Hosea’s Prophecy of the Two Thousand Years for Israel’s Restoration!

Hosea 5:14-15; 6:1-3 States:

For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

These verses in Hosea are very interesting. They begin by speaking of the judgments that would first come upon Ephraim (or the Northern Tribes of Israel) and then upon Judah. These judgments were during the time when Israel was a divided kingdom. They began with the Assyrian conquest (which represents the lion) and then the Babylonian conquest, which would come later (which represents the young lion—that would grow into maturity in time—and thus the later conquest).

A Hidden Prophetic Message

But as we will see, God often adds a prophetic and hidden message overlapping His words, which also speak of other coming events. For it is within this prophecy that we find the Lord saying:

I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

We see the Lord declaring that He will “return” to His place. Then we find Israel saying that after two days the Lord will revive them and that on the third day, He will raise them up.

What we see in these verses is a prophetic word placed upon other prophetic words. The prophecies regarding the lion and young lion have already come to pass in the judgments of Israel. The Jews were dispersed from their land and later came back in the days of Cyrus, the king of Persia, who issued a decree allowing the Jews to return and rebuild their temple. But although these judgments were referenced here—they were not two days long. So why does Hosea prophesy in the Word of God: “After two days will he revive us”?

Notice these Scriptures in 2 Peter 3:2-9, that speak specifically of the Last Days:

“That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

Peter is saying that in the last days scoffers will come, denying the Lord’s return. It is in this very context that Peter goes on to say that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

This Scripture clearly shows the connection to a prophetic day being one thousand years. Notice how Peter actually says it twice, which can be taken as a reference to two days or two thousand years.

So what are the two days, and when did they begin?

These two days are clearly another time of judgment upon Israel. As the Scripture of Hosea says, “I, even I, will tear and go away…”

There are three thoughts on when these two days (or two thousand years) began:

1) They began at the time of Christ’s birth.

This really doesn’t have any scriptural merit, as there is nothing in the prophecy of Hosea that even hints at it. Besides this, two thousand years have already passed since the birth of Christ.

2) They began at Jesus’ crucifixion.

Now this explanation seems to have merit. After all, the prophecy states: “I will go and return to my place,” which appears to apply to the Lord’s resurrection and ascension. But this explanation does not take into account that the prophecy in Hosea specifically speaks of a tearing regarding the nation of Israel. Again, it states: “I, even I, will tear and go away.” This did not happen at the time of Jesus’ ascension back to Heaven. Also, as will be discussed below, the Lord uses the 360-day year in Bible prophecy. So given this fact, the two days or two thousand years have already passed from Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension, according to the 360-day biblical calendar year.

3) The 2,000 years began at the judgment of the Jewish Nation for the rejection of their Messiah. This interpretation is correct, and here’s the reason why…

It is important to read the words of Hosea from a Jewish point of view. There has been a judgment; there has been a tearing. The Jewish people are crying out and saying, “After two days will he revive us.” So the Jews are specifically referencing a time when they were torn. This is the context. And it’s the reason why the Jews, to this day, cry at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. You see, it’s because of this tearing of two thousand years that the Jewish people are saying: “he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.”

This third interpretation is the only solid, biblical explanation for the beginning of the prophesied two thousand years found in Hosea.

So when, in fact, did this two-thousand-year tearing of the Jewish people begin? Let’s look at two scenarios:

1) In the Year 70 AD

What seems to be the most obvious answer would be at the destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 AD. This is a well-known date in history and it fulfills the words of Jesus, as He said in Matthew 21:43:

“Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”

For 70 AD is the time when the Jews were conquered by the Romans and scattered from their land. It has only been in these Last Days (in 1948) that the Jews came back into their land, according to numerous Bible prophecies.

2) In the Year 66 AD

However, we must also consider these words of Jesus in Luke 21:20-22 (speaking of Israel’s tearing and the soon coming destruction of the temple and the city):

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”

It is recorded that when the Romans came to destroy Jerusalem, they actually came twice, four years apart. (Both events are documented in historical accounts.) The first time, the Romans surrounded the city in 66 AD. But then, amazingly, they left. This gave the opportunity for those who believed Jesus’ words of warning to escape (and some did). Four years later, in 70 AD, the Romans returned and surrounded the city again (besieging it) and this time they destroyed Jerusalem, in fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:2:

“There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

But notice the words that Jesus spoke: “…when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies,” as well as: “these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”

So by this Scripture, we could look at the beginning of Israel’s tearing as being when the Romans first surrounded Jerusalem, in 66 AD. Jesus, therefore, would have been referring to this event as the first sign of Jerusalem’s destruction. This would be fitting for the 66 AD date, because Jesus was giving a warning that they might escape. Indeed, history recorded that those who heeded Jesus’ words did, in fact, flee. He said, “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out.” Jesus was speaking of Jerusalem, so when He said, “let them which are in the midst of it depart out,” it could only have significance during the first siege of 66 AD, as they still had the opportunity to escape. By 70 AD, it would have been too late, because the Romans laid siege to Jerusalem for five months before destroying the city. So Jesus was giving this sign, in order that those who would heed His warning may be delivered from the coming destruction. Would this not have been a significant event for the early church to look for, as a warning of Jerusalem’s pending destruction?

For Jesus was speaking of this first sign of the armies surrounding Jerusalem in 66 AD. This led up to the later destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, in 70 AD. And Jesus stated that these are the “days” of vengeance so that all that was written (for example, the prophecy of Hosea) may be fulfilled.

So we could look at the beginning of the tearing of Israel as either 66 AD or 70 AD.

Now the prophecy of Hosea clearly states that the time of this tearing will be two days, or as we have seen, two thousand years. (It is noteworthy that Israel as a nation has never suffered such a tearing that has lasted two thousand years, except for this current time period.) Then the Lord will restore Israel and raise her up “in the third day,” or at the beginning of the Millennium itself.

The 360-Day Prophetic Biblical Year

This is where things get a little tricky. How do we calculate 2,000 years? What calendar does God use for His years? Many people fail to look at these questions when looking at Bible prophecy. Our calendar is the Gregorian calendar, and a year is 365.2425 days (calculating for leap years). Not a very round number, is it? I wonder why our calendar, which correctly goes by the sun, is so strange? Why would a year be 365.2425 days? Perhaps before the flood in the days of Noah, it wasn’t this way. Surely something happened to the earth in those days, for the Lord said in Genesis 8:22:

“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Could it be that the earth was altered from its axis in those days, at which time the seasons of “cold and heat, and summer and winter” came into being?

Whatever the case may be, we know for certain that biblical prophecy is not calculated by our Gregorian calendar year of 365.2425 days. The Bible goes by the ancient Lunar calendar, which is a 360-day year. This calendar was also used by the ancient Jews. The calendar was adjusted at times for the days needed to make it work, but it was indeed, a 360-day year.

For we see in Scripture that Daniel prophesied to the day that the Messiah would be cut off (or killed), using this 360-day year (Daniel 9:25-26). The timetable for the decree to rebuild Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the Prince, has been shown to be exactly 483 (360-day) years to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion in 32 AD. If the modern Gregorian calendar had been applied to the days of this prophecy, it would have had the year that the Messiah was cut off as being around 39 AD. And we know Jesus was not crucified in or around that year.

Another reason for the 360-day prophetic year is seen in the book of Revelation (which proves God still counts the 360-day year prophetically!). Notice these verses:

“But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:2-3).

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (Revelation 12:6).

“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 (Revelation 12:14).

“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months” (Revelation 13:4-5).

All of these verses refer to The Great Tribulation. It is called “a time, and times, and half a time,” “forty and two months” and “a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” So a time, and times, and half a time is equal to 3.5 years. This is the same for the 42 months. But notice the days: they are 1,260 days! That matches perfectly with a 360-day biblical year (3.5 x 360 = 1,260). If we were to calculate this with our current Gregorian calendar, then 3.5 years would be 1,278 days and not the biblical (correct) 1,260 days.

The calculation of the 360-day year for biblical prophecy is a scriptural blueprint for determining how the Lord counts a year or years.

Now let’s get back to our “two days” of Hosea.

Applying the Biblical 2,000 Years

Let’s first convert 2,000 biblical years into our modern calendar:

2,000 biblical years = 2,000 x 360 = 720,000 days.

Now we’ll convert these 720,000 days into our Gregorian calendar, so we can calculate its date.

720,000 days divided by 365.2425 (Gregorian) years = 1971.29 years (with acknowledgment of leap years).

So 2,000 biblical years = 1971.29 of our Gregorian calendar years.

Starting from the Year 70 AD

Let’s now add this to the beginning of the time of Israel’s tearing. So we start with the destruction of the temple on August 4, 70 AD.

August 4th is 215 days into the year, or .59 percent (rounded up from .588). So let’s use 70.59 AD for this date.

We start with this the date of the destruction of the temple, 70.59 AD + 1971.29 (which is 2,000 biblical years) = the year 2041.88.

So let’s use the end of the year 2041 or by 2042 as the fulfillment of the two thousand years and the beginning of the third day (or of the Millennium itself), when the Jews say in Hosea: “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”

Now we know that according to the Bible, the Rapture happens before the Tribulation, for the Word (in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, among many other Scriptures) declares that we, as believers, are rescued from the wrath to come. And we know that the Tribulation is seven years, leading up to the Millennium (the time after the Rapture when Jesus returns with His saints and sets His feet on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. This event is referred to as The Second Advent). So the Rapture would happen at least 7 years back from this date of 2041.88. It could happen even earlier, and this is why Jesus said in Matthew 25:14:

“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

But if we take 2041.88—and subtract the 7 years of the Tribulation—we arrive at 2034.88.

One would also need to correlate the 360-day year to these 7 years as well; and that would only be about a thirty-day difference in the calculation, making the year 2034.96 or by 2035.

But the thought is: the Rapture of Christians would then be by the year 2035, if we take the beginning of the tearing of Israel at 70.59 AD.

Starting from the year 66 AD

Now let’s take the beginning of the tearing of Israel when Jesus first mentioned the armies (referring to the Romans) surrounding Jerusalem, from 66 AD.

When we calculate the two days (2,000 years) from 66 AD, we simply back up our time by 4 years. This would put our year at:

2034.96 (date calculated for 70 AD) – 4 years (to start from 66 AD) = 2030.96.

But we must also consider that the day in 66 AD was not August 4^th (as the 70 AD date) but a little over 3 months later, on November 17th. We need to add this time in:

2030.96 plus 105 days = the year 2031.28.

This would make the Rapture take place before or around the spring of 2031.

I’m not attempting to get so precise as to reveal an exact date; for when you get into the calculation of days by percentages, it can get very complicated. Again, this is why Jesus said that no man knows the day or the hour. However, we can surely know the specific season. My intent is to reveal the late time we are living in, during these very Last Days. As mentioned, the Rapture of the saints could happen at any time. But this study demonstrates a time frame by which it would happen, before other end-time events come into play.

Either way you look at it—this is good news! Let the whole body of Christ say, “Maranatha!” (1 Corinthians 16:22).

For “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

In Christ Jesus,

Richard O. Webb
September 22, 2025
HeartoftheLord.org