chadnezzar and will continue until the ultimate rule of Christ over the entire world. The times of the Gen tiles are when other governments and authorities are in rulership over the people of Israel. Daniel 2:37 and verses following give us the interpre tation of the dream of the king of the Babylonians. In this image we find the course of Gentile world govern ment. The head of gold represented the Babylonian empire. These four metals or substances, composing the image of Daniel 2, are symbolically the four great empires of the world. The chest and the arms of silver rep resent the Medo-Persian rulership; the stomach and thighs of brass the Greco - Macedonian empire; and the two legs of iron the Roman Empire, with one capital in Constantinople and the other in Rome itself. Scrip ture makes it clear that there will be the emergence of ten confederacies around the Mediterranean Sea in one empire during the last day. There will be the smiting stone which will strike the image and break it into pieces (Dan. 2:34, 35). Study this passage for yourself. This brings to a close “the Times of the Gentiles.” There is no question but that Jesus Christ is this Rock, and that it re fers to His second coming in judg ment. No longer will the Gentile na tions dominate the chosen people of God. D r . T albot : Yes, just as the Times of the Gentiles had a definite begin ning so they will have a definite end ing. Romans 11:25 (read this entire chapter as you have time) reminds us that “blindness in part is hap- nened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” “Fulness” is not the same as the idea of “Times.” It might be easiest to ex plain that the fulness of the Gentiles is actually a completion of the pur pose of God for this particular dis pensation of the age of His grace.
D r . A nderson : In First Corinthians 16:22, Paul closes this great epistle with the exhortation, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema Maranatha.” While the first word means curse, the sec ond is actually two words in the Ara maic language. It is both a prayer and a prophecy, meaning, “The Lord is coming, the Lord is at hand.” This speaks not only of how close He is in our lives but also the imminence of the event. What a marvelous word considering the horrible shape of the world in which we’re living! Either we’re coming to the end of Western culture, or the Lord Jesus Christ is very near at hand. D r . T albot : I can’t help but think of Matthew 24 when the Lord re turns in glory after the Tribulation. He will stand upon the Mount of Olives, the place from which He gave this prophetic address. The disciples wanted to know what would be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. These things were all hard for them to understand. The first thing He mentioned was the danger of deception. “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ.” Then there was the situation with wars and rumors of wars. Christ drew one of the' darkest pictures imaginable as He spoke of nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. What we see today, I believe, is simply the preview to world-wide devastation. As born- again Christians, we can look up and say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” D r . T albot : People frequently ask the meaning of the term, “Times of the Gentiles” as found in such pas sages as Luke 21:24. D r . A nderson : It is helpful to go to the book of Daniel for an answer. In the second chapter, we see that this period began with the reign of Nebu- 24
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