Cu – The Significance of Dani’el Chapter 5 to the Times of the Gentiles

The Significance of Dani’el Chapter 5 to the Times of the Gentiles

Luke describes this period of time when he wrote: 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 (to see link click Ao – The Times of the Gentiles). This can best be defined as that long period of time from the Babylonian Captivity (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule) to the Second Coming of Messiah, during which time the Gentiles have complete dominance over Jerusalem. This does not rule out temporary Jewish control of the City until the Second Coming. Such temporary control was exercised during the Maccabean Period (164-163 BC), the First Jewish Revolt against Rome in 66 AD, and the Second Jewish Revolt (the Bar Cochba Revolt) against Rome (132-135 AD), and since 1967 as a result of the Six Day War. This, too, was temporary, since Gentiles will trample down the holy City for at least another 1,260 days (see the commentary on Revelation Bx – The Tribulation Temple). Therefore, any Jewish takeover of the City of Jerusalem before the Second Coming must be viewed as temporary and does not mean that the Times of the Gentiles have ended. The Times of the Gentiles can only end when the Gentiles no longer trample down the City of Jerusalem.²⁸¹

The lesson in Chapter 5 in the context of Dani’el’s primary theme, the times of the Gentiles, is that all Gentile kingdoms are destined to fall. In previous chapters, Dani’el predicted the rise of four Gentile empires, each succeeding the previous in turn. He predicted the eventual fall of Babylon at the hand of the second Gentile empire (see Az – The Second Empire: Chest and Arms of Silver), and in Chapter 5, this prophecy was fulfilled.²⁸² Thus, Chapter 5 illustrates that ADONAI is sovereign and moves according to His predetermined plans. Those events also anticipate the final overthrow of all Gentile world powers that rebel against YHVH and are characterized by moral and spiritual corruption. Such a judgment, anticipated in Psalm 2:4-6 and Revelation 19:15-16, will be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Yeshua Messiah (see the commentary on Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah).²⁸³