In our possible scenario for the Tribulation, the 1260 days of the two witnesses prophesying (Rev. 11:3) will end on Wednesday, Nisan 14, or April 17, 2030, when the Antichrist kills them. Nisan 14 is the biblical Passover. It is thought that the Antichrist and the false prophet (with the help of Satan) will be able to summon a beast from the bottomless pit to overcome and kill the two witnesses. “When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them” (Revelation 11:7). He will be able to kill the two witnesses on this day as their God-ordained 1260-day ministry has ended. The killing of these two powerful prophets by the A.C. will convince many people to worship him as a God.
TIME, TIMES, AND HALF A TIME
Three and a half days later, the Feast of Firstfruits will occur, where the ritual of waving the barley sheaf of Leviticus 23:11 occurs. The date on the Jewish calendar is Nisan 18, and the date on the Gregorian calendar is April 21, 2030. The rabbinic Jews believe the date for the wave sheaf offering should always be on Nisan 16, but this is not biblical. Firstfruits does not have a date until Nisan 1 is established and comes on the Sunday (the day after the weekly Sabbath) after Passover. See Shavuot, Pentecost, and the Rapture:: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready for more information. Of course, we know Jesus was resurrected on a Feast of Firstfruits.
The Antichrist will fulfill the prophecy of Daniel 9:27 at this time. “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.” It is in “the midst of the week” (the week is seven years as calculated by the Jewish calendar) when the A.C. enters the newly built third temple in Jerusalem, stops the sacrifices, and commits the abomination of desolation as described by Jesus in Matthew 24:15. This horrific event for the Jews occurs on day 1,279 of the seven-year, 2569 day Tribulation, which is “in the midst” of Daniel’s 70th seven.
In response to this un-Godly abomination, God resurrects the two witnesses who had been killed on Passover three and a half days earlier. They will then ascend up to heaven in a cloud, fulfilling the prophecy of Revelation 11:11-13. This miraculous event will transpire on the Feast of the Lord day known as Firstfruits, the same Feast Jesus was resurrected on. There will be a great earthquake in Jerusalem at this time where a tenth part of the city falls and 7,000 people are killed. Chaos will ensue.
“And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven (Revelation 11:11-13). There was also an earthquake during the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and many saints came out of their graves at this time.
These unholy acts in the newly built Third Temple by the A.C. and the false prophet begin the “Great Tribulation.” All hell breaks loose on this day. Most of the Jews who still believe in Yahweh will flee Jerusalem, as Jesus warned in Matthew 24:15-22. The prophecies of Revelation 12 are fulfilled at this time. Satan and his loyal angels fight against Michael and the angels of God. Satan and his fallen angels are cast to the earth, never to return to heaven.
“And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 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” (Revelation 12:13-14).
Many terms are given for the last 3.5 years of Daniel’s 70th week, such as “time, times, and half a time” and “forty-two months,” but only three give the exact amount of days for the timeframes between events. We have already discussed the 1260 days the two witnesses would prophesy, as mentioned in Revelation 11:3, and how they will occur in the first half (approximately) of the Tribulation.
Revelation 12:6 gives the exact amount of days for the “time, and times, and half a time” of Revelation 12:14, which will occur during the last half of the Tribulation. “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.” The Jews will flee to Bozrah (Petra), Jordan, on Sunday, Nisan 18, or April 21, 2030. The Antichrist’s forces will pursue the remnant of believing Jews, but God will supernaturally protect them as He did when the Egyptians were pursuing the children of Israel during the Exodus. The seven vial judgments of Revelation 15 and 16 will begin at this time and will continue until Jesus returns at the end of Jacob’s Trouble.
If the Feast of Firstfruits (counting of the Omer) is reckoned by the first day after the weekly Sabbath (Saturday) after Passover (which it was in Jesus’ time but isn’t now), then there is usually around 1260 days until Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which occurs yearly on Tishri 10. There is usually a few days difference (from 1-6 days), either more or less than 1260 days, but sometimes there is exactly 1260 days. In the current Metonic 19-year cycle, there are a few times where the 3.5 years are around 1230 days. However, there are five times in our current cycle when there are precisely 1260 days: 2020-2023, 2023-2026, 2030-2033, 2034-2037, and 2037-2040. This article examines the years 2030-2033 for the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation.
In our possible scenario, if Jesus returns on Rosh Hashana, the Feast of Trumpets, it will be on Tishri 1 or Saturday, September 24, 2033. This is 1260 days from Nisan 10, 2030, a few days before the Antichrist enters Jerusalem and kills the two witnesses on Passover. The Jews who flee Jerusalem after the abomination of desolation will go to Petra, Jordan, and stay there until Jesus returns and defeats the forces of the Antichrist. The Ten Days of Awe occur between the Feast of Trumpets (Tishri 1) and the Day of Atonement (Tishri 10). This will be the most awe-inspiring ten days ever as Jesus single-handedly decimates the Antichrist’s forces all the way from Bozrah to Jerusalem.
“I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth” (Isaiah 63:3-6).
“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” (Revelation 14:20).
There are 1260 days from the Feast of Firstfruits, Sunday, Nisan 18 (or April 21, 2030), to the Day of Atonement, Sunday, Tishri 10 (or October 2, 2033). This fulfills the prophecy of Revelation 12:6, where God supernaturally provides for the Jews during the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation.
However, the end of Daniel’s 70th week will not occur at this time but 30 days later, as there are still some issues to be resolved before the Millennial Kingdom begins. Jesus will fulfill the 7th Feast of the Lord, Tabernacles (Tishri 15-22) by tabernacling with mankind once again. Also, the sheep and goat judgments (Matthew 25:31-46) will occur during this time, the A.C. and false prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:21), and Satan will be bound and cast into the abyss for a thousand years (Rev. 20:2-3), to name a few.
From the Feast of Firstfruits on Sunday, Nisan 18 (or April 21, 2030) to the end of the Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week), Tuesday, Heshvan 9, 2033 (or November 1, 2033), is 1290 days. These 1290 days fulfill the prophecy of Daniel 12:7. “It shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.” The power of the Jews will be completely shattered during the last 3.5 years of the Great Tribulation.
When Daniel questioned “the man clothed in linen” further about when these things would be fulfilled, he gave him (and us) one more clue, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days” (Daniel 12:11). This refers to the “in the midst of the (70th) week” event in Daniel 9:27. The time of the end is described in Daniel 12:4, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
All of the prophecies of scripture in the books of Daniel and Revelation with the terms “forty-two months” (Revelation 11:2, 13:5) or “time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 7:25, 12:7, Revelation 12:14) are different ways of saying 3.5 years. Likewise, so is 1290 days, as it is approximately in the middle of the 2569 days (367 weeks) from the start of the Tribulation on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 (Heshvan 10) to the end of the Tribulation on Tuesday, November 1, 2033 (Heshvan 9). Wednesday, November 2, 2033 (Heshvan 10) will be the day of the start of King Jesus’ 1000-year reign in this possible scenario. Just as the great tribulation (flood) of Noah’s day began and ended in the second month of fall (Heshvan), so it will be with Jacob’s Trouble (Daniel’s 70th week).
THE 1335 DAYS FROM THE FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS TO HANUKKAH
The “man clothed in linen’ then told Daniel, “Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days” (Daniel 12:12). The last of Daniel’s prophecies to be fulfilled will occur 45 days after the end of Daniel’s 70th seven (Heshvan 9, 2033) on Friday, December 16, 2033 (Kislev 25). This day is the 1335th day after the Antichrist set up his abomination of desolation in the Temple on the Feast of Firstfruits on April 21, 2030.
The day of Kislev 25 is the beginning of the celebration of Hanukkah (also known as the feast of Dedication or the festival of lights), which is not a Feast of the Lord but is a very important day for the Jews nonetheless. From Heshvan 10 to Kislev 25 is 45 days. During these 45 days, the resurrection and translation of the Old Testament saints (Daniel 12:2) and the Tribulation saints (Revelation 20:4) will be completed. They will come to the earth for the celebration that is to come. I believe the last objective of Daniel 9:24, “And to anoint the Most Holy (Place),” will coincide with this 1335th day when the Jew’s one and only Messiah, Jesus, enters the cleansed Temple and anoints it with His Presence.
Whether this temple is the Third Temple (that survives the Great Tribulation) or is a temporary tabernacle set up after the Third Temple is destroyed remains to be seen. I suppose it could actually be the Millennial Temple of Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 40-48) and be built in 45 days, for nothing is too hard for the LORD (after all, He created the world and its inhabitants in six days).
Most scholars believe the Third Temple will be destroyed when Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives. I believe there is a very good chance this will occur. “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, 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” (Zechariah 14:4).
Two more meaningful events will take place on the 1335th day. The first event is the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, as described in Revelation 19:7-9. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
John the Baptist considered himself a friend of the bridegroom (and not part of the bride of Christ). “He that has the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled” (John 3:29). The guests and friends of the bride and groom are the Old Testament and Tribulation saints. They must be in their suitable new attire (new spiritual bodies) to attend the wedding (The parable of the wedding feast – Matthew 22:1-14).
The second event that will occur on the 1335th day (Hanukkah) is the inauguration of the Millennial reign of King Jesus on the earth. However, His kingdom will last not only a thousand years but all of eternity. The 1000 years are just the point in time during the Kingdom of Christ when Satan will be released from the bottomless pit and deceive the nations one more time for a short season. The last rebellion of mankind will be destroyed by fire from heaven, and Satan will be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity. It is also the time when the Great White Throne judgment occurs in which all unbelievers (both living and dead) will be resurrected (if they are dead and in hades), judged, and join Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet in the Lake of Fire. Guess what? No more evil anymore, anywhere!
David said, “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations” (Psalm 145:13). Isaiah said, “Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7). The angel told Mary regarding the child to be born, “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).
Of course, these are just possible scenarios for these timeframes of 1260, 1290, and 1335 days. The next possible dates for 1) the timeframe of 1260 days between the Feast of Firstfruits and the Day of Atonement, 2) the timeframe of 1290 days between the Feast of Firstfruits and the 10th of Heshvan, and 3) the timeframe of 1335 days between the Feast of Firstfruits and Hanukkah are 2034-2037 (the Tribulation would start in 2030) and 2037-2040 (the Tribulation would start in 2033). I’m not sure this wicked world can survive for that long.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Quickly, if not sooner.
Randy Nettles
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