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.
I heard the man clothed in linen ... when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven. Usually the right hand was held up in affirmation as an appeal to heaven to attest the truth (Deuteronomy 32:40; Revelation 10:5-6). Here both hands are lifted up for the fuller confirmation.
And aware by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half - (see note, Daniel 7:25). Newton, referring this prophecy to the Eastern apostasy, Mohammedanism, remarks that the same period of three and a half years, or 1,260 prophetic days, is assigned to it as is assigned to the Western apostasy of the little horn (Daniel 7:25); and so, says Prideaux, Mohammed began to forge his imposture, retiring to his cave 606 AD, the very year that Phocas made the grant to the Bishop of Rome, whence he assumed the title, The Universal Pastor; Antichrist thus setting both feet on Christendom together, the one in the east and the other in the west. Three and a half is the time of the world-power in which the earthly kingdoms rule over the heavenly (Auberlen). 'Three and a half' represents the idea of spiritual trial (besides this certain symbolical meaning, there is doubtless an accurate chronological meaning, which is as yet to us uncertain); it is half of 'seven,' the complete number, so a semi-perfect state, one of probation. The holy city is trodden by the Gentiles 42 months (Revelation 11:2); so the exercise of the power of the beast (Revelation 13:5) was limited to "forty and two months." The two witnesses preach in sackcloth 1,260 days, and remain unburied three days and a half; so the woman in the wilderness "hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days," and also that she should be there "nourished for a time, times, and half a time" (Revelation 11:3; Revelation 11:9; Revelation 11:11; Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:14).
Forty-two connects the Church with Israel, whose haltings in the wilderness were 42 (Numbers 33:1-50). The famine and drought on Israel in Elijah's days were for "three years and six months" (Luke 4:25; James 5:17); the same period as Antiochus' persecution (note, Daniel 8:4); so the ministry of Christ, the Man of Sorrows (made "sin" for us) which ceased "in the midst of the week" (Daniel 9:27). (Wordsworth, 'Apocalypses') Accordingly, the duration of Antichrist, "the man of sin," is to be three and a half years.
And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. "Accomplished" here answers to "even until the consummation" (Daniel 9:27) - namely, the "pouring out" of the last dregs of the curse on the 'desolated' "holy people." Israel's lowest humiliation (the utter 'scattering of her power') is the precursor of her exaltation, as it leads her to seek her God and Messiah (Matthew 23:39).