THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES:
TV TODAY IS BASED ON BAD NEWS, IT MAKES MONEY ON BAD NEWS, YOU EXPECT BAD NEW FROM TV, IN THE 50's THE CAMERA SHIFTED EVERY 12 SECONDS, NOW THE CAMERA SHIFTS EVERY 4 SECONDS, VERY SHORT ATTENTION SPANN, WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR TEACHERS TO KEEP CHILDREN'S ATTENTION FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES. THE POOR AND UNDER EDUCATED MOST OFTEN WATCH THE MOST TV. DO THEY WATCH MORE TV BECAUSE OF LESS EDUCATION OR ARE THEY LESS EDUCATED BECAUSE OF WATCHING TOO MUCH TV? ALL THE FAST PICTURES AND BAD NEWS TV CAUSES YOU TO THINK WITH THE HEART AND NOT WITH THE MIND. YOU CAN NOT CHANGE YOUR HEART UNLESS YOU FIRST CHANGE YOUR MIND, CHANGING THE MIND IS CALLED REPENTENCE. THE BIBLE ON THE OTHER HAND OR RATHER IN YOUR HANDS, CAUSES YOU TO THINK BY USING WORDS, (IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD) THE 10 COMMANDMENTS WERE CALLED THE 10 WORDS. THE GOSPEL IS NOT CALLED THE BAD NEWS BUT THE GOOD NEWS THE OPPOSITE OF TV. REMEMBER HOW RADIO FREE EUROPE HAD SUCH A GREAT NUMBER OF LISTENERS BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN, REMEMBER THE EFFECT THE RADIO CHURCH OF GOD HAD ON SO MANY LIFES, WHY, IT CAUSES PEOPLE TO THINK, THINK AND THINK. WE ARE HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO THINK, THINK, AND THINK.
THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES:
JESUS SAID; UPON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH AND THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NEVER PREVEIL AGAINST IT.
God does nothing without telling his prophets" (Amos 3:7)
LUKE 21:24,
ISA 6:9
7 X 's
PROPHECIES CONCERNING JERUSALEM
Read: Daniel 9:24-26.
According to this prophecy the Messiah would come near the time of the "removal of the daily sacrifice" and the destruction of the "city and the sanctuary".
Fulfillment: Jesus came exactly on time and even decreed Jerusalem's "desolations" as a reminder that He was the fulfillment of this prophecy and as a warning to His people to be ready to escape when the time came.
Read: Matthew 23:37-38; Luke 19:41-44 and Luke 21:20-24.
Further Fulfillment: In 70 A.D. the Roman general Titus (Son of Emperor Vespasian) besieged the city. Then for no apparent reason he withdrew his army.
The ancient historian Josephus notes the sect called "Christians" escaped to the hills by climbing over the walls because the gates were crammed with people "coming into the city". The Jews thought that God would never allow Jerusalem to be destroyed.
SINCE 70 A.D.
The Jews had been dispersed and "led captive" among all the nations as predicted by God through Moses (Deuteronomy 28:49-57 Babylonian exile; Deuteronomy 28:64-68 the destruction of Jerusalem) and the other Prophets. Jerusalem had been "trodden down by the Gentiles".
But what did Jesus mean by "until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled"? This signifies a period of control of the city.
Gentile: A person who is not a Jew.
It was not until last century that Bible Students began to think about the term "the times of the Gentiles".
Jerusalem in the 19th Century was ruled by the Turks, an Islamic power. Therefore the Jews had still not entered the city and been gathered as a people. Therefore the "times of the Gentiles" must still have been in operation. But how long was it to last??
By looking for other references in the Bible to the word "times" [Greek = Kairos] we see one which stands out in Revelation Chapter 12.
This reference indicated that 3.5 "times" = 1260 "days".
Therefore 1 "time" = 360 "days".
But the question remained. How many times was the "times of the Gentiles"??
Read: Daniel chapter 2.
The image that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his first dream represented the World Empires that would rise and fall around the Middle East before God's Kingdom was established in the earth.
Each portion of the image represented a new empire:
The head of Gold = Babylon
The breast and arms of silver = Meads and Persians
The thighs of bronze = Greece
The legs of iron = Rome
The feet of iron and clay = Europe after the fall of Rome. (note ten toes and ten kingdoms which arose out of the Roman Empire)
Therefore 1 "time" is not literally 360 "days". The question had to be asked. What sort of "day" was it ??
There are two places in scripture which may give a clue of God's timing. These are:
Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:1-7.
The scale indicated is one year for every "day" in prophecy. If this is true it could be the key to understanding many time prophecies in the Bible.
So:
1 "time" = 360 years
Therefore:
7 "times" = 2520 years.
The understanding given was that God had allotted 2520 years for the Gentile powers to rule Jerusalem. If we wish to test the theory we could consider again the prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah to Jerusalem.
THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES
Therefore the "times of the Gentiles" began in 604 B.C. with Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Judah, was still continuing in Christ's time, with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and continued even to our own century (as Jerusalem was controlled by the Turks).
By counting 2520 years from 604 B.C. this period of Gentile control was to end in 1917. This was still in the future for the bible students of last century but it was reasonable to assume 1917 was the year the Turkish Empire would loose control of Jerusalem.
It was still very much speculation, and possibly would have remained so, had not another time prophecy coincided with exactly the same year.
FULFILLMENT
What happened in 1917??
The First World War was going on in the Middle East. General Allenby of the British Army was leading the British forces against the Turks.
JERUSALEM DELIVERED
On December 8th the 14th Squadron flew over the City on a reconnaissance mission to find out where the garrisons were and at what strength. When the planes flew low over head the Turks realized that their holy shrines and temples could be bombed and withdrew their garrisons from the city on December 9th.
The city was surrendered without a shot being fired. Allenby entered the city on foot on December 11th.
THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL
Read: Ezekiel 37:15-28
These scriptures indicate clearly that the nation of Israel would be re-established in the Holy Land and the Jews would be gathered from every nation on the earth.
This prophecy was fulfilled on May 15th, 1948, when the United Nations established the sovereign state of Israel as a Jewish "home land". The "times of the Gentiles" were finished. This was proven beyond doubt in June, 1967, when Israel captured Jerusalem during the "6 day war". 1917 + 50 years = 1967.
Note:
When Nebuchadnezzar first invaded Judah in 604 B.C. it took 19 years before Jerusalem was finally overthrown completely and the population taken into captivity. When Israel was declared a sovereign state in 1948 it took 19 years before Jerusalem was back in Jewish hands. 1948 +19 years = 1967.
1967 was the "Year of Jubilee" (See Leviticus 25:13) after the deliverance of Jerusalem from the Turks. Jerusalem is now in the hands of its rightful owners.
Called the Yom Kippur War. Lev 25:
The second stage of this prophecy is now being fulfilled. Jews from every nation on earth are being drawn to Israel. This is not yet complete for the Jews of Ethiopia and the Soviet Union have not been able to immigrate until now.
WAR TO COME
Read: Ezekiel Chapter 38 and Chapter 39
The prophecy in Ezekiel indicates that there will be a full scale invasion of the Holy Land by the forces of "Magog". The ancient historian Josephus identifies the land of Magog as being north and north-east of the Black Sea. This is an area within the boarders of the Soviet Union. Several other nations will be in "confederacy" with this invader. They will be "Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, and possibly Turkey" (Known in ancient days as Gomer and Togarmah).
The reason for this invasion will be two fold:
Israel will have become one of the wealthiest and most fertile areas on earth. Even now this is becoming so. With continuing crop failures in the Soviet Union it would be desirable for them to "own" this fertile country.
The second and possibly not so obvious reason will be to display God's awesome power to the world. God will fight for Israel and this great invading army will be destroyed. So complete will this destruction be that both Israel and all the other nations of the world will realize that it was God who accomplished it (Read: Zechariah Chapter 14.).
When will this occur?? Ezekiel 38:16 says "in the last days".
CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
Read: Zechariah 14:16-21
When all these prophecies are fulfilled God will establish His Kingdom in the earth. In the Kingdom of GOD, Jerusalem is the most strategic city in the world. Jerusalem will be the capital of this Kingdom. It will be the centre of true worship of God. Those nations which will not acknowledge God and come in peace to Jerusalem will be plagued with all kinds of plagues. Only when they repent (lost tribes) will they be allowed to return to the land. And they will return, yes return.
SUMMARY
The re-establishment of Israel as a nation is not a mistake, it is a glorious fulfillment of the Divine plan. We have seen before that the nation of Israel has been prepared by God to rule on the earth during the Millennial Kingdom , therefore it was necessary for the nation to be restored before the Millennium began. When all the ten Tribes of Israel have been returned to their land. The stage is now set for the return of Jesus to establish His Kingdom.
"Lift up your heads and rejoice" {Luke 21:28} for it is working out exactly as God said it would. It ought to confirm your faith, not destroy it. It is coming to pass exactly as he said. "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, and so much more as you see the day approaching," {Heb 10:25}. Do not separate yourself from other Christians. Do not go off on your own but get with them, get to know them, spend enough time together that you can know one another. Love one another and pray for one another. I am not simply talking about coming to church on Sabbath. That is a very important factor because that is where we are taught the truth. It is not where we are to live our Christian life. We do that in the home and in the neighborhood. Watch and look.
PART 2 OF THIS MESSAGE "THE FULNESS OF THE GENTILES" WILL BE ON DVD
