The 'times of the Gentiles' is the period during which Jerusalem and the nation of Israel are under Gentile rule, and it will last until Christ returns.
Les Feldick teaches that Luke 21:24 looks back to the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, not to Armageddon. Jerusalem would be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. He distinguishes this from the 'fulness of the Gentiles' in Romans 11, which refers to God calling out the Body of Christ.
Luke 21:24 — This verse contains the exact phrase and shows Jerusalem under Gentile control 'until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.'
Romans 11:25 — This verse gives the related but distinct phrase 'fulness of the Gentiles' that Les contrasts with the times of the Gentiles.
Luke 21:24 states, '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.' This places Jerusalem under the control of Gentile nations for a limited period of time. Romans 11:25 uses a different but related phrase: 'For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.' The Bible itself does not define the times of the Gentiles in detail; the exposition below is Les Feldick's teaching.
Les teaches that the 'times of the Gentiles' is the period of history in which Gentile powers lord it over Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. He says Jesus was not speaking about Armageddon in Luke 21:24, but about the Roman general Titus besieging Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Jews would be led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem would be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Les applies this to the present: even though Israel is a sovereign state, the Gentile powers still have the nation 'under their thumb' and it cannot function without Gentile permission and financial aid. This is the 'times of the Gentiles.' It will end when Christ returns. He also contrasts it with the 'fulness of the Gentiles' in Romans 11, which refers to God calling out the Body of Christ from among the Gentiles until it is complete and the Church is raptured.
Les says the casual reader often thinks Luke 21:24 is Armageddon, but it is not. Jesus was referring to the besieging of Jerusalem by the Roman general Titus in A.D. 70. The Jews were led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem was trodden down by the Gentiles. This is why the verse speaks of Jews being dispersed; at Armageddon and the Second Coming Israel will enter the kingdom, not be dispersed.
Les explains that these are two opposite settings. The 'times of the Gentiles' is the period of history in which Gentile powers rule over the nation of Israel, which he describes as the filling of the cup of Gentile iniquity. The 'fulness of the Gentiles' in Romans 11 runs concurrently and refers to God calling out a people for His name, the Body of Christ. Once the Body of Christ is complete, the Church will be raptured and God will turn back to Israel.
Les says yes. Although Israel is a sovereign state, it still cannot survive without the permission and financial aid of the Gentiles. Gentile powers still largely call the shots over Jerusalem and the nation, so for all practical purposes the prophecy is still valid. This period will end when Christ returns, and then Jerusalem will no longer be under the boots of Gentile armies.
Les points out that the word 'until' shows a time factor. Jerusalem will be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. When that period ends, the Gentile nations will no longer cover Jerusalem with their heavy military equipment and soldiers' boots.
The Rapture and the Fullness of the Gentiles
Les explains that once the Body of Christ is complete, the Church will be raptured, Israel's blindness will fall away, and the tribulation will begin. This is the same turning point related to the end of the times of the Gentiles.
The Beginning and Duration of the Times of the Gentiles
Les says Jesus in Luke 21 was referring to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and that the times of the Gentiles began when a Gentile empire first took Jerusalem and will last until Christ returns.
Israel Still Under Gentile Influence
Les applies the prophecy to today, saying that although Israel is not literally controlled by Gentile armies, the Gentile powers still call the shots, and this will end when Christ returns.
Why Luke 21 Is Not Armageddon
Les shows that the clue in Luke 21 points to A.D. 70: the Jews are dispersed into all nations, which cannot happen at Armageddon because Israel enters the kingdom then. The word 'until' shows a time factor before the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Times of the Gentiles Defined
Les defines the times of the Gentiles as the period of history when Gentile powers are overlording the nation of Israel, and contrasts it with the fulness of the Gentiles in Romans 11.
Gentile Iniquity and the Fullness of the Gentiles
Les pictures the times of the Gentiles as a container being filled with Gentile iniquity, running concurrently with God calling out the Body of Christ until the Church is taken out.
Led Away Captive Into All Nations
Les repeats that the verse refers to the A.D. 70 siege of Jerusalem by Titus and points to the 'until' clause, meaning Jerusalem will be under Gentile boots only for a limited time.
Two Baptisms Explained: What Most Christians Miss in Acts 1
They'll not have Him to be their king. And God puts them into a dispersion, takes away their temple, and He turns to the Gentile. Oh, not exclusively. Some Jews are still being saved. But for the most part, the last 1900 and some years have been God calling out Gentiles, comprising the Body of Christ. But we're not up to that point in time yet as we come into the book of Acts.
Luke 21:24: 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.
Jesus' prophecy of Jerusalem's fall and Gentile domination until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Romans 11:25: For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Paul's statement that Israel's blindness continues until the fulness of the Gentiles come in, which Les says is different from the times of the Gentiles.
It is the period in history when Jerusalem and the nation of Israel are under the rule or influence of Gentile powers. Les teaches that it has lasted from the first Gentile conquest of Jerusalem and continues until Christ returns.
They end when Christ returns. Until then, Les says Jerusalem remains under the influence of Gentile powers, even though Israel has a measure of sovereignty.
No. The times of the Gentiles is about Gentile domination of Israel, while the fulness of the Gentiles in Romans 11 is about God calling out Gentile believers to form the Body of Christ.
No, Les says it referred to the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem under Titus. The clue is that the Jews were led away captive into all nations, which will not happen at the Second Coming.
Watch the Teaching: Israel's Blindness & the Fullness of the Gentiles — Romans 11:25