Monday, July 29, 2013

Prophecy Luke 21:24

Luk 21:24  ...and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 

 Luke 21:24 -- "Jerusalem shall be trodden of the Gentiles (nations - eqnwn0), until the times of the Gentiles (nations eqnwn0) be fulfilled."

WWN 2006-

'Few today would deny the precision of this prophecy. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies in AD 70 is a historical fact commemorated on the triumphal arch of Titus in Rome. The dispersion of the Jews among all nations is still a reality. As for Jerusalem, nineteen centuries of history should provide adequate proof that it has been "trodden down of the Gentiles" - first by the Romans, then by the Arabs, next by different Christian nations during the Crusades, fourth by the Turks up to the end of the first world war, then by the British, and finally by the Jordanians until the Six-Day War in June, 1967.

This prophecy of Jesus was a sign for the Christians of the Apostolic Church, who lived at the beginning of the times of the Gentiles, and it remains a sign for us who live at the end of the times of the Gentiles. Again, we must know how to discern its meaning.

It is not a matter of our seeing in the return of the Jews to Palestine and in Israeli conquest of Jerusalem a sign of the approaching conversion of the Jews, as so many Christians think. Nothing in Jesus' prophecy allows such an interpretation. However, if we cannot see that Jerusalem is an exceptional sign of the times, then might we not be placing ourselves in the same position as the religious leaders who knew how to "discern the face of the sky" but could not discern the obvious "sign of the times"?

In order to understand Jesus' statement, three questions need answering.

First, exactly what does the expression "the times of the Gentiles" mean?
Then, what should be understood by the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles?
Finally, what connection is there between the retaking of Jerusalem by the Jews and the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles?

As I understand the Biblical language, the times of the Gentiles is the period set aside by God for the evangelization of the heathen nations.

It is not the time needed for them to be converted to Christianity, as some think, but for them to hear the gospel. It is in this sense that Jesus said:

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14).

I believe that the times of the Gentiles began in AD 34 when the prophetic seventy weeks that God set aside for the people of Israel ended. The baptism of the first "heathen" - the Ethiopian eunuch and the centurion Cornelius - as well as the conversion of Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles mark the beginning of these new times. And if I have understood the prediction of Jesus properly, this time will be "fulfilled" when Jerusalem will cease to "be trodden of the Gentiles." The fact that since 1967 Gentiles no longer have occupied Jerusalem means, therefore, that we are now living at the end of "the times of the Gentiles."

Jerusalem here constitutes the last sign by which the Lord shows us that the history of this world is coming to its climax and that the restoration of all things is at hand. And should God tarry once more in the fulfillment of His promise, we should understand that He "is longsuffering, ... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9) (Christ of the Revelation, pp. 71-72).

Texts to consider with Luke 21:24:

Daniel 11:45 - "He shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas (Dead, Galilee, and the Great) in the glorious holy mountain."

Revelation 16:16 - "They gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Har-Mo'ed (Mount of the Congregation).

Isaiah 14:13 - "For thou hast said in thine heart, ... I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation (Har-Moled), in the sides of the north" (See also Ps. 48:2).

Psa 48:2  Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

WWN 2006 May'

My thoughts-

Yesterday we read in the book - The Cost of Discipleship  by Dietrich Bonhoeffer -  a bit about the gospel work to be done. How the workers for Christ are to spread the gospel to the gentiles and the end could not come until the message was preached to all. 

It is true that we are forever to be witnesses of our Savior and the Gospel of the Kingdom, but it is equally true that a time will arrive where the focus on the imminent end must occur. Why else would we be given such prophecies as this-

 Luke 21:24 -- "Jerusalem shall be trodden of the Gentiles (nations - eqnwn0), until the times of the Gentiles (nations eqnwn0) be fulfilled."

If the time would not be fulfilled?

And this --

"This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14).

If that end would not come?

THEN SHALL-  then it will -  there is STILL a period of time implied.  If something shall come, if something is going to be fulfilled then it will happen, not necessarily INSTANTANEOUSLY. It WILL happen without a doubt, but it is a process of time.

So what happens if we conclude that the time for concentrating on preaching the gospel of the kingdom in all the world unto all the nations is up?  Do we no longer preach the gospel of the kingdom?  No! We forever preach it where the Holy Spirit convicts us the Word needs to be spoken.

However,  the shift of focus is even more prominently on this-  'Then shall the end come.'

The END shall come.

Yes, throughout time from the moment Jesus predicted His second coming men and women have been waiting eagerly for His return. Each generation desperately desiring it to occur in their time. As they age they keep hoping and hoping and all the signs SEEM to point them towards this hope. Finally they fall into death's sleep with that hope still within them but never to be realized as a being translated. Each generation is allowed this hope, this very real hope but the fact remains and will forever remain until the moment of Christ's return, that there will be one generation that it will come true for, the last generation of those watching, praying, and waiting for the Lord to return for them. They will see Him coming in the clouds in the air, they will be called to Him, they will rise to meet Him in the air as their bodies are changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

The prophecy in Luke 21:24 and Matthew 24:14 are a call to shift focus why? Because the end of all things is at hand! The wrath of God will be poured out. The just will remain just and the unjust will remain unjust. Probation for mankind is almost up completely and after it is up, then there is going to be a time of trouble such as we've never, ever seen before.

We have to realize that there will come a time when those who are alive will be finally and completely judge for how else will our Savior know who are His and who are not?  The judging will be over.  And what is more important than for people to realize that their TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

Prophetically.
Biblically.
Time is running out.

The time of the nations is over.

What is left is this--

Dan 11:45  And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Dan 12:1  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

At that time shall MICHAEL stand up!
And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time.
And at that time --  thy people -- shall be DELIVERED.

Again we are pointed to where? To Jerusalem! 'The seas in the glorious holy mountain' 

(Dead, Galilee, and the Great) Seas.  

Isa_66:20  And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.

'To my holy mountain- Jerusalem'

Right before our Savior returns,  right before He stands up and all is decided for every last person upon earth, we are told to look at this planting of tabernacles of his palace in Jerusalem.  Who is going to do the planting? That is a whole other study of it's own and we shall, by the grace of God, endeavor to undertake tomorrow.

The times of the nations is up, it's over, it's history.  Right now we are living in a short period of time before the very end of all probation.  God would NOT lead us to such a place without letting us know.

Those who have eyes will see, those who have hears will hear, but there will be those who would rather be blind and deaf, unfortunately a lot more will be completely blind and completely deaf to all the warnings because they choose to be so, they don't want to know the truth, they only want lies that placate their conscience.

Please LORD, help us to understand the times we are now living in! Help us to understand! You are warning us! You are telling us what to look for! You are desperately wanting all who would be Yours, to be Yours and not one be left behind, not one.

By Your will, by YOUR grace, through Your love and Your righteousness, our hope is all in YOU!

Bless us Lord, bless us with understanding.

In YOUR LOVE ALWAYS!

Thank you, Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR, now and forever!

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