Day/Year Principle + Symbolism in Prophecy - Christian Hjortland AFCOE Europe 2015

Day/year principle in Prophecy Biblical month: 30 days - Genesis 7:11, 8:3-4 Biblical year: 12 months - I Kings 4:7, I Chronicles 27:1-15

1. Explanation within the prophetic context “After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.” Numbers 14:34 “And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” Ezekiel 4:6

2. Jesus used this symbolism Luke 13:32-33 How long was Jesus working after He got anointed? - 3,5 years.

3. Apocalyptic prophecies are symbolic How do we use the concept of time in daily life? “Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.” II Chronicles 36:9 “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.” James 5:17

3. Apocalyptic prophecies are symbolic Connected with symbolism Time is usually shorter - 1260 days (Rev 12.) - 42 months (Rev 13) - 2300 days (Dan 8) Classic prophecies have a literal language, with literal persons, with literal actions.

4. The 2300 days refers to the end time “So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.” Daniel 8:17

5. The kingdoms in Daniel 8 lasted longer than 2300 days The explanation in Daniel 9 is connected with the prophecy of kingdoms. Daniel 8:13...How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation...

6. Days and years are paralleled in the Bible “Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year [yom=day].” Exodus 13:10 Days and years in the same verse: Genesis 5:5 Psalms 90:9-10 Job 10:5

6. Days and years are paralleled in the Bible “When we come to the occurrence of the word ‘days’ in the time prophecies, therefore, an ancient Semite whose mind was steeped in this parallelistic type of thought would naturally have made an association of ‘years’ with the ‘days’ found in a symbolic context, just as he naturally would have identified ‘years’ as the B-word that would follow the A-word ‘days’ in its occurrence as part of a well-known parallel pair.” - William H. Shea, Selected Studies in Prophetic Interpretation, p. 69

7. Jesus: Daniel's prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” Matthew 24:15 “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” Luke 21:20

8. New testament's statements about antichrist. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13 Revelation 13 Daniel 7

9. It fits well with history

Why is prophecy given in symbols? Many prophets were captives. Searching for a treasure Jeremiah 29:13

The Center of Bible Prophecy “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Stephen Covey

The Center of Bible Prophecy Revelation 1:1 Luke 24:25-27 – The prophecies points to who?

The Center of Bible Prophecy "Ministers should present the sure word of prophecy as the foundation of the faith of Seventh-day Adventists. The prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation should be carefully studied, and in connection with them the words, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." [John 1:29.]" {GW 148.1}

The Center of Bible Prophecy

The Center of Bible Prophecy “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39 2 Peter 1:19 (Revelation 2:28)

The Center of Bible Prophecy “Let not the solemn scenes which prophecy has revealed, be left untouched. If our people were half awake, if they realized the nearness of the events portrayed in the Revelation, a reformation would be wrought in our churches, and many more would believe the message....Let Daniel speak, let the Revelation speak, and tell what is truth. But whatever phase of the subject is presented, uplift Jesus as the center of all hope, "the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright and morning Star." - Testimonies to Ministers, p. 118. (1896) {Ev 195.2}

Group Work 1. What have you learned from today's introduction of Prophecy? Share why you think these principles are important. 2. How can you use Bible Prophecy in spreading the gospel?