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Bible Study Time, Times, and the Dividing of Time

Lewis

Member
Have studied this subject over the years, and I would like to hear from you guy's on this subject. Because there are different views, on this subject.

What does, Time, Times, and the Dividing of Time mean? In Daniel 7:25. Post you answer.
 
Lewis W said:
Have studied this subject over the years, and I would like to hear from you guy's on this subject. Because there are different views, on this subject.

What does, Time, Times, and the Dividing of Time mean? In Daniel 7:25. Post you answer.

  • NKJ: Daniel 7:25. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.[/*:m:ac59d]

I believe that verse is talking about the last 3 1/2 years of the 7 years known as Jacob's trouble or 70th week. The last 3 1/2 years is also called "great tribulation" (Matt. 24:21)

  • Daniel 9:27. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. and on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.''[/*:m:ac59d]

  • Matthew 24:15. "Therefore when you see the `abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place'' (whoever reads, let him understand)[/*:m:ac59d]

  • Mark 13: 14. "But when you see the `abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not'' (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.[/*:m:ac59d]

  • Matthew 24:21. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.[/*:m:ac59d]
 
How many hold to this view ?

Time, Times, and Half a Time?

One of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted time periods to be found in scripture is the time, times and half a time which is mentioned in Daniel and Revelation:

Dan 7:25 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 into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Dan 12:7 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.

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

The word time in this context refers to a period of a year. In the story of King Nebuchadnezzar, because of his pride, he went crazy for seven years and ate grass as an ox-

Dan 4:32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

So on a literal level, time, times and half a time means time (1 year), times (2 years) and half a time (1/2 year) or 3 1/2 years. Most people who study Bible prophecy stop at this point and accept the 3 1/2 years only at face value. The period that this is generally attributed to by most people, is the last half of the 70th week of Daniel and the reign of the AntiChrist, which is proposed to be fulfilled at some time in the future.

A Day Equals One Year

The 70 week prophecy of Daniel 9:24, however, establishes a principle related to prophetic time that few completely understand. Virtually everyone acknowledges that the 70 weeks are not literally 70 weeks, but rather 70 weeks of years, or 490 years. The principle is that in Bible prophecy, you must substitute a period of a year in place of a day. This is the day=year principle. This equation is clearly established in scripture-

Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

In this verse, a relationship between day and year is clear, each day will equate to a literal year. For the forty days that Israel spied in Canaan in unbelief, they would be punished by wandering forty years in the desert.

Ezek 4:6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

Here again, the equation is stated quite openly, a prophetic day represents a literal year. So to return to the 70 weeks of Daniel, you must first determine the number of days represented. Seventy weeks is 70 x 7 or 490 days, which will then equate to a literal 490 years in the fulfillment of the prophecy.

The Lunar Calendar

So now to apply this formula to the 3 1/2 times we must first establish just exactly how many days this represents. The Jews did not use a solar calendar as we do today, they used instead a lunar calendar, as indicated in Psalms-

Psa 104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

The length of the lunar month can be determined from Genesis-

Gen 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Gen 7:24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

Gen 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

Note that the there were exactly 5 months from the point where the flood began and the ark came to rest on Ararat, and that this was a period of 150 days. This demonstrates that the lunar calendar set forth in the Bible has a 30 day month, therefore the year is counted as 360 days. (This 360 day lunar year also accounts for the reason that there are 360 degrees in the compass).

The 1260 Days

Returning to the 3 1/2 times, which we now know represents 3 1/2 lunar years of 360 days each, using the same methodology as is used for the 70 weeks of Daniel we calculate it to actually represent 1260 literal years. So, Time, Times and half a Time in prophecy is really 1260 years! To confirm this formula we need only to look to the 12th chapter of the book of Revelation-

Rev 12:6 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.

Here the woman represents the faithful church, who flees into the wilderness for 1260 days. Again using the day=year formula, this actually speaks of 1260 years that the church would be persecuted. Now look at this next verse from the same chapter-

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

Here the exact same time of persecution is referred to as 3 1/2 times, again meaning the same period of 1260 days/years as found in verse 6. In the book of Daniel, this exact same period of persecution in church history is found-

Dan 7:25 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 into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

This verse in context is referring to a period of time that the little horn or AntiChrist will persecute the true believers or true church, again for 1260 years. The same is true for this next verse-

Dan 12:7 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.

The Two Witnesses

The exact same 1260 years is found in Revelation chapter 11-

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

The commonly accepted interpretation of the verse is that the two witnesses are real prophets, perhaps Moses and Elijah. When you understand that the time period does not represent 1260 literal days, but rather 1260 years, it can be seen that it cannot be referring to real people as witnesses. One clue is in the next verse-

Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

The two witnesses are also called two olive trees standing before God. This links us to-

Zec 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Zec 4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Zec 4:4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

Zechariah sees a candlestick and two olive trees and asks what they are. Note the answer-

Zec 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

The candlestick and two olive trees are the word of the Lord! So the language used in Revelation 11:4 is prophetic and symbolic, the two witnesses actually representing the word of God, the Old and New Testament, that would "prophesy in sackcloth" or be suppressed during the very same 1260 years of persecution we are considering.

The 42 Months

This same period of persecution is found in the following verses-

Rev 11:2 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.

Again as in Rev 12, we have a strong relationship between this 42 months of verse 2 and the 1260 days of Rev 11: 3. Forty two months calculates as 42 x 30 (30 days in a lunar month) which equals 1260 days/years. This verse is saying that the Gentiles or unbelievers would trample the people of God (the holy city) for 1260 years. Again this same time period of 42 months is found in Revelation 13-

Rev 13:5 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.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

This passage speaks of the great and terrible beast from the sea, which actually is the same as the little horn of Daniel, which is to say the AntiChrist power that would persecute the people of God for 1260 years.

So, here is a complete listing of the passages that deal with the same 1260 year time period of persecution-

* 3 1/2 Times - Rev 12:14, Dan 7:25, Dan 12:7
* 1260 days - Rev 11:3, Rev 12:6
* 42 Months - Rev 11:2, Rev 13:5

If you know much about what is called the Dark Ages, then you probably know who this persecuting power is already. So now, to find out exactly when this 1260 years is fulfilled, and the real identity of the little horn and beast from the sea in Revelation that persecuted God's people for those 1260 years, please continue to:
The Red Dragon and Rome.
 
Re: How many hold to this view ?

Lewis W said:
Time, Times, and Half a Time?

The Two Witnesses

The exact same 1260 years is found in Revelation chapter 11-

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

The commonly accepted interpretation of the verse is that the two witnesses are real prophets, perhaps Moses and Elijah. When you understand that the time period does not represent 1260 literal days, but rather 1260 years, it can be seen that it cannot be referring to real people as witnesses. One clue is in the next verse-

Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

The two witnesses are also called two olive trees standing before God. This links us to-

Zec 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:
Zec 4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Zec 4:4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

Zechariah sees a candlestick and two olive trees and asks what they are. Note the answer-

Zec 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

The candlestick and two olive trees are the word of the Lord! So the language used in Revelation 11:4 is prophetic and symbolic, the two witnesses actually representing the word of God, the Old and New Testament, that would "prophesy in sackcloth" or be suppressed during the very same 1260 years of persecution we are considering.

not only do i agree with this view, but i would like to add something to it that will establish it even more, in the above quote you mentioned that "The candlestick and two olive trees are the word of the Lord", if you study even deeper you will see that the two witnesses also represent in some way, the power and/or spirit of moses and elijah, and also they are two churches, the fact that they represent moses and elijah is obvious, but the fact that they are two churches is simply hidden in plain sight and therefore overlooked, but i would like to direct your attention to rev 1, there in several verses, Jesus is telling john in plain language what some of the things he see's in the vision are, so lets look at what he says that candlesticks are:

"and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches" rev1:20

now look at one of the things that he says the two witnesses are:

Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

so now it can be seen that the two witnesses are also two churches, now comes the question, "but why are there only two of them"?

to answer this, a carefull study of chapters 2 & 3 will reveal that he was not pleased with 5 of them and that only leaves two,

i have studied this subject long and hard, and i have prayed for understanding, and not only have i come up with all the same conclusions that you have, but also even more to establish it, some of which i have presented here in this post, and still there is more,

God bless
 
What does, Time, Times, and the Dividing of Time mean?



3 1/2 years


time = 1 year

times = 2 years

1/2 time = 1/2 year


verify: KJV


rev. 11:3 -- 1260 days (3 1/2 years) -- two witnesses prophecy.

the two witnesses lay dead in the streets of Jerusalem for 3 1/2 days (vs. 9).



rev. 12:14 -- time, times, half a time -- the church is protected by JESUS during these last 3 1/2 years.
 
Bob10 said:
What does, Time, Times, and the Dividing of Time mean?

3 1/2 years

time = 1 year

times = 2 years

1/2 time = 1/2 year

verify: KJV

rev. 11:3 -- 1260 days (3 1/2 years) -- two witnesses prophecy.

the two witnesses lay dead in the streets of Jerusalem for 3 1/2 days (vs. 9).

rev. 12:14 -- time, times, half a time -- the church is protected by JESUS during these last 3 1/2 years.



Is it not written that Jesus Christ Himself has "shortened" the time to FIVE MONTHS or else no flesh would be saved during the time of the tribulation of the anti-christ, the instead of christ, satan , the devil, that dragon Revelation 12:9.
Let's see what is written with regards to that time.

Mark 13:20
" And EXCEPT THAT THE LORD HAD SHORTENED THOSE DAYS, no flesh should be saved; but for the elects's sake ( those from mark 13:11),
who He hath chosen, HE HATH SHORTENED THE DAYS. "



Revelation 9:5
" And to them [ them being the ani-christ & his fallen angels] it was given that they should not kill them [ them here being God's elect Revelation 9:4], but that they should be tormented FIVE MONTHS. ......."


Revelation 9:10
" And they [ they being the fallen angels as they pretend to be angels of the God, but their fakes] had tails like unto scorpians, and there were stings in their tails; and their power was to hurt men FIVE MONTHS. "



They are going to "sting", and "hurt" those with their deception & lies upon those men which have NOT the seal of God IN their foreheads, meaning if people do not know God's Truth in their monds by this time, they will be deceived during the tribulation of anti-christ and the fallen angels. These fallen angels accompany the anti-christ, the instead of christ, the false messiah, the spurious messiah, satan, that old serpent, the devil [ Revelation 12:9 IT IS WRITTEN ".. and his angels were cast out with him"; cast out of where ? uhhhh Heaven, Revelation 12:7, there was a war there, Micheal boots them out and down to the earth.. remember Isaiah 14:12 " how are thou FALLEN O' lucifer ?, son of the morning"; well we know how, Micheal kicks him down to the ground, which is to say the earth. We know that that lucifer means bright morning star in the Hebrew; therefore there are two, but one is a FAKE, that being satan, which comes BEFORE the true Morning Star, which is Jesus Christ. You remember reading that which was written in Isaiah 14:13 & II Thessalonians 2:4, satan comes at the sixth trump playing Jesus Christ, we see in the above verses that the time has been shortened to FIVE MONTHS ! It is written in Revelation 12:12 that satan "knows" that he has a short time to play the role of anti-christ, the beast, the dragon, they are all devil. He will have FIVE MONTHS !

Abiyah

Abiyah
 
Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

This is how it was learned, what those prophetic years were.
 
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

so now it can be seen that the two witnesses are also two churches, now comes the question, "but why are there only two of them"?

to answer this, a carefull study of chapters 2 & 3 will reveal that he was not pleased with 5 of them and that only leaves two,

You are so right.
 
I think all these times of "3 1/2" go back to the thing Jesus was drawing attention to in Matthew 24:15 "Daniel (let the reader understand)"

In Daniel there is a key passage that uses this concept:

Daniel 9:25 "Know therefore and understand..."

It speaks of a final 7 that will be marked by an abomination in the middle of it.

All these 1260s, (1290, 1335), 42 months and time, times and halfa time (3 1/2) spring from this point.

That is the context whether I like it or not.

"time, times and half a time" is repeated in ths context and that of these other numbers.
 
Lewis W said:
Num 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

This is how it was learned, what those prophetic years were.

*********
Very good! Mr. Lewis. :fadein:
Check out Ezekiel 4:6 as well.
What comes next??

---John
 
Ezekiel 4:6 (King James Version)

6And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

Yup I had forgot about that one.
 
Hi, John here: The subject has got to be studied in the full context! Bible Light (if it does this?) most likely has the correct understanding. The chapter numbers & verses of Daniel 8 & 9 need to be studied together without the arm of flesh messing up the content! :wink:

Daniel 9 starting with verse 21: (you can read the first part :wink:)

[21] Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

[22] And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

[23] At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.

Daniel was troubled about the earlier vision, and non understood it, huh?
Daniel 8:26-27. Remember 'it shall be for many days' & 'fainted'. Below stretches into the 2300 day = year!

[24] Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.

It surely seems that this brings in the work that is done on the other side of the Heavenly Sanctuary of the Holy Place with the curtain that 'was rent from top to bottom' at Christ's death. Galatians 3:19 (not Moses stuff) It also seems that most any one today in hindsight could locate from the 69th through the 70th [one] week (or seven years) that Christ was executed by His own, in the 'midst of the week'? Also His anointing of the Father for this work, with its ending for the Matthew 23:38 verse (or Closed Door of Matthew 25:10) And a New Church fold being started. See Revelation 2:5

[25] Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

[26] And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Both 'Midnight Cry' & 70AD slaughter of Ezekiel 9. (remember! The END is stated to be cut short, the next time!)

[27] And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

I got to run! Will get back to your thoughts if any one wants me to?? --J/t/B


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Time, times and half [Or the dividing of] a time

Hi guys,

It seems most everyone is in agreement as to the subject meaning 3.5 years. The following is nothing more than another take of it:

The terms found in the OT and NT referring to specific lengths of time in future events require careful consideration, so as to avoid fantastic speculations. The first occurrance of a reference to a period of three and one half years in the prophetic future is the expression "time, times and the dividing of time [KJV] found in Dan.7:25. It is also in Dan.12:7 and Rev.12:14. This is the same length of time, as one half of the final seven year period [Dan.9:27], and is likewise the period of time expressed in the term 'Fourty and two months" [Rev.11:2; 13:5, or "a thousand two hundred and threecore days." [Rev.12:6]. [From the Scofield Bible].

As for the two witnesses in Rev.11, the powers that will be attributed to them are identicle to those of Moses and Elijah. That some see them as two churches is non-scriptural. Also, reference to 1,260 days in Rev.11:3, specifies the first half of the seven years of tribulation [Not years as some believe, which is also totally non-scriptural], with the Antichrist given authority to continue, for the final half of the seven years of the tribulation, in Rev.13:5, for fourty two months.

As for the 1,290 days and the 1,335 days; the 1,290 days refers to the time the Antichrist takes away the daily sacrifice, in the middle of the 'week,' i.e., 3.5 years after the beginning of the tribulation, until the end of the tribulation and the cleaning out the temple of God from the abomination of desolation, in Dan.12:11.

The 1,335 days is also from the Antichrist taking away the daily sacrifice, in the middle of the 'week,' i.e., 3.5 years after the beginning of the tribulation, until Christ sets up His kingdom on earth, to receive the full blessings of Dan.12:12.

Blessings,

Quasar

Blessings,

Quasar
 
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