The 1260-day prophecy is a biblical teaching most clearly mentioned in the book of Revelation. It’s also found in the books of the prophets and in the Gospels. Throughout the history of the Christian church, Bible scholars have studied Revelation to learn more about the events described in it. Even today, many teachings are being produced presenting differing views of what this end times period represents.
1260 equals three-and-a-half years, which is half the seven years of the prophesied Tribulation. The Tribulation is a time when God will expose the Antichrist, judge the world and Satan’s followers, and bring in the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
The book of Revelation records a series of visions God sent to the Apostle John while he was exiled on the Isle of Patmos around 95 AD. John addressed the book to the seven churches of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. At the time of the writing, he was the last surviving apostle. The Roman Emperor Domitian banished him to the small, barren island during his persecution of the church. Domitian attacked the young church and punished John for spreading the gospel. Revelation is God’s warning of even worse persecution ahead, a peek into His orchestrated End Times, while giving words of encouragement to His followers.
What Is the 1260-Day Prophecy and Where Is it Found in the Bible?
While John was in seclusion, Revelation 1:1-4 reveals that God sent an angel to him with a message regarding “the things that must soon take place.” Soon is a relative term to God, to whom “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8). But it also may mean that these events could take place without further warnings.
Revelation gives a timeline of the End Times or Last Days, a seven-year period that is often called the Tribulation. It is given this name because of the persecution of God’s followers and the catastrophic events that God will send upon the Earth. Although one might imagine that the earth-shattering disasters will cause humanity to repent and turn to Christ, instead, it shows the people crying out against God.
The 1260 days, also referred to as 42 months, or three-and-a-half years, refer to the latter half of this period. First, the Antichrist, a false messiah serving Satan, will appear and break his covenant with Israel. He enters the temple to be worshipped, becoming what Jesus called “the abomination of desolation.” (found in Mark 13:5-37, in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse). The abomination is when the Antichrist establishes himself as God and tries to destroy the Jews and followers of Christ.
What Are Different Interpretations of the 1260 Days in Revelation?
Since the beginning of the church, several views regarding the 1260-day period have become popular at different times. These views fall into four categories: preterist, historicist, idealist, and futurist.
1. Preterist
The preterist view teaches that the Tribulation occurred when Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD. This teaching limits the events to being only against the Jews, rather than the Jews and Christians. It focused on the teachings of Christ in the Gospels, especially in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, and discounted the teachings in Revelation. Since the teachings refer to events that could only occur inside the temple, they claim there’s no reason to believe a new temple will be built. It ignores the text's own claims of being prophecy. It is also impossible to accept that Christ has already returned as stated in Revelation.
2. Historicist
A more modern interpretation comes from the historicists. They teach that the 1260 days symbolize the “persecution of the saints” (Daniel 7, Revelation 13). They see the prophecy in Revelation as occurring over the centuries of the church rather than in a specific time period or with a single antichrist. Many of the Reformers, including Martin Luther and John Calvin, accepted this view. They felt the Antichrist represented the Pope and his authority and interpreted the three-and-a-half years as symbolic.
3. Idealist
The idealists approach Revelation as a depiction of the struggle between good and evil. They see no future historical events or predictive prophecy. Instead of prophetic teachings, they see it as a series of moral stories.
4. Futurist
After the two World Wars and the Holocaust, the historicist interpretation lost much of its popularity. Instead, biblical scholars and teachers turned to the futurist view of Christian eschatology. This view interprets the Bible more literally, believing that the trials, persecutions, disasters, and suffering will occur over a literal seven years. The events will affect the entire creation and will precede the Second Coming of Christ.
The futurist is the only view that agrees with Revelation’s own claims of being prophecy. It uses the same grammatical-historical methods used in chapters 1-3 and the rest of the Bible.
What Happens after the 1260 days in Revelation?
When the 1260 days and the judgments of the Tribulation end, Satan and his followers will be defeated. Revelation refers to them as the city of Babylon (Revelation 18-19). Then, in Chapter 19, Jesus Christ returns in His Second Coming and begins His kingdom on Earth that will last for a thousand years.
Three things stand out about Jesus’s Second Coming.
1. Christ takes His place as the undisputed Lord of Lords.
2. Satan and everyone who has refused to accept Christ as Savior and Lord will be cast from His presence.
3. Christ will reward and welcome His followers into His kingdom.
What Does the 1260-Day Prophecy Have to Do with the Antichrist?
The 1260-day prophecy in Revelation has much to say about the Antichrist (Also called the beast in Revelation 18-19). Although we shouldn’t become obsessed with identifying him, there are some lessons we can learn.
- The Antichrist will be a real person who will rule over the world. I John 2:18, Revelation 13:8
- He will come onto the world’s stage with an economic, political, and spiritual world system. Revelation 13, 18:11-19
- His power will come from Satan, and will be demonstrated “with all power, signs, and lying wonders.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9
- He will proclaim himself God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4
- He will be worshipped by “all the world and will have authority over “every tribe, people, language, and nation. Revelation 13:7, 17:8.
- He will fight a war against Israel and the saints. Matthew 24:9, Revelation 13:7
- He will not rule alone. Revelation 19:20
- His time and power are limited. Revelation 17:17
- His power and rule will be defeated, and Christ will judge him from Christ’s heavenly throne. Revelation 19:20
The book of Revelation illustrates both the power of the Antichrist and the futility of his efforts. He wants to usurp the role of Christ only to end up defeated and “cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 19:20). Then Christ will begin his 1,000-year reign.
Conclusion: How Should Christians Understand the 1260-Day Prophecy Today?
While much of Revelation remains a mystery, there are still valuable lessons to take from it.
- First, there is a foe working against the love and righteousness of Christ. Satan’s opposition to God knows no bounds. Satan will continue to oppose our Lord in every way, even though he knows he’ll be soundly defeated in the end.
- Second, the worldview of the Antichrist is already with us. Much of the world’s teaching opposes the Word of God in Scripture. We must always be vigilant not to become swept up in beliefs that aren’t aligned with Christ’s.
- Third, Satan and the Antichrist's rule over the earth will be limited and will ultimately end in defeat.
- Finally, only God knows the day and the time when the End Times and Tribulation will begin. He promises that all His prophecies will come true. He has the power and the sovereignty that no one can oppose. And He has given Jesus “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
As for His words in Revelation, “And He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’” (Revelation 21:5).
Come, Lord Jesus.
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