What is God’s Prophetic Timeline?

God has provided multiple scriptures to prepare us for what is to come. The prophecies about the end of this age are found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Holy Bible. When studied together and in context, God’s prophetic timeline becomes much more clear.

The following is a list of scriptures that provide Biblical timelines:

1,260 Days

³And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” (Revelation 11: 3)

God will appoint His 2 witnesses. They will prophesy for 1,260 days. When read in context, this event takes place near the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

⁶The woman [Israel] fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. (Revelation 12: 6)

God will prepare a place for a remnant of Israel. He will provide for them and protect them for 1,260 days. When read in context, this event takes place near the beginning of the Great Tribulation. (see Revelation 12: 14)

1,290 Days

From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up there will be 1,290 days. (Daniel 12: 11)

When reading this scripture out of context it may appear that there are 1,290 days between the time when the daily sacrifice is abolished and the time that the abomination is set up. But when reading in context, this is a statement about the timing in which “all these things will be completed.” (see Daniel 12: 7)

As such, this scripture references 2 major events that take place near the beginning of the 1,290 days and references that “all things will be completed” at the end of the 1,290 days.

Daniel 9: 27 states that there will be a 7-year peace treaty. It also says that half-way through the treaty the Antichrist will break the treaty, put an end to daily sacrifice, and at the Temple he sets up the “abomination that causes desolation.”

Matthew 24: 15-21 states that the time of Great Tribulation begins immediately after the “abomination that causes desolation” is set up.

It appears that the Great Tribulation will last for 1,260 days (see What is the Great Tribulation?). But Daniel 12:11 mentions 1,290 days. Why the extra 30 days?

The most likely explanation is that there appears to be a brief period between the termination of animal sacrifice and the time that the abomination that causes desolation is set up. The termination of animal sacrifice would serve as a final warning that the Great Tribulation is about to begin.

If so, the “abomination that causes desolation” takes place 30 days before the Great Tribulation begins: 30 + 1,260 = 1,290

1,335 Days

Blessed is the [faithful] one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.” (Daniel 12: 12)

This event follows the reference to 1,290 days (see Daniel 12: 11). The faithful who wait until the end of the 1,335 days are considered to be blessed.

This appears to mark the timing that Jesus Christ arrives to rescue the remnant of Israel from the armies that gathered at Armageddon and the Jewish people recognize their Messiah.

It appears that the 45 day window between the 1,290 and 1,335 days will be the time in which God’s wrath is poured out (see: What are the 7 Golden Bowls?). Near the end of that time, the Antichrist and his armies will gather at Armageddon (the 6th Bowl). The battle of Armageddon is when God destroys the Antichrist and his armies (see: What is Armageddon?).

The Bible says that no one knows the exact day or hour when Jesus Christ returns to gather his elect (the rapture) – but the event of Daniel 12 has been given a timeline because it is not the same event.

Jesus gathers his elect after the Great Tribulation but before the battle of Armageddon (see What is the Rapture?) (see What is the End Times Harvest?). During that time, the remnant of Israel is still under God’s protection in the wilderness. They don’t yet recognize their Messiah therefore they were not part of the rapture. But when Jesus Christ arrives to save the Jewish people from annihilation, they will finally be able to recognize him (see Why didn’t the Jews recognize their Messiah?). They will be blessed!

42 Months

²But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles [non-Jews]. They will trample on the holy city [Jerusalem] for 42 months. (Revelation 11: 2)

The outer court of the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount will be trampled by the Gentiles for 42 months (3-1/2 years). That area will be under the control of non-Jews during the Great Tribulation.

“The beast [a powerful end of the age government] was given a mouth [the Antichrist] to utter proud words and blasphemies [against God] and to exercise its authority [from Satan] for forty-two months” (Revelation 13: 5)

The Antichrist will be in power for 42 months. He is the mouth of the beast. The beast is the powerful end of the age government that will be responsible for requiring that people take its mark in order to buy or sell. It will also require that people bow down to the image of the beast or be killed. The beast is an evil and powerful governmental entity that will demand economic and religious obedience during the final 3-1/2 years of this age. (See Daniel 7 and Revelation 13)

3-1/2 Years (Time, Times, and half a Time)

²⁵He [the Antichrist] will speak against the Most High [God] and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people [God’s people] will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time [3-1/2 years]. (Daniel 7: 25)

The Antichrist will blaspheme Yahweh God. The Antichrist will try to change the times and laws that God established (e.g. Jewish holy days, Jewish calendar). The Antichrist will oppress God’s people and have power over them for 3-1/2 years.

⁶One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” ⁷The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time [3-1/2 years]. When the power of the holy people [God’s people] has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.” (Daniel 12: 6-7)

The Antichrist will be in power for 3-1/2 years. He will oppress God’s people. At the end of the 3-1/2 years, the Antichrist eventually succeed in breaking the power of God’s holy people. “All things will be completed.” The Great Tribulation will end. This age will officially end. God will take control and begin His eternal reign. God’s reign begins by removing the evil that is in this world (see: What are the 7 Golden Bowls?).

¹⁴The woman [Israel] was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time [3-1/2 years], out of the serpent’s [Satan’s] reach. (Revelation 12: 14)

During the Great Tribulation, God will rescue a remnant of Israel. He will take them into the wilderness to a place that He has prepared for them. God will not allow Satan to destroy all of the Jewish people. (See Revelation 12: 6)

7 Months

¹¹“‘On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog. ¹²“‘For seven months the Israelites will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. (Ezekiel 39: 11-12)

The Antichrist’s armies will be vanquished by Jesus Christ at the battle of Armageddon. There will be such massive carnage that it will take 7 months for the Jewish people to bury the dead (the Antichrist’s armies) and cleanse the land. (See: What is Armageddon?) (See: What is Gog and Magog?)

7 Years (one week; one seven)

²⁷Then he [the Antichrist] shall confirm a covenant with many for one week [seven years]; But in the middle of the week [halfway thru the seven years] he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. (Daniel 9: 27)

The Antichrist will be involved in the formation of a covenant (peace treaty). The treaty will be for 7 years. Halfway thru the 7 year covenant, the Antichrist will break the treaty and put an end to animal sacrifice and offerings.

This is only possible if the Jewish Temple is rebuilt and animal sacrifice is resumed. The rebuilding of the Temple appears to take place during the first half of the 7 year treaty.

As mentioned in Daniel 9, the animal sacrifice and offerings to the Yahweh God are terminated by the Antichrist shortly before the abomination that causes desolation is set up.

2,300 Evenings & Mornings

¹³Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, “How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, the surrender of the sanctuary and the trampling underfoot of the Lord’s people?” ¹⁴He said to me, “It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.” (Daniel 8: 13-14)

The 7 year peace treaty will provide for the Jewish Temple to be rebuilt on the Temple Mount. When it is completed, animal sacrifice will be resumed.

Halfway through the 7 year treaty, the Antichrist will put an end to animal sacrifice. Next, the Antichrist will set up the abomination that causes desolation (possibly 30 days after animal sacrifice is abolished). The outer courts of the Jewish Temple will be trampled on by Gentiles (non-Jews). The Great Tribulation will begin. It will last for 1,260 days.

At the end of the Great Tribulation, God will pour out His wrath onto the world. God’s wrath culminates at the battle of Armageddon, when the armies of the world join together in an attempt to annihilate the remnant of Jews – but Jesus Christ destroys those armies and saves the Jewish remnant.

For 7 months, the Jewish people will bury the dead (the Antichrist’s armies) from the battle of Armageddon. The Jewish Temple, which had been desecrated during the Great Tribulation, will be cleansed and reconsecrated.

Although God has not said the exact day that these things will start, He has provided a timeline. The final 7 years begins when a 7-year peace treaty is established which provides for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. The final countdown of numbered days begins when the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination is set up.

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