Daniel 4:25, 7:25, 9:24-27 and 12:7

Here are four time references found in the book of Daniel, each representing an event with a length of time attached to it.  We will provide evidence to show what length of time each phrase represents.

1. Dan. 4:25, “Seven periods of time.  (see same usage in Dan. 4:16, 4:23, and 4:32).  In the ancient Jewish world a period of time represented a season of time, a season being one year, the time given the Jews to prepare their land for planting, cultivating, gathering, storing and bringing the cattle in for protection from winter.  All this in a season, or one year.  Their whole economy and society and calendar revolved around the growing seasons.  This was the way they spoke of their agricultural year.  Even farmers today still speak of their years using this term.  This word in the Aramaic (iddan) of Daniel 4:25 speaks about the seven “seasons” that Nebuchadnezzar spent out in the pasture grazing like an ox.  The Chronicle of Kings shows Nebuchadnezzar absent for a period of seven years, in which Daniel and the son of Nebuchadnezzar, Evil Merodach ruled the country of Babylon.  The description of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Dan. 4:13-17 talks about events (beasts and birds forsaking his branches) that could easily have taken seven years to transpire.  So, it does seem that the word “season” refers to a year in time.  

2. Dan. 7:25, “Time, times, and a half time.”  We must understand that the ancient world did not use an international time system as we today use, where a day is a 24 hour period, a week equals 7 days, a month is 31 days, and a year is 12 months.  Their measurement of time was quite different than that which we use today.

So as we have seen, the word “time” here in Dan. 7:25 represents a season, being one year.  Similarly, “times” plural, based upon the contents of this text, would represent two years, and “a half time” six months.

The subject of verse 25 begins in verse 21, where war against Israel is seen, so the appointed time for this war was, “time, times, and a half time.”  This war was recorded by ancient writers as a period of three and one half years, from Feb. 10, 67 AD until Sep. 10, 70 AD.  Vespasian “that horn” after the ten “another horn” verse 21, 24, another added to the ten would account for eleven horns to this horn the appointed time of “time, times and a half time” was given.

3. Dan. 9:24-27, “seventy weeks,” “weeks,” here in this text represents a day for a year.  The key to understanding is verse 25, the issuing of a decree that would go forth.  This decree was first given by Cyrus King of Persia 538 BC, the decree its self was stored in the archives, it did not go  forth except by word of mouth, Ezra chapter 5, many years later a request was made to search the archives for this decree.  Ezra chapter 6, the decree is found, and Artaxerxes who now is king issued a new decree that went forth to all nations round about.  Ezra chapter 7, considering the Jewish calendar this decree would have been published from 453 to 457 BC.  Verse 25, 62 weeks and seven weeks would have been a total of 69 weeks in which the Messiah would be cut off, that is He would be sacrificed on the cross.  By using God’s time as He reckoned in Num. 14:34, a day for a year, and in Ezek. 4:4-6, a day for a year, then Daniel 9:24, and the seventy weeks or 490 years, from the issuing of the decree to His death would have consumed 490 years.  This stands confirmed.

4. Dan. 12:7, “It would be for a time, times and a half time.”  From the text we are to observe that the conversation regards the Holy people, Daniel’s people, the Jewish people, and the shattering of their power which was the war between Rome and Israel that is seen in Daniel chapter 7. So then the “time, times and a half time” would be the same period of time, the same length of time as  spoken of in Daniel 7:25.

New Testament Confirmation

Rev. 11:2, “Forty two months” – Here, some six hundred years later, we have the Roman calendar in use, and John seems to be referring to the same events that Daniel was, except that John speaks of it as being forty two months, instead of the “time, times, and a half.”  This again seems to support well the idea that Daniel’s “time, times, and a half” is equal to three and one half years, or the same as John’s  “forty-two months.”  Since John also mentions 1260 days in connection with this 42 months, there is additional support for the fact that we are talking about a period of three and a half years.

Rev. 12:14 even uses the same phrase that Daniel did – “time, times and a half time”  This seems certainly to be tightly connected with Rev. 12:6, which refers to this same period of time with the words, “one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”  The place is the same, the “wilderness.”  Here are the two texts:

Rev. 12:6 – Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Rev. 12:14 – But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

In both verses the woman is to be nourished, the time period is the same, although in verse 6, one thousand two hundred and sixty days are used.  But, in Rev 12:14, the “time, times and half time” is used.  Both represent the same woman, the same wilderness, and spoken for the same purpose.  Therefore if 1,260 days of verse 6, is three and one half years, then “time, times and a half time” of verse 14 is also three and one half years.  This is unquestionable.

Rev. 13:5, is equal in every respect with Dan. 7:25, except in Rev. 13:5, forty two months is used, whereas in Dan. 7:25, “time, times and a half time” is used. 42 months of Rev. 13:5, is three and one half years.  If so, then Dan. 7:25 is also three and one half years.  Notice that in Rev. 13:5-7, the same words are used, as are used in Dan. 7:21, 25. Please read, it is the same event, the same appointed time, three and one half years, the time of the war between Rome and Israel.  The evidence is confirmed and stands.