What is the meaning of the 1,290 days and the 1,335 days mentioned in Daniel 12:11–12?
Let’s begin by looking at these texts:
“And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.” Daniel 12:11–12
The 1,290- and 1,335-day prophecies of Daniel 12 deal with the latter portion of the 2,300 prophetic day/literal year prophecy in Daniel 8:14, and the key to understanding any of these prophecies is to understand the meaning of “the daily” (Daniel 8:11–12; 12:11).
We see the “little horn” Antichrist power attempting to destroy the “daily” in Daniel 8, and this is the same power that sets up the “abominations” that bring “desolation.” This Antichrist power is none other than the Roman Papal Church-State.
So, what is this “daily” the Papacy is so eager to destroy? The word for “daily” in the original Hebrew is tamiyd, which means “continual” or “perpetual.” Ironically, this is the same word that describes the “continual” daily work the priests performed in the courtyard and the Holy Place of the earthly sanctuary.
Consider the following:
– The high priest ministered in the Holy Place “continually” (tamiyd) (Exodus 28:30)
– The sacrifices offered morning and evening were “continual” (tamiyd) (Exodus 29:42)
– The fire used to burn the sacrifices was “always” (tamiyd) burning (Leviticus 6:13)
– The table of showbread was “always” (tamiyd) set before the Lord (Exodus 25:30)
– The seven lamps burned “continually” (tamiyd) before the Lord (Leviticus 24:1–4)
– “Perpetual” (tamiyd) incense was burned before the Lord (Exodus 30:8)
All of these “continual” elements of the sanctuary represent different aspects of the saving mediatorial ministry of Jesus. And while the earthly sanctuary no longer exists, Jesus is currently doing His mediation work as our High Priest in the Heavenly sanctuary. Hebrews 7:23–25 reminds us that Christ “always” lives to make intercession, and that His High Priest ministry “continues forever.” So since the little horn is attacking the “daily” long after the earthly sanctuary has been destroyed, we know that the “daily” work that he seeks to destroy is the daily work of Christ as mediator in our lives.
How does this happen, and what does it have to do with the 1,290-day and 1,335-day prophecies of Daniel 12?
Well, we know that Jesus’ ministry is in the Heavenly sanctuary, but the little horn seeks to establish a rival earthly ministry as a substitute for the ministry of Christ. We see this in Daniel 8:10–12 when the little horn tries to cast the Heavenly ministry of Christ to the earth while perverting the truth. The “abomination of desolation” is set up when the papal priesthood is established as a substitute to replace Christ.
When was the Catholic priesthood set up to eclipse the mediatorial work of Jesus? Consider the following historical quote:
“In as much as the taking away of the continual mediation of Christ is made the beginning of a prophetic period, there must be some definite act at some definite time which, in form and intent, takes from Christ His priestly work in the heavenly sanctuary. This act was the official decree of an ecclesiastical counsel held at Rome in 503 A.D., by which it was declared ‘that the pope was judge as God’s vicar, and could himself be judged by no one’ (see Hardouin’s Councils, Vol. 2, p. 983; Labbe and Cossart’s Councils, Vol. 4, col. 1364; and Bower’s History of the Popes, Vol. 1, p. 304–305). The work of Clovis, King of the Franks, who earned for himself the title of ‘the eldest son of the church’ by his campaigns to subdue the kingdoms hostile to the Papacy, contributed much toward putting into practical effect this claim of the Papacy, which finally resulted in establishing the Pope as the head of the Roman priesthood which has usurped the priestly work of Christ, and has established another system of mediation in its place. The work of Clovis came to its climax in the period 503 to 508, and this period therefore becomes the natural one from which to date the 1290 years of Daniel 12:11, which would accordingly end in the period 1793-1798, at the same time as the 1260 years of Daniel 7:25.” (E. J. Waggoner, Bible Readings for the Home Circle, p. 229, 1914 edition).
By the year AD 508, the ecclesiastical authority of the Church was established. Its earthly priesthood was set up and the mediatorial ministry of Jesus Christ began to be obscured. Using the year/day principle, 1,290 years from AD 508 brings us to the very year that the Papal Church lost its universal religio-political authority—AD 1798. It was the Franks (French) that helped establish the authority of the Catholic Church back in AD 508, and it was France that took away that power in AD 1798.
But what about the 1,335 days? Remember that the 1,335 days has the same start time as the 1,290 days/years. So, if we calculate 1,335 years from AD 508, it brings us to AD 1843–1844.
In Daniel 12:12 there is a blessing pronounced upon those who wait and come to the 1,335 days. So what happened in 1843 and 1844 that would bring about a blessing to many people?
In 1843, a powerful global movement occurred where thousands began to focus their attention and efforts on understanding the prophecies of the book of Daniel. Led by William Miller, a Baptist minister, they became convinced that Jesus was returning for His people in the fall of 1844. Of course, this was a misinterpretation of Daniel 8:14, and led to what history calls “The Great Disappointment,” because obviously, Jesus did not return. But what was a great disappointment for a short time eventually transcended into one of the greatest spiritual revivals in history, because after further study, a movement was established that led to the rediscovery of precious Bible truths.
The Sanctuary truth was rediscovered, as well as present truth about Jesus’ mediation ministry in Heaven. The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation became clearer, and this newly formed movement began preaching the gospel and warning the world of the last-day Judgment Hour mentioned in Revelation 14.