Chapter 11 - Gentile Age

Vertical Divider

The suspension of national Israel from the covenant plan of God and their dispersion into the Gentile nations of the world introduced the Gentile Age. Fundamentally, it is distinguished by Gentile dominion over Jerusalem (cf. Daniel 2:31-45; 7:1-27; 8:1-26, in which Daniel discusses successive Gentile kingdoms ruling over Jerusalem until the return of Christ). Jesus referred to the Gentile Age as the “times of the Gentiles.” (Luke 21:24)

The Gentile Age was initiated with the destruction of the first Jewish temple and the forced removal of the southern kingdom of Judah from Jerusalem in 586 B.C. It will conclude when the “fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” (Romans 11:25)

The “fullness of the Gentiles” refers to a predetermined time in the future when God will have sufficiently repopulated His kingdom with the elect from among the Gentile nations. It will be completed immediately before the Second Coming of Christ.

The Gentile Age has consisted of two stages. The first stage was inclusive of the repopulation of the kingdom of God by the addition of individual Gentiles. In contrast, the second stage of the Gentile Age is the Church Age. It was designed to permit a more rapid repopulation of the kingdom through the exponential multiplication of the elect from the Gentile nations of the world.

The Gentile Age was initiated for some important reasons. It not only has provided sufficient time for national Israel to endure its appointed judgment but allowed for the ongoing vindication of the divine nature and repopulation of the divine kingdom.

Individual Gentiles

The Gentile Age began immediately after the Israelite Age, more than 600 years before the New Testament church was established on earth. During its early stage, God redeemed Gentiles on an individual basis.

The precedent had already existed for the redemption of individual Gentiles. Two examples in the Old Testament era included the Ninevites and Rahab the harlot. Like every other age, they were redeemed by faith alone.

Vertical Divider

Church

In fullness of time, approximately 600 years after the beginning of the Gentile Age, Jesus the Messiah was sent to earth by the Father. (Matthew 1:1-4:11; Mark 1:1-2:12; Luke 1:1-4:13) The immediate priority of His earthly ministry was to reveal the will of God to the Israelites remaining in the land of covenant promise. (Matthew 10:5-6; 15:24; Mark 7:27; John 1:11; Acts 10:36)

Jesus restated His offer of the kingdom of God on earth for benefit of national Israel. However, relative to their hardness of heart and scriptural presupposition, the representative leadership of Israel did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and soundly rejected His offer. (Matthew 11:2-27:66; Mark 11:27-12:44; Luke 9:51-24:53)

According to plan, God allowed Israel's postponement from His covenant plan to remain in effect and in the latter part of the Gentile Age He initiated an expansive repopulation of His kingdom. The vehicle chosen by God to fulfill His plan was the New Testament church (Ephesians 3:8-11).

The New Testament church, created in eternity, was established on earth in fullness of time. It occurred on the first day of Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ. (Acts 2:1-47) Thus, the Church Age began during the late spring of 33AD.

In contrast to the gradual expansion of kingdom population during the Israelite Age and the early Gentile Age, the New Testament church has allowed for the exponential repopulation of the kingdom, predominantly from the elect of the densely populated Gentile nations. (Acts 9:15; 28:28; Romans 11:11-25; Galatians 1:15-16; 2:7-8; Ephesians 3:1-13) Through its instrumentation, the population of the kingdom of God has expanded into the Gentile nations near and far, “even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

It is of critical importance to understand that God did not replace the nation of Israel with the New Testament church. (cf. Romans 11) Instead, the church would be inclusive of a remnant of Israel. (Romans 11:1-6) Rather than included among the national Israel, they become members of the body of Christ.

                                              Summary

The kingdom of God is “the sovereign authority of God manifested within the realm of both eternity and space-time for benefit of His creation.” The primary purpose of the kingdom of God manifested on the degenerated earth during the Gentile Age was the continued revelation of the authority of God, the vindication of His nature from angelic accusation and the repopulation of His kingdom.

According to plan, the kingdom of God continued to be manifested on the degenerated earth during the Gentile Age. Rather than from the nation of Israel, the new citizens of the kingdom were predominantly descended from Noah’s sons Ham and Japheth and thus, the Gentile nations of the world.

Like the citizens of the kingdom before them, the Gentile citizens of the kingdom were justified and regenerated by grace through faith alone and thereby, restored to a state suitable with the nature of God. Made glorious, holy, eternal, and alive to God, they were legally representative and organically representational of God on earth and provided for His authority to be recognizable.

The Gentile Age on the degenerated earth is characterized by Gentile dominion over the Israelites. Therefore, it lasts from 586 BC to the Second Coming.

The Gentile Age was characterized by two stages. During the first stage individual Gentile citizens were added to the kingdom. In the fullness of time, the second stage involved elect Gentiles collectively assembled in one spiritual body, the New Testament church. It was different from the citizenship of the kingdom on earth beforehand. The Gentile citizens of the New Testament church were also permanently indwelt, baptized, and sealed by the Spirit of God. As a result, they were eternally secured in the body of Christ.

Concordant with the indwelling life of God, the new, Gentile citizens of His kingdom were theocratically governed through the intimate rule of divine life. Cooperating by grace through faith alone, they too willingly submitted to divine authority and provided for its mediation on the degenerated earth.

By benefit of the Eternal Covenant the elect of the Gentile Age, predominantly from the Gentile nations, were justified and regenerated by grace through faith alone and consequently, made legally representative and organically representational of God. Concordant with their willingness to accept the terms of the gracious, unconditional covenant promise, the nature of God continued to be vindicated and His kingdom repopulated.

Nevertheless, the nature of God will not be fully vindicated or His kingdom fully repopulated. The Gentile Age ends when the “fullness of the Gentiles” is achieved and the church is removed from the earth.

Vertical Divider

Category	Description
Primary Purpose:	The revelation of the authority of God for the benefit of human beings. The vindication of divine authority.
Plan:	The degenerated earth as a suitable habitat for human beings. Rather than the earth existing in the kingdom of God, the kingdom manifested on the degenerated earth within redeemed human beings legally representative and organically representational of God. Kingdom repopulation by human beings.
Citizenship:	Holy, spatiotemporal, individual human beings descended from Noah’s sons Ham and Japheth. In fullness of time, collectively assembled in one spiritual body, the New Testament church.
Realm:	The spatiotemporal degenerated earth.
Character for Citizenship:	Glorious, holy, powerful, and eternal (concordant with the nature of the divine king).
Era:	Gentile dominion over the Israelites and more specifically, the city of Jerusalem (586 BC to the Second Coming).
Qualification for Citizenship:	Individually: holiness, spirituality, and immortality awarded by divine justification and regeneration. Collectively: holiness, spirituality, and immortality achieved by divine justification, regeneration, indwelling, baptism, and sealing. Human cooperation by willing submission to the beneficent revelation of divine authority. By grace through faith alone.
Governance:	Theocratic. In cooperation with human mediation. Through union of life between God and elect individual Gentiles. Through union of life between God and the elect of the New Testament church.
Outcome:	By benefit of the past fulfillment of the Eternal Covenant, the elect, predominantly from the Gentile nations, justified and regenerated by grace through faith alone and consequently, made legally representative and organically representational of God. In accordance with the unconditional benefit of the Eternal Covenant, the continued vindication of the divine nature and repopulation of the divine kingdom. The “fullness of the Gentiles” achieved. The removal of the New Testament church from the earth. The kingdom of God not completely repopulated. The nature of God not fully vindicated.

Vertical Divider