TIMES OF THE GENTILES
Luke 21:24
Special attention is required of the phrase: “Jerusalem
shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). In light of the events of the last 50 years, especially
the Jewish possession of the city of Jerusalem since 1967, many have rushed to
see fulfillment in this passage. However, Walvoord warned: “A superficial study
of this passage would seem to indicate this is the case, and that now Israel is
moving into a new phase of its long history. Careful students, acquainted with
the history of interpretation of this verse, however, sense the danger of
reaching too hasty a conclusion.”[1]
Interpretations of this verse have varied from being
symbolic of Gentile spiritual prominence over the disbelieving failure of
Israel, to the physical possession of the city as essential for the times to be
in effect. Many conclude that the times of the Gentiles have ended. But is that
the case? The answer centers upon three questions: First, what are the “the
times of the Gentiles”? Second, what does “trampled underfoot” mean? Third,
what event ends this time of the Gentiles? We will center our thoughts around
these questions.
WHAT IS THE TIME OF THE GENTILES?
The phrase kairoi
ethnon (“times of the Gentiles”) is only found in this passage in Luke.
This makes it difficult to understand. When taken in context the phrase
indicates the idea of Gentile supremacy and judgment. Tone of the passage
indicates it is an allotted time of Gentile domination of the city.
Another phrase that is similar, but not identical, is used
by Paul in Romans 11:25—“the fullness of the Gentiles.” Many feel it is related
if not identical to the times of the Gentiles. Are the times of the Gentiles
and the fullness of the Gentiles related? If so, how? A careful comparison and
study shows that the natures of the two periods are different. The times of the
Gentiles are political in nature, while the fullness of the Gentiles is
spiritual. It is true that these two periods may overlap in time, but they are
not identical.
The political domination of Jerusalem began in the days of
the Babylonian kingdom when Jerusalem fell into the hands of that great Gentile
kingdom. The event is recorded in 2 Kings 24:10-17. On March 15, 597 BC,
Nebuchadnezzar marched into Jerusalem and took King Jehoiachin captive. It is
at this point that the political overlording by Gentile powers began.
The prophet Daniel portrays the course of the times of the
Gentiles in his prophecies. His prophecies especially handle the subject of
Gentile domination and the chastisement of Israel. He gives two main prophecies
that describe and speak to the course of the times of the Gentiles:
·
Daniel 2.
The figure of the great image
speaks of the Gentile powers. It gives the details of who will have great
domination over the world and Israel during the times of the Gentiles. Five
great Gentile empires and powers are presented by the various elements of the
image. It is generally acknowledged the gold represents the Babylonian empire;
the silver, the Medo-Persian empire; the brass, the Grecian empire; the iron,
the Roman empire; and the mixture of iron and clay as the revived Roman empire.
Four of the five empires have already entered and exited the stage of history,
although Phillips notes that the “Roman empire has actually lived on down
through the centuries in the languages and laws of the West.”[2]
The fifth empire is yet to appear. Attempts at revival of the old roman empire
have all but failed thus far in history. Someday there will be “ten toes”
(nations) that will eventually succeed in this revival. Ten nations will come
to form a revival of the great Roman empire. Many look for revival to succeed
by means of the European common market.
·
Daniel 7
This second prophecy covers the
same kingdoms, only under the images of beasts. The nations are represented
differently because of the viewpoints of the two chapters. Daniel 2 looks at
the kingdom from a human viewpoint, while chapter 7 presents the divine viewpoint.
Harry Bultema communicates this well, writing: “The heathen king saw everything
from the human and terrestrial point of view, and for that reason the world was
a striking image of mankind. Daniel considered the world in its striking image
of mankind. Daniel considered the world in its essence and judged it moral
quality and so saw it as wild and savage beasts. The heathen king saw in Christ
nothing more than a dislodged rock rolling down the mountainside; Daniel saw
him as the Son of Man, coming in majesty and glory.”[3]
In both passages, Daniel gives the times of the Gentiles a
very precise beginning and ending. It began with the Babylonian king
Nebuchadnezzar taking Jerusalem and will end with the second Coming of Christ
in Glory (Daniel 2:44-45; 7:27). Thus, the time of the Gentiles is the time of
Gentile political rule and influence over Jerusalem that will end when “the
stone cut out without hands,” destroys that rule and influence.
The “fullness of the Gentiles” on the other hand, refers to
the spiritual rule or influence given to the Gentiles by God over and apart
from the nation Israel. Israel during this time is spiritually set aside.
Before this time of fullness which will be during the time of the Gentiles,
blessings will are to be received by and through the Jews (Esther 8:15-17).
Even during the ministry of our Lord on earth, he declared that “salvation is
of the Jews.” During this time the Gentiles were still strangers from the
covenants and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12).
Today that is no longer the case. With the ministry of the
Apostle Paul we see a turning of salvation away from the Jews unto the Gentiles
(Acts 13:46; 28:28). This marks the beginning of Israel’s spiritual fall. It
marks a time when salvation comes to the Gentiles, not by Israel’s rule as
predicted in the Old Testament (Isaiah 2:3; 25:7; 60:1-3; Jeremiah 3:17;
Zechariah 8:20ff), but by their spiritual fall (Romans 11:11) and partial
blindness (Romans 11:25). Dwight Pentecost perceptively notes that, “this
blindness is a mystery which shows that it is a kind of blindness hitherto
unrevealed. Therefore it must be distinguished from both the spiritual
blindness, which was the experience of Israel as children of Adam and therefore
under the curse of sin, and from willful blindness, which was Israel’s
experience in sinning against revealed light. This is a new form of blindness,
not hitherto experienced by men. It was the divine visitation of Israel by God
because of the national sin of rejecting the Messiah.”[4]
The nature of this blindness is seen in the Greek word porosis. It means to cover, a
callus. It suggests that Israel had a callus over their eyes so they could not
and cannot see the truth of the gospel as a nation or people. It is partial,
showing that it is not individual, for an individual Jew may still come to
understand the gospel and be saved. It does suggest that national repentance
and salvation is not possible during this time.
This is part of what Paul identifies as the “dispensation of
the mystery” (Ephesians 3:9). The apostle defines the characteristics of this
mystery as Gentiles being “fellow-heirs and fellow-members of the body, and
fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).
The fullness of the Gentiles is the unique combination of the political and
spiritual downfall of the nation Israel that has produced a fullness of
spiritual riches and inheritance to the Gentiles, not through the fullness of
Israel, but through the Church. It involves the times of the Gentiles, in that
it happens within that period, but in and of itself was a mystery until
revealed to and through Paul for this present dispensation. The two phrases do
not refer to the same thing.
WHAT DOES “TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT” MEAN?
Because of the 1967 war when Jerusalem for the first time in
centuries was again under the control of the nation Israel, some have looked
upon that as a partial, if not complete, fulfillment of times of the Gentiles.
In the light of those events, one must take a look at these words carefully.
The phrase “trampled under foot” is only one word in the
Greek text, a present passive participle of pateo.
It is transitive meaning to tread underfoot. Thayer says it denotes “to treat
with insult and contempt.”[5]
Seesemann says that in the Old Testament when the word is used, it means to
disparage, it implies arrogance.[6] In
Revelation 19:20 it is used figuratively of God and denotes judgment.
The word therefore does not need to be taken as actual
physical occupation, but must at least speak of influence and domination of
some type. There can be no question that today Jerusalem continues to be
greatly influenced by the West, and dominated by its Gentile contempt and
arrogance. If it were not for Gentile support and assistance of the West, the
city would not be in the hands of Israel today. It is a divided city
nationally, and still experiences the contempt and arrogance of much of the
Gentile world.
THE EVENT THAT ENDS THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES
Inherent in the phrase “until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled” is that this period will end and be terminated. The facts of
political domination of the Gentiles will not only be the time is limited, but
it will end with a degree of vindication. The formula in Luke is to immediately
travel forward to when this time will be fulfilled—the return of Christ (Luke
21:25-28). Every prophecy related to the fulfillment of the times of the
Gentiles points to this great cosmic event (cf. Daniel 2:44-45; 7:26-27). The
connection cannot be denied. The end of the times of the Gentiles and the
second Coming of Christ are woven together in Scripture. In this light, we can
say that this time has not yet ended. We are still living in this time frame.
Contemporary events are not to be construed as fulfillment.
This does not mean that they are unimportant. The importance must be seen in
the light of prophetic Scripture. Before the fulfillment can be complete,
Israel must be in the land and possess the city. Prophecy takes that for
granted. When the end comes, Israel will be a nation, have control of the city,
and the temple will be standing (Revelation 11:1). It is when the temple is
standing that the last treading under foot will occur. Revelation 11:2 says it
will last 42 months. Contemporary events are setting the stage for the coming
final events predicted in the Olivet discourse. Stage setting must not be
confused with fulfillment. The play does not start until the stage has
completely been set.
In conclusion there are three reasons the times of the
Gentiles has not been fulfilled:
·
The times of the Gentiles are not complete for
the Lord Jesus Christ has not returned. His coming ends this period.
·
The fullness of the Gentiles is present and has
not been completed. The evidence of this is the presence of the Church and the
lack of Israel’s conversion to Christ.
·
Prophecy of another treading of the city is
predicted in Zechariah 12:3 and Revelation 11:2. Both passages are still to be
fulfilled and speak of the future Tribulation period.
[1] John F. Walvoord, “The Times of the Gentiles”
BIBLOTHECA SACRA, January 1968, 3.
[2] John Phillips, EXPLORING THE FUTURE, 33.
[3] Harry Bultema, COMMENTARY ON DANIEL, 200.
[4] J. Dwight Pentecost, THINGS TO COME, 302.
[5] Joseph H Thayer, GREEK-ENGLISH LEXICON OF THE
NEW TESTAMENT, 494.
[6] M. Seeseman, “Pateo,” THE DICTIONARY OF THE
NEW TESTAMENT, (Abridged), 804.
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