If you do a quick Google study on the Internet on the year that Jesus was crucified you will see that there are those claiming all sorts of proof why they know the correct year of the crucifixion. You can find some very good arguments why their date is correct but the problem is that their dates span every year from 30 AD to 35 AD. They might all have good arguments but they certainly can’t all be correct.
If you only read the arguments on one website you might be convinced that this is the year that Jesus was crucified but after you read many of these top sites that talk about the date of the Lord’s crucifixion you probably should come to the conclusion that a conclusive date for the crucifixion is elusive. Scholars can all agree that Jesus was crucified between 30-35 AD but narrowing it down beyond that involves cherry picking facts and subjective reasoning. It is my view that the dating of the crucifixion with certainty is not possible with the data that we now have available.
The reason I bring this up is because I think the return of Jesus and the millennial rest will begin 2000 years from the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. There are many reasons why I believe this. For example, there is the creation week and the two passages where it says that a day is as a thousand years to the Lord (Ps 90:4, 2 Pet 3:8) and six times in Revelation it mentions that our reign with Jesus, when Satan is bound, will be for one thousand years (one Sabbath day). So it is obvious to me that the seven-day creation model is still in play and those in Christ will enter the Lord’s rest or the seventh day. There are “types” or similitude’s in the Bible and it is all by design to show us God’s plan. For example, there is Ho 6:2 passage that talks about the Lord reviving us after two days and raising us up on the third day. That should not be surprising since Jesus Himself was raised on the third day and we are His spiritual Body.
There also are a number of 6000 year hints such as God’s Spirit striving with man for 120 years (120 Jubilees or 6000 years) – (Gen 6:3) . God’s Spirit would not strive with man in the millennium because His Spirit will have been poured out on all flesh. All will have the knowledge of the Lord in the millennial reign. The seven-day model and prophetic “types” should be rather obvious since the Jewish system was based on six days of work and one day of rest. Even in the New Testament we see it played out in Mr 9:2 when Jesus is shown in His glory to Peter, James, and John after six days. Anyway, there are many such “types” and similitude’s in the Bible that suggest a biblical week of 7000 years.
Therefore, if we know when the Lord was cut off and know that it had to be at the end of fourth day before the lasts days of the week of 7000 years, I think we can know the season of the Lord’s return in glory for the seventh day millennial reign. It will take place somewhere between 2030 and 2035 AD. So if you believe the Bride will be taken seven years sooner or even before that time like me, the Rapture would occur no later than 2028 and it is likely that it will occur several years sooner.
No one knows what day Jesus will come as a thief in the night for His Bride because it won’t happen until the Father tells Jesus to go get her. Even so, the Lord will return in Glory to fulfill the fall feasts to Israel just as He fulfilled all the spring feasts at His first coming. So the astute can know that Jesus will return in Glory on a fall feast day (probably on the two-day Feast of Trumpets) between 2030 and 2035 AD.
That is about as close as I will ever get to setting dates. I think the Church should know the general season because we are not in darkness that this day should overtake us like a thief (1Th 5:4). I do not know how much clearer Paul could have said that. The Church should be aware of the general time of the Lord’s coming.
Years ago I wrote 25 articles about events taking place on earth that correlate to indicate the general season of the Lord’s physical return to earth. Guess what? If you read those articles and look at these world events, the astute should come to the conclusion that this downward slide of the world cannot go beyond the 2030’s without the world destroying itself. It is also obvious to me that Christian institutions have become like an out of control weed with evil birds nesting in their upper branches that are helping corrupt the whole loaf with sin. If you do not have a clue what I am talking about or what Jesus was talking about in those parables read this article, The Parables of Matthew 13, and also read how the seven parables relate to the Lord’s seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation.
Jesus was clear that there would be an end of this age. Ages do not go on forever and the Church Age has lasted for nearly two thousand years (two, one-thousand-year days). God will be consistent and He will fulfill His week timeline seen through the earthly ages and also seen through Israel’s holy convocations and similitude’s or “types” in scripture.
Some might say it has already been more than 6000 years since creation. How would they know? The calendars have changed over time and they are not reliable. For example, the Jews say there has only been 5771 years since creation. They are wrong but it’s not over 6000 years yet either. Bishop Usher’s dating is also wrong. Jesus was not born 4004 years from creation like he calculated. More likely Jesus died 4000 years from creation at the end the fourth day and that puts us in the last days (last three days of the week) just like scripture claimed ever since the death of Jesus. (I say Usher was wrong because experts say If Abram was actually born when Terah was 70 as Genesis 11:26 seems to imply, Usher’s dating would be off by 60 years.)
(* as an aside, We can rule out that the Lord is using Biblical years of 360 days each because if that were true we would already have been in the millennium around the turn of the century. That was much of Grant Jeffery’s theory in his book “Armageddon Appointment with Destiny” but he was obvious wrong. I think God uses a Gentile solar calendar when we are in the time of the Gentiles and He uses the Jewish moon based calendar when He is dealing with the Jews. Apparently God also changed the actual length of the year on earth so the calendars actually did reflect reality. The changes in the annual year have been recorded in the Bible.
The day that Joshua warred against the armies of the five kings of the Amorites, the sun and moon stood still in the heavens. That was a double day and apparently whatever caused it also changed the 365 day calendar to 360 days. Then many years later Hezekiah got his life extended by 15 years and the proof that God would do it was that the sun-dial went backward. At that time the calendar changed back to 365 days and shortly after the Kingdom fell to the Gentiles.
You think the change of the length of years is a bit far fetch? Well, all ancient calendars also reflect this change, not just the Jewish. How did this happen? That is beyond the scope of this post but read “Planets in Collision” or similar works that talk about the catastrophic earth events of Old Testament times. In short, the orbit around the sun was apparently changed by interaction with some heavenly body. It will happen again in the seven-year tribulation when we again see 1260 days that also are exactly 42 months and exactly 3.5 years. Now you also know why peoples hearts are failing them from the roaring of the waves and from seeing what is coming upon the earth – it’s not just a few more earthquakes and floods on the earth that will bring in the tribulation. What will actually happen will be truly earth-shaking).
Maybe the Church has a decade left to work before the Rapture but almost certainly it does not have more than two. The time to work for the Lord grows short.
Interesting article. We must be closing on sunset of the sixth day. That means Satan comes back on the first day to make one last desperate attemp according to Rev. 20. Mr. Koenig, I think the first day may have started when Adam and Eve were cast out.
Hi Don
The way I see it we will be living in a nazi like police state here in the US within 3yrs or so. Probably worse than what Germany was like if Obama has his way. It’s going to be he’ll on earth with a currency that is worthless and default on the massive debt. So how do we work for the Lord when we will be barely surviving? Sharing our faith is all we can do. I also want to know if we might consider moving to a place like Costa Rica to get out of the US.
“The time to work for the Lord grows short”… Yes.
We should be rather excited about these times as we get to experience the prophecy, but everything, including just simply surviving, seems so daunting.
I’ve been trying my hand at fishing, which was a childhood hobby that I eventually began to excel at, but now it just seems almost overwhelming. I am having an interesting time with my first crop: radishes. Not exactly an easy task and don’t even ask about the carrots.
It makes me very aware of just how Awesome God is. And yet everything seems more than I can bear.
We support a missionary and it’s clear that the harvest is much more fruitful just about anywhere else but the USA. It’s going to take the judgments prophesied to turn heads/hearts.
All we have is prayer, or so it seems.
Hi Jack,
The work of the Lord is sharing the gospel with those who have not heard it and taking care of each other with the gifts and the material blessings that God gave us. We can do that the best we can in any situation we find ourselves in.
I do not think most people can survive in a place like Costa Rica if you have no income coming from the United States. If push comes to shove and if the Lord indicates that is what you should do, I would think it would be better that Christians locate to an area of the country where Christians still have much influence. Parts of the Northwest come to mind as well as Oklahoma, Texas and rural southern states and plain states and parts of Alaska but there are other place. Just a few posts ago I gave a tour of the US from my experience with TEOTWAWKI in mind.
Good article Don,
Which bring to mind a question I’ve had for some time.
In the millennial reign with Christ, will Biblical knowledge be attainable or relevant ? There are going to be young Christians that made it out of the Tribulation alive so would the Biblical Word be a factor at that time ?
I do agree, that when things get really bad, as they will on earth, probably before the Rapture, that the most secure place to be will be among other Christians, however Don, you said in a reply, the Northwest ??? I lived there and considered it the Bastian of God hating liberalism. I don’t know where you were referring to, maybe Idaho (tends to be conservative and God Loving from what I’ve seen), Montana, & or/ Wyoming.
Texas and Oklahoma are both VERY awesome for Jesus loving states…I am especially fond of Texas because they put up on their large billboards, seen by all auto traffic, that declare their Love of the Lord…its really all over in Texas…awesome, puts a smile on my face every time. You won’t see these billboards in Oregon or Washington.
When the Lord lived as a man the words He spoke were not not limited to what is recorded in the written scriptures and when He returns the word of God will be increased because the Word will be among men. Nevertheless, the Bible will be used in the millennial reign for reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
To answer your other question I said “parts” of the Northwest. Obviously I was not referring to the liberal parts.
Thanks Don
Do you think the US will become like nazi Germany was I say 3yrs or so? It just seems that all we need is another World war and that is all but for certain but before a WW it seems our nation is at a complete breaking point. The media isn’t reporting on the chaos and hell hole state that most cities are living in. Maybe I am off topic but it just seems like why does it need to get so bad, most people will end up even more godless when God is so silent. (yes I know he is not silent to us who believe but to the unbeliever it just seems like there is no God)
Timely blog, Don. Shabbat Shalom from the NW, by the way. Before reading this latest post I had just viewed a video with the same teaching on “rest”, “sabbaths”, sevens.” I think it is right on. Only God can weave so many levels of reality into the historical events of the Old Covenant. Types and shadows are like object lessons and the bible is full of them. Some teachers go a little crazy, attributing meaning to every tent peg in the tabernacle, if you know what I mean, so I give the most credence to the types and shadows which are further elaborated on in the written word.
Hi Don
Can the date of Artaxerxes Longimanus’ decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem be established
exactly to 14th Mar. 445 BC?
If so surely Sir Robert Anderson’s 32 AD could be accepted as the year of Christ’s crucifixion.
Schofield made the comment “Prophetic time is invariably so near as to give full warning, so indeterminate as to give no satisfaction to mere curiosity”, which comment makes me wonder if
445 BC is correct.
Am I missing something?
No Jack, I do not think the US will become like Nazi Germany. I think the country has become so divided ideologically that the Union will split or else if conservatives and libertarians gain control the Federal government powers will radically be scaled down and weakened and most things will be run by the states, counties and cities. I also think we will pull out of other hemispheres in the world because we will no longer be able to pay the cost of being the world policeman. As for the gangs, they will inevitably lead to more police control or decriminalizing of drugs but whether or not you will be living under police tyranny might more depend on what area of this land that you’re living in than anything else.
Brian, That is one of the arguments and it is the main one that leads to the thinking of the Crucifixion occurred on 32 AD. The problem is that scholars say Passover fell early on the week that year so Jesus could not have been crucified on Thursday or Friday that year. Some think Daniel’s 63 weeks of days adjusted for the 360 days calender actually runs out on Palm Sunday when the high priests rejected Jesus when He presented Himself to them and the people as the Messiah.
You mean it isn’t next Saturday, May 21st, at 6pm? Good, because I’ve got Nats vs. O’s tickets in Baltimore that day and the game starts at 4pm. I would feel cheated if I didn’t get to see the whole game. I’m not complaining, though. Hey, only God knows the hour. I’m pretty sure He is a Nats fan.
Frankie,
I hope that if The Lord called us home before your game on May 21st, that none of us would have a problem with it.
And, I’d bet, if The Lord was a baseball fan, he’d be an Angels fan : )
Well, this is just sad.
A man has spent his life savings to advertise “The End Of The World” on May 21st.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/14/new-york-man-spends-life-savings-ahead-21-doomsday/
Personally, I hope he’s right!
In the meantime, doesn’t God say he chastises those whom he loves? In that case, he must be a Chicago Cubs fan.
Go Cubies!
Maybe I shouldn’t worry about saving for retirement in 45 years if we are so close…
I believe there is only one generation in the world where most have an obsession with saving for their retirement and many of these will be robbed first by inflation, a change of rules (because the funds will not exist), or death. Of all the stupid things to trust in for one’s old age, corporations and human government takes the cake.
I have recently read in czech newspapers (you have a reader from czech republic 🙂 ) article refering to some german scientists saying, that we live in year 17xx because many years ‘disapeared’ in bad history interpretations and many other arguments… it sounds really crazy but if you come closer … it can makes sence. The years difference maybe quite different but there maybe some.
Here is the link to paper presenting their arguments (in english)
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/volatile/Niemitz-1997.pdf
This blog becomes more timely on a daily basis. I see the Treasury plans to raid the Federal Pension System for money since the debt ceiling won’t allow borrowing from outside.
As an Enron ex employee, I received a brass knuckles lesson in depending on the good heart of corporate manGEMENT.
David M, Conspiracy theories sometimes sound reasonable until a peer review.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_time_hypothesis
Bob, I know certain union people who were promised a nice pension but after working all their lives when it came time to retire they found out the pension funds were badly invested or robbed.
Hi Don, and readers, really interesting post. I have always wondered about the shadow on the step and the long day.
Whilst reading i thought about that large asteroid that Nasa say will pass very close to the earth in 2029 and again in 2036.
Its name is 99942 Apophis.
I wonder could this perhaps be what changed our calendar once again!
Hi Aaron, I do not think Apophis is any where near big enough to do that. I think what comes will be a complete surprise, it even could be the Holy City itself, that is 1300 miles in height, width and length or more than half the size of the moon. It would create huge tidal influences and stresses on the earth if it had anywhere near the mass it should have and was a few hundred miles above the earth.
I personally think you’re going to see things develop in the M.E. much, much more rapidly now that it looks like the U.N. is going to legitimize the arabs and palestinians (even though there is no such thing as a ‘palestinian’ people).
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/abbas-urges-un-recognize-palestinian-state-pave-way-for-legal-action-against-israel-1.362254
The ‘palestinians’ aren’t going to wait for “legal action against Israel” for years and years or decades.
Looks like Psalm 83 war is about ready to kick off. But, Iran first needs to be taken out of the picture somehow. Getting Iran out of the picture is not far fetched when you consider that the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood taking over the areas around Israel are enemies of the Shiite controlled Iran.
I found this very interesting but I am a little leery of setting dates, even general time-frames.
I’m sort of chicken when it comes to that sort of thing. But your opinion is well-thought out and feasible.
I am Leary of setting general seasons myself but I would be a liar if I said that I believed the start of the seventh day could take place after 2035 and I just cannot see Jesus not being here on the seventh day. Nobody has to believe, me do the study yourself. My position is that it is not going to be as soon as many are now saying but it will be soon because the 7th Sabbath day is almost upon us. Of course if you do not believe in a millennial reign like most amillennial reformed it is not going to wash with them.
since jesus died at 33 and went to heaven it makes sense that by 2035 jesus will return. i just don’t know if i should look at it that way or not, maybe the calendar changed over the years and it changed this date too.
Jesus was probably in his mid 30’s when He died. Actually there are ways to determine that the number of years since since Jesus is about right. The times are recorded in the heavens and the best dating in the last 2500 years is done by astronomers. There also are no records of catastrophic type earth changes that would cause calendar changes since the time of Hezekiah.
Hi Don, I enjoyed your article but wanted to point something out to you. In Gen.6:3, God stated: “My Spirit would not dwell with man forever as he is mortal, his days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
So 120 years times the 50 Jubille years is what equals the 6,000 years until Jesus return.
God bless.
Dave
Dave,
I meant to say 120 jubilees from creation (not 70) which is 6000 years until the Lords return. I will correct the article. Thanks for finding that.
Don,
The second coming of Jezus will be after a period of exactly 6000 years, in our calendar year 2027 (autumn).
And the rapture will take place just before the great tribulation ‘mid-trib’ in 2023 (springtime).
So, the ‘last week’ will start in the year 2020 (autumn) when the antichrist shall conclude a peace treaty with Israël.
Jezus was born exactly 4000 years after creation.
The key to this: when did God announced His plan ???
Cees,
I see some problems here with your view. The mid-trib rapture view destroys imminency as well as having other problem that cannot be resolved from Bible prophecy.
You do not really know from scripture that the coming prince spoken by Daniel that ” confirms a covenant with the many” is a conclusion of a peace treaty with Israel. It probably is some kind of peace treaty with many nations that also involves Israel but that is speculation.
If Jesus was born exactly 4000 years after creation what year was He born? Good Scholars cannot even agree on the day of His birth and if the date of His birth was the end of fourth day as you said, than why is the start of the 7th millennium 6027 years after creation and not 6000 years after creation? It seems to me that the death of Jesus was the end of fourth day because if it was based on His birth as you imply Jesus should have returned at the start of the 7th millennium or around 2000 AD based on your 4000 years from creation suggestion.
When God announced His plan for Whatever? really depends on your own speculations about His plan and the dating of those speculations.
Don,
The 6000 years (men under sin) have nothing to do with paradise time.
Thats why I asked you when God revealed His plan to restore all things.
And why we have to count 2000 years after the birth of Jezus?
I don’t know about anyone else but I really really get tired of playing guessing games. What you said still does not make any sense to me.
Don, excuse me, I don’t want to play guessing games.
All I want is that you shall find by yourself what I have discovered.
As a test for me.
Are you agree with me that just after Paradise time when man have sinned, the Lord God said that the seed of the woman (Jesus Christ) will bruise the hesd of the snake (Satan,)that at that very moment God announced His plan to save His creation?
From that time we must count the 6000 years !!
Believe me, when you are going to study Gods calendar in this way, everything will fall in its place.
You will be amazed, really.
The ‘fourth day’ will than turn out to be the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river in stead of taking the Birth of Jesus as ‘the fourth day’.
2000 years after Jesus obeyed His Father to do His wil, the return of the Messiah will occur.
That is what I ment when I said that the 6000 years are not fully passed.
There is a timeline from creation (FC) and a time line after Paradise (AP).
To synchronise our calender with the Biblical time lines is another thing but let us look first to what the Bible shows us.
In God His time line counted from creation, the figure 37 is playing an important role.
Look for instance to the year 4033 FC.
4033 = 109 x 37
What do we see?
The total of the numbers of 4033 equals 10 ( 4 + 0 + 3 + 3 = 10 )
And with both the factors it is the same. ( 1 + 0 + 9 = 10 and 3 + 7 = 10)
Between 0 and beyond 7000 you will find only ten figures with the same properties.
In a spreadsheet its easy to produce this list.
And in this list there are some figures that draw our attention.
4033, 6031, 7030.
6031 = 163 x 37 and 7030 = 190 x 37.
Our god is a God of perfect order in all He did, does and will do.
Now look at Paradise time.
Think this over: Paradise lasted just as long as the creation age of Adam.
When Adam died at the age of 930 years, Adam was physically 930 years old.
In spite of the fact that Adam was not getting any older in Paradise.
Looking at the first Adam and the second Adam (Jesus Christ) we can conclude that the first Adan was disobeydient to God and sinned while the second Adam (Jesus Christ) obayed His Father.
Could it be on the same age of 30 ???
So, 6031 can be the first year of the seventh millennium and 7030 the last year.
The flood came 1656 years after creation. No special number.
But when we count from Paradise time we get 1625 years.
A multiple of 13 (125×13). And that make sense.
I have a lot more to tell you but first I am interested in your opinion about this.
Furthermore I can explane to you about the 153 fishes and how it leads us to the year of the rapture (I wrote you before 2023 as the date of the rapture but of course it had to be 2024 because of the fact that the Biblical new year starts somewhere around september and our new year starts at januari).
Next time further, shall we say?
best greetings from Cees.
Cees,
Oh now I get it perfectly.
Your formulas and unfounded mathematical conjectures are as nuts as Harold Camping’s. In short, here is my reply to all that. Get lost.
To anyone who wants to pursue it , See The Long Day of Joshua at Chuck Missler’s website which is http://www.khouse.org. He goes into detail about changes in the lenght of the year and changes in the calendar. Very interesting study
Don
Certainly agree with you that lots of research has been done about the date of Jesus crucifixion. You said you see a range of 30 AD to 35 AD – I see a little tighter one of 30 AD to 33 AD. Either way, after 2,000 years pretty close to it.
What has helped me is a wonderful software program called “Calendrical Calculations The Millenial Edition” (nope – it’s not mine – and it is a free Java ap online). The two creators have done a great job of allowing extremely accurate translations between many different types of calendars going back to their respective inception. Why is that important? Because of the quartodecimans.
The quartodecimans were early Christians (following after the Apostle John so the story goes) that annually celebrated on the 14th of Nisan as the date of crucifixion of their Lord. They were so adamant that they resisted the later Roman Catholic church effort to move Easter around – to the point of excommunication. Must be something behind their zeal…
Turns out – 14 Nisan only falls on a Friday in 33 AD during that 30 AD to 35 AD period. (Actually its the only Friday 14 Nisan between 26 AD and 36 AD – so must be the one.) That is 14 Nisan 3793 – our Friday April 1, 33 AD. The sunset at 6:01 PM in Jerusalem that day – so they had to have entombed Christ by that time.
Interestingly enough – on Resurrection Sunday – April 3, 33 AD there was a major lunar eclipse over Jerusalem – the first night AFTER His resurrection (see the NASA site for confirmation). Also on a lighter note – this could give a whole new understanding of the origin of the world’s saying about April Fools Day that what happened on that date was a “joke”…
Fount,
The problem is that equally good arguments can be made for every year between 30 and 35AD for the death of Jesus. If you do not believe me check it out. Not everyone beliefs that Jesus was crucified on Friday. Some believe Jesus was in the grave for three literal 24 hours periods. So I do not want to be dogmatic about which year that I think the 6th day ends.
Don, do you believe that the War in Psalms 83 and Ezequiel chapters 30 and 39 would occur before the year 2030?
Jean,
Yes, I do.
Very interesting article indeed. I have been looking for confirmation of some of these same thoughts I’ve had for years. You responded to someone earlier to “get lost” with formulas. I believe I’ve solved some of the prophetic numbers that have eluded people through the ages – a bold claim. But I won’t give that info here since you are against it.
Cozy ,
It is DANGEREOUS to throw dates around , all kinds of people have come up with all kinds of ways to figure these things out. They all turn out to be WRONG!!! . BE CAREFUL because there is a danger of misleading others.
Don Fritts,
I couldn’t agree more.
Date setting is especially dangerous towards less grounded Christians as they tend to fall away quickly when those dates aren’t met.
It’s bad enough that our human minds want The Lord God to have a tangible presence, right here and now…but to depend on date setters can be quite discouraging.
Hello again.
There are very many people who have understood the correct 6000 years and the jubileecycle.
http://www.marieslibrary.com/PDF_Articles/SabJub.pdf
http://www.marieslibrary.com/PDF_Articles/SabJubChart.pdf
http://www.prophecyproof.org/timing
I wrote to you earlier about these 6000 years.
http://www.cephasministry.com/water/bible_believers_6000_years.html
Greetings from Torstein Langesaeter
Torstein,
I can agree with the 6000 years until the millennium but the exacting dating to get there can be rather subjective for a number of reasons (e.g. generation gaps, joint reigns, calender changes, Terah-Abram dating etc.).
Jesus announced the acceptable year of the Lord at the start of His ministry that most likely started the 120 jubilee or fifth day from man’s creation but scholars really do not know for sure what year Jesus made that declaration. Some say 28 AD making the crucifixion in 32 AD but there really is no consensus on the date of the crucifixion. It is somewhere between 30 and 35 AD depending on what evidence is presented to establish the reason for their dating. That would make the start the seventh day most likely to be sometime between 2030-2035.
Hi Don, the Hebrew calendar says the year today is 5773. Does this somehow correspond to the nearing of the end of the 6th day or is this the calendar that is in need of adjusting?
Julie,
The Jewish Calendar has a gap it is not 5773.
The clue to the correct ending of the 6000 years are the jubilee-timimg .
http://www.marieslibrary.com/PDF_Articles/SabJub.pdf
If Yeshua read from Isaiah Chapter 61 in year 28 AC it all fit with the dating in the Old Testament.
“Now in the FIFTEENTH year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius …..
stood up for to read…17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,..
http://www.giveshare.org/HolyDay/jubilee.html
When Is the Jubilee Year?
According to William Whiston’s footnotes to Josephus, 24 B.C. was a Sabbatical year, and 23 B.C. was a Jubilee year. This would mean that A.D. 27 was a Sabbatical year, and A.D. 28 was a Jubilee year. If this is true, then 1977 was a Sabbatical year and 1978 a Jubilee year. Sabbatical years would occur in 1985, 1992, 1999, 2006, 2013, 2020 and 2027, with the next Jubilee in 2028.
Torstein,
It is not that simple even if Whiston had the date of that Jubilee correct. The Jews have their own calender. Where they using the 360 day year to count Jubilees or a 365.25 day year? And if they were using the lunar calender why did they switch to our solar one or did they? I often get dates based on Jubilees but there is no agreement. If it were as simple as you suggest everyone would agree on the dates of Jubilees and the Crucifixion but the scholars do not. That is easily verified by a Google search.
Don,
Thanks for leading me to this article it is quite informative. I forgot this one even existed.
Is the idea that Jesus must return sometime between 2000 AD and 2088 AD logical? This based on the difference of roughly 87.5 years between 6000 years of 360 day years and 365.25 day years. I understand we have discussed why there are more accurate guesstimates but is my reasoning actually sound?
Jim,
I do not think you can base the second coming on just the Biblical week conjecture. Keep in mind that the the annual calendar probably changed at least two or three times in the last 6000 years. I think the Lord will come before 2040 for many other reasons. Some of those can be found through the titles of the top 100 downloaded posts on the sidebar.
Due to all the diffusion of dates I think it impossible to use such methods in establishing Christ’s return.
As an example: the Jubilee year and its restoration aspects almost certainly fell on the year Christ offered himself as Israel’s king yet once the Temple was destroyed and the people expelled from the land those aspects of the Law no longer applied (This seems to be a Biblical principle, and I read that the Jews have not kept abreast of such things); if this is the case then surely it must wait until the Lord removes the Church and takes up with Israel once again.
In regards to the 50 year jubilee, I do wonder if after the destruction of the Temple those remaining 12 years might be the time left to Israel after the Church age and before Christ’s descent on to the Mount of Olives to fulfill ALL things? I would like your thoughts on that Don.
12 years less 5 years for the Gog invasion and ‘clean-up’, leaves us just time for Daniel’s 70 week.
With the seeming impossibility of setting a correct date it would be more productive to look for the signs of Gog’s invasion (and all the intensity of the present deceptions, apostasy and destruction of Truth). I think they give us a pretty good indication of where the world is at.
Brian,
I do not know where you get the 12 years from. I think the jubliee conjectures have problems
Twelve years is probably inaccurate because of the lack of definitive dates, but using 32 AD as the date of resurrection and 70 AD as the date of Israel’s diaspora there are 12 years??? left of that unfulfilled ‘jubilee’ period.
I do NOT believe the Jubilee periods can be used to establish Christ’s return but I found the thought of those remaining years interesting even if speculative.
Hi Brian
One problem with that conjecture is that most modern Christian historians would disagree that the Resurrection took place in 32 AD. Besides Jesus announced the acceptable year of the Lord about 3.5 years before that. Then he presented Himself as the Messiah to Israel on Palm Sunday but was rejected. So why would any Jubilee for Israel start on the resurrection of the Messiah they rejected anyway? It is not making any sense to me, not to mention the solar verses lunar year problem.