THE AGE OF THE GENTILES |
The mercy of God and the modern nation of Israel.
In Luke's record of Jesus's main prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem that occurred in 70 AD; Jesus made this statement. 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 fulfilled. The only specific time period of the gentiles mentioned, and mentioned in a major way in Bible prophecy is the time period of measured by the four Gentile empires that ruled over and oppressed God's Old and New Testament saints. It's not just in the geographical area's of these empires that the saints were ruled over by gentile kings and emperors either. This was the saints lot in the entire world during this time period. So not only do we see the literal city of Jerusalem being trodden under foot during this time period but also the New Jerusalem which is an illustration of the saints of God.In the book of Romans Paul specifically addresses the plight of the Jewish people in the world and adds further enlightenment as to when the Jewish people will find some relief from the circumstances they find themselves in. Romans 11:25. For I would not, brothers, that you should be ignorant of this mystery......that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in........31. Even so have these (Israelites) not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. Here what we find is a prophecy, actually you might call it a common sense prediction that historically speaking stated exactly what happened. That as soon as believers became numerous and influential enough (the fullness of the gentiles coming in to Gods kingdom.) This slowly but surly began to happen once the Roman empire ended in 1453 AD. Once their influence started guiding nations and those nations influenced by them, influenced by the Word of God started to be dominate in the world. They showed mercy to the Jewish people by giving them their own land so that they could protect themselves as a nation against the perpetual persecutions of Satan. He holds an eternal grudge against them for bringing the Word of God into the world. As we see this playing out even further, the Pentecostal\Evangelical Christians of the world have become the greatest friends and supporters of modern nation of Israel and Jewish people are becoming more and more open to the Gospel as the years go by.So Jesus's actual prophecy is being fulfilled two fold. On the one hand once the times of the gentiles was over. The New Jerusalem, the believers Jew and gentile in nations influenced by them started to fulfill the prophecies regarding the invisible Kingdom of God that had hitherto remained unfulfilled . Then 500 years later, once the nations under their influence became world powers. Through those world powers the Jewish people found mercy in a very practical way. In the form of a homeland and the physical city of Jerusalem under their control. |
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© Daniel Martinovich 2002-2016 |