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The 1,290 and 1,335 Days of Daniel 12
Alberto R. Timm, Ph.D.
Professor of Historical Theology
Brazil Adventist University College - Campus 2
Director of the Brazilian Ellen G. White ResearchCenter
June 5, 2002
The interpretation of the 1,290 days and 1,335 days of Daniel 12: 11, 12 as 1,290 years and 1,335 years respectively can be found already among the Jewish expositors of theeighth century A.D. This interpretation, based on the year-day principle (see Num 14:34; Ezek 4:6, 7), continued to be advocated by the followers of Joachim of Floris (1130-1202), as well as by severalother expositors during the pre-Reformation, the Reformation, and the subsequent Protestant tradition.[1]
William Miller (1782-1849), on his turn, believed (1) that both the 1,290 years andthe 1,335 years had began in A.D. 508, with Clovis's victory over the Arian Visigoths, which was a decisive step in uniting both political and ecclesiastic powers for Medieval Catholicism to be able topunish the "heretics"; (2) that the 1,290 years were fulfilled in 1798, with the imprisonment of Pope Pius VI by the French army; and (3) that the 1,335 years would extend for 45 years more, until theend of the 2300 years of Daniel 8:14 in 1843/1844.[2] This interpretation was kept by early Sabbatarian Adventists, [3] becoming the historical position of the Seventh-day Adventist Churchup to ourown days. [4]
But in more recent years some independent preachers started to propagate a "new light" on the 1,290 and 1,335 days of Daniel 12. Rejecting the traditional Adventist understanding,such individuals claim that both time-periods comprise "literal" days (and not days which represent "years") to be fulfilled still in the future. Some of them suggest that both periods will begin withthe future national Sunday law; that the 1,290 "literal" days are the time-period reserved for God's people to leave the cities; and that at the end of the 1,335 "literal" days the voice of God...