The "mystery" of 1378

A "defense" of Studion

His speculations can only be misunderstood when you tear them off their Biblical and Christian base and context. His relation to the Bible is: In an inappropriate and violent manner he uses it as a playground for juggling with letters and found and not found numbers, although even in Protestant circles they used to be true to the Christian tradition of how the Biblical text can be interpreted in different ways. (Here is not the place to explain it .)
The Church is the community which canonized the Bible as witness of a faith, which can only be understood in connection with the life of the Church - itself the place where that very faith appeared and where it was practised. Naturally the Church alone was given the key to the meaning and can show the legitimate ways of understanding, which are a part of its historical life.
It is assisted by the light of reason in form of historical criticism applied to the text.
Even the Protestant movement never violated the text in such an irrational and unhistorical manner as Studion did,
although there are still misleading ways of interpretation of taking everything literally with bad and dangerous consequences.

Nevertheless, the number 1378 seems to be a fruit of Studion´ s reading of the Bible.
( By the way, I am convinced that my own historical interpretation is probable, which I show on this site. Studion could have hinted at Wiclif, too. His biblical calculation had led him to the year.)

Preliminary remark of caution:
Daniel 12 can only be understood inside Daniel as a whole.
It must be understood as part of the Jewish Prophets.
In turn they must be seen as part of the Old Testament.
A final understanding can be found using the light of the New Testament and the following tradition.
This is the whole context. Without it the road to misinterpretation and misuse is open wide.

 
(Whatever happens to the number 1378 when Studion´ s fantasy is let loose and he constructs a total "prophetical" system with mathematical tools against the text, tradition and reason - I will leave to the natural light and conscience of the attracted reader.)

Now here is the passage from Daniel 12, that he may have used:

7 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.

¹² Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

(There is a parallel passage in Revelation 11 with a difference)

"time, times and an half" = 1 + 2 + half years = 3,5 years = 42 months
added to 1335 years (despite the "days" in the text !) = 1377
As consequence 1378 is the answer to the question:

 7 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?