Hello John and Doves,

 

I've often wondered, why, in the book of Daniel and the book of The Revelation, the people living during the Tribulation Period are given day counts for various 'occurrences'.   Why is it important to know how long 'something' will go on and and why is it important that each 'something' begins on a specific day and ends on a specific day?  The day counts are VERY exact.

 

The day counts given are in Daniel and The Revelation:  'forty two months', 'a thousand two hundred and threescore days ' and 'time, times and half a time', 'the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days', and 'a thousand two hundred and ninety days'.

 

 

Here are the day counts and the specific 'something' that happens:

 

For "forty two months":

 

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."  Revelation 13:5

 

"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles:  and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months."  Revelation 11:2

 

For 'a thousand two hundred and threescore days ':

 

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days."  Revelation 12:6

 

"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth." Revelation 11:3  

 

For 'time, times and half a time':

 

"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:  and they shall be given unto his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."  Daniel 7:25

 

 " And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.  Daniel 12:7

 

"But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent.'  Revelation 12:14

 

For 'the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days':

 

"Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days."  Daniel 12:12

 

For the 'a thousand two hundred and ninety days':

 

"And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days."  Daniel 12:11

 

We all know about the festivals and appointed times of the Lord..Ezekiel 46:11/Leviticus 23/etc. They are prophetic appointments on God's timeline.  God has a specific 'first day' and a specific 'last day' for each of these day counts.

 

Whether one believes in a 7 year Tribulation Period (of two 3.5 year time periods) or a 3.5 year Tribulation Period (where all the 1260 time periods are one time period) - there is still a 'designated' 'first day' and designated 'last day'.

 

I have often wondered how the people living in the Tribulation Period would be able to find or recognize the last prophetic Lord's Feasts given in Leviticus 23.  How would anyone know that these will be (are) fulfilled on the exact day - like Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks.  There are three Feasts in the fall that many believe will see fulfillment at the end of the Tribulation Period - the Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur and the Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot. Do the day counts end on these days or do they all end on Feast of Trumpets or Day of Atonement or ?

 

During the Tribulation Period -  there will be tremendous turmoil, destruction, with great earthquakes, famines, plagues, stinging 'scorpions', wars, the evil Antichrist and beheadings, mark of the beast, etc.  Who will be watching any calendar at that point?  All electric grids will probably be destroyed.  No computers, no cell phones.   

 

And today, the state of Israel no longer uses the sighting of the new moons for the start of their months - there is no one to report the sightings to.  They use the astronomical calculation/determination of the new moon now. They are off one to two days for the start of each new month.  And when does the religious new year actually begin?  What are the correct 'rules'?  Which calendar is the correct Hebrew calendar?  The Torah calendar?  The Hebcal calendar?  The Chabad calendar?  If the wrong calendar is being used, God's Festivals at the end will be missed - man will be off days to a month or so.   It's important to God that these final Feast days be fulfilled exactly as appointed.

 

I think that the purpose of the day counts in Daniel and The Revelation are to correctly bring people to the Lord's last Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles.  How else will these days be correctly found by mankind during all the turmoil?  

 

Also, "the he (the Antichrist) "will try to change their sacred festivals"  (New Living Translation), "intending to change the appointed times" (Berean Standard Bible), "try to change the set times" (New International Version), "intend to change religious festivals" (Holman Christian Standard Bible) - why?  Because he does not want man to know when those days are.  He doesn't want those fulfilled.  They are God's and they are prophetic.....and the Lord needs the people to have the day count so they can keep track of these prophetic things themselves - so they will know the time of the Lord's Feasts, in spite of the Antichrist trying to throw them off.  They will be able to count each 'occurrence' and know exactly when it will end.

 

So, once the AC comes to power - he has this power for exactly forty two months - 1260 days.

 

Once the Gentiles take control of Jerusalem - this control will last exactly forty two months - 1260 days.

 

Once the Jewish people flee 'into the wilderness to the place prepared for them by God' - they will be there exactly a thousand two hundred and threescore days - 1260 days.

 

Once the two witnesses begin to prophesy - they will have exactly one thousand two hundred and threescrore days to prophesy in sackcloth (then they are killed) - 1260 days.

 

Once the AC speaks against God and goes after the saints and changes the times of the Lord's Feasts and changes the laws - he has exactly a time and times and the dividing of time to do these things - 1260 days

 

Once the "the power of the holy people has been completely shattered" (New King James Version) - "all these things shall be finished" -  this will take exactly a time, times and half a time - 1260 days.

 

Once the Jewish people have fled to the wilderness, they nourished for exactly a time and times and half a time - 1260 days.

 

Once the daily (sacrifice?) is taken away - and the abomination of desolation happens - there is exactly one thousand two hundred and ninety days - 1290 days. Luke tells us that this abomination of desolation is the surrounding of Jerusalem by armies - so when people see Jerusalem surrounded by armies - start counting!  Jerusalem is taken by the AC and the Gentiles and 'trodden down' for 1260 days.  So the daily is stopped thirty days then before the AC takes Jerusalem.....?  When the daily is stopped - thirty days could be counted to the surrounding of Jerusalem by armies.  The people could then prepare to flee.  Just a thought.

 

Then we have the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days count - 1335.  It fits in the timeline somewhere.  An extra 75 days.  ??

 

This is why I believe the Jewish people and "saints" of the Tribulation Period will need the day counts - they will be watching for the end of these 'occurrences' - that will point them to God's final Feasts - I think most everyone will know of these day counts at some point - it will give some of them hope - knowing there is an end to the tribulations/God's judgments.  It is important that "all things be finished" as the Lord has planned.  And the Lord's Feasts will be fulfilled on the exact day the Lord has appointed - they are prophetic days on His timeline.   And people during the Tribulation Period will be able to count to His final Feasts.  In spite of the Antichrist trying to confuse the days of the Lord's appointed/prophetic Feasts.

 

Everything will will start and end on His specific days - His timeline.

 

Just some thoughts for now....

 

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

 

Maranatha!

 

Chance