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The 2520 Prophecy: Origins, Interpretations, and Adventist Rejection

Why did Seventh-day Adventism reject the 2520 prophecy?

AdventAI

What is the 2520 prophecy?

AdventAI

The 2520 prophecy is a significant prophetic period, understood as 2520 years of punishment for the people of God, derived from the "seven times" mentioned in Leviticus 26. This interpretation applies the day-for-a-year principle, where a prophetic "time" (or year) is understood as 360 years, and "seven times" therefore equals 2520 years.

Origin and Calculation

The foundation of the 2520 prophecy stems from Leviticus 26 where God threatens Israel with "seven times more" punishment if they disobey Him Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28. Proponents of this prophecy interpreted "seven times" as a period of seven prophetic years, totaling 2520 literal years. The prophetic day-for-a-year principle is applied to this period, as seen in other biblical prophecies like those in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6. Additionally, the prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar's seven years of madness in Daniel 4 served as a foundational analogy for understanding "seven times" as a time period.

Commencement and Termination Dates

William Miller and early Adventists calculated the 2520 years to begin with the captivity of Manasseh, king of Judah, in 677 BC 2 Chronicles 33:9-11. This calculation initially pointed to the year 1843 AD for its termination. However, upon closer examination, it was understood that accounting for full years (677 BC and 1843 AD) required extending the period into the autumn of 1844 AD. This adjustment, along with the reckoning of the 2300-day prophecy, helped explain the "tarrying time" before the great disappointment.

Interestingly, another pioneer, O.R.L. Crozier, using Edson's notes, proposed an alternative starting point of 723 BC, coinciding with the captivity of Hoshea, king of Israel 2 Kings 17, which would lead to a termination in 1798 AD. This suggested a changing of the dates on the chart to terminate in 1798.

Significance in Early Adventism

The 2520 prophecy was considered one of the foundational prophetic periods during the Millerite movement, alongside the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 and other periods like the 1260, 1290, and 1335 days of Daniel 7 and 12. These calculations gave a powerful impetus to the Advent movement and focused expectations on the year 1844.

Discontinuation in Seventh-day Adventism

Following the Great Disappointment in 1844, the understanding and emphasis on the 2520 prophecy changed within the nascent Seventh-day Adventist movement.

  • Bates' View: Joseph Bates initially used the 2520 as evidence that probation had closed.

  • Edson's Unmatured Ideas: Hiram Edson suggested changing the dates on the chart to terminate in 1798 and offered a spiritualized interpretation of other prophecies, but his ideas regarding the 2520 were considered "broken, unmatured" and were not widely adopted by other pioneers.

  • Smith's Rejection: Uriah Smith, an influential early Adventist pioneer, eventually argued that the 2520 was not an actual time prophecy at all. He contended that the phrase "seven times" in Leviticus 26 referred to the severity of punishment, not a chronological period, similar to how "seven times hotter" is used in Daniel 3:19. He also pointed out that "seven times" in Daniel 4 referring to Nebuchadnezzar, was used in a literal narration, not prophetically Daniel 4:16, 23, 25, 32. He suggested that if "seven times" were a time prophecy, its multiple repetitions in Leviticus 26 would lead to an impossibly long chastisement of 10,080 years.

Smith's view became the standard in Seventh-day Adventism, and the 2520 prophecy ceased to be taught as a legitimate time prophecy within the church. The focus instead remained firmly on the 2300-day prophecy of Daniel 8:14 which was understood to have concluded in 1844 with the beginning of Christ's ministry in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. The correctness of the prophetic periods ending in 1844 was affirmed, with the understanding that the error lay in the event expected, not the time itself.

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