3/22

Luke 21:24

24"They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled."


There is a key expression in this verse that appears only in Luke's gospel. Jesus was speaking of the destruction of the temple. That was something unimaginable to the Jews of that day. The structure was one of the wonders of the world. They saw it as the habitation of God on earth. At that time, Jesus had become the dwelling of God on earth and was about to begin His church, which would carry on that role as the living temple of God.

The revelation in these words from Jesus is that there would be a period of time in which Jerusalem would be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles. That period of time began in AD 70 and has continued to this day. It is amazing that when the Jews retook the Temple Mount in the Six-Day War, they allowed the Muslims to maintain control of the area. Jews will not go up to the Temple Mount out of concern that they may accidentally walk where the Holy of Holies once stood. Gentile tourists daily trample the area underfoot while Jews worship around the foundation of the structure.

The apostle Paul tells us that night is passing and the day is about to dawn. He is speaking of the end of the times of the Gentiles and the return of Christ. If you visit Jerusalem, I recommend a visit to the Temple Institute, where you can marvel at almost everything needed and ready for the preparation of a new temple according to Jewish prophecy. Only a few prophecies are yet to be fulfilled for the times of the Gentiles to come to a close. Paul's conclusion to this inevitability is that we must put off the works of darkness and clothe ourselves in the armor of light (Romans 13:12).

Consider: The church has always lived expecting that day to come at any moment. Are you?