The exploration of a potential year for Christ’s second coming draws upon a variety of ancient and prophetic sources, each contributing to the larger eschatological narrative found in both biblical and extra-biblical texts. Among the most significant of these is the Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish text that includes the "Dream of Beasts" (chapters 89 and 90), which presents a symbolic vision involving seventy shepherds who govern and oppress the people of Israel. These shepherds represent rulers or empires, and their timeframes, when interpreted in conjunction with other biblical prophecies, such as the Book of Revelation, the Epistle of Barnabas, and the Second Book of Enoch, suggest a pattern leading to a climactic moment in history—the second coming of Christ and the final judgment.
In eschatological traditions, there is a long-standing expectation of a second coming of Christ, followed by a millennium of peace, as described in Revelation. This millennium is often viewed as a literal thousand-year period that precedes the final judgment and the renewal of the world. Various interpretations have attempted to place the timeline of these events within the broader scope of human history, often using symbolic and prophetic frameworks from ancient texts. One such framework is the "Dream of Beasts," which provides a structure that, when calculated, offers insight into when this divine intervention might take place.
The first step in this reasoning begins with a close examination of the seventy shepherds from the Book of Enoch, whose rule reflects distinct periods of history. The shepherds are linked to historical events, with a particular focus on the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel around 740 BCE. This event marks the beginning of the shepherds’ period of rule, representing a time of oppression and foreign domination over Israel. The idea then arises to assign each shepherd a tenure of forty years, a traditional biblical timeframe often associated with trial and testing. This symbolic period allows for the creation of a consistent chronological framework for the seventy shepherds.
With each shepherd’s rule lasting forty years, the total duration of the seventy shepherds spans 2,800 years (70 x 40). Starting from the Assyrian conquest in 740 BCE, this timeline leads to the calculation that the seventy shepherds' period would end around 2060 AD. This timeframe suggests that the seventy shepherds’ rule, representing periods of oppression and human governance, would culminate in a significant eschatological event—potentially the second coming of Christ.
To support this calculation, the Ten Weeks prophecy from Second Enoch is introduced, which divides world history into ten symbolic weeks, culminating in the final judgment. The prophecy suggests that the complete span of history from Adam to the Last Judgment is 7,000 years, with the tenth week marking the end of human history and the final judgment. If the final judgment is anticipated around 3000 AD, then the millennium of Christ’s peace, as described in Revelation, could plausibly begin around 2000 to 2100 AD. This fits neatly with the calculation of the end of the seventy shepherds in 2060 AD.
Other eschatological sources, such as the Epistle of Barnabas, also support the idea of a Millennium of peace after 6,000 years of human history, reinforcing the expectation of a millennial reign before the final judgment. These texts collectively provide a consistent framework for understanding the 2060 AD calculation as a reasonable estimate for the second coming of Christ and the beginning of the millennium.
Thus, through a combination of symbolic timelines, historical events, and eschatological prophecies, the conclusion is drawn that 2060 AD may mark the end of the seventy shepherds' rule and the beginning of Christ’s divine reign. This date represents a significant moment within the prophetic traditions, as it symbolizes the transition from human governance and oppression to a period of peace and divine justice, as foretold in various ancient texts.
Reasoning by Stephen D Green, wording by ChatGPT, 2024
