With reference to the matter of the 1,335-year period of Daniel 12:12 it is interesting to note that the flight of Mohammed from Mecca is dated as July 16th 622 A.D. in our calendar system. This was the date of the new moon. The Moslem calendar year consists of twelve lunations, or lunar synodic months (new moon to new moon). One lunar year is therefore 12 x 29.53059 mean solar days, and 1,335 lunar years are 473,080.01 mean solar days, using the average value of a lunation. This is 1,295.2501 solar years.
622 A.D.
July 16 is 622.53936 mean solar years and adding 1295.2501 mean solar years gives 1917.7894 solar years or 1917 years + 288.4 days: October 16th,1917
October 16th, 1917
The new moon indeed fell on this day, and on October 31 the Balfour declaration was signed.
It is therefore possible to consider that the 1,335 years refers to Moslem years. If so, the period of their commencement may have been the Hegira, the flight of Mohammed from Mecca which began the Moslem era, and their conclusion would have been the signing of the Balfour Declaration.
It is not intended by this to suggest that Brother Benson (Feb. 1984, p.48) is wrong, but that both interpretations may be correct.
Jacob’s Prophecy in Gen 49 and Other Discussion Questions