The Writing on the Wall Ch. 2hh, "How Long?"
The "time, times, and a half-a-time"
Table 10
Three times in the Bible, the "3½-year period" is broken-down into "a time, times, and half a time," (Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 12:14, cf. Daniel 4:16,23,25,32). Anything repeated three times in the Bible is exceptionally important. The consensus of scholarship understands "a time, times, and half a time" to signify "a year, two years, and half a year." In other words, "a time, times, and half a time" consists of "360 days, 720 days, and 180 days," for a total of 1260 days or 3½ years (Revelation 11:3; 12:6). The reference to "time, times, and half a time" from Daniel 12:7 is given in parallel to the "1290 days" mentioned just four verses later in Daniel 12:11. By standard interpretation, the "1290" is simply the "1260" (of Revelation 12:6) except with the leap month of 30 days added to it. (See "Intercalary Month"). Consequently, again we have "a time" ("360," except + 30 now makes it "390"), "times" ("720"), "and half a time" ("180 days"), for a total of 1290 days. Evidently, therefore, the "390 days" that Ezekiel besieged Jerusalem simply denoted a Bible-Prophecy year with the leap month added; it is but the first "time" ("390 days") of the "time, times, and half a time," (Ezekiel 4). Furthermore, since Ezekiel acted out his siege precisely 7 years before the city fell (i.e., seven "times," cf. Daniel 4:16,23,25,32), thus we have a "time, times, and half a time" (3½ years), twice repeated between Ezekiel's siege and the fall of the city. (I.e., two of " 3½ times" totals " 7 times.") (At this point things become more complex, because of this we have a detailed version of this document.)
Ponder the following chart: (All three time-lines are of equal value. They represent three ways of describing a seven-year period.)
Therefore, Ezekiel’s "390" is simply one segment in the breakdown of the 1290 of Daniel as much as was the full "430" of Ezekiel, (i.e., 430 x 3 = 1290; and 390 + 720 + 180 = 1290 too). In later chapters, all of this will be fine-tuned to the exact "hour and day and month and year," (Revelation 9:15, cf. Ezekiel 5:2).
In this detailed examination of this subject we add the "390" of Ezekiel’s siege together directly with the actual siege-days of Jerusalem, as if they were but one siege. We discover that the total number of days of Ezekiel’s symbolic siege added to the actual siege equals 1290 days––less one day––which agrees therefore with the 1290 years––less one year–– from Joseph's 7-year famine! (See detailed examination of the 1290 years.) Moreover, this also means that there are 1260 days in the gap between these two sieges! Three times in the Bible we are told that the actual siege of Jerusalem lasted precisely 2½ years less-a-day (2Kg. 25:1-7; Jeremiah 39:1-4; 52:4-11): "And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah. And in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land." (Jeremiah 52:4-6).
Let us add the total days of Ezekiel’s symbolic siege of Jerusalem to the actual siege of Jerusalem: The actual siege lasted one day less 2½ years, which is 899 days using the Bible-Prophecy calendar of 360 days in a year,{18} (i.e., 2½ x 360 = 900, less-a-day, = 899 days). The 390 days of Ezekiel’s siege plus this 900 (less-a-day) of the true siege totals 1290 days (less-a-day, hence an exact total of 1,289 days). To repeat,{19} this also creates a 1260-day gap in-between the two sieges.{20} Or, in other words, we have a "time (390)," separated from its remaining "times (720), and half a time (180)," by 1260 days. (In the following chart, the fourth column (in green) is the total of the third column in green; and likewise for the red.
(All four time-lines here in table ‘12’ are of equal value.)
Therefore, there are two lines of "1290 years" from 1876-5 BC till 587-6 BC, and both are repeated twice!{21} (See tables ‘4,’ ‘9a,’ and ‘9b’). There are 1290 years from 1876 and 1875 BC (i.e., the entry and mid-famine respectively), till 586 and 585 BC (see Ezekiel 32 for "585 BC"), but 1,289 years till 587 and 586 BC (i.e., the two possible dates for the fall of Jerusalem), with the use of this lesser figure of 1,289 vindicated by virtue of it also being the total number of days of both sieges. Hence, we have 1,289 years intersecting 1,289 days. (This likewise holds true for 1290 years intersecting exactly 1290 days, as explained in a later chapter when we analyze the sieges in detail.)
One quick note! The time spent in Egypt was exactly "430 years to the day," ( Exodus 12:41). However, the time prophesied beforehand is given as a round "400 years." Why the difference? Well, yes, one was rounded and the other was not, but God doubtless had still other reasons. Why the 30-year difference? This difference means that there are 360 or 390 years to the when Moses attempted (but failed) to deliver Israel out of Egypt (from when they entered Egypt), and therefore, 1260 or 1290 years to the fall of Jerusalem when they went back to Egypt (and Jerusalem)! The 30-years (as days) difference is obviously intentional. It was meant to signify that a leap month was added to the standard 360 bible prophecy year! God is awesome! The same can be said for the 360 x 4 years (of years) (= 1440) from the exodus/tabernacle (1446/1445 BC) to the conception/birth of Christ in 6 or 5 BC, and/or to the commencement of His 3½-year ministry at 30 years of age. (Hence, this "30" also suggests a leap month.) John the Baptist was born half-a-year earlier than Jesus and perhaps began his ministry at 30 years of age too. Thus we have 1440 years intersecting the same in literal days! ("The law [1446BC] and the prophets were unto John the Baptist," Luke 16:16.) In the same way all bible-prophecy numbers intersect one another. But we are getting ahead of ourselves!
Bible Prophecy Numbers
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