🇮🇱 Times of Gentiles Over
At the beginning of June in 2024 I was considering the recent events concerning Israel and their war against Hamas. I had been watching commentary on the news and was keeping track of the situation, particularly noting the reactions of other nations regarding the conflict. I wanted to understand more about what was taking place, so I prayed and asked the Lord to explain the significance of everything currently occurring with Israel on the global stage. I wasn’t actually expecting to get an answer anytime soon, so after a short time of prayer, I immediately put it out of mind.
Much to my surprise, later that night I had a dream which directly and decisively provided an answer to my question from earlier in the day. I’m sure its message will be controversial to some, and I was taken aback that such a weighty statement was even communicated to me. I am presenting it here regardless, because I believe with all my heart that it is a prophetic declaration made by the Holy Spirit. It concerns the church and the world at large. Here is the transcription of my dream:
💭Dream · 3rd June 2024 · Mark-Alexander
We went to Israel and reached a high place, which was something like a tourist attraction. We wanted to do something there but we were told it wouldn’t be accepted, or that we couldn’t do that thing anymore because the times of the Gentiles had passed. They said we had missed it by a little bit, maybe a few years. We were told that now, it is the time of Israel. I commented that the last time I came to Israel [in 2008] it was still the “times of the Gentiles”.
Afterwards, still in Israel, I was on public transport with my brother when I heard over the loudspeaker a voice saying that any donations we had made [to Israel] could be retrieved if we had changed our mind and no longer wanted to give. The feeling was that they didn’t need our money. The voice was stern and uncompromising, and at first, I thought they were being too harsh. However, they went on to say something that sounded like a prophecy, something to do with the bombs that were being dropped on Israel. It was a revelation to me. Then [my brother] David and I said that it made perfect sense, and that the voice was speaking the truth. I decided that I wouldn’t take back the donation I had made.
When the time came to get off the bus, we walked to the door at the front, by the driver. However, we were told that this was the door where people get on, and that we had to get off at the other door in the middle of the bus. When we did actually disembark, it was quite a forceful departure, almost like we were being pushed out.
-End-
So that is the dream. Firstly, I want to clarify a few points:
In the dream, when we were told that we had missed the times of the Gentiles by "a little bit", I had in my mind an approximate date. That is, the Gentile times may have ended somewhere around the year 2020. I don't say that to be exact, and I didn't hear it specifically, but that was the rough timeframe that came to mind during the dream.
The fact that I was visiting a tourist attraction in the dream is likely because, when I travelled to the country in 2008, it was as part of a Christian pilgrimage / holy land tour where we visited different sites from the Bible. We were essentially tourists. It seems as though the Holy Spirit is drawing from this personal experience of going to the land of Israel. Symbolically, it might mean a time when Gentiles had greater access to Israel.
The part about the donation reminds me of a time in my life when I visited a church that requested we give donations for Israel. (This is not unusual among some Pentecostals). At the time I wasn’t sure whether the modern state of Israel was really a fulfillment of prophecy because I had heard conflicting arguments on the issue. I was trying to quickly make a decision as the offering basket made its rounds. Ultimately I decided to give money. Therefore, the symbol of the donation represents a time when I am trying to make up my mind regarding Israel. This also happens in the dream when I am thinking, ‘are they too harsh? / is their attitude warranted?’ Additionally, the donation may symbolically hearken to a former time when Israel was not in such a strong position. Back then, they were still receiving ‘charity’ from us Goyim.
When we were forcefully pushed out of the bus at the end of the dream, I believe this is a picture of Gentiles or Gentile powers being expelled from Israel (I am a non-Israelite/Jew). Or perhaps it means Gentiles will leave the country and Jews will return, I don’t know what the exact meaning is. Anyway, that is my current assessment of the dream.
The term “times of the Gentiles” is recorded in chapter 21 of the Gospel of Luke. It was spoken by Jesus himself when he prophesied, saying:
“Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Most Bible commentators generally agree that the period referred to by Jesus began with the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the deportation of the Jews during the time of the prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. Since then, Jerusalem/Israel has been under Gentile dominion, being subject to various empires and dynasties.
What follows is a brief summary of the successive Gentile powers that have exerted control over Israel. (Note: I am using Artificial Intelligence to help me write this part.)
🇮🇶 Babylonians: Led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem in 586 BCE by besieging the city, breaching its walls, destroying the Temple, and deporting many inhabitants to Babylon.
🇮🇷 Persians: The Persian Empire, under King Cyrus the Great, took over from the Babylonians in 539 BCE by conquering Babylon and subsequently allowing the Jewish exiles to return to the land of Israel and rebuild the Temple.
🇬🇷 Greeks: The Greek Empire, under Alexander the Great of Macedonia, defeated the Persians in 332 BCE. After his death and the subsequent fourfold division of his kingdom, Israel was controlled first by the Ptolemies and then by the Greek Seleucid Empire, from which the wicked ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes arose to persecute the Jews and desecrate their Temple.
These events sparked the Maccabean Revolt and led to a brief period of Jewish independence.
🇮🇹 Romans: The Roman Empire assumed dominion over Israel in 63 BCE when General Pompey captured Jerusalem, integrating it into the province of Judea. During the time of Jesus Christ, Israel was under Roman occupation, with Herod the Great and his descendants serving as client kings, heavily influenced by Roman rule. Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Israel was placed under direct Roman administration, ending the era of client kings and Jewish autonomy.
The Byzantine Empire took control of Israel in 324 CE. Established by Constantine the Great, it emerged as the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire. It existed alongside the Western counterpart until the latter's collapse in 476 CE, after which the Byzantines continued as the sole successor of Roman authority. Under Byzantine rule, Christianity became the dominant religion, leading to the construction of significant churches, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
🕋 Arabs: The Muslim dynasties, beginning with the early Arab Islamic Caliphates, took over Israel from the Byzantines in 638 CE, following the Muslim conquests. Caliph Abd al-Malik commissioned the construction of the Dome of the Rock in 691 CE. Various sultanates, including the Mamluks, followed.
🇹🇷 Turks: The Turkish Ottoman Empire took over Israel from the Mamluks in 1517 and maintained control for centuries, with Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent overseeing significant architectural developments in Jerusalem, including the restoration of the city walls and the construction of the iconic Damascus Gate.
🇬🇧 British: The British took control of Israel from the Ottomans in 1917 during World War I, ending four centuries of Ottoman rule. This transition was formalized with the British Mandate for Palestine in 1920. Under British administration, which lasted approximately 30 years, the region saw significant political and infrastructural changes. The King David Hotel, built during this period, stands as a remnant of British influence and administration in Jerusalem.
🇮🇱 Israel: In 1948, following the end of the British Mandate, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, declared the establishment of the State of Israel, becoming the nation’s first Prime Minister. This declaration was the culmination of decades of Zionist efforts to establish a Jewish homeland, and it followed the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of Resolution 181 in 1947, which recommended the partition of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states. Despite acceptance by Jewish leaders and rejection by Arab states, Israel's independence was declared and immediately followed by conflict with neighboring Arab countries.
David Ben-Gurion (‘Son of the Lion’)
The new David for a modern Israel
I have come to understand that major prophecy is being fulfilled, and that we are living during a monumental and pivotal moment in the history of Israel. Although the country officially regained its sovereignty in 1948 when the State of Israel was born, there seems to have been a transitional period from then, until now and beyond, as their independence is becoming fully realized and manifested.
The most recent assault on the Jewish people by Hamas, and the deplorable response of many nations around the world, seems to have galvanized Israel into standing up to the international bullies once and for all. Israelis are saying, “Enough. I am the head and not the tail.”
Likewise, the Spirit of God is marking the official end of a period of domination that has continued and lingered for literally thousands of years. No longer will Israel be trampled upon by other nations. The Gentiles have lost their right to lord it over this biblically significant land, and they no longer possess any God-given authority to dictate how the Jewish nation should govern or defend itself.
I believe this will become blatantly evident in a bold display by Israel on the world stage. We live in a time where every eye can witness the writing of the next chapter of God’s epic narrative. A dramatic motion picture can and will play out before us all, with Israel being cast in the starring role.
Israel’s stance is steadfast, and there is a steely resolve that is unwavering. It is the dawning of a new era for this special nation, and it has been centuries and millennia in the making. Jacob has finally shaken off the shackles of his shameful past, and the people of Israel are proclaiming loudly with renewed confidence, and with one voice, saying, “Now is my time.”
⛯ Mark-Alexander
