Daniel 1260, 1290 and 1335 - Timelines in the last days.
Here is an excerpt from my book called, “In the Last Days.” It has been slightly edited to fit this shorter context.
There are a few very specific time frames God has given us in the scriptures concerning the antichrist and the second coming. It is worth noting that God gives us accuracy expressed in days. Here are the scriptures that specify these time frames.
From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! (Daniel 12:11–12)
Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. (Revelation 11:2–3)
It is important to put these in context with each other.We need to set some anchors in time and build on those anchors. The first aspect to consider is the length of time the two witnesses ministry which is 1260 days. We know their ministry ends on the day they are resurrected after being killed by the antichrist.
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:7–13)
We can extrapolate backwards as to when their ministry starts. The next piece of the puzzle is to calculate where to place the 1290 days. We know from Daniel 12:11 it starts with the regular sacrifice being taken away. The same can be said for the 1335 days since it is spoken of in the same context. As for the ending point of the 1290 days, that can be attached to the end of the ministry of the two witnesses because after their ministry is complete, there are no more events to be fulfilled other than the return of Jesus. It is at that point the period of time where Jesus spoke the following comes into effect when speaking of his second coming.
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (Matthew 24:36)
Daniel 12:12 says blessed are those who make it to 1335 days. This is because Jesus will have returned and if they weren’t killed by His actual coming, then they are blessed because God has given them a second chance. So God has given a time frame from 1290 to 1335 days after the regular sacrifice is taken away as the period when Jesus returns. The following timeline illustrates the relationships.
There are a few very specific time frames God has given us in the scriptures concerning the antichrist and the second coming. It is worth noting that God gives us accuracy expressed in days. Here are the scriptures that specify these time frames.
From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! (Daniel 12:11–12)
Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. (Revelation 11:2–3)
It is important to put these in context with each other.We need to set some anchors in time and build on those anchors. The first aspect to consider is the length of time the two witnesses ministry which is 1260 days. We know their ministry ends on the day they are resurrected after being killed by the antichrist.
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:7–13)
We can extrapolate backwards as to when their ministry starts. The next piece of the puzzle is to calculate where to place the 1290 days. We know from Daniel 12:11 it starts with the regular sacrifice being taken away. The same can be said for the 1335 days since it is spoken of in the same context. As for the ending point of the 1290 days, that can be attached to the end of the ministry of the two witnesses because after their ministry is complete, there are no more events to be fulfilled other than the return of Jesus. It is at that point the period of time where Jesus spoke the following comes into effect when speaking of his second coming.
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (Matthew 24:36)
Daniel 12:12 says blessed are those who make it to 1335 days. This is because Jesus will have returned and if they weren’t killed by His actual coming, then they are blessed because God has given them a second chance. So God has given a time frame from 1290 to 1335 days after the regular sacrifice is taken away as the period when Jesus returns. The following timeline illustrates the relationships.
Here are some additional scriptures referring to the 1260 days. Note, the phrase “time, times, and half a time” is an idiom that means three and a half years.
There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. (Revelation 13:5)
He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)
I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed. (Daniel 12:7)
But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. (Revelation 12:14)
Another time frame given in Daniel is the 2300 evenings and mornings.
Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, “How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?” He said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored.” (Daniel 8:13–14)
What is being stated here is how long it will take to restore the temple after Jesus returns with the starting point being the regular sacrifice taken away by the antichrist. If we back up to Daniel 8:11 it states the following.
It even magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host; and it removed the regular sacrifice from Him, and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down. (Daniel 8:11)
Consider the destruction that will be wrought by the wicked in those three and a half years. On top of that, add the destruction because of the wrath of God that was poured out. For example, 100 pound hail stones when Jesus returns will do incredible damage. It will take between two and three years (conservatively 2300 - 1335 = 965 days) to fully restore everything after Jesus returns.