“And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled…” (Luke 21:24)
Shortly after His triumphant entry on colt-back into Jerusalem, and after He had overturned the moneychangers’ tables and lashed out at the hypocrisy of the chief priests and elders, Jesus’s disciples drew His attention to the beautifully refurbished Temple, which had been completed just a few years before.
Actually it had been over half a century since Herod first announced his plan to make the Temple more glorious than Solomon’s. After 46 years it stood complete and, as Jesus looked upon it, it was doubtless a breathtaking sight. Yet Jesus did not appear unduly impressed, and shocked the crowd by telling them:
“…Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2)
It was a short while later, after Jesus and his disciples had gone back up the Mount of Olives alone, that they asked Him:
“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3)
His reply included the quote from Luke 21:24 above.
Quite clearly from the context, “the times of the Gentiles” constitute an important benchmark for the followers of Jesus eagerly awaiting His return. As He said, Jerusalem would be under the Gentile heel until the period of Gentile ascendancy over the Jews had run its course.
Our aim in this feature, will be to take a closer look at what exactly comprises or comprised these “times of the Gentiles”.
Some say they were the period between the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and Israel’s retaking of the Old City in 1967. Others believe the Gentiles actually became “the head” and Israel “the tail” with the first destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Some question whether Israel has, in fact, had sovereignty over Jerusalem restored, given the ongoing Islamic control over Israel’s most sacred site – the Temple Mount.
It’ll be interesting to see what we can discover in these pages.
