3.5 YEARS

 3.5 YEARS

 

Seven represents perfection. Jesus' ministry lasted 3.5 years. In Luke 4:19 (“To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” KJV) Jesus quoted only the first half of the verse in Isaiah 61:2 (“To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;“ KJV) meaning the second half was yet to come. 3.5 is ½ of 7, meaning Jesus' ministry fulfilled the first half of the Isaiah verse, which Jesus said. The second half, the day of God's wrath is fulfilled when Jesus returns, which is spoken of in Revelation 6:17; 16:1; 34:8. Revelation 11:2 and 13:5 indicate Gentiles will trample the temple for 42 months and the beast will blasphemy God and have power over people for 42 months until God calls a halt to the power of the beast. The two witnesses will testify for 1260 days before they are killed and will lie dead for 3.5 days before God raises them to life. The woman who had the man child that was to rule escaped into the wilderness and was taken care of for 1,260 days, 3.5 years. Rev. 12:17. The fulfillment of Isaiah 61:2a with what we read in Revelation that lasts for 3.5 years make a complete 7, completing God's plan.

Note:

John 3:16 (For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” NIV) is often quoted but John 3:18 (“¹⁸Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” NIV) is often forgotten. Verses 3:16-18 are a unit. Verses 16 & 17 show God’s mercy and providing a way of salvation. Verse 18 tell us the way of salvation is for those who will have the faith to accept it. Those who refuse to accept God’s gift are condemned. Not through any fault of God but by their own choice.

Revelation 9:20-21 (²⁰The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. ²¹Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.” NIV) show that man continues to not believe or accept God’s salvation but even through all the terrible things happening will continue in their unbelief and anti-God practices but will even blame God for what they brought on. Revelation 16:11 (People gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.) Reminiscent of the plagues in Egypt. There is great similarity between Egypt and the time outlined here. Again, like Pharoah, the people refused to acknowledge their sin or repent.)