What is the meaning of 1290 & 1335 years in Daniel 12:11-12?

The time for the process of the final redemption of the Jewish people, ending their exile from their Holy Land by the Roman Empire, and beginning the Messianic Era, was revealed to the prophet Daniel. However, it was recorded in the Book of Daniel in a mysterious ways, in five places.[1] The last one is in the verses 12:11-12.

11. And from the time the daily sacrifice was removed and the silent abomination was placed [on the site of the Holy Temple], one thousand, two hundred, and ninety [1290] years.
12. Fortunate is he who waits and reaches to one thousand, three hundred, and thirty-five [1335] years.


Book of Daniel

Calculations of the End Time before the Messianic Era

Ever since this prophecy to Daniel, great Sages and Biblical scholars have tried to decipher the meaning of these verses. Their aim was to discover the “End Time” of the exile, and the year of the Final Redemption led by the true Messiah (Moshiach). He will be a Jewish king in the father-to-son dynasty of King David through King Solomon. In the words of Ramban (Nachmanides) [1],

“Throughout the generations, there have been many scholars who searched to ascertain the end times [which were mentioned in the Book of Daniel], but they have [only] brought up common earthenware… One should not be surprised that these scholars [searched to ascertain the end and failed], for the Sages of the Truth – that is, the Sages of the Mishnah and Talmud, of blessed memory – were [themselves] disappointed in these reckonings… However, it is my opinion that their errors [in reckoning] resulted from G-d’s Will that the end [of the exile] remain unknown, as [the angel] said [to Daniel], “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” They did not, [however, err] because the end [of the exile] is too deeply concealed in that Book [of Daniel]. The original reason for the concealment was the length of the exile and the far-distant end… However, because we are certainly nearer the end than they were, and since we are possibly nearing [the end of the exile] because of the great prolongation [of time] that has already been endured, perhaps that decree that was issued to conceal [the end] has been voided. The reason for the decree has [already] ceased to exist [in my opinion].”

Ramban made a valiant effort to decipher all the hints in the various verses in Daniel. He calculated a date for the beginning of the Redemption in the year 1358 C.E. He also calculated a completion date in the year 1403 C.E. In reality, there was still a great length of time left until the Redemption would begin. Obviously, the decree was still in place in his time.

The probable meaning of Daniel 12:11-12 has now been revealed

We are humbled and filled with awe, and at the same time filled with joy, to share our good news. A new probable meaning of the 1290 and 1335 years of waiting has now been deciphered.

We can see that the two time periods may very well have begun with the year of the death of Mohammed in 632 C.E. This can easily be understood as the event that Daniel 12:11 referred to:

1) 632 C.E. + 1290 years = 1922 C.E.

This was the year when the League of Nations established the Mandate for Palestine. It was designated as the place for a modern-day Jewish national homeland, in the Jews’ Holy Land of Israel. According to the Sages of the Talmud, the occurrence of such an event after the Jews had been exiled by the Roman Empire would be a definitive sign that the Messianic Redemption would begin soon.

2) 632 C.E. + 1335 years = 1967 C.E.

This was the year of the Six Day War. The Israeli army quickly and miraculously defeated all of the surrounding enemy countries. The Biblical borders of Israel were secured at that time. This included their liberation of entire holy city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
At that time, the Lubavitcher Rebbe was openly revealed as a modern-day prophet. He publicly announced before the war broke out that a miraculous victory would definitely happen.[2]
This miraculous victory sparked a great movement of teshuva (return to G-d) among the Jewish people. The Rebbe described the miracles as a “blast from the Great Shofar” (see Isaiah 27:13). It states in Deut. 30:1-3 that Jews will do teshuva after the blessings and curses in the Torah have happened. Then it will be the time for G-d to return them to their Holy Land.


Footnotes

[1] Ramban, The Book of Redemption, The Fourth Gate.

[2] See the video https://asknoah.org/video/rebbes-message-lag-bomer-1967

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