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Is This True?, Israel in Bible Prophecy

The Fullness of The Gentiles

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What does this mean?

(Note: I am interrupting the articles on Israel’s enemies to address this question. I will continue with the other series soon.)

The phrase “time/fullness of the Gentiles” appears three times in the Bible.  In time order, they are : Ezekiel 30:3, Luke 21:24, and Romans 11:25.  The difference in these passages is the use of “time of the Gentiles” by Ezekiel and Luke vs “fulness of the Gentiles” by Paul.

The Hebrew word for time found in Ezekiel is a noun (ʿēṯ), which means the time of the event.  Luke uses a similar identification of time as a noun (Kairos), meaning a measure of time. Instead of the time of the Gentiles, Paul uses the word “fullness” (also a noun), meaning ” filled-up or fulfilled.

Paul uses the word “fullness” several times, e.g., “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,” Galatians 4:4.  This would indicate the fulfillment of a prophecy concerning the birth of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14)

Why is this important?

All three writers are pointing forward to a future event. A time allotted for the Gentiles.  But the most important questions are “What is this work?” and “How does it fit into prophecy?”

Reading these passages in their immediate context (the verses before, those after, and the beginning of each Chapter) is important.  From there, we can see the time applications as prophecy.   We can easily discern in all three passages that it was future to them (Ezekiel, Jesus, and Paul). But, Is it the same event?  What is the event?

Let’s start with Jesus’ discussion with his disciples.

Jesus-Luke 21

 in Luke 21:5 (and Matthew 24:1), we can feel the pride of the disciples in showing off the temple.  They wanted Jesus to be just as proud.  But Jesus surprises them and tells them of the utter destruction of the temple that is to come:

“These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.” Luke 22:6

Matthew records it this way:

And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24: 2

With this context in mind, let’s read the passages regarding the time of the Gentiles as recorded in Luke 21 starting with verse 20:

20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. 21 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. 22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 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. 24 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 (ethnos-non-Jews-Gentiles) are fulfilled. Luke 21:20-24

Let’s list the key components of Jesus’ statement to His disciples to identify who the Gentiles are and their “time.”

  1. Armies will surround Jerusalem. Desolations are near
  2. A warning to “flee to the mountains”-depart. if you are away from the city (country), stay there!
  3. These days of vengeance, which are written (Ezekiel 30:3) are about to be fulfilled!
  4. There will be great distress for those in the city.
  5. The sword will kill those in the city. But some will be led captive to other cities.
  6. Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

This destruction and time of trouble for the Jewish people in Jerusalem would continue until the Gentiles fulfilled their work of destruction and trouble.

Jesus accurately predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, and the disbursement of the Jews to all other nations.  This is well documented in history as it happened in 70 AD when the Roman soldiers surrounded and seized the city, destroyed it along with the second temple (the one rebuilt after the Babylonian captivity), and the people inside it. 

Jesus, prediction can be found in Ezekiel 30: 1-4s:

The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“Wail, ‘Woe to the day!’

 For the day is near,

Even the day of the Lord is near;

It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.

The sword shall come upon Egypt,

And great anguish shall be in Ethiopia,

When the slain fall in Egypt,

And they take away her wealth,

And her foundations are broken down.

Although the destruction in Ezekiel references Egypt, it is applied to Jerusalem as well as He uses similar words and phrases of the prophecy.

LukeEzekiel
Great distressGreat anguish
Fall by the edge of the swordSlain fall
Led awayTake away
Stones not upon another (Matthew)Foundations broken down
Times of the Gentiles fulfilledTime of the Gentiles

So, we can see that the time of the Gentiles is a destructive time in these two cases.  Therefore, it is likely that Paul in Romans 11:25 is describing the same thing as Jesus and Ezekiel.  The difference is that Paul gets more theological as it relates to the state of the Jewish people and argues that their rejection is not final.  But it appears Paul is pointing to the same event as Ezekiel and Jesus, i.e., the destruction of Jerusalem, a destructive event that was future to all three. Again, let’s read in its context starting at verse 11:

11 I say then, have they (Jews) stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

Notice that Paul talks about how their “fall” led to salvation for the Gentiles.  Those not of the Jewish faith began to see the gospel that was once preached to them, and they accepted it!  

Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. Acts 13:46

Paul then speaks of provoking the Jews (those who are my flesh) to save “some of them.” This clears up the idea that all Jews will be ultimately saved.  That teaching is not consistent with this passage or the plan of salvation.

With this in mind, let’s read Romans 11:25 within the context of the verses before and after it:

2 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved (*sōzō-delivered) , as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,

And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

27 For this is My covenant with them,

When I take away their sins.” Romans 11: 24-27

(the Greek word sōzō is properly translated as “delivered. “It fits with the “Deliverer” coming out of Zion, which is Jesus.  So from what we know, those whom Jesus delivers out of the coming destruction of Jerusalem will be spared the destruction-all of them.  Those who ignored the warning of Jesus to flee will not be delivered.

Dispensationalism and Replacement Theory

This passage in Romans 11: 25 has been used out of context to connect it to the final end-time events.  True, it was an end-time event for those remaining in Jerusalem.  However, It is often connected with the dispensationalism theory that separates the  Jewish Nation and the Christian church of believers.  Unlike the Replacement Theory and Dispensationalism.  Jesus breaks down the wall between the Jewish believer and the Gentile believer.  These two, together, are true Israel (yiśrā’ēl); God prevails!

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” Ephesians 2: 14-16

Paul further drives this point home with statements like this:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

..there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Colossians 3:11

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. Romans 2:28-29

The Dispensationalists believing in the pre-tribulation (the rapture of the church before the Great Tribulation) propose that the “time of the Gentiles” refers to that period when the temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt in Jerusalem at the site currently occupied by the Muslim Masque.  The enemies of Jerusalem will surround Jerusalem, and Jesus will come down and touch the Mount of Olives and deliver Israel from their enemies.  This story is fictionalized by writers like Hal Lindsey (The Late Great Planet Earth) and Tim Lehaye (Left Behind series).

According to this theory, this will occur during the 7-year tribulation.   However, the Bible gives no indication of the time of trouble lasting seven years in the Bible.  The seven years comes from a misinterpretation of the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9.  For a fairer and more Biblical interpretation of this prophecy, please click here:  7 Years of Tribulation-Biblical?

Conclusion:

The Fullness of the Gentiles or Time of the Gentiles within the context of the passages of the three writers, the prediction of Jesus, and the historical record refers to the seizure and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and has nothing to do with the dispensationalists attempt to force it to mean something else that would fit into the pre-tribulation or the unbiblical 7-year tribulation period. 

This period of destruction was a prophecy to the three writers, but it is history to us.  This happens often in scripture.  Daniel 2 is a good example of the rise and fall of Babylon, Medio-Persia, Greek, Roman, and the eventual ten divisions of Rome into modern Europe. Also, passages like Zachariah 12 and other OT prophets promise deliverance for Israel from enemies, but it is within the time period for which it was written and the enemy that controls them.  When reading the Old Testament prophets about rebuilding the temple or the city, it is always in the context of the second temple after Babylon had destroyed Solomon’s temple.  There is no mention of a third temple in the Bible.

On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David (second temple), which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; Amos 9:11

Artaxerxes wrote the decree in 457 BC for the Jews to return and rebuild their city, including the second temple (See Ezra 7: 11-28), after Babylon had destroyed the first temple 70 years earlier.

Israel’s enemies are the Christian’s enemies.  It goes beyond nations and buildings to include spiritual wickedness.  Here is the real enemy, and the real Deliverer is Jesus the Christ for all, both Jewish and Gentile believers.  We are all one in Christ and not separate in His eyes.                                                                                                                            

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

Israel in Bible Prophecy

Rejection of the Schoolmaster’s Message-Israel and End Time Events Part 2

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IF you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth….

“But it shall come to pass, IF you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

Deuteronomy 28:1,15

Last time, we learned that the promises of God are either conditional or unconditional. Whether conditional or not can be determined by the context and the statement itself and through the historical record of God’s word and secular history.

When the promise begins with the word “if,” we can know with certainty that there is a condition to the reception of the promise.  Here are a few examples that are well-known by Christians:

IF My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

What is the promise?  God will “heal their land.”

What are the conditions?  “humble themselves,” “pray and seek My face.” “turn from their wicked ways.”

What happens if God’s people fail the conditions?  Should they expect the land to be healed?

Here is another conditional promise:

Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.

Deuteronomy 7:12

What is the promise? “God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.”

What are the conditions?  “…listen to these judgments, and keep and do them.”

Again, what happens if God’s people fail the conditions?  Should they expect to receive the promises of the covenant and mercy that was sworn to their fathers?

There are many other such conditional promises, but the point is God’s promises will not be received by everyone because they fail the conditions as did the children of Israel who were described as a stiff-necked people.

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”

Acts 7:51

The story of the children of Israel is a lesson in what happens when the conditions of the promise are not met. Their story is recorded for us succeeding generations.  We have the opportunity to learn and do the things they did not. This will lead to blessings and hope.

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

Romans 15:4

They constantly rebelled against God. They were heavily influenced by the pagan gods and their followers.  Many times, they changed religions and began to worship Baal

So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.

Numbers 25:3

But, because of God’s love, he sent prophet after prophet to get them to repent and turn back to the true God.  A perfect example is the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.

1 Kings 18:21

When the fire came down from heaven and “licked up” every element of the altar, the people fell on their face and returned to the God they had left for another god.

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

1 Kings 18: 38-39

There on Mount Caramel, Elijah demonstrated the power of the true God.  But before the demonstration, he rebuilt the broken down altar of the Lord. There was a “breach” in the covenant, but it would be rebuilt.  Does this mean only those of Jewish descent would be part of the remnant that would return to the Lord? This we will see as we study on…

Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

Isaiah 58: 12

The story of the children of Israel (God’s people) is not pretty.  A reader of the events of their day is one of constant rebellion, repentance,  revival,  returning to the Lord then back to rebellion to start the cycle over again.  They could never seem to get it right. Rather than obey out of love and acknowledging their weakness to obey, they relied on their own strength.  When entering a covenant with God, they would illustrate this by their own words:

And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which the Lord has said we will do.”

Exodus 24:3

Their promises were faulty and therefore the covenant they made with God was faulty because it was based on human effort rather than love for their Creator.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them

Hebrews 8:7-8

But their part of the agreement WAS faultless…not because God was at fault, but because God found “fault with them.“

Captivity by their enemies taught them the need to follow the only true God, but their faithfulness was often short-lived.  They learned after hundreds of years of searching out strange gods, that disobedience to God would lead to captivity.   So the leaders put heavy meticulous burdens upon the people to make sure there was no disobedience in the camp.   But, their religion became cold and legalistic, lacking personal faith and trust.  They viewed obedience as a requirement for acceptance and salvation, despite the fact that they had a cloud of witnesses from the past who “believed God and it was accounted to them as righteousness.”  Here is where they often failed: “believing God.”

By the time, Jesus arrived, after 400 years of no prophets, the religion created by the leaders had gone too far the other way from disobedience. They were now “good at religion” but bad at understanding the will of God and a relationship based on faith.  Because of their own view of how the Messiah would come and His nature, many failed to recognize Jesus as the prophesied Messiah.  They failed to see that God sent His Son as the true lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.  The sacrificial laws and ceremonies all pointed to a religion of faith and the coming of Jesus to die as the spotless lamb of God for the sins of the world..  It would end just as a shadow ends when the literal form comes close. They had not learned from the schoolmaster. It had become a means rather than an end.

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Hebrews 10:1

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

 But after that faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Galatians 3: 24-25

When Jesus took his last breath on a harsh wooden cross, He said,

It is Finished.

The schoolmaster’s shadows in the sacrificial system (e.g. spotless lambs sacrificed by the sinner) were now fulfilled in Christ.  The Jewish nation as a whole did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, because they looked for a temporal king to rescue them from their enemies rather than from their sin.  They could not see or understand a slain Savior even though their daily sacrifices described perfectly the great sacrifice of an innocent One to die for the world’s sin.

Image result for images of cross and sacrificial system

Now there was no need for the daily sacrifices and rounds of ceremonies because the shadow was gone and absorbed in the actual body of Christ.  They now had a new schoolmaster in the actual form of the slain Son of God to teach them about sin, repentance, forgiveness,  God’s grace, and faith. This end of the shadows contained in ordinances was dramatically illustrated by the tearing of the veil between the Holy Place and Most Holy Place at the time of Jesus death.  It signified an end to those teaching ceremonies (See footnote:  The moral law did not end at the cross. It is eternal)

 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit.

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom

Matthew 27: 50-51

having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances (see footnote)

Ephesians 2:15

The ministry of Jesus after His baptism was short.  It was only 3 1/2 years, but during that time, He taught and did so much that John said,

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

John 21:25

Jesus gave his disciples clear instructions that they were to go only to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel,” which they did for 3 1/2 more years.

These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matthew 10: 5,6

By instructing the disciples to focus on the Israelites (who were “lost”), Jesus was keeping a covenant ordained by God through the prophet Daniel as we will see in the next study.

During another 3 1/2 years after Jesus’ death, the disciples stayed close to home and taught almost exclusively to the Jewish people about Jesus.  That is not to say that the Gentiles was overlooked. Also during this time, Paul was raised up to become the teacher to the Gentiles, but not before the time ordained by God.

All this focus on the Jews led to thousands being converted, but as a nation, they rejected the gospel and eventually, the disciples turned to the willing Gentiles to finish the work and will of God on earth.  These gentiles became the new “people of God” and were now the recipient of the conditional promises.  The promises neglected through disobedience by the Israelites.

That moment of transference was outlined by Daniel.  Next lesson we will study it closely. This moment can also be identified in the book of Acts through the appeal of Paul and Barnabas to the Jews and the rejection of the gospel just as they rejected Jesus.  Look closely at what is happening in the city of Antioch as the Jews become jealous and begin to argue and blaspheme:

 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.  But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us:

‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”

 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Acts 13: 44-48

The time had run out for the rebellious Jews. They had blasphemed the work of the Holy Spirit.  The disciples then began to preach and build Christ’s church through the receptive believers whether Jew or Gentile.  But as a nation, Israel rejected Jesus and the promises pledged to their ancestors were given to the Gentiles.

 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3: 26-29

Notice the conditional promise.  “…If you are Christ’s…

Now the people of God are identified not by their literal heritage, but by belonging to Christ.  If you belong to Him, you become Jewish in a spiritual sense.  You are then Abraham’s seed…Abrahams offspring…his child.  This makes you an heir to the promises given to Abraham and his descendants.

The literal flesh of Israel means nothing if the circumcision is not of the heart. God’s people are indeed identified by circumcision, but it is the cutting away of the foreskin of sin in the heart that identifies a true son (or daughter) of God.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Romans 2: 28,29

As we will see next time, there is a big mistake by those who expect literal Israel to do certain things in the last days such as rebuilding their temple.  The first question is why would the Jews (or God) want to revive the system of sacrifices?

While eyes are being directed to Jerusalem, the real end-time events will come from a place not expected.  These events and places were predicted by Daniel and many other prophets including John the Revelator.

The last day people of God are a holy nation. They are made up of people where once in darkness, but now in the light. They were not the original people of God, but are made to be His people by the blood of Jesus and God’s mercy. All of this was demonstrated in the schoolmaster of the sacrificial and priestly services.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2: 9-10

Therefore the law was our schoolmaster (tutor) to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Galatians 3: 24, 25

Faith and trust demonstrated through obedience was the failure of literal Israel, we will make the same mistake?

 

______________________________

footnote:  Confusion between the sacrificial law and the moral law:

It is important to note that the "commandments" mentioned here are not the 10 commandments for more than a couple of reasons:

1.) It would make no sense that the 10 commandments ended at the death of Jesus.  He died because we had all broken them, which is the classic definition of sin.  "sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.  If the law could have been changed or abolished, Jesus would not have had to die for sins.  Further, we know from the New Testament that it is still a sin to lie, steal, kill, have other gods, etc.

The 10 commandments were not a shadow of good things to come.  They didn't point forward to Jesus coming.  The 10 commandments remain the will of God to this day.  This law is eternal.  

2.) Jesus said,

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 

Matthew 5:17

Many stop here and say, "He fulfilled it, so it has been abolished." But lets continue to read the next verses:

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 18, 19

We still have heaven and earth so not one letter of the 10 commandments are not "pass(ed) from the law." God's will is to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourself.  Under these two principals hang the 10 commandments (Matthew 22:37-40)