PJ Hanley“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” Acts 3:19-21
In the above passage, Peter said that Jesus the Messiah, who was appointed for the Jewish people, would remain in heaven until the restoration of Israel at the end of the age. This restoration was foretold by all the prophets, including Moses! This is not the restoration of “all things” as many say, but the restoration of “all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets.” While it is true that God is restoring the church and will restore the heavens and the earth, this is not the focus of this verse. When we study the prophets, it is abundantly clear that the restoration they spoke of, was the restoration of the Jewish people to their ancient homeland after having been scattered throughout the earth. Thus, we can conclude that the emergence of the State of Israel in the twentieth century is the event that ushers in the last generation when Christ will come back! As we begin to illustrate this amazing fulfillment of prophecy, let us look at some verses that speak of the scattering and re-gathering of God’s ancient covenant people. Please note these are but a sampling.
“I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas. I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths.” Lev 26:31-34
“So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back.” Deut 30:1-4
“Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will again recover the second time with His hand the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He will lift up a standard for the nations and assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Is 11:11-12
These promises concerning the scattering of Israel, and her re-gathering at the end of the age, are repeated throughout the prophets and are re-iterated by Christ Himself in Luke 21. As He exited the Temple for the last time during Passion Week, the Lord confirmed that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the Jewish people scattered to the nations. Then He added that the Holy City would be trampled underfoot by Gentile rulers until their time of dominance would end.
“…because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled……for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21:22-24
This destruction of Jerusalem foretold by Christ took place in 70AD when the Roman legions burned the city and scattered the Jews throughout the earth. From that time on the city was dominated by Gentile Empires from the Romans to the British. But in 1967 the Old City and the Temple Mount were captured by the new nation of Israel and came back under Jewish control. This is the most amazing fulfillment of prophecy bringing to an end the Times of the Gentiles as predicted by Jesus and beginning the generation that would see all the End-Time events take place (Luke 21:28,32 – “begin to take place”). Thus, the Times of the Gentiles ended in 1967 and the last generation began.
Excerpt from “The 7 Lost Keys of End-Time Prophecy: Unlocking the mysteries and dispelling the myths surrounding the Coming of Christ” by PJ Hanley