This time expression occurred three times in the whole Bible and these three instances do have minor differences between themselves. Although only minor, their differences should be taken into consideration if one will study them earnestly. Here are the three instances:
(Dan 7:25 KJV) 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 atime and times and the dividing of time.
(Dan 12:7 KJV) 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.
(Rev 12:14 KJV) 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 atime, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
It is widely believe that all the individual “time” in this time expression are cumulative and therefore, sum up to 3 ½ times: time (1) + times (2) + half time (½) = 3 ½ times. Each of the “time” in this expression is regarded as “year”, so, its total duration is 3 ½ years – (supposedly) in accord with 1260 day and 42 month periods of time. But is this the correct rendering of this time expression? Look at these two translations of Daniel 12:7:
(Dan 12:7 Brenton) And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was over the water of the river, and he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and sware by him that lives for ever, that it should be for atime of times and half a time: when the dispersion is ended they shall know all these things.
(Dan 12:7 from Chabad.org Library http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16495) And I heard the man clad in linen, who was above the waters of the river, and he raised his right hand and his left hand to the heavens, and he swore by the Life of the world, that in the time of [two] times and a half, and when they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people, all these will end.
We can see here that it is only 2 ½ times. However, these two same translations both rendered Daniel 7:25 as 3 ½ times. Which is correct: 3 ½ times or 2 ½ times? Maybe we can come to a conclusion if we are going to compare these two renderings against each other in every occurrence of this time expression. We have to also look at the grammar side of it. Let’s first study Daniel 12:7.
DANIEL 12:7
(Dan 12:6 ISV) One asked the man dressed in linen clothes, who was standing above the waters of the river, ‘How long until the fulfillment of the wonders?’
(Dan 12:7 ISV) “I heard the man dressed in linen clothes, who was standing above the waters of the river as he lifted his right and left hands to heaven and swore by the one who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and a half. When the shattering of the power of the holy people has occurred, all these things will conclude.”
These verses belong to a long passage that started in chapter 10. It is the last and final vision of the book of Daniel. Most will agree that the “wonders” in verse 6 started when the Word and Vision were given to Daniel – on the 3rd year of Cyrus king of Persia. Their end, as for me, is when the last king of the north comes to his end (Daniel 11:45). It is also the end of the shattering of the power of the holy people. The passage from Daniel 12:1 – 4 is just a comment (by the one who’s talking to Daniel) containing additional information, hints, and clues.
In Daniel 10:1, we are told the Word and Vision came to Daniel in the third year of King Cyrus of Persia. Historians differ on their say about the actual date of this year – the 3rd regnal year of Cyrus King of Persia over Babylon. Most of them place this year from 537 BC to 532 BC. Remember this range of dates.
Our time expression is commonly viewed as units of year including its instance here in Daniel 12:7 but does its instance here in Daniel 12:7 really refers to units of year? Here are Strong’s and BDB’s definitions for the word “time” or “times” in Daniel 12:7:
Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary H4150 מועדה מעד מועד mô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh
mo-ade’, mo-ade’, mo-aw-daw’
From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand): – appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).
H4150 מועדה / מעד / מועד
mô‛êd / mô‛êd / mô‛âdâh BDB Definition:
1) appointed place, appointed time, meeting
1a) appointed time
1a1) appointed time (general)
1a2) sacred season, set feast, appointed season
1b) appointed meeting
1c) appointed place
1d) appointed sign or signal
1e) tent of meeting Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H3259
If we will look at Strong’s definition, we will see that “year” (conventionally) is one of its meanings but at BDB’s definition, there is no “year” as its meaning. It has a meaning “appointed time” and as an appointed time it could be a time of any length. Common sense tells us that this Hebrew word could not mean “year” in this long passage even if its days are expanded to years. From the actual date of King Cyrus’ 3rd regnal year over Babylon up to now, the time that had elapsed is more than 2520 years. That is more than double the 1260 days/years the “time, times, and a half” represent if rendered as 3 ½ times using the 360-day prophetic year. And there are still “wonders” that are not yet fulfilled up to our time. So, how is that?
This Hebrew word H4150 (time) occurred 240 times in the KJV Bible according to King James Concordance and it was translated as time, season, appointed, etc, but NOT as a year. Here is the itemized list of occurrences of this word according to KJC. H4150 According to KJC
Let’s take a look at the verses from KJC list where our word (H4150) was translated as “time” excluding Daniel 12:7.
(Exo 34:18 KJV) The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time(H4150) of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
(1Sa 9:24 KJV) And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time(H4150) hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
NOTE: The word “time” in these verses was translated “appointed times” in other Bible translations. As you can see in these verses, our word (H4150) is not by itself the actual duration of time but it is referring to it. Additionally, here are some verses where our word (H4150) was translated into other English words in the KJV with the actual duration of time they are referring to:
As Appointed:
Exo 23:15 Duration: 7 days
Num 9:2-3 Duration: 1 Day (14th day of the 1st month)
As Set Time:
Exo 9:5 Duration: 1 day
1Sam 13:8 Duration: 7 days
2Sam 20:4-5 Duration: 3 days
As Feast:
2Ch 30:22 Duration: 7 days
Now, you’ve seen that when our word is used to mean BDB’s definition – 1a) Appointed Time (1a1 and 1a2), it refers to an actual duration of time that is variable. You’ve also seen the unit of time our word has referred to in the passages above – day(s).
Open up your bible again and read the verses – Leviticus 23:2, 4, 37, 44. Our word (H4150) is in the plural form in all these verses. If you will read the whole chapter of Leviticus 23, you will see that our word refers to:
• The Sabbath
• Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread
• Firstfruits
• Feast of Weeks
• Feast of Trumpets
• Day of Atonement
• Feast of Tabernacles
Is not our word referring to “days” in all these appointed times?
I examined all the verses listed in the KJC list except those translated as “congregation” and have not found, according to my understanding, any instance that a “year” has been referred to by our word. However, there are two verses where “year” has seemingly been referred to – Exodus 13:10 and Deuteronomy 31:10 but, if we will analyze these verses and look to other Bible translations we will see that “season” and/or “days” are meant and not “year(s).” I’m not saying that a “year” cannot be referred to by the word H4150 but in the case of Daniel 12:7, it could not be a “year” as was explained above. Also, in light of these things, shouldn’t we (first) consider “day(s)” in instances where there is no information given on the actual duration of time?
How long, therefore, are these appointed times? If one will read again Daniel 12:7 he/she will notice the verse is suggesting that we use God’s reckoning of time (the blue lettered words).
(Dan 12:7 ESV) And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.
The Second Book of Peter tells us of a time duration God reckons as a day.
(2Pe 3:8 NIV) But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
Comparison:
3 ½ Times = 3 ½ days = 3500 years (a thousand years for a day)
Let’s add 3500 years to the range of dates (537 BC to 533 BC) that most of the historians believe to be the 3rd regnal year of King Cyrus over Babylon and over the Jews. The resulting range of dates will be from 2964 AD to 2968 AD (No year Zero between 1 BC and 1 AD). No one will agree on these dates.
2 ½ Times = 2 ½ days = 2500 years (a thousand years for a day)
Adding 2500 years to the range 537 BC to 533 BC will result in 1964 AD to 1968 AD range (No year Zero). But there was no shattering of the power of the holy people that ended in these years. Even at the time of this writing, the last king of the north has not yet arrived on the scene. So, maybe, the time frame of the shattering of the power of the holy people up to its end should be added to the range of dates that resulted from the computation. None of us knows how long this will be and that makes sense because if the “shattering” is included within our time expression then the coming of the Lord would seem to be calculable and that will be in contradiction to:
(Mat 24:36 LITV) But as to that day and that hour, no one knows, neither the angels of Heaven, except My Father only.
The historical events that happened within the range (1963 AD to 1968 AD) were:
1) The Six Day War in 1967 where the modern day nation of Israel became victorious.
2) The Vietnam War in which the USA directly got involved. The Americans did not win the war but they succeeded in stopping the spread of communism in that region of the world. At that time, communism is the biggest threat to Christianity, at least, to the Holy People living in the Far East.
Grammar Side:
In this instance, there is no conjunction “and” between the 1st noun “time” and the 2nd noun “times.” It is said that in Hebrew and in other Semitic languages, there could be a form of genitive construction occurring when two nouns are adjacent to each other. The use of “construct state” is the standard way to do this in the old Semitic languages.
In the older Semitic languages, the use of the construct state is the standard (often only) way to form a genitive construction with a semantically definite modified noun. The modified noun is placed in the construct state, which lacks any definite article (despite being semantically definite), and is often phonetically shortened (as in Biblical Hebrew). The modifying noun is placed directly afterwards, and no other word can intervene between the two.
In grammar, a genitive construction or genitival construction is a type of grammatical construction used to express a relation between two nouns such as the possession of one by another (e.g. “John’s jacket”), or some other type of connection (e.g. “John’s father” or “the father of John”). A genitive construction involves two nouns, the head (or modified noun) and the dependent (or modifier noun). The dependent noun modifies the head by expressing some property of it. For example, in the construction “John’s jacket”, “jacket” is the head and “John’s” is the modifier, expressing a property of the jacket (it is owned by John).
According to Hebrew grammar, the 1st noun in this relationship is the possessed and it is the noun that is in the construct state. So, we now understand why the time expression was translated as “for a time of times and a half” in Daniel 12:7 by Brenton (LXX) and by The Complete Jewish Bible at https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16495.
DANIEL 7:25
(Dan 7:25 NIV) He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.
The “He” in the verse is the false prophet. Let’s compare the verse to Revelation 13:5-7.
Rev 13:5-7 KJV
(5) And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue (G4160) forty and two months.
(6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
(7) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
In Daniel 7, the false prophet was symbolized as the prominent horn of the 4th beast and he will speak against the Most High and will oppress God’s saints. In Revelation 13:5-7, he was depicted as the mouth of the composite beast which utters blasphemies against God and was given authority over every tribe and people and languages and nation where the saints of God will be living according to Revelation 5:9. Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 13:5-7 tell of the same time and events. We need to study Rev 13:5-7 closely.
The Greek word for “continue” (G4160) in Rev 13:5 has its definition below:
G4160 ποιέω poieō poy-eh’-o
Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do(in a very wide application, more or less direct): – abide, + agree, appoint, X avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do (-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, X journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, X secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield. Compare G4238.
Total KJV occurrences: 576
In the Aramaic, the word for “continue” in Rev 13:5 has its definition below:
(bd verb G ˁbdvb. a/eto make, act, do G 1 to makeCom. –(a) to createSyr. (a.1) to writeSyr. –(b) (often w. ˁl, l_) : to transfer ownershipOfA-Egypt, OfA-Pers. (b.1) to designate, make intoJLAtg, Gal. –(c) to prepareSyr. (c.1) to re-make, repairSyr. –(d) to provide, produceGal, PTA, Syr, JBA. (d.1) to amount to, to be equal toGal. 1 to be suitableSyr. (d.2) to work a field, plantJBA. –(e) p.p. : preparedJBA. (e.1) w. inf. or relative clause : likely to, apt toJBA. (e.2) דעביד followed by a noun : in the condition ofJBA. (e.3) see also s.v. ˁbyd, ˁbydh . 2 to do, perform, act in a certain mannerCom. –(a) to pass (time) in a certain wayGal, Syr, Man. –(b) to workJBA. (b.1) to perform religious serviceSyr, JBA. (b.2) to perform a magical practiceGal, Syr, JBAmb. –(c) to fare, prosperGal. (c.1) p.p. id.Gal. (c.2) p.p. to sufferSyr. 1 +ܒܣܝܡܐܝܬ : to eat in moderation (?)Syr. 3 to put in chargeJud, Syr. 4 idiomatic expressions: . –(a) ܐܲܦܸ̈ܐ : to give priority or opportunitySyr. –(b) ܦܲܪܨܘܿܦܸܗ : to act in someone’s placeSyr. –(c) w. qrb, etc.: to make war, battleOfA-Pers, BA-Ez, BA-Da. –(d) w. reflexive pron. : to pretend, simulateGal, Syr. –(e) ܚܸܘܵܪܵܐ : to become greySyr. –(f) ܚܘܼܒܿܵܐ : to make friendsSyr. –(g) ܡܸܠܬܵܐ : to speakSyr. –(h) ܦܝܣܐ to persuadeSyr. –(i) ܥܘܼܗܕܵܢܵܐ : to commemorateSyr. –(j) פרנסה : to make a collection for supportJud. –(k) סִתוָא : to spend the winterJLAtg. 5 to ordainSyr. –(a) to determine the lawGal. 6 to forceSyr. –(a) (gram.) to governSyr.
In some of its instances, this verb is used with a noun such as “to make war” like in v4 and v7 of Revelation chapter 13 but in v5, the verb has no direct object. It should be understood in the context of the verse or passage it belongs to. Now, isn’t the particular verb “to do” or “to make” referring to the previous part of the verse?
“there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies”
This is confirmed by the very 1st clause of the very next verse:
(Rev 13:6 KJV) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:5 could be rendered as:
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to do so for forty and two months.
It is NOT for the “giving of the Holy People” the beast (or mouth) was given authority for 42 months – it is for the speaking of great things and blasphemies! In v7 of Rev 13, it can be read:
(Rev 13:7 KJV) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
The beast is AGAIN given power or authority and this time it is to be “over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” in which the Holy People are included but it will be only after it had made war with and overcome the saints. This is the time duration the “time, times and half of a time” in Dan 7:25 is telling:
(Dan 7:25 KJV) 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.
The time of the “speaking of blasphemies” does not equate with the time the Holy People will be under the authority of the beast or mouth.
– The “speaking” has 42 months.
– The “giving over” has “time, times and half of a time”
It cannot be denied that there is a disparity between these two time frames because of the war but it can be said that a part of the time frame of “speaking” overlaps with a part or whole of the time frame of “giving over.” It is very probable that they will end at the same time and the only possible reason that can be seen now is because of the coming of the wrath of God – the time that the court will sit in Judgment (Dan 7:26). The “time, times and half of a time” in Dan 7:25 is not equal with the 42 months in Rev 13:5, the former is shorter than the latter. Preparations for war and the war itself takes time.
What about the verse below from the 6th Trumpet? Is it telling of trampling at the time of the 7th head of the beast?
(Rev 11:2 KJV) 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.
The (42) “months” in Revelation 13:5 doesn’t refer to solar months. One solar month has a duration of 30 days, 10 hours, 29 minutes, 3.8 seconds. I don’t know of any instance of its usage in the whole Bible. So, the “year” we will use in the comparison is the prophetic 360-day year. 42 prophetic months will be 3 ½ prophetic years.
3 ½ Times = 3 ½ years:
If our time expression is rendered as 3 ½ years, the same time the mouth of the beast will be given authority to speak blasphemies (Rev 13:5), there would be no time for preparations for war and the war itself must be a very short war, not more than a 24 hour day.
2 ½ Times = 2 ½ years. This interpretation of the time expression could be “for a time (of), times (2 years) and a half (half year).”
If the time expression is rendered as 2 ½ years, shorter than the time the mouth of the beast will be given authority to speak blasphemies (Rev 13:5), there would be time for preparations for war and for the war itself.
Grammar Side:
In this variant, the conjunction “and” is present between the nouns “time” and “times,” so, a construct relationship can’t occur here. If this verse is going to be studied in its original language, Aramaic, it will be seen that the conjunction “and” is not a standalone word. It is joined to the plural noun “times” as a prefix. This single letter prefix is the 6th letter waw or vav in the Semitic alphabet. This waw prefix which acts as particle conjunction can mean “and, but, then, now,” etc. and it is said that it has more meanings. In the Old Testament, both in the Hebrew and Aramaic parts of it, the said prefix is usually treated as consecutive conjunction and that is why it is called the “consecutive waw.” But there are verses in the Old Testament where it serves as an explanatory conjunction. It is attached to a word or 1st word of a clause that tells something about the immediately preceding word or phrase in a more detailed or precise manner. This is called the “waw explicativum” or “explicative waw.” In this sense, this prefix is said to be like the English “that is.” See D. W. Baker, “Further Examples of the Waw Explicativum,” VT 30.2 (1980) or click the links below (needs registration for free full online reading):
Explicative waw applies not only to Biblical Hebrew but to Biblical Aramaic as well. (The book of Daniel has an Aramaic portion which is from Dan 2:4 to 7:28, the other parts were written in Hebrew.) There’s an Aramaic verse that contains a time expression structured similarly to the time expression we are studying and which is just 7 verses before Daniel 7:25, here’s the verse – Daniel 7:18:
It can be seen in this verse that a letter waw is prefixed to “unto” (underlined red). This waw prefix can function more clearly and effectively in this verse as an explicative than a consecutive conjunction: “and they shall safeguardthe kingdomuntothe eon, that is, untoeon ofthe eons.” This verse demonstrates not only the occurrence of explicative waw in the Aramaic of the Old Testament but also of the occurrence of a CONSTRUCT RELATIONSHIP (underlined blue) in the said part of the verse!
Daniel 7:25 can be rendered as:
(Dan 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 for a time, that is, times and half of a time.
REVELATION 12:14
Rev 12:13-14 LITV And when the dragon saw that he was cast out onto the earth, he pursued the woman who bore the male. (14) And two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness, to her place, where she is nourished there a time, and times, and half a time, away from the serpent’s face.
This is the 3rd instance of our time expression. But first, we have to consider and understand the verse below in relation to v13-v14 because our time expression is based on it – the 1260 days.
(Rev 12:6 LITV) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place, it having been prepared from God, that there they might nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days.
These two verses (6 and 14) are telling us of the same:
1) place – wilderness
2) event – nourishing
3) starting point of the 1260 days period and of time, and times, and half a time
Obviously, they differ in their focal points in time:
Verse 6 views the time of the fleeing, just before the 1260-day period of nourishing starts.
Verse 14 tells of the time during which the Woman was already being nourished.
It could be that the phrase time, and times, and half a time in v14 is the time that had elapsed since the start of the nourishing.
It should be noted here that the last clause of verse 14 – away from the serpent’s face – correctly belongs to the “nourishing” which is the nearest occasion to it and NOT to the “flying” according to the word order of the verse (Interlinear). Eagle’s wings represent power and not the ability to flee. Read Jeremiah 48:40, Ezekiel 17:3, 7. And, also Exodus 19:4 but you might misunderstand the context here as fleeing – read the song of Moses and the children of Israel in Exodus 15 for the true meaning. The other symbolical meanings I know for “eagle’s wings” are not appropriate for Revelation 12:14. The context of v14 could NOT mean “fleeing to her place in the wilderness away from the face of the serpent” because:
she is already being nourished at that time which means…
the time of the fleeing is already past
there’s no mention of the Woman leaving the place prepared for her after the “nourishing” had started.
Being pursued/persecuted by the serpent in v13 could give the sense that the Woman was given power (wings) in v14 so that she might exercise it for her defense in the wilderness, unto her place where she is nourished.
Let’s go now to the actual historical fulfillment of these two verses.
You may have read or heard that this 1260-day period had started in 688 AD and ended in 1948. 688 AD is the year that the Dome of the Rock was built. Actually, the date of its construction differs from historian to historian but according to New World Encyclopedia, the Dome of the Rock was erected between 685 and 691 C.E.
It was built on the site of the Temple Mount. I believe, this Dome of the Rock is the desolating sacrilege recorded in Mathew 24 and Mark 13. You will notice in both accounts that the Lord Yeshua warns the people of those times to flee as soon as they see this desolating sacrilege standing up. This event and the succeeding ones in the Middle East might be the actual reason why the “woman” had to flee. I’m not saying the woman needs to see the actual desolating sacrilege standing up before she flees. Another thing, I would like to inform the readers who do not know that the Jews of those times or at any other time do not exclusively represent the woman. They are part or child of the woman (Revelation 12:17).
Now, let us go back to our time expression.
As was mentioned earlier, our time expression here is based on the 1260-day period (verse 6). “Day” is the unit of it and it is too short to be the unit referred to by our time expression which could possibly have a maximum of only 3 ½ units of time. 3 ½ days are too short for the events between verse 6 and verse 14 even when all 3 ½ days are expanded to years. But this 1260-day time frame is divisible by the 360-day PROPHETIC YEAR as every serious student of the Bible knows, When divided, these 1260 days will result in exactly 3 ½ prophetic years and this is the UNIT of time that our time expression refers to in verse 14 – prophetic years. The ASSIGNING of prophetic years as units of time referred to by our time expression here in Revelation 12 is applicable to any language and that is because of the dependency of our time expression to the 1260-day period and not on the characteristics of the language used.
Comparison:
3 ½ Times = 3 ½ years = 1260 days = 1260 years (a year for a day)
This rendering spans the entire 1260-day period of Revelation 12:6. It started in 688 AD and ended in 1948 AD – the year the modern day nation of Israel was born.
2 ½ Times = 2 ½ years = 900 days = 900 years (a year for a day)
This interpretation of the time expression started in 688 AD and ended in 1588 AD – the year of the Spanish Armada. (Read the author’s note at the end of this subtopic.) The start and end of the 1260-day period remains the same – 688 AD and 1948 AD respectively.
Grammar Side:
For the Greek Primacist
(Rev 12:14 YLT) and there were given to the woman two wings of the great eagle, that she may fly to the wilderness, to her place, where she is nourished atime, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent;
In this verse, it can be seen that a conjunction “and” is in between time and times. This verse is copied from Young’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible which was translated from the N.T. Greek text(s). In the Greek texts, the conjunction “and” is a standalone word which is located between the 1st noun time and the 2nd noun times. It is the widely used Greek conjunction “kai.” Here is Strong’s definition of this word:
G2532 καί kai kahee Apparently a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so, then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words: – and, also, both, but, even, for, if, indeed, likewise, moreover, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yea, yet.
According to people who understand the grammar of the Greek language, this word kai can also be an explicative conjunction like the Hebrew/Aramaic conjunction waw. To know more about this function of kai, the reader can search the Internet himself/herself for writings about it or he/she can simply click the link below:
According to New Testament Aramaic primacists, this book of Revelation is part of what is known as the “Western Five.” The Western Five are the books II Peter, II John, III John, Jude, and Revelation of the New Testament which are not included in the canonized New Testament Peshitta. Their originals, according to some, are yet to be found. We cannot analyze a verse of a book (Revelation) whose “original” is not yet found. But according to what we have already studied, there are only two possible forms this time expression could be in the Aramaic as well as in the Hebrew. It’s either the 1st noun singular time of it is in the construct state or its 2nd noun plural times is prefixed with the explicative waw. Which ever is the case remember Daniel 7:18:
If it is true that the book of Revelation was originally written in the Aramaic, then, it could be that the Aramaic word used here for “time” and “times” is the same word used in Daniel 7:25. The Aramaic word used in Daniel 7:25 is “iddan” which has “year” as one of its meanings. In the Aramaic New Testament codex BFBS/UBS that is said to be a Critical Text of about 70 to 80 Aramaic Manuscripts, the word used for “time” and “times” in Revelation 12:14 is a three letter Aramaic word that is consonantly the same with “iddan” of Daniel 7:25; they differ only in their vowel points. Here is the analysis page of Revelation 12:14 which was translated from the codex BFBS/UBS:
In the column “State” under the “Morphological information.” it will be seen that the construct relationship is the form used between the 1st noun “time” and the 2nd noun “times.” Notice also that there’s a construct relationship between the noun “half” and the last noun “time.”
Conclusion The author of this article believes that the correct rendering of this time expression is 2 ½ times.
Author’s note on COMPARISON (Revelation 12:14)
As for me, this does not mean that Spain and its armada was the force used by the Dragon to persecute the Woman of Revelation 12. Each part of the graphical representation of the Red Dragon, that is, its heads, tail, horns symbolizes something that is related to power and authority such as kingdoms, empires and kings. Spain is not represented by any part of the Dragon. So, verse 13 does not automatically mean that she was the force used by the Dragon to persecute the Woman. Moreover, Spain and Britain were both Christians; both of them were part of the Woman. Biblically and historically, infighting among God’s people happen.
In verse 14, what is implied in regard to the two wings given is the TIME DURATION that had elapsed from the start of the 1260-day period up to the time when she was able to fly with TWO WINGS (not just one). The defeat of the Armada by Britain at that exact time could make one infer (including myself) that the strength/power of Britain (brought by the wealth from the New World) represented one of the wings and it was logically the 2nd. This means that the 1st wing was given to the Woman at an earlier date. (This is not in conflict with verses 13-14.) If Britain’s strength/power was the 2nd wing, the most plausible candidate for the 1st wing is Spain’s strength/power which resulted from the discovery of the Americas and because she was a major European power before and even after the defeat of the Armada.
The Americas was discovered in 1492 AD and European nations, especially, Spain and Britain greatly benefited from it in so many ways. The explosion of global trade brought by the discovery gave the Woman not just wealth but also advancement in science and technology and also military power/strength (wings) but it’s very important to look at the wings as part of the Woman! She was able to defend and stand against the onslaught of the Ottoman Empire, considered a superpower at that time. After the two wings were given, almost all, if not all, of the attempts of the Dragon to pursue/persecute the Woman failed. And many of the lands conquered by the Ottomans before the 2nd wing (1588 AD) were reverted back to the Europeans.
Please read the educational short article below to see how Rev 12:13b to Rev 12:14 was fulfilled:
Watch the timeline map of the attacks and defeats of the Ottoman Empire (one of the heads of the dragon) against Christians of Southern Central Europe and of the Mediterranean coasts and islands:
WISDOM AND GLORY BELONG TO OUR GOD AND TO OUR LORD YESHUA.
NOTICE: This article may expand or change in form in the future. If anything is found to be in error then it will be corrected or deleted without prior notice.
Student of the Light 
TIME, TIMES AND A HALF (3 ½ or 2 ½ Times?)
Please bear with the poor English of the author.
This time expression occurred three times in the whole Bible and these three instances do have minor differences between themselves. Although only minor, their differences should be taken into consideration if one will study them earnestly. Here are the three instances:
(Dan 7:25 KJV) 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 12:7 KJV) 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.
(Rev 12:14 KJV) 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.
It is widely believe that all the individual “time” in this time expression are cumulative and therefore, sum up to 3 ½ times: time (1) + times (2) + half time (½) = 3 ½ times. Each of the “time” in this expression is regarded as “year”, so, its total duration is 3 ½ years – (supposedly) in accord with 1260 day and 42 month periods of time. But is this the correct rendering of this time expression? Look at these two translations of Daniel 12:7:
(Dan 12:7 Brenton) And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was over the water of the river, and he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and sware by him that lives for ever, that it should be for a time of times and half a time: when the dispersion is ended they shall know all these things.
(Dan 12:7 from Chabad.org Library http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16495) And I heard the man clad in linen, who was above the waters of the river, and he raised his right hand and his left hand to the heavens, and he swore by the Life of the world, that in the time of [two] times and a half, and when they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people, all these will end.
We can see here that it is only 2 ½ times. However, these two same translations both rendered Daniel 7:25 as 3 ½ times. Which is correct: 3 ½ times or 2 ½ times? Maybe we can come to a conclusion if we are going to compare these two renderings against each other in every occurrence of this time expression. We have to also look at the grammar side of it. Let’s first study Daniel 12:7.
DANIEL 12:7
(Dan 12:6 ISV) One asked the man dressed in linen clothes, who was standing above the waters of the river, ‘How long until the fulfillment of the wonders?’
(Dan 12:7 ISV) “I heard the man dressed in linen clothes, who was standing above the waters of the river as he lifted his right and left hands to heaven and swore by the one who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and a half. When the shattering of the power of the holy people has occurred, all these things will conclude.”
These verses belong to a long passage that started in chapter 10. It is the last and final vision of the book of Daniel. Most will agree that the “wonders” in verse 6 started when the Word and Vision were given to Daniel – on the 3rd year of Cyrus king of Persia. Their end, as for me, is when the last king of the north comes to his end (Daniel 11:45). It is also the end of the shattering of the power of the holy people. The passage from Daniel 12:1 – 4 is just a comment (by the one who’s talking to Daniel) containing additional information, hints, and clues.
In Daniel 10:1, we are told the Word and Vision came to Daniel in the third year of King Cyrus of Persia. Historians differ on their say about the actual date of this year – the 3rd regnal year of Cyrus King of Persia over Babylon. Most of them place this year from 537 BC to 532 BC. Remember this range of dates.
Our time expression is commonly viewed as units of year including its instance here in Daniel 12:7 but does its instance here in Daniel 12:7 really refers to units of year? Here are Strong’s and BDB’s definitions for the word “time” or “times” in Daniel 12:7:
Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary
H4150 מועדה מעד מועד mô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh
mo-ade’, mo-ade’, mo-aw-daw’
From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand): – appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).
H4150 מועדה / מעד / מועד
mô‛êd / mô‛êd / mô‛âdâh
BDB Definition:
1) appointed place, appointed time, meeting
1a) appointed time
1a1) appointed time (general)
1a2) sacred season, set feast, appointed season
1b) appointed meeting
1c) appointed place
1d) appointed sign or signal
1e) tent of meeting
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H3259
If we will look at Strong’s definition, we will see that “year” (conventionally) is one of its meanings but at BDB’s definition, there is no “year” as its meaning. It has a meaning “appointed time” and as an appointed time it could be a time of any length. Common sense tells us that this Hebrew word could not mean “year” in this long passage even if its days are expanded to years. From the actual date of King Cyrus’ 3rd regnal year over Babylon up to now, the time that had elapsed is more than 2520 years. That is more than double the 1260 days/years the “time, times, and a half” represent if rendered as 3 ½ times using the 360-day prophetic year. And there are still “wonders” that are not yet fulfilled up to our time. So, how is that?
This Hebrew word H4150 (time) occurred 240 times in the KJV Bible according to King James Concordance and it was translated as time, season, appointed, etc, but NOT as a year. Here is the itemized list of occurrences of this word according to KJC. H4150 According to KJC
Let’s take a look at the verses from KJC list where our word (H4150) was translated as “time” excluding Daniel 12:7.
(Exo 34:18 KJV) The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time (H4150) of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
(1Sa 9:24 KJV) And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time (H4150) hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
NOTE: The word “time” in these verses was translated “appointed times” in other Bible translations. As you can see in these verses, our word (H4150) is not by itself the actual duration of time but it is referring to it. Additionally, here are some verses where our word (H4150) was translated into other English words in the KJV with the actual duration of time they are referring to:
As Appointed:
Exo 23:15 Duration: 7 days
Num 9:2-3 Duration: 1 Day (14th day of the 1st month)
As Set Time:
Exo 9:5 Duration: 1 day
1Sam 13:8 Duration: 7 days
2Sam 20:4-5 Duration: 3 days
As Feast:
2Ch 30:22 Duration: 7 days
Now, you’ve seen that when our word is used to mean BDB’s definition – 1a) Appointed Time (1a1 and 1a2), it refers to an actual duration of time that is variable. You’ve also seen the unit of time our word has referred to in the passages above – day(s).
Open up your bible again and read the verses – Leviticus 23:2, 4, 37, 44. Our word (H4150) is in the plural form in all these verses. If you will read the whole chapter of Leviticus 23, you will see that our word refers to:
• The Sabbath
• Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread
• Firstfruits
• Feast of Weeks
• Feast of Trumpets
• Day of Atonement
• Feast of Tabernacles
Is not our word referring to “days” in all these appointed times?
I examined all the verses listed in the KJC list except those translated as “congregation” and have not found, according to my understanding, any instance that a “year” has been referred to by our word. However, there are two verses where “year” has seemingly been referred to – Exodus 13:10 and Deuteronomy 31:10 but, if we will analyze these verses and look to other Bible translations we will see that “season” and/or “days” are meant and not “year(s).” I’m not saying that a “year” cannot be referred to by the word H4150 but in the case of Daniel 12:7, it could not be a “year” as was explained above. Also, in light of these things, shouldn’t we (first) consider “day(s)” in instances where there is no information given on the actual duration of time?
How long, therefore, are these appointed times? If one will read again Daniel 12:7 he/she will notice the verse is suggesting that we use God’s reckoning of time (the blue lettered words).
(Dan 12:7 ESV) And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished.
The Second Book of Peter tells us of a time duration God reckons as a day.
(2Pe 3:8 NIV) But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
Comparison:
3 ½ Times = 3 ½ days = 3500 years (a thousand years for a day)
Let’s add 3500 years to the range of dates (537 BC to 533 BC) that most of the historians believe to be the 3rd regnal year of King Cyrus over Babylon and over the Jews. The resulting range of dates will be from 2964 AD to 2968 AD (No year Zero between 1 BC and 1 AD). No one will agree on these dates.
2 ½ Times = 2 ½ days = 2500 years (a thousand years for a day)
Adding 2500 years to the range 537 BC to 533 BC will result in 1964 AD to 1968 AD range (No year Zero). But there was no shattering of the power of the holy people that ended in these years. Even at the time of this writing, the last king of the north has not yet arrived on the scene. So, maybe, the time frame of the shattering of the power of the holy people up to its end should be added to the range of dates that resulted from the computation. None of us knows how long this will be and that makes sense because if the “shattering” is included within our time expression then the coming of the Lord would seem to be calculable and that will be in contradiction to:
(Mat 24:36 LITV) But as to that day and that hour, no one knows, neither the angels of Heaven, except My Father only.
The historical events that happened within the range (1963 AD to 1968 AD) were:
1) The Six Day War in 1967 where the modern day nation of Israel became victorious.
2) The Vietnam War in which the USA directly got involved. The Americans did not win the war but they succeeded in stopping the spread of communism in that region of the world. At that time, communism is the biggest threat to Christianity, at least, to the Holy People living in the Far East.
Grammar Side:
In this instance, there is no conjunction “and” between the 1st noun “time” and the 2nd noun “times.” It is said that in Hebrew and in other Semitic languages, there could be a form of genitive construction occurring when two nouns are adjacent to each other. The use of “construct state” is the standard way to do this in the old Semitic languages.
According to Hebrew grammar, the 1st noun in this relationship is the possessed and it is the noun that is in the construct state. So, we now understand why the time expression was translated as “for a time of times and a half” in Daniel 12:7 by Brenton (LXX) and by The Complete Jewish Bible at https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16495.
DANIEL 7:25
(Dan 7:25 NIV) He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.
The “He” in the verse is the false prophet. Let’s compare the verse to Revelation 13:5-7.
Rev 13:5-7 KJV
(5) And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue (G4160) forty and two months.
(6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
(7) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
In Daniel 7, the false prophet was symbolized as the prominent horn of the 4th beast and he will speak against the Most High and will oppress God’s saints. In Revelation 13:5-7, he was depicted as the mouth of the composite beast which utters blasphemies against God and was given authority over every tribe and people and languages and nation where the saints of God will be living according to Revelation 5:9. Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 13:5-7 tell of the same time and events. We need to study Rev 13:5-7 closely.
The Greek word for “continue” (G4160) in Rev 13:5 has its definition below:
G4160 ποιέω poieō poy-eh’-o
Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct): – abide, + agree, appoint, X avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do (-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, X journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, X secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield. Compare G4238.
Total KJV occurrences: 576
In the Aramaic, the word for “continue” in Rev 13:5 has its definition below:
(bd verb G
ˁbd vb. a/e to make, act, do
G
1 to make Com. –(a) to create Syr. (a.1) to write Syr. –(b) (often w. ˁl, l_) : to transfer ownership OfA-Egypt, OfA-Pers. (b.1) to designate, make into JLAtg, Gal. –(c) to prepare Syr. (c.1) to re-make, repair Syr. –(d) to provide, produce Gal, PTA, Syr, JBA. (d.1) to amount to, to be equal to Gal. 1 to be suitable Syr. (d.2) to work a field, plant JBA. –(e) p.p. : prepared JBA. (e.1) w. inf. or relative clause : likely to, apt to JBA. (e.2) דעביד followed by a noun : in the condition of JBA. (e.3) see also s.v. ˁbyd, ˁbydh .
2 to do, perform, act in a certain manner Com. –(a) to pass (time) in a certain way Gal, Syr, Man. –(b) to work JBA. (b.1) to perform religious service Syr, JBA. (b.2) to perform a magical practice Gal, Syr, JBAmb. –(c) to fare, prosper Gal. (c.1) p.p. id. Gal. (c.2) p.p. to suffer Syr. 1 +ܒܣܝܡܐܝܬ : to eat in moderation (?) Syr.
3 to put in charge Jud, Syr.
4 idiomatic expressions: . –(a) ܐܲܦܸ̈ܐ : to give priority or opportunity Syr. –(b) ܦܲܪܨܘܿܦܸܗ : to act in someone’s place Syr. –(c) w. qrb, etc.: to make war, battle OfA-Pers, BA-Ez, BA-Da. –(d) w. reflexive pron. : to pretend, simulate Gal, Syr. –(e) ܚܸܘܵܪܵܐ : to become grey Syr. –(f) ܚܘܼܒܿܵܐ : to make friends Syr. –(g) ܡܸܠܬܵܐ : to speak Syr. –(h) ܦܝܣܐ to persuade Syr. –(i) ܥܘܼܗܕܵܢܵܐ : to commemorate Syr. –(j) פרנסה : to make a collection for support Jud. –(k) סִתוָא : to spend the winter JLAtg.
5 to ordain Syr. –(a) to determine the law Gal.
6 to force Syr. –(a) (gram.) to govern Syr.
In some of its instances, this verb is used with a noun such as “to make war” like in v4 and v7 of Revelation chapter 13 but in v5, the verb has no direct object. It should be understood in the context of the verse or passage it belongs to. Now, isn’t the particular verb “to do” or “to make” referring to the previous part of the verse?
“there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies”
This is confirmed by the very 1st clause of the very next verse:
(Rev 13:6 KJV) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:5 could be rendered as:
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to do so for forty and two months.
It is NOT for the “giving of the Holy People” the beast (or mouth) was given authority for 42 months – it is for the speaking of great things and blasphemies! In v7 of Rev 13, it can be read:
(Rev 13:7 KJV) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
The beast is AGAIN given power or authority and this time it is to be “over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” in which the Holy People are included but it will be only after it had made war with and overcome the saints. This is the time duration the “time, times and half of a time” in Dan 7:25 is telling:
(Dan 7:25 KJV) 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.
The time of the “speaking of blasphemies” does not equate with the time the Holy People will be under the authority of the beast or mouth.
– The “speaking” has 42 months.
– The “giving over” has “time, times and half of a time”
It cannot be denied that there is a disparity between these two time frames because of the war but it can be said that a part of the time frame of “speaking” overlaps with a part or whole of the time frame of “giving over.” It is very probable that they will end at the same time and the only possible reason that can be seen now is because of the coming of the wrath of God – the time that the court will sit in Judgment (Dan 7:26). The “time, times and half of a time” in Dan 7:25 is not equal with the 42 months in Rev 13:5, the former is shorter than the latter. Preparations for war and the war itself takes time.
What about the verse below from the 6th Trumpet? Is it telling of trampling at the time of the 7th head of the beast?
(Rev 11:2 KJV) 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.
APPARENTLY, it is, but only apparent, read the article: 2300 Evenings and Mornings
Comparison:
The (42) “months” in Revelation 13:5 doesn’t refer to solar months. One solar month has a duration of 30 days, 10 hours, 29 minutes, 3.8 seconds. I don’t know of any instance of its usage in the whole Bible. So, the “year” we will use in the comparison is the prophetic 360-day year. 42 prophetic months will be 3 ½ prophetic years.
3 ½ Times = 3 ½ years:
If our time expression is rendered as 3 ½ years, the same time the mouth of the beast will be given authority to speak blasphemies (Rev 13:5), there would be no time for preparations for war and the war itself must be a very short war, not more than a 24 hour day.
2 ½ Times = 2 ½ years. This interpretation of the time expression could be “for a time (of), times (2 years) and a half (half year).”
If the time expression is rendered as 2 ½ years, shorter than the time the mouth of the beast will be given authority to speak blasphemies (Rev 13:5), there would be time for preparations for war and for the war itself.
Grammar Side:
In this variant, the conjunction “and” is present between the nouns “time” and “times,” so, a construct relationship can’t occur here. If this verse is going to be studied in its original language, Aramaic, it will be seen that the conjunction “and” is not a standalone word. It is joined to the plural noun “times” as a prefix. This single letter prefix is the 6th letter waw or vav in the Semitic alphabet. This waw prefix which acts as particle conjunction can mean “and, but, then, now,” etc. and it is said that it has more meanings. In the Old Testament, both in the Hebrew and Aramaic parts of it, the said prefix is usually treated as consecutive conjunction and that is why it is called the “consecutive waw.” But there are verses in the Old Testament where it serves as an explanatory conjunction. It is attached to a word or 1st word of a clause that tells something about the immediately preceding word or phrase in a more detailed or precise manner. This is called the “waw explicativum” or “explicative waw.” In this sense, this prefix is said to be like the English “that is.” See D. W. Baker, “Further Examples of the Waw Explicativum,” VT 30.2 (1980) or click the links below (needs registration for free full online reading):
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1517519?uid=3738824&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21102909531203
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1519433?uid=3738824&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21102909531203
Explicative waw applies not only to Biblical Hebrew but to Biblical Aramaic as well. (The book of Daniel has an Aramaic portion which is from Dan 2:4 to 7:28, the other parts were written in Hebrew.) There’s an Aramaic verse that contains a time expression structured similarly to the time expression we are studying and which is just 7 verses before Daniel 7:25, here’s the verse – Daniel 7:18:
It can be seen in this verse that a letter waw is prefixed to “unto” (underlined red). This waw prefix can function more clearly and effectively in this verse as an explicative than a consecutive conjunction: “and they shall safeguard the kingdom unto the eon, that is, unto eon of the eons.” This verse demonstrates not only the occurrence of explicative waw in the Aramaic of the Old Testament but also of the occurrence of a CONSTRUCT RELATIONSHIP (underlined blue) in the said part of the verse!
Daniel 7:25 can be rendered as:
(Dan 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 for a time, that is, times and half of a time.
REVELATION 12:14
Rev 12:13-14 LITV And when the dragon saw that he was cast out onto the earth, he pursued the woman who bore the male. (14) And two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness, to her place, where she is nourished there a time, and times, and half a time, away from the serpent’s face.
This is the 3rd instance of our time expression. But first, we have to consider and understand the verse below in relation to v13-v14 because our time expression is based on it – the 1260 days.
(Rev 12:6 LITV) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place, it having been prepared from God, that there they might nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days.
These two verses (6 and 14) are telling us of the same:
1) place – wilderness
2) event – nourishing
3) starting point of the 1260 days period and of time, and times, and half a time
Obviously, they differ in their focal points in time:
It could be that the phrase time, and times, and half a time in v14 is the time that had elapsed since the start of the nourishing.
It should be noted here that the last clause of verse 14 – away from the serpent’s face – correctly belongs to the “nourishing” which is the nearest occasion to it and NOT to the “flying” according to the word order of the verse (Interlinear). Eagle’s wings represent power and not the ability to flee. Read Jeremiah 48:40, Ezekiel 17:3, 7. And, also Exodus 19:4 but you might misunderstand the context here as fleeing – read the song of Moses and the children of Israel in Exodus 15 for the true meaning. The other symbolical meanings I know for “eagle’s wings” are not appropriate for Revelation 12:14. The context of v14 could NOT mean “fleeing to her place in the wilderness away from the face of the serpent” because:
Being pursued/persecuted by the serpent in v13 could give the sense that the Woman was given power (wings) in v14 so that she might exercise it for her defense in the wilderness, unto her place where she is nourished.
Let’s go now to the actual historical fulfillment of these two verses.
You may have read or heard that this 1260-day period had started in 688 AD and ended in 1948. 688 AD is the year that the Dome of the Rock was built. Actually, the date of its construction differs from historian to historian but according to New World Encyclopedia, the Dome of the Rock was erected between 685 and 691 C.E.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Dome_of_the_Rock#Location.2C_construction.2C_and_dimensions
It was built on the site of the Temple Mount. I believe, this Dome of the Rock is the desolating sacrilege recorded in Mathew 24 and Mark 13. You will notice in both accounts that the Lord Yeshua warns the people of those times to flee as soon as they see this desolating sacrilege standing up. This event and the succeeding ones in the Middle East might be the actual reason why the “woman” had to flee. I’m not saying the woman needs to see the actual desolating sacrilege standing up before she flees. Another thing, I would like to inform the readers who do not know that the Jews of those times or at any other time do not exclusively represent the woman. They are part or child of the woman (Revelation 12:17).
Now, let us go back to our time expression.
As was mentioned earlier, our time expression here is based on the 1260-day period (verse 6). “Day” is the unit of it and it is too short to be the unit referred to by our time expression which could possibly have a maximum of only 3 ½ units of time. 3 ½ days are too short for the events between verse 6 and verse 14 even when all 3 ½ days are expanded to years. But this 1260-day time frame is divisible by the 360-day PROPHETIC YEAR as every serious student of the Bible knows, When divided, these 1260 days will result in exactly 3 ½ prophetic years and this is the UNIT of time that our time expression refers to in verse 14 – prophetic years. The ASSIGNING of prophetic years as units of time referred to by our time expression here in Revelation 12 is applicable to any language and that is because of the dependency of our time expression to the 1260-day period and not on the characteristics of the language used.
Comparison:
3 ½ Times = 3 ½ years = 1260 days = 1260 years (a year for a day)
This rendering spans the entire 1260-day period of Revelation 12:6. It started in 688 AD and ended in 1948 AD – the year the modern day nation of Israel was born.
2 ½ Times = 2 ½ years = 900 days = 900 years (a year for a day)
This interpretation of the time expression started in 688 AD and ended in 1588 AD – the year of the Spanish Armada. (Read the author’s note at the end of this subtopic.) The start and end of the 1260-day period remains the same – 688 AD and 1948 AD respectively.
Grammar Side:
For the Greek Primacist
(Rev 12:14 YLT) and there were given to the woman two wings of the great eagle, that she may fly to the wilderness, to her place, where she is nourished a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent;
In this verse, it can be seen that a conjunction “and” is in between time and times. This verse is copied from Young’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible which was translated from the N.T. Greek text(s). In the Greek texts, the conjunction “and” is a standalone word which is located between the 1st noun time and the 2nd noun times. It is the widely used Greek conjunction “kai.” Here is Strong’s definition of this word:
G2532 καί kai kahee
Apparently a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so, then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words: – and, also, both, but, even, for, if, indeed, likewise, moreover, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yea, yet.
According to people who understand the grammar of the Greek language, this word kai can also be an explicative conjunction like the Hebrew/Aramaic conjunction waw. To know more about this function of kai, the reader can search the Internet himself/herself for writings about it or he/she can simply click the link below:
Word Study on the Epexegetic Use of “kai” – http://historeo.com/Resources/Kai%20Word%20Study.pdf
For the Aramaic Primacist
According to New Testament Aramaic primacists, this book of Revelation is part of what is known as the “Western Five.” The Western Five are the books II Peter, II John, III John, Jude, and Revelation of the New Testament which are not included in the canonized New Testament Peshitta. Their originals, according to some, are yet to be found. We cannot analyze a verse of a book (Revelation) whose “original” is not yet found. But according to what we have already studied, there are only two possible forms this time expression could be in the Aramaic as well as in the Hebrew. It’s either the 1st noun singular time of it is in the construct state or its 2nd noun plural times is prefixed with the explicative waw. Which ever is the case remember Daniel 7:18:
If it is true that the book of Revelation was originally written in the Aramaic, then, it could be that the Aramaic word used here for “time” and “times” is the same word used in Daniel 7:25. The Aramaic word used in Daniel 7:25 is “iddan” which has “year” as one of its meanings. In the Aramaic New Testament codex BFBS/UBS that is said to be a Critical Text of about 70 to 80 Aramaic Manuscripts, the word used for “time” and “times” in Revelation 12:14 is a three letter Aramaic word that is consonantly the same with “iddan” of Daniel 7:25; they differ only in their vowel points. Here is the analysis page of Revelation 12:14 which was translated from the codex BFBS/UBS:
Analysis Page of verse Revelation 12:14
In the column “State” under the “Morphological information.” it will be seen that the construct relationship is the form used between the 1st noun “time” and the 2nd noun “times.” Notice also that there’s a construct relationship between the noun “half” and the last noun “time.”
Conclusion
The author of this article believes that the correct rendering of this time expression is 2 ½ times.
Author’s note on COMPARISON (Revelation 12:14)
As for me, this does not mean that Spain and its armada was the force used by the Dragon to persecute the Woman of Revelation 12. Each part of the graphical representation of the Red Dragon, that is, its heads, tail, horns symbolizes something that is related to power and authority such as kingdoms, empires and kings. Spain is not represented by any part of the Dragon. So, verse 13 does not automatically mean that she was the force used by the Dragon to persecute the Woman. Moreover, Spain and Britain were both Christians; both of them were part of the Woman. Biblically and historically, infighting among God’s people happen.
In verse 14, what is implied in regard to the two wings given is the TIME DURATION that had elapsed from the start of the 1260-day period up to the time when she was able to fly with TWO WINGS (not just one). The defeat of the Armada by Britain at that exact time could make one infer (including myself) that the strength/power of Britain (brought by the wealth from the New World) represented one of the wings and it was logically the 2nd. This means that the 1st wing was given to the Woman at an earlier date. (This is not in conflict with verses 13-14.) If Britain’s strength/power was the 2nd wing, the most plausible candidate for the 1st wing is Spain’s strength/power which resulted from the discovery of the Americas and because she was a major European power before and even after the defeat of the Armada.
The Americas was discovered in 1492 AD and European nations, especially, Spain and Britain greatly benefited from it in so many ways. The explosion of global trade brought by the discovery gave the Woman not just wealth but also advancement in science and technology and also military power/strength (wings) but it’s very important to look at the wings as part of the Woman! She was able to defend and stand against the onslaught of the Ottoman Empire, considered a superpower at that time. After the two wings were given, almost all, if not all, of the attempts of the Dragon to pursue/persecute the Woman failed. And many of the lands conquered by the Ottomans before the 2nd wing (1588 AD) were reverted back to the Europeans.
Please read the educational short article below to see how Rev 12:13b to Rev 12:14 was fulfilled:
How did the Ottoman Empire react to the discovery of the American continent?
Watch the timeline map of the attacks and defeats of the Ottoman Empire (one of the heads of the dragon) against Christians of Southern Central Europe and of the Mediterranean coasts and islands:
Additionally, the reader might want to read: The Woman and the Dragon of Revelation 12
WISDOM AND GLORY BELONG TO OUR GOD AND TO OUR LORD YESHUA.
NOTICE: This article may expand or change in form in the future. If anything is found to be in error then it will be corrected or deleted without prior notice.
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Posted by Mr. Bebe on September 26, 2010
https://johanansel.wordpress.com/2010/09/26/time-times-and-a-half-3-%c2%bd-or-2-%c2%bd-times/