Daniel’s Clock, Pastor Les Tarlton, BA. Th.M., 3/24/2007 The contents of this sermon are other than the scripture is copyrighted. ©
I love the old Charlie Brown and Snoopy Cartoon; "Has It Ever Occurred to You That You Might Be Wrong?" August 9, 1976
That is what occurred to me when I realized my rationalization of the number in Daniel 12 was wrong. It is in light of this question I approach all my hard and fast, conservative, evangelical theological beliefs. Given, that I am human I could be wrong. Or I wish I was.
My purpose for attending one of the foremost Theological Seminaries was a mix of God’s sovereign will and my desire for being able to understand the scriptures in their original language and intent. I read the Bible with a view to understand every verse with the greatest of care, but I hold all my theology with suspect, since much of it in the beginning was through other people’s training. The men who taught me, were some of the greatest theologians alive. Yet, they also learned their theology, to some extent, from others. For me, it is imperative to find the original meaning of each verse, the first cause. That is true, especially, for those things where the Lord has placed an uncomfortable feeling in my heart, when I read a text. Those verses, where when I read, the current theology leaves me uneasy.
One of those areas has been some of our conservative, end time theology and the numbers game we play with the Hebrew terms that are so rich in various possible meanings. The Hebrew phrase we translate “Time, Times, & a Division of Time” is one of those that I have felt for years that I need a more sure understanding on. Our conservative theological interpretation is that “time” means one year and times, two years, therefore three and a half years. Time = 1st year, Times = 2 years, and a division of time = ½ year. But is this correct? Personally, I do not know who came up with this interpretation, but the lack of clarity here bothers me. I do not see this in the rest of Daniel. So what does it infer? Undefined periods? Days? Weeks? Years? Or does Daniel given us the answer in the context of his Writing?
Daniel is so very accurate when it come to predicting the first release of the children of Israel from captivity, the nations that would emerge, and the coming of Messiah and yet did not leave for us a well defined season for the second coming of Christ. It seems a bit odd.
It is with these questions and uneasiness placed in my heart by God that I approached this area of theology, realizing that there are many men out there much more capable than I in Hebrew and theology, but perhaps not the God stirred drive to uncover the truth here. I would have been just as happy had I proved our current end time theology correct. I am a person who just has to know the first cause of things. Accepting status quo only works for me if the status quo is meticulously clear and non contrived. Since my training in Hebrew and theology I have never had that peace.
I am afraid what we have done is accept an understanding of Daniel’s use of numbers that is neither correct or healthy for theology and the cause of Christ. Humbly, understanding I could be wrong, but not believing that to be the case, I present my case to my brother Hebrew and Aramaic scholars to drive out any error I might have unintentionally induced. My intent here is to right what I think is a glaring mistake in theology. However, due to the outcome of the research, and its impact, not only on our theology, but on our culture, as a whole, I believe, though some may believe me to be correct, few will stand beside me. These findings will petrify many and yet motivate others. I pray the “motivated others” may be those with good intentions. These finding could be used, wrongly, to insight movements for the harm of others. That is not my intent, yet I do not think truth should be stifled.
Please read with an understanding for gaining truth and delivering souls from the Hell to quickly come. You answer these questions and the clock of Daniel can be accurately examined for a detailed understanding of the “time of the end.”
Understanding the Clock
There are four issues at the heart of understanding Daniels intent:
• What does “Time, Times, & a Division of Time “ mean?
• How is the term יוֹם “Yowm” to be interpreted? Translated in most in English Bibles either; “day, time, or year”.
• How is the Hophal Perfect verb סוּר “Cuwr” to be conjugated? Translated in most in English Bibles; “shall be taken away”
• When did the clock begin?
You answer these questions and the clock of Daniel can be accurately examined for a detailed understanding of the “time of the end.” We will be examining many aspects of the book of Daniel, but will spend much of our time focused on driving out the meaning of the four items. The Final Chapter of Daniel will be our primer for much of it.
Time, Times, & a Division of Time
Daniel 7:25 “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.”
Hebrew Old Testament: “period of time” עדך or מןעד Greek Old Testament: “period of time” καιρός Greek New Testament: “period of time” καιρός
Hebrew word: “year” שנה
What do you see?
• Daniel 7:25 & 12:1-7 uses עדך “period of time”
• Rev. 12:14 uses καιρός “period of time”
• Daniel’s use defines an undefined period of time that must be calculated by context and other scriptures.
In this verse there are two words being translated in the English “time.” The first, זְמָן zĕman (Aramaic) in reference to the fourth beast changing the times that God has set in place. And it appears from the verse that he was allowed to change the times. In Jesus first appearance he offered the Kingdom, but the Jews of the day rejected it. And therefore the times were changed until “time and Times and the dividing of times. But verse 26 explains that just because it was changed the Judgment would still stand at the time of the end. This is the first hint that Daniel is speaking of a period of time between when the Kingdom was offered and then when it will really come in, at the end of time. Since it has been two thousand years, the use of the verb as applied by us as theologians today becomes suspect. The second, third, and fourth word translated time are the same, עִדָּן `iddan (Aramaic) עדך is a Persian word found only in Daniel and is used in context mostly to mean a general, indefinite period of time. In 12:7 the Hebrew word מןעד is used and means an appointed time in the future. The Septuagint translates it using the Greek καιρός “Kairos.” Greek New Testament – “time” καιρός used in varies contexts as the words: time, season, opportunity, due time. Since it has the general meaning: “time” and nothing specific, than to understand its period one has to look carefully at the context and decide for themselves. ©
So what is the Time, Times, & a Division of Time? Daniel 12:11 & 12
The meaning of this section of the verse is very clear. It means 2500 years. ©
• Time – 1000 years
• Times – 2000 years
• A division of time – 500 years
• In general from 601BC, until the time of the end is 2500 years. I do believe, by the way it is stated, it is a general statement that God clarifies to Daniel in verse 11 and 12
How does Daniel apply time in other verses?
• In Jeremiah’s prophecy of Israel’s captivity leaned on by Daniel, he uses years.
• Daniel’s use of time in chapter 7 he uses years.
• Daniel’s prophecy of Christ Coming in Chapter 9 he uses years.
• Therefore we believe is chapter 12 he uses years.
Deliverance from Babylon: Daniel leans on the past predictions of Jeremiah and prayer for His understanding of the fulfillment of Israel’s payment for their transgression against God and His Sabbath. We know that Jeremiah predicted 70 years of captivity. So Daniel started praying when it came time for release. Daniel uses this as the basis of much of his prayer and use of time in his writings. The term שָׁנָה shaneh is used here and is interpreted as years.
As we discussed earlier on chapter 7 Daniel’s use of the term applies to a time period longer than 2000 years so it would have to be years.
Christ Coming: Daniel used the term weeks of Sabbaths in chapter 9:25 to reference the coming of Messiah. Although he does not use the same term here as used in chapter 12, he is referencing years. We know this to be a fact because Christ first coming was in 490 years later.
How is the Hophal Perfect verb סוּר “Cuwr” to be conjugated?
• The Hophal Perfect verb form occurs 123 times in the Old Testament.
• The Hophal verb form is a passive tense of the verb; “He was killed,” “It was done.”
• The Perfect tense of the Hophal expresses completed action; “God saw,” God created.”
• Should be translated in the English, “was taken away.”
Look at Daniel 12:8 -13
And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what [shall be] the end of these [things]? And he said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] was taken away, until the abomination that makes desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety years. Blessed [is] he that waits, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty years. But go you your way till the end [be]: for you shall rest, and stand in your lot at the end of the days.
So, when did the clock begin?
• Or should we say, “When was the sacrifice taken away?”
• Daniel used Jeremiah’s watch. The daily sacrifice was taken away in 601BC when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and carried off all the temple treasures.
• In Herrod’s temple the sacrifice was meaningless, because there was no Ark of the Covenant there. It disappeared before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple in 601.
So what does it mean?
The idea that there is some future time when the sacrifice “shall be taken away” will not happen. There has been so much talk about the temple being rebuilt and the sacrificial system resurrected, but this just won’t happen. There is no Ark of the Covenant. The Priesthood is completely dissolved both ceremonially and physically. Finding a pure Levite today may be very difficult, if possible at all. For reasons you will see in the next few pages, the temple will never be rebuilt.
Daniel’s clock to the end time started in 601 BC. ©
“And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what [shall be] the end of these [things]? And he said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] was taken away, until the abomination that makes desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety years. Blessed [is] he that waits, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty years. But go you your way till the end [be]: for you shall rest, and stand in your lot at the end of the days.”
God revels to Daniel a time table concerning a period of time known as the “time of the gentiles”: The period is “time, times, and the dividing of times” (Dan. 7:25, 12:7, Rev. 12:14)
Form the earliest times it has not been clear what was meant by Daniel. However, in the Early 20th century many began to followed an interpretation thinking it to means 3.5 years and the dividing line is a 7 year tribulation period. In this interpretation it does not apply to the “time of the Gentiles.” However, in every passage it appears to be addressing a question of the writer. “How long is it until the end of time?”
Over the time I have been a pastor I always questioned what I was teaching because the numbers & Hebrew had to be played with to get this interpretation.
Without removing the possibility of a 7 years tribulation, I have come to believe that it to be a completely wrong use of this scripture.
1. I believe we are interpreting the use of the words wrongly
2. There is evidence that it applies to something other than the tribulation.
3. I believe it applies to the period known as the “Time of the gentiles” Daniel & Luke speaks of. Luke 21:24, Dan. 9:27
Look at God’s revelation to Daniel for when the end would come: Dan. 12:8-13
So what does it mean? Look at Daniel 12:8 -13
And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what [shall be] the end of these [things]? And he said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words [are] closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed [is] he that waits, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go you your way till the end [be]: for you shall rest, and stand in your lot at the end of the days.
So what is the actual period in years?
1290 year & 1335 years starting in 601BC. ©
• 601 BC to 1290 year later, you arrive at the time when the abomination that makes everything desolate is established. Usually a reference to something being established in opposition to the temple sacrifice. AD 689 ©
• AD 689 to 1335 years later, you arrive at the time of the end, or as we say the end times. AD 2024 ©
• Because our Julian Calendar was updated, I do not think we can speak to the exact year, month, or day of when this will take place.
It was not until about 2005 that this became clear to me. If the events of 911 had not take place I would not have seen this. The events of 911 brought me to question many things I have been taught and to relook at the end time events and chronology. I felt that this was a wake up call that we were now at the end and that there was surely something wrong with our interpretation of end time scriptures. When the date of AD 689 first hit my calculator I had no idea what I would find. Then I Googled it and discovered the meaning of the abomination of desolation and it all became clear. From this we understand how the end time battlegrounds are drawn. Islam went from a mob boss instructional set devised by a thief to a religion when the Dome of the Rock (The Mosque of Omar was built on the temple mount and completed about AD 690. Thus, the Abomination of Desolation (the abomination that makes desolate) was established.
Then I added 1335 to the 689 and realized that what I was seeing most people are not prepared for. Luke 17:26 - 30 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”
This is a game changer for end time theology and our understanding of where we are in the calendar of God.
The Crossroads
Modern “end time” theology is at a crossroads given the events of the current world.
Current events dictate a change in our end time theology. Given current population statistics, Islam will control the majority of the world by 2025 unless something changes. What does that say about our theology?
• Either Christ returns in the next few years
• There is a worldwide plague or war that turns the tide of Islam
• Or otherwise Christianity will be all but a dead religion (Not)
Do we accept the current end time theological scenario or do we recognize our failures and move on?
Current events dictate a change in our end time theology.
Les Tarlton,
