A Threefold Chronological Sign

for the Last Days

1260, 1290 & 1335 Day Prophecies

of Daniel Fulfilled

This article is based on the historicist approach to the interpretation of Bible Prophecy (see the side panel “Historicist Interpretation”). It focuses on the identification and fulfilment of three key time measures mentioned in Daniel chapter 12; namely 1260, 1290 and 1335 prophetic days. The Bible marks these time measures out as important waymarks in the history of the domination of Jerusalem by a succession of Gentile nations and empires, and play a significant role in the restoration of the holy city of Jerusalem to the people of Judah. Although these time measures may have more than one fulfilment, it can be shown through historical records that they are specifically associated with the Islamic domination of Jerusalem; a factor that continues to influence the development of events in the struggle for supremacy in the troubled Middle East, and which affects us globally to this day.

The Book of Daniel contains key prophetic information that should leave us in no doubt that we are living in what the Bible refers to as the ‘time of the end’ (Daniel 12:4). It is clearly a time of great concern and challenges, whilst also being a time of great excitement, positive expectation and cause for rejoicing in the Bible-believing Christian (Luke 21:28); for it heralds the imminent return of Jesus Christ and signals the time for the commencement of the total restoration of  Israel. The latter was a subject of intense interest and concern for the first Disciples of Christ … “Wilt thou at that time restore the Kingdom to Israel…?” (Acts 1:6). Jesus answered the question by steering the enquirers away from details on the latter, and clearly refocusing their attentions to the priority matter; namely, that they were soon to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and thus become His chosen witnesses to spread the Gospel message abroad to all nations (Acts 1:8). This same Gospel is preached today, as we move ever-nearer to the fulfilment of Christ’s promised return.

Daniel 12 – Three Times

The last chapter of Daniel (chapter 12) records three specific times associated with the lead up to the fulfilment of God’s purposes concerning the people of Judah (generally known to the world as ‘the Jews‘) and more specifically, the holy city of Jerusalem. These three times have become the subject of many different interpretations over the centuries since their first recording.

The Bible expresses the three time measures as A Time, Times and Half a Time (Daniel 12:7), 1290 Days (Daniel 12:11), and 1335 Days.

A Prophetic Time

In Bible terms the prophetic measure known as a ‘Time’ is considered by most Bible Prophecy students to be 360 days, (obtained from a geometric cycle or round of motion occupying 360 degrees, 12 months of 30 days each, and the average of solar and lunar years in days being 360 (solar and lunar time being the two universal measures of time).

Prophetic Days & Calendar Years

Most prophetic students and expositors also agree that the ‘days’ referred to in many prophetic statements refer to ‘prophetic’ days rather than literal 12-hour or 24-hour days, and that the symbolic ‘Day for a Year’ principle applies to prophetic statements that feature chronological details (based on Numbers 14:34 & Ezekiel 4:6).

Therefore, using these definitions using this approach the ‘Time[1], Times[2] and half[3] a Time’ expressed in prophetic terms amounts to 1260[4] years on an actual calendar time scale, as follows …

[1] A Time is 360 years

[2] Times literally means twice a time, which is 720 years

[3] Half a time is one half of 360 years, which is 180 years

[4] 360 + (2 x 360) + 180 years = 1260 years

Based on similar reasoning, the 1290 days and 1335 days referred to in Daniel 12 equate to 1290 years and 1335 years respectively.

As will be demonstrated, the three foregoing time periods prescribed are closely associated with one another in the fulfilment of God’s purpose in the overall theme of the prophecy. This purpose is clearly stated in the last part of Daniel 12:7; that “…all these things shall be finished (completed)”, i.e. when God has accomplished His goal; namely the scattering of the power of the holy people as we read in Daniel 12:7…

Daniel 12:7 (b)

… and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

The term ‘holy people’ undoubtedly refers to the same people who are the subject of the discourse on the future of the ‘holy city’ of Jerusalem mentioned earlier in Daniel chapter 9 [1]; namely, the people of Judah, and in particular those people associated with the city of Jerusalem.

The statement that “… all these things shall be finished” clearly refers to the subject of the prophecy.

This prophecy is also concerned with the “time of the end’ (Daniel 12:1-4) – a time during which we can readily verify the accuracy of the fulfilment of God’s prophetic Word to date, proving that the God of the Bible is the one true Almighty, foreknowing God; who declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10).  The fundamental purpose of Bible Prophecy is to illuminate these darkened times we live in (2 Peter 1:19-20) and thus provide convincing evidence of the reality of God, and that He alone ultimately overrules the nations to ensure that His purpose is carried out. God informs us accordingly to demonstrate His integrity; to provide us with assurance that His word will prevail and confirm that we can depend on what he has promised.

[1] See Daniel chapter 9, which describes the 70 weeks prophecy, esp. verses 18-20, 24.

The Purpose of the Prophecy

Daniel 12:11

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the (or an[i]) abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

[i] Note that the Hebrew does not contain the definite article, and therefore could equally mean “an abomination that maketh desolate…”

On applying the Day-for-a-year principle in this instance, the Bible identifies a prophetic period of 1290 actual years.

Having established the prophetic time period as representing years, there are two principal ways we can then look at the time period stated in Dan 12:11. It could signify…

(1) A period of 1290 prophetic days (actual years) prescribed by God, commencing from the taking away of the daily sacrifice AND the setting up of the abomination that makes desolate (i.e. a common, synchronous event encompassing both conditions), or…

(2) A period of 1290 prophetic days (actual years) prescribed by God that commences from the taking away of the daily sacrifice and is fulfilled (i.e. completed) by the setting up of the (or an) abomination that makes desolate.

Many prophetic statements that specify a prescribed time period refer to the delineation of a time marking the commencement of the period and a subsequent time marking the fulfilment. A prime example is the well-known ‘70 weeks’ prophecy of Daniel…

Daniel 9:25

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 foregoing prescribes a period delineated by starting (from) a particular event (time) and ending (unto) at a particular event (time); in this case 69 ‘prophetic’ weeks (or 483 actual calendar years). History verifies the validity of this approach in this instance, commencing the period from the time of the commandment to restore, through to the first coming of Messiah (Jesus Christ) and on through to the crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and final rejection of the Messiah by the Jews during the 70th prophetic week (i.e. the last 7 actual calendar years). 

What is the Most Likely Scenario regarding the Three Time Measures ?…

 If scenario (1) is correct then we would need to identify a time marked by the taking away of the daily sacrifice AND the setting up of the abomination as a single event from which to commence the prophetic period. Then we would need to count 1290 prophetic days (years), but 1290 prophetic days to what event or events? Presumably the fulfilment is the accomplishment of the “scattering of the holy people” (Dan 12:7), and/or the end of “these wonders” (Dan 12:6) and/or the “time of the end” (Dan 12:9), seeing these 3 terms describe the stated purpose (i.e. the intended fulfilment) of the prophecy.

If scenario (1) is indeed the correct interpretation, then 70 A.D. would probably be the most logical candidate year to mark the commencement of the 1290 day/year period with both the sacrifices ceasing and the (or an) abomination that makes desolate set up. Adding 1290 years from this date places us either in the year 1341 A.D. (based on prophetic 360-day years) or 1360 A.D. (based on solar years). However, neither of these dates corresponds to significant fulfilments that fully align with the original stated purpose of the prophecy. Therefore such an approach would not appear to be the right one.

So, it would seem that (2) is a more likely scenario. If that is indeed the case, then we should look for a period of 1290 prophetic days that commence from the cessation of the daily sacrifice, and is fulfilled by the setting up of the (or an) abomination that makes desolate. This approach follows similar reasoning to that applied to the 70 weeks prophecy in Daniel, which commenced with the decree to restore and re-build and was subsequently fulfilled (completed) in the specific accomplishments of Christ’s Messianic ministry.

Consequently, there is strong evidence to suggest that the 1290 days refer primarily to a period dominated by the desolations of Islam over the land of Judah.

Firstly, it should be noted that, like other instances in the fulfilment of prophetic statements, there may be more than one fulfilment. What is outlined below is one such fulfilment.

The 1290 (prophetic) days refers to 1290 actual years, based on the ‘Day-for-a-Year’ principle.

The fulfilment is connected by other associated time measures, namely ‘Time, Times and half-a-Time’ (1260 day/years) and 1335 day/years. The book of Revelation also mentions a period of 42 months, which is the equivalent to 1260 days (42 x 30 = 1260 days).