Messianic Moments
Some Patterns and Predictions are too Prophetic to Ignore
In the Jewish calendar, we are now in the year 5785 since Creation. For those who think of that calendar mostly in terms of holidays and heritage, it might come as a surprise to learn that there’s a longstanding tradition which sees these 6,000 years of history as a designed, structured arc—one that could be measured, even mapped.
Over two centuries ago, a renowned Lithuanian rabbi, a peerless genius known as the Vilna Ga’on, suggested just such a map. Drawing on a seemingly poetic list from the biblical book of Ecclesiastes—“To everything there is a season... a time to be born, a time to die... a time for war and a time for peace”—he revealed a bold framework: the 6,000 years of human civilization are divided into 28 distinct epochs, each corresponding to one of those “times.”
That would mean:
6,000 ÷ 28 = 214.2857 years per epoch.
Each “time,” teaches the Ga'on, was a roughly 214-year chapter of human development.
That’s intriguing enough. But here’s where the epochs become epic.
If you calculate the end of the 27th epoch—the one associated with “a Time of War”—you arrive at 5,785.7143. That translates to just over 252 days into the current Hebrew year, 5785. This year, that day was Friday, June 20, 2025—or, on the Hebrew calendar, the 17th of Sivan.
On that exact day, Israel launched a direct military strike against Iran, an event with enormous geopolitical implications, widely understood to mark a new and potentially decisive resolution to a long-running existential conflict.
The timing is astonishing. Over two centuries ago, a rabbi using a framework derived from ancient Hebrew texts, pinpoints—to the decimal…to the day—as the moment the world transitions from a long season of conflict into a new period, one associated with Peace. And on that day, the state of Israel, acts in a way that could well be remembered as a turning point in history.
Those of us who believe in an omniscient, omnipotent, immanent G-d are suspicious of coincidence. And consider this: the prior 214-year period—from 1811 to 2025—contains the bloodiest span of human conflict ever recorded. Two world wars, countless revolutions, civil wars, genocides, nuclear brinkmanship, and terror on a global scale. (In fact, when I conducted the following purposely vague search on Google “world history in 1811” this was the lede AI generated summary: “In 1811, the world saw significant events related to Napoleonic Wars, colonial independence movements, and social unrest.” There is a strong case to be made that the impact of Napoleon spreading revolutionary Enlightenment ideas via conquest was a defining pivot (would be interesting to see what happened in world history on the specific day in 1811 of the transition from Time to Hate to Time of War).)
Whether one believes in prophecy or providence or not, it’s hard to ignore the extraordinary implications.
What if history does move according to deeper rhythms? What if there are cycles we can’t always explain, but occasionally glimpse?
And what if—just maybe—we’re standing at the cusp of one of those turning points right now?
If we do not earn or trigger it before then, many of us believe that the end of the 6000 years leads to the epoch of the Messiah. This then, the final of the 28 pre-messianic eras, has just started: The Time for Peace.
May we merit to see the Messiah speedily and in our days.
I will add that there is a veiled reference to this wisdom in the Book of Esther - whose association with Persia/Iran is self evident. The King, we are told (Esther 1:13), turns to his advisors who are the "yode'a itim" - they understand the "times" - and it utilizes the same word for time "eit" that Solomon/Ecclesiastes uses in the 28 "times" he lists (see Maharal, Ohr Chadash 1:13 for much more depth on the subject and the connection). This time, however, burrowing into the components, we see another Gematria: the word for "times" - itim - equals 1080. The entire Jewish/Biblical calendar is based on a calculation that divides each 24-hour day into fixed hours equal to 1⁄24 of a day, while each hour is divided into 1080 "halakim." And so, the King consults with Jewish sages - because they understand the depths of the divine calendar and they advise him to replace his queen, which of course leads to the entire rise of Esther and salvation of the Jews. I can go on, like this in many directions - I am simply pointing out that there are endless layers of meaning that converge in this struggle that we are all witnessing.
--