What is the meaning of Luke 21:24

[Lou Newton]

Glen B Smith
To:lou newton

Mon, Jun 8 at 1:24 AM

Would you care to comment about the meaning and when is the time period described as "the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" in Luke 21:24?

Luke 21:24 New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Hi Glen,

Thanks for the email.

The future is not for us to know.

The Lord wrote hundreds of prophecies about Christ in the Holy Scriptures. Yet almost no one in Jerusalem knew of His birth when it took place. The Lord announced it by sending angels to some shepherds in a field. But this was after His birth and not before. Very few in the "church" of that day knew of His birth.

A few astronomers in the east ( maybe what is now Iran or Iraq) knew of the birth of Christ. God had written of His conception, His birth and His death in the heavens; but very few knew of these things for very few had studied both the heavens and The Holy Scriptures. In fact very few know of these dates yet today for the same reason.

When these men came to Jerusalem they caused quite a stir by their announcement that the King of the Jews had been born. This was well after His birth and still almost no one knew of it. WHY ? Because very few really seek the truth. Men seek after many things, but very few seek the truth. Many who are convinced they are seeking the truth are really seeking vanity.

Jesus warned us not to seek the future, but to focus on doing the work that God has told us to do.

Further I have noticed over the years that men that predict future events are almost never right. Even when their predictions seem to make such perfect sense, it the end they are almost always wrong.

I am reminded of the "peak oil" prediction that the price of oil would go so high that it would ruin the world economy. But years later who would have even thought that people would have to pay to get rid of oil. It was the low price of oil that harmed our economy.

The Lord must sit on His throne and laugh at our predictions.

What are your thoughts on that verse ?

[Lou Newton]

Glen's reply:

Glen B Smith
To:lou newton

Tue, Jun 9 at 2:23 AM

If Luke 21:24 is to be correctly understood, it seems the language of Revelation 11:2 refers to the same event. If so, this would provide the period of time during which the gentiles tread Jerusalem and the naos (temple) underfoot to be forty-two months. The question becomes is forty-two months literal or symbolic, and if symbolic, symbolic for what period of time.

From your reply about Christians ought not attempt predicting the future, are you restricting your understanding of Luke 21:24 to some future date from 09 June 2020?



Luke 21:24 KJV

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.



Revelation 11:2 KJV

But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.


QUESTION: Does this prophecy in Daniel refer to the same period of time when gentiles tread Jerusalem and the naos (temple) underfoot as in Luke 21:24 or Revelation 11:2?



Daniel 8:12-14 HCSB

¹² Because of rebellion, a host, together with the daily sacrifice, will be given over. The horn will throw truth to the ground and will be successful in whatever it does.


¹³ Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the speaker, “How long will the events of this vision last—the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled?”

¹⁴ He said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be restored.”