Tag: Time times and a half

Overview 

The “time, times, and a half” appears seven times in five different chapters of Daniel and Revelation:

• • • Three times as “a time, times, and a half,”
    • Twice as 42 months, and
    • Twice as 1260 days.

It is, therefore, a very important period. Unless this period is correctly interpreted, the prophecies cannot be understood. [Show More]

The purpose of this article is to identify this period. It firstly shows that the “time, times, and a half,” 42 months, and 1260 days are the same period. For example, Revelation 12:6 and 14 describe the same event, but one verse describes it as 1260 days and the other as “a time and times and half a time.” 

It secondly shows that this period is not the End Time but always precedes the End Time. It shows that, after the 3½ times:

The woman (God’s people) will be released from the wilderness of obscurity in which she was held during the 3½ times (Rev 12:16-17). At that time, Daniel’s prophecies would be unsealed, studied, and understood (Dan 12:4, 9).

But then will follow the final end-time war (Rev 12:17). The False Prophet will convince the people to create an Image of the Beast, which will persecute all who do not have the Beast’s mark (Rev 13:15-18).

God’s message will be killed and remain dead (incapacitated) for 3½ days, but God will revive His messengers (Rev 11:7-11).

This article thirdly shows that the 3½ times it is a symbolic period and not literally 1260 days:

The apocalyptic time prophecies, literally interpreted, allow too little time for what must happen. 

Since the 3½ times are found in prophecies that cover vast periods, it should also be a long period.

Revelation is a book of symbols. All numbers in Revelation are symbols, and the context in which the 3½ times are found is also symbolic. For example, a woman hides in the wilderness from a dragon for 1260 days (Rev 12:6, 14).

The Reformers interpreted a day in apocalyptic prophecies as a literal year. This would mean that the 1260 days symbolize 1260 years. This article defends this view as follows:

The Old Testament, outside the prophecies, associates days and years and uses days for years many times. A very important example was that the Jews had both a weekly cycle of seven days and an annual cycle of seven years. Both the seventh day and the seventh year was a Sabbath of “solemn rest.”

Daniel 9 promises 70 weeks, and this article shows that “weeks” is the right translation, but all commentators interpret this as 70 x 7 years, proving the day-year principle in apocalyptic prophecies.

God applied the year-day principle. He sentenced Israel to wander in the wilderness for one year for every day of disobedience.

The question is, where do we locate the 1260 Years in history?

Since it is the period of the 11th horn of the fourth animal (Dan 7:25), it began when that horn came into existence. Since the fourth animal symbolizes the Roman Empire (see here), the 11th horn is one of the parts into which the Empire fragmented in the fifth to eighth centuries. That was when the 1260 days began.

Specifically, the 11th horn came up when it uprooted three of the other horns (Dan 7:8). That was in the mid-sixth century when the Eastern Emperor Justinian defeated and subjected three of the Arian nations in the West to liberate the Church of the Roman Empire from Arian domination. (Read article)

1260 years later bring us to the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century, a decisive turning point in the history of Europe and the Western World.

Therefore, if we define the Middle Ages as the period between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the modern era of religious freedom in the West, the time, times, and a half symbolizes the Middle Ages.

The Same Period

That these three periods are the same period is confirmed as follows:

These two verses are very similar. In both, the woman (God’s people) has to hide from the Dragon (Satan’s forces) in the wilderness (difficult circumstances). However, while one verse describes the wilderness period as 1260 days, the other describes it as “a time and times and half a time.” [Show More]

These verses state that God’s two witnesses (God’s word) will prophesy in sackcloth (the same as the wilderness – obscurity, poverty) for 1260 days because the nations will trample the holy city (God’s people – Rev 21:2, 9-10) for 42 months.  Both the proximity and the relationship between the two periods imply that they are the same.

In all seven instances, God’s people and God’s Word are trampled. [Show More]

Based on the strong allusions in Revelation 13:1-2 to Daniel 7, a previous article concluded that Revelation’s Sea Beast is the same as the 11th horn in Daniel 7. (Read Article) However, while the 11th horn reigns for a time, times, and a half (Dan 7:25), the Beast has authority for 42 months (Rev 13:5). This confirms that these periods are the same.

In the Jewish calendar, where months were determined by the moon cycle, a typical month had 30 days. Using 30 days per month, the 42 months are equal to 42×30=1260 days. That is also numerically equal to the “time, times, and a half” because 3½ times or years are equal to 3.5×12=42 months. [Show More]

Conclusions:

(1) The three periods are the same, but while the 1260 days always describe what God’s people are doing during this period (Rev. 12:6; 11:3), the 42 months describe what the Beast-power is doing (Rev 11:2; 13:5).

(2) The five instances in Revelation are all based on the time prophecy in Daniel 7:25 (cf. Dan 12:7) and, therefore, should be studied together.

Not the End Time

It is often thought that the “time, times, and a half” is the End Time. By briefly describing each of the instances, this section shows that it is not. It always precedes the End Time:

Daniel 7

Since that 4th beast in Daniel 7 symbolizes the Roman Empire (read article), the 11 horns that grow out of it are the kingdoms into which the Roman Empire fragmented in the fifth to eighth centuries. Since the 3½ times (the time, times, and a half) is the period of the 11th horn (Dan 7:25), that period began in those centuries. [Show More]

Daniel 12

The “time, times, and a half” is next mentioned in Daniel 12, which also refers to the “time of the end” (the End Time) when Daniel’s prophecies would be unsealed, studied, and understood (Dan 12:4, 9). In other words, the End Time is a period of time and not a point in time. The final activities of the king of the north will also be in the “time of the end” (Dan 11:40).

When asked when this would be (Dan 12:6), “the man” said it would be after ”a time, times, and half a time” (Dan 12:7). In other words, the ”time, times, and half a time” is the period between the time of the prophet and the End Time.

Revelation 11

In this chapter, the 42 months or 1260 days (Rev 11:2-3), which is the same as the 3½ times, are followed by 3½ days when God’s two witnesses (God’s word) will be dead (Rev 11:7-10). During the 1260 days, they witnessed in sackcloth (poverty & obscurity), but in the subsequent 3½ days, God’s message is completely dead (incapacitated). After the 3½ days, God will revive His two witnesses. They will stand on their feet, “and great fear fell upon those who were watching them” (Rev 11:11). This is not Christ’s return because the people now fear the two witnesses; not Christ (cf. Rev 6:17). In other words, the death and resurrection of the two witnesses describe the end-time events, and the 1260 days precede those events.

Revelation 12

This chapter is perhaps the clearest proof that the “time, times, and a half” do not extend to the end of the age:

While the dragon (Satan’s forces) tries to flood away the woman (God’s people), she hides in the wilderness (poverty, obscurity) for “a time, times, and a half” (Rev 12:14-15).

But the earth helps the woman by drinking up the flood (Rev 12:16-17), forcing the dragon to go away and allowing the woman to come out of the wilderness.

The dragon then prepares for war against the remnant of the Woman’s children (Rev 12:17; 13:1, 11), when the Mark of the Beast will be put on people (Rev 13:16-18). 

Revelation 13

Since Revelation 13 is an expansion of Revelation 12, and since Revelation 12 makes clear that this period is not the End Time, Revelation 12 must guide how we read Revelation 13.

Furthermore, Revelation 13:11-18 describes the end-time war. In it, the Image of the Beast, which was formed by the people at the behest of the False Prophet – the Land Beast, persecutes God’s people. The Sea Beast is only indirectly involved in the end-time war (Rev 13:11-12). Since the 42 months (Rev 13:5) are part of the earlier description of the Sea Beast (Rev 13:1-8) and not mentioned in the description of this end-time war, it is not related to the End Time. [Show More]

It may seem as if the 42 months in Revelation 13:5 describe the end-time crisis because it is mentioned after the dragon’s final war against the remnant of the woman’s seed (Rev 12:17). However, 13:1-7 is the introduction of the Sea Beast. Such introductions jump back in time to explain the past history of the new character. [Show More]

It may also seem as if the 42 months in 13:5 describe the end-time crisis because it is mentioned after the healing of the Beast’s fatal wound (Rev 13:3-4). However, Revelation does not describe events in strict chronological sequence. This is clear from the fact that the “time, times, and a half” were already mentioned in 12:6 and 14.

The word links in the text give us a sense of the chronological sequence. Verse 2, which precedes the fatal wound, describes what the Dragon gave the Beast, and verses 5-7, including the mention of the 42 months, elaborate on those gifts. Therefore, the 42 months belong chronologically with verse 2; before the fatal wound. [Show More]

Symbolic

So far, this article explained that the three periods are the same and that they do not reflect the End Time but precede the End Time. This section shows that it is a symbolic period and not literally 1260 days.

3½ years is too short.

The “time, times, and half a time” is a period when God’s people will be persecuted. Given the centuries of severe persecution, in which the Church killed millions of God’s people, many burnt to death, a persecution of 3½ literal years seems inconsequential. (Read article)

There are many other apocalyptic time prophecies in Daniel and Revelation and some of them are also clearly too short (literally interpreted) for their purposes. For example, the ten horns are ten kings who will rule for “one hour” (Rev 17:12). In that hour, they will destroy Babylon (Rev 17:16; 18:9, 17, 19). The insufficient time allowed, literally interpreted, means that all of the apocalyptic time prophecies, including the 3½ times, are symbolic for much longer periods. [Show More]

The prophecies in which the time, times, and half a time are found cover the time from the prophet Daniel, before the time of Christ, to the end of the world. These prophecies outline the rise and fall of the major powers that were to rule the Near Eastern and Mediterranean areas. The 3½ times do not cover the whole time. However, since the 3½ times are part of prophecies that cover vast periods, the 3½ times should also be a long period, a much longer period than merely 3½ literal years. [Show More]

While the apocalyptic prophecies in Daniel and Revelation cover much longer periods than the other (classical) prophecies in the Bible, the time periods in the apocalyptic prophecies, literally interpreted, are much shorter than in the classical prophecies. [Show More]

It is a Symbolic Period.

While some argue that the period is 1260 literal days, this section shows that the 3½ times, 42 months, or 1260 days are symbols.

This is explicitly affirmed by the first verse, which says that God gave Jesus this revelation to ‘signify’ (esêmanen– the KJV translates this one right) the things that must soon take place (Rev 1:1).

For example:

Two means truth.
Four symbolizes the whole world.
Twelve represents God’s people.
Seven means ‘always.’ [Show More]

The contexts within which these time prophecies are found are symbolic, describing the symbolic activities of symbolic persons. For example:

The 11th horn of the fourth animal in Daniel 7 reigns for a “time, times, and a half” (Dan 7:25).

The Holy City is trodden underfoot for 42 months (Rev 11:2).

The Woman hides in the wilderness from a dragon for 1260 days (Rev 12:6,14).

A Sea Beast persecutes God’s people for 42 months (Rev 13:5).

Since the ‘persons’ and their actions are symbolic, the time periods of those actions must also be symbolic. [Show More]

Units of Time – All classical time prophecies are expressed in years. None of the apocalyptic prophecies are expressed in years but in unusual time units, such as “times” (Dan 7:25) and “evening-mornings” (Dan 8:14). The Bible does not elsewhere measure time in such units. The unusual units in the apocalyptic time prophecies imply that they are symbolic.

Numbers of Time – Furthermore, some of those periods are unusually numbered. It was not normal to count time as 70 weeks (Dan 9:24), 42 months (Rev 13:5), or 1260 days (Rev 12:6). These unusual units and numbers seem to be intentionally chosen to indicate that the time prophecies are symbolic.

The historical parts of the Book of Daniel never use the term “days” for literal days. It always uses that term figuratively. Sometimes, it seems to use the term as equivalent to ‘years.’ For example, Daniel and his friends appear before the king “at the end of the days,” meaning at the end of their schooling of three years (Dan 1:5, 18). [Show More]

In other instances, the historical parts of Daniel use the term “days” less specifically for ‘time.’ For example, the “days” of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 5:11) could probably be understood as Nebuchadnezzar’s time, more than 50 years earlier. [Show More]

A Year for a Day

If the period is symbolic, the question becomes how to interpret it. The Reformers, including Martin Luther and John Calvin, interpreted a day in apocalyptic prophecies as a literal year. This would mean that the “time, times, and a half,” which is the same as the 1260 days, symbolizes a period of 1260 years. This section defends this approach. It shows that the idea that a day stands for a year was not limited to the apocalyptic prophecies but was but was ingrained in the Jewish thought pattern:

The parallelism of the OT poetic literature associates days and years. For example:

Are thy days as the days of man,
or thy years as man’s years? (Job 10:5)

Remember the days of old,
consider the years of many generations. (Deut 32:7) [Show More]

In these examples, “days” and “years” refer to the same periods. “Days” are always mentioned first and then “years.” Therefore, the relationship between days and years did not suddenly appear in the apocalyptic prophecies but was ingrained in the Jewish thought pattern. An ancient Semite, whose mind was steeped in this parallelism, would intuitively have made an association with “years” when he hears the word “day,” especially in symbolic passages where literal days do not make logical sense.

In the historical passages of the Old Testament, the word “days” (plural) is sometimes used for a year. For example, the term “from days to days” is translated as “from year to year” (Exodus 13:10; 1 Samuel 2:19). [Show More]

In discussing the ages of people, days and years were used as synonyms. For example, in the genealogy in Genesis 5, it is said ten times: “All the days of X were so many years, and he died.” [Show More]

The Jews had both a weekly cycle of seven days and an annual cycle of seven years. Both the seventh day and the seventh year would be a Sabbath of “solemn rest” (Lev 23:3; 25:4, 5). Six days of labor were followed by the seventh Sabbath day of rest for the people, and six years of farming were followed by a seventh Sabbath year of rest for the land. [Show More]

So, the Sabbath year is modeled from the Sabbath day. While the word “Sabbath” is used for certain days, it is here used for certain years, indicating a strong relationship between days and years. [Show More]

In 70 weeks, Jerusalem and the temple must be rebuilt, and the Messiah appear and be “cut off” (Dan 9:24-27). Commentators agree that this could not have happened in 70 literal weeks (a bit more than one year). So, the 70 weeks stand for a longer period of time. Commentators agree that the 70×7=490 days must be interpreted as 490 years, proving the day-year principle in apocalyptic prophecies.

Some argue that the word translated as weeks (shabua) should be translated as “sevens” and means groups of seven years. If that is the meaning, the year-for-a-day principle is not required. However, although shabua is derived from the Hebrew word for ‘seven,’ it is always used for a period of seven days (a week). Therefore, the year-day principle is required to convert the 70 weeks into 490 years. [Show More]

Daniel 10:2-3, using the term shabua to refer to a period of three weeks, qualifies it by adding “of days.” Some argue that this should be translated as “weeks of days,” implying that Daniel 9:24 should be understood to mean ‘weeks of years.’ However, the addition of “of days” does not change the meaning. It simply emphasizes that these are complete weeks. [Show More]

Usages elsewhere in Daniel, the OT, extrabiblical Hebrew, and Semitic languages all indicate that this word should be translated as “weeks.” [Show More]

The Israelite spies explored Canaan for 40 days. Most of the spies reported that the people were strong, advising the Israelites not to invade. Contrary to God’s will, the Israelites accepted the majority report. Consequently, God sentenced them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years: “For every day a year, you shall bear your iniquity, forty years” (Numbers 14:34). That would have entrenched a strong year-for-a-day thinking in the nation of Israel.

God also applied the year-day principle in reverse by commanding the prophet to lie on one side for 390 days and then on the other side for 40 days, one day for each year of Israel’s rebellion (Ezek 4:5-6). [Show More]

Thus, the “day-year” principle is used in different ways. The application in apocalyptic prophecies is one variation on a general theme, reflecting the equivalence of days and years in Jewish thought.

He spoke about days and said that His goal would be reached on the third day. But He linked the days to His death, implying that he would die on the third day, meaning that He would die in the third year:

Luke 13:31 Some Pharisees approached, saying: “Go away, leave here, for Herod wants to kill You.”

32 And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.’

33 “Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.

Conclusions

(1) This closely parallel use of days and years prepared the ancient Semite, whose mind was steeped in this parallelistic type of thought, to intuitively associate the days of chronological prophecies with calendar years, especially in symbolic passages where literal days do not make logical sense (Shea, 67-69).

(2) The year-day principle was not applied to apocalyptic prophecies in the first centuries of the Church Age. Not until enough centuries had passed to make such long ages of prophecy comprehensible were the longer prophecies of 1260 and 2300 days understood as years.

The Middle Ages

The question is, where do we locate the “time, times, and a half” in history?

Since it is the period of the 11th horn of the fourth animal (Dan 7:25), it began when that horn came into existence.

Since the fourth animal symbolizes the Roman Empire (see here), the 11th horn is one of the parts into which the Empire fragmented in the fifth to eighth centuries. Therefore the 1260 days began at that time.

The consensus among the Reformers was that the 11th horn is the Church of the Roman Empire (the Roman Church). [Show More]

The Reformers agreed that the 1260 days (years) began in the eighth century when the Roman Church received its own territory and was able to rule itself. Thus, the period should extend to about 2016. [Show More]

In spite of its one-time predominance, the 2016 prediction was largely forgotten, and no major Protestant denomination currently subscribes to this timeline.

In Daniel, the 11th horn came up when it uprooted three of the other horns (Dan 7:8). That was in the mid-sixth century when the Eastern Emperor Justinian, in wars that stretched over 20 years (533-553), defeated and subjected three of the Arian nations in the West to liberate the Church of the Roman Empire from Arian domination. (Read article) Therefore, the view proposed in this article is that the “time, times, and a half” began in the mid-sixth century. 

1260 literal years later would bring us to the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century, a decisive turning point in the history of Europe and the Western World. It included the successes of French general Napoleon Bonaparte, specifically, the capture of Pope Pius VI by General Louis Alexandre Berthier in 1798. The French Revolution gave the Western World the concept of religious liberty. After that, the Roman Church was never again able to dominate the Western World as it did during the Middle Ages. Therefore, if we define the Middle Ages as the period between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the modern era of religious freedom in the West, the time, times, and a half symbolize the Middle Ages.

Although we are able to find precise events in history when the period began and ended, the changes were not sudden. Certain key events in history functioned as catalysts for change, but the change occurred over many decades and even centuries.

Other Views

An Abstract Principle

It was argued above that the “time, times, and a half” is symbolic for a specific period in history. Many others agree that the period is symbolic but argue that it does not symbolize a specific literal period in history but an abstract principle, just like the number 12 does not represent a specific quantity but symbolizes God’s people. Such commentators may argue that the “time, times, and a half” represents trial, spiritual toil, pilgrimage, and persecution. On this basis, many past commentators have identified this period as the whole Christian age. [Show More]

However, firstly, since the “time, times, and half a time” is the period of a specific institution – the 11th evil horn of Daniel 7:25 – it does not represent the entire Church Age. [Show More]

Secondly, for a number to have a specific theological meaning, it must be used as such outside the prophecies. For example, 12 symbolizes God’s people. This meaning is based on usages outside Revelation. For example, the number 12 is based on the 12 tribes of Israel and Jesus’ 12 disciples. But the “time, times, and a half,” 42 months, and 1260 are not used outside the prophecies. Therefore, they do not have a specific theological meaning. [Show More]

No one knows

Others argued that since Jesus said that no one knows when He will return, no one knows the meaning of the 3½ times. This argument assumes that the 3½ times relate to Christ’s return but this article has shown that it does not.

3½ Literal Years

The Reformers identified Daniel’s evil horn as the Papacy and claimed that the 1260 days signify the many centuries of Papal rule. To counter that accusation, the Roman Church advanced the idea that it is a literal period of 3½ years. They then argued that the Pope has reigned for a thousand years and, therefore, cannot be the Antichrist. Today, Preterists and Futurists still interpret the 3½ times as a literal 3½ years. [Show More]

Daniel 9

Some commentators explain the 3½ times as the last half of the last seven years (the 70th week) of Daniel 9. However, Daniel 9 has nothing to do with the other prophecies in Daniel. While the other prophecies deal with all nations and all time, Daniel 9 focuses on Israel and the additional 490 years allocated to her. (Read article) [Show More]

Conclusions

The prophecies were given by God, but the prophets did not fully understand them fully. Only with the hindsight of history are we able to understand the prophecies in ways that were impossible for the prophets:

John 14:29 “Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.

Dan 12:8 As for me (Daniel), I heard but could not understand, so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.

In the Preterist and Futurist views, for almost the whole Christian Age, God did not provide any prophecy. After this lengthy vacuum, Futurists propose that God provided a prophecy only for the last seven years of Earth’s history.

In the historical school, as reflected in this article, the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation provide a divinely inspired, descriptive overview of some of the most significant events of the Church Age. Consequently, the time prophecies signify much longer periods than a purely literal interpretation would allow.

Other Articles

• • • All articles on this website
    • The Book of Daniel
    • The Book of Revelation
    • Origin of the Trinity Doctrine 
    • Is Jesus the Most High God?
    • Trinity Doctrine – General
    • The Origin of Evil
    • Death, Eternal Life, and Eternal Torment

FOOTNOTES

• 1
  (Gifford, George. c.1548-1600, Sermons upon the whole book of the Revelation by George Giffard, Preacher of the Word at Mauldin in Essex. Richard Field and Felix Kinston, 1599. p. 189-190.)