The Allied Invasion of Israel of Ezekiel 38 & 39 Part 3 of 7

The times of the Gentiles are that long period of time from the Babylonian captivity (586 B.C.) until the Second Coming of Jesus. During this time the Gentiles have had control over the city of Jerusalem. There have been times of temporary Jewish control over the city.

1. Maccabean Period (164-63 B.C.)
2. First Jewish Revolt against Rome (A.D. 66-70)
3. The second Jewish Revolt (the Bar-Kochba Revolt) against Rome (A.D. 132-135)
4. Since the 1967 Six-Day War, which is temporary, because Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles for at least another 3 ½ years during the Great Tribulation. (Rev 11:1-2)

Any Jewish takeover of the city before the Second Coming will be temporary, and does not mean that the times of the Gentiles have ended. The Times of the Gentiles can only end when Gentiles can’t tread down Jerusalem any more. The Times of the Gentiles, is a period of time when four Gentile empires will follow one another in sequence, with the Fourth Empire going through several different stages. But eventually this will give way to God’s setting up His own Kingdom. While the Gentile empires are of human origin; the Kingdom of the Stone is of divine origin. While the Gentile empires are all temporary, God’s kingdom is eternal. It is necessary to have some basic realization of power in human relationships. This power over the world shifts from person to person and empire to empire. All the while though God remains in control affecting His will in a minimum of two characteristics; Creative Will and Permissive Will.