Thief in the Night or The Strange Case of the Missing Millennium

7. Yet more promises

Several authorities maintain that the decree of Artaxerxes was signed in 457 bc at the Spring Equinox, the first day of Nisan of the Jewish calendar. The Edict of Toleration which permitted the Jews to return and settle in freedom in Israel was also signed at the Spring Equinox in 1844, again the first day of Nisan of the Jewish calendar. Exactly 2,300 years had intervened.

This prophecy, as well as that of the 1,260 days given in Revelation, and the 391 given in the same book, were only a few of the unique and fascinating links between Christianity and Islám in the realm of Messianic prophecy.

The Christian and Muslim calendars both converge on this remarkable year 1844; 1,260 years multiplied by 354 days (the number of days in the Muslim lunar year) yields a total of 446,040 days; 446,040 divided by 365 (the number of days in the Christian solar year) gives a total of 1,222 years. The Faith of Islám began in the year 622 of the Christian calendar. 622 + 1,222 equals 1844 once again.

The Sunní sect of the Muslims expects the return of the Spirit of Christ in the last days, and associates in prophecy this hour with the year 1,260 of their calendar. This is also the year 1844 of the Christian calendar.

The Shí’ih sect of Islám flourishes in the land where Daniel had his vision of the coming of one, in 1844, like unto the Son of man. These Muslims have a prophecy which foretells that the twelfth spiritual ruler of their Faith, who disappeared in the year 260, will return in a thousand years, or in the year 1,260—once again the year 1844 of the Christian calendar.

Imám Ja’far, when questioned concerning the year in which the promised One would appear, replied:

“Verily, in the year sixty (‘60—1,260) His Cause shall be revealed, and His name shall be noised abroad.”¹

The learned and famous Arab scholar, Muhyi’d-Dín-i-’Arabí collected many prophecies concerning the year of the Advent.

Such as:

Another prophecy, attributed to one of the great spiritual leaders of Islám, declares:

“In Ghars (1,260) the Tree of Divine Guidance shall be planted.”³

All of these prophecies pointed to the same identical year: 1844.

One of the most interesting prophecies of all, came from the Old Testament. It concerned the forthright prophecy, given by Moses, who warned the Jews that if they were not obedient to God, the Lord would punish them ‘seven times’.

The prophecy in the book of Leviticus says:

“I will chastise you seven times …

“I will make your cities waste …

And I will scatter you among the heathen …”¹

They were not obedient, and the prophecy went into effect. ‘Seven times’ equals seven years in prophecy. Seven years of ‘each day for a year’. This makes a total of 2,520 years.

In one book, William Miller writes: “In the year 677 before Christ; see II Chron. 33:9–13; see also the Bible chronology of that event; this being the first captivity of Judah in Babylon. Then take 677 years which were before Christ, from 2,520 years, which include the whole ‘seven times’ or ‘seven years’ prophecy, and the remainder will be 1,843 years after Christ …”

Other scholars maintained that it was 676 years from the first captivity to the birth of Christ, and that consequently the year of fulfilment should be 1844 and not 1843.

Other scholars pointed out that this same prophecy of the ‘seven times’ was given in the Book of Daniel. Certainly, they said, these same 2,520 years from the time of Nebuchadnezzar could not be made to come out to this same 1844 period; therefore, the date must be wrong.

The prophecy of Daniel and the ‘seven times’ clearly states that it will take place when a Holy Messenger of God appears on earth. The prophecy says:

“Behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven; He cried aloud, and said thus … let seven times pass over him.”²

Most of the millennial scholars who dealt with this prophecy felt that it began in 604–602 bc when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem.

Some of the students of Scripture pointed to a remarkable coincidence. According to the calendar of ‘Iráq, the original

land of Nebuchadnezzar, there were 2,520 years from 604–602 bc to 1844. These were lunar years. Thus the discrepancy between the prophecies of Moses and Daniel was resolved by the astonishing fact that:

1. There were 2,520 solar years from 676 bc to ad 1844,

2. There were 2,520 lunar years from 602 bc to ad 1844.

Among other miscellaneous evidences, I found the following: ‘The Zohar (c. 1290), the great textbook of medieval Kabbala’ gives the year 5600 am = ce 1844 (Christian era) … when the gates of wisdom will be opened.’

Judah Alkalai writing on Zionism in the nineteenth century regarded the 1840 period as the time for the Messiah. A. H. Silver in Messianic Speculation in Israel says, ‘The year 1840 was counted on by many as the Messianic year’ and the beginning of Redemption.

Simon ben Zemah Duran (1361–1444), author of A Commentary on the Book of Job, gives the year ce 1850 as the Messianic year.

The Reverend E. Winthrop, Episcopal Minister of St. Paul’s Church, Cincinnati, thus describes the coming of Christ in his Second Advent Lectures (1843): “We gather from the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments that … Christ may come at any moment. Watch therefore and pray always. It is quite probable that the generation now living (1843), or at least a portion of it, may see our Lord’s prophecy completely fulfilled by His second advent in glory.”