The prophet Daniel understood that the prophetic days which were revealed to him were actually years. He realized that if they were literal days; the prophecies would have been fulfilled in his lifetime. Since nothing of significance happened on the timeline in which literal days fell; he knew that the days which were revealed to him had to be of another duration.

We learn from the following verses that the prophetic days which were revealed to Daniel were actually years.

Numbers 14:34 "After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise."

Ezekiel 4:5 "For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 4:6 "And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year."

After this revelation of Ezekiel , when "days" are spoken of in a prophetic sense, they should be looked upon as Hebrew or Solar years, unless the context of the verse clearly indicates otherwise.

Hebrews used a lunar Calendar of 360 days while in Babylon which is .9857 Solar years. The .9857 Solar year is used only for interpreting Old Testament prophecy.

The Solar year of 365.24 days is the measurement of New Testament prophecy. Hence, John was under Roman rule and used a Solar calendar. A year of 365.24 days should be used for interpreting New Testament prophecy.

Matthew Henry "Commentary on the Whole Bible" Vol VI, p 1157, col 1, par II: "...time of their (the two witnesses) prophesying, or bearing witness for Christ. A thousand two hundred and three score days ...and if the beginning of that interval could be ascertained, this number of prophetic days, taking a day for a year, would give us a prospect of when the end should be."

So we understand a prophetic day = a year!

But 2nd Peter speaks of another length of time for the duration of a day. God doesn't contradict Himself. So if the prophetic days of Daniel are equal to years how do we reconcile the duration of time in 2nd Peter?

2 Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one he_mera is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one hemera."

The Greek word used here for 'day' is 'hemera' (Strong's 2250g) which can be translated as day, year, age, while, or "time" depending on the context of the verse and surrounding verses. In the NASB, He_mera is translated "time" in 12 places: Luke 1:39, 6:2, 23:7; Acts 1:15, 5:36, 6:1, 7:41, 9:37, 11:27, 21:38, and Hebrews 12:10.

Since there is nothing in the context of 2 Peter 3:8 and the surrounding verses to determine the translation "time" is as valid a translation here as anywhere else.

Consequently, the duration of "time" is a thousand years and a thousand years is as a "time."

Furthermore, we have indicated from Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:5, and Ezekiel 4:6 that a prophetic "day" is equal to a year!

Now consider the verse found in Revelation 12:14

"...and to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent."

Let's examine "a time, and times, and half a time."

The Bible is full of idiomatic language. Here are a few important examples to illuminate the point of which I bring to your attention.

2 Kings 6:10 "And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice."

Job 33:14 "For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not."

Job 40:5 "Once have I spoken, but I will not answer: yea, twice, but I will proceed no further."

Psalm 62:11 "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God."

It is highly likely that Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:7, and Revelation 12:14 utilize idiomatic language. Hence, "a time, and times, and half a time" isn't three and a half times.

Consequently, the verse uses idiomatic language which indicates "a time, a second time, and a half a time" for a total of 2 1/2 times not 3 1/2 times.

Revelation 12:14 "..and to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and hafl a time, from the face of the serpent."

In Daniel's time, the northern kingdom of Israel had been dispersed for over 150 years! Consequently, the people to whom Daniel's prophecies were directed were to the Jews of the Southern kingdom conquered and held in captivity in Babylon.

The major deportation of the people of the northern kingdom of Israel occurred in 724 B.C. Samaria fell in 722 BC two years before the major deportation of Israelites in 724 BC.

The language of Revelation 12:14 'might fly into the wilderness' pins us to the major deportation of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

"a time, and times, and half a time" would be 2500 years! The lost tribes of Israel would disappear for 2500 years and finally emerge.

2500 - 724 = 1776

It is highly likely that America is the "wilderness" in which God has hidden Ephraim for time, times, and a half time!

Genesis 48:19 "...he [Manasseh] shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but...[Ephraim] shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations."

Hos 1:10 "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea...in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God."

Hos: 2:16 "And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi [Husband]; and shalt call me no more Baali [Master].

Hos 8:8 "Israel is swallowed up now shall they be among the Gentiles..."

Hos 11:10 "They [Ephraim] shall walk after the LORD...then the children shall tremble from the west."

Additional verses for study: Hos 1:10-12; Hos 2:14-16; Hos 2:19-20, Hos 2:23; Hos 3:5; Hos 7:8; Hos 9:13-17; Hos 11:8-10