Chapter 11: Hamas and the Palestinians

   Chapter 11: Hamas and the Palestinians

Article 11 of the Hamas Covenant states: “Palestine is an Islamic Waqf land consecrated for Moslem generations until Judgement Day”. Hamas and radical Islam therefore see the Islamic domination of the land of Israel as required in order that the last day can come. Article 13 continues: “As in said in the honourable Hadith: "The people of Syria are Allah's lash in His land. He wreaks His vengeance through them””. The Palestinians are therefore open to help from the latter day Syrians- the Islamic State, who are clearly empowering Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The Hebrew word 'khamas' is the equivalent for the Arabic 'hamas'; it means strength, violence. And we find that this was the word used to characterize the situation in the earth / land at the time of Noah. God intervened because the earth / land promised to Abraham was filled with such hamas. We know from New Testament allusion that the situation at the time of Noah is typical of the last days before Christ's coming; the call is to take refuge in the ark of Christ by baptism into Him. The Hebrew word hamas is quite common in Scripture, and the usages speak of how God is provoked by hamas to bring judgment upon the enemies of His people (Gen. 6:11-13; Mic. 6:12; Zeph. 1:9) and also to intervene in order to save His people (Ps. 18:49; Ps. 72:14). How amazingly appropriate that an organization actually called hamas has arisen in these last days to do violence to Israel! If Biblical history means anything to us, clearly enough God's intervention in appropriate judgment and salvation cannot be far off. Note how Hagar's persecution of Sarah- typical of the Arab-Jew conflict- is described as her hamas (Gen. 16:5).


The military arm of Hamas is the Qassam Brigades; kassam in Arabic means ‘divider’, another allusion to the feet part of iron and part of clay, when the Kingdom of Israel’s oppressors shall be “divided” (Dan. 2:41). Hamas means ‘strong’, and the Gaza strip / Hamas controlled area will be part of the final strong / weak, iron / clay entity that briefly dominates the land according to Daniel 2.


Not only does hamas mean ‘strong’. Gaza, their effective capital for the moment, is the Arabic form of the Hebrew word az, ‘strong’, and again connects with the idea of some elements of the latter day entity of Daniel 2 being ‘strong’ and others weak. It is the same Hebrew word used to describe how Israel’s latter day enemy will be “a nation of fierce [az] face” (Dt. 28:50), led by “a king of fierce [az] face” (Dan. 8:23); the fierce nation will be epitomized and embodied in their fierce king, just as the dominating entity of Daniel 2 is embodied in the form of an individual man. The nation with the face of Gaza is forming itself for the final showdown- before our eyes. The Philistines appear to have had their centre of operations in Gaza, at least at the time of Samson (Jud. 16). And the Palestinians likewise. It’s clear that the Palestinian Hamas movement based in Gaza is the equivalent of the Old Testament Philistines who were based in the same city. Jer. 25:20 continues the relevance of Gaza to the feet of iron and clay, partly strong and partly weak, mixed together in the final system which dominates the land; for we read there that Gaza is inhabited by “the mingled [Heb. ereb , cp. ‘Arab’] people”.

The ‘Palestinians’ were historically destroyed not by Israel but by the king of the north: “Howl, gate! Cry, city! You are melted away, Philistia, all of you; for smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks” (Is. 14:31). Historically, God seems to prefer to provoke division and confusion amongst Israel’s enemies so that they turn on themselves and self-destruct. The horns hate the whore riding the beast, and there are many other hints at such a scenario in the last days. The King of the North, a re-formed Babylon, or Assyria redivivus, will likely end up conflicting with Hamas, or the final rulers of Gaza, and likewise destroying them.


The prophecy of Zeph. 2:4-13 must be given due weight:

"Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod's people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left. And you, O seacoast, shall be pastures, with meadows for shepherds and folds for flocks. The seacoast shall become the possession of the remnant of the house of Judah, on which they shall graze, and in the houses of Ashkelon they shall lie down at evening. For the LORD their God will intervene for them and restore their fortunes. I have heard the taunts of Moab and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people and made boasts against their territory. Therefore, as I live, declares the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them. This shall be their lot in return for their pride, because they taunted and boasted against the people of the LORD of hosts. The LORD will be awesome against them; for he will famish all the gods of the earth, and to him shall bow down, each in its place, all the lands of the nations. You also, O Cushites, shall be slain by my sword. And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, and he will make Nineveh a desolation, a dry waste like the desert".

The "seacoasts" are a very small geographical area. This prophecy has never had such a fulfilment- but God's word will come true. The final victory in the area, however, will be by a "remnant" of Israel, suggesting the majority perish in the last days, just as required in Zech. 14. The fate of Gaza is connected with that of Ashkelon, which is currently in Israeli hands. It would appear that this city must briefly be taken by the Palestinians / Philistines. We note too that the Palestinians / Philistines in Gaza are connected with the people of Cush [North African Moslems, many of whom are fighting for the Islamic State at this time], Moab and Ammon [Jordan / Kurdistan], and a latter day Assyria [which is reforming in the form of the Islamic State / ISIS]. The connection between these groups and Hamas in Gaza is clearly established. The destruction of the 'coastlands', the Gaza Strip, is prophesied as being due to a direct Divine 'intervention'; and that surely speaks of the return of Christ to save the remnant of Israel. The 'remnant' is a term used in Bible prophecy not merely with reference to a numerical minority within Israel, but specifically to the righteous, repentant remnant. The picture seems to be of Israel being crushed militarily until a remnant remain, who repent and turn to Christ. And then He appears for their salvation and the final destruction of their enemies. It's not good news for secular Israel, whatever short term military victories they may achieve in their own strength.

Bible Prophecy Psalm 83

Many Bible prophecies describe a great invasion of Israel which will occur around the time of Christ's return. Psalm 83 describes the nations surrounding Israel becoming a confederacy against her, declaring "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance...Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession" (Ps.83:4,5,12). Notice that this latter-day invasion of Israel is to come when Israel is a nation. Their present revival as a nation is therefore a necessary to this great final invasion of the nation.

The Bible shows that the Arab nations, though disunited, see a common enemy in Israel and plot for her downfall. This is clearly seen in Psalm 83.

“They have taken crafty counsel against thy (God’s) people…They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent; they are confederate against thee”. Who? “The tabernacles of Edom (Esau) and the Ishmaelites, and of Moab…” Psalm 83:3-6

The attitude of Israel's invaders outlined in Psalm 83 is exactly matched by the attitude of Israel's Arab neighbours of today. They constantly declare their unforgiving hatred of Israel, demanding Jerusalem for themselves as a holy, Islamic city. The Psalm goes on to describe how their aggression will be ended by God's dramatic intervention, with the result that His Kingdom is established world-wide (Ps.83:13-18).




Many other prophecies describe this same sequence of events: Israel's invasion by her Arab, Northern and other enemies, resulting in God's intervention through Christ's return to establish the Kingdom (e.g. Ezekiel chapters 38-40; Dan.11:40-45).


Zech.14:2-4 is among the clearest of them: "I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken (cp. Lk.21:24), the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile,...then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle (i.e. He will miraculously intervene in world affairs as He has done previously). And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east".

The Arab nations have consistently sought to “cut Israel off from being a nation”.

The Arab nations tried in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973 to destroy Israel. Their intentions were in complete accord with the prophecy of Psalm 83 which describes peoples who live in the territories known today as Jordan, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia. The Psalmist says:

“They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.” (verse 4)


There is no indication in this psalm that they succeed in overthrowing Israel, as has been borne out in every Arab-Israeli war to date.

Daniel 7 - The Prophecy of Four Beasts

Daniel 7 - The Prophecy of Four Beasts

A few years later, Daniel was shown another vision (Daniel 7:1-8) about four great beasts arising out of the sea. In verses 17-18 we are given the explanation that these four beasts are four kings or kingdoms that would arise out of the earth, and after them, the saints of the Most High will receive and possess the kingdom for ever. Certainly there is a relationship between the four parts of Nebuchadnezzar's image in Daniel 2 (which indicated the four world empires that would arise before God's Kingdom) and these four beasts in chapter 7.

In Daniel 7 we read of four great beasts arising out of the sea. The first beast was like a lion (v.4) and it corresponds to the head of Nebuchadnezzar's image, representing the Babylonian Empire. The next beast was like a bear and it related to the breast and arms of the image (the Medo-Persian Empire). The third beast was like a leopard (v.6), which corresponds to the belly and thighs of the image (the Grecian Empire). Next we read of a fourth beast (vs.7-8) which relates to the two legs of the image (the Roman Empire). This last beast was "terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong" indicating the great power of the Roman Empire, and it had "ten horns" showing that it would eventually be divided between ten kings or nations.¹ As Daniel watched, three of the horns (the Vandals, Lombards, and Huns) were plucked up by the roots or destroyed when another little horn (the Holy Roman Empire) came up among them. This little horn had eyes and a mouth, and spoke great things (vs.19-20).

Since Daniel wanted to know more about this fourth beast, he was told in verses 19-27 that the beast would have teeth of iron and claws of bronze, indicating the large geographical area this beast would powerfully dominate. In Nebuchadnezzar's image iron was linked to the Roman Empire and bronze to the Grecian Empire. Thus this fourth beast would incorporate the authority and dominion of both empires.

Daniel was also told that the little horn on this beast will speak words against the Most High and it will make war on the saints and prevail over them for a "time, two times and half a time" (v.25) or 1260 years.² After this period, the "Ancient of Days'' will come and the saints will receive the kingdom. Thus this prophecy indicated that a great power would arise out of the Roman dominion that would blaspheme God and persecute the saints for many years.

Up to this point then, we have found that Daniel 2 clearly indicates the four world empires that would arise, and Daniel 7 refers to these empires again, giving us more detail especially of the fourth empire (the Roman Empire). These two chapters of Daniel form the backbone for interpreting many of the prophecies in the Bible, and for this reason we have considered them first. The remaining prophecies will be studied on the basis of these clear prophecies in Daniel.

---

Footnotes:

1. The ten nations are: 1) Huns, 2) Vandals, 3) Visigoths, 4) Burgundians, 5) Gepidoe, 6) Lombards, 7) Franks, 8) Suevi, 9) Alans, 10) Bavarians. These nations became the rulers of the divided Roman dominion when the empire fell during the 5th century.

2. A time refers to a one-year cycle or 360 days. Two times would be 720 days, and a half a time, 180 days, thus giving a total of 1260 days. Since many prophetic time periods are based on one day representing one year (see Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:5-6; Daniel 9:24), the 1260 days here refer to 1260 years of the little horn's authority over the saints.

Amos 8:9 - The day of Yahweh

Amos 8:9 - At Noon

Amos 8:9 - And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:

With respect to the days that feature solar eclipses visible in Jerusalem, it will be the objective of this article to demonstrate how valuable this passage in Amos really is in narrowing down the possibilities for what will potentially be the Day of the LORD. I would like to mention in the beginning that this verse finds a fulfillment in the New Testament, during the first coming of Jesus Christ, on the day he died. Notice in Matthew 27:45 that “from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.” The sixth hour was noonday for the Jew, or in our vernacular, 12:00 PM, and it was dark from noonday until 3:00 PM, or the ninth hour. What caused it to be dark? Keep in mind that it was Passover on the day Jesus died, a day of a full moon, which was Nisan 14. A solar eclipse could have only occurred on a new moon, which occurs at the end of a Jewish month, either on the 29th or the 30th day. Therefore, since it was at least close to a full moon as far as the eye could tell, it is astronomically impossible that this was a solar eclipse that caused the darkness for three hours. A lunar eclipse does not explain the darkness either because the earth casts its shadow on the moon to cause the moon to darken. Therefore, what would be responsible for darkening the sun? The conclusion of the matter is this is a real miracle. There is no scientific explanation for it. Because of this miracle, it must be understood that God can always act outside the laws of space-time and the laws of planetary motion that he has established. Therefore, the conjectures that I have outlined are only valid under the assumption that God chooses to time this day according to the laws of planetary motion set forth.

The following exercise is to show the distance of the shadow created by the 8/2/2027 solar eclipse to the city of Jerusalem. The closer the shadow is to Jerusalem, the darker it will be. The darkest moment will occur at the minimum distance.

According to the above chart, the closest point of the shadow of the greatest eclipse to Jerusalem occurs precisely at 12:00 PM Israel Standard Time! I will emphasize that this is Standard Time. It will actually occur at 1:00 PM Daylight Time, but remember that Daylight Savings is an invention of man that does not apply to how God tracks time. At its closest proximity, 691.2636 kilometers, 12:00 PM is the darkest possible moment of the eclipse over Jerusalem. The shadow will not cause complete darkness over Jerusalem, but the light is withdrawn enough to the effect that “the light shall not be clear, nor dark.” Total darkness would actually occur in the middle of Egypt (isn't it interesting that Egypt is mentioned in verse 8 of the context? See below). 

Amos 8:8 - Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as [by] the flood of Egypt.

A flood can figuratively describe a mobilized army in Scripture. For an example, see Jeremiah 46:7-8. Noah's flood, what Christ likened his coming to, is a figure for all the world's armies being mobilized, an excellent figure for Armageddon. Russia will be the fierce king ruling Egypt at this point in time (Isaiah 19:4, Daniel 11:42), and will "drown" Israel by a flood (military invasion). The Israelites will be cast out of their land as a wandering bird cast out of her nest (Isaiah 16:2). The land will tremble because of the great earthquake. Christ intervenes to save them from Russia.

God said that he will cause the sun to go down at noon, and will darken the earth on a clear day. Comparing this verse to the language in Zechariah, “And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the light shall not be clear, [nor] dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night…” it becomes evident that the two prophecies are related to the same event. Combining the revelations of the prophets Amos and Zechariah, we can determine that the light shall not be clear, nor dark, not day, nor night, starting at noon, or 12:00 PM Israel Standard Time. How can we be sure that the event of the sun going down at noon is related to the light not being clear nor dark in Zechariah 14, and the sign of the Son of Man in heaven of Matthew 24? If we carefully study the parallel between the three prophecies in their contexts, we notice that all of them involve the mourning of the people afterward. 

The context of Zechariah 12 is emphatically clear that the Jews will recognize their Messiah by the wounds in his hands (verse 10), and realizing what they have done, their people go into a state of mourning. The mourning is stated to occur in Jerusalem, and compared to the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon (verse 11). Megiddo is where we derive the term "Armageddon", which means "a heap of sheaves in a valley for judgment". Christ will save the Jews during Armageddon (immediately after the tribulation of those days), by standing on the Mount of Olives on a day that the light is not clear, nor dark over Jerusalem. The mourning will occur during or just after the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall of 2027. Recall that in the past history of the Jews during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jews wept on the fall Feast of Trumpets (Nehemiah 8:2, 1st day of the 7th month) when they heard Ezra read them the law (Nehemiah 8:9). They were also mourning shortly after the Feast of Tabernacles (15th-22nd day of the 7th month) on the 24th day.

Nehemiah 8:18 - Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day [was] a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

Nehemiah 9:1 - Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

This, perhaps, is written as a historical type of what is to be fulfilled in the latter days.

Another unfulfilled Messianic prophecy that has a reference to the sun going down at noon is found in Isaiah 16. Consider:

Isaiah 16:1-5 - Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be, [that], as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, [so] the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.

The lamb, of course, is referring to Jesus Christ. The shadow of the solar eclipse occurs in the midst of the noonday. The darkness hides the outcasts, which are the Jews fleeing as fugitives from the land of Israel (Zechariah 14:5). They escape into Moab, which is one of the regions prophesied to be spared during Armageddon (Daniel 11:41). The spoiler of the land is Gog the king of the north, or Russia and her allies (Ezekiel 38:5-6). Shortly after Christ intervenes, the throne of David will be established in mercy, as well as judgment and righteousness.

One must begin to question how much this could be a mere coincidence that the inspired Word of God predicts that the sun will go down at noon, 12:00 PM, and the earth will be darkened. Just take a moment to fathom the fact that God has been keeping track of every minute of our history! Every minute! This scientific evidence of the timing of the darkest moment of the total solar eclipse in Jerusalem occurring at exactly 12:00 PM on 8/2/2027, coupled with the inspired Biblical statements of how the sky appears to be not clear, nor dark and not day, nor night, on the Day of the LORD, and God's promise to cause the sun to go down at noon, and make his shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday, is the basis for one accepting that August 2nd 2027 will be the Day of the LORD. This is the point where one’s faith is tested. Are the events prophesied in the Bible concerning the Day of the LORD really going to happen? If your answer is in the affirmative, then you must contend that these prophecies are histories written in advance. Therefore, could this be the exact day that Jesus Christ will stand on the Mount of Olives? If not this day, then what are the other possibilities?

The Latter Day Sign of Jonah

Light Not Clear Nor Dark

One of the most profound details given concerning the Day of the LORD is the condition of the sky. A description of the sun, moon, and stars is given in many parts of Scripture. Although they can symbolically refer to the positions of authority in the governments of the world, God intended them to be used for signs, and seasons, and days, and years (Genesis 1:14). This is God’s way of keeping track of the natural cycle of time. The motion of the heavenly bodies determines night and day, evening and morning, summer and winter, and when new months begin.

In reference to the prophet Zechariah in Chapter 14, there is a detailed description of the Day of the LORD. We know from other parts of the prophetic Word that the land of Israel is divided for gain (Daniel 11:39, Joel 3:2). This is done in attempt to maintain regional peace, however, Zechariah reveals that Israel is a “spoil” divided in the midst of the other nations. In Ezekiel Chapter 38, Gog is responsible for taking Israel for a spoil, and a prey. As a result, Jerusalem is sieged. Houses are rifled, and women are ravished. Half of the city goes forth into captivity (Zechariah 14:2). Two thirds of the Jews are killed in a massacre. From a human angle, especially to the unbelieving Jew in God’s promise to save them, all hope appears to be lost. It appears that God has forever abandoned Israel. This is a sentiment held my many Christians today. However, in spite of what appears to be a total annihilation of the Jews, God has promised to deliver them. The LORD will go forth into battle in the same manner as he did in the days of old. At the most tender, desperate moment, the LORD, manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ, stands on the Mount of Olives, and causes the mountain to cleave eastward and westward, and to move toward the north and toward the south. This is the result of a massive earthquake. In fact, from a physical standpoint, there has never been an earthquake of this magnitude since man has been in existence. The surviving Jews flee away as they did in the days of the earthquake that occurred during the reign of Uzziah king of Judah. After this description of what occurs in Jerusalem, one of the most interesting descriptions of the day that this occurs is given. The passage is quoted below:

Zechariah 14:6 - And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:

This, of course, is referring to the day that the world-wide earthquake occurs. This passage has baffled Bible scholars for centuries. In fact, it has given translators of this passage a difficult job in correctly interpreting the Hebrew. Other translations have rendered the phrase “not be clear, nor dark” as “no cold or frost”, as in the NIV, ESV, and RSV. These translations are following the Septuagint Greek. After researching the matter, it will become evident that the King James rendering is the most excellent. The Hebrew word "yaqar", translated "clear", is also translated "brightness" in Job 31:26, speaking of the moon. Many scholars have taken this passage and interpreted it metaphorically. I will attempt to interpret the passage at its most literal value. After all, if you read the 14th Chapter in its entirety, the literal import of the other passages is clear. Hermeneutically, it does not make sense to isolate this verse and change the rules of interpretation. The prophet is indicating a literal event that will happen, in which, once it becomes a historical event, each detail will see a literal fulfillment. Therefore, the “light” in verse 6 is just as literal as the Mount of Olives cleaving eastward and westward in verse 4. The light is derived from the heavenly bodies in the sky, namely, the sun, the moon, and the stars. God has chosen to use the movement of the heavenly bodies in the past for signs. For example, when king Hezekiah was sick unto death, the prophet Isaiah told him that he was going to die. After Hezekiah prayed to God to live, God not only promised Hezekiah fifteen more years, God gave Hezekiah a sign that the sun would move backward ten degrees across the sky according to the dial of Ahaz (Isaiah 38:8). This sign was given in order that Hezekiah would have faith in what God promised him. Even so, this sign concerning the light is given unto us in order that we also might have faith. The verse is worded such that we are told that the light will not be clear, but at the same time it will not be completely dark. It is given as a riddle, as part of a mystery. To the observer of the sky, the language seems to indicate a moment in which the moon is directly in front of the sun, blocking it from view on the earth. In other words, the phrase is describing the effect of a solar eclipse. More importantly, it is describing the effect of a solar eclipse that is visible from Jerusalem! This is most important to understand because solar eclipses occur regularly every year. They usually occur twice, and sometimes they occur three times in a single calendar year. Looking at the sky from Jerusalem, most of these eclipses will occur during the middle of the night at some remote point on earth, or during the day where the moon’s shadow does not come close enough to Jerusalem to block all or part of the sun. However, there are a few solar eclipses that are visible from Jerusalem in our near future in the 21st century. If we conclude that the Day of the LORD occurs on the day of a solar eclipse that is visible from Jerusalem, and we know how to calculate the motion of the sun and the moon in the sky based on Kepler’s laws of motion of heavenly bodies, it is possible to narrow down the possibilities mathematically when that great Day will be. I believe that God intended it to be this way. He has chosen to reward his faithful servants in the last pre-millennial generation of time who diligently seek the mind of God to know his secrets. Keep in mind that this is NOT calculating the exact day and hour of the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus must already be present in the earth, long before this day arrives. He would have already come as a thief in the night, and no man knows that day nor the hour, not the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only (Mark 13:32). Rather, the solar eclipse will only determine what day Jesus Christ triumphs over his enemies in the War of God Almighty in power and great glory.

Zechariah is a prophet that prophesied between 520-480 B.C. He prophesied during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah when the Jews were in the process of rebuilding Jerusalem. The 14th chapter in Zechariah is often attributed to have been written toward the end of the days he prophesied in 480 B.C. It is interesting that during this period of time, there was a solar eclipse visible over Jerusalem on Tuesday, October 2, 480 B.C. The entire event occurred between 1:20 PM and 4:16 PM Israel Standard Time, with the darkest moment occurring at 3:08 PM. Because the time of sunset was 5:53 PM, the sun became totally visible again for about 90 minutes in the evening time. It might be that Zechariah witnessed the eclipse occur during the afternoon, and saw the sun appear again at evening time. Although it is impossible to prove, this could have been Zechariah’s inspiration for describing a particular day in the latter days in which the light would not be clear, nor dark, not day, nor night, and that at evening time it shall be light.