If you have read the materials in the first two posts I’ve written this week; then this will resonate with you.

What will the times of the Gentiles tell us about rightly dividing the word of truth using Time as our division, as we have been in our last two posts? Are the times of the Gentiles related to the rapture?

Luke 21:20-25 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,

This is the third post in a series on the proper division of scripture (the word of truth). I have underlined here in this passage the fulfillment of “all things”, which If you will remember Jesus stated that Elijah will take a major role in making happen. His involvement was prophesied to be a part of this time of which Jesus speaks here in these verses.

Additionally the Gentiles will be dominant throughout this age in history based on this passage in Luke. The Gentile dominance is present through and including the surrounding of Jerusalem during Armageddon. So right up until the very end of this age Gentiles will trample on Jerusalem. Yet, many often teach that the rapture of a predominantly Gentile church is occurring here, before Israel’s time of Jacobs trouble, and that the turning of God from the Gentiles back to the Jews, will represent the rapture of the church. But with a close reading of the prophetic passages dealing with Jerusalem in the O.T. and including The Revelation, there is made obvious the fact that the Gentiles will rule through treaty in Jerusalem beyond the beginning of and far into the tribulation. The scripture involved prophesying up to and including this time is found in Daniel:

Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy [place.] (NASB)

These weeks will bring an end to Gentile rule.

Daniel 9:27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations [will come] one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” (NASB)

The one who makes desolate prophesied in this verse is the last Gentile to rule.

This is a gentile rule which leads to the final Battle of Armageddon. This Gentile involvement then continues up until Israel is added back into the Olive Tree, which will occur during Armageddon and will lead to Messiah’s second coming to destroy this last Gentile ruler, who is the Antichrist.

Paul makes clear that there are vessels of wrath leading to destruction. Listen:

Romans 9:22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: (KJV)

God has patiently awaited this day of Wrath. It begins with Armageddon. In Isa. 63, Jesus makes clear His Intent on this day. He will begin the outpouring of wrath in His planned deliverance of Israel in answer to their cry for Him, Yeshua the Messiah to save them. (See Hos. 5:15).

So Paul has told of God’s long suffering concerning the vessels of wrath. Then we hear:

Romans 9:23-25 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea,“I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”

So Paul makes clear also that we Gentiles, who were not a people are together with the Jews beloved. Then Paul makes clear two things in this next section in Romans:

Romans 11:11, 14-15, 17, 19-20, 24-27 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

Note I have skipped some verses, in order to make Paul’s point clear. This is our first clue. When they as a purged remnant nation (some of them) will by their acceptance produce for us Life from the dead (resurrection). Secondly we learn:

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,“The Deliverer will come from Zion,He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” “This is My covenant with them,When I take away their sins.”

The fullness of the Gentiles must come in and it will during the Tribulation. The Gentiles of the Church which Jesus established is not ever taught in scripture to be separated from the olive tree (the people of God) who are sustained by the root of that tree (Jesus), except for one reason only — unbelief. There is never a rapture from this tree taught.

Galatians 2:7-9, 14 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles, and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? Only one gospel is mentioned here for all.

I truly understand the rejection of replacement theology. I agree that it is cut from wrinkled or twisted cloth. Gentiles are added to Israel’s Messiah, they do not replace her.

With that as a backdrop you should consider that Jesus came to join the Gentiles to Israel. Jesus spoke of other sheep not of this fold; israel was the fold of which He spoke. Paul speaks of one new man, and of one olive tree, and of one bride. Interestingly enough John the Baptist includes Old Testament Jews as part of that bride, when he tells his disciples that the one (Jesus), who has the bride is the bridegroom. Have you considered that the Bride coming down out of heaven (the new Jerusalem) is made up of the twelve patriarchs of Israel, and the twelve apostles of New Covenant Israel (All of Whom were Jews), aka- Messiahs Church. His bride. His One new man.

Have you considered that paradise where Abraham resided and where Jesus met the thief on the cross, and then spent three days and nights before the resurrection, was then transferred to heaven following Jesus resurrection. One new man.

Have you considered that Paul identified our Resurrection and or Rapture as being identified with Israel’s acceptance of Messiah when he said we who have been blessed by Israel’s rejection of Messiah will receive life from the dead at her acceptance –Rom 11:15. One new man, one holy Nation; one Royal Priesthood. One bride.

Have you considered that Israel who was widowed in chapter 53 of Isa. Is promised remarriage to her redeemer in chapter 54. One Bride.

Have you considered that there is but one gospel by which all men must be saved? God did not create two religions: there is but one faith, one nation that He will gather us all into.

Have you considered that if Seven churches of Revelation represent 2000 plus years of church history wrapped up in 7 divisions or dispensations of time, that then there could not have possibly been a rapture until all prophesy is fulfilled (Acts 3:18-20), thus nullifying an imminent return until all prophesy is fulfilled, including the salvation of the Nation Israel’s remnant in one day at the battle of Armageddon following Israel’s refining, and her confession. (Hosea 5:15). Confirmed again when He said: “You will not see me again until you say blessed is He who comes in the name of The Lord.” One new man. One Nation.

Have you considered that Gods Wrath is not the Great Tribulation, for Gods wrath is intended for all men of all time who have rejected Him. Before we were saved we too were under the curse of Gods wrath. Eph. 2.

Now consider that the times of the Gentiles must include those times when Gentiles are still being saved. Can you honestly say that Gentiles will not be saved during the Tribulation.

There is much more on this blog about the truths of Scripture, if you are interested in the truth of an untwisted cloth of Gods Word. May God Bless you as you consider these things.

Not mine, not yours, but only God’s truth matters.

Jerry, is the author of; FALSE SECURITY, Has the New Age Given You False Hope? And of And Then The End Shall Come.

He is the main contributor on this blog.