FROM EXILE TO DESOLATION
Luke 21:20-24 "And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled. How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. For there will be disaster in the land and great anger against this people. They will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end."
What is the one thing that the Jews did that removed God’s protection from them? The majority of the Jews rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ. In rejecting Christ, they rejected their God. In 1st John, he says "He who denies the Son, also denies the Father." It is the spirit of antichrist.
Here we see Jesus Himself say that God’s vengeance was about to be brought onto the Jews. The rejection of Christ brought God’s vengeance. Here we also see the phrasing "Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles". This is the same language that is used in Revelation 11. Jesus was specifically speaking of this second half of the Week of Exile. "Until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end." What is so interesting to note here is that Jesus was saying that the period of 42 prophetic months or 1,279 years, from 688 AD until 1967, was God’s vengeance.
Many in the church have interpreted "Until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end." to mean that the door will close on the Gentiles for salvation and then open again for the Jews. That is not what this means. Look at this in the context of the verse. It is talking about the Gentile occupation of Jerusalem – the Islamic occupation. The period of Islamic occupation of Jerusalem came to an end in 1967. This Gentile occupation of Jerusalem has nothing to do with the Gentile Church. God will not close the door on the Gentiles.
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What is the one thing that the Jews did that removed God’s protection from them? The majority of the Jews rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ. In rejecting Christ, they rejected their God. In 1st John, he says "He who denies the Son, also denies the Father." It is the spirit of antichrist.
Here we see Jesus Himself say that God’s vengeance was about to be brought onto the Jews. The rejection of Christ brought God’s vengeance. Here we also see the phrasing "Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles". This is the same language that is used in Revelation 11. Jesus was specifically speaking of this second half of the Week of Exile. "Until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end." What is so interesting to note here is that Jesus was saying that the period of 42 prophetic months or 1,279 years, from 688 AD until 1967, was God’s vengeance.
Many in the church have interpreted "Until the period of the Gentiles comes to an end." to mean that the door will close on the Gentiles for salvation and then open again for the Jews. That is not what this means. Look at this in the context of the verse. It is talking about the Gentile occupation of Jerusalem – the Islamic occupation. The period of Islamic occupation of Jerusalem came to an end in 1967. This Gentile occupation of Jerusalem has nothing to do with the Gentile Church. God will not close the door on the Gentiles.
Click on the link below to go to the next section.