The End of the Age – From Firstfruits to Hanukkah

In 539 BC, Daniel the prophet was still in Babylon and was reading the prophecy of Jeremiah regarding the 70-year captivity. Realizing the 70 years were nearing completion, Daniel began to pray, asking God’s forgiveness for the sins of his people and pleading for the restoration of Jerusalem and Israel’s imminent return to their land. By reading and studying Jeremiah, Isaiah, and possibly other prophets, Daniel believed the Messianic Kingdom would begin following the seventy years of captivity. By praying fervently to God and asking for forgiveness of Israel’s corporate sins, Daniel was attempting to bring about the promise of restoration found in Leviticus 26:40-45.

Before Daniel could finish his prayer, the angel Gabriel appeared and gave him the prophecy of the Seventy “Sevens” timeline outlined in Daniel 9:24-27. Gabriel informed Daniel that it was not going to be seventy years, but seventy sevens of years before the Messianic Kingdom would be established. This prophecy is basically divided into two parts. The first part constitutes 69 sevens between two historic events for Israel, from the command to restore and build Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince comes. Shortly after the Messiah comes, He will be killed (Daniel 9:25-26). The last part constitutes 1 seven (the 70th) in which a coming prince (not the Messiah) “confirms the covenant with the Jews” but in the midst of the seven years, he will break his covenant by causing the sacrifices and offerings to cease and committing an abomination of desolation in the Temple. In this article, we will mainly deal with the last “seven” of Daniel’s prophecy.

THE 360-DAY PROPHETIC CALENDAR

Regarding the prophecy of Daniel 9:27, most of the adherents of the “prophetic year” of 360 days (30 days per month) that Robert Anderson made famous believe Daniel’s 70th seven (otherwise known as the Day of the Lord or the Tribulation) will be divided up into two equal halves of 1260 days each. Thus, these last seven years would be for a duration of 2520 days. Anderson’s use of the 360-day calendar in the first 69 weeks of Daniel 9:25-26 would also be used in the remaining 70th week of Daniel 9:27 as well. They believe the 1260 days mentioned in Revelation 11:3 and Revelation 12:6 is proof of the use of the “prophetic” 360-day calendar in the last seven years of the end of the age.

For many years, I believed in Anderson’s theory as well, just accepting it as fact. I was taught that the Jews used this calendar for their prophecies, thus the name “prophetic year.” After much research, I found out this was not the case and came to the conclusion that the Jews have never used a 360-day calendar, even for their prophecies. They have always used a lunar/solar calendar that periodically (every 19 years) converges with our modern-day Gregorian calendar.

However, due to two verses of scripture in Daniel, I was convinced (and still am) that the two so-called “halves” of the seven years or 2520 days are not halves at all, as they are unequal in duration. The first verse sets the timeline for the seven-year prophecy and divides it into two parts. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (seven) and in the midst of the seven 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). The second verse declares the timeframe of the second part of the above prophecy. “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” (Daniel 12:11).

IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK

Back when I was still an adherent to the prophetic calendar, I wrote a series of articles called In the Midst. In the first article of my series, I asked the question, Does the term “in the midst” (KJV translation and others) mean the exact middle or could it mean near the middle? There are 269 times in the Old Testament that use that terminology. Very few of them refer to the exact middle. Most of them are in reference to a close proximity to the middle or center. The “in the midst” event of Daniel 9:27 is known as the Abomination of Desolation and is described in Daniel 12:11, Matthew 24:15-22, Mark 13:14-20, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, and Revelation 13:14-15.

Daniel 12:1 is referring to the time of great trouble known as Jacob’s Trouble or the Great Tribulation, which is the last part of Daniel’s earlier prophecy of the Seventy Sevens. The angel then asks Jesus, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be? Jesus answered and said, “It shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished” (Daniel 12:7). Daniel, not understanding, asks “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” The Lord answers Daniel and gives him the exact number of days from the abomination and the cessation of sacrifices in the temple to the end of the 70th seven, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. So with regard to the 360-day calendar, if the last “half” of Daniel’s 70th Seven is for 1290 days, then there cannot be two equal halves of 1260 days.

As I mentioned in a previous article, In The Midst of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy (rev310.net), the 69 sevens prophecy was from 444 BC to AD 33. Even though this timeline was from Nisan to Nisan, it still contained 69 sevens or Shemitah years. In other words, there are 69 sevens (Sabbath years) within the 476-year timeline of Daniel’s prophecy. Tishri 1 is the start of the new year on the Jewish civil calendar, where the year count changes. The official celebration of the Sabbath year occurs 9 days later on Tishri 10, the Day of Atonement. These 10 days are known as the Days of Awe or the Days of Repentance.

It’s interesting that for this 476-year timeframe, there are 173,847 days in a Jewish calendar (Nisan to Nisan), and there are 173,856 days in a proleptic Gregorian calendar (January to January)… only nine days difference. The end date for the 69 sevens prophecy occurred when Jesus was “cut off” or crucified on Passover, Nisan 14 (or April 2, AD 33 on the Julian calendar). If you subtract 173,847 days from this date, you come to Nisan 14 or April 14, 444 BC on the Julian calendar, which is most likely the start of Daniel’s Seventy Sevens prophecy.

What if Sir Robert Anderson’s theory regarding the “prophetic” calendar of 360 days per year is wrong and wasn’t the one used to figure the 69 weeks/sevens of Daniel’s 70th seven prophecy? Instead, the prophecy was based on the Jewish lunar/solar calendar (and the Shemitah 7th year) which the children of Israel had been using ever since at least Moses’ time. That means the final 70th seven will also use the Jewish calendar. Seven years on the Jewish calendar will either be 2540 or 2569 days, depending on whether there are two or three intercalary years used. See examples of future timelines in The Jewish Calendar in Daniel’s Seventieth Week (rev310.net).

THE JEWISH CALENDAR OF DANIEL’S 70TH SEVEN

In the linked article above, I showed several examples of how the start of the future seven years could be on Heshvan 1, and the end would therefore be seven years later on Heshvan 1. The total number of days for these seven years on the Jewish calendar would be for either 2540 or 2569 days. I have since recalculated these starting and end dates for Daniel’s 70th Seven. I believe I was “off” by 10 days. The start and end dates will be on Heshvan 10, instead. This allows for the prophetic timeframes of 1260, 1290, and 1335 days to align with important Feast of the Lord days, as we will see in this article. For this hypothetical example, I am going to use the calendar years of 2026 to 2033. AD 2033 will be 2000 years since Jesus was crucified and the church was born.

Another reason to use the years 2026-2033 for my hypothetical example is that they contain 2569 days instead of 2540 days as the upcoming years of 2024-2032 and 2025-2032 do. As I mentioned before, the proleptic Gregorian calendar has 173,856 days for a 476-year (69 sevens/Shemitah years) timeline. If you add another 7 years (of 365/366 days per year) for Daniel’s 70th seven, then that is 2557 more days for a total of 176,413 days. If you add 2569 days from the Jewish calendar years of 2026-2033 to 173,847 days for the previous 69 sevens of Daniel’s prophecy, then your total is 176,416 days. That is a difference of only 3 days for 483 years or 70 “sevens.”

Since, the Jews have never used a 360-day calendar, and have only used a lunar/solar calendar, I believe there is a better explanation for the 1260 days mentioned in Revelation. There is also a much better explanation for the 1290 and 1335 days mentioned in Daniel 12:11-12 by using the Jewish calendar instead of the 360-day calendar. You have to keep in mind, this prophecy was given to Daniel regarding the Jewish people. It only makes sense that they would use their own calendar, which includes the Shemitah year, for Daniel’s prophecy. “At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1)

THE CONFIRMING OF THE COVENANT TO THE END OF THE AGE

Daniel 9:27 is the only place in the Bible where seven years (or one “week”) are specified for the “covenant” that is confirmed by the Antichrist and the many (Jews and others). As I mentioned before, these seven years are also the same timeline for the Tribulation. In the Bible, most of the descriptions used for the duration of the end times, such as “forty-two months” or “time, times, and half-a-time” are terms for 3.5 years, which is the duration for the last part of the Tribulation, known as the Great Tribulation. The only scripture that talks about the first part of the Tribulation is Revelation 11:3, although some scholars believe these 1260 days might overlap with the Great Tribulation or even start slightly before the Tribulation begins officially.

However, there are two precise timeframes given in the book of Daniel. They are found in Daniel 12:11-12. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. There will be 1290 days between the Antichrist’s desecration of the Third Temple (abomination of desolation and the daily sacrifices taken away) and the end of Daniel’s 70th seven. The event that occurs on the 1335th day from the desecration of the temple (or 45 days past the 1290 days) is not given, only that the people will be blessed on this day. Evidently, these 45 days will take place after the Tribulation is over.

The adherents of Anderson’s prophetic calendar have a hard time fitting these 1290 and 1335 days into the end of Daniel’s prophecy. According to their reckoning, the end of the prophecy should be 1260 days (1260 + 1260 days = 2520 days), but in Daniel 12:11, it says the end is for 1290 days. They reconcile this by saying both the 30 and 75 extra days extend beyond Daniels’ 70th seven and are a time between the end of the Great Tribulation and the Millennium Kingdom. Most scholars say the 30 extra days are for the cleansing of the Temple (if it is still standing) and the Millennial Kingdom begins on the 1335th day.

Now, let’s examine an alternative to the 360-day calendar, which is the Jewish calendar, and see if we can find a better explanation for these specific numbers of 1260, 1290, and 1335 days. As I said before, I don’t believe the two parts of the Tribulation have to be equal. Nowhere in the Bible does it mention this. The books of Daniel and Revelation mostly describe the Great Tribulation of 3.5 years.

THE FIRST 3.5 YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION

In this hypothetical example using 2569 days for the last seven years of Daniel’s 70th Seven prophecy, the Tribulation will begin on Tuesday, Heshvan 10, 2026 (October 20, 2026). This is the day the Antichrist will confirm the covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:24) and the first seal will be loosened by the Lamb of God in heaven. The seven seals bind the book or scroll that God has in his hand as described in Revelation 5:1. I believe this book or scroll is the book of Daniel that the angel told Daniel to seal. “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and from, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4). The book of Revelation confirms and expounds upon the book of Daniel. It is the end that Daniel was asking the Lord in Daniel 12:8. “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” I believe this “confirming of the covenant” by the Antichrist allows the Jews to build their Third Temple.

The loosing of the first seal is described in Revelation 6:1-2. “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, Come and see. And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” This rider of the white horse is the Antichrist, beginning his ride of world conquest.

The two witnesses of Revelation 11 appear upon the scene in Jerusalem ten days later on Heshvan 20, 2026. According to Revelation 11:3, they will prophesy in the holy city for 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth. If they are clothed in sackcloth, they must be in mourning. They are in mourning because this covenant is unholy as it is not a covenant that God sanctioned, according to Isaiah 28:15. The 1260 days of the two witnesses prophesying will end on Friday, Nisan 10, 2030 (April 12, 2030), when they are killed by the Antichrist. “When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them” (Revelation 11:7). The killing of these two powerful prophets by the A.C will convince many people to worship him as a God.

IN THE MIDST OF DANIEL’S 70TH SEVEN

The Antichrist will ride into Jerusalem on a white horse proclaiming himself King of the world on Nisan 10. On this day, the A.C. is attempting to emulate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Nisan 10, 33 AD. He will be able to kill the two witnesses on this day as their God-ordained 1260-day ministry has ended. At this point, the Antichrist has recently been killed and resurrected. He was killed sometime earlier in his wars with the 10 kings. “And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him” (Daniel 11:45). “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed.” (Revelation 13:3). It is thought by many scholars that Satan or one of his demons, who have recently been cast from heaven to the earth, possesses the Antichrist’s body, thus mimicking a resurrection.

The two witnesses, who are the two anointed ones that Zechariah saw in a vision in Zechariah 4:14, will fulfill the prophecies of Revelation 11:11-12 and be resurrected and ascend into heaven after three and a half days. This miraculous day will transpire on Nisan 14, the same day Jesus was crucified. “And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. There also was an earthquake on the day Jesus was crucified, Nisan 14, (Matthew 27:51). There were those who gave glory to the God of heaven on this day as well. “So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).

The next day, Wednesday, Nisan 15, 2030 will be the Passover of the Jews. This is the “high day” which is the special Sabbath, where no work is to be done. Three days later is the weekly Sabbath, Saturday, Nisan 18. The next day, Sunday, Nisan 19, 2030 (April 21, 2030) is the Feast of Firstfruits when all hell breaks loose.

The Antichrist (now indwelt by Satan) and the false prophet will then desecrate the temple by setting up the abomination of desolation and stopping all Levitical sacrifices and offerings. The abomination of desolation will probably be an idol of himself that he will erect in the Most Holy Place, or he will place his own blood on the mercy seat. This day of the Feast of Firstfruits, Nisan 19, 2030, is the “in the midst” of Daniel’s 70th seven. At this point, there will have been 1279 days since the “confirming of the covenant.” From Tuesday, Heshvan 10, 2026 to Sunday, Nisan 19, 2030 is 1279 days.

These unholy acts in the newly built Third Temple by the A.C. and the false prophet begin the Great Tribulation. Most of the Jews who still believe in Yahweh will flee the holy city as Jesus warned in Matthew 24:15-22. “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Fortunately for the Jews, this day will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath.

THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND THE RETURN OF JESUS TO THE EARTH

The Jews will flee to Bozrah (Petra), Jordan on Sunday, Nisan 19, 2030 (April 21, 2030). The Antichrist’s forces will pursue the remnant of believing Jews but God will supernaturally protect them as He did when the Egyptians were pursuing the children of Israel during the Exodus. “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:13-17).

These last 3.5 years will be the time of the Great Tribulation in which the inhabitants of the earth will experience the seven most severe judgments from God known as the Bowl or Vial judgments. It is the time of Jacob’s Trouble as described by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 30:7). Isaiah called it a day of trouble (Isaiah 22:5). In Daniel 12:11, the angel told Daniel, “It shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.”

The Jewish remnant will remain in Petra until Jesus returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords on the Feast of Trumpets, Friday, Tishri 1, 2033 (September 23, 2033). From Sunday, Nisan 19, 2030 to Friday, Tishri 1, 2033 is 1250 days. However, from Friday, Nisan 10 (April 12, 2030) to Friday, Tishri 1/Trumpets (September 23, 2033) is 1260 days. The Jews will stay in Petra until Jesus returns and defeats the forces of the Antichrist.

The Ten Days of Awe occur between the Feast of Trumpets (Tishri 1) and the Day of Atonement (Tishri 10). There are 1260 days from the Feast of Firstfruits, Sunday, Nisan 19, 2030 (April 21, 2030) to the Day of Atonement, which is on Sunday, Tishri 10, 2033 (October 2, 2033). On the Day of Atonement, the survivors of the Tribulation will be gathered together and will undergo the sheep and goat judgment as described in Matthew 25:31-46. “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31-32). This will have fulfilled the prophecy of 1260 days of Revelation 12:6. “Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

THE END OF DANIEL’S 70TH SEVEN AND THE BEGINNING OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM

However, the end of Daniel’s 70th seven will not occur at this time, but 30 days later, as there are still some issues to be resolved before the Millennial Kingdom begins. The sheep and goat judgments will continue during this time, Jesus will fulfill the 7th Feast of the Lord, Tabernacles (Nisan 15-22) by tabernacling with mankind once again, the A.C. and false prophet will be cast alive into the lake of fire, and Satan will be bound and cast into the abyss for a thousand years, to name a few.

From Sunday, Firstfruits, Nisan 19, 2030 to the end of the Tribulation/Daniel’s 70th Seven, Tuesday, Heshvan 10, 2033 (November 1, 2033) is 1290 days. These 1290 days fulfill the prophecy of Daniel 12:11. “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.” All of the prophecies of scripture in the books of Daniel and Revelation with the terms “forty-two months” (Revelation 11:2, 13:5) or “time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 7:25, 12:7, Revelation 12:14) are different ways of saying 3.5 years or forty-two months. The duration between Firstfruits in 2030 and the Feasts of Trumpets/Atonement in 2033 will fulfill these terms of timeframes in scripture.

The official end day/date for Daniel’s 70th Seven will be on Tuesday, Heshvan 10, 2033, which is November 1, 2033, on the Gregorian calendar. From Tuesday, Heshvan 10, 2026 (October 20, 2026) to Tuesday, Heshvan 10, 2033 (November 2, 2033) is 2569 days or seven years on the Jewish calendar. These are the days of Daniels’ 70th seven, hypothetically speaking of course. If the years 2026 to 2033 are not the correct years, then some other seven years with 2569 days will be the fulfillment. As far as the research I’ve conducted, the seven years of 2540 days will not work for the 1260, 1290, and 1335-day timeframes that end on the specific Jewish dates and feast days mentioned above. In the example for this article, the Millennium Kingdom of Jesus Christ will begin on Heshvan 11, 2033 (November 3, 2033).

THE 1335 DAYS FROM THE FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS TO HANUKKAH

From Heshvan 10 to Kislev 25 is 45 days. During these 45 days, the resurrection of the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation saints will be completed. They will come to the earth for the celebration that is to come. The last od Daniel’s prophecies to be fulfilled will occur 45 days after the end of Daniel’s 70th seven (Heshvan 10, 2033) on Friday, Kislev 25 (December 16, 2033). This day is the 1335th day after the Antichrist set up his abomination of desolation in the Temple on the Feast of Firstfruits.

The day of Kislev 25 is the beginning of the celebration of Hanukkah (also known as the feast of Dedication or the festival of lights), which is not a Feast of the Lord but is a very important day for the Jews nonetheless. This day is recorded in Daniel 12:12. “Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. I believe the last objective of Daniel 9:24, “And to anoint the Most Holy (Place)” will coincide with this 1335th day when the Jew’s one and only Messiah, Jesus, enters the cleansed Temple and anoints it with His Presence.

Whether this temple is the Third Temple (that survives the Great Tribulation) or is a temporary tabernacle set up after the Third Temple is destroyed remains to be seen. I suppose it could actually be the Fourth Temple of Ezekiel’s vision, and be built in 45 days, for nothing is too hard for the LORD (after all, He created the world and its inhabitants in six days).

Most scholars believe the Third Temple will be destroyed when Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives. I believe there is a very good chance this will occur. “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:4).

Two more important events will take place on the 1335th day after the Abomination of Desolation. The first event is the Marriage Feast of the Lamb as described in Revelation 19:7-9. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

The second event that will occur on the 1335th day (Hanukkah) is the inauguration of the Millennial reign of King Jesus on the earth. However, His kingdom will last not only a thousand years, but into eternity. David said, “Your kingdom

is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations” (Psalm 145:13). Isaiah said, “Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7). The angel told Mary regarding the child to be born, “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

THE HISTORY OF HANUKKAH

On the day before Hanukkah, on the 24th day of Kislev, Israel has witnessed four major historical events. Three of these historical events were in relation to the Jewish Temple. The first event was the foundation of the Second Temple which was laid in 520 BC. The second event was the famous abolition of the Temple sacrifice (the original abomination of desolation) by the Syrian/Greek Antiochus IV Epiphanies in 167 BC. The third event was the recapture of the Temple and the cleansing of the Temple Sanctuary in 164 BC by Judas Maccabees and the Jewish forces, three years after Antiochus’ abominations. This began the celebration of Hanukkah which lasts for eight days. What Is Hanukkah? - Info you need about Chanukah - Chabad.org

The fourth event occurred in 1917 AD when Jerusalem was freed from Turkish rule. Israel was now governed by the British mandate under the Balfour Declaration, which promised them a Jewish homeland. The foundation of modern Israel was laid on this anniversary, the 24th day of Kislev, 1917.

Grant Jeffrey, in his timeless book, “Armageddon – Appointment With Destiny” believes the possible date for the War of Gog and Magog could occur on this date as well. Grant said, “If you carefully compare Ezekiel 38:19-22 with Haggai 2:18-22, you will see the strong probability that the 24th day of Kislev the day before Hanukkah, is probably the day for this prophetic fulfillment.” Haggai’s prophecy begins with, “Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundations of the Lord’s Temple were laid.” It ends with a description of a great earthquake “that overthrows the throne of kingdoms, and destroys the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen, and overthrows the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.”

If the war of Gog and Magog occurs on a future Kislev 24 day, say in 2025, this would allow for more than seven months to bury the dead before the Antichrist’s “confirming of the covenant” in 2026; and more than seven years for the burning of weapons until the end of the Tribulation in 2033. Evidently, some of the weapons will be burned by the apostate Jews and Gentiles in Israel and possibly by the remnant believers in Petra who might have smuggled some of the weapons there in advance. Only time will tell.

FROM FIRSTFRUITS TO HANUKKAH

Isn’t it fitting that the marriage supper of the Lamb of God begins on Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication/Festival of Lights, exactly 1335 days after the Feast of Firstfruits. The ultimate fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits was when Jesus rose from the dead and became the first fruits of the dead in Christ. He is the Bread of Life. The dedicated saints of the LORD will celebrate their marriage supper with Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, on Hanukkah. On that day, we will make a vow to our betrothed, and Jesus and His bride will celebrate with some choice wine, thus fulfilling the words of Jesus 2000 years ago. “Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:17-18).

Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Randy Nettles

rgeanie55@gmail.com

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