By Steven J. Hogan
~ A Saturday Morning Post #180 ~
In the Old Testament, God’s promises to the Jews have been spelled out in hundreds of verses, many of which have not yet been fulfilled. In the New Testament, God continues to communicate His plans for His people. Then in the past 140 years, God’s prophecy that He would bring the Jews back to their land has miraculously been taking place (Ezekiel 36-37), giving us proof that He has not nullified His promises to them, and that we are now living in the end-times. That’s why, at this time in history, at the very end of this church age, we need to study God’s prophetic word, for it reveals to us God’s plans for the Jews, and for the church,
One of my favorite passages is Luke 21:20-24. Sitting next to God’s plans for the church (vss 12-19), it summarizes what happens to the Jews from the time they were driven from their land around 70 AD until the “times of the Gentiles” are fulfilled. In these verses, Jesus predicts the future, for He really wants us to know His big-picture plans for the Jews, a time span that we now know covers over 1950 years.
First (vs 20), Jesus tells His disciples that Jerusalem would be surrounded by armies, and that her desolation, her destruction, would happen soon thereafter. We know this took place in the 1st century because verse 24 goes on to say that these persecuted Jews “will be led captive into all the nations,” and from history, we know this happened after Jerusalem’s desolation in 70 AD. And it will never happen again, for God has told us it would never happen again.
Second (vs 21), Jesus says that the Jews living at the time of this desolation would need to flee from Judea and Jerusalem, to get out of there fast, for that entire area would be a deadly danger zone, for it would soon be run over and ransacked by the ruthless Roman soldiers.
Third (vs 22), Jesus explains that this will occur because these are days of vengeance. God is holy, and since the Jews did not believe He was the Messiah, the One who could save them from their sins, then He had no choice but to punish those who rejected Jesus, who did not recognize the time of His visitation. But Jesus greatly loved His people, and so He kept warning them about what would be taking place in the future. Luke 13:34-35, 23:27-31, 19:41-44 – “The days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you.”
Fourth (vs 23), Jesus pronounces a “woe”, a solemn expression of their coming judgment and destruction. Again, we see that Jesus cared deeply for His people, for though He was just, He was also compassionate, knowing how bad it would be, particularly for the most vulnerable, the pregnant women and nursing mothers. He knew it would be absolutely devastating, that there would be “great distress upon the land,” and great “wrath to this people,” the Jewish people.
Fifth (vs 24), Jesus continues this prophesy by telling them three specific things:
1. “They will fall by the edge of the sword.” Thousands and thousands of Jews would lose their lives during that time – multitudes would be killed, and many others would die of starvation.
2. They would “be led captive into all the nations.” From history we know that, at that time, Jews were scattered all over the world and, in fact, are now in over 100 different countries, with the great majority of them living in Israel and the United States.
3. The Jewish people would be “trampled underfoot,” be treated like dirt, meaning they would be greatly hated and persecuted. Antisemitism, this extreme hate for Jews, has been tragically and sadly taking place for the past 20 centuries, the worst of it coming at the hands of Hitler, the one responsible for the murder of nearly 6 million Jews. This Antisemitism will continue in the years ahead, and increasingly so, climaxing during the rule of that most devilish man, the Antichrist.
Jesus then gives the Jews some hope. He says this “trampling” will keep going “until.” This word “until,” a timing word, means there’s a limit to this persecution, that it will not keep going, that it will someday come to an end. The “times of the Gentiles,” that period of time when there is no divinely appointed king over Israel, began in 586 BC with the defeat of King Zedekiah, and will continue until the end of Daniel’s 70th week, at which time Jesus Christ, the King of kings, will begin His glorious reign over this earth. Dan. 9:24, Zech. 14:9, Rev. 11:15
It’s 2020, which means this passage, Luke 21:20-24, covers close to 1950 years. That the Jews are now back in their land means we are living in the end-times, and that God is presently and actively carrying out His plans for them. But what’s next? Here is what God has told us will happen:
* Daniel’s 70th week, the final seven years of the “times of the Gentiles,” and a prophetically most-important period of time, will begin in the near future. Dan. 12:4, Rev. 13
* At the beginning point of this week, the Jews will sign a covenant, but it will be a very bad deal, for though it will be a treaty with the coming Antichrist, it will really be a treaty with the devil himself. Dan. 9:27
* At the midpoint, this wicked Jew-hating Antichrist, will be revealed, and then begin his lawless dictatorship. Dan 9:27, Matt. 24:15-26, Rev. 13
* Christians are raptured sometime between the midpoint and endpoint – Matt. 24:31-36, 2 Thess. 2:1-9
* At the endpoint of this 70th week, Jesus Christ will return to save a large remnant of Jews, and this is when the “times of the Gentiles” will be fulfilled. Daniel 9:24, Luke 21:24, Rev. 10:7, Rev. 11:15
* God will pour out His wrath upon the unbelieving world, and then capture the Antichrist and the false prophet, and cast them into the lake of fire. Rev. 16, 19:20
*Jesus Christ will begin His 1000-year reign over the earth, a most amazing, righteous, and God-glorifying time. The newly-saved Jewish people will be in Jerusalem, and they, along with all believers (Christians included), will be reigning with Christ. Psalm 47, Hab. 2:14, Rev. 5:10, Rev. 20:1-7
This is the future! Without question, this is going to happen! As a Christians, you should be so excited, for in the years ahead, you will literally see the unfolding of God’s prophetic word. That’s why this is the time for you to understand end-times’ prophecy, how it relates to both Jews and Christians, and how it is now being fulfilled in the world. “Your redemption is drawing near” and “the kingdom of God is near.” Luke 21:28, 31
P.S. In these end-times, you need to know how God is working with the Jews if you are to understand how God is working with the church. That’s why it’s important for you to take the time to learn about God’s plans for the Jews. Here are two helpful posts – “The Suspension of God’s Plan for the Jews, and the Church Age,” and “A Short Summary of God’s Working With the Jews.”