In my last blog post concerning the length of the Day of the Lord I discussed the possibility that the Day of the Lord could last for a single day, one year, or potentially both. I argued that Isaiah 34:8 was compelling evidence to argue that the Day of the Lord will last one year and suggested that the reason why the Day of the Lord is referred to as a “day” is that it's a special prophetic day in the same manner that a prophetic week is seven years long.
- There are seven days in a week, so one “day” in a prophetic week (seven years) is one year in length.
In this blog post I seek to provide more clarification about the Day of the Lord theory I currently support and discuss some of the implications associated with this theory.
Clarifying the Timing of the Day of the Lord
First, I want to provide a graphic illustration that summarizes the timeline that I believe the Day of the Lord will occur in context of the End Times. Figure 1 illustrates the proposed timeline I have:
Figure 1: Proposed Day of the Lord Timeline (Link)
- An explanation of why the Great Tribulation lasts from the midpoint of the seventieth week of Daniel to the 6th seal and why the Day of the Lord begins following the opening of the 6th seal is available: Here
- An explanation of why the Day of the Lord ends with the pouring of the seventh plague mentioned in Revelation 15:1 and Revelation 16 is available: Here
- A review of the seventieth week of Daniel timeline is available in the appendix of this article.
Some people are tempted to place the start of the Day of the Lord at the beginning of the seventh year of the seventieth week of Daniel. In effect, this placement causes the Day of the Lord to coincide with the entire seventh year of the seventieth week of Daniel. Figure 2 is a chart illustrating the placement of the Day of the Lord under this interpretation
Figure 2: Proposed Day of the Lord Timeline if it coincides with the Final Year of Daniel’s 70th Week (Link)
The logic some people use to argue why the Day of the Lord will coincide with the final year of the seventieth week of Daniel is the following: “One day in the prophetic week is one year long, so it makes sense to have the Day of the Lord to represent one day in the prophetic week-the final day”. In addition, some people argue for this particular placement because they believe the seventh year of the seventieth week of Daniel holds a special numerical significance and/or they believe the end of the seventieth week marks the end of God’s wrath.
As intuitive as the above idea is, I do not believe the seventh year of the seventieth week of Daniel coincides completely with the Day of the Lord. The reason for this is that I believe the Bible suggests that there will be an additional thirty days after the end of the seventieth week of Daniel where the Lord will inflict his final plagues on Antichrist and defeat Antichrist and his forces at the Battle of Armageddon. The following is why I believe there is an additional thirty days between the end of the seventieth week of Daniel and the Battle of Armageddon.
The Basis for 30 Extra Days between the End of the 70th Week of Daniel & Armageddon
Daniel 9:27 tells us that the Antichrist will stop regular sacrifice in the Third Temple in Jerusalem at the midpoint of the seventieth week of Daniel.
- Dan 9:27 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.
(Christ suggested that this is the time when the abomination that causes desolation is established-Matthew 24:15)
Daniel 9:27 also tells us that the abomination of desolation that Antichrist will establish shall remain “until the consummation [destruction], and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate”. In other words, the abomination of desolation will remain in place until the time when the desolater (Antichrist) is destroyed.
Daniel 12:11 tells us the abomination that causes desolation will remain in place for 1,290 days (some even argue that the abomination is the Antichrist himself-demanding the world's worship). The midway point to the end of the seventieth week is 1,260 days so the Antichrist has another thirty days beyond the seventieth week on Earth.
- Dan 12:11 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.
2 Thessalonians 2:8 tells us the consummation of Antichrist will come when Christ uses “the spirit of His mouth”:
- 2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.[1]
The event when Christ defeats Antichrist and his forces with His mouth is at the Battle of Armageddon:
- Rev 19:11 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.
- Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
- Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
- Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
- Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
…
- Rev 19:19 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.
- Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
- Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Therefore, the Battle of Armageddon must take place thirty days following the seventieth week of Daniel to remain consistent with the detail that the abomination of desolation remains in place for 1,290 days, the amount of time that it takes from its establishment until the desolator (Antichrist) is consumed.
The plagues that punish the armies at the Battle of Armageddon are associated with the final (seventh) plague of God’s wrath, which you recall signifies/completes the end of the Day of the Lord (Revelation 15:1 and Revelation 16:17).
- Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
- Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
- Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
- Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
- Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
- Eze 38:22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
- Eze 38:23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.
The Importance of Finding the Day of the Lord’s End
As a result, we can mark the end of the Day of the Lord thirty days following the end of the seventieth week of Daniel. The importance of finding the end of the Day of the Lord is that we can subtract one year (360 days) from its end to find its approximate start. Here is some of the arithmetic (partially summarized by Figure 3):
- The end of the seventieth week of Daniel is 330 days into the Day of the Lord.
- The start of the Day of the Lord takes place approximately 2190 days, 6 years and 1 month, or 37 months into the seventieth week of Daniel (2520 – 330 = 2190).
Figure 3: Proposed Day of the Lord Timeline When Accounting for 30 Additional Days (Link)
Implications of a One Year Day of the Lord
There are some major implications if the Day of the Lord is only one year long and ends thirty days following the end of the seventieth week of Daniel:
1. The Great Tribulation can last no longer than 930 days, 2 years and 7 months, or 31 months because 330 of the 1260 days in the second half of the seventieth week of Daniel are associated with the Day of the Lord (illustrated in Figure 4).
Figure 4: Proposed Day of the Lord Timeline in Detail (Link)
2. The events during the Day of the Lord-the seventh seal, the sounding of all seven trumpets and the pouring of the seven (vials/bowls) plagues-must take place very quickly. This is actually very feasible because some events potentially will be the catalyst for other events.
- For instance, the impact of Wormwood crashing into a body of water on Earth (third trumpet) could launch so much particulate matter into the atmosphere that the skies can be partially darkened for a significant period of time (fourth trumpet).
3. Similarly, many events must take place in a short amount of time when you take the fact that the conditions associated with the fifth trumpet (Part 1, Part 2) will last for five months long (150 days) into account. There will only be 210 days for the sounding of the other six trumpets and pouring of the seven plagues.
4. The few people who believe in the Pre-Wrath Rapture could theoretically approximate the timing of the Rapture by looking at when the 6th seal is opened. The problem though is that a person would have to find the correct year when the End Times begins in order to do this, and still this may not be enough because not even Christ knew when the Rapture would take place (Matthew 24:36).
Again, I agree with those who believe the Day of the Lord is going to last for one year at this moment. Isaiah 34:8’s statement that the Day of the Lord is “a year of recompences for the controversy of Zion” is difficult to account for unless one views the Day of the Lord as a one year time period. However, this is a preliminary finding so it’s subject to change if someone is able to disprove it or if I find a way to disprove it. Feel free to disprove it if you can. The same applies to the implications of this study. If you can find a way to disprove them feel free to do so.
Notes/Appendix
[1] The Greek word for “consume” can also mean “destroy” while the Greek word for “destroy” can also mean “to render useless”. Christ will paralyze Antichrist with the brightness of His coming and defeat the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon.
The Length of the 70th Week of Daniel and Prophetic Years
Gabriel told Daniel that 70 weeks have been given to the people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem to end their disobedience, atone for their sins, and to be saved.
- Dan 9:24 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.
- Dan 9:25 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.
- Dan 9:26 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.
Most Christians who study Bible prophecy agree that the first 69 weeks of this prophecy was fulfilled over a several-hundred year period with a call to rebuild Jerusalem in the 20th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus’s reign (Nehemiah Ch. 2:1-5) and the death and ascension of Christ. Therefore, Gabriel did not mean 70 literal weeks where each week is 7 days in length. The Hebrew translation of the word “week” in Daniel is shâbûa‛, which actually means “seven”. Therefore we can also refer to Daniel’s prophecy as “the 70 sevens”. The length of a prophetic week can be determined by analyzing the structure of the 70th week of Daniel. Daniel’s 70th week is divided into two halves. In the first half Antichrist will make and keep a covenant with Israel, but will break it halfway through the seven.
- Dan 9:27 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.
The 2nd half of the week is a period of severe persecution. This period of time will last for “time, times, and a half”. The Hebrew word for “time” is “mô‛êd”, which also can mean “a year”. Nearly every commentator who analyzes Daniel’s 70 week prophecy agrees that “time, times, and a half” means 3 ½ years. Therefore, a prophetic week is a seven year period.
- Dan 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.
In Revelation 12:14 we learn that 3 ½ prophetic years is the equivalent of 1260 days. If we divide 1260 days by 3 ½ years we will find that a prophetic year is 360 days long.
- Rev 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
- Rev 12:6 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.
Similarly, 3 ½ years is also defined as 42 months since seven years is the equivalent to 84 months. Therefore a prophetic month is 30 days long since 1260 days divided by 42 months equals 30 days/month.
- Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
- Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Given this information, we can confirm that the 70th Week of Daniel will be 2520 days long three different.
- 30 Days (in a Prophetic Month) x 42 Prophetic Months (in Half a Prophetic Week) x 2 Halves = 2520 Days
- 7 Prophetic Years (in a Prophetic Week) x 360 Days (in a Prophetic Year) = 2520 Days
- 1260 Days in “Time, Times, and Half” x 2 Halves = 2520 Days.
For more about the 70 Weeks of Daniel you can access my research study where I provide a completely new explanation of the prophecy by clicking this link.
