Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled…Be always on the watch, and pray…that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.
Luke 21:24-36
Jesus continues His prophecy of the end times. In this part of His prophecy, Jesus tells of Jerusalem being “trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Here, Jesus tells of the period of time when the Gentiles rule the world. Gentiles refers to non-Jewish people. When God saved the enslaved Israelites in Egypt and brought them into the land He had promised to their forefathers, Canaan, God established Israel as a Theocracy ruled by God Himself. This Theocracy lasted through Moses, Joshua and, the Judges who were chosen by God to represent Him before the Israelites. The Israelites eventually rebelled against God’s Theocratic rule and demanded to have a king, like the nations around them. God allowed a king to be over the Israelites. But, the Israelites continued to turn further away from their God and, though God warned them many times of exile to come unless they repented, the Israelites eventually were invaded and taken into exile as God had predicted. When Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian armies, the Jews no longer had a homeland of their own. Many theologians believe this began “the times of the Gentiles” for Israel was never an independent nation until 1948 when an act of the United Nations created an area called Israel. Today, the United Nations proclamation has been disputed by many peoples in the Middle East. Though Israel is now a nation with its own rule, “the times of the Gentiles” seems to continue. Even Daniel prophesies of a time when the Israelites will believe in the Messiah and a great revival of the gospel message will come upon the earth before Christ returns. This is in line with God’s Holy Word predicting that the Jews will eventually believe that Jesus of Nazareth is their Messiah thus creating a vast number of Jewish “missionaries” who preach Christ crucified and the Redeemer of His people, the Jews. Through their preaching, many Jews and Gentiles will receive salvation from God Almighty. It appears that the “the times of the Gentiles” is fulfilled upon the return of Jesus, in Power and Judgement, when He sets up His millennial kingdom on earth. As Christians today, we are under the command of Jesus before He ascended to Heaven to go, tell the gospel message, baptize converts and, teach them all things Christ had taught them and, through His Holy Word, have taught us. Christians cannot overlook this command of our Lord. Spread the gospel! Be like our Savior and Lord to a generation in sin and misery!
Source: S C Ball May 2, 2023
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