Handout - Western Christadelphian Bible School

Session 5: Time, Times and a Half or
The Time of Trouble Such As Never Was
Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5.
Introduction
In this session we’ll review some of the principal time prophecies.
We will keep in mind Paul's message from 1 Thess 5. The intention is that we should be
ready at any time. It is not a question of "second guessing" the Lord's purposes so that we
can live our lives now and only prepare for the return of Christ just before it happens.
Rather, we need to live each day as if it is our last. No matter how certain we may feel about
the "more sure word of prophecy" (2 Pet. 1:19), we must never presume on the Lord's grace
just because He has given us a little understanding of what He is going to do with the earth.
The discussion should be followed with the chart, "A Time of Trouble Such As Never Was"
(NEXT PAGE) as a summary.
1 Daniel 12:7
The most thoroughly documented time prophecy (documented, that is, in scripture) is the
duration of the time of trouble such as never was (Matt 24:21, Dan 12:1). There are no less
than 7 prophecies that can be set alongside each other, "locking hands", so to speak; all give
different emphases to the same time period.
First, though, let’s review the logic that ties this period specifically to the last days:
Daniel was told of "a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that
same time". The angel made it clear that Daniel's people will be delivered from this trouble,
that the resurrection will take place and that the kingdom will be set up - all in a closely
related sequence (Dan 12:1-3).
Jesus said that he would return immediately after a period of tribulation the like of which had
never been known since the beginning of the world, nor would ever after be known (Matt
24:21, 29). Clearly, in all of history – past, present and future - there can be only one such
time of trouble; Jesus’ “time of trouble” must be the same as Daniel’s.
Daniel is told the duration of the period of trouble in Daniel 12:7. It is to last just so long as
is needed "to scatter the power of the holy people" (Dan 12:7), and this is said to take "a
time, times, and an half" (Dan 12:7). The simplest way of viewing this is to regard it as two
times, plus one time, plus half a time - a total of three and a half times. In any case, “times”
is probably a Hebraism – called a “dual” - by which two (and only two) objects are denoted
simply by use of the object’s plural, without any qualifying (numeric) adjective. That is, to
denote two times, it is sufficient simply to say, “times”. If three or more had been intended,
the number would have had to be stated.
The duration of a “time” is not specified, but in due course we’ll use principles of parallelism
to sort it out.
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