Luke 21:20-24 – But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
This was a critical prophesy that Jesus gave in the last week just before His crucifixion. In it He described the destruction of Jerusalem that happened just over thirty years after His death and the scattering of the Jewish people all over the world. He went on to say that Jerusalem would be controlled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. What was Jesus saying? He was prophesying about the church age that would last until all of the Gentiles that belonged to Him would be harvested, we are rapidly approaching that moment. Here is how the Spirit Filled Life Bible describes these events.
“The times of the Gentiles refers to the interval between the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the Second Coming of Christ, during which the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world. Inasmuch as Jerusalem often symbolizes the Jewish people as a whole, Jesus here is also prophesying the disbelief of the majority of Jews during the church age. “Until” seems to allude to a repentant Israel’s welcoming His return.”
So how does all of this effect us? Our primary job is to harvest Gentiles from every tribe and tongue before the rapture of the church. After that, the primary harvest could the Jewish population. The other way it effects us is that we need to stay ready for the return of Christ. Jesus said that when we see ‘these things’, these prophetic events being fulfilled, ‘look up! Your redemption is drawing near’. There has been increasing hostility aimed directly at the Jewish population all over the world and especially in Israel recently. This is a sure indication that the prophetic time clock is ramping up.
