What is the 2520?

There was a revolutionary preacher in the 1830s and 1840s whose name was William Miller. God led him to investigate Bible prophecy as he studied through his Bible verse-by-verse. The Holy Spirit led Miller to the 2300 day prophecy found in Daniel 8:14. Through careful, methodical study of the word of God, comparing scripture passage with scripture passage, Miller came to the conclusion that the 2300 day prophecy was not literal time but prophetic time. He concluded that the 2300 year prophecy would end very soon in 1843 and that it was his duty to tell the world. This conclusion was based on much sound Bible study which included passages like Daniel 8 and 9, Numbers 14:34, and Ezekiel 4:6. Where does the 2520 prophecy fit in? Because of reasons that we will discuss soon, Miller understood the seven times of Leviticus 26:28, 34 to mean seven years. Applying the day for a year principle of Bible prophecy, he understood the seven times to mean 2520 years (7 years x 360 days in a Jewish year). Starting that time prophecy from the time that Babylon took Judah captive in 677 B.C., he came down to the year 1843. This prophecy made it on the 1843 chart.

me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you. . . And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you. . . . Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths. . . . If you notice this passage is a progression of punishments and not a repetition for emphasis. What does this mean? The phrase seven times more appears four times in this passage. To be entirely consistent with the immediate context, one must say that there are a total of 28 times and not just seven. The Spirit of Prophecy must be taken in context A considerable amount of twisting is done to say that Ellen White has told us that the 2520 is critical, right, and necessary for us today. Ellen White only makes three direct references to the 1843 chart, all of which are very similar. Here is the quotation used with some of its immediate context: The Lord showed me that the 1843 chart was directed by his hand, and that no part of it should be altered; that the figures were as he wanted them. That his hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the figures, so that none could see it, until his hand was removed. {RH, November 1, 1850 par. 10} Many stop reading halfway through the paragraph and forget about the mistakes in the chart and the fact that God's hand has been removed from the chart. The Spirit of Prophecy is silent on the subject of the 2520 which indicates, if nothing else, that it is definitely less important than the 2300 year prophecy. Compare scripture with scripture The Hebrew word used for seven times in Leviticus 26 is used 346 times in the Old Testament. The Strong's definition of the word is as follows: H7651 sheba shibah

sheh'-bah, shib-aw' From H7650; a primitive cardinal number; seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication a week; by extension an indefinite number: - (+ by) seven ([-fold], -s, [-teen, -teenth], -th, times). Compare H7658. The word is never used in the Old Testament to mean seven years by itself. When used by itself it simply denotes the number seven. To mean seven days, it must be combined with a Hebrew word meaning days, To demonstrate this fact, take a look at the following series of verses. Genesis 21:30 And he said, For these sevenH7651 ewe lambsH3535 shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. Lev 14:7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy sevenH7651 times,H6471 and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field. Proverbs 26:16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than sevenH4480 H7651 men that can renderH7725 a reason. Nehemiah 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast sevenH7651 days;H3117 and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner. Leviticus 26:28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven timesH7651 forH5921 your sins.H2403 In the previous examples one can see that the word Sheba only indicates a multiple of seven trees, daughters, lambs, sprinkles, days, years, men, or any other noun used with it. This is consistent with the 394 other times this word is used. In summary, Leviticus 26 is progressive, the Spirit of Prophecy must be taken in context, and the meaning of the Hebrew words must be considered when trying to prove an interpretation of scriptures.

What does the Bible have to say?

The 2300 day prophecy is entirely consistent and in perfect harmony with the entire rest of the Bible. 2 Peter 1:20 gives us a solid rule for interpreting Bible prophecy: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. No prophecy has many interpretations, all of them being right. We also have the promise in John 16:13 of the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth, not many truths. Here are three reasons why, in order to be in perfect harmony with the rest of scripture, the 2520 prophecy is not really a time prophecy at all. Leviticus 26 is progressive Here are some excerpts from Leviticus 26, But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments. . . I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague. . . . And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto