THE ERROR OF THE DAY=YEAR PRINCIPLE;
Seventh-day Adventism and Revelation
13:1-8
Russell Earl Kelly, PHD, Oct 24, 2018
When Seventh-Day Adventism uses the
day-for-a-year theory to justify papal supremacy from 538 to 1798 A. D., it is
following the once-popular formula used by the Historical School of Prophetic
Interpretation of the Reformation era. Like others, SDAs speculated that the
deadly wound referred to the removal of the Pope in 1798 by the French and its
healing was already a completed current event. However, while SDAs began the
1260 prophetic “years” in 538 and end them in 1798, many preferred the
beginning point of 755 and ending in 2015. The year 755 was important because
they French made the papacy a temporal ruler by giving it the Papal States in
central Italy. See Adam Clarke Commentary
and Jamieson, Faussett and Brown
Commentary on Daniel 7:25.
Few denominations use the Historical
school’s principles of prophetic interpretation today. However, even if the
Historical school’s day=year interpretation were correct, there are major flaws
in the SDAs’ use of it. First, the Bible does not teach that the deadly wound of
Revelation 13:1-2 would be received at the end of the 1260 period!
In fact, Revelation 13:5 places the 42
months AFTER the healing of the deadly wound and not before it! The consensus
of texts referring to the 3 ½ times, 42 months and 1260 days clearly teach that
this time period would only “continue” until the beast and false prophet were
cast into the lake of fire in Revelation 19:19-21. There are no intervening
events such as the 1844 judgment.
Second, SDAs cannot use the 755 date to
begin the 1260 years because such would end the 1260 years in 2015 and deny
them use of 1844. Any other interpretation of the end of the time period would obliterate
the existence of their own church.
And, third, even more importantl except
for Seventh-day Adventists, those who used the Historical school’s principle of
prophetic interpretation ended the 1260 years with the establishment of God’s
kingdom as the saints of the Most High were victorious. Therefore, the method in which SDAs end the
1260 period is irregular, greatly flawed and does not agree with Scripture.
The following compardison of all 9
relevant texts makes it is clear that the 3 ½ times, 2 months and 1260
prophetic days of both Daniel and Revelation end either at the second coming of
Christ in glory or within 75 days prior to the beginning of the Messianic
kingdom on earth.
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.
Dan 7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away
his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
At
the end of 3 ½ times, God will judge and destroy the little horn and set up His
everlasting kingdom. No intervening 170+ years follows the end of the 3 ½
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.
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 first half of the 70th week covers Revelatdion
11:2-3 and will be peaceful. The second half of the 70th week (3 ½
times, 42 months, 1260 days) will end “in everlasting righteousness” per Daniel
9:24. “God will “seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”
Again, no other time period follows the end of the last half-week.
Daniel 12.7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was
upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand
unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a
time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter
the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
When these 3 ½ times end, so will also
the scattering of God’s people “be finished.” This will occur at the end of the
tribulation period prior to the Millennium. Again, no other events will
intervene.
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.
Dan 12:12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand
three hundred and five and thirty days.
The 1260 days will be followed by a
period of 30 extra days and a second period of 45 days. They do not reach to 1874
and 1919 as SDAs should teach to be consistent. Both of these will end with the
Messianic kingdom being set up on earth.
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.
During the first haft of the final
seven-year tribulation, the city of Jerusalem will be controlled by Gentiles. A
rebuilt temple will not be controlled by Gentiles during the last half of the
seven-year tribulation (Dan 9:2-27). That is the lliteral interpretation.
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.
While Gentiles control only the city of
Jerusalem during the first half of the seven-year tribulation, two witnesses
for God will preach in Jerusalem and perform miracles. They will be killed and
resurrected at the beginning of the second 3 ½ years of the seven-year
tribulation period. That is the literal interpretation..
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.
…
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.
God
will protect Israel who will hide in the wilderness during the last half of the
seven-year tribulation period (1260 days, 3 ½ times). God will cease nourishing Israel at the end of
the time period. This must be at the second coming of Christ in Revelation 19.
No intervening events are implied.
Rev. 13:5, 8 And there was given unto
him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him
to continue forty and two months...and all that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world.
A literal interpretation of these texts
neither states nor implies that the beast would receive the deadly wound at the
end of the final 42-month period. Since the false prophet would only continue
for 42 months, the end of the 42 months would also be the end of the great
tribulation period when the beast and false prophet will be cast into the lake
of fire.
Conclusion:
Regardless of whether the 3 ½ times, 42 months and 1260 days are
literal or prophetic years, the SDA interpretation is wrong. There is no room
remaining from the end of that time period to account for the 220 years since 1798
or 174 years since 1844 (in 2018). Since it is clear from Daniel 7:25 and 12:5
and Revelation 12:6, 14 and 13:5 that the second coming of Christ follows the 1260
days, SDAs have no justification for 1844 and their own existence. The following historicist articles are noteworthy:
Adam Clarke Commentary on Daniel 7:25: ”If the papal power, as a horn or temporal power, be intended here, which is most likely, (and we know that that power was given in 755 to Pope Stephen II by Pepin, king of France), counting one thousand two hundred and sixty years from that, we are brought to A.D. 2015, about one hundred and ninety years from the present [A.D. 1825.]“ The previous sentence stated that the Papacy had received its mortal wound in 1798 and was already healed (before 1825).
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
on Daniel 7:25: “The beginning of the 1,260 years is by Elliott set at 529 AD,
or 533 AD, when Justinian's edict acknowledged Pope John II to be head of the
Church; by Luther at 606 AD, when Phocas confirmed Justinian's grant. But 754
is the most likely date, when the temporal dominion of the popes begun by
Pepin's grant of the exarchate of Ravenna, the kingdom of the Lombards, and the
state of Rome to Stephen II (in return for Zachary, the preceding pope's recognition
of his title to France): this grant was subsequently confirmed by Charlemagne.
For it was then first that the little horn plucked up three horns, and so
became the prolongation of the fourth secular kingdom (Newton). This would
bring us down to about 2000 AD, or the seventh thousand millenary from
creation. But Clinton makes about 1862 the seventh millenary, which may favor
the dating from 529 AD.”
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