THE “SEVEN TIMES”​—HOW LONG?

23. Why must the Gentile Times reach down to our day?

²³ Obviously, then, the “seven times” as applied to the Gentile Times must be much longer than seven literal years. Remember, Jesus spoke of the ‘fulfilling’ or ending of these Gentile Times in connection with “the conclusion of the system of things.” (Luke 21:7, 24; Matthew 24:3) So they must reach down to our day. Just how long are they?

24. How may we interpret the length of the “seven times”?

²⁴ Turning to chapter 12 of Revelation, we note that verses Re 12:6 and 14 show a period of 1,260 days to be “a time and times and half a time,” or 1 + 2 + ¹/₂ for a total of 3 ¹/₂ times. Therefore, “a time” would be equal to 360 days, or 12 lunar months averaging 30 days each. “Seven times” would come to 2,520 days; and the Biblical prophetic reckoning of “a day for a year, a day for a year,” indicates that these actually would work out to be a period of 2,520 calendar years. (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6) This, therefore, is the duration of the “seven times”​—the Gentile Times.

[Box on page 135]

CALCULATING THE “SEVEN TIMES”

7 “times” = 7 × 360 = 2,520 years

(a Biblical “time” or year being the mean between a lunar year of 354 days and a solar year of 365 ¹/₄ days)

607 B.C.E. to 1 B.C.E. = 606 years

1 B.C.E. to 1 C.E. = 1 year

1 C.E. to 1914 C.E. = 1,913 years

607 B.C.E. to 1914 C.E. = 2,520 years