“He (the anti-christ) will speak out against the Most High (God) and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to MAKE ALTERATIONS IN TIMES (capitals mine) and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times and half a time (3 1/2 years).”

Daniel 7:25 (NASB)

Did you catch that? In Daniel’s prophecy he states the anti-christ in the Last Days (3 1/2 years before Jesus Christ’s Second Coming at Armageddon) will “…make alterations in times and in law“. What exactly does that mean? Of course we know the anti-christ will change the law, for example mandating that all must take the mark of the beast so “…that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:17. He will change the law. But the calendar?

I recently was watching one of my favorite TV shows, Christ in Prophecy, and Nathan Jones, their web/internet  minister, made the comment the anti-christ, when he comes to power in the last 3 1/2 years (also referred to as the Great Tribulation) will change our calendar as was previously prophesied in the Book of Daniel. I had never heard this prophecy! I contacted Nathan to find out where this was written and he very quickly and graciously responded to my question with the above Scripture. The more I thought about it I started wondering why in the world would the anti-christ want to change the calendar? Do you know why?

As I described in two previous posts, The 9th of Av – History or Prophecy? and 2018 UPDATE: The 9th of AV – History or Prophecy? the world today primarily operates under the Gregorian calendar of 365.25 days per year which is based on the solar cycle. Every 4th year we add an extra day to February (also known as Leap Year which will happen next in 2020). As of the posting of this article, 2019 has just begun. While the Jews use the Gregorian calendar in their various global dealings, they also have their own religious calendar referred to as the Jewish or Hebrew calendar. It is based on the lunisolar (sun AND moon) cycles, not just the solar cycles. Their years can be either 353, 354, 355, 383, 384 or 385 days long. Typically, they add a 13th month of 30 days every 12 years or so to  allow their calendar to sync better with the Gregorian calendar. Based on their calendar we are today in the year 5778. Their year 5779 will begin April 6, 2019.

The Gregorian calendar we use begins with the year of the birth of our Lord (Annos Domini – AD). Most refer to the years before Jesus’s birth as BC (Before Christ). Have you ever heard of BCE? It is secular and refers to Before the Common Era which also ends in the year 1 AD (the year of Jesus’s birth). The Jewish/Hebrew calendar however began in 3761 BC (in the Gregorian calendar) and is reflective of counting the years historically by the descendants from Adam to the year the Jewish/Hebrew story was verified in the 12th century by Rabbi Maimonides. He calculated this basically by looking at the genealogy listed in the Bible (you know, Bill begat Sam when he was 30 who begat Steve when he was 25, etc.) which started with the day of Creation. So, in the Gregorian calendar today is 2019 AD and in the Jewish/Hebrew calendar it is 5778.

Why, you are probably asking, is this important? There are also many other calendars working in different parts of the world today. There are also Islamic, Hindu, Persian, Buddhist, Chinese, Coptic, Ethiopian, Mayan, etc. calendars. Why are the Gregorian and Jewish/Hebrew calendars so important in these Last Days? Perhaps a better question to ask is which TWO calendars out of all of them, as different as they may be from each other, are still the ONLY TWO calendars based 100% entirely on the Holy Bible? Ahhhh…

Even though I previously wrote Satan ain’t all that smart!, he is smart enough to know what is written in the Holy Bible concerning ALL the prophecies of the Last Days INCLUDING the prophecy of his ultimate defeat. These are not in any of those other calendars listed above! Obviously, when the anti-christ is revealed at the Abomination of Desolation (What is the Abomination of Desolation in Biblical Prophecy?), he MUST then somehow get the entire world to believe him and NOT what the Bible says. Why? Because he will demand to be worshipped as God which the Bible clearly disputes!

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (the day of Christ’s Return) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin (the anti-christ) be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself ABOVE ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD (capitals mine), or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the (rebuilt Holy Jewish) temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?”

2 Thessalonians 2:3-5

As difficult as it may be, put yourself in the anti-christ’s predicament (of course, I am being facetious only to make a point). here you are now the most powerful ruler in the history of the world. You now rule the entire world! You are God! At that time, almost everyone in the world uses a calendar based upon the history of the Holy Bible or more commonly, on the birth of Jesus Christ! By allowing that to continue would obviously raises serious questions. The anti-christ, in his quest to be worshipped as God MUST first eliminate any and all past references to God and Jesus. He will need to CHANGE the calendar used throughout the world, EXACTLY as was prophesied to us by Daniel. Otherwise he will have to answer many questions as to who this “guy” Jesus is and why does the calendar we use start with His birth? It will be far simpler for him to just begin his reign with something like the year 1 YOAC (year of the anti-christ).

One of the things we must keep in mind is that almost every reference to Satan in the Bible refers to him as a deceiver (liar). As is quoted in Revelation 12:9. “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which DECEIVETH (capitals mine) the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”  He will lie to get man to change his views or beliefs of God and His Plan for our redemption. As we are told in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in THE LATTER TIMES (capitals mine) some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;” Just as he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, he has spent the time since doing everything he can to mislead people away from the Word of God and towards his plan to get people to reject God and instead embrace his Satanic ways. This will increase in the Last Days! Fortunately, we know where this will lead:

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there: BELIEVE IT NOT (capitals mine). For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold I have told you before.”

Matthew 24:23-25

Once again, in line with His prophecies He reminds us He told us these things BEFORE they ever happened! I am not making this up as things happen. I am telling you what the Bible said 2,000 years ago! We are told to NOT believe what the anti-christ tells us. Instead, believe what the Bible says! As with so many other prophecies, we are pre-warned what will happen in the Last Days. IF you are not a Believer and you see an individual rise to global power; who also authors a “peace treaty” between Israel and many others, know this. From the day the “peace treaty” is signed to Christ’s Return is EXACTLY seven years. From the time he enters the then rebuilt 3rd Holy Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and puts a halt to sacrifices AND demands to be worshipped as God, it will be  exactly 1260 days, 42 months or 3 1/2 years later that Christ will Return at Armageddon and defeat him. When you see the calendar changed by him to eradicate any reference to the birth of Jesus Christ or the beginning of Creation, remember which calendar to follow! So comforting is how many times this is repeated in the Word of God, as it is in Revelation 13:8-9:

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the anti-christ), whose names ARE NOT (capitals mine) written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.”

Are you listening? Did you hear? If your name is IN the Book of Life because you Believe in Jesus’s sacrifice for your sins and have accepted Him as your personal Savior, you WILL NOT worship the anti-christ and you WILL spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus. If that is comforting to you, please help me let others know of His magnificent gift to us and what the Bible says is coming. You can do this by forwarding your email (if you have signed up on my web page to receive all posts via email) to family and friends, or Sharing/Liking this on Facebook and/or LinkedIn. In that way we will do what the Lord Himself has asked us all to do and that is to “…therefore comfort one another with these words.”

May God Bless you!