a time, times, and half a time
Daniel 12:7
And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Mireille Hadas-Lebel
“The three and a half year duration for the whole of the revolt — that the aggadic tradition confounds with its most significant event, the siege of Bethar — seems to be a topos residing in the exegesis of Daniel 12: 7: “a time, times and half a time.” However, this is not far from the reality when we consider the duration of the siege of Jerusalem (from 66 to 70 C.E.), or the war of Ben Kozba (from 131 to 134 or from 132 to 135 C.E. according to various evaluations). This later dating would indeed appear to be confirmed by the discoveries at Wadi Marrabaat. The most recent document (n 30) is an act of sale dated 21 Tishri (september-october) in the year 4 of Israel’s Redemption.” (Israel Against Rome, p. 180)
James Vernon Bartlett
“So far we have set forth the message of the Apocalypse as it was meant to influence Christian conduct at the point where the tension of faith was most sorely felt. The constant ” asides,” or parentheses pointing the moral of the drama of the near future, as it unfolds its pictures of warning and of glorious compensation, show the seer’s deep solicitude that what he had seen should brace his brethren to the heroism of faith requisite to stand the dreadful strain which he expected to increase every day. For during an indefinite interval—” time, times, and half a time “—” the patience of the Saints” was to be tried, ere the Parousia stilled the raging of the Beast and brought the great Rest of the Messianic Reign. But his work also affords indirect but priceless evidence as to the religious situation within the churches best known to him. And to this attention must now be (The Apostolic Age)