CHURCH HISTORY Part 1 -:- [From Christ to The Pope]

A brief 6 pages to gives the reader a general knowledge of church history from 30 AD to about 1000AD And the effect Islam had on the church

CHURCH HISTORY Part 1 -:- [From Christ to The Pope]

Published 20151109 -:- Revised 20260527P

NB: I am dyslexic so please bear with me. Bible references are from MKJV unless noted otherwise.

AIM --- The aim of this talk is to give the listener a general knowledge of church history from the time of Christ to about 1000AD.

REASON ---It is important for a young Christian to understand Church History for the following reasons –

It gives them a basic knowledge of how and when different doctrines developed.

It gives a young Christian a better foundation as to what they believe and why.

REFERENCES & EQUIPMENT ---

MKJ=     Bible references are from the Modern King James Bible unless noted otherwise.

WH=      Classic Time line of World History by Sebastian Adam [based on Ussher’s ‘Annals of the World’] (9m wall chart)

HYY=     History Year by Year (by Dorling Kindersley Ltd)

GPF=      Great People of Faith and Wisdom (by Readers Digest)

HCC=     History of The Christian Church (by Philip Schaff) via e-Sword 1882 Edition. [Phrases underlined for ease of cross-reference.]

FBM=     Fox’s Book of Martyrs – via e-Sword

WP=       Wikipedia

CN=        e-Sword Commentary Notes by “NAME” on Bible Ref “BOOK CH: Vrs” e.g. [ref CN Clark on Dan 7:7].

EN=        Microsoft Encyclopaedia Encarta 2006. with reference word to be used, e.g. [ref EN i.e. Protestantism]

EB=         Encyclopædia Britannica 1999 Edition

NA=       New Advent. Catholic Encyclopaedia with reference word to be used, e.g. [ref NA i.e. Jesuits, The]

TV=        Television for Slide presentations.

DISCLAIMER -- Clearly I don’t want to upset anyone’s faith or beliefs. That’s why most of this work is made up of “quotations” from reputable articles you can source to verify. HCC is in old ‘1880’ English so direct quotes are somewhat hard to understand. To change it too much would make it harder to find the references. If a reference is underlined you can use that exact wording to find the original article.

REVISION

I might at times make reference to prophecies. This is for the benefit of those who understand the historic viewpoint.

 

In the years 30-70AD the early Church was persecuted by the Jews until the fall of Jerusalem, which is memorialised by the phrase HIP HIP HOORAY. They were also persecuted by other groups, the Temple of Diana incident. [ref MKJ Act 4:18, 5:18, 7:59, 14:19, 16:22…]

 

Spreed of Christianity

“The Celtic church existed in England, Ireland, and Scotland, independently of Rome, long before Augustine; it also sent offshoots to Germany, France, and the Low Countries…… The legend traces it to St. Paul and others. The venerable Bede († 735) says, that the British (Christian) king Lucius (about 167) applied to the Roman bishop Eleutherus for missionaries…………..

…………Asia; the apostles spread the new religion over Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor. According to Pliny, the temples of the gods in Asia Minor were almost forsaken, ... In the second century Christianity penetrated to Edessa in Mesopotamia, and some distance into Persia, Media, Bactria, and Parthia; and in the third century, into Armenia and Arabia. Paul himself had spent three years in Arabia,... There is a legend, that the apostles Thomas and Bartholomew carried the gospel to India. …the Christian teacher Pantaeus of Alexandria went to India about 190AD, and that in the fourth century churches were found there……………

…………North Africa, Mark.. according to tradition, laid the foundation of the church of Alexandria. The Copts in old Cairo, the Babylon of Egypt, claim this to be the place from which Peter wrote his first epistle (1Pe_5:13); but he must mean either the Babylon on the Euphrates, or the mystic Babylon of Rome. Eusebius names, as the first bishops of Alexandria, Annianos (a.d. 62-85), Abilios (to 98), and Kerdon (to 110). ……..………Without statistics, the number of the Christians is purely conjecture. By the close of the third century an estimated one-tenth of the subjects of Rome were Christians, that is about ten millions souls. This does not account for Christians among the heathen beyond the Roman world” [ref HCC vol2 ch1:11]

Act 8:26 Philip baptized the Ethiopia, treasurer to Candace queen of
the Ethiopians. He would have then taken the gospel to Ethiopia.

"The legend traces Christianity in Russia back to the Apostle St. Andrew, who is especially revered by the Russians. Mouravieff

commences his history of the Russian church with these words: “The Russian church, like the other Orthodox churches of the East, had an apostle for its founder. St. Andrew, the first called of the Twelve, hailed with his blessing long beforehand the destined introduction of Christianity into our country. Ascending up and penetrating by the Dniepr into the deserts of Scythia, "[ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:37]

In 230AD. --  ARIAN CHRISTIANETY arose. The teaching that Christ was subordinate to God the father and The Holy Spirit was only a power NOT a person of the Trinity. (ref. Originated from the works of Oregin and Dionysius of Alexandria) [ref HCC..vol 2 ch 12 :14

 

By 313AD. There were the 10 major persecutions under Rome, starting with Nero 68 AD, later the worst ten years under Diocletion ended 313AD [ref FBM Ch2 pt1].

For the historic interpretation the Diocletion era is prophesied in Rev 2:10 “And you will have tribulation ten days”

 

313 The Roman Emperor Constantine became a Christian. The Edict of Milan was also in 313AD Licinius and Constantine met in modern day Milan and granted tolerance to All Forms of worship in effect legalizing Christianity.

 

This brings us to the end of the first major persecution period of the Christian church. From this period onward Christianity receives a sense of “political correctness”, in that it became fashionable in politics to be a Christian. Emperor Constantine was a Christian, and if you wanted to rise in politics you would also become a Christian. 

Q&A -- Any Questions

LESSON – CHURCH HISTORY Part 1

To get through this quickly I hope to list the “Major” event and characters that God used to fashion our Christian world and faith.

Chronologically they do over lap.

In the next lessons I hope we can study the major characters that contributed to the development of the various Christian doctrines.

WHO DEVELOPED WHAT WE BELIEVE  “The Creeds”

170–350  Various Christian Creeds developed, listed below are the Ante-Nicene rules of faith (i.e. pre Nicene) [ref HCC Vol2 Ch12:141] 

Iranaeus (Gaul) a.d. 170. …differs from the Apostles in that Christ did not descend into hell

Tertullian Creed (North Africa.) a.d. 200….

Origen (Alexandria) a.d. 230 …. Which was Arian as mentioned before [ref HCC..vol 2 ch 12 :145]

Cyprian Creed (Carthage) a.d. 250… Which leaves out the virgin birth and ascending from hell

Novatian Creed (Rome) a.d. 250… Which leaves out the virgin birth and ascending from hell

Gregory (Neo-Caesarea) a.d. 270… Which leaves out the virgin birth and ascending from hell

Lucian (Antioch) a.d. 300

Eusebius (Caesarea, Pal.) a.d. 325

Cyril (Jerusalem) a.d. 350… differs from the Apostles Creed in that Christ did not descend into hell

NB: MOST of these creeds were being developed during the ten savage persecutions

 

313          The Edict of Milan 313AD Constantine came to power so Christianity was “the flavour of the month”.

 

324          Constantine founded a new capital to the east in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). For centuries Rome was the centre of religion and power. So this may well have been the “dangling carrot” which helped the bishop of Rome to seek pre-eminence.

 

325          1st Ecumenical Council (called by Constantine). The Nicene Creed was formed. “The central point of the Nicene doctrine in the contest with Arianism is the identity of essence or the con-substant-iality of the Son with the Father, and is expressed in this article of the (original) Nicene Creed: “[We believe] in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God; who is begotten the only-begotten of the Father; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God, and Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.””  [ref HCC Vol3 Ch9:127]

 

340          The Apostles Creed (Rome.). Later alterations were finalized at the second ecumenical Council in 381.

 

381          At this second council the Emperor “Theodosius the Great enforced uniformity of belief by legal penalties in fifteen edicts between 381 and 394. Honorius (408), Arcadius, the younger Theodosius, and Justinian (529) followed in the same path. By these imperial enactments heretics, i.e. open dissenters from the imperial state-religion,” (Orthodox Christianity), “were deprived of all public offices, of the right of public worship, of receiving or bequeathing properly, of making binding contracts; they were subjected to fines, banishment, corporeal punishment, and even death.” [ref HCC vol.2 ch12:137]

 

This would be the first hint of Rev 13:17 “no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast,…”

 

Q&A -- Any Questions

WORSHIP OF MARY, MARTYRS AND SAINTS  AND RELICS

I have done a word search in the History of The Christian Church via e-Sword using the phrase “worship of Mary”. I suggest you do the same because it is very interesting. I particularly looked for the earliest dates. The following is a micro snap view of about 40 chapters.

 “the dignity of Mary, i.e., of her perpetual virginity” was held by Epiphanius (367), Jerome (383) bishop Bonosus of Sardica (392)

“invocation of her powerful intercession” prayer examples from Ephraim Syrus († 379), Gregory Nazianzen († 389),

“commemorates the announcement of the birth of Christ by the archangel Gabriel… first trace of it occurs in Proclus .. 430”

“ceremonial purification of the Virgin, forty days after the birth of Jesus… supposed to have been introduced by Pope Gelasius in 494”

“The Ascension, or Assumption rather, of Mary is celebrated on the 15th of August. [ref HCC vol.3 ch7:81-84]

“glorification of Mary, ...her assumption into heaven,..The belief is based upon the story, told by Juvenal of Jerusalem to the emperor Marcian at the council of Chalcedon, 451, that three days after Mary’s burial in Jerusalem, her coffin but not her body was found by the Apostles. Juvenal afterwards sent the coffin to the emperor. Even Augustine had shunned to believe that the body of the mother of our Lord saw corruption” [ref HCC 5-16:130]

Relics “Martin, and his accomplices stole from the reliquary in one of the churches of the Byzantine city …the bones of Elisha, all except the head, ..The Holy Lance … The Holy Grail was found in Caesarea in 1101. The bones of the three kings, Caspar, Melchior, and Belthazar, .. found, in 1156, the remains of Ursula and the virgin martyrs, put to death by the Huns, … objects transmitted to Western Europe from the East were Noah’s beard, the horns of Moses, the stone on which Jacob slept at Bethel, the branch from which Absalom hung, our Lord’s foreskin, his navel cord, his coat, tears he shed at the grave of Lazarus, milk from Mary’s breasts, the table on which the Last Supper was eaten, the stone of Christ’s sepulchre, Paul’s stake in the flesh, a tooth belonging to St. Lawrence. Christ’s tooth, … two relics of the ass which bore Christ to Jerusalem.

The holy coat, the blood of Christ, and his cross ... Christ’s holy coat is claimed by Treves and Argenteuil as well as other localities. It was ..seamless .. woven by Mary, which grew as Christ grew and was worn on the cross…At different dates, vast bodies of pilgrims have gone to look at it; the largest number in 1891, when 1,925,130 people passed through the cathedral for this purpose. Many miracles were believed to have been performed.

The arrival of some of Christ’s blood in England, Oct. 13, 1247, was solemnized by royalty..(with)..scenes of English medieval history.”

.[ref HCC 5-16:131]

.

Q&A -- Any Questions

START OF PAPAL SUPREMACY

The Roman Catholic Church links the “supremacy” of the papacy over the church to the belief that Peter was the first bishop of Roma.

Some beliefs are:-

1/ Jesus said in Mat 16:18 That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. --- so, Peter was “The Rock” and hence the founder of the Church.

2/again Mat 16:19 ...I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ..etc --- so Peter had control over who goes to heaven or Hell. Thus his Triple crown, & his keys on his belt.

3/In 1Pt 5:13... Peter writes from “Babylon”. The Roman Church claims this to mystically mean Rome.

4/ Peter served 7yrs in Antioch 25 in Rome, died under Nero in 65. So he was in Rome as of 40AD???

Above is the coat of arms for the Vatican City State. NB. the Triple crown and keys to Heaven & Hell

Question 1—Paul was on the road to Damascus 35AD, went to Arabia 3yrs =38AD (Gal 1:16-24) then to Jerusalem saw Peter, then to Syria. 14yrs later went to Jerusalem saw Peter (Gal 2:1) = 51AD. [ref CN PNT Gal 2:1]. If Peter was the bishop in Rome, how is that possible?

Question 2-- Book of Romans was written about 58AD. In closing Paul sends greetings to everyone except Peter! WOW!! If Peter was in Rome, Paul has just snubbed Peter openly in writing! So how could these scriptures make any sense if Peter was in Rome as of 40AD?

.

How these beliefs began I have no intention to go into them in this lesson. I invite you to do your own study. [ref HCC vol.1 ch4:26]

If you come up with some excellent material, and would like to present it to this group, see me later and we can plan how and when!

.

But these beliefs must have gathered enough momentum that by the year 380AD, the Emperor Theodosius declared the following:-

 

380          In Emperor Theodosius's edict ‘De fide catholica’ of 27 February 380, enacted in Thessalonica and published in Constantinople for the whole empire, by which he established Catholic Christianity as the official religion of the empire, he referred to the western Bishop of Rome, Damasus, as a pontifex, while calling the eastern Bishop of Alexandria, Peter, an episcopus

The word "pontifex" later became a term used for Christian bishops, including the Bishop of Rome, and the title of "Pontifex Maximus" was applied within the Roman Catholic Church to the Pope as its chief bishop. It is not included in the Pope's official titles, but appears on buildings, monuments and coins of popes of Renaissance and modern times.  [ref WP] [ref HCC vol.3 ch3:27]

 

The papal supremacy issue has been a major contributing factor, to the unfolding of world and church history, and still is to this day

 

Q&A -- Any Questions

THE CANON

393          The Canon is the name we give to the 66 books that we call the bible. “The first express definition of the New Testament canon, in the form in which it has since been universally retained, comes from two African synods, held in 393 at Hippo, and 397 at Carthage, in the presence of Augustin, who exerted a commanding influence on all the theological questions of his age.”. [ref HCC vol.2 ch12:138]. And obviously the Old Testament remained unchanged. The Apocalypse and Apocrypha went through stages of acceptance and rejection. “The Church of Rome, at the Council of Trent, settled the Canon, including the Apocrypha” [ref HCC vol.7 ch1:9] And the book of Revelation or  the “Apocalypse” is accepted by both Catholic and Protestant churches as part of the Canon.

 

405          The Scriptures were translated by Jerome into Latin called the “Latin Vulgate” – Later the bible was translated into English, called the Douay-Rheims (or Douai) Bible, which is the only English version sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church.  [ref WH]. Latin was the language of the Empire

 

440          St Patrick founded a flourishing church in Ireland. “He was in his youth carried captive into Ireland, … He escaped to France or Britain, was again enslaved.”  In a vision “He saw a man, Victoricius, who handed him innumerable letters from Ireland, begging him to come over and help them. He obeyed the divine monition, and devoted the remainder of his life to the conversion of Ireland (from a.d. 440 to 493)….The Christianity of Patrick was substantially that of Gaul and old Britain, i.e. Catholic, orthodox, monastic, ascetic, but independent of the Pope,” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:14]

 

451          The Monophysite Controversies. The council of Chalcedon brought to the boil a schism over the issue of the physical nature of Christ. The Monophysites “rejected the Eutychian theory of an absorption of the human nature into the divine, but nevertheless held firmly to the doctrine of one nature in Christ; and on this account, from the time of the Chalcedonian council they were called Monophysites”…[as in MONO = one]. The “battle” went on for over one hundred years… [ref HCC vol 3 ch9:134].

NB This was a similar argument to Arianism and was later resolved, as the popes power grew stronger.

 

Q&A -- Any Questions

FALL of ROME and its Effect on Papal Power

Rome crumbled in several stages. The four horseman of the apocalypse is an accurate example of the fall of Rome. Revelation Ch6 vs3-8

White horse- Victories 96-180.. Red- Civil Wars 185-284.. Black & Balances- High Taxes 200-250.. Pale- Death & Famine 250-300.

303 Diocletion came to power, Rome was hungry, so he fed Christians to the lions. But Rome first fell to a foreign power in 410AD

 

 “The barbarian invasions of Alaric (410), Genseric (455), Ricimer (472), Vitiges (537), Totila (546), and the Lombards (754), turned Rome into a heap of ruins and destroyed many valuable treasures of classical and Christian antiquity.” [ref HCC vol 2 ch7:83]

 

NB: These invading kings were all Arian Christians. Each invader was confronted with “Pontifex Maximus”. The invading Kings would have been in a sticky situation, does he do as he pleases, “at the expense of his salvation”! Or dose he bow to papal power??

 

Q&A -- Any Questions

Some examples are: -

“The Gothic king Alaric, on entering Rome (410), expressly ordered that the churches of the apostles Peter and Paul should be spared, as inviolable sanctuaries; and he showed a humanity, which Augustin justly attributes to the influence of Christianity (even perverted Arian Christianity) on these barbarous people.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.1:7]

 

 “When Attila, king of the Huns, the “scourge of God,” after destroying Aquileia, was seriously threatening the capital of the world (a.d. 452), Leo, with only two companions, crozier in hand, trusting in the help of God, ventured into the hostile camp, and by his venerable form, his remonstrances, and his gifts, changed the wild heathen’s purpose.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:63]

 

 “A similar case occurred several years after (455), when the Vandal king Genseric, … pushed his ravages to Rome. Leo obtained from him the promise that at least he would spare the city the infliction of murder and fire; but the barbarians subjected it to a fourteen days’ pillage,” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:63]

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 “Odoacer, who first assumed the kingdom of Italy (476-493), was tolerant toward the orthodox faith, yet attempted to control the papal election in 483 in the interest of the state, and prohibited, under penalty of the anathema,” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64]

 

 “Odoacer, who put an end to the western Roman empire in 476, was incited to his expedition into Italy by St. Severin, and, though himself an Arian, showed great regard to the catholic bishops. The same is true of his conqueror and successor, Theodoric the Ostrogoth, who was recognized by the east-Roman emperor Anastasius as king of Italy (a.d. 500), and was likewise an Arian. Thus between the barbarians and the Romans, as between the Romans and the Greeks and in a measure also the Jews, the conquered gave laws to the conquerors. Christianity triumphed over both.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.1:7]

 

 “On the fall of the empire the pope became the political subject of the barbarian and heretical (for they were Arian) kings; but these princes, as most of the heathen emperors had done, either from policy, or from ignorance or indifference, allowed him entire freedom in ecclesiastical affairs.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64]

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Q&A -- Any Questions

THE DEVELOPMENT of PAPAL POWER

How did the fall of Rome affect the church? ……. Well let’s go over the Key religious issues again.

Ancient Rome developed under the control of an enforced state religion. Dissenters were either enslaved or butchered.  

313 Emperor Constantine declared religious freedom. (but the mindset of a singular state religion would have still been there!) 

380 The bishop of Rome was given the title of “pontifex” and the barbarians accepted this title and authority.

381 Remember that Emperor Theodosius enforced Christian belief. So the Empire was back to an enforced state religion!

 

451 The council of Chalcedon. This was the beginning of a new power struggle. The new Eastern Emperor Marcian ordered the council

be held in the east near Constantinople. It basically reiterated the Nicene council and the Apostles creed. This was the beginning of the power shift from the Emperor to the Pope. And later culminated with the issue know as The Three Chapters which we will cover soon.

Each time Rome fell to invaders, the bishop was left as the only hope for the salvation of the city and its people from slavery or death.

The legends of Leo vs Attila and Genseric lead to the thought that perhaps he was a genuine Godly man, or just an astute politician.

476 to 536 The Western Empire was ruled by Arian kingdoms in Roma. And “pontifex” rules them by the threat of anathema or excommunication. The bishop of Rome as “pontifex” would soon learn that he has the same power over the Easten Emperor.

 

Only 16 years later comes this decree from Pope Gelasius I.

“Gelasius I. (492-496) clearly announced the principle, that the priestly power is above the kingly and the imperial, and that from the decisions of the chair of Peter there is no appeal.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64]    

NB As the Pope sees himself, he is above ANY power on earth. This was also a building block for the infallibility of the Pope. WOW!!

ROMAN LAW

529 - revised 534    -- “the celebrated Codex Justinianeus, which thenceforth became the universal law of the Roman empire, the sole text book in the academies at Rome, Constantinople, and Berytus, and the basis of the legal relations of the greater part of Christian Europe to this day”.  [ref HCC vol.3 ch.3:18]   NB   This would become a useful tool for the Popes fight against heretics and taking their property.

 

533 the Eastern Emperor Justinian sent his general Belisarius to destroy the Vandals controlling Nth Africa and Italy. The Vandal Kingdom was crumbling. And on 9th Dec 536 Belisarius army entered Rome with a victory procession in the old style .  Rome was again soon besieged by the Goths. Belisarius finally took the Ostrogothic capital of Revenna in 540. [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64] . [ref HYY p102]

 

Q&A -- Any Questions

The Puppet Pope  (plus 1260 yrs = 1798) Berthier

538 “Vigilius, a pliant creature of Theodora, ascended the papal chair under the military protection of Belisarius” (538-554) “Pope Silverius … was deposed … and banished to the island of Pandataria and in 540 he died”. [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64]. There was considerable political game play behind his appointment. Justinians wife Theodora was a Monophysite. She skilfully coerced Justinian to support the Monophysite liturgical formula “God was crucified for us”, and bribed Vigilius with the papal chair and money to comply. Once he was instated as pope he reneged!! His pontificate was a shambles, full of skulduggery, faint protests and public humiliation. “he was dragged through the streets with a rope around his neck,” During his time in office arose the issue of the The Three Chapters

The Three Chapters 

553 “the violent controversy of the Three Chapters, of which it has been said that it has filled more volumes than it was worth lines.” [Ref vol.3 ch.9:144]. It reads like the “who’s who” of doctrine and schisms! Monophysite, Origenistic, Dyophysites, Nestorians Theopaschites etc. The main issues were; the nature of Christ’s body, the Virgin birth, the Trinity of the God Head and so on. I suggest you log on and read.

 

 “To put an end .. Justinian, without …the pope, convoked at Constantinople, a.d. 553, the Fifth Ecumenical Council….. 5th of May to the 2nd of June, under the presidency of the patriarch Eutychius of Constantinople. It anathematized the Three Chapters; that is, the person of Theodore of Mopsuestia, the anti-Cyrillian writings of Theodoret, and the letter of Ibas,” [Ref HCC vol.3 ch.9:144].

 

 “And notwithstanding this, Justinian broke through the decrees of the fifth council, of 553, without the consent, and in fact despite the intimated refusal of Pope Vigilius. In the middle ages, however, the case was reversed. The influence of the pope on the councils increased, and that of the emperor declined;” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:65]

 

NB   Again This would become a useful tool for the Popes fight against heretics and their beliefs.

 

Q&A -- Any Questions 

Rise Of The 10 KINGDOMS And The Fall Of The Roman World  (Dan7)

Also called The Dark Ages or Middle Ages. From 476AD to Charlemagne 800AD, or to 1000AD the revival of learning. [Dictionary]

At this point invite students to have a close look at the Wall Chart of World History. Indicate the year 400AD and the brake up of the Roman Empire

Show also the slide of “The Barbarian Invasions” [ref HYY p98]

540 the Persians under Khusrau I had risen to power and captured Antioch, forced Justinian to pay 5000 pound in gold to get it back.

The same year there was wide spread plague in Egypt. Hence lose of manpower, food production, increased Taxes.

542 The Ostrogoths under Totila returned to control most of Italy. Belisarius was sent west to regain it, but with limited supplies he failed.

546 Rome fell again to the Ostrogoths. The Byzantines retook Rome in 547, but it fell again to Totila in 550.

552 Justinian sent two huge armies to finish off the Goths in a battle in the Apennines, thus ending conflict over Italy.

572 The Byzantine Emperor Justin II went to war with Persia, who in turn struck back and took parts of Syria. Justin was now bankrupt!

575 The Byzantines were fighting the Lombards who had migrated through Hungary to northern Italy and were settling in.

582 The Avars (or Huns) followed the Lombards and settled into Austria, conquering some Byzantine towns on the way.

 

This is just a short 40 years example of the Roman World events from 400 to 800AD when Charlemagne became Emperor. Kingdoms were rising up and shaking off the old Roman world. You can see why it was called The Dark Ages. The only learning a young man would receive would be the Art of War or the need for survival. [ref HYY p102-103]

 

If viewed from the Historic Interpretation the other Kingdoms that came up to become the ‘Ten Toes’ of Dan ch.7 were: -

808 Bulgaria, 810 Venice independence, 911 Russia, 962 Germany, 973 England, 987 France, 992 Poland and 1001 Rome. Later came Spain and Portugal. But there would never be a united world empire again. Like iron and clay they could not mix.

 

A short quote about Augustine in 430, (a different Augustine to the 596 missionary to England), “He left no will, …except his library; this he bequeathed to the church, and it was fortunately preserved from the depredations of the Arian barbarians.” [ref HCC vol.3 ch.10:178].

So burning and looting was a common “recreation” of conquering armies for millennia and still is today. Yet it would seem in some cases destruction did not extend to Church property… Until Islam!

ISLAM and its EFFECT on THE CHURCH

I don’t intend to do any detailed study of Islam. Others have more knowledge than I. I only wish to highlight its effects on Christianity.

 

610 “Mahomet first received his revelation, 613 he began preaching Mecca. 622 Then came “Hegira” or hijra his flight to Medina with his family and followers. There he built a Political and religious power base. Meccan forces attacked often, then surrendered when in 630 he took the Ka’abar the holiest shrine in the Arabian Peninsula. Muhammad’s rule was then unchallenged.” [HYY page 108] [Rev ch.9]

 

As Islam spread across the old Roman Empire it brought with it both reform and devastation.

 

638 “Alexandria and Antioch, were lost by the conquests of Islam, The immense library at Alexandria was burned by order of Omar (638), who reasoned: “If these writings of the Greeks agree with the book of God (the Koran), they are useless and need not be preserved; if they disagree, they are pernicious and ought to be destroyed.” In the eighth century, however, the Saracens themselves began to cultivate learning, to translate Greek authors, to collect large libraries in Bagdad, Cairo, and Cordova. The age of Arabic learning continued about five hundred years, till the irruption of the Moguls. It had a stimulating effect upon the scholarship of the church,…Constantinople was the centre of the literary, activity of the Greek church during the middle ages.” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.13:136]

 

 “Image-worship…worship of saints,..become a general habit among the people in the Eastern church” [ref HCC 4-10:101] This became a major taunt by both Jews and Moslems. The Moslems destroyed any items of idolatry along with manuscripts etc in their conquests.

 

Emperor Leo III., called the Isaurian (716-741) had denied the Arabs Constantinople many times by using a secret weapon “Greek Fire”.

726 “Leo was influenced by a certain bishop Constantinus of Nakolia in Phrygia,” and his desire to curb Islam’s charges of idolatry.

730 “he commanded the removal or destruction of all the images”. He was unable to enforce the edict outside the Eastern Empire.

729 Pope Gregory II. was infuriated ..“Seventy years afterwards the West set up an empire of its own in close connection with the” Pope

[ref HCC 4-10:101]

 

Thus a separation. The East became the Greek Orthodox Church, rejected image worship until 842 then resumed it. Where as the West retained image worship and developed into the foundation of the Roman Catholic Church. (Whom do you thank for that -- Mahomet?)

 

Q&A -- Any Questions

THE THREE KINGDOMS “PLUCKED UP BY THE ROOTS”   [Dan 7:8]

Looking back to the West, the kingdoms of Europe were starting to establish themselves and their territories. But the question of Arianism still remained a thorn in the side for the pope. The Arian’s would in some cases savagely mistreat the Catholic Church when they entered a region. Some barbarian peoples were converted; they were Arian as of “Goths till 587..the Suevi in Spain till 560..the Burgundians incorporation in the Frank empire in 534..Longobards till” about 695  [ref HCC vol.3 ch.9:122]. Three Arian Kingdoms were destroyed.

 

496 The Merovingians (Franks) under Clovis who was converted to catholic along with 3000 of his warriors. Then “St. Remigius even advised the war of conquest against the Visigoths, because they were Arians.” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:22]

 

534 “The Vandals, the rudest among the Teutonic tribes, made an exception; they fiercely persecuted the orthodox Christians in North Africa (since 430) and desolated…labors of St. Augustin. Their kingdom was destroyed under Justinian (534),” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:21]

 

755 “Pepin … defeated the Lombards, and bestowed the conquered territory upon the pope” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.4:55]

790+ “Towards the close of the eighth century, Pepin and Charlemagne, in the interest of France and the papacy, destroyed the independence of the Lombards … and transferred the greater part of Italy to the Eastern empire and to the Pope “ [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:21]

The “UPSIDE” !! Is that the Western Empire was of One Christian faith, (Roman Catholic). And Islam overran the Arians in the East.

 

Kingdoms were becoming established and each Monarch would seek the approval of the pope to ratify their “divine” legitimacy. And if the pope did not approve he could have rulers excommunicated, or order his people not to pay taxes and/or numerous other penalties.

 

 “The oath the emperor takes to the pope is not the oath of fealty, (loyalty), such as a vassal, (subject or servant), renders, but a promise to protect him and the Church.” [ref HCC vol.6 ch.1:8]

 

808 “this political alliance of France and Germany with the Italian papacy was completed by Charlemagne and Leo III., and lasted for many centuries. Rome had the enchantment of distance, the prestige of power and culture, and promised to furnish the strongest support to new and weak churches. Rome was also the connecting link between medieval and ancient civilization, and transmitted to the barbarian races the treasures of classical literature which in due time led to the revival of letters and to the Protestant Reformation”

[ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:25]

 

590 to 1049 “Conversion of the Northern and Western Barbarians ….It was a baptism by water, rather than by fire and the Holy Spirit. The preceding instruction amounted to little or nothing; even the baptismal formula, mechanically recited in Latin, was scarcely understood. The rude barbarians, owing to the weakness of their heathen religion, readily submitted to the new religion; but some tribes yielded only to the sword of the conqueror.” [ref HCC vol.4 ch.2:6]

 

Q&A -- Any Questions 

THE POWER OF THE POPE

A famous man once said, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”. I will leave you with this description of the personality and the character of the person who was leading the Christian world unopposed from about 1073AD, and this characteristic continued until 1798AD.  

 

1073-1085 Pope Gregory VII “was convinced that,.. he was,..the successor of Peter,..the vicar of Christ in the militant Church. He entirely identified himself with Peter as the head of the apostolic college,..the keeper of the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; ..He..appealed to the..words of Christ, Mat_16:18, Mat_16:19, as..to himself. The pope inherits the lofty position of Peter. He is the Rock of the Church. He is the universal bishop…He is intrusted with the care of all Christendom (including the Greek Church, which never acknowledged him). He has absolute and final jurisdiction, and is responsible only to God, and to no earthly tribunal. He alone can depose and reinstate bishops, and his legates take precedence of all bishops. He is the supreme arbiter in questions of right and wrong in the whole Christian world. He is above all earthly sovereigns. He can wear the imperial insignia. He can depose kings and emperors, and absolve subjects from their oath of allegiance to unworthy sovereigns.” [ref HCC vol.5 ch.2:11]  NB:  I strongly suggest you look up this reference your self. .. it’s AMAZING!

You can see that I have abbreviated the above. It has been derived from some 27 “brief propositions preserved among Gregory’s letters.”

CONCLUSION

Islam pushed like a pincer movement around Western Europe. Taking a large portion of the East right up to the walls of Constantinople. They took all North Africa, Spain and up to about 400 km north of the Pyrenees into France where they were halted by Charles Martel in 732AD. Then in 762 the Islamic Arabs then moved their capital to Baghdad, later settling into an uneasy peace with the Christian East and West, which lasted for nearly 300 years. Their conquests lasted 150 years. [Rev 9:5. “tormented 5 months”. ie. 5x30 days=150 days/150 years]

 

I will leave you with nearly 1000 years of history to digest. While you chew on the events that moulded the Church during that time, you might like to join Joy and I in a cuppa and some nibbles. And I will be happy to answer any questions.

 

In my next talk I hope to cover briefly the Reformation and factors that caused it to erupt.

Then in later talks we can study each of the Reformers in detail.
Here are some links to some of my other talks that you might find interesting: -

CHURCH HISTORY Part 2 -:- [How Did The Reformation Start]
CHURCH HISTORY Part 3 -:- [Who Were The Reformers]
CHURCH HISTORY Part 4 -:- [The New World]
He Shall Speak Words Against The Most High
The Book Of Revelation Started 2000 Years Ago

Thank you very much for attending. 
Q&A -- Any Questions
(Total Reading Time 80 minutes)

The Day For A Year Conundrum

To study the prophecies that are expressed in days, weeks months or TIMES?To Hopefully show how they have been fulfilled or soon will be?

The Day For A Year Conundrum

Published 20151107 -:- Revised 20250829

NB: I am dyslexic so please bear with me. Bible references are from MKJV unless noted otherwise.

Introduction

When God speaks to us in prophecy He sometimes uses a ‘strange’ way to express the period of time involved. It is known by the phrase, “A Day For A Year”. It is explained in two scriptures, Ezekiel 4:6 and Numbers 14:34. But some people can find this confusing. 

Aim
In this talk I hope to clear up some of the confusion related to the well know prophecies in Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation and others and in particular those related to end times events.

Reason

I remember the Cuban Missile crises, and for years I have seen many Christians go into panic when the latest ‘world shattering’ event hits the news. Modern day Christians are living in fear! Yet God has given us the tools by which we should be able to live in assurance. Amos 3:7 “For the Lord Jehovah will do nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” The tools He has given us are the prophecies. So if we know and understand prophecy we will not live in fear of the unexpected.

References & Equipment

WEBA=Bible references are from MKJV or KJV unless noted. Some are from the World English Bible with Apocrypha, (WEBA).

WH  =Classic Time line of World History by Sebastian Adam [based on Ussher’s ‘Annals of the World’] (9m wall chart)

HCC =History of The Christian Church (by Philip Schaff) via e-Sword 1882 Edition. [Phrases underlined for ease of cross-reference.]

HYY  =History Year by Year (by Dorling Kindersley Ltd)

WP   =Wikipedia

CN    =e-Sword Commentary Notes by “NAME” on Bible Ref “BOOK CH: verse” e.g. [ref CN Clark on Dan 7:7].

EN    =Microsoft Encyclopaedia Encarta 2006. with reference word to be used, e.g. [ref EN i.e. Protestantism]

EB    =Encyclopædia Britannica 1999 Edition, with reference word to be used, e.g. [“Jewish Revolt, FIRST”]

UD    =Dated using James Ussher’s dates ‘The Annals of the World’

The Day for A Year ‘Code’

Can any of you remember the “Ten Code”? It was commonly used on the ‘CB’, Commercial Band Radio in the 70’s and 80’s? You would hear phrases like, “10-4” or “what’s your 10-20?” It wasn’t much of a code as such because anyone could get a list of the ‘Ten Code’ phrases from any CB Radio enthusiast magazines. Then get into the usage of the ‘lingo’; listen in to the CB Radio with ‘Code’ in hand, then suddenly you can talk in ‘Ten Code’ with any “good-buddy” trucker like a natural. Well Gods ‘A Day For A Year’ system is no different. He gives us the, ‘magazines’, i.e. scriptures to study up on. Then He gives us various examples and explanations to practice up on. Then ‘Bob’s you’re uncle’, the understanding of it comes natural. Lets examine the scriptures referred to above in the introduction.

Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6

In these two scriptures God states quite clearly His ‘Code’ so to speak. It is the basic reference for converting Prophetic Time, (PT) into Literal Time, (LT). It’s quite straightforward and as stated earlier it is simply, “a day for a year”.

Num 14:34 “According to the number of the days in which you searched the land, forty days, each day for a year …” Eze 4:5 “For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of days: three hundred and ninety days. And you shall bear the house of Israel's iniquity. v:6 And when you complete them, even lie on your right side, the second. And you shall bear the house of Judah's iniquity forty days; a day for a year. I have set it for you, a day for a year.”

Why Doesn’t God Use Literal Time For Large Numbers?

Prophecies using literal time, usually only cover short periods. Why? I asked the Lord about this and He reminded me of an old 1962 movie, ‘The 300 Spartans’, staring Richard Egan as a King in Sparta. In the movie the King asked a messenger about the size of the vast Persian army coming against them. The messenger answered, “I counted until I ran out of numbers!” Large numbers were not an easy thing to keep track of in biblical times. You may recall seeing documentaries about genuine ‘out back’ Bedouin, counting livestock. They would sift a hand full of wheat, and would drop on to a sheet one grain of wheat or such per animal as they passed. Then put it all in a bag and give it to the master and say ‘here is the count’. If the master had 5 bags last year, and 15 this year, he has had a good year. It was like a proportionate way of keeping track of large quantities. Back in biblical times it was defiantly a “paperless society”!

The Lord gave my darling wife a passage to remind me of another example. Remember when God gave Abraham an idea of the size of his future lineage. Gen 15:5 “And He brought him outside and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, So shall your seed be.” It is the same principal, large numbers were not in familiar use, and many people were illiterate. For example are you familiar with the very large number called a ‘Googol’? [Ref. WP Googol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]. We don’t bother with trying to ‘count’ it out in the usual vernacular; we just call it a Googol. So one could say God ‘invented’ the idea of ‘a day for a year’ so that smaller phrases like “seventy weeks” or “forty two months” could be remembered, then converted to literal time. And like I said at the start it was like a ‘code’ with which only the Hebrew were familiar. To any other ethnic group, phrases like ‘seventy weeks’ or ‘forty two months’ etc would be meaningless.

How And When Do We Apply The Day For A Year ‘Code’

God uses terms the likes of, “hours, days, weeks, months, seasons, time and times” to express periods of time which we refer to as Prophetic Time (PT). To which we must apply the ‘code’ of “a day for a year” to calculate Literal Time (LT). That gives us the number of literal years that God is talking about in the prophecy. If we don’t do that, then we will come up with some bizarre short prophecies. For example everyone knows the ‘Seventy Weeks’ prophecy, which is recognised as 490 literal years. Dan. 9:24, Gabriel explains the prophecy to Daniel, in which he was talking about the future restoration of Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the Temple and that Messiah would appear at the completion of the 69^th week. If we take the ‘seventy weeks’ literally, that comes to only a bit over 16 months. With all the activity Gabriel described it would be pretty ridiculous to expect every thing to happen in a literal 16 months! It would mean that Christ would already be about 28 years old when Daniel received the prophecy. 

NB: God only uses the word “year” to state literal periods of time in prophecy. There is one odd occasion in Revelation were the word year in a ‘Prolonged’ form, is used as Prophetic Time. I have listed it below under the heading, “Exceptions to The Rule”. When a prophecy is stated as so many “years” we don’t need to apply the ‘code’ of “a day for a year”! It’s already in Literal Time. I discovered this when I was trying to find prophecies with the word “year”. Does that sound confusing? Well let’s talk about the Literal YEAR first.

Literal Time The ‘YEAR’

Can you recall any prophecies that are actually stated in literal time of any sort? I did a search using ‘e-Sword’, for any generic version of “year”. It included yearling, yearn etc. It gave me over 900 verses to sift through! Then I looked only for when the word ‘year’ was used in the prediction of a period of time. Most are quite short periods of time but they are ALL Literal, [Strong’s word No. H8141. which simply means a year].  Some other literal times were expressed in days, months or years. But usually in the context of these passages below it is obvious that literal time is meant. For example when God gave David three choices of punishment, obviously literal time was meant. 2Sa 24:13 and 1Ch 21:12 “.. seven years of famine…flee three months before your enemies..Or..three days' plague..”

The prophecies regarding the exile to Babylon for seventy years are amongst the odd few of any long periods using Literal Time. Here are some I found. 2Ch 36:21  ..the Word of Jehovah..until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths…to the full measure of seventy years. Jer 25:11 “..shall serve..Babylon seventy years.” Jer 25:12 “..when seventy years are fulfilled..” Jer 29:10 “..When according to My Word seventy years have been fulfilled..” These were the same passages Daniel was referring to when he said in, Dan 9:2 “..I, Daniel, understood the number of the years by books, which came of the Word of Jehovah to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”  So Daniel realised it was a literal seventy years

I have listed below all the passages I could find in which a period of time is prophesied using the word ‘year or years’. Most are in KJV because that’s the version from which I did the search. I don’t expect you to read all of them, it’s quite laborious, but I don’t wont you to just take my word for it.  I have reduced them to one line per verse so that you can see at a glance the interpretation is obviously in literal time. I have grouped together the odd few that seem to have a different interpretation for the usual expressions of time. See “Exceptions to the Rules”, below.

‘YEAR’ Interpreted As Literal Time in Prophecy

Gen 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know …they shall afflict them four hundred years;

Gen 17:21  “… Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time in the next year.”

Gen 41:26 Joseph interpreted Pharaohs dream, “..seven good cows are seven years…”

Exo 23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field

Num 32:11 Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land…

Num 14:34 & Num 32:13 ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years..

Eze 4:6  thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

In both of these scriptures God is stating his ‘day for a year’ rule but He is still talking in literal years to be fulfilled.

1Ki 17:1 Elijah prophesied there would be no rain, “..there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except according to my word.”

1Ki 20:22  ...at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.

2Ki 8:1  Then spake Elisha unto the woman…for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.

2Ki 19:29  And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year..in the second year..and in the third year sow ye, and reap,

2Ki 20:6  And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria..

Isa 7:8  … and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

Isa 16:14 & Isa 21:16  ...Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail;

Isa 20:3 And Jehovah said, Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years, a sign and wonder…

Isa 23:15 Isa 23:17 …Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after..seventy years shall Tyre…

Isa 32:10 Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

Isa 37:30 ..Ye shall eat this year…the second year..in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof

Isa 38:5 Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD…I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Jer 28:3 and Jer 28:11 “Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels..” NOT of God yet still literal!

Jer 28:16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die…

Jer 51:46 ..a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land…

Eze 29:11 No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.

Eze 29:12 And I will make the land of Egypt desolate…her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years …

Eze 29:13 Yet thus saith the Lord GOD; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians…

Eze 39:9 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons…seven years

Dan 9:2 I Daniel understood…the number of the years …the LORD…would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Dan 11:6 “And in the end of years they shall join themselves together;” Still literal, it simple means ‘after many years time’

Dan 11:8 And shall also carry captives into Egypt … and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.

Dan 11:13 For the king of the north shall return…and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

Joe 2:2 A day of darkness…a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like…even to the years of many generations.

In the New Testament the word for a Literal year is Strong’s “G2094 - et'-os -Apparently a primary word; a year: - year.”

Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. [In this Jesus is quoting from Isa. 61:2 in which year is word no. H8141 = a year]

Luk 13:7-8  …Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree…let it alone this year also … [see ‘Exceptions’ below]

Act 7:6 And God spake on this wise…that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.

Act 13:20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

Gal 4:10 You observe days, and months, and times, and years. [ref CN Barnes on Gal 4:10] meaning a sabbatical year = literal

Rev 20:2-7 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Revelation - Prophetic Time

All Time periods in Revelation use the terms “hours, days, months, seasons, time and times”; along with the odd one in Rev 9:15 ‘year’, which we explained above. They all should be interpreted using the ‘code’ of “a day for a year”! For the simple reason given in Mal 3:6 “For I am Jehovah, I change not”, and Heb 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever.” God does not change the way He does things. So if God uses the terms “hours, days, weeks, months, seasons, time and times” in conjunction with His quirky ‘code’ in the Old Testament, there is really no good reason to think He is using the same terms to mean literal time in the New Testament.

So people who read Revelation, see the terms, “time, times and half a time” or “forty two months” or “1260 days”, and take them as a literal 3 ½ years. Well firstly they have NO scriptural bases for doing so. And secondly a literal 3 ½ years comes to a total of 1277 literal days. Thirdly, John was told that the Revelation was going to start happening REAL SOON, “shortly come to pass”, “the time is at hand”! So if the periods of time in Revelation were taken as literal, they only cover a minuscule period at the tail end of the last 1900 years? That view is called The Futurist system and it was presented to the church in relatively recent years, in the 1600’s. [ref HCC vol.1 ch.12:101]

To accept this view would mean that God has deliberately left the whole world in the dark without any guiding prophecy over the passed 1900 years. That is totally out of character for God! He has never left His people without prophetic vision to show His plan for them. If we apply ‘a day for a year’ to the Prophetic Time periods in Revelation, we find that the vision given to John covers a large proportion of our post Calvary history. When we apply the same symbolism as in the Old Testament we find God has given us ample guidance and vision.

Splitting of Prophecies?

Daniels seventieth week is the classic example of a prophecy being split into two parts. Such as 69 weeks and the 70^th week is for some mystical reason off in the distant future. It makes no sense what so ever! Refer Daniel chapter 9:25-27, and please read it carefully and try a few different translations. KJV Dan 9:25 “unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks..” (=69 weeks). The ESV uses the wording “to the coming of an anointed one” In other words Messiah shall appear after or at the end of the 69^th week. Then verse 26 “And after sixty-two weeks, (meaning the total of 69 weeks is finished), Messiah shall be cut off.” When was Messiah cut off? After the 69^th week…doesn’t that mean Messiah was cut of some time in the 70^th week? By that logic if Messiah is not cut off until the 70^th week; And The Seventieth Week Is Still Yet To Happen! Then Christ has not been crucified yet? Can you see the fault with the idea of putting the 70^th week off into the future?

Don’t you think Gabriel would have mad it very clear that the last week was some 2600 years off in the future? Lets say for the sake of argument that the seventieth week is off in the future somewhere. Just imagine heaven is like that TV show “The Apprentice”, and Gabriel walks in and says to God, “I’ve just fully explained to Daniel about the Seventy Weeks.”  God would say, “NO! You didn’t make it crystal clear that the last week is off in the distant future! ..YOU’RE FIRED!” Gabriel would hand in his wings, and front up to the camera crew ‘off stage’ and complain, “I said what I was told to say! It wasn’t in my job description to add details!”

If the teaching of Futurism, as mentioned above, had not been introduced in the 1600’s then the splitting of prophecies would not have happened. There is another prophecy that people split, but I don’t think that they are aware of it. In Dan 2. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of a statue, and God gave Daniel the interpretation. The two legs of iron were the Roman Empire, the Eastern and Western Empires. They were followed by the feet of iron and clay. Historically the ten toes were the medieval Ten Kingdoms of Europe. The Futurist view claims the Ten Kings are still in the future. If Futurism is correct, then God really slipped up badly when He gave Daniel the interpretation! We are not in the Roman Empire now! We are not in the Ten Kingdoms YET! See it makes no sense. But Daniel chapter 2 cannot be split because it shows quite clearly the continuity of history. Yet the Futurists ignore that Dan 2 is a guide to interpreting all other prophecies.

There is nothing in Daniel chapter 9 to indicate it should be split into two separate events. No other prophecies have ever been interpreted that way! If we go along with the idea that we could split prophecies on the bases of the wording, then lets try some others! In this same prophecy the 69 weeks is in two parts, 7 weeks and 62 making 69 weeks. Why don’t we split them? What about Dan 7, Dan 12 and Rev 12 we have the, “time, times and half a time”! You could have a field day with all of them by splitting them into three separate events. Or depending on what version we read, in Rev 11:2, and 13:5 “forty and two months”. There is no precedent for splitting any prophecy.

Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, Seasons, Time And Times

So what are these phrases or units of Prophetic Time (PT) that God uses? We will briefly cover each unit individually and how they have come into being. Remember the simple rule a day = a year (LT).

HOUR – Now this is a curly one, because the hour was either a 12^th or a 24^th part of a day. [Ref CN Barnes on Rev. 9:15]. So if we work on a 12^th of a day (PT), that is a 12^th of a year (LT) = 1 month (LT). Or if we use a 24^th of a day (PT), that = one 24^th of a year (LT) = ½ a month (LT) = 15 days (LT)

DAY --    the day (PT), is as above one prophetic day equals one literal year. As per Num 14:34. the ‘forty days  (PT) = 40 years (LT).

WEEK -- A week (PT) is logically 7 day (PT), which come out 7 years (LT).

MONTH -- Lets first talk about the month and why is it 30 days. Firstly the Hebrew Calendar is a Lunar based system. You can search this out via the Internet. May I suggest [WP  Lunar month - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]. “The average length of the synodic month is 29.530589 days. Thus it is convenient if months are in general alternately 29 and 30 days”. So twelve Lunar months would come to some odd number like 354.367 days. In the secular world we us the solar year which is 365¼ days! So the Hebrew Calendar has a 30-day month, and slowly drifts behind the solar year. Then every few years they add in the additional month of Adar. Hence Adar I and Adar II.

Others might refer to Genesis and the story of Noah. Gen 7:11 “In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, in this day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up… Gen 8:3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually. And after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters had gone down. Gen 8:4 And in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.”

Do the ‘maths’! The 17^th of the 2^nd month to 17^th of the 7^th month equals exactly 5 months =150 days = 30 days per month!

SEASON -- A season (PT) is again logically three months (PT), which comes to 90 days (PT), which comes out to 90 years (LT)

TIME and TIMES. The phrase ‘Times’ in Hebrew plural means twice Time. [ref CN Gill para 5 on Dan 7:25]. So a Time in (PT) is equal to 360 days (PT), which come down to 360 years (LT). So the old favourite “a time, times and half a time = 1260 years (LT)

Lets Just Work Through The Bible

Some prophecies are a combination of units; lets just work through the bible systematically by the prophetic words used. I have also hunted through the Apocrypha and found some prophetic references. If I have missed any, by all means please let me know.

Hours

99 per cent of the time the word ‘hour’ is used in a literal sense. But only in Revelation there are the odd few that sound as though they should be interpreted as prophetic. I’ll give you my thoughts on each verse.

Rev 8:1”And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” Possibly prophetic, but it would only come out to something ridiculously short like 15 or 7 literal days of silence, meaning ‘peace on earth’.

Rev 9:15 “..four angels…prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.” Go to the bottom of these notes; see ‘Exceptions To The Rule’. Basically because the rest of the verse is prophetic, then the ‘hour’ must also be prophetic.

Rev 17:12 “And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have received no kingdom yet, but will receive authority as kings one hour with the beast.” This one is interesting! [ref CN Barnes and Clarke on Rev 17:12]. ‘one hour’ could mean, ‘at one and the same time’.

Rev 18:10; 17; 19  “…Woe to the great city, Babylon, that strong city! For in one hour your judgment came...v:17 For in one hour such great riches was desolated… v:19…For in one hour she was ruined.” There are three options for interpretation here. If taken as literal we would expect something like a nuclear blast in one literal hour. The historic interpretation claims this to be fulfilled during the revolutionary days when the Pope, (the head of the Babylonian system), was taken prisoner by Napoleon’s General Berthier. Or during the 1936 to 1940’s onslaught of the Anarchist in Spain, Nazism and Communism that tore the Church of Rome apart. I go with the second option because the prophecy starts with, ‘Woe to the great city, Babylon’, indicating one location.

Days

Last Days -- We find phrases like, “in the last days”, “in the later days” or “later years”. Refer, Gen 49:1, Num 24:14, Isa 2:2, Jer 23:20, Eze 38:8 and many others. It can easily be interpreted as later years (LT). But by the context of each passage we can see it is referring to a period of time of some, ‘many years’ off in the future, and generally in reference to the lead up to the second coming of Christ. It can also be interpreted as the past 2000 years, refer to the section below, ‘Exceptions To The Rule’, “The Long Day”     

Those Days -- Another couple of catch phrases, “After those days” and “After many days”. Again by the context we can work out the period of years to which God is referring. Generally it is in reference to Christ’s ministry.    

Jer 31:33  ..the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their...hearts…

Joe 2:29  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Eze 38:8  “After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword..” This is a double reference. First the appearance of Christ, ‘shalt be visited’. Then ‘shalt come into the land’ the return of the Jews to Israel.

In The Day or In That Day -- If you do a search for these two phrases you get about 230 references all up. But these few all refer to ‘The great and terrible day of the Lord’! It is the battle of Armageddon and the restoration after it during the millennium. Isaiah and Zechariah have dozens of them. And here are a few more you can check for me please and tell me if I am wrong. Psa 110:3 Nah 2:3, Zep 1:18, Zep 2:3, Mal 4:3, Mat 10:15, Mat 11:24, Mat 12:36, Mar 6:11, Luk 17:30, Rom 2:16, 1Co 5:5, 2Co 1:14, Php 2:16, 1Jn 4:17

The following are obvious references to a prophetic time period.

Dan 8:14 “… Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed”, I believe this is 2300 years (LT). [ref CN Clark on Dan 8:14], [ref CN ‘TSK’ on Dan 8:14] and [ref CN Meyer on Dan 8:14]

Dan 11:20 “Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes…within few days he shall be destroyed…” Possibly meaning a few years

Dan 12:11 “from..daily sacrifice..and..desolating abomination set up, a thousand two hundred and ninety days”. See below

Dan 12:12 “Blessed is he that..cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.” See notes below.

Hos 3:3 - 4 “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king,…a prince,…a sacrifice,…an image,…an ephod, and without teraphim:” Many is not a specific number, so many days or years is simply a LONG time. Again the context gives the meaning.

Rev 2:10 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days.” This is the ten years (LT), known as the severest persecution under Emperor Diocletian, 303 to 313 AD. [ref EN , “Diocletian's reign is especially remembered, however, for the renewed persecution of Christians”]

Rev 11:3 “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” This would be 1260 years (LT) that the true witnesses of the gospel were under the persecution of Papal rule. For centuries anyone who opposed the Church of Rome was butchered or burnt at the stake. [ref HCC vol.6 ch.7:60, “The last case of an execution by the Spanish Inquisition was a schoolmaster, Cayetano Ripoll, July 26, 1826”]. Also you can Google “The 1260 years of Papal Supremacy. - Bible Light”. The Popes power ended in 1798 when the Pope was take prisoner by Napoleon’s General Berthier. Consider the passage in Dan 7:25 “And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints…they shall be given into his hand until “a time and times and one-half time”, which is the 1260 years that the Papacy ruled Supreme.

Rev 11:9 - 11 “And they..shall see their dead bodies three days and a half,” That equates to 3 ½ day = 3 ½ years (LT). You can refer to my talk entitled “CHURCH HISTORY Part 3 - Who Were The Reformers”. Or [ref CN Gill on Rev 11:3],[ref CN Meyer on Rev 11:1-13]

Rev 12:6 “And the woman fled…they should feed her there a thousand, two hundred and sixty days.” That is 1260 years (LT). My take on this passage is. (1) The woman is NOT the church as many would say. If she was the church, then you are saying that the church Produced Christ? That is Nonsense! Go back and look at her description; she is Israel the wife of Jehovah. It is through Israel that Christ came. (2) The portion of Israel that ‘fled into the wilderness’ was the ‘Lost Ten Tribes’. (3) The symbolism starts with the birth and resurrection of Christ. To which we add 1260 years. By this stage the ‘Lost Ten Tribes’ had migrated to the British Isles and Scandinavia. (4) So what happened in 1260AD? [ref HYY page 147 ‘The Second Baron’s War 1264]. Israel-Briton had been protected from most European conflicts for 1260 years, and was now starting to shake off all foreign interference. Israel the woman was now coming into the world stage. 

Weeks

2Esdras 7:39 to 42 abbreviated, WEBA “This is a day that has neither sun, moon, stars, cloud, thunder, lightning, wind, water, air, darkness, evening, morning, summer, spring, heat, winter, frost, cold, hail, rain, dew, etc. etc,…v:42 “save only the splendor of the glory of the Most High, whereby all shall see the things that are set before them: v:43  for it shall endure as it were a week of years.” Obviously not a mere 7 years. The passage is a similar style to the phrase in Dan 7:18 ‘for ever, even for ever and ever”. The implication is it will endure for a very, very long time.  

Dan 9:24 “Seventy weeks are decreed as to your people and as to your holy city…”

Dan 9:25 “Know therefore …to Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks…”

Dan 9:26 “And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself...”

Dan 9:27 “..he shall confirm the covenant..for one week:..in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease..”

These were covered above under the heading of ‘Splitting of Prophecies?’ Everyone accepts these as a week = 7 days = 7 years (LT).

Months

Eze 39:12-14 “And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.” I think this would have to mean a literal seven months. If not it would be 7x 30 days = 210 days = 210 years (LT)! That is a long time to be cleaning up the dead after the battle of Armageddon.

Eze 47:12 “And all trees for food shall go up by the torrent, on its bank on this side, and on that side. Its leaf shall not fade, nor its fruit fail. It will bear by its months, because its waters come out from the sanctuary…” Again the context gives the meaning. It is speaking of a tree fruiting at a given time, meaning a literal month.

Zec 11:8 “I also cut off three shepherds in one month; and my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also despised me.” In the context of the rest of Zechariah chapter 11, we have the thirty pieces of silver that was a prophetic reference to the money paid to Judas. So the ‘one month’ may well be prophetic time which could be 30 days (PT) = 30 years (LT). But I am open to suggestion.

Gal 4:10 “You observe days, and months, and times, and years.” Covered above under the heading of “YEAR Interpreted As Literal”

Rev 9:5 “And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months. And their torment was like a scorpion's torment when he stings a man.” [ref Gill on Rev 9:5]. Using Old Testament symbolism the ‘scorpion’ represented a scourge from the east. Try this idea, take the ‘five months’ as 5 x 30 days = 150 days = 150 years (LT). History shows that Mohammed’s followers, (from the east), commenced their attack on Christendom in the year 612AD. Exactly 150 years later in 762AD the Eastern Caliph moved it’s capital from Syria and established Baghdad. Then Arab-Christian hostility subsided. [ref HYY pages 108 and 114]

Rev 9:10 “And they had tails like unto scorpions, …and their power was to hurt men five months.” Refer Rev 9:5 above

Rev 9:15 “And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.” See below under ‘Exceptions to The Rule’

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.” So 42 months = 42 x 30 days =42x30 years = 1260 years. [ref CN Gill on Rev 11:2] and [ref CN Barnes on Rev 11:2]. Also you might find of interest, [ref CN Geneva on Rev 11:2]

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.” As above =1260 years. This is the ‘Little Horn’ speaking great blasphemies. Who in European history has been doing that for centuries? One of the Popes MANY claims of authority is; “Where Peter (or his successor) is, there is the Church." "There is No Allegiance to Christ Without Submission to the Pope"). [ref HCC vol.6 ch.10] [ ref HCC vol. 6 ch.1:8]. The ‘Puppet’ Pope, [ref HCC vol.3 ch.5:64, ‘Vigilius, a pliant creature’], came to power in 538AD. In 1798 the Pope was take prisoner by Napoleon’s General Berthier. Do the Maths! 1798 - 538 = 1260 years. From the historic interpretation view that was the end of the 3 ½ (prophetic years) = 42 months = 1260 real years.

Rev 22:2 “In the midst of the street…was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month” As per Eze 47:12 above the context gives the meaning. It is speaking of a tree fruiting at a given time, meaning a literal month

Season
2Esdras 13:26, WEBA “the same is he whom the Most High has kept a great season, which by his own self shall deliver his creature: and he shall order those who are left behind.” Refer to Baruch 6:3 below, ‘a long season’. This whole chapter is a vision of Armageddon and Christ is the ‘he’ whom the Most High has kept a long period awaiting this moment.

2Esdras 14:5, WEBA “and told him many wondrous things, and showed him the secrets of the times, and the end of the seasons; and commanded him, saying,” This is God changing the Prophetic Times and Seasons of Kingdoms as He chooses. Or in other words, directing the number of years that a Kingdom will exist or when it will rise and when it will fall.

Baruch 6:3, WEBA “So when you come to Babylon, you shall remain there many years, and for a long season, even for seven generations: and after that I will bring you out peaceably from thence.” Daniel was amongst the first to go into captivity in 605 BC. The last recorded return was Nehemiah in 445BC. That comes to 605-445=160 years, defiantly longer than a season which = 90 days = 90 years.

Dan 7:11 “Then I was looking because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke. I watched until the beast was slain, and his body was destroyed and given to the burning flame. Dan 7:12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.” This should be read in conjunction with Dan 2 and ‘The Statue’. The Little horn & Beast are the Ten Toes, or the Papal-European system. The Stone is not Christ as many think; it’s the Anglo-Saxon people, (Ephraim-Israel). They came into prominence under Elizabeth I, tackling the Spanish, France, Germany, and Italy etc, who were tail end of the Papal-European. The other kingdoms that Daniel saw were the Babylonian, Medo-Persians and the Greeks kingdoms. They did in effect remain untainted by Papal Rome. So their kingdoms linger a season =90 days + time 360 days = 450 days = 450 years (LT).

Dan 2:21 “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” See 2Esdras 14:5 above. God setting up and pulling down kingdoms as He sees fit.

Act 1:7 “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”

1Th 5:1 “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you.” For both of these see 2Esdras 14:5 above.

Rev 6:11 “And white robes were given unto every one of them;…that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” In other words ‘wait a while, more martyrs will join you shortly.’

Rev 20:3 “And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” This is when Satan is loosed after the 1000 years in the bottomless pit. He will gather any who are willing to challenge Christ’s rule. A season is 90 days = 90 years, so ‘a little season’ could mean it might take Satan some time short of 90 years to launch his final attack.

Times

Dan 11:24 “He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.” time = 360 days = 360 years (LT). [Ref HYY page 60 ‘The Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt for 275 years]. Also you can [ref CN Barnes and Gill on Dan 11:24]

Seven Times Punishment Warning.

Hands up if you have ever heard of “The SEVEN Times Punishment”? You can find it in Lev. 26: 14-46. When God is saying to the Israelites I put before you life and death, choose ye life etc. God is basically saying in this passage, “the bottom line is” if you walk contrary to me; refuse my correction; continue to break my commandments; etc. etc. Then He will walk contrary to them, He will scatter them among the nations and He will punish them SEVEN times.

Lev 26:18  “And if you will not yet listen to Me for all this, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.”

Lev 26:21  “..you walk contrary to Me, and will not listen to Me, I will bring seven times more plagues on you according to your sins.”

Lev 26:24  “then I will walk contrary to you and will punish you seven times more for your sins.”

Lev 26:28  “then I will walk contrary to you also in fury. And I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.”

But what is SEVEN times? You have all heard of the old favourite, “Time Times and Half a Time”, well seven times is double that.

So Time Times and Half a Time (PT) = 3 ½ time = 42 months = 1260 days (PT) = 1260 literal years. So 7 Times = 2520 literal years. [ref CN F.B. Meter on Daniel 12:7]. Now that figure is a very useful tool for interpreting major world events in relation to Israel and Judah. If you pick any major event in Israel or Judah’s history you can add 2520 years and you will find some amazing corresponding event! But getting the right start date is the tricky bit. You can refer to my talk “BRITISH ISRAEL – National Promises -- Seven Times Punishment”

The classic is the fall of Jerusalem in 604. Just add 2520 years and we get, the year 1917. [Or –604 +1 (no year zero) +2520 = 1917]. That was the year, according to prophecy, that Jerusalem was to be no longer under the control of the Gentile Nations, and the seven times punishment was finished. So what happened in 1917? In World War I the Turkish army fled from Jerusalem and General Allenby walked into Jerusalem 11.Dec.1917. Without a shot fired. Jerusalem was no longer under Gentile rule! The Jews WORLD WIDE were then able to return to Jerusalem.

Daniel Chapters 10, 11 and 12

I am no expert on interpreting prophecies; I suggest you go to [ref CN Barnes, Gill or Meyer on Dan chapters 10, 11 & 12], and there are many other commentaries obtainable through ‘e-Sword’. These three chapters are one continuous vision. Cyrus and Darius the Mede are the same person, [ref UD 560 BC par 902]. Presumably it is Gabriel speaking, he tells Daniel in Dan 11:1 ‘I stood up for Darius the Mede’. Then he unfolds history from then to the second coming of Christ, Dan 12:2. So this throws a lot of impact on the angels question, “Until when shall be the end of these wonders?” Dan 12:7 is a full talk in itself! [ref to my ‘Blogg’ entitled “Daniel Chapters 10, 11 & 12”].

Dan 12:6 “And one said to the man clothed in linen on the waters of the river: Until when shall be the end of these wonders? Dan 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was on the waters of the river, when he held up his right and his left hand to Heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half. And when (they or he) have made an end of scattering the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.”

[time, times & ½ =1260 days =1260 years (LT). I suggest Google 1260 Year Prophecy of Papal Supremacy (AD538-1798 ... ]

Dan 12:8 “And I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, O my lord, what shall be the end of these things? Dan 12:9 And He said, Go, Daniel! For the words are closed up and sealed until the end-time. Dan 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried. But the wicked shall do wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. Dan 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the desolating abomination set up, a thousand two hundred and ninety days shall occur.”

“From the time”, this gives us the starting date. Compare Mat 24:4-17, Mar 13:5-17 and Luk 21:10-22. All three passages are an account of the same speech by Jesus. You will find that, “the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet”; is described in plain language by Luke as “Jerusalem compassed with armies”. That happened in 70 AD with the fall of Jerusalem, [ref EB,  “Jewish Revolt, FIRST”]. So 1290 days = 1290 years (LT), starting from 70AD = 70 + 1290 =1360 AD? That’s what it comes to, but it makes no sense to me either. So I’m open to suggestion if you have any ideas. The other alternative is to look at the passage in reverse. Who is doing the scattering? Refer Daniel 12:7, some translations say “he”. Now go to Lev 26:33 “And I (God) will scatter you among the heathen.” That finished in 1917 when the Jews were invited to return to Jerusalem. That also evolved the end of the Turkish, (or Gentile), rule or the Holy Land. So perhaps we should use the Mohammedans calendar, as in my paper “Daniel Chapters 10, 11 & 12”.

Dan 12:12  “Blessed is he who waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.”

This one I do know. the Mohammedans calendar also applies in this verse.  Google “1335 and 1917” or Jerusalem 1917-1335 - Constant Contact. And it was also the end of the Seven Times Punishment. It is more than just a coincidence of dates.

Exceptions to the Rules

A Day Is As A Thousand Years?  There are some passages that are NOT LITERAL and also they DO NOT follow the rule of “a day for a year”. For example we have the phrase, “A Day is as A Thousand Years”. Peter refers to Psalms 90:4 and explains this for us this way.  2Pe 3:8 “…that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Lets nickname this phrase a ‘Long Day’. So if we then apply this ‘Long Day’ to some other scriptures, they then start to make a bit more sense. Lets try the following.

Gen 2:17 “but you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Well some people would tell us that the day Adam ate of the forbidden fruit he “spiritually” died. That’s reasonable. Adam and Eve could no longer ‘face’ God when they heard Him walking in the garden Gen 3:8-23. Alternatively if we applied the ‘Long Day’, we could say this. If Adam and Eve had NOT eaten of the forbidden fruit, but ate of the other trees, including the Tree of Life, they could have lived FOREVER! Refer Gen 3:22. So the first thousand years of their life could be interpreted as “the day” or ‘Long Day’ that God was referring to when He said, ‘in that day you shall surely die’. If we follow that line of thought, then Adam took the best part of one thousand literal years before he died. In other words Adam only lived for one ‘Long Day’.

GOD’s GREAT WEEK  Also on this bases of the ‘Long Day’ we get the principle of what is known as “Gods GREAT WEEK”. It is not mentioned in scripture, but if you go to e-Sword, [ref Graphics Viewer, Larkin, Chart 57- The Weeks of Scripture, “The Week of Millenniums”]. History runs as follows; from Adam to Christ is 4000 years. From Calvary to the return of Christ is 2000 years. The Millennial reign of Christ is 1000 years. Totalling 7000 years, that is seven ‘Long Days’, referred to as “Gods GREAT WEEK”.

Hos 6:2 “After two days He will bring us to life; in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight” All of Hosea chapters 4,5 and 6 are prophetic and they seem to flow one to another, so it is fair to assume that the word ‘day’ could be interpreted as a year of literal time. So it could be said that Hosea was saying, “If we behave as God asks us to do for ‘2’ years, in the third year God will make us mighty in His sight”. Or alternatively if we apply the ‘Long Day’ it could be interpreted as this. From Christ to the second coming is 2 ‘Long Days’, after which ‘He will bring us to life’. In the third ‘Long Day’, which is the millennium, ‘we shall live in His sight’. It is interesting how God can give in one prophecy a possible double fulfilment.  

Luk 13:7 ‘The Fig Tree’

Yes it is just a parable, but what if we look at it on the bases of the ‘Long Day’? Luk 13:7 “And he said to the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, and find none. Cut it down, why does it encumber the ground? v:8 And answering, he said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and throw manure. v:9 And if it bears fruit, well; and if not, then after that you shall cut it down.” Judah is often referred to as a ‘vine’ or ‘fig-tree’ in prophecy or parables, refer Hos 9:10, Joe 1:7, Nah 3:12 and others. In the commentary notes, [ref CN, Barnes on Luke 13:7], he refers to the three years as Christ’s ministry. I have the view that we could start from Abraham and interpret it this way. God, the owner of the vineyard, is talking to Christ, the gardener, and says, ‘this fig-tree is in its third thousand years!! Christ says, give it another thousand years, if nothing; then rip it out!’ Could that have meant that if the gospel had not ‘flourished’ after the year 1000 AD. God would have cut His losses, destroyed the world, and start a new creation?

“YEAR” The Odd One

This is the odd occurrence of the word year, which I mentioned above. Rev 9:15  “And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.” This is Strong’s word no. [G1763 = eniautos or en-ee-ow-tos' Prolonged from a primary word å̓́íïò enos (a year); a year: - year]. Also [ref CN, Barnes or PNT or Gill on Rev 9:15].  Being the Prolonged form of ‘year’, it is not the literal form, so I believe we should apply the, ‘the day for a year’, as do the commentary notes.

Therefore it is to be interpreted as a ‘year’ (PT). Back to basics; we convert every thing to days - add it up - then a ‘day for a year’.

We get; (day) +(30 days) +(360 days) =391 days =391 years (LT); Plus the hour = 15 days (LT). That’s still only a bit over 391 years.

I tend to go along with Gill’s and A.J. Ferris’s commentaries, the 391 years represents the rise of the Turks. The Turks crossed the Euphrates in 1062 AD. and began their slaughter of the Eastern Third of the old Roman Empire. Exactly 391 years later they took Constantinople 1453 AD. and the onslaught subsided. [ref The Second Advent: How, When, Where? / A. J. Ferris. - Fourth Edition.]

Conclusion

As you can see I have only delved into prophecies that have some period of prophetic time associated with them. I hope I have managed to explain them to your satisfaction, and also I hope I have given you some food for thought. Remember the context will help you to determine whether or not to take the passage in question as prophetic time or literal time.  Then we just add up the days and apply ‘a day for a year’. Also you may need to find the start date for the commencement of a prophecy. Remember the biblical term “The WORLD” does NOT always mean the whole planet, it meant the Roman World. Refer Luke 2:1 “..there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” It didn’t include India, China etc. So don’t get into a tangle trying to apply prophecies to the whole world.

I believe the biggest problem with trying to understand these grand old prophecies is our lack of knowledge of history. If you wish to make a hobby of studying prophecies and history, a cheap way is to download FREE all the reference material from “e-Sword”. There are about 30 sets of commentary notes, hundreds of maps, numerous charts, a time line and a sizable reference library. Also these days we have so much information available online. It’s so easy to scan through history and filter out the appropriate event that fits the prophecy perfectly.

Thank you for your time. I hope you have enjoyed the talk

God Bless You, yours Adrian