Is there any extrabiblical apocalyptic literature which uses a time period symbolically?
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In apocalyptic works, such as Revelation or the later chapters of Daniel, there is often vivid imagery meant to symbolize other things, especially real-world events (either historical or future). Given the cryptic nature of such passages, they are often the subject of many diverse and conflicting interpretations.
One of the most famous such disputes is over the 1000-year period in Revelation 20, which most premillennialists and some postmillennialists take a literal duration of time for the described period, while others take the length of time as symbolic.
**My question is whether there is precedent for a vision containing of a definite period of time, where the duration is clearly intended by the author to be taken nonliterally.** As far as I am aware, there is no passage in the biblical apocalyptic texts which mentions a definite period of time such that Christians *uncontroversially* interpret the duration nonliterally. However, I am largely unfamiliar with extra biblical apocalyptic literature. There is a lot of it preserved from the intertestamental period and first couple of centuries AD, but of this the only portions I read are the Septuagint's additions to Esther and the Shepherd of Hermas. **I am looking for any example of an apocalyptic book with these three properties:**
1. Has a definite period of time described in the vision, i.e. with a number and a clear unit, such as "1000 years" or "42 months", or whatever number and unit of time;
2. The intended meaning of that definite period of time is made explicit somewhere in the book. (If there is an alternative means by which the intended meaning could be clear and uncontested, that would also be acceptable);
3. The length of time of the real period of time does not correspond to the time period given in the vision. I am especially interested to see any example where there isn't a correspondence of one unit of time with another, such as days in the vision equally years in real life.
(Such a book, of course, ought to be one which might be found in a Christian context, i.e. either written by Christians for Christians or originating from intertestamental Judaism.)
Something that isn't a period of time being used for a period of time is not what I am looking for, such as the cows representing years in Genesis 41:3-4. However, it would be a valid example if a time interval were symbolic for something nontemporal, such as 7 years in the vision representing 7 cows in real life.
Asked by Dark Malthorp
(6797 rep)
Feb 21, 2026, 02:24 PM
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Last activity: Feb 23, 2026, 04:42 AM