The End of the Times of the Gentiles

The end of the Times of the Gentiles long foretold in scripture is quickly approaching, and like King Belshazzar of Babylon… it doesn’t take a prophet to see that the “writing is upon the wall” (Dan 5:1–31).

First off, lets get into what the Times of the Gentiles entails. To understand this verbiage it helps to first understand the typological parallel between the ‘times of Israel’, and the ‘times of the Gentiles’. See my post on the typological parallel between Israel and the Gentile Church for a detailed overview.

(Israel is, of course, an elect or chosen subsection of Shem, the birthright son of Noah. The ‘Gentiles’ broadly refers to all who are not Israel, but more specifically in this context refers to the elect or chosen subsection of Japeth & Ham to whom the gospel covenant would be given after Israel rejected it. Particularly the Christian nations of Europe/America who would serve as God’s Ensign and carry the New Covenant to all the earth.)

So from my overview (link) you see that the times of Israel lasted from Abraham to Christ (particularly from Moses to Christ) and the times of the Gentiles lasted from Christ to near present. Each had roughly parallel events, the last two millennia shadowing the first two. With this type we can also see that we are nearing the end.

Before trying to get more specific on a date for the end of the times of the Gentiles lets look at some scriptures which tell what must first occur.

Luke gives us our first insight into the term as he describes the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the times of Israel, he says

” 24 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.” (Luke 21:24)

So we learn that Israel is not to be restored until the “times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”. The doctrine and covenants sheds a bit more light on this concept as it explains these events in further detail.

” 24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;
25 But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.
27 And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound.
28 And when the [fulness] of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel;
29 But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.
30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

In these version we learn again that Israel will not be gathered until AFTER the times of the gentiles will be fulfilled. We also learned that the times of the gentiles will be fulfilled in a generation when … (finish this)

but this also introduces another important phrase with “the fullness of the gentiles”.. go onto show refs of it, and boBK refs too.