Iyar 28th on the Jewish calendar marks the day Jerusalem was re-united, and the Jewish people regained control of the Old City in June of 1967. In that year, Iyar 28th fell on June 7th. Could it be that the miraculous events of June 7, 1967, were foretold by the ancient prophet Daniel? In his book, Restoring Abrahamic Faith, Dr. James Tabor (2008) presents a compelling argument that the “completely unanticipated capture of the Old City of Jerusalem by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War…appears to provide a rather remarkable ‘benchmark’ of prophetic fulfillment” (p. 92).
Tabor shows that the capture of Jerusalem on June 7, 1967 / Iyar 28, 5727 coincides precisely with an ancient event that took place 2300 years earlier. Tabor (2008) stated, “the Persian defeat by Alexander the Great, on June 7, 334 B.C.E. (Artemisius 28th on the Olympiad Calendar), began 2300 years of hostile Gentile domination of Jerusalem” (p.93). As Tabor (2008) puts it, “the fact that the entire Temple Mount, including the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, came under Jewish control on that very day, in that very year, June 7, 1967, is rather uncanny” (p.93). Uncanny indeed. Why so?
The Hebrew prophet Daniel spoke of a he-goat that would defeat a ram. This would be followed by Gentile domination of Jerusalem by Gentiles, but after the 2300 days were over there would be a “vindication” (Daniel Chapter 8). Scholars agree that the “he-goat” represents Greece, and the “ram” represents Persia. Students of prophecy have often interpreted the “days” of Daniel’s prophecy as “years.” Tabor (2008) shows that in 1825, Methodist minister, Adam Clarke, predicted the restoration of Jerusalem with close accuracy. He missed by one year, presumably because he “made a mistake in math moving from B.C.E. to C.E., neglecting to add the extra year required (there is no year zero)” (Tabor, p. 92-92).
Did Daniel see the June 7, 1967 events in his day? Let the reader ponder.
References & Additional Reading
Tabor, J.D. (2008). Restoring Abrahamic Faith (3rd ed.). Charlotte, NC: Genesis 2000. Restoring Abrahamic Faith is currently out of print, but this popular book is being revised.