What did Jesus mean by the times of the Gentiles?

Jesus meant that beginning in 606 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple, and continuing until Christ’s Second Coming, Jerusalem and the land of Israel would remain largely under the control of Gentile armies and successive Gentile powers. This period runs from the temple’s destruction to the Second Coming, with Israel under one Gentile power after another.

Les explains that Jesus spoke of 606 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple, as the beginning of the times of the Gentiles. From that point in time all the way until the Second Coming of Christ, Jerusalem for the most part has been under the heavy boot of Gentile armies. Since 606 B.C., the land of Israel has been under one Gentile power after another. Les also notes that although Israel is lately felt to be more or less a sovereign state, it is still under the heavy hand of the U.N. and the United States government and is not as free as many would like to think.

What does the Bible mean by the times of the Gentiles?

The times of the Gentiles refers to the period beginning in 606 B.C., when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple, and continuing until Christ’s Second Coming. During this era, Jerusalem and the land of Israel have been dominated by successive Gentile armies and powers, rather than enjoying full sovereignty.