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.”
- Armies will surround Jerusalem. Desolations are near
- A warning to “flee to the mountains”-depart. if you are away from the city (country), stay there!
- These days of vengeance, which are written (Ezekiel 30:3) are about to be fulfilled!
- There will be great distress for those in the city.
- The sword will kill those in the city. But some will be led captive to other cities.
- 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.
| Luke | Ezekiel |
| Great distress | Great anguish |
| Fall by the edge of the sword | Slain fall |
| Led away | Take away |
| Stones not upon another (Matthew) | Foundations broken down |
| Times of the Gentiles fulfilled | Time 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