Is the "360 day Prophetic Calendar" interpretation missing a better literal rendering of what Revelation says?
Update!
For a newer expanded treatment of this topic, see The Coming 360 Day Year Predicted in Revelation (1260 Days / 42 months).
Older Article Continues Below...
One thing that has puzzled many over the centuries is Revelation's clear indication that the last 3½ years (Dan 7:25; Rev 12:14) of Great Tribulation (Dan 12:1; Mt 24:21) will last exactly 42 months (Rev 11:2;13:5) or 1260 days (Rev 11:3) which obviously requires a 360 day year and 30 day month to work. But nobody takes this literally since everyone knows the year is 365¼ days and the month 29½ days on average and cannot conceive of that ever changing or if so, how.
History, Genesis Record Previous 360 Day Calendar
Yet, there is much historical evidence from ancient history that we were on a 360/30 calendar once before (from which we get our 360 degrees of a circle) until things changed in the 8th century BC (due to a close Mars passage according to Chuck Missler's 66/40 Bible series #BP047).
For example, the Book of Genesis records that Noah endured the deluge for 150 days or exactly 5 months to the day (Genesis 7:11, 24; 8:3-4). 150 days divided
by 30 days a month = 5 months, 30 days x 12 months = 360 days. See http://xwalk.ca/360vs365.html and
http://www.creationism.org/patten/PattenMarsEarthWars/PattenMEW12.htm for
more information.
Pre-tribulation Calendar Change from 365¼ to 360 Day Year
So its not really so strange to accept that Revelation literally tells us things will change to be on a 360/30 calendar soon when consider history and see it was that way before and it changed to what we see today. The big question is how? Of course, you already know where I'm headed with this. James McCanney specifically talks about the need to re-calibrate the calendar after PX passes because it will affect earth's orbit and therefore calendar. Just as I have written in
my eBook Planet X In Bible Prophecy, I am still convinced that the literal global catastrophic events described in Revelation's 6th seal through 4th trumpet can only be explained by what the secular today call brown dwarf Planet X and Revelation calls star "Wormwood".
By the way, I still hold to my understanding that the prophecies are true and require that certain things happen in Jerusalem before Planet X can come on some future day of Pentecost in late Spring. Therefore, not only can Planet X not come in 2003, but it cannot come in 2004 either, since these other events still have not happened and may be coming in 2004 themselves. The earliest Planet X can come is late Spring, 2005 according to the prophecies.
Spring 2005 Update
At this point my "song remains the same": it cannot come this year and since Spring has already past and it cannot come in 2006 either as no prerequisites are visible yet to get done in time for Pentecost 2006. However 2007 is an interesting year considering 1967 (fig tree put forth branches) + 40 (passing generation) = 2007...assuming we see things happen in the Middle East by 2006. — Tim
Feb 2006 Update
See my article series on the Rapture Timeline for surprising details on how the Sabbath year cycle tells us when things can and cannot happen... — Tim
See also: 14000 Day Generation and Rapture on Rosh HaShana 2005?
1. Well, the simple answer is over a dozen other ancient calendars agree with Genesis' 360/30 calendar that you and many others notice does not match today's 365¼/29½ calendar.
2. History shows the calendars changed in the time of Hezekiah to what we have today. At about that time, it appears that Mars old orbit allowed it to make
3. Revelation predicts a return to a 360/30 calendar by the time of the Great Tribulation which is exactly 1260 days, 42 months, and 3½ years long
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Tim McHyde
Tim is the author of this site (since 1999) and the book Know the Future that explains Revelation literally at last--including the key event of Wormwood (Rev 6-8). To read more from Tim and not miss a single new article, sign up for his free newsletter above.