The Times Of The Gentiles

Much confusion exists concerning the "times of the Gentiles", and the phrase is often confused with another scriptural concept, "the fullness of the Gentiles".

Jesus refers to the "times of the Gentiles" in Luke 21.24:

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fullfilled.

 And the apostle Paul refers to the "fullness of the Gentiles" in Romans 11.25:

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

In the first passage, Jesus is speaking of the ascendancy of the Gentiles (the nations) over Jerusalem, which is used representatively of the Jews or Israel, while, in the second passage, the apostle Paul is speaking of the salvation of the Gentiles (the nations) during the period of the church age. One passage refers to the ascendancy of the heathen nations, while the other passage refers to a specific period of their salvation, which culminates in what Paul calls "the fullness of the Gentiles". The word "fullness" in Greek is the Greek pleroma, which Vine's Dictionary translates to mean, in reference to Romans 11.25, "the completion of the number of Gentiles who receive blessing through the gospel". This has nothing directly to do with "the times of the Gentiles".

The Duration Of The Times Of The Gentiles

The "Times of the Gentiles" must, however, be seen prophetically in reference to the nation of Israel. This is how Jesus uses the term in Luke 21.24. They (the Jews) will "be led away captive in all nations" (a worldwide dispersion), and Jerusalem (the holy city) "shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled". "Jerusalem" is the focal point of the remarks of Jesus, but the "times" are "Gentile times", which refers to their alloted periods of ascendancy over the nation of Israel, and by extrapolation, over the affairs of the world. As Jesus points out, their domination of Israel is a key element.

The worldwide dispersion of the Jews by the Romans began in the latter part of the first century AD, and continued into the second century with the destruction of the city in 135 AD (not 70 AD), when the Romans drove the Jews out of Jerusalem. Jesus prophesied that Jerusalem would be "trodden down" of the Gentiles, "until the times of the Gentiles" should be fulfilled. For centuries, Jerusalem has indeed been subjugated by Gentiles until the most recent times in 1967, when the Jews took essential control of the city and made it once again their national capital. It is true that they still have to accomodate the Palestinians in some areas of the city.

The second chapter of Daniel gives a description of Gentile empires, and gives some indication of the duration of the "times of the Gentiles". The "times of the Gentiles" apparently began in approximately 606 BC with Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. Certainly, there were nations long before Babylon (indeed from the Tower of Babel); however, in relation to prophecy and the kingdom of Israel, the book of Daniel teaches that Nebuchadnezzar is the "head of gold", and the beginning of the "times of the Gentiles" insofar as their relationship with the nation of Israel in prophecy is concerned.

The vision that God gave to Nebuchadnezzar of the immense image or statue of the "Beast" (the statue with the head of gold, the chest and arms of silver, the belly and pelvic-hips area of brass (A.C. Leupold says "the upper parts of the upper half of the legs", which is really where the legs attach to the body), the legs of iron, and the feet of iron mixed with clay) indicate the approximate period of the "times of the Gentiles".

A Rough Chronology Of The "Times Of The Gentiles"

Nearly everyone is familiar with the period of Babylonian rule c.606-536 BC, the Medo-Persian empire 536-330 BC, the Grecian empire 330-63 BC, the Roman empire 63 BC-1453 AD. The Babylonian empire represented the head of gold, the Medo-Persian empire the chest and arms of silver, the Grecian empire, which evolved into four regions, the belly and pelvic-hips area (upper thighs) of brass or bronze, the Roman empire, which was the two legs of iron, and, finally, the feet of iron mixed with clay. The Roman empire is represented by two legs because the empire split into two parts, western and eastern . While the western half of the empire fell to European barbarians in 476 AD, the eastern half (the Byzantine empire) lasted to 1453 AD, when Constantinople was overrun by the Turks.

Each one of these Gentile empires chronologically followed the other: Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, Roman. Thus, we have a "rough chronology" of the "times of the Gentiles", and we know at least those periods in which the Lord would not forcibly set up his kingdom on earth. The last empire of the colossal image that Nebuchadnezzar saw was represented by the feet of iron mixed with clay. Since each part of the statue followed in chronological order from the head of gold downward, we must conclude that the "feet of iron mixed with clay" must have chronologically succeeded the legs of iron (the Roman empire), which, as we have seen, continued up through 1453 AD in the east (and 476 AD in the west), although some have made an argument that "the holy Roman empire" (basically from Charlemagne 800 AD to Francis II, emperor of Austria, king of Bohemia and Hungary, in 1800 AD) was a longer continuation of the western Roman empire. Indeed, remnants of the empire could be said to have continued up into the twentieth century through the Hapburgs and the Austro-Hungarian empire.

At any rate, the two legs of iron (the Roman empire) can be said to have at least continued to 1453 AD. The succeeding "feet of iron mixed with clay" cannot be said to have come into existence as part of the Gentile system until some time after 1453 AD.

 God Sets Up His Kingdom

It is during the time of the "feet of iron mixed with clay" (with their ten toes) that the kingdom of God triumphs on earth. Nebuchadnezzar beheld the colossal statue until he saw that "a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces" (Daniel 2.34).

And Daniel notes that it is in "the days of these kings" (the ten toes of the feet of iron mixed with clay) that God will forcibly set up his kingdom (which is spiritually present here now in the church). The "stone made without hands" obviously represents Jesus Christ, the Stone which the builders rejected. But it is noteworthy that this entire Gentile system (described in Daniel 2) is not destroyed until the Stone smashes the feet, and then the entire image collapses and becomes "like the chaff of the summer threshing floors" (Dan. 2.35).

This colossal statue represents the Gentile empires, which have all, at one time or another, conquered Israel and ruled over it. The empires noted here in Nebuchadnezzar's dream give us an overview of the "times of the Gentiles". The "times of the Gentiles" are to be ended by the system being smashed at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Stone made without hands. One thing is certain, the "times of the Gentiles" could not have ended in 70 AD, while the two "legs of iron" (the Roman empire) held sway over Israel. The Stone made without hands did not smash the Gentile system during the period of the "two legs of iron", but that is to happen during the subsequent period of "the feet of iron mixed with clay", which has begun, and still continues today.

During the age in which the New Testament church has been established (c.33 AD-present), except for approximately the last 35 years perhaps, the Gentile system has held sway over the land of Judea and Israel. It is remarkable that during the majority of time that the Jews have been dispersed abroad throughout the world, that the New Testament church has been harvesting the souls of the Gentiles, bringing about "the fullness of the Gentiles". In this sense, perhaps, some have concluded that "the times of the Gentiles" are coincidental with gathering in of the fulness of the Gentiles in the harvest.

The apostle Paul makes it plain to us that the majority of the Jews will remain in a "blind" condition "until the fullness of the Gentiles" is come in (Romans 11.25). This harvesting of Gentile souls will take place down through the centuries of the church age until their full number is reaped. And this harvesting of Gentile souls runs roughly parallel to the remaining "times of the Gentiles", but the two activities should not be confused.

The "times of the Gentiles" represent the rule of the Gentile system over the world, and particularly, in a prophetic sense, over the nation of Israel, but the "fullness of the Gentiles" in Romans 11.25 represents the salvation of Gentiles in the New Testament church age.

When the fullness of the Gentiles is finally "come in", then, according to the apostle Paul, God will once again turn His efforts towards Israel, and The Deliverer will "turn away ungodliness from Jacob" (Romans 11.26). Jacob never refers to the church, but rather to the nation of Israel. Jacob does not refer to individuals, but rather to the nation as a whole. The phrase to "turn away ungodliness from Jacob" is used in the sense of the entire nation (we do understand that there are individuals who will still reject salvation, since it is a personal matter).

Paul wrote, "As concerning the gospel, they (the Jews) are enemies for your (Gentiles') sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Romans 11.28,29). But God's gifts and God's calling are without repentance. God will keep His promises. The Jews will turn back to God with a national repentance, after the "fullness of the Gentiles" through the church is come in. There is a subsequential order here that cannot be denied. That is why Paul could write, "And so all Israel shall be saved..." (Romans 11.26). He does not use Israel to refer to the church. He foresaw a national revival among his people when the time came. A careful reading of Romans will show that Paul knew who Israel was. Many today do not. The Jews are enemies of the gospel for our (Gentiles') sake. But, as touching the election, Paul said,"they are beloved for the fathers' sakes".The same situation holds true today. This takes nothing away from His glorious church, the Vanguard of His kingdom.

Some have confused the "times of the Gentiles" with the "fullness of the Gentiles", and have also attempted to teach that the "times of the Gentiles" ended in 70 AD by not carefully reading Luke 21.24, and by not rightly dividing the word of truth (for example, ignoring the important prophetic dream of Daniel 2, concerning the Gentile empires). I use the phrase "rightly dividing" in spite of modern interpretations of the phrase.

 Daniel 2 Teaches That The Lord Will Return To Smash The Gentile World Order

Luke 21.24 explicitly said that "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled". We have already demonstrated from Daniel 2, and from the clear teaching of history, that "the times of the Gentiles" cannot be fulfilled until the Stone made without hands (Jesus Christ) comes back to earth (in modern times at least after 1453 AD) to smash the colossal statue with Nebuchadnezzar's head of gold, and feet of iron mixed with clay. This statue cannot possibly refer to Jerusalem, as some teach that Jerusalem is the object of His Armageddon wrath. It is useless to suppose that Jesus was not including Daniel 2 in His endtime prophecy teaching, since the Olivet discourse clearly shows that He was referring quite clearly back to the prophet Daniel's writings in general. There are a number of evidences that He had the book of Daniel in mind.

Some teach that Revelation 11.2, which they say refers to the old temple of Herod (even though Revelation was not written until at least 96 AD, some 26 years after the Herodian temple was destroyed, according to the best ancient sources), teaches us that the "times of the Gentiles" only lasted for three and one-half years (67-70 AD), when the Romans were besieging Jerusalem.

Jerusalem has certainly been "trodden down" of the Gentiles much longer than three and one-half years. While the Herodian temple was destroyed by fire during 70 AD, the city of Jerusalem itself was not destroyed until the Bar Kochba rebellion in 135 AD, some 65 years later (not three and one-half years later). The subsequent history of Jerusalem since the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, ought to convince any reader that Jerusalem has been trodden down by the Gentiles much more than a mere three and one-half years. The reference to Revelation 11.2, which instructs John to measure the temple in his vision, but to leave out the "outer court" because it is "given to the Gentiles", and that they "shall tread (the holy city) under foot forty two months", is obviously speaking of a future time and a future temple. A future temple cannot affect the church in any way. It is merely a fact of prophecy. 

There are a number of valid reasons for believing that Revelation 11.2 speaks of a future time: (1) the obvious fact, as has been mentioned, is that the book of Revelation was not written until 96 AD, some 26 years after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, (2) the Romans (Gentiles) had "trodden under" the "holy city" even during the first century (before 70 AD) for far more than three and one-half years, having been garrisoned there as overbearing conquerors for many years.

(3) the concurrent, contemporary type of ministry of the Two Witnesses (the two prophets) in Revelation 11 is not seen during the first century, but is rather a future event, and is not a New Testament church ministry, since these prophets do not have the same "manner of spirit" as the apostles (Luke 9.55). The fact that their ministry is different from the New Testament church ministry is evidence that the church is already gone into heaven by the time of the Two Witnesses. What apostle or minster in the New Testament church has called fire down from heaven to consume men and women? What apostle or minister in the New Testament church has turned water into blood, has brought about famines, or brought plagues down upon people? The ministry of these two prophets much more resembles the ministry of Old Testament prophets than it does New Testament ministers. That is why we say that their ministry is subsequent to the church age.

(4) the Beast of Revelation 11 (and Daniel 7) makes war against the Two Witnesses (and their followers), whereas in the first century, the Romans make war against the rebellious Jews, who would have hardly been allied with the Two Witnesses (assuming, for the sake of argument, that they had even existed in the first century). Even those who want to make first century Jerusalem the center of almost all apocalyptical utterances, admit that the first century Christians of Jerusalem escaped to Petra, and so there is no parallel in the first century with the Two Witnesses and the 144,000 virgins of Revelation, and (5) Revelation 11.15 indicates that it is at this future time (at the close of the tribulation) that "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever". We have seen that the Stone made without hands (Jesus Christ) smashes the Gentile system at the feet made of iron mixed with clay (at some point in time after 1453 AD), and therefore the "times of the Gentiles" cannot possibly have ended in 70 AD.

The Conclusion

What is the conclusion? At the very least, we must assert that "the times of the Gentiles" have not yet come to an end. Most assuredly, the "times of the Gentiles" did not end in 70 AD, and finally "the times" of the Gentiles' rule and ascendancy should never be confused with "the fullness of the Gentiles" coming into the church. The Stone will one day makes His glorious appearance to destroy the Image of the Beast, as well as his empire, and we ought to expect His return for His Bride with great anticipation!

-William B. Chalfant