Here is a question I have asked before, in here too, I thinks....lol
What is Paul saying, or more like meaning, when he uses the term "Fulness of the gentiles?" As the Gospel that was given to the Jews, is now, given unto the gentiles, "until the fulness thereof", or, something along those lines, then given again, to the Jews?
I have an idea, what "I" thinks it could mean, but, is really just an educated "guess."
What is Paul saying, or more like meaning, when he uses the term "Fulness of the gentiles?" As the Gospel that was given to the Jews, is now, given unto the gentiles, "until the fulness thereof", or, something along those lines, then given again, to the Jews?
I have an idea, what "I" thinks it could mean, but, is really just an educated "guess."
Luke 21:[SUP]20 [/SUP]And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. [SUP]21 [/SUP]Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. [SUP]22 [/SUP]For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. [SUP]23 [/SUP]But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. [SUP]24 [/SUP]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.
I believe this portion refers to the times when that Temple Jesus was talking about was destroyed back in 70 A.D., and most of the Jews were taken captives into all nations, thus Jerusalem is being trodden underfoot by the Gentiles somewhat still today.
So at the building of the Third Temple when the command goes out to build the Temple which starts the beginning of the great tribulation, the outer courts will still belong to the Gentiles. It has been said that there would be no way to build that third Temple because the Dome of the Rock was still there, but after finding that one wall of the original Temple, they figured it out that they could still build that third Temple but the outer courts of the Temple cannot be built because of the Dome of the Rock. There is a reference somewhere attributing the outer courts still belonging to the Gentiles in regards to the third Temple. It kind of lines up, even though the current stigma is that they Jews wanted the outer courts built too.
Anyway, when the command to build that Temple at the beginning of the great tribulation, one could say that the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled then and coming to an end since Jerusalem will not be trodden underfoot by the Gentiles any more.
Course, there will be a false peace treaty; some believe it will be a 7 year peace treaty when in actuality, when they make that treaty, the people of that time will think it is for ever, when in actuality, it will only last 7 years.
Except for those that are in the know that knows ahead of time how long that peace treaty will last.
So it is like as you guessed....as I am thinking it applies in this way, after the pre trib rapture event, there will be 144,000 Witnesses for the great tribulation ( not counting the extra 2 at the Temple at Jerusalem ) when Jerusalem will not be trodden underfoot only by the Gentiles any more during that time, and the dispensation of the gospel will be given out by the 144,000 Witnesses while the rest of the saints that have gotten left behind plus new believers as a result of the everlasting gospel, will be starved out or hunted down to be killed in this new world order under the mark of the beast system.
In any event, I think the until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled has to do with Jerusalem being trodden underfoot by the Gentiles when the Jews have been taken captive into all nations.
Since the Jews had become a nation again, and now that they have Jerusalem, the Jews yet somehow, do not have the Gentiles' permission to build that third Temple, thus it is still being trodden underfoot by the Gentiles in that respect, but I reckon things will change after the pre trib rapture when that peace treaty allows the Jews to build that Third Temple, but yet leaving the outer courts to the Gentiles where the Dome of the Rock is.