THE "FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES”

The “Fullness of the Gentiles”

I attach this phrase to Daniel for the reasons below. It is clearly linked to Daniels prophecy by way of Luke 21 and its parallel passages in Mark 13 and Matthew 24. Consider how each of these three passages are linked and evaluate the content of each as being a part of the other two as well as standing on its own.

Matt. 24:15-22 + 34
'When ye therefore shall see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION SPOKEN OF BY DANIEL THE PROPHET, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

'And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 34 “Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS, TILL ALL THESE THINGS BE FULFILLED.”

Mark 13:14-20 + 30
'But when ye shall see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION SPOKEN OF BY DANIEL THE PROPHET, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take anything out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

'But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. 30 VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT THIS GENERATION SHALL NOT PASS, TILL ALL THESE THINGS BE DONE.

Luke 21:20-20 + 32
'And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

'Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. FOR THESE BE THE DAYS OF VENGENCE , THAT ALL THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN MAY BE FULFILLED.

'But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 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 GENTILED BE FULFILLED. 32 “Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION NSHALL NOT PASS AWAY , TILL ALL BE FULFILLED.”

The end of the time of the Gentiles is when the destruction of Jerusalem is complete in 70 A.D.

"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled." (Luke 21:32)

The times of the Gentiles has to be kept in it's proper historical context. Jesus said that "all", including the times of the Gentiles, would be fulfilled before his contemporary generation had passed. Some go outside the box of "this generation" in order to teach a futuristic view of Christ's coming. To do that they have to redefine both "the times of the Gentiles" and "this generation". Needless to say, the "1948 generation" has proven to be more than just a little embarrassing.
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh . . . and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." (Luke 21:20, 24)

The times of the Gentiles referred to the treading down, or desolation, of first century Jerusalem, which Jesus called "the days of vengeance". In other words, it was God's mission for the Gentiles to bring judgment upon Jerusalem. This is consistent with past judgments upon Israel, when God brought Gentiles armies into their land to desolate it.

The whole controversy centers on the duration of the treading down of Jerusalem. The Greek for "trodden" is pat-eh'-o (#3961 in Strong's Concordance), and it means "to trample down underfoot". The parallel to Lk.21:24 is seen in Revelation 11:2, which says:

"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot (pateho) forty and two months."

Could it be any plainer? The times of the Gentiles, or treading down of Jerusalem, entailed no more than a forty two month period of time, the exact duration of the Jewish-Roman War. This is in perfect harmony with Daniel 12:7, where the defining characteristic of "the time of the end" is said to be "the scattering of the power of the holy people", which we are told would be accomplished during "a time, times, and a half", or forty two months.

Furthermore, when we consider the mountain of evidence for a pre-70 dating of Revelation, in addition to the statements of imminence in the book itself (1:1, 3; 22:6, 7, 10, 12), then the forced conclusion is that the forty two months was fulfilled in the 66-70 A.D. Jewish-Roman War.

In the ancient Near East, the ultimate image of triumph over an enemy was the positioning of the enemy "under the feet" of the conqueror. This was a literal custom in Biblical times read Joshua 10:24; 2 Kings 7:17, 20, 9:33; Isaiah 14:19 as well as a metaphor for dominion, conquering, possession, judgment, shame, defilement, oppression, and victory read Deuteronomy 11:24; Judges 20:43; 1 Kings 5:3; Joshua 14:9; Psalms 18:38; 47:3; 74:21; 110:1; Lamentations 1:15; 3:34; Isaiah 14:25; 41:2; 63:6; 66:1; Jeremiah 25:30; Daniel 8:7; Joel 3:13; Amos 2:6-7; 4:13; Micah 1:3; 5:5-6; Malachi 4:3; Matthew 7:6; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:43; Acts 2:35; Romans 16:20; I Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 1:13; 2:8; 10:13; Revelation 19:15. The Greek word for "tread" in Revelation 11:2 is the same word Luke used for "trodden" (pat-eh'-o) in Luke 21:24.

Jerusalem's first century desolation represented the time when Christ put his enemies (read I Thessalonians 2:15-16) under his feet. This was accomplished during a forty two month period which Jesus called "the times of the Gentiles".

Miztah