7 Clues to the TIMING OF the TRIBULATION - By David Wills - 2025

Published on 9 March 2025 at 18:18

Introduction

While many would claim we cannot know when Jesus is coming back, it is worth noting some of what the bible explicitly states about this. In one of the early references to the Rapture by Paul the apostle, God reveals the following:

¹ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 1 Thessalonians 5:1

Here Paul is not saying that they cannot know, or even that they do not know, rather he is saying that they have no need for him to write to them about it, suggesting that they already knew all that they needed to know about the times and the seasons - and why was that?

The next verse tells us:

² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:2

Did coming as a thief in the night mean that it would come unexpectedly without any sign or warning such that they could not really know?

The very next verse tells us:

³ For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. . 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Therefore, contrary to it coming without warning, there is clearly going to be a specific sign to the believers, a sign in which “they”, the ones being juxtaposed against “believers”, would be saying “Peace and Safety” and then at that time the ‘Day of the Lord’ would come suddenly, like the travail of a woman in child birth, such that “they”, as in the unbelievers, would not escape.

Notably the ‘Day of the Lord’ occurs when the woman is near her time of delivery, but the warning signs actually begin when the woman first becomes pregnant because pregnancy itself is a season. It does not become the event of childbirth, until the very end of that time. Then just prior to this end, God reveals that there would be a specific sign to the believers who are watching, such that the world would begin to say “Peace and Safety” or “Peace and Security”, depending upon what version of the bible you are using. At that time, believers should get ready because they will know that they are near the very end of the season, that is about to give birth to the ‘Day of the Lord’.

Importantly, from that time onwards, it will come suddenly, like a woman in childbirth, such that “they”, as in the ‘Unbelievers’, will not escape. However, as Paul said, Believers are of the light, not the darkness, and are of the day, not the night, so we can know that we are in the season:

⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵ You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8

And for this reason, we understand that God is about to rescue us from the wrath that is about to come upon the whole world:

⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

This message is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture and notably these references also emphasize that the 'Day of the Lord' will come like a woman who is near her time of delivery - for example:

⁶ Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. ⁷ Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: ⁸ And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.⁹ Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. ¹⁰ For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. ¹¹ And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. Isaiah 13:6-11

And

¹⁷ Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. ¹⁸ We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. ¹⁹ Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. ²⁰ Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. ²¹ For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: -- the earth also shall disclose -- her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. Isaiah 26:17-21

The Signs

Peace and Security

As 1 Thessalonians states, a sign that we are nearing the birth, or the Rapture of the Church, will be when they start saying 'Peace and Security', or 'Peace and Safety'. Clearly this is not just talking about a local peace between two nations because there have been tribal wars since the beginning of time that have all been interspersed with periods of peace. Rather, since there is no other qualification, other than it being about God's people in juxtaposition with Sinners (those of the 'Day' or of 'Light', as opposed to those who are of the 'Night', or the 'Darkness), the sign relates to a global declaration of Peace and Security, which limits it to our 'day and age' where that message can be heard all around the world.

As the United Nations link below shows, we have already reached this point in human history, which means we can now know with some certainty that the end has almost been reached:

What People Want Most Is Peace with Security, Dignity, Secretary-General Tells General Assembly, Outlining Organization’s Priorities for 2024 | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases

The United Nations even has a group known as the SECURITY COUNCIL whose primary purpose is claimed to be 'to seek Peace within Nations':

Security Council ‘must spare no effort’ to unite and push for peace | UN News

Another global organization, known as the 'World Economic Forum or WEF', that shapes many of the policies being implemented by governments around the world, also focuses on the themes of Peace and Security:

Young people’s voices are key to global peace and security | World Economic Forum

But all of this is meant to comfort believers because it affirms how close we are to the Lord’s return:

¹¹ Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Signs of Daniel

Another confirmation that we are near the end comes from Daniel 12:4

⁴ But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12:4

This provides two more signs of the time of the end, that we have indisputably seen fulfilled in our lifetimes:

“... many shall run to and fro” is a perfect description of modern travel, including space travel. It should be remembered that for thousands of years, until the 20^th century, the horse and cart were the primary mode of transportation, but now we can travel around the world in a matter of hours and even go into space above the earth.
“…and knowledge shall be increased” is also a perfect description of the Internet and Artificial Intelligence etc. Again, this started in the 20th century and has grown exponentially since.

Israel as a Sign

In this respect, it is no coincidence that the 20^th century also gave way to the rebirth of Israel, just as was prophesied in scriptures such as Isaiah 66:8:

⁸ Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or -- shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth -- her children. Isaiah 66:8

Clearly, the travail of childbirth spoken of here and in many other scriptures, involve first the Rebirth of Israel and then later the ‘Day of the Lord’. In this way, they are connected and in fact this makes Israel’s modern existence the biggest sign that we are in the last of the last days, that started with Jesus’ resurrection and the birth of the Church at Pentecost.

See the following link to a video by Jonathan Cahn that contains some interesting details about Israel’s rebirth in 1948 that affirm the supernatural hand of God over all of the events of history that preceded it:

Jonathan Cahn: Prophecy Fulfilled by TRUMP and What It Means for the Future | Praise on TBN - https://youtu.be/IV3t3hZ57WY

Notably, in this respect, the bible equates the end-time prophecy of the woman in Revelation 12 with Israel and both the birth of the Saviour and the birth of the Church (His Body).

¹ And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:² And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. Revelation 12:1-2

Given the context of the verse, it is fair to say that the woman, who was clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars, was born in the days of Jacob (who was renamed Israel) and his sons, as it was a clear reference to the dream God gave his son Joseph (who was one of 12 sons) and to the origin of the nation of Israel:

⁹ And he dreamed yet another dream, and told -- it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. ¹⁰ And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? ¹¹ And his brethren envied him; but his father observed -- the saying. Genesis 37:9-11

The Rapture

As such, the woman was a picture of Israel who gave birth to the Messiah / Seed of the Woman in Jesus, and then arguably from verse 5 of Revelation 12, the focus shifts to being a reference to the body of the child (Jesus), which would be a reference to the Church, who would be caught up unto God at some time in the future:

⁵ And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. Revelation 12:5

Biblically, this switch from the subject being Jesus to Jesus' Body (the Church) is supported by noting that the Greek Word here for Caught up is ἡρπάσθη with the root word being the Strongs word g0726. ἁρπάζω harpazō, which is the exact same word used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 to describe the Rapture of the Church:

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17

In this regard ἁρπάζω literally means ‘to seize upon with force’, ‘to catch (away, up)’, pluck, pull, take (by force). The important thing here is that it is indicating that it involves a forceful removal that certainly cannot be used to describe Jesus’ gentle ascension into the clouds, as described in the book of Acts:

⁹ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men -- stood by them in white apparel; ¹¹ Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:9-11

Here the Greek word for ‘taken up’ is ἐπαίρω, which means to lift up. To raise up. Trans., to hoist up as a sail as in (Acts 27:40) – Clearly this was a gentle and gradual process not the sudden act of forcefully being 'caught up'.

And then the climax of Jesus' Ascension, as the Son of Man (which was Jesus favorite term for Himself in the Gospels) into Heaven, is seen in Daniel 7:

¹³ I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. ¹⁴ And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13-14

Again, the word for "came" in this verse is the Hebrew word אָתֵ֣ה which basically means "to come", not in any sudden way, rather just in a movement towards somewhere. So, in this regard, Rev 12: 5 with its more forceful verb for 'caught up' appears to be talking about the Rapture, that follows the woman giving birth to the Church, not Jesus' ascension to Heaven.

Signs of the Times

After the woman (Israel) became a nation, following on from Joesph’s dream and after Moses brought the people of the nation deliverance from Egypt, Israel's history all led to the day that Jesus and later the Church (on the day of Pentecost) were born. This began what the Bible calls the ‘Last Days’ and as Isaiah and other scriptures say, labour pains would be occurring in the world and increasing in intensity until the Church is caught away and the ‘Day of the Lord’ is birthed.

Amid these birthing pains, God has told us to look for the signs, each one of which would reveal how close to the end we were. As above, everything began to change in the 20^th Century when Israel, the Fig Tree, was reborn. Until this time the words of 'revelation' given to Daniel were to be Sealed up.

⁴ But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12:4

But now we live in the time when we have seen exponential increases in travel and knowledge and so we know that this IS the time Daniel described as the time of the END and that the book of Revelation, which is the unsealing of Daniel, is here, and just as 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 describes, we are in the days of when the words 'Peace and Safety', or 'Peace and Security' are on their lips:

¹ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. ² For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. ³ For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

Then in the same passage in verses 4 to 6 it says that believers have been given enough information to know that the End is imminent, because we are not in darkness that the day will overtake us as a thief, and so we are instructed to Watch, so that we are not overtaken as a Thief ...

⁴ But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵ Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. ⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6

Summary of Signs

Therefore, what follows is a timing theory that is based upon the convergence of 7 different principles that are all founded on clues that God has revealed in the Bible and in Israel's history. The hope is that by seeing how all of these fit together, we will be able to see how close we really are to the end when Jesus will appear again in the clouds, just as He promised His disciples in Acts 1:11

¹¹ Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:9-11

Ultimately, just looking at one or two clues can be very misleading, so it is hoped that by looking at multiple clues, we may have a better feel for God's Timeline. And while 7, in and of itself, is still not a huge number, when you consider the number of prophecies given over millennia, it should be enough to identify some trends and possibly draw some conclusions. Either way, I reiterate that God cannot be put in a box and as 2 Peter 3:9 states, if He delays, it is only because He does not want any to be lost.

So, I am not being dogmatic about any conclusions here, I just want to be sure that we do not miss the time of Jesus' visitation. Clearly, Jesus expected people to know that He was coming the first time, and He revealed, through the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in books such as Daniel etc., when he would be coming. In fact Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy is a mathematical formula that arguably reveals to the day when Jesus, as the Messiah, would be cut off on the Cross, and so knowing the Levitical Laws and the age a person had to be to function as a High Priest (to apply the blood sacrifice on the mercy seat) along with other clues in Daniel, there was enough information that God had revealed about Jesus' First Coming, that the people should have known and should have been looking for Him.

Clearly, some were, like Simeon in the Temple and the Magi from the land of the East. It seems likely that they came from the area where Daniel had been exiled and were simply reading his writings, which created an expectation in their hearts. Then, when they were actively seeking and watching, they were open for the miracle of the Star of Bethlehem, that ultimately led them to the very house where Jesus' was, so that they could worship the birth of the King of Israel.

A Timing Theory based upon 6 ideas

So, with this understanding, we will now begin to consider the following 7 theories that may provide us with some valid ideas about when Jesus could be returning:

1) Feasts of the Lord - their significance and timing

2) The Metonic cycle - and how it relates to the Hebrew Calendar

3) Daniel's TIME PERIODS - and 1290 days - the Daniel 12 reference to 1290 days and its connection to the Metonic Cycle

4) Sabbatical Cycles - the idea that the 7 years of the Tribulation will fit into a 7-year sabbatical cycle and where that fits into the current Jewish Calendar that designates 2025 as the year 5785 and the current sabbatical cycle as being 2018 - 2025.

5) the Fig Tree prophecy -Parable about Israel.

6) Daniel's 70th Week Prophecy

7) 490 – God’s symbol of perfect forgiveness

1) – Feasts of the Lord

Firstly, the word Feast is the Hebrew word מוֹעֵד (H4150. מוֹעֵד mô‘ēḏ). It is a masculine noun meaning an appointed time or place and in context here refers to a specific time that has been appointed by God for a sacred feast or festival; that is meant to be for His people to both remember and rehearse events associated with the redemptive work of the LORD in Christ, the Messiah.

We are told that the new Moon and the Feasts of the Lord are a shadow of things to come in Colossians 2:16-17 and that their substance is Christ:

¹⁶ Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: ¹⁷ Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Colossians 2:16-17

In this regard, while it is not uncommon to hear people say that there are 7 Jewish Feasts in Leviticus 23, the reality is that there are actually 8 yearly Feasts or Appointed Times, during which 7 involve Holy Convocations, or Sacred Assemblies, and they are not strictly Jewish Feasts, rather they are designated as the ‘Feasts of the LORD’.

¹ The LORD said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. Leviticus 23:1-2.

These are all detailed in Leviticus Chapter 23 and can be separately listed as follows, firstly showing those that God commanded to involve a Holy Convocation. These were to be solemn gatherings where the people would refrain from all work, except for cooking, to spend time dedicated to God and during this time they would both rest and sacrifice to God, to make the nation Holy, or separated to God again.

8 Holy Convocations - God commanded for 8 times of gathering - these are temporal gatherings until the final 8th day gathering Shemini Atzeret- שְׁמִינִי עֲצֶרֶת‎, or the 8th day Assembly or Gathering) and notably while there were 7 yearly Holy Convocations, the first one listed in Leviticus 23 was actually the Sabbath, which was a weekly event, that made up the 8 gatherings in all (both weekly and yearly), as follows:

Sabbath - Lev 23:3 every 7th day until the sun is replaced with the son on the 8th day
Feast Of Unleavened Bread (Day1) - Lev 23:7
Feast Of Unleavened Bread (Day7) - Lev 23:8
Pentecost - Lev 23:21
Feast of Trumpets - Lev 23:24
Day of Atonement - Lev 23:27
Feast of Tabernacles (Day 1) - Lev 23:35
The Eighth Day (Shemini Atzeret) - Lev 23:36

Then we have the 8 yearly Feasts listed separately below, noting that not all of these involved a Holy Convocation, but as above, they were appointed times that highlighted some aspect of the work of the LORD in Salvation, noting that the Greek Gematria or the numerical values of Jesus Christ are both multiples of 8 with Jesus' name actually being 888 as follows:

Jesus - ΙΗΣΟΥΣ = 888 (8 x 37 x 3)
Christ - ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ = 1480 (8 x 37 x 5)

Also, as will be seen, these Feasts include some prophetic timing clues to both the Rapture and the Second Coming of Christ.

8 Feasts (Appointments) of the LORD (not 7) with the 7 yearly Holy Convocations (marked with H.C.)

Passover - 14th Nisan
Feast of Unleavened Bread - H.C. (X2) - 15th of Nisan
Feast of First Fruits - 16th Nisan
Pentecost - H.C. - 6th Sivan
Feast of Trumpets - H.C. - 1st Tishrei
Day of Atonement - H.C. - 10th Tishrei
Feast of Tabernacles - H.C. - 15th Tishrei
The Eighth Day (Shmini Atzeret) - H.C. - 22nd Tishrei

As can be seen 8 is a dominant theme here in relation to all these Feasts, where were essentially all about Eternity – as 8 is the number of Jesus, our Saviour and our LORD; and because God is a God of Restoration, who is all about reversing the Curse, we are ultimately heading toward the 8th Day of Creation as represented by the 8th Day Feast (Shmini Atzeret). Ultimately, the 8th Day is the day that all Bible Prophecy looks forward or points to and it is revealed in Revelation 21 as the time that involves the creation of the new Heaven and the new Earth, where men will dwell with God again, and where all tears will be wiped away, such that here will be no more pain; sorrow; death; or crying:

¹ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
² And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
³ And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. ⁴ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:1-4

The Hamas Connection to the 8th day

In an amazing prophetical occurrence, that many people don't seem to be aware of, or at least do not talk about, October 7, 2023 on the Gregorian calendar, the day that Hamas attacked Israel, was actually the 22nd of Tishrei on the Hebrew Calendar, which as noted above was actually Shemini Atzeret - the 8th day Feast, or the 8th day Gathering because it also involves a Holy Convocation and the word Atzeret actually means 'Assembly' or 'Gathering'.

The reason this seems to have been missed is because modern Israel generally celebrates Simchat Torah (Hebrew: שִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה) on that day instead. This is a day that marks the end of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle. However, by realizing that Simchat Torah is not a biblical Feast, but Shemini Atzeret is, we can see that this attack by Hamas was actually a very prophetic event. By attacking on the very day that celebrates and points to the beginning of Eternity, Hamas (Hebrew - חָמָס) whose name in Hebrew means violence or cruelty, were literally invoking upon themselves the beginning of their end and the start of a new day for Israel. Clearly, Israel has declared that they will not stop their response to the violence unleashed by Hamas until Hamas no longer exist. This all fits with the sign that Israel needs to be in Peace for the Rapture and Tribulation to start. Essentially, it appears to be the fulfilment of Psalm 83, that is dealing with what is often termed the 'inner ring of fire', in relation to Israel's enemies who have created the the Palestinian problem in an attempt to delegitimize Israel's claim to the land that God gave them.

Intriguingly, there is also a modern Jewish custom that is connected to all of this that will give us some greater insight into the meaning of all this war. It involves the reciting of Psalm 27 daily, from the beginning of Elul through to the end of Sukkot in Tishrei. It spans 51 days finishing on Tishrei 22nd, the Eighth Day Feast or Gathering. While the Psalm's themes of divine light, salvation, and trust resonate deeply with the penitential and reflective mood of this period that includes 3 other Feasts (including the Day of Atonement), the practice of reading at this time of year is not mentioned in the Talmud, or early rabbinic writings. The earliest known reference to the practice appears in the 18th century with Rabbi Yaakov Emden including it in his Siddur Bet Yaakov (1745), and Rabbi Shabtai Rashkov, a student of the Baal Shem Tov, mentioning it in his Seder Tefillah Mikol Hashanah (published posthumously in 1794).

In any event, the practice also seems prophetic because 51 is a number that represents Consecration and new beginnings, with it most notably being associated with the 51st day after the Israelites left Egypt, the day after they received the Law of God on Mt Sinai. On this day, the people agreed to consecrate themselves to God, declaring that He would be their God, and they would be His people. While the act of Consecrating oneself to God should lead to a new beginning in one's life, God also hid this meaning in the numbers themselves because 51 is 17 x 3 and 17 is repeatedly seen as a new beginning with the Flood of Noah beginning on the 17th day of the month, and Jesus being resurrected life from the dead on the 17th Nisan, 3 days and nights after Passover on the 14th Nisan.

Amazingly 27, the number of the Psalm being recited, is also associated with the end of things, with 27 appearing 3 times in the flood of Noah as:

- Genesis 7: 12 - the end of the Rain occurred on the 27th day of the 3rd month

- Genesis 8:10 - end of God's wrath, symbolized by the Dove returning with a leaf from an Olive branch on 27th day of 11th month.

- Genesis 8:14 - the end of the flood / judgement on the 27th day of the 2nd month, 370 days after it started.

Additionally, the KJV bible literally has a hidden pattern of 17 and 27 that represent the first and last of things or the beginning and the end, in the First and Last verses of the bible - click here to read more about this. The important thing here, in relation to Hamas, is that on the very day they attacked, orthodox Jews has just finished reciting Psalm 27 that includes a verse that is literally a plea to God to deliver them from Hamas:

¹² Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty (Hamas חָמָס ). Psalms 27:12

In this way, the number of this Psalm, which is 27 (with its connection to the end or to last things) seems to be a prophetic declaration that Hamas' violence and cruelty will come to an end. And the fact that it was being recited for 51 days until the end of Sukkot when Hamas attacked seems to be reaffirming that Hamas' time was going to come to an end. Numerically 51 is 3 x 17 and so this period also points to a new beginning that will be one without violence, without Hamas.

Then to seal all of this, including the idea that a new day without Hamas is coming, we see that the day that Hamas attacked Israel, on the 22nd Tishrei on the Hebrew Calendar, or October 7th on Gregorian, was Shemini Atzeret. This is the ultimate day of Salvation and New Beginnings, it is the 8th Day Gathering that prophetically, one year in the future, will usher in Eternity, the New Creation and the New Heaven and Earth, in which there will be no more Tears, Pain Death; Crying or Sorrow. God is a God of details, and He always precisely reverses the curse that began in the Garden of Eden.

So importantly, the 8th day will not just be a 24-hour day, or even the 1,000 year / day referred to in 2 Peter 3:8, rather it will be the day that never ends, and so in this respect it is worth considering what is hidden in the meaning of the word ‘day’ as we currently understand it:

יוֹם (Yom – ‘day’)- all men enjoy a temporal day, but it involves a choice. The essence of a day is about a choice (out of only 2 possibilities) ...

The Ancient Hebrew Pictographic meaning of the letters that form the word day show us what that choice is:

Yod - pictured as a Hand - representing a Divine Work.

Vav - pictured by a Nail or Peg - connects two things together.

Mem - pictured as Waters - 2 possibilities - either of chaos, or living waters (darkness or light) (death or life)

So, the meaning of the ‘Day of the LORD’, based upon the original meanings of the letters, is that there is a divine judgement of all of mankind coming. Jesus connected himself to us by becoming a man and taking on our sin. He received our judgement to give us a choice. Those that seek Jesus, the source of living waters, will be Raptured out of the darkness into the kingdom of light, from death to life, and will become part of the eternal 8th day.

Notably, the final 8th day will begin on the 22nd of the 7th month (Tishrei) of some future year.....

Dates of the Appointed Feasts of the LORD

In the meantime, the Appointed Feasts of the Lord, along with designated gatherings on certain days, will continue to be rehearsals for the aspects of Jesus’ ministry of Redemption. As such, they will be celebrated each year on the following dates, until they Jesus returns to establish His Eternal Kingdom:

1- Passover (14th day of the first month Nisan)

2 - Feast of Unleavened Bread (15^th – 21^st day of the first month Nisan)

3 - Feast of the First Fruits (16^th day of the first Month Nisan)

4 - Feast of Weeks (50 days after first fruits, a gap of 7 sabbaths)

5 - Feast of Trumpets (1^st day of the 7th month Tishrei)

6 - Day of Atonement (10^th day of the 7th month Tishrei)

7 - Feast of Tabernacles (15^th – 21^st day of the 7th month Tishrei)

8 – 8^th day Gathering (Shmini Atzeret) (22^nd day of the 7^th month Tishrei)

At this point, it is important to note that the first four Feasts, that are often referred to as the Spring Festivals, were all fulfilled in Jesus’ 1^st Coming, as follows:

1 - Passover - Jesus Death - he literally died on the Passover.

2 - Unleavened Bread - Jesus Burial - he was literally buried on this day.

3 - Feast of First Fruits - The wave offering of Jesus' sacrifice before the Father - His Resurrection occurred the next day (17th).

4 - Feast of Weeks - day of Pentecost occurred - Holy Spirit came to give birth to the church on this day, which is another Harvest Festival.

One further thing to note about the first 4 Feasts that Jesus fulfilled, when He came to die in our place upon the Cross, in light of our discussion above about the number 51 and its connection to both Consecration and New Beginnings, as well as to the new beginning that will come when Hamas is no more, is that if you add the dates of these feasts you get the following:

Passover - 14th Nisan

Unleavened Bread - 15th Nisan

First Fruits - 16th Nisam

Pentecost or Feast of Weeks - 6th Sivan

14 + 15 + 16 + 6 = 51

So, we have 51 again in connection with Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross - including His death, burial; and resurrection, as well as the birth of the church that is His spiritual body resurrected in us. By Him taking our place, He sets us free which in turn enables us to consecrate our Lives to Him and by faith through Grace. He gives us a new beginning (being born again) because the ultimate form of Violence and Cruelty in Death has been defeated. Significantly it does not stop there because God who is a Trinity often does things in 3s, so we also get 51 x 3 = 153, which is the number of fish in the gospel of John 21:11, that is symbolic of the salvation or harvest that God is going to bring through us, as people consecrated to Him, in the last days.

However, in terms of our discussion about the timing of Jesus' return it is worth noting that as the first 4 of the Feasts were fulfilled by Jesus’ 1st Coming, it reasonable to expect that the remaining 4 will be fulfilled by his 2nd Coming. This is where the prophetic element and timing clues come in. In this regard, the following events are commonly proposed as those that will be associated with Jesus second coming that Scripture clearly shows has two phases - the Rapture where Jesus Himself comes down in the Clouds to receive those who believe in Him unto Himself and His Second Coming that will precede His Millennial Reign upon earth.

Jesus Second Coming - Fall Festivals

5 - Feast of Trumpets - Possible Rapture or start of Tribulation (1st Tishrei) of some year.

6 - Day of Atonement - 2nd Coming (10th Tishrei) in some year.

7 - Feast of Tabernacles - Millennial Reign of Jesus (15th Tishrei) of some year.

8 – Eighth Day Gathering (Shmini Atzeret) – New Heaven and New Earth – Eternity (22^nd Tishrei) beginning on that date of some year.

Interestingly, the 8 Feasts thematically form 2 patterns (that represent events associated with Jesus' first and second comings) of 4 (the number of the world) that reveal his plan and purpose of Redemption, with each Feast in the Spring having its counterpart in the Fall.

1. Passover — 5. Feast of Trumpets - Salvation from Death and Slavery

2. Feast of Unleavened Bread — 6. Day of Atonement - Purge and Payment for Sin

3. Feast of First Fruits — 7. Feast of Tabernacles - First Offering of ourselves to the Lord

4. Pentecost — 8. The 8th Day - The Fulness of Lord in our Lives (Eternity)

The uniqueness of the Feast of Trumpets - a timing clue

However, since the Feast of Trumpets is the only Feast of the Lord that falls on a new moon, we should take particular note of it. It is a day of darkness and not of light and many say that because of this, it became known as the Unknown day and hour, that is later referred to by Jesus in Matthew 24.

³⁶ But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. Matthew 24:36

Essentially, because the lunar month is 29.53059 days long, the Feast Day would occur about 29.5 days after the last one, meaning it might occur on the 29th or 30th day, nobody knew for sure. It could only be declared as officially started after 2 witnesses confirmed the first sighting of the new crescent moon. The reason for this is the result of trying to find the exact time that the Feast begins. This was important because the Feast occurs on the first day of the seventh month, and this particular New Moon was not only the start of the month, but was also Rosh Hashanah, the head of the year, or the civil 'New Year'.

Many times, because of clouds and weather, it was hard to spot a New Moon. Once a “New Moon” was spotted, distant Jewish communities that existed because of Israel's exile in Babylon, would be notified via bonfires. However, since it took time to notify and certify the sighting of the new crescent, Rosh Hashanah came to be celebrated over two days. So interestingly, while the Bible only calls for a one-day holiday, it is actually still celebrated as a 2-day feast in Israel today and in this way, the expression "Of that day or hour no man knows" is thought to be referring to this unique Feast, that occurs on the 1st of the month (while all the others occur around the ‘Full Moon’ on the 14th; 15th; 10th and 16th). See more information on this in the article “English Translation Issues and the Rapture" by clicking on this link here.

Notably, some see the 2 days of the ‘Feast of Trumpets’ that are followed by 7 days prior to the Day of Atonement, on the 10th Tishrei, as mirroring the Rapture, Tribulation and Jesus' Return in Judgement. Either way, the corresponding day of 1st Tishrei, on our Gregorian Calendar will vary each year. So, what follows is a list of dates for the 1st Tishrei for the next 8 years - 2025 (5785) - 2033 (5793).

All of these, based upon this theory about the Feast of Trumpets being the ‘Unknown Day’, will represent the first of our possible timing clues for the Rapture:

1st Tishrei 2025 - Tues Sept 23rd (5785)

1st Tishrei 2026 - Sat Sept 12th (5786)

1st Tishrei 2027 - Sat Oct 2nd (5787)

1st Tishrei 2028 - Thurs Sept 21^st (5788)

1st Tishrei 2029 - Mon Sept 10th (5789)

1st Tishrei 2030 - Sat Sept 28th (5790)

1st Tishrei 2031 - Thurs Sept 18th (5791)

1st Tishrei 2032 - Mon Sept 6th (5792)

1st Tishrei 2033 - Sat Sept 24th (5793)

The second possible Timing Clue is related to the Structure of the Hebrew Calendar itself and is based upon what is known as the Metonic Cycle.

2) METONIC CYCLE and HEBREW CALENDAR

The Hebrew Calendar is Lunar - Solar, as opposed to the Gregorian Calendar that is Solar only. This creates a differential in both the number of Days and the number of Moons, or Months, that occur in each year as follows:

Days in a Lunar month = 29.53059

Days in a Solar year = 365.242199

Since 12 lunar months (29.53059 x 12) is only 354.36708 days, the number of days in the months and years between a Lunar and a Solar Calendar, don't line up.

However, a Greek Astronomer named Meton, in the 5th century BC, discovered that the number of days in 19 Solar years (see here for significance of the number 19) almost exactly equals the number of days in 235 Lunar months. This is now called the Metonic Cycle and is well documented on many internet sites, such as Metonic cycle - Wikipedia.

Solar Year - Normally 12 months in a year x 19 years = 228 months (Gregorian Calendar), and the number of days is 365.242199 days (Solar Year) x 19 years = 6939.601708 days (rounded up to 6,940).

Lunar-Solar Year - So, to adjust the Hebrew Lunar Calendar to align it with the Gregorian Solar Calendar, the number of months needs to be increased from 228 to 235, during the 19-year Metonic Cycle, and so an additional 7 months needs to be added. This means the number of days over this period is 235 x 29.53059 (Lunar Month) = 6939.68865 (rounded up to 6,940).

Now you have two calendars that are aligned within 125 mins over 19 years and as such the 19-year Lunar Calendar based upon the Metonic Cycle is acknowledged as being an extremely accurate calendar, as opposed to the Islamic Calendar that is purely a Lunar calendar that does not attempt to align itself with the Solar Year. As a result, the Islamic Calendar drifts by about 11 days each year, relative to the Solar year. However, the Hebrew Calendar, which also includes other adjustments known as Postponements (Dechiyot) to address the small drift of the Metonic Cycle, remains accurate and stops the Feasts of the LORD, such as “Passover” from drifting. It remains at the same time each year and remains closely aligned to its Christian Equivalent of Easter.

Therefore, while normally 228 months would occur in 19 years (12 x 19) in the Gregorian calendar, the Jewish calendar, following this Metonic Cycle, adds an additional 7 months during this period to make it 235. This means that 7 years during this 19-year cycle will have 13 months and 12 years will have the standard 12 months - (7 x 13) + (12 x 12) = 91+ 144 = 235 months.

Embolismal Years

Importantly, these 7 months are added in a regular pattern throughout the 19 years. The years with the extra month are called ‘Embolismal Years’.

Months for Standard year:

No. Hebrew calendar

1 Nisan

2 Iyar

3 Sivan

4 Tammuz

5 Av

6 Elul

7 Tishrei

8 Marcheshvan

9 Kislev

10 Tevet

11 Shevat

12 Adar

Months for Embolismal year (Includes an additional month called Adar II at the end of the normal year):

No. Hebrew calendar

1 Nisan

2 Iyar

3 Sivan

4 Tammuz

5 Av

6 Elul

7 Tishrei

8 Marcheshvan

9 Kislev

10 Tevet

11 Shevat

12 Adar

13 Adar II

And these 7 Embolismal Years occur in a regular pattern, with the additional month being added in the years that are Numbered: 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19 during the 19 YEAR CYCLE.

Currently, it is 2025 on the Gregorian Calendar, which corresponds to the Jewish Year of 5785. So, to find a position in Metonic cycle you divide the current Jewish year by 19 and then using the integer portion only of the answer, you multiply the result by 19 and subtract the result from the current year to give you a remainder, that will represent the year, or position in the cycle.

For Example – year 5785:

5785 / 19 = 304.4736842105263

Just taking the Integer portion (ignoring the decimals that follow it) you multiply this by 19 to get 304 *19 = 5776

Then you subtract the result 5776 from the current year 5785

5785 - 5776 = 9 remainder

Therefore, we are currently in year 9 of the 19-year cycle.

Given that the Embolismal years are those numbered 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19 and we are currently in year 9, we can know that the next year with an additional month will be year 11, in 2 years’ time. That is 2027 on the Gregorian Calendar, or 5787 on the Jewish Calendar, will have the extra month known as Adar II.

List of Years (until 2035) beginning on Rosh Hashanah that have the extra month:

23-24-5784 – 8 - Adar2

24-25-5785 – 9 – Current year

25-26-5786 - 10

26-27-5787 – 11 – Adar II

27-28-5788 - 12

28-29-5789 - 13

29-30-5790 – 14 – Adar II

30-31-5791 - 15

31-32-5792 - 16

32-33-5793 – 17 – Adar II

33-34-5794 - 18

34-35-5795 – 19 – Adar II

List of months on this Calendar for the next 30 years

The Embolismal years have the month of Adar 2 in Bold:

2024 – 2025 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (9)

2025 - 2026 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (10)

2026 – 2027 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (11) *

2027 – 2028 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (12)

2028 – 2029 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (13)

2029 – 2030 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (14) *

2030 – 2031 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (15)

2031 – 2032 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (16)

2032 – 2033 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (17) *

2033 – 2034 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (18)

2034 – 2035 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (19) *

2035 – 2036 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (1)

2036 – 2037 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (2)

2037 – 2038 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (3) *

2038 – 2039 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (4)

2039 – 2040 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (5)

2040 – 2041 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (6) *

2041 – 2042 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (7)

2042 – 2043 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (8) *

2043 – 2044 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (9)

2044 – 2045 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (10)

2045 – 2046 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (11) *

2046 – 2047 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (12)

2047 – 2048 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (13)

2048 – 2049 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (14) *

2049 – 2050 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (15) *

2050 – 2051 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (16)

2051 - 2052 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (17) *

2052 – 2053 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (18)

2053 – 2054 Tishrei Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Adar2 Nisan (Passover) Lyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul (19) *

The Number of Moons or Months during 7-year Periods

Significantly, if you count the number of Months, or Moons, during any 7-year period, that will represent the duration of the Tribulation, you will have some years with 12 months or moons and some with 13 months or moons. Therefore, because of the Metonic Cycle, you will have some seven-year periods with 86 moons and some with 87. It will always be one or the other.

List of 7-year periods with their number of moons:

In considering these 7-year periods, it should also be noted that they include a Shmita year, which is every 7th year, with the initial count of years being based upon God’s revelation of Jubilee Events. That is, a Jubilee Year always followed 7 Shmita Cycles, or 7 x 7 years = 49 years, with the next year, the 50th being a Jubilee.

In this 50th year, every man was meant to have any land that he had lost restored to him and the land was meant to rest and slaves were set free. It was a year of restoring what had been lost. However, apart from a few allusions to it in the bible there is no actual evidence to confirm whether or not Israel actually observed it and for this reason there is no support for knowing when a Jubilee occurred in biblical times. This is why Israel's modern history is so significant because the timing of key events that were beyond Israel's control reveal a pattern of restoration, all based upon a 50-year cycle as follows:

1867 – Mark Twain who brought attention to Holy Land when he visited and wrote about it in his book "Innocents Abroad".

1917– General Allenby Liberates Jerusalem, after 400 years of Occupation by the Ottoman Turks.

1917 – Balfour Declaration gave the world's approval for a homeland to be recreated for Israel.

1967– Six Day War liberated East Jerusalem and Temple Mount, putting both back into Jewish hands after over 2,000 years.

2017 – Jerusalem Declaration by US President Trump for recognizing it to be Eternal Capital of Israel – no other nation in modern times gave Israel that recognition.

Additionally, there were another 2 major events, that are not part of this cycle, but were still separated by exactly 50 years:

1897 – First Zionist Congress - God calling His people home - first official Jewish organization convened to reestablish a homeland.

1947 - UN votes and passes resolution 181 - to establish a Jewish Homeland in the area being called Palestine.

These events all involved the restoration of something that had been lost to Israel as a nation in relation to their land and their autonomy. God's hand was clearly on all of these events and in this way He has revealed the timing of the Jubilee again, with the last one occurring from Tishrei 10, 2017 to Elul 29, 2018, or 30th September 2017 to 19th September 2018, noting that the Jubilee always starts 10 days after the new year, on the Day of Atonement. As such, the current Sabbath cycle, which is counted from the year after the Jubilee year, started on Tishrei 1 2018 and because the Shemita occurs every 7 years, the next one will begin on 1st Tishrei 2025. Then, if we count the number of moons (months) in each of the 7-year periods, from the list of months detailed above, we get the following:

2018 - 2025 = 87 moons (includes Sabbatical or Shmita year 24-25)

2019 - 2026 = 86 moons

2020 - 2027 = 87 moons

2021 - 2028 = 87 moons

2022 - 2029 = 86 moons

2023 - 2030 = 87 moons

2024 - 2031 = 86 moons

2025 - 2032 = 86 moons (includes Sabbatical or Shmita year 31-32)

2026 - 2033 = 87 moons

2027 - 2034 = 86 moons

2028 - 2035 = 87 moons

2029 - 2036 = 87 moons

2030 - 2037 = 86 moons

2031 - 2038 = 87 moons

2032 - 2039 = 87 moons (includes Sabbatical or Shmita year 38-39)

2033 - 2040 = 86 moons

2034 - 2041 = 87 moons

2035 - 2042 = 86 moons

2036 - 2043 = 87 moons

2037 - 2044 = 87 moons

2038 - 2045 = 86 moons

2039 - 2046 = 87 moons (includes Sabbatical or Shmita year 45-46)

2040 - 2047 = 87 moons

2041 - 2048 = 86 moons

2042 - 2049 = 87 moons

2043 - 2050 = 86 moons

2044 - 2051 = 86 moons

2045 - 2052 = 87 moons

2046 - 2053 = 86 moons (includes Sabbatical or Shmita year 52-53)

2047 - 2054 = 87 moons

Essentially, based upon the Metonic Cycle, we now have two possibilities for any 7-year period in terms of the number of Months or Moons that it contains, being either 86 or 87. This is important because in conjunction with Daniel's Time Periods, to be discussed in the next section, it will now allow us to make a reasoned determination about the most likely 7-year period for the Tribulation, which will start with the Rapture.

3) Daniel's TIME PERIODS - and 1290 days

To see the significance of Daniel's time periods, with particular respect to the 1290 Days mentioned in Chapter 12, and how it relates to the Metonic Calendar we firstly need to establish the base line of how many days are in a normal prophetic year - see following for a discussion on this.

The Prophetical Year

By comparing scriptures that describe both the length of the Tribulation and the period of Persecution that starts in the middle of the Tribulation, we can confirm the length of the Prophetic year, as follows:

Daniel 9:27 mentions a prince who both confirms a Covenant for a “week” of years (7-years) and initiates a period of Persecution that begins in the “midst” of this Week (known as the 70th week of Daniel) and continues to the “end” of the Week:

²⁷ And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:27

Then Daniel 7:24-25 speaks of the same Roman Prince and the same Persecution, fixing the duration as “a time and times and the dividing of time”- in the Aramaic, three and a half times, or 3.5 years.

²⁴ And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. ²⁵ And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Daniel 7:24-25

Rev. 13:4-7 also mentions the same great political Ruler and his Persecution of the Jewish “saints” stating that it lasts “forty and two months.”

⁴ And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 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. ⁶ And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. ⁷ And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Revelation 13:4-7

And Rev. 12:6 describes the period of persecution as lasting a "thousand two hundred and three score days”, or 1260 days.

⁶ And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. Revelation 12:6

Thus, we have the same period of time, from the middle of the Tribulation until its conclusion, variously stated as 3 ½ years, 42 months, or 1260 days. Therefore, it is clear that the length of the year in the 'Seventy Weeks' prophecy of Daniel is fixed by Scripture itself as exactly 360 days.

Given that the year has been confirmed as 360 days, we now get the following for the length of the 7-year Tribulation in days:

7 x 360 = 2520 days;

Since the Anti-Christ brings an end to the Sacrifices in the middle of this period. We know that the number of days from the Abomination of Desolation that occurs in the middle of the Tribulation until the end we get:

3.5 years x 360 = 1260 days.

These are important baselines for the length of the Tribulation, but as will be seen the book of Daniel also includes some other time periods that will modify the overall number of days being considered in connection with this period, and this will help us to further narrow down the possible timing of the Tribulation.

Daniels Time Periods

Now there are three time periods announced in Daniel chapter 12. Firstly, verse 7 mentions the three and a half times, (3 1/2 years, or 1260 days); Then verses 11 and 12 mention 1290 days and 1335 days respectively, but for our purposes here, we will only consider the first two:1260 and 1290:

1) 1260 days - Daniel 12:7

⁷ And I heard -- the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that liveth forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. Daniel 12:7

This is second half of the Tribulation - 3.5 years, that is comprised of 42 months of 30 days (prophetical months are always 30 days):

42 x 30 = 1260

2) 1290 days - Daniel 12:11

¹¹ And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Daniel 12:11

This period starts at the middle of the Tribulation - see also Daniel 9:27:

²⁷ And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:27

As the Tribulation is 7 years long and we know that a prophetic year is 360 days we know the Tribulation is 7 x 360 = 2520 days long, that is made up of two halves of 1260 days, then clearly you have 1260 days from start of tribulation to middle and 1260 from the middle to the end of the Tribulation. However, Dan 12:11 speaks of 1290 days from the middle of the Tribulation to the end. This suggests that after the Tribulation finishes there is another 30 days before another event happens.

So, adding this all together we have 2520 days (Tribulation) + 30 xtra = 2550 days. Or looking at it another way you have 1260 days (first half of tribulation) + 1290 days (from the middle of the Tribulation to end, as described in Dan 12:11) = 2550 days.

As 2550 days now appears to be the total length of the Tribulation, according to Daniel 12:11, if we go back to the Hebrew Calendar (see above), and you consider the 2 possible time periods for the 7-year Tribulation as listed in the number of the number of moons contained within that period, you have the following possibilities, due to the way the Metonic Cycle is calculated:

87 moons x 29.53 days = 2569.11 days

86 moons x 29.53 days = 2539.58 days

At this point there does not appear to be a direct correlation between the 2550 days that allows for Daniel's 1290 day modifier and the number of days in the 7-year period defined by the Metonic cycle. However, as will be seen in the next section, this all needs to be considered in the proper context, with reference to the Feasts of the LORD, as discussed in the first section.

The Significance of Daniel's TIME PERIODS

Therefore, applying the theory that the key events around Jesus' second coming will be related to the Fall Feasts, as defined in Leviticus 23, we find the following interesting fact.

If you use the 1st Tishrei (Feast of Trumpets) as your starting point because it is also Rosh HaShanah (the Jewish New Year), and then go 7 years for the duration of the Tribulation, plus another 10 days to the 10th Tishrei (Day of Atonement) for your end point, you get the following possibilities, depending upon what year you start:

87 moons - 2569.11 + 10 = 2579.11 rounded up equals 2580 days

86 moons - 2539.58 + 10 = 2549.58 rounded up equals 2550 days

Clearly a 7-year Metonic Cycle that has 87 moons in it has no prophetical significance to it, but one that has 86 moons will be 2550 days from the 1st of Tishrei of the first year to the 10th Tishrei of the 7th year, just as prophesied in Dan 12:11, as outlined above.

If this is valid, then based upon the previously calculated numbers of moons for consecutive 7-year periods (see above) the possible starting points for the 7-year Tribulation in the next few years would include the following, which are all the start dates of 7-year periods that contain 86 months or moons:

2025

2027

2030

2033

2035

2038

2041

2043

2044

2046

All this means that by considering the 3 timing clues that we have looked at so far, that relate to the Feast Days; the Metonic Cycle; and Daniel's Time periods of 1260 and 1290, we can conclude that it is possible that the 1st Tishrei of one of the years above could be a genuine candidate for the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation. To narrow it down even further we will now consider the impact of the Sabbath Cycles on all of this.

4) – SABBATICAL CYCLES

Note: The Hebrew year starts and ends around September / October on the Gregorian calendar.

If you then apply the theory that the Tribulation will fall in a Sabbatical 7-year cycle you can narrow it down even further to the following 3 possible periods (within the next 21 years) that have been highlighted in bold below, on the basis that 2024-2025 was the first Sabbatical or Shmita Year following the Jubilee Year of 2017-2018:

2018 - 2019 - 1st year

2019 - 2020 - 2nd year

2020 - 2021 - 3rd year

2021 - 2022 - 4th year

2022 - 2023 - 5th year

2023 - 2024 - 6th year

2024- 2025 - Tishrei 2024-2025 (Sabbatical Shmita year)

2025 - 2026 - 1st year

2026 – 2027 - 2nd year

2027 - 2028 - 3rd year

2028 - 2029 - 4th year

2029 - 2030 - 5th year

2030 - 2031 - 6th year

2031 - 2032 - Tishrei 2031-2032 (Sabbatical Shmita year)

2032 – 2033 - 1st year

2033 - 2034 - 2nd year

2034 - 2035 - 3rd year

2035 - 2036 - 4th year

2036 - 2037 - 5th year

2037 - 2038 - 6th year

2038 – 2039 – Tishrei 2038 – 2039 (Sabbatical Shmita year)

2039 -2040 - 1st year

2040 - 2041 - 2nd year

2041 - 2042 - 3rd year

2042 - 2043 - 4th year

2043 – 2044 - 5th year

2044 - 2045 - 6th year

2045 – 2046 – Tishrei 2045 – 2046 (Sabbatical Shmita year)

This means that the possibilities for the timing of the Tribulation, based upon Sabbath Cycles, include 2025-2032; 2032-2039 and 2045-2046.

So, combining the first four timing clues (based upon the Feasts of the LORD; the Metonic Cycle (and the number of Moons being equal to 86 as defined by Daniel) ; and the 1290 Days of Daniel; and now the concurrence of it also being a Sabbatical or Shmita year, that starts the Tribulation, one theory might include the Feast of Trumpets on one of the following years 2025; 2038 or 2045, as a genuine possibility for the start of Tribulation.

5) – Fig Tree Prophecy

Then to narrow it down even further, we can also consider what is known as the Fig Tree Prophecy. It can be found in Matthew 24:32-34 as follows:

³² Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: ³³ So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. ³⁴ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. ³⁵ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:32-35

In this respect, it should be noted that the Fig Tree / Israel would lay dormant for nearly two thousand years, after being scattered to the ends of the earth because they did not recognize, or acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah, and their rejection led to His Crucifixion. Then, after this time, the Fig Tree / Israel would begin to put forth leaves again. This symbolically represented the events that were leading to the rebirth of Israel starting with the First Zionist Congress in 1897; the Balfour Declaration of 1917; and the UN resolution of 1947; before Israel was finally born again on 14th May 1948.

There are a number of references, such as the following, that both support and correlate the nation of Israel with the Fig Tree:

¹⁰ I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved. Hosea 9:10

And

⁷ He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white. Joel 1:7

And

⁵ Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge -- them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. Jeremiah 24:5

And

⁶ He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. ⁷ Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why encumbereth it the ground? ⁸ And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: ⁹ And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Luke 13:6-9

So, on this basis the Fig Tree Prophecy in Matthew 24 is considered to be a sign that the generation that saw Israel, or the Fig Tree as the nation of ISRAEL, begin to sprout and grow again after being dormant for nearly 2,000 years, would not pass away until all "these things", that are detailed in Matthew 24:29-31 ( prior to the Fig Tree prophecy) were fulfilled - see verse below about what "these things" are:

Now it is important to note that this passage about the things that had to be fulfilled, before the generation would pass away, is actually about the Rapture, not the Second Coming, as is regularly assumed. Unfortunately, the misunderstanding all hinges on one word "after" that I have highlighted in red in the passage above. This is a translation of the Greek word Meta μετά in the original text, but from the context it should really be understood as “with”, which is its primary meaning in Greek - as the graphic taken from the top-rated Logos Bible Software shows below:

I will deal with this issue more fully in another article, to be written at a later date, but for now I will just briefly deal with a few aspects of two of the underlined events in that passage, that contextually supports it being about the Rapture, not the Second Coming.

The End TIme Gathering of the Elect or the Wicked?

Firstly, in relation to the Gathering of the Elect, it should be understood that by translating the Greek Word Meta as 'after', instead of 'with', the Translators are suggesting that this passage means that when God is sending His Angels to gather His elect from the four winds (an idiom for the earth), that this is occurring after the Tribulation, simultaneously with Jesus' Second Coming and the end of the age, when He sets up His Millennial Kingdom.

In this way, the translation of this word is effectively aligning itself with the Disciples' original questions to Jesus at the beginning of Chapter 24 that included asking for a “…sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age”, as the following verse shows:

³ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3

However, suggesting that Jesus' Second Coming will coincide with His Angels being sent to gather the Elect, at the 'end of the age', is extremely problematical, as will be seen.

Letting the Bible interpret the Bible, rather than rely on the theories of Man, we note in Matthew 13, just eleven chapters earlier, that Jesus gave a parable about the 'Wheat and the Tares' that deals with who will be gathered at the 'end of the age'. This is considered so important to understand by God that Jesus gives an explanation, which only occurred a few times in the Gospels:

³⁶ Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” ³⁷ He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. ³⁹ The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, ⁴² and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! Matthew 13:36-43

Here Jesus makes the point that the Harvest is at the 'end of the age', which is after the Tribulation, and the Angels are being sent here not to gather the Elect, but to gather out the Wicked, who correspond to the Tares in the Parable. Essentially, anything that offends and anyone who practices lawlessness will be gathered out of the Kingdom first, leaving the Righteous.

So, Matthew 24, which is talking about the Angels being sent to gather the Elect, is not talking about the Second Coming at the 'end of the age', but is referring to the Rapture because after the Tribulation, at the time of the Second Coming, which is at the 'end of the age', they are being sent to gather out the Wicked, not the Elect, noting that at this time the Elect that are on earth are only the Tribulation Saints, not the Church, as will be seen below.

The Church is already in Heaven, not being gathered

This is an important distinction because the Church was already in Heaven and did not need to be gathered at the time of Jesus’ Second Coming AFTER the Tribulation because Just before He actually comes back on the white horse, the Elect were being married to Jesus as the lamb, or in the case of the Old Testament Saints (saints under the old covenant), that died before Jesus' Resurrection, as a guest. John the Baptist is an example of someone who referred to himself in John 3:29 as a "friend of the bridegroom".

Revelation 19:6-10, describes the Marriage of the Lamb to the Bride of Christ prior to the Second Coming:

⁶ And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! ⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” ⁸ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. ⁹ Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” ¹⁰ And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Revelation 19:6-11

The Gathering from Earth and Heaven

Additionally, the Matthew 24 passage talks about the Elect not only being gathered from the Earth (the Four Winds), but also from “…one end of heaven to the other.” This again affirms it is the Rapture and cannot be occurring "AFTER" the Tribulation because before the Tribulation is even over and before the Second Coming occurs, the whole Church is already in Heaven (not being gathered from earth and heaven). Not only that, but having just been married to Jesus, they are at that time forming part of His army that returns to earth with Him to help Him fight in the battle of Armageddon. This is the first stage of God fulfilling His promise given in Revelation 2:26–27, that states that overcomers will share in Jesus' authority:

²⁶ And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: ²⁷ And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. Revelation 2:26-27

Significantly, this is all happening in Heaven, not on Earth. The reference to gathering the Elect from one end of Heaven to the other can only be occurring at the Rapture when resurrection of the bodies of those who have already died are gathered together with those who are still alive as described in 1 Thessalonians:

¹³ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

It is important to understand here that the term sleep is a euphemism for those that have died, it is not talking about literal sleep, or the notion of soul sleep, because Paul also makes clear that when one dies, or is absent from the body, their souls are present with the Lord and so are in Heaven, as described in 2 Corinthians:

⁸ -- We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8

As such, the gathering of the Elect from Heaven and Earth is the gathering together of all believers, both those who have died and are with the Lord in heaven and those that are still alive on Earth. It is the Rapture of all of God's Elect, prior to the Tribulation. After the Tribulation they are not being gathered, they are coming with the Lord, as part of His army from Heaven to Earth to defeat the Wicked.

Jesus comes BEFORE the Tribulation is over, not AFTER

So, it is critical to note that Jesus comes down to earth before the Tribulation is over, not after. He comes to engage in what is called the Battle of Armageddon and to actually end the Tribulation. He does not come down after it is ended, as is being suggested by translating the Greek word Meta to "After" instead of "With".

Revelation 19:11 clarifies this by stating that as He comes, He both Judges and makes war:

¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Revelation 19:11

Proceeding this, Revelation 16:12-16 actually shows that before the Tribulation was over God was actually getting ready for the coming war by preparing the way for the Kings of the Earth to be gathered to Armageddon, or the mountain of Megiddo. This area was part of the allotment given to the Tribe of Manasseh and it was in this region that the Old Testament records some battles (Judg. 5:19; 2 Kgs. 9:27; 2 Chr. 35:22) where Israel was victorious over the kings of Canaan and other nations. As such, these were possibly foreshadowing some of the destruction and slaughter that will be unleashed in the 'last days' at this location:

¹² And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. ¹³ And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴ For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ¹⁵ Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. ¹⁶ And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Revelation 16:12-16

Then Revelation 19:19 shows that the rulers of this world, along with their armies, are gathered to make war against Jesus and His army:

¹⁹ And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. Revelation 19:19

The important thing here is that Jesus is coming before the Tribulation is over to engage the armies of the world and in doing so, as Revelation 19:11 says, He will both Judge and make War. So, His second coming is to END the TRIBULATION, it is NOT something that occurs AFTER it has finished.

Coming in the Clouds, not a White Horse

Lastly, in relation to this issue, if the events were "After" the Tribulation, at the time of Jesus' Second Coming, the passage would describe Jesus as "coming on a White Horse", not as "coming in the clouds", which is a fulfilment of the prophecy given by the Angels to the Disciples at Jesus' Ascension, when they said:

¹¹ Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Acts 1:11

Clearly, Jesus was not on a white Horse when He Ascended, He rose up into the Clouds and likewise when He comes back in the Rapture, He is coming in the clouds as it says in 1 Thessalonians:

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17

As such, when Matthew 24 describes the Elect being gathered from the Earth and from Heaven, this can only be happening at the Rapture when all believers from Heaven and Earth are gathered together in the clouds. Simultaneously, as 1 Corinthians 15:52-53 states we will all be changed to our new immortal bodies, in the twinkling of an eye:

⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:52-53

After that, at the Second Coming, the Elect, that are still on the earth are not part of the 'Bride of Christ', rather they are Tribulation Saints who will enter the Millennial Age with their natural mortal bodies and as the "Wheat and the Tares" parable shows it will be the Tares, or the Wicked that are being gathered at this time, which Jesus says occurs, at the 'end of the age'.

The Generation that will not pass away

So, with this understanding, we can see that the bible supports that the generation that saw the Fig Tree (Israel) begin to shoot again, which was symbolic of Israel being reborn in 1948, would not pass away until all of the things described in the Matthew 24:29-31, that includes the Rapture, not the Second Coming were fulfilled.

This means that by determining what the possible time-periods that God considers a valid 'age span' for a generation is, we can apply another timing-clue to the years we have already shown above, to try and narrow down even further when the Rapture and Tribulation could possibly occur.

In this respect there are only three possible ages that God explicitly relates to a generation - 100, 70 and 80.

100 - The first is inferred in connection with the covenant that the Lord makes with Abram and his Seed, that is described in Genesis 15. Here God associates a generation with 100 as follows:

¹³ And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict -- them four hundred years; ¹⁴ And also -- that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. ¹⁵ And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. ¹⁶ But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. Genesis 15:13-16

However, while I believe this is a reflection of the first fallen generation of Cain and Able (noting Adam and Eve were not generated -rather they were special creations) who were likely born when Adam was 100 (see link here for further support on this) there is no biblical reason to believe this is relevant in connection with the Fig Tree generation because 1948 + 100 = 2048 and given that there is considerable scholarly evidence to support that Jesus died in AD 32 this would break all the prophecies that infer Jesus will be returning to revive Israel on the 3rd day, such as Hosea 6:1–2:

¹ Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. ² After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Hosea 6:1-2

Clearly, regardless of what year one believes Jesus died, all acknowledge that at it is in the range of 30-33 AD, so 48 is not a valid consideration.

The next two ages appear together in one scripture, Psalm 90:10:

¹⁰ The days of our years -- are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Psalms 90:10

70 - Threescore years and ten is 70, but this can be automatically dismissed because 1948 + 70 = 2018 and we are already passed that date.

80 - So, the final one appears to be the only valid age we can consider. In this regard, it is important to note that Psalm 90:10 is actually giving a range from 70 to 80, not stating it is one or the either, so anywhere between these two ages should be valid. This means that 1948 + 80 = 2028 should be the latest year for the Rapture to occur in fulfilment of the Fig Tree Prophecy.

Given that in the last Section (4) on the Sabbatical Cycles, we had narrowed it down to three possible years 2025; 2038 or 2045 that fit all of the patterns defined by the following, then it seems that here only 2025 remains a valid date:

1) Feasts of the Lord - their significance and timing

2) The Metonic cycle - and how it relates to the Hebrew Calendar

3) Daniel's TIME PERIODS - and 1290 days - the Daniel 12 reference to 1290 days and its connection to the Metonic Cycle

In saying this, I must reiterate that we cannot put God in a box and we cannot be dogmatic that He is returning this year as we must also note that God states in 2 Peter 3:9 (see below) that if He appears to be delaying, that it is only because He does not want any to be lost, remembering that once He returns in the Rapture those who are left behind will go into the horrors of the Tribulation and the Age of Grace, as the Church Age is known, will forever come to an end.

⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 2 Peter 3:9-10

So, while God's word supports that the Rapture is possible during 2025, God may also be simply wanting to stress that it could be anytime from 2025 onwards and we need to be ready to stand before Him. As such, it is a time to get Sin out of lives and with a greater urgency tell others about Him.

However, there remains a number of reasons to believe that 2025 could still actually be the Rapture and in the remaining theories or Timing Clues, we will consider some of the additional support for this being the case.

6 - Daniels 70th Week Prophecy

Clearly, as shown above, it is very important to determine when Jesus died because of its impact on the timing of prophecy. So, in this regard, it is worth noting Daniel's 70 weeks prophecy, as detailed in Daniel 9:24-27:

²⁴ Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 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 street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. ²⁶ And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. ²⁷ And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:24-27

Much has been written on this, but importantly it is often analyzed to pinpoint the timeline of Jesus’ crucifixion. Essentially, this prophecy outlines a specific period and is interpreted by numerous scholars as a foretelling of events that culminated in the Messiah’s death and points to a final period of 7 years that we call the Tribulation, or as Jeremiah calls it in chapter 30 verse 7 "the Time of Jacob's Trouble" - see link here to another article that discusses the possible Timing Clues embedded in Jacob's 20 year 'time of trouble', with both Esau and his Uncle Laban, that interestingly is covered in Chapters 25 - 32 of Genesis.

Here's how the mathematics works to align the Crucifixion date with April 6, AD 32, that is often proposed:

The Prophecy

Daniel speaks of 70 weeks, divided into three sections:

1. 7 weeks (49 years)

2. 62 weeks (434 years)

3. A final week (7 years)

Each "week" is interpreted as a group of 7 years (a "week of years"), so 70 weeks represent a total of 490 years.

Key Components of the Calculation

1. The starting point: The prophecy states that the 70 weeks begin with "the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" (Daniel 9:25). Scholars commonly identify this decree with Artaxerxes’ decree in 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:1–8). This date is significant because it authorized the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

2. 7 weeks and 62 weeks: The first 7 weeks (49 years) are often seen as the time it took to rebuild Jerusalem. After this, the next 62 weeks (434 years) lead to the coming of the Messiah. Together, 7 + 62 = 69 weeks, or 483 years.

3. Conversion to prophetic years: The Bible as shown above uses a 360-day calendar for prophetic calculations (e.g., Revelation 11:2–3, where 42 months = 1,260 days). So, 483 years × 360 days = 173,880 days.

4. From the decree to Messiah the Prince: Starting from 445 BC, adding 173,880 days brings us to April 6, AD 32. This date corresponds to the time many believe Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (commonly celebrated as Palm Sunday), fulfilling the prophecy. You can also divide 173880 days by 365.25 to convert it to the Gregorian Calender and this gives you:

17388O / 365.25 = 476.0574948665298

Then if you add 476 gregorian years to 445 BC you get

-445 + 476 = 31

then add 1 because there is no year 0 you get 31+1 = 32 or 32 AD

then by multiplying 365.25 x .0574948665298 the decimal fraction of the number above you another 21 days that adjusts for the days between Artaxerxes decree to the 6th of April AD 32.

Final Week and the Crucifixion

While the final (70th) week is debated, if the 69 weeks culminate in Jesus' ministry, His death during Passover in AD 32 aligns with the events described in Daniel 9:26: "After the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself."

Summary of the Timeline:

445 BC: Decree to rebuild Jerusalem.

483 prophetic years (69 weeks): Brings us to AD 32, aligning with Jesus’ ministry and death.

Therefore, the obvious conclusion is that if AD 32 was the Crucifixion, when Jesus as the Messiah was cut-off, and Hosea 6:1–2 and 2 Peter 3:8 are both valid (see below), such that the Lord would return in the Second Coming 2 days (or 2,000 years) after His Crucifixion then this would place the Second Coming in 2032 and after you minus 7 years for the Tribulation, that would place the Rapture in 2025

⁸ But, beloved, be not ignorant -- of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8

The Blood Moons of 32 AD

In a very interesting Video, discussing some prophetic connections with an upcoming Blood Moon on Purim and the Book of Esther on the YouTube Channel: Supernatural by design (see following link - https://youtu.be/03jwIXM9XeE), or play video below, the video creator Jared steps viewers through identifying some blood moons for the years 31AD; 32 AD and 33 AD in the popular Software App Stellarium.

Then, after clarifying how to correctly adjust for the 2-day discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendars, he shows how only the Blood Moons in 32 AD were valid Lunar eclipses for the Passover, as the ones in 31 and 33 AD were both only partial, while the Blood Moons of AD 32 were total. Essentially, many interpretations suggest that 'total blood moons' are viewed as stronger omens, or signs from God, particularly in relation to significant events in Israel and the Jewish Calendar, including Passover.

Significantly, using the mobile Stellarium App on my Apple IPad, I was able to duplicate and prove his findings with the image below showing a date of April 12th, 32 AD on the Gregorian Calendar, which corresponds to April 14th on the Julian Calendar, that was in use in Jesus' day, and which in turn corresponds to the 14th Nisan, 32 AD or Passover in 32 AD. The two-day discrepancy between the calendars was due to Pope Gregory 15th only adjusting the Gregorian Calendar by 10 days instead of 12.

The Screen shot below shows this occurrence and it is important to note that this shows that after Jesus died, at the 9th hour, at 3 PM, there had not only been a period of 3 hours of supernatural darkness, from noon until 3pm, while Jesus - the light of the world was suffering the penalty of death that belonged to us, but in another stunning sign in the heavens, it was immediately followed by a Blood Moon, as the night-time and the darkness that followed this event set in. This perfectly symbolized that it was His blood being shed for us, for the Remission of our Sins.

This information was also verified on the Nasa Web site that includes a 5 Millenium Catalogue of Lunar Eclipses covering all of known Eclipses in human history - it can be found at this link:NASA Eclipse Web Site

So importantly to our discussion here, the only Total Blood Moons in the accepted scholarly range for Jesus Crucifixion were in 32 AD. All this adds further weight to the idea that 2032 would be the beginning of the third day, when Jesus would return to revive His people Israel, at the end of the Tribulation, in His Second physical Coming, the Incarnation being His First.

7 - 490: God’s symbol of perfect forgiveness

Finally, in another event that is related to Daniel's 70th week, but is separate to it because it does not limit itself to being a pointer to Jesus' Crucifixion and the Church Age, that culminates in the Final 7 Tribulation, rather it is a curious occurrence of 490 as a symbol of God's perfect Forgiveness, and His determination to make and end of all sin and bring in everlasting righteousness, and in so doing seal-up all prophecy, as Matthew 18:21-22 and Daniel 9:24 below show:

²¹ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? ²² Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22

and

⁹Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Daniel 9:24

I have written on this phenomenon before (See link Here -for a more detailed account of this) within an article about the reason and meaning and significance of the number 490. However, for the purposes of our discussion here, it is worth noting that scholars have proven through archaeology that Israel entered the promised land in 1406 BC. As such, when considering that symbolic meaning of 490 and its connection with bringing an end to all sin and establishing righteousness, which literally makes it a pointer to end of days, it seems undeniably curious that God of the Universe, who is in control of all of history, would not have been communicating something significant through that date's connection, with His special number 490.

Essentially, if you multiply the number 490, which is a prophecy of things to come by 7 God's number for completion and His promise or Oath to complete something (see Link here, for a more detailed explanation of this) then you get 3,430. So, you need to ask yourself, is it just a coincidence that if you add 3,430 years to the year that Israel entered the Promised Land, which is clearly a type of bringing all believers to another promised land, 'in heaven', that you get the following:

1406 BC + 3,430 years = 2025

Obviously, we will not get another multiple like this until 2515, so to me this seems a compelling argument that something special is going to happen this year, in 2025. Whether it is the Rapture or not, only time will tell, and given that we are only months away from the Feast of Trumpets and the end of the year, we do not have long to find out. Again, I am not being dogmatic about this, but feel that we need to remember the words of Jesus, through Paul the apostle, who was inspired by the Holy Spirit to encourage believers to 'watch for the day'; to put on the armour of God; and to comfort and edify one another, that the day is fast approaching:

⁴ But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵ Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. ⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. ⁸ But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. ¹¹ Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11

And as Peter wrote, since all this is soon to happen, we should be seeking to be living Godly lives, such that all of our conversations and behaviors will be found blameless before our Lord, as we look and pray for the hastening of the 'coming of the day' of God:

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ¹¹ Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, ¹² Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. ¹⁴ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 2 Peter 3:10-14

As John wrote in the last 2 verses of the Bible - Revelation 22:20-21:

²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! ²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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