
The History of Nations.
The judgment of the flood (Gen 6 to 8) and that of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11) were not enough to convince humanity (peoples and nations) to turn away from their idolatry. Now God leaves aside the nations by choosing a man (Abram) from a people who worshiped other gods (cf. Joshua 24:2). From Abraham came the people of Israel. It is from this nation that salvation will come: cf. John 4:22.
If the Jewish people had remained faithful, God would have established his kingdom through them. From Abraham until 586 BC. B.C., the date of the ruin of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the nations took a back seat on the world stage. But the Jewish people, having been unfaithful in turn and having rejected theocracy, were taken into exile and thus lost their independence. From then on God allowed the pagan nations to rule the affairs of the world and for the promised land to be trampled underfoot by them. The period which goes from this first destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar to its final restoration at the return of Christ is called by Jesus himself “the times of the nations”:
“Jerusalem will be trodden down by the nations until the times of the nations are fulfilled. » (Luke 21:24)
Throughout this long period, David’s throne here on earth has been vacant. This era will end when Jesus Christ, the Son of David (cf. Rev 5:5), returns to definitively establish his reign (cf. Rev 5:10; 19:11ff; Zec 14:3ff etc.). In fact, the disciples’ question in Act 1:6 was when the times of the nations would end. Page 21 presents an interesting picture of the times of the nations. We repeat it here while completing it:
- The beginnings of the nations: from Cain to the Tower of Babel (Gen 4 to 11). Israel (from Abraham onwards) interrupts the history of the nations.
- The apogee of the nations: the four empires of Daniel 2 and 7, from Babylon to Rome, from approximately 600 BC until the return of the Lord.
The Church represents a sort of parenthesis in the times of the nations. This time is also called “the time of grace” or “the day of salvation”. The end of the nations: the three and a half years of the reign of the Antichrist, the judgment of the great Babylon and Armageddon. The following texts show that the Antichrist will draw all nations into war and rebellion against God and his Christ: Revelation 16:12-16; 19:19. Christ, through his parousia, will put an end to both the Antichrist (Revelation 19:19-21; 2 Timothy 2:8) and the nations. The 1000 year reign will bring an end to the kingdoms of the nations and Israel will be restored at that time.
In that day, Christ will shepherd with a rod of iron (Revelation 12:5; 2:26-27) to usher in His earthly kingdom. The same expression used in Revelation 19:15 clearly shows that this reign will only begin when Christ returns and cannot, therefore, in any way be applied to the time of the Church. See more on this in the chapter on the millennium.
That the time of the Church is a special time is also seen in the fact that in it there is no longer any difference: whoever believes will be saved, whether Jew or pagan: Roman 1:16; 10:12-13 etc. Israel, as a nation, is being pushed aside. This until all the pagans have entered. This time, once again, will end only when Christ returns. When the Savior comes from Zion, then all Israel (as a nation: cf. Ezekiel 37) will be saved. Zechariah 12:10 (cf. Revelation 1:7) shows us that Israel will only accept Christ as their Messiah and Savior upon His return to earth. During the millennium, Israel will once again have to play a special role.
This text is an extract from the book “Why This Tumult Among the Nations?” written by Jérémie TCHINDEBE.
We invite you to read the following article “WHAT IS THE ANTICHRIST?“
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