Whether you believe it or not, numbers have a meaning. Most people avoid anything to do with the number 13, and there have been movies on the subject of it's ominous view.
But, I want to look at some numbers that God put specifically in the Bible. I believe He knew that someone out there needed to know these specific numbers.
Back in the 6th century BC, a Jewish man named Daniel had many visions of the future. He saw the fall of the Babylonian rulers and the rise of the Median Persian Empire. He knew that a war hero of the Grecians would conquer the Medes and the Persians. And, he saw a time where the earth went through a world-wide nightmare!
During this destructive and oppressive time, he saw that the world would be governed by 10 kings who would be a mixture of strong and weak rulers. He saw that one would become the leader and that this wicked man would bring genocide on a global level, during which he would demand to worshiped as a god, the penalty for not bowing would be death.
And while seeing these things, he was given some numbers.
Daniel 8:13-14- Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Daniel 12:11-13- 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. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
What are these numbers? And, who should be taking note of them?
To answer this question, I must first tell you more about the world-wide nightmare known in the Bible as Daniel's 70th week and the Tribulation.
There will be some crazy things that happen in the near future. The beginning will have a few interesting things happen. One will be a covenant with the nation of Israel allowing the offer sacrifices to their God on the temple mount. Another will be the disappearance of millions of people around the world.
When these two things happen, you will know for certain that you are in the Tribulation period, the time of Jacob's Trouble, also known as Daniel's 70th week.
The Jewish people will be allowed to rebuild their temple- the third temple in the history of the Jews. The first one was built when Solomon was ruling a vast empire from his throne in Jerusalem. The second one was built after the Perian King, Cyrus, gave the Jewish people permission to leave the land of their captivity and go back to the land of Israel. The third will be built some time in the 2nd Millenium AD.
While the world is reeling from millions of people vanishing from the earth and the global disasters that occur when they disappear, a man will stand up and bring unity to the earth. He will bring peace in the midst of chaos. He will be the one who signs a covenant with Israel and ends the conflict in the Middle East.
And this is where the numbers in Daniel come into play.
When the covenant is confirmed with Israel, it will be 2,557 days until the 2nd Advent (explained later).
Once this happens, the Jews will start the process of renewing their Judaic worship rituals- animal sacrifices and the building of the temple. It is estimated that the sacrifices will begin about 257 days after the covenant is signed.
Once the animal sacrifices begin it will be 2,300 days until the 2nd Advent.
During this time, or shortly thereafter, the temple will be rebuilt.
All the while, there will be severe natural disasters happening all around the world. Though it is a time of relative peace among the nations of the world, the destructive forces of nature are in an upheaval (read Revelation), along with a few rebel factions.
The world will go to a global banking system. And their new hero who brought peace to the world will be ruling with a few other men. But, after only three and a half years he will be assassinated.
The world will mourn the fall of their hero! For a few days. And then he will miraculously raise from the dead.
But, he won't be the peacemaker that you once though he was.
His banking system will have a new policy- an implanted credit card. A banking microchip put under the skin of your right hand or your forehead. It will eliminate the need for cash, counterfeiting will become almost obsolete. All economic trade will be done through electronic transaction, and since it is inside your person you won't be able to forget or lose your "card".
But this won't be a blessing. It will be a double-edged curse. Whoever takes the chip will damn his soul to hell, and whoever refuses the chip will no longer be able to buy or sell.
Then, the peacemaker will go to Jerusalem and enter the rebuilt Jewish temple. He will sit on the ark of the covenant and proclaim that he is god. His demand for worship will be as strict as his banking policy- do it or die. In the Bible, this is called the abomination of desolation.
At this time he will void his covenant with the nation of Israel, and the sacrifices will cease.
The last half of the Tribulation becomes a literal hell on earth. The natural disasters haven't stopped, they've escalated. So many people have been killed, or disappeared, that the number of those dead or missing can't be told. And, the newly resurrected leader will be on a kill mission that commands his every thought.
Matthew 24:15-21- 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:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
This is where the second set of numbers comes in. Something will happen about 1,335 days after the covenant is signed. It could be the mid-tribulation rapture, or it could be when Israel is told to flee into the wilderness to the place that God has prepared to take care of them, Selah Petra.
The Jewish people will stay here until they are ready to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. But, to show that they repent and accept Him they must hazard their lives to keep an Old Testament ritual.
Deuteronomy 21:1-23- If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him: Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain: And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke; And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the valley: And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried: And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
The elders and the leaders of the remaining Jews must go to the valley outside of Jerusalem and sacrifice a heifer while asking the Lord to forgive them of the blood of the crucified Lord Jesus Christ. They have to confess that they didn't condemn Him to death on Calvary, neither were they present to see it happen, and ask Him to be merciful and forgive them for the crime.
Now, remember, the man who wants their total annihilation is ruling from the city which they must go near. And, he has already forbidden animal sacrifices. This will not be for the faint of heart!
But, the tide will turn when this happens for it will trigger the 2nd Advent! The time when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to earth to destroy the armies of the wicked ones who are murdering those who don't submit to their evil rule.
He will touch down on the Mount of Olives and it will explode outwards from the impact. Then He and His army will go on with the might of a nuclear explosion wiping out any enemy in their path.
Such a fancy tale, you say? When you see the things in the beginning of this post come to pass take heed, this legend will become a reality.
Matthew 11:15- He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
