What is the significance of "1,260 days" in Revelation 12:6? The Verse in Focus “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.” (Revelation 12:6) The Number at a Glance - 1,260 days = 42 months (using the prophetic 30-day month) - 42 months = 3½ years - Exactly half of a complete seven-year period Repeated Prophetic Benchmark Scripture links the same span to several end-time events: - Revelation 11:2 – gentile trampling of Jerusalem: “forty-two months” - Revelation 11:3 – two witnesses prophesy: “1,260 days” - Revelation 12:14 – woman protected: “a time, and times, and half a time” - Revelation 13:5 – beast’s authority: “forty-two months” - Daniel 7:25; 12:7 – saints oppressed: “a time, times, and half a time” - Daniel 9:27 – covenant broken “in the middle of the week” (week = seven years) Taken together, the identical duration in both Daniel and Revelation ties the 1,260 days to the climactic second half of Daniel’s seventieth week—often called “the Great Tribulation.” Who Is the Woman? - Symbolically portrays national Israel (Revelation 12:1 – sun, moon, and twelve stars echo Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9-11). - Her child, “a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter” (Revelation 12:5), is unmistakably Messiah. - After Jesus’ ascension, Satan turns his fury on the woman—Israel—prompting her flight into the wilderness for 1,260 days. Why the Wilderness? God’s past faithfulness: - Exodus 19:4 – “on eagles’ wings” Israel carried into the Sinai wilderness. - Hosea 2:14 – God allures Israel “into the wilderness and speaks kindly to her.” Future parallel: In Revelation 12:14 the woman again receives “two wings of a great eagle” to reach a divinely prepared place. The refuge pictures literal protection from Antichrist’s persecution during the final 3½ years. Half-Time in a Seven-Year Countdown 1. First 3½ years - Antichrist rises, makes covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27). - Relative peace for Israel. 2. Midpoint - Covenant broken; “abomination of desolation” set up (Matthew 24:15). - Israel warned by Jesus to flee (Matthew 24:16-21). 3. Final 3½ years (the 1,260 days) - Intense persecution; beast empowered (Revelation 13:5-7). - Remnant Israel hidden and nourished (Revelation 12:6, 14). - Two witnesses finish testimony, are killed, then raised (Revelation 11:3-12). Key Takeaways - God controls the clock: the precise 1,260-day span underscores His sovereign timetable. - Israel’s preservation is guaranteed, even in earth’s darkest hour. - Prophetic consistency—Daniel and Revelation mesh perfectly, affirming Scripture’s accuracy. - The countdown assures believers that evil’s reign is limited; Christ’s kingdom follows immediately (Revelation 11:15). Living in Light of the 1,260 Days - Trust God’s precise promises; He does not miss a single day. - Recognize Israel’s future in God’s plan, fueling prayer and evangelism. - Maintain hope: the same Lord who shelters Israel will sustain all who belong to Him until He returns. |
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