Times of the Gentiles part three

Having thus described the awesome image that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed,Daniel proceeded to give the interpretation in verse 36-45(read).After the declaration of the interpretation (verse36),Daniel interprets the meaning of the head of gold(verses37-38)as being Nebuchadnezzar ,the head of the Babylonian Empire.It was with this empire that the times of the Gentiles began,when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the Solomonic Temple in 586 B.C.Thus Babylon was the first of the four Gentile empires to dominate Jerusalem .The two arms of silver united into the breast of silver represents the two nations of the Medes and the Persians who established the Medo-Persian Empire(verse 39a).The Medo-Persian Empire was followed by the Greek or Hellenistic Empire symbolized by the belly and two thighs of brass (verse39b)for the third territorily embraced both east and west.The two thighs may also represent Syria and Egypt which arose out of the Hellenistic Empire and controlled Jewish territory. The rest of the image represents the fourth Gentile empire (verses40-43).The fourth empire goes through several stages,three of which are presented in this text.First there is the united stage(verse40).But this united stage gives way to the two division stage(verse41) which still has the strength of iron.Eventually,however,the four Gentile empire gives way to a ten division stage as is seen in the ten toes(verses42-43)being composed of iron and clay.Part of this ten division stage will be strong and part will be brittle and weak.The Fourth Gentile empire is unique from all the previous ones.It totally subdues and crushes all that precedes it.It is the fourth Gentile empire that is particularly emphasized by the text dealing with the times of the Gentiles.However,the fifth empire,that will follow it,will not be Gentile but Jewish (verses 44-45).Two prominent symbols are used here,but they are consistent with their usage elsewhere.Whenever the word stone is used symbolically,it is always a symbol of the Second Person of the Trinity,God the Son,the Lord Jesus Christ,the Messiah of Israel .Whenever the word mountain is used symbolically , it is always a symbol of a king,kingdom,or throne.Thus,following the fourth Gentile empire,God will set up His own kingdom.The kingdom is set up during the ten division stage (verse44a),and this brings to an end the domination of the other kingdoms (verse44b).In the end the image of Gentile domination will be smashed at the second coming . Once Gentile domination is thus smashed by the stone,Christ,the kingdom of God is set up,and it is set up by this stone.To summarize the first passage dealing with the times of the Gentiles,this 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 setting up His own Kingdom. God bless!!!

The times of Gentiles part 2

Daniel 2:31-45 The basic content of Nebuchadnezzar 's dream is in verses 31-35: Thou, O king , sawest,and,behold,a great image.This image,which was mighty,and whose brightness was excellent ,stood before thee;and the aspect thereof was terrible,as for this
image,it's head was of fine gold,it's breast and it's arms of silver,it's belly and it's thighs of brass,it's legs of iron,it's feet part of iron,and ,and part of clay,Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands ,which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay , and brake them in pieces,Then was the iron,the clay,the brass , the silver,and the gold,broken in pieces together,and became like the chaff of the summer threshing -floors, and the wind carried them away,so that no place was found for them;and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain,and filled the whole earth.After a general description of the awesomeness of the image (verse31), Daniel describes the composition of the image (verses32-33).The image is described as having a head of gold,the breast and arms composed of silver,the belly and thighs of brass,legs of iron ,culminating with the feet and toes of part iron and part clay.Two things should be noted concerning these metals:first ,they
increase in strength;but secondly,they decrease in value.The fulment will be in decrease of the character of authority and rule.Yet there will be an increase in strength.Then the image is destroyed by a stone,and the stone smites the image on its feet(verses34-35a).Then,with the image destroyed ,the stone becomes a great mountain that fills the entire earth(verse35b).we will pick up here next time,God Bless

The Times of the Gentiles

A definition of the times of the Gentiles can be gleaned from Luke 21:24: (And they shall fall by the edge of the sword,and shall be led captive into all the nations:and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles,until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.) The times of the Gentiles can best be defined as that long period of time from the Babylonian Empire to the second coming of Christ during which time the Gentiles have dominance over the city of Jerusalem.This does not rule out temporary Jewish control of the city,but all such Jewish control will be temporary until the second coming of Christ.Such temporary control was exercised during the Maccabbean period (164-63 B.C.),the first Jewish revolt against Rome(66-70 A.D.),the second Jewish revolt against Rome(132-135 A.D.),and since 1967 as a result of the Six Day War. This,too, is temporary as Gentiles will yet trod Jerusalem down for at least another 3 and a half years (Revelation 11:1-2).Any Jewish take-over of the city of Jerusalem before the second coming of Christ must,therefore,be viewed as a temporary one and does not mean that the times of the Gentiles have ended. The times of the Gentiles can only end when the Gentiles can no longer trod down the city of Jerusalem.To understand the course of the times of the Gentiles,four passages will Need to be studied and then combined.we will start here next time with Daniel 2:31-45. God Bless