| Highlights of Dawn | August 1947 |
Gentile nations passing, Israel being restored
The Times of the Gentiles
“Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”—Luke 21:24
THE expression “times of the Gentiles,” as used by the Master, is undoubtedly a reference to the long period in human history during which a certain succession of Gentile nations were, permitted to exercise undisputed sovereignty throughout the so-called civilized world. The distinction between Gentiles and Israelites came about as a result of God’s choice of the seed of Abraham as the people or nation which he would recognize as his, and through whom he would carry out his purposes. During the time when God did thus deal with this people he said to them through the prophet, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”—Amos 3:2
But the continuance of this special position of favor to the Israelites depended upon their obedience to the covenant into which they entered with the Lord at Sinai. Most of the promises made to them were conditional, and because they did not live up to these conditions they lost their position of chief favor with the Lord as his special or peculiar people, and certain Gentile nations were then recognized by God as the keepers of law and order in the earth—not forever, but until the due time came for the kingdom of Christ to take over the rulership of all nations, both Jewish and Gentile.
This change took place with the dethronement of Judah’s last king, Zedekiah. Previous to this, the nation had become divided between the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, and the two-tribe kingdom of Judah; but the ten-tribe kingdom had long since fallen, and many of the people taken into captivity in Assyria. The two-tribe kingdom of Judah was overthrown by King Nebuchadnezzar, and the people were taken into captivity in Babylon. When Zedekiah was overthrown and taken captive to Babylon, the Prophet Ezekiel had forecast, “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end. Thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: … I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him.”—Ezek. 21:25-27
“It shall be no more”—this is a reference to the typical kingdom of God as it functioned through the kings of this nation whom God had chosen for his own. As long as God considered the kingdom of Israel his kingdom, Gentile nations had no standing whatsoever in his arrangements. Nor did God recognize Gentile kingdoms as his when the Jewish nation lost its independence as a kingdom. God did not transfer his arrangement with his chosen nation to the Gentiles; for, concerning that Israelitish arrangement, he said through the prophet, “It shall be no more.”
However, in making this declaration regarding Judah’s last king, Zedekiah, a time limit was placed upon the period during which God would have no kingdom arrangement in the earth. “It shall be no more,” the prophet declared, “until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” During this “until” period a different arrangement has functioned—an arrangement which was outlined to King Nebuchadnezzar following the dethronement of Zedekiah. To this heathen king of Babylon the Prophet Daniel declared, “Wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he [God] given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all.”—Dan. 2:38
Daniel did not say that God would rule over the children of men through Nebuchadnezzar, hence Nebuchadnezzar did not sit upon the throne of the Lord as did the kings of Israel and Judah. Gentile dominion has not, therefore, been a divinely sponsored and directed rule, but merely a divinely permitted one. It has been a human rulership, based simply and only upon the wisdom of fallen and selfish men. The symbol of this rulership was the human-like image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream, whose head of gold, according to the Prophet Daniel, represented the rulership of Babylon.—Dan. 2:38
The image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represented not only the rulership of Babylon as God permitted it to function, but also of Babylon’s successors—Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. What was said of Babylon became true of all these; namely, that the God of heaven gave them their dominion, their kingdom. It was in the days of Rome when the Apostle Paul wrote, “The powers that be are ordained [margin, ordered] of God.” (Rom. 13:1) Israel lost her freedom and became a vassal nation to Babylon, and this servitude continued under Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. And no independence for Israel could be expected “until he come whose right it is.”
It is important to note that Daniel’s interpretation of the Gentile image prophecy limits its application to the four empires mentioned above. We are not warranted, therefore, in supposing that this includes other nations, only in so far as they may have come under the influence of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, or Rome. The Roman phase of the “times of the Gentiles” was represented by the legs of iron, and in its closing days, by the feet and toes of the image.
Thus the symbolism runs true to form, for Rome was not succeeded by another empire, as were Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece, but was divided into the several states of Europe which continued to exist and to be ruled by hereditary ruling houses which claimed divine authority, until they were overthrown as a result of the first World War. It was upon these feet and toes that the impact of the “stone” fell—the stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands—causing the image to fall.
Now notice what the prophet said would occur as a result of this smiting. We quote: “Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:35) It is most important for the student to note that that which was represented by the gold, silver, brass, iron, and clay of the image is prophetically said to be destroyed “together.”
The Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Grecian empires passed out of existence long before the Roman, hence to understand what was to occur “together” when the stone smote the feet of the image, it is well to examine very carefully Daniel’s interpretation of what the image symbolized. This we find in verses 36 to 38 of the prophecy, which we quote: “This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven. hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.”
Babylon existed prior to the time when this image picture applied, but it was not the head of gold until God authorized its dominion. The same is true of that which is represented by the silver, the brass, and the gold of the image. Thus we see that according to the prophet’s own interpretation, what the image really represented was a divine lease of power extended to and: throughout the period of these successive empires. It was this lease of power or “dominion” common to them all which came to an end “together” at the termination of the times of the Gentiles.
Confirmation of this thought is given us in Daniel 7:12. In this prophecy the same four Gentile empires are depicted as beasts, and concerning the first three we read: “They had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.” This proves that the withdrawal of the right to rule does not necessarily imply the immediate destruction of nations which formerly held that right. The God-given dominion exercised by Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece was “taken away” from each in turn as it was passed on to the other. Finally Rome became the successor to this dominion. But when the time came for Rome to relinquish it, it meant also that it was due time for the rightful King of earth to take over, hence it was not only to be taken away from Rome, but was to cease altogether, and the divided empire through which it was exercised was to be destroyed.
Christ’s Kingdom Takes Over
It is an indisputable fact of the divine plan that the closing of the “times of the Gentiles” is coincidental with the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. It is then that the fulfillment of the prophecy becomes manifest concerning the coming of him “whose right it is” to rule under divine sponsorship in a kingdom which is the Lord’s. This means that with the end of the “times of the Gentiles” we should expect not only the overthrow of the remnants of the Roman Empire which exercised its dominion by divine right, but also the disintegration of all humanly constituted authority in the earth, and that amidst the chaos resulting from this, the authority of Christ’s kingdom will make itself felt; for, as the prophet asserts, the Lord will then say, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”—Psalm 46:10
It has long been believed and taught by students of prophecy that the “times of the Gentiles” was a fixed period which would reach a termination in the year A.D. 1914. In Jesus’ reference to these “times” he used a Greek word which denotes a set or fixed time. It is the same word used by Jesus in Mark 1:15 where he says that “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” It is also the same word that is translated “season” in Acts 1:7, where Jesus states, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” Jesus indicated however that the gift of the Holy Spirit would enable the disciples to know of the times and seasons of the divine plan as they became due to be understood.—Acts 1:8; I Thess. 5:1-5
All of the Master’s teachings were based upon the Old Testament scriptures, hence his reference to the “times of the Gentiles” indicates that somewhere in the Old Testament these “times” are referred to. He explains that these “times” would be a period during which Jerusalem would be trodden down by the Gentiles as a punishment upon Israel, and it is this fact that leads us to the 26th chapter of Leviticus, which gives us the length of this period of punishment.
In this chapter we find a prophecy of certain punishments which would surely come upon Israel in the event of their disobedience to God’s Law, and then a reference to “seven times more” of chastisement, if, as a result of the former, they did not hearken unto and obey the Lord. This “seven times” of additional punishment is mentioned four times—Leviticus 26:18,21,24,28. The Hebrew word here translated “seven” is shibah, which, according to Dr. Strong means, “adverbially, seven times.”
The punishments mentioned as coming upon Israel prior to the “seven times” are evidently references to their periods of captivity to the Assyrians, Moabites, Midianites, Philistines, and others. While these were not particularly long in duration, they extended over more than seven literal years, so we must conclude that the shibah (“seven times”) which were to be visited upon this rebellious nation as additional punishment are intended by the Lord to be figured as symbolic times of 360 years each, making a total of 2,520 years.
As we have already noted, the evident time when this long period of punishment upon Israel began was when their last king, Zedekiah, was dethroned in the year 606 B.C. By counting 2,520 years from this date, we are brought to A.D. 1914. We should not expect to find these time prophecies so clearly stated in the Bible that they would not need to be studied carefully and analytically in order to be understood. Nor would it be proper to hold tenaciously to an interpretation of such prophecies in the absence of any indication of their fulfillment. But in this case, the outstanding developments in the affairs of the Gentile nations, as well as in the status of the Jewish nation since 1914, bear eloquent testimony that the period mentioned by Jesus as one of punishment upon Israel—the “times of the Gentiles”—has terminated. We have already witnessed the downfall of the “divine right” rulership of the Roman Empire, and now the fragments of the nations through which the Gentile lease operated are being ground to powder, in preparation for the next phase of the plan of God; namely, the full manifestation of the kingdom of Christ as the sovereign power over both Jews and Gentiles.
What to Look For
Jesus said that Jerusalem—symbol of the Jewish nation would be trodden down of the Gentiles until the “times of the Gentiles” would be fulfilled. It is obvious, then, that at the end of the “times of the Gentiles” we should see a stirring among the Jewish people, looking toward their re-establishment as a nation. Let us note the changed position of the Jewish people since 1914. Even previous to that, and as though the Lord were awakening them to the importance of the hour, Zionism was born, although it made little actual progress in the way of re-establishing the Israelites in the Promised Land. Indeed, for the most part, the Jews themselves turned a deaf ear to Zionism and the idea of returning to Palestine. But how different have been developments since 1914!
It was the first World War, which began in 1914, that gave Zionism its real opportunity; for the Holy Land was by that war freed from the controlling hand of the Turks. Then the League of Nations sponsored the cause of the Jewish homeland. As the League of Nations represented most of the Gentile nations—particularly those pictured in the “image” prophecy—this recognition by the League, of the Jewish right to national independence in their own land, marked an official ending of the treading down period.
When Jesus said that Jerusalem should be “trodden down” of the Gentiles, he did not mean a continuous siege of bitter persecution, but merely a continuance of the status of the Jews which then existed; namely, that they were to remain a vassal nation, not enjoying national independence. True, it is a far cry from that first official act of the League of Nations acknowledging the right of the Jewish nation to its independence, to the actual and, full re-establishment of Israel in the land which God gave to them, but it was the turning point in God’s dealings with Israel, and sufficiently definite to warrant the conclusion that the “times of the Gentiles” had expired.
Time prophecies of the Bible frequently mark the beginning of great changes to which they refer, rather than their completion. This is true of the prophecies pertaining to Israel’s “double” period of punishment. (Zech. 9:12) The turning point of this double was at the time the nation rejected Jesus as their King. Jesus then declared to the nation, “Your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matt. 23:38) Actually, however, it was practically forty years subsequent to this that Jerusalem was destroyed and the nation dispersed among the Gentiles. All that occurred when Jesus said, “Your house is left unto you desolate,” was the withdrawal from Israel of their part as a nation in the royal promises pertaining to the kingdom of Christ, and from then on, the foretold dispersion from their land was to take place.
The ending of the “times of the Gentiles” was very similar to this. The withdrawal from the Gentiles of the lease of dominion occurred in 1914, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that within a period no longer than it took for the downfall of Israel following the injunction, “Your house is left unto you desolate,” not only will the last fragments of the nations pictured in Nebuchadnezzar’s image, as well as their associates, be destroyed, but Israel will be restored, and the new kingdom will be operating from Jerusalem.
Some may argue that the Jews have been more bitterly persecuted since that time than ever before, hence that the end of the “times of the Gentiles” could not have been reached. But this view fails to take into consideration another group of prophecies which indicate that the end of their national bondage to Gentile nations, and the time for their return to Palestine, would be marked by great distress. The prophecies indicate that this particular trouble would come to “cause” them to return to their own land; and would be peculiar to the time when the Lord would “bring again” their captivity. (Jer. 30:3,11) Jeremiah also tells us that the Lord would send “fishers” and “hunters” among his people to cause them to return to the Promised Land. (Jer. 16:14-18) From these prophecies—and there are other similar ones—it is clear that the turning point of time from national captivity to national freedom from the Gentile yoke, would not at once make an end of all tribulation for the Jews.
The argument might be raised by some that if this were God’s due time for Israel to return to the Promised Land, then the Jews would be permitted to enter the land without restrictions. But in this, also, we should note carefully the prophecies. Joel 3:1,2 reveals that the time for the return of Israel’s captivity would be marked by a warlike gathering of Gentile nations, and that it would be necessary for the Lord to plead with these nations concerning his people and concerning the land which he promised to them. The events of recent years are in clear fulfillment of this prophecy, hence furnish dovetailing proof of the transition period through which we are passing; that it is God’s due time to “bring again” the captivity of his ancient people.
And despite all the difficulties the Jews have had, and still are having in connection with their desire to return to the Promised Land, there are probably as many as a million of them who have already returned, and the number is constantly increasing. The Lord’s providences which are “causing” them to return have been such that a majority of the remaining Jews in Europe are now desperately in earnest in their desire to reach Palestine. The final scene of this mighty deliverance of Israel by Jehovah will not be until the close of Armageddon, but the steps leading up to this began as a result of the striking of God’s time clock when, in 1914, it tolled out the message that “the times of the Gentiles” had ended.
Who, then, that believes in the prophecies of the Bible can doubt the meaning of the history-making events that have kept the Jews almost constantly on the front pages of the world’s newspapers ever since 1914! And to an increasing extent, the Jewish and Palestine problem is one of the major issues confronting the Gentile nations today. The reason is that they do not want to give the Jews the land. But it is God’s due time for them to have it, and he will continue to plague any and all nations which stand in the way of the fulfillment of his plan. At the moment there is a, commission representing the United Nations investigating the problem of Palestine, but regardless of what this commission reports, or what the United Nations’ organization does about it, nothing will be permitted to hinder the outworking of God’s purposes toward his ancient people.
The Gentile Nations
Meanwhile, since 1914, the Gentile nations have continued’ to disintegrate. Since Nebuchadnezzar’s image depicting Gentile rulership represented particularly that “the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom,” it is most significant to realize that the “divine right of kings” viewpoint has almost completely disappeared as an active governmental philosophy among the nations. As we. had seen, the Gentile governments of the divided Roman Empire which held to this ideology have themselves nearly all been destroyed, and in their places—put there either by the force of arms, or by the vote of the people—are various forms of communistic and socialistic governments. Church-state rulership has gone; the divine right of hereditary ruling houses is past, and now there is every evidence that the new forms of government ruling the world are preparing for another clash of arms which in all probability will leave practically the whole earth a shambles and the people in anarchy.
Thus seen, whether we look at the experiences of the Jews since 1914, and note how they are being moved irresistibly toward Palestine amidst the tribulation which the prophets foretold would come upon them when God brought again their captivity; or whether we view the undeniable changes occurring in Gentile rulership since 1914, we cannot question the proof that the “times of the Gentiles” have ended. And when we put the two lines of evidence together there is no escaping the certainty of their meaning.
True, all governments have not yet been completely destroyed; nor are the Jews enjoying the peace and liberty which will yet be theirs. But neither of these conditions will be wholly realized until the kingdom of Christ is in full operation. The prophecies clearly show, in fact, that even after the kingdom of Christ is operating, and manifesting its authority in and from Jerusalem, there will be “nations” still existing, some of which may not for a time bow the knee to divine authority. One of the prophecies depicting this is Zechariah 14:16-19. Here it is indicated that the punishment of such recalcitrant nations will be that upon them there will be no rain. Micah 4:1-4—another prophecy of the kingdom established—speaks of “strong nations” which will need to be rebuked by the mountain-kingdom that is then established in the top of the mountains.
The kingdom of Christ is to reign over the earth for the purpose of destroying enemies—enemies of God, of righteousness, and of man. One of these enemies is humanly constituted authority, based upon selfishness and hate. The last of the enemies to be destroyed is death. If we think of the operation of the kingdom of Christ as marking a time when there is no opposition, either nationally or individually, to divine authority and righteousness, we will fail not only to grasp the full significance of many of the prophecies pertaining to that kingdom, but also the significance of what is occurring in the earth today.
While this is not an occasion to discuss in detail the prophecies of Revelation, it is fitting, we think, to call attention to some revealing points in chapters 17 and 18 of the Apocalypse. All agree that these chapters pertain to the closing scenes of manmade rulership over the earth, both civil and ecclesiastical. Concerning the ten horns of the scarlet-colored beast described in the 17th chapter, it is explained that they “are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet.” (Rev. 17:12) When we think of the definite manner in which God gave a kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar, which authority was to pass on down from one dynasty to another, even to the end of the Gentile Times, it seems particularly significant that here the Lord should be telling us of kings or kingdoms which had been given no kingdom.
The expression “as yet,” in the statement which says that these kingdoms have received no kingdoms as yet, is of doubtful authenticity. But whether authentic or not, it makes no real change in the thought expressed. While these kings have been given no kingdom in the sense that dominion was given to Nebuchadnezzar and his successors, they are given a commission, for we read that “God hath put it in their hearts to fulfil his will,” and his will for them is that they shall be his instruments in destroying the harlot woman. In Revelation 18:9, the kings of the earth which committed fornication with the harlot woman are shown as standing afar off—in exile—mourning over the downfall of the system with which they were once associated. These are the remnants of the “kings” which once functioned under the Gentile Times’ authorization, but now they are helpless—the few that remain—to hinder the complete destruction of that system of which they were a part. The kings or governments which had been given no kingdom, hold the upper hand until the will of the Lord concerning the woman is fully carried out. And finally even these, together with the beast of which they are a part, will go into perdition.
Then will come swiftly the binding of Satan and the manifestation of the life-giving blessings of the kingdom as depicted in the 20th chapter of Revelation. Truly, as we see the wonderful events throughout the world which today are parading before us as a faith-inspiring panorama of prophecies being fulfilled, we can look up and lift up our heads, knowing that our deliverance draweth nigh, and that the blessing of all nations is near!