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Times of the Gentiles
by Don Costello Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive unto all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 1. "and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the the Gentiles" a. trodden down [3961 * pateo] [Zodhiates: To tread, trample; to tread as a winepress )Revelation 14:20, 19:15); To trample upon or have in subjection (Luke 21:24, Revelation 11:2). b. During the times of the Gentiles, Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles. As the Greek definition declares, the Gentiles will have Jerusalem under subjection. They will for the most part, not be aware or understand the spiritual significance of that city. 1). The city of the great King. a.) Psalm 48:1, 2 "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." 2). God has chosen Jerusalem. a.) 2 Chronicles 6:6 "But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel." b). The name of God has been literally embossed on the geography of Mount Zion. c. During the times of the Gentiles, Israel will have no national sovereignty. 1). Sovereignty-the supreme and independent political authority of a nation. 2). The fact that Israel is now a nation and has national sovereignty is a strong indicator that the times of the Gentiles are about over. d. During the times of the Gentiles, the individual Gentile nations have national sovereignty, they have supreme independent authority to govern themselves. 1). In the United States, no other nation dictates to us what we can or cannot do within our borders. Our laws come forth from at least four spheres of jurisdiction. On the Federal level Washington D. C. On the state level our laws come forth from the individual state capitals. There are also County ordinances and City ordinances. 2). Likewise in other nations, depending on what from of government they have, they govern themselves. The laws governing France come from the governing body in Paris. The laws governing England, come from the governing body in London. e. In Luke 21:24 Jesus is contrasting the "times of the Gentiles" with something else. The Bible speaks about different times or seasons when things that God has ordained happen according to His calendar. A good example is in the Book of Acts. 1). Acts 1:6, 7 "When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." 1). I Timothy 6:15 "Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. a). The times of God or the times of Jesus are implied. f. During the times of Jesus Christ, Jesus will be the be the Supreme ruler over all the earth. 1). Psalm 22:27 "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations. g. The absolute independent sovereignty of the nations will be taken from their respective capitals and given to Jesus, the Supreme ruler over all the earth. Two of the first directives that I see coming forth from Jerusalem involve their militaries and the worship of Jesus the Great King in Jerusalem. 1). Isaiah 2:1-4 "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall came to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." 2). Zechariah 14:16 "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles." My name is Don Costello. Ever since I received Christ in November of 1976 I have had a passion to study and know God's word.My wife Melissa and I have 5 children. My e-mail address is [email protected] I have a blog located at: www.theophilus-loverofgodsword.blogspot.com/ Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |