202    The Bible and the Future of the World 

    The year 1864 refers to the Islamic calendar. When compared to the 

current Christian (Gregorian) calendar, 1864 would  coincide with the year 

A.D. 2430. Why does the Virgin Mary give the date by the Islamic calendar, 

not the Christian calendar? When the Arabs invade and occupy Europe, 

they will force the use of the Islamic calendar, even by Christians. The Arabs 

will have control over Europe for so long, almost a generation, that many 

Christians will become accustomed to using the Islamic calendar. 

    Also, at the end of the Forty Years, the Church may decide to make 

adjustments to the Christian calendar. By the current calendar, Jesus Christ 

was born and lived His early years in a time called BC (before Christ). That 

is why the 2000th anniversary of Jesus' death will actually occur in  A.D. 

2019, not at a later date. So, if Mary gave the date by the current Christian 

calendar, the date would not match an adjusted Christian calendar. 

    Furthermore, during the reign of the ten kings and during Antichrist's 

reign, Christianity will be rejected by the governments of the world. 

Christians will be persecuted. The laws will be in opposition to the Christian 

Faith. So the governments of the ten kings and Antichrist will not allow the 

use of the Christian calendar.  Those governments will prefer the Islamic 

calendar system. Thus the date which the Virgin Mary gives will have more 

meaning to the Christians of that time to which the date refers. 

    The Christian and Jewish calendars are closely connected to religious 

ideas. The Christian calendar is based on the years since Christ. The Jewish 

calendar is adjusted with an extra month every two or three years, based on 

the need to keep the Passover celebration in the spring. But the Islamic 

calendar is a pure lunar calendar, which is more easily adopted by secular 

governments for mere secular use. 

    The year 1864 (A.D. 2430) is the year before Antichrist's reign of nearly 

seven years over the world. Before that time, the ten kings will rule the earth 

with an iron rod and with great animosity towards the true Christian Faith. 

But once Antichrist rises to power, the situation will become even worse for 

Christians. Those who do evil will have the help of devils. Many Christians 

will fall away from the Faith, and even many priests and religious will lose 

their faith in  Christ Jesus and His Church.  In the year 1864 (A.D.  2430), 

Antichrist, as the king of the North (Europe) will attack the kingdom of the 

South (Israel, Middle East, northern Africa), which is the last of the ten 

kingdoms that still tolerate Christianity. The Antichrist will defeat the 

Christian king of the South with the help of demons. After that, in A.D. 

2430/2431, he will defeat two more kings, the king of the Meridian (the rest 

of Africa) and the king of the East (includes China). Next, in 1865 (A.D. 

2431), he will take control of all the remaining kings and their kingdoms.