Plucking the Eagle's Wings

Plucking the Eagle's Wings

By now you may be wondering about the significance of the years 2001 to 2007-2008 regarding the fullness of the Gentiles. The answer relates to Israel, Jerusalem, and the Jews. There is a cycle from Christ's time that I believe will repeat itself. In Matthew 24:1-3, Jesus predicted that the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed. This prediction was made around 30 A.D. Forty years later, in 70 A.D, Christ's words were literally fulfilled. Jesus also said that Jerusalem would be "trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). Consider this: • The fullness of the Gentiles refers to the completion of the church's mission to preach the Gospel to the world. • The "times of the Gentiles" relates to Gentile nations controlling Jerusalem. Since 70 A.D., every nation controlling Jerusalem was a Gentile power. A change came suddenly in 1967, during the Six-Day War, when the Israeli defense forces captured east Jerusalem and annexed the city, bringing east and west Jerusalem together. From the time of Christ's public ministry to the destruction of the Temple, forty years transpired. Christ saw much unbelief among the people (Matthew 13:58), and predicted that God would judge Jerusalem with destruction. Forty years is the Biblical time frame that represents a generation of unbelief. Judgment came to Jerusalem and to the Temple within one generation. Jerusalem was reunited in 1967, which was the beginning of the spiritual and natural growth of Israel. The 1960s were the beginning of spiritual decline in America. In 1967-68, the Charismatic renewal swept across North America, Canada, and Latin America. Another forty-year cycle will conclude in 2007-2008. This cycle may complete the generation of unbelief among the Gentile nations, especially America. If this happens, within the next few years we will experience the climax of America's greatness as a spiritual nation. Reports suggest that the EEC (European Economic Community) is expected to become an exceptionally strong economic force beginning in 2004. With the possibility of twenty to twenty eight nations in the EEC, it could become the strongest single superpower in the world; thus, America would be following instead of leading.

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