto
Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they
fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the Lord
CAST DOWN GREAT STONES FROM HEAVEN UPON THEM unto Azekah, and they DIED;
they were more which died with HAILSTONES than they whom the children of
Israel slew with the sword” (Josh.10:10-11).
This final mind-defying plague will
include a massive, earth-wrenching earthquake that will cause the entire planet
to shake like a house in a hurricane.
Mountain ranges will be leveled; islands will sink beneath the waves of
the sea; new islands will rise up.
Volcanoes will outflow lava on massive scales.
The
Awesome Return of the Messiah
Christ Himself will return in glory, and punish the
rebellious nations gathered against Him, who will be assembled at Armageddon
and then march toward Jerusalem! God
says through Zechariah, “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil
shall be divided in the midst of thee.
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city
shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half the city
shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut
off from the city. Then shall the Lord
go forth, and FIGHT against those nations, as when he fought in the day of
battle” (Zech.14:1-3).
“And his feet
shall stand in that day UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES . . .
and
the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and
toward
the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the
mountain
shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And
ye
shall flee toward the valley of the mountains . . . yea, ye shall flee, like as
ye
fled from before the EARTHQUAKE in the days of Uzziah king of Judah:
and
the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee” (vs.4-5).
Again, it should be obvious that
this final plague -- which includes meteor showers, massive tectonic upheavals
around the globe, disappearing islands, enormous tsunamis or tidal waves, and
tremendous warfare between the armies of the earth and the returning Christ --
also describes events which will last much more than merely a few hours
duration. Days, weeks, even a month
could well be described here! How long
will it require for the armies of the Lord to march through the land, and
punish the wicked?
The wicked will be cast “into the
great winepress of the wrath of God. And
the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the
winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six
hundred furlongs” (Rev.14:19-20) -- a
distance of 184 miles, extending from the east side of Jerusalem, the Kidron
Valley, down to the Dead Sea, and southward to the Gulf of Aqaba!
How long will pouring out these plagues, and the final WAR
that Christ will wage against the nations of the earth, require? Can we know?
Yes, we can! Notice!
“Then I saw another
angel flying in the midst of heaven, having
the everlasting gospel
to preach to those who dwell on the earth –
to every nation, tongue,
tribe and people – saying with a loud
voice, ‘Fear God and
give glory to Him, for the HOUR of His
judgment is come . . .” (Rev.14:6-7, NKJV).
“The ten horns which you saw are
ten kings, who have received
no
kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for ONE HOUR
AS
KINGS WITH THE BEAST. These are of one
mind, and
They
will give their power and authority to the beast. These will
MAKE
WAR with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them,
for
He is Lord of lords, and King of kings;
and those who are with
Him
are called, chosen, and faithful” (Rev.17:12-14).
God’s
period of “judgment” will last “one hour.”
These ten kings give their power to the Beast for precisely “ONE
HOUR.” How long is “one hour,” speaking
prophetically?
Jesus Christ said that there are
“twelve hours in a day” (John 11:9).
Since a “day” equals a “year” in being fulfilled (Num.14:34;
Ezek.4:4-6), and since there are 12 months in a year, this means that “ONE
HOUR” equals ONE MONTH in being fulfilled! One month equals 30 days!
Thus this final “alliance” refers to
a final union of the nations of the world.
The fifth and sixth Trumpet Plagues (Rev.9) depict nations at war with
each other. But when the seventh trumpet
sounds, the nations will UNITE one final time to wage war against the New
“intruder” or “invader” from “outer space” – ten final “kings,” representing
ten regions of the world, will FIGHT AGAINST CHRIST! How long will this “union” last? One “hour” – that is, one month – that is, 30
DAYS!
Here is the 30 days which goes
beyond the 1260 days and extends to 1290 days (Daniel 12:11)!
During
this period of 30 days, Yeshua will begin regathering the scattered people of
Israel and Judah from around the world, and will WAGE WARFARE against the
wicked nations of the earth, and the seven last plagues will be poured out in
His presence!
How clear!
This war, and the sounding of the seventh trumpet, will
last for 30 days. This is represented by
extra 30 days tacked on to the end of the 1260 days!
Interestingly,
another prophecy also mentions this final period of “one hour” prophetically
speaking --- or one MONTH – or 30 days!
Notice!
“Therefore
her plagues will come in one day [that is, one “year” – the
“day
of the Lord,” the final year of this age when God intervenes to
punish
the wickedness of men] – death, and mourning, and famine.
And
she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who
judges
her. The kings of the earth, who
committed fornication and lived
luxuriously
with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the
smoke
of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment,
saying,
‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in
ONE
HOUR your judgment has come’” (Rev.18:8-10).
“The
merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand
at a
distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying,
‘Alas,
alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and
scarlet,
and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For
in
ONE HOUR such great riches came to nothing.
Every shipmaster,
all
who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood
at a
distance, and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning,
saying,
‘What is like this great city?’ They
threw dust on their heads
and
cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great
city,
in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth!
For
in ONE HOUR she is made desolate” (Rev.18:15-19).
Notice! Here again, the PUNISHMENT of the great
end-time BABYLONIAN EMPIRE – the New World Order – the WORLD SYSTEM – will be
“ONE HOUR” – that is, one month in duration!
During this period of time, she will be utterly destroyed –
obliterated – and wiped off the face of the earth!
This is referring
to the SAME HOUR – the same MONTH! As we
read in Revelation 16, at the conclusion of the seven last plagues, “Now the
great city was divided up into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before
God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath” (verse
19).
But then another
wonderful event is prophesied to occur at the end of 1335 days -- or the end of
another 45 days! Daniel is told,
“Blessed is the one who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and
thirty five days” (Dan.12:11). Those
who come to this time, Daniel is told, are indeed, “HAPPY” or “BLESSED”!
What is this
event? Let us notice once again the time
sequence of events as they are portrayed in Scripture!
During
this time leading up to the completion of these extra 45 days, or the
fulfillment of the entire 1335 days, Christ will conquer His enemies around the
world and bring His people, Israel, back out from captivity.
We read
in Isaiah's prophecy: “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for
the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be
glorious. In that day the Lord will
reach out his hand a SECOND TIME to reclaim the remnant that is left of
his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from
Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and
GATHER THE EXILES OF ISRAEL; he will ASSEMBLE THE SCATTERED PEOPLE OF JUDAH
from the four quarters of the earth” (Isa.11:10-12, NIV). Again, this will require some time. But within two months or so, most likely, all
Israel will be re-gathered, as God intends.
God
says, “Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from
the ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child
and the one who labors with child, together; a great throng shall return there. They shall come with weeping, and with
supplications I will lead them” (Jer.31:8-9).
Isaiah
further tells us: “For behold, the LORD
will come with fire and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger
with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire.
For by fire and by His sword the LORD will judge all flesh; and the
slain of the LORD shall be many. . . . It shall be that I will gather all
nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see My glory. . . Then shall they
bring all your brethren for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, on
horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy
mountain in Jerusalem” (Isal.66:15-20).
“And it
shall come to pass in that day that the LORD will thresh, from the channel of
the River to the Brook of Egypt; and you shall be gathered, one by one, O you
children of Israel. So shall it be in
that day: the GREAT TRUMPET will be
blown; they will come, who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they
who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy
mount at Jerusalem” (Isa.27:12-13).
This
great EXODUS back to Israel will occur after the Messiiah returns, after
Babylon is conquered, and the nations are subdued, during the time extending
from the end of the 1260 days till the 1335 days – a total period of 75
days. All will be brought back to
Jerusalem, to worship the LORD of Hosts, and to worship the Messianic King,
Yeshua Ha Moshiach!
“And it
shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to
another, all flesh shall come to worship Me, says the LORD. And they shall go forth and look upon the
corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire
is not quenched. They shall be an
abhorrence to all flesh” (Isa.66:23-24).
What
will occur next, in the unfolding of Biblical prophecy? What great event is foretold for the time
shortly after Israel is regathered – and the END of the 1335 days?
The Tremendous Ceremony
Shortly after Yeshua returns to this
earth, subdues His enemies, re-gathers His people, and SITS ON HIS THRONE in
Jerusalem, He will MARRY HIS BRIDE, the Church of God! The apostle John tells us,
“Then
I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters
and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty REIGNS. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him
glory! For the WEDDING of the Lamb has
come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear’ (fine linen stands
for the righteous acts of the saints)” (Rev.19:6-8, NIV).
The
period of 1335 days, the extra 45 days, following the 30 days of war and the
subsequent regathering of Israel, brings us up to the MARRIAGE feast of the
Lamb and His bride, the Church of God, the “firstfruits” (Rev.14:1-4; James
1:17).
Truly,
a more “blessed” and “happy” event can scarcely be imagined!
It
is possible that since God married (made a marriage covenant with) Israel, on
the very day of Pentecost, in the year when Israel was delivered out from
Egypt, that also when Christ returns in power from heaven, He will deliver His
people from captivity, and then MARRY HIS BRIDE, the Church -- perhaps once
again on the very day of Pentecost!
This
could occur on Pentecost, the feast which celebrates the “firstfruits,” a time
of great joy and rejoicing!
Pentecost
occurs 50 days after Passover – it is counted from the wave sheaf offering,
offered on the 16th of Nisan or Abib.
Interestingly,
the book of Esther tells us of the tremendous deliverance God gave His people
during the Persian Empire, when a certain Haman sought to slay all the
Jews. God intervened and spared His
people, and gave them vengeance on their enemies. This occurred on what is
today celebrated as the Feast of “Purim” – counting “lots.” It occurs on two days – Adar 14 and 15. (See Esther 9:19-22.) In a regular year, this falls exactly 30
days before PASSOVER!
Consider this! Christ could begin His return, the seventh
trumpet could begin to blow, on the anniversary of the great deliverance known
as Purim, and blow for 30 days, culminating on the Festival of Passover – the
GREAT Festival of Freedom and Liberty!
Counting
the days, this could account for the last 30 days which stretch from the 1260
to the conclusion of the 1290 days. The
next 45 days – or the end of the 1335 days -- brings us to just five days
before Pentecost! Could this mean, then,
that the great celebration of the marriage of the bride and groom, the Church
and the Lamb, begins on this day and culminates on Pentecost? Very likely, as well, the Messiah will at
that time also enter into the New Covenant with the regathered tribes of Israel
and Judah – once again a symbolic “marriage” covenant, in which all Israel will
once again vow to OBEY the laws, statutes, and judgments of the Lord, the
Torah, the Word of God – Yeshua!
Thus
the end of the 1335 days could refer to the beginning of the WEDDING FEAST
preparations, which includes the WEDDING itself, on the day of Shavuot,
“Firstfruits,” or Pentecost!
Following
the wedding of Christ and the Bride, we read in the book of Revelation: “Then the angel said to me, Write: ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE who are
invited to the WEDDING SUPPER OF THE LAMB!' And he added, 'These are the
true words of God’” (Rev. 19:6-9).
What great event occurs after a
wedding ceremony? What great
event would occur next? Why, the
“wedding reception” -- that is, the WEDDING FEAST!
Notice! Those who come to this event -- that is, who
endure till it occurs, and who come up to attend it -- the invited
guests -- will be “BLESSED.” This is a parallel to Daniel 12:12 -- the same
“blessing” is mentioned. This is
speaking of the marriage FEAST of the Bridegroom to the Bride -- of Christ
Jesus and the Church of God (the saints, who compose the body of the “bride” of
Christ!).
This
blessed event will likely occur, then, 75 days after Christ returns from heaven
and delivers His people, and 45 days after He has re-gathered Israel and
conquered His enemies around the world.
At that time, real true PEACE will break out worldwide. And many will be invited to attend the great
wedding feast of Christ and the Church -- the official wedding “feast”!
If
the final 7 years of this present age begins in the Spring of 2001, with the
beginning of “Jacob’s Troubles,” then their conclusion would be Spring of
2008. If the final 7 years begins with
the “Intifada” which began Tishri 1, 2000, then the 7 years would be up in the
Fall of 2007.
If
the Messiah returns at Purim-Passover, 2007, Abib 15, ending the 1260 days
(Purim) and the 1290 days (Passover), then the 45 extra days of the 1335 would
be conclude about Sivan 1 – five days before Pentecost. But if the return of the Messiah would begin
7 days later, or about Adar 21, then the end of the 30 days would be Abib 21,
the Last Day of the Feast of Passover – truly a day of great deliverance and salvation,
pictured by the passing of the children of Israel through the towering walls of
water of the Red Sea!
If
this were the case, then 45 days later would bring us to a truly blessed event
-- Shavuot, or Pentecost, on Sivan 6th
– the day of the Covenant and Marriage of God to the children of Israel
(Jer.3:1, 8, 14) which then would be a TYPE of the marriage of the Messiah to
His Bride, His Church, the Israel of God (Rev.19:6-9; Gal.6:16).
One
Great Remaining Event!
When the Temple of God was rebuilt,
during the days of Ezra, after the return of the Jews from Babylonian
captivity, the people celebrated with great joy. “Then the people of Israel -- the priests,
the Levites and the rest of the exiles -- celebrated the dedication of the house
of God with JOY” (Ezra 6:16).
Could
it be, also, that the end of the 1335 days will also see the FOUNDATION STONE
being laid for the new Messianic Temple of God?
Could the end of the 1335 days also be the beginning of construction of
the NEW MESSIANIC TEMPLE of GOD?
No
doubt that this will be a time of GREAT, DELIRIOUS JOY and profound
HAPPINESS! Consider! The 1260 day prophecy, the key to the whole
end-time scenario as it unfolds, BEGINS with what? -- the desecration of the
Temple of God (Dan.9:27; 7:25; Matt.24:15). Therefore, it would be very
consistent with the overall prophecy that this period of time would also END or
TERMINATE -- after the passage of 1335 days -- with the REBUILDING or
RESTORATION of the Temple!
A
“Day for a Year” -- the DUALITY of Prophecy
This end-time scenario then pictures the final fulfillment of Daniel's amazing prophecies, leading on into the World of Tomorrow. But is there also another, more tan