Monday, February 18, 2013

42 Months / Three and one-half Years / 1,260 Days in Revelation

42 Months / Three and one-half Years / 1,260 Days in Revelation Hi everyone, We are studying the Book of Revelation in our breakfast Men's Group. And the topic of seven years and 3 and 1/2 years is being discussed. The Modern view is that there is a period of 7 years of Great Tribulation. The 3 1/2 year mid-point is often associated with the "rapture" of believers, because everyone knows that God would never let bad things happen to believers (smirk - sarcasm should be noted). I believe the better, tradional view is that when 3 and 1/2 years is mentioned in the Bible and more specifically in Revelation it should be read in reference to the number "7". We see "7" in Revelation all the time - 7 angels, 7 seals, 7 bowls, 7 trumpets, etc. And it appears that when the Apostle John uses "7" it is meant to be a figurative use that means something done to completion, or the full amount. If this is true, then 3 and 1/2 means something uncompleted (or half done). Here are two Commentary's discription of this topic which I found to be helpful: Hope in Hard Times, Commentary on Revelation: 42 months is a reference to a period of persecution which is cut short: Forty-two months, or its equivalent, is mentioned several times in the Bible. The origin seems to be the book of Daniel: (1) Daniel 7:25; 12:7, 14 mentions “a time, times, and half a time” or 1277 days (assuming a “time” equals one year); (2) Daniel 8:14 mentions 2300 evenings and mornings; (3) Daniel 12:11 mentions 1290 days; and (4) Daniel 12:12 mentions 1335 days. Similar phrasing is found in Rev. 12:6 (1260 days) and 13:5 (42 months). When all of these occurrences are taken into account, their variety seems to speak of the symbolic nature of the numbers, while their proximity to forty-two months seems to show that it is a symbolic number for a period of persecution. Since three and a half is half of seven, it seems to be a reference to a complete period of persecution that has been cut short (cf. Matt. 24:22; Mark 13:20; Luke 21:24). New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: Anytime the Bible mentions “months” it likely refers to a period of judgment: The duration of man is often reckoned in days (Ge 47:9, 28. Ps 90:10, 12. 119:84), whereas judgments are sometimes reckoned in months (Ge 8:5. Re 9:5, 10. 13:5). Lk 4:25 (25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land); James 5:17 (ESV) (17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.) If you think that 42 months means 42 months, I think the Faithlife Study Bible has a good entry for this position: Faithlife Study Bible. Modern View – 42 Months means 42 Months: forty two months Restated in v. 3 as 1,260 days. Both figures define, according to traditions from Daniel, the length of the eschatological tribulation as three and a half years (see Dan 7:25; 9:27; 12:7, 11–12). In Daniel, the “time of the end” is associated with Antiochus’ reign of terror (see Dan 12:1 and note; 11:40 and note; Dan 8:17 and note). Its conclusion (at Antiochus’ death) was supposed to usher in judgment, which would be followed by the establishment of the kingdom of God. John maintains the same schema in Revelation (see 10:6 and note; 10:7 and note), although he switches the object of God’s wrath from Antiochus and the Graecian Empire to the Romans. Nonetheless, he preserves the tradition of viewing the duration of tribulation as a three-and-a-half-year period. The duration of time may also be drawn, by analogy, to Jesus’ own ministry (about three and a half years). It’s also possible—using the relationship between the Messiah, Son of God, and Israel—to connect the time to the corporate “son of God,” Israel (see Exod 4:22–23; Hos 11:1). This would then be a reference to the 42 months of Israel’s journey (from Egypt to the entrance into Canaan), which was 42 years in 42 stages (Num 33:5–49). Bible Verses that mention 42 Months. Here are the main Bible verses (ESV translation) which discuss the period of time of 42 Months / Three and one-half Years / 1,260 Days: Revelation 11 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” … 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. Rev. 12:5 - She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. 12:14 - But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. Rev. 13:5 - And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. Daniel 7:23, 25 - 23 “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms,and it shall devour the whole earth, … He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. Daniel 9:27 – 70th week prophecy (7 years) – TEW’s Note - This Chapter in Daniel is the main OT one to suggest that there will be 7 (or 3 and a half) years of the Great Tribulation: Daniel 12:7 - And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.