The "time of the gentiles" being the "Day of the Lord"

 A near and far wrath may be seen in Luke 21:

²⁰ "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. ²² For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²³ But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. ²⁴ And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

²⁵ "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."   Luke 21:20-28

Jesus foretold the desolation of Jerusalem as the wrath of God on Israel. I believe this was in AD 70 by the Romans; it was a near wrath. He said Jerusalem would be trampled by gentiles until "the times of the gentiles be fulfilled." I believe this "times" is DOL, when the nations are judged and Jerusalem is delivered. Jesus then gives more detail of DOL in the text that follows. This whole text may reveal both a near time of wrath (AD 70) and the far-final wrath of God (DOL) in the prophetic vision of Jesus.  And from the time of the near wrath to the time of the far wrath, Jerusalem with be trampled underfoot.  That trampling will come to an end when the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled, being the Day of the Lord (the coming of Christ to judge the nations at the end of the great tribulation).

Ezekiel prophesies of the near wrath to come upon Egypt and the nations allied to her. This would also be through the instrumentality of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon: Thus says the Lord God: I will also make a multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. 30.10 

Ezekiel 30.1-3 is a prophecy of the DOL that appears to look beyond the near future (God using Neb to judge Egypt and her allies) to the far future (the DOL on all the nations) in its terminology.

Ezekiel says it is "the time of the Gentiles": Wail, Woe to the day! For the day is near, even the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles.

Some translate this as the "time of the doom [or distress] of the gentiles." I suppose this is because the LXX has the word "end" instead of "time." And the "time" in view here is the eschatological judgment of the nations. Jesus prophesied of Jerusalem being trampled underfoot by gentiles "until the times of the gentiles are fulfilled." I don't know if the plural of "time" is significant, and I suppose most would say this is a reference to the dominance of gentile world powers, but it could be a reference to DOL. Jerusalem will be trampled by gentiles until the time of the end (or the doom or the distress) of the gentiles. That time will be DOL.

It would seem that Jesus was referring to what Ezekiel presented as the backdrop of Egypt's judgment from God through Nebuchadnezzar. Charles Feinberg writes: "The reference here is best taken as God's judgment on Egypt identified in principle with that day when He will call all nations into account. Some have interpreted the significant phrase ["day of the Lord"] to mean any time in which God’s judgments are experienced on earth. Although such an interpretation will allow for all the references to be included under it, nevertheless it empties the words of their well-known eschatological force. They do speak of events in the far future when God will consummate His plans for Israel in the earth." The Prophecy of Ezekiel by Charles Feinberg

many shall run to and fro at the time of the end

Daniel 12:4 says to "Seal the Book until the time of the end." This must signify that the prophecy of Daniel is complete and must be secured and not altered.   It's fulfillment and understanding will be the time of the end, being that time of trouble referenced in Daniel 12:1 (I believe it is the "Great Tribulation" of which Jesus spoke). This does not mean we do not read it and seek to understand it.   But how all the events will play out will be best discerned as they happen. 

Daniel 12:4 says that "many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase."    I know that some believe this speaks of our age of modern travel and internet access to information, but I believe this refers to the increase in understanding of prophetic Scriptures in the time of the end, for those who seek it. 

"To and fro" appears several times in the Old Testament (see *below) and just speaks of going back and forth.  

There will be many who will seek out the word of God to understand what's happening, and these will be the "wise" ones of Daniel 12:10:  "Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand."

Compare this understanding with Amos: "12 They shall wander from sea to sea,

And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD,

But shall not find it." Amos 8:12 

In Amos, we see that the word of God is in view, but in that case, they will seek but not find.  

But in the time of the end, many will go here and there seeking the word of God, and they will understand.

* Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. Genesis 8:7

 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?"
So Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." Job 1:7 2:2

 Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro?
And will You pursue dry stubble? Job 13:25

He breaks open a shaft away from people;
In places forgotten by feet
They hang far away from men;
They swing to and fro. Job 28:4

And Your plunder shall be gathered
Like the gathering of the caterpillar;
As the running to and fro of locusts,
He shall run upon them. Isaiah 33:4

​"Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem;
See now and know;
And seek in her open places
If you can find a man,
If there is anyone who executes judgment,
Who seeks the truth, Jeremiah 5:1

They run to and fro in the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter at the windows like a thief. Joel 2:9

And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, "These are the ones whom the LORD has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth." Zechariah 1:10

There are a few more.

The prophecy that some of Jesus' disciples will see his kingdom

28 "Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."    Matthew 16:28

"Some" is also translated 'certain," more often than "some."   Could that certain one be John and his receiving the revelation of Jesus' coming?  There is the plural verb translated "there are," but maybe that is used with some ambiguity.  

John the apostle would receive the revelation of Jesus coming in his glory.

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. Revelation 19:11-12

2 Harvests at the time of the end

There are two harvests at the time of the end:  one is the harvest of the saints, and the other is the judgment of the nations through war, both come in connection with the "Day of the Lord," which is the second coming of Christ.

Joel speaks of a harvest:  "Let the nations be wakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, the vats overflow— For their wickedness is great." Joel 3:12-13

Joel connects this harvest with the "day of the Lord": "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.  The sun and moon will grow dark,  and the stars will diminish their brightness." Joel 3:14-15  

The "day of the Lord" is preceded by the cosmic events of Joel 3:15:   "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.  The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD." Joel 2:30-31

The cosmic events come after the "great tribulation," and so the "Day of the Lord" comes after the great tribulation, Jesus said:,  "21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. ...  29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  Matthew 24:21, 29-31

Luke also records Jesus saying, "25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." Luke 21:25-28 

The Revelation of Christ says:  "I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" Revelation 6:12-17

The above Scriptures connect the cosmic events with the end of the "Great Tribulation," to be followed by the "Day of the Lord" which is the coming wrath of the "Son of man," the "lamb of God," to gather the elect and to judge the nations.

The Revelation of Christ speaks of two harvests to come:  The first harvest is the gathering of the elect, and the second harvest is the judgment of nations.

The first harvest would correspond to the gathering of the elect at Christ's coming: "4 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, 'Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.' 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped." Revelation 14:14-16

The second Harvest is the judgment of nations through war: "17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs." Revelation 14:17-20

The sixth Bowl of wrath of Revelation speaks of preparing the way for the great battle of "Armageddon" for when Jesus comes as a "thief":  the battle of Armageddon is the gathering of nations and the harvest spoken by the prophet Joel; it is the second harvest to follow that first harvest which is the gathering of the elect:  "12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.  15 "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."  16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon." Revelation 16:12-16

The two harvests of Revelation are two different kinds of reaping at the end of the Great Tribulation: the first one being the gathering of the elect, and the second one being the judgment of nations through war by the coming of Christ for that great day called the "Day of the Lord."

the AntiChrist's reach?

The kings and kingdoms of Daniel 2 were of the Mediterranean world.  We live in a much different world today, so how far reaching the antichrist economic system will reach probably goes beyond the Mediterranean world, but I don't think in 3 1/2 years (the "Great Tribulation" period) it will get completely implemented. However, the handling of Covid and the vaccine does reveal that the beast economic system could get implemented in many countries in a relatively short period.    The beast will have a lot of opposition near the end, if the last part of Daniel 11 speaks of that opposition (see Daniel 11:40-45).  Believing the rapture happens at the end of the great tribulation, there must be a lot of people (See Isaiah 66:18-21) who are not saved and yet did not take the Mark of the beast, and they will believe in Christ when he comes, just like many Jews will, and these will enter the kingdom in flesh and blood bodies.  

Daniel 11:40-45 reveals opposition towards the beast:

40 "At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him."  

Isaiah 66:18-21 reveals that some will believe in Christ after He comes:

"For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory. I will set a sign among them; and those among them who escape I will send to the nations: to Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles. Then they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the LORD out of all nations, on horses and in chariots and in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," says the LORD, "as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites," says the LORD." 

Jesus warned and instructed concerning the coming affliction.

Jesus instructed his disciples to expect persecution and affliction ("tribulation") in the near future and in the far future near the time of His return. 

Aligning with Jesus will bring conflict and adversity: 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; 36 and a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'" 37 Matthew 10:34-37

Jesus prepared his disciples:  "16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 17 But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues." Matthew 10:16-17 

Jesus warned them of the severity of the conflict they will face: 21 "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name's sake." Matthew 10:21-22   

Jesus reminded his disciples to put their trust in God:  "28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:28-31  

All this was what the disciples would face in their lifetime, but it can be the expectation of all believers in their own times. 

There are similar expectations in the far future, near the coming of Christ, though the threat and intensity of persecution will increase as society becomes more opposed to the knowledge of God.

Jesus instructed his disciples on how it will be near the time of the end: 9 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved." Matthew 24:9-13  

Jesus speaking of that great affliction to come, says, "21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." Matthew 24:21-22 

But even during that time to come, the believer can still trust God with the same understanding, that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."  The numbering of the hairs of your head is really a figure of speech, saying God has you: you are fully accounted for--nothing can separate you from God. 

"35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; 
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

John Walvoord admitted a "Pretribulation rapture" is not explicitly taught in Scripture.

 A "Pretribulation rapture" is not explicitly or expressly taught in Scripture. Dr John Walvoord (a Pretribulationalist) admitted this more than once, though something caused him to remove this admittance from his first release of his book "The Rapture Question."

"Tribulation" is the designation commonly applied to that 7-year period that the book of Daniel calls a "Week" (Daniel 9:27), and that "Week" is understood by many as the "70th Week of Daniel," because it is the unfulfilled part of a prophecy of which the first 69 weeks have been fulfilled in the past.  The "Rapture" (to be "caught up") is the removal of the "Church," that is, living believers from the earth. A "Pretribulation" rapture view believes this catching up can happen at any moment, but at least before the beginning of the "70th Week."  The end of the 70th Week involves the Second Coming of Christ, and so the pretribulation-rapture-view sees Christ coming for His church before the 70th Week begins.

Dr. John Walvoord was a President of Dallas Theological Seminary and wrote many books on theology, especially on Bible Prophecy, and commentaries on Scripture.  I used to believe as he did on the rapture, but later had a change of mind to the posttribulation-rapture-view.   

I want to point out that Walvoord admitted in his book, 'The Rapture Question," that it was a "fact" that "neither Posttribulationalism nor Pretribulationalism is an explicit teaching of Scripture. The Bible does not state in so many words either."  This statement was removed from later printings of his book.  Why did he do it?  I don't know.  My copy of the book reads differently, it says, "The fact is that posttribulationism is an interpretation of Scripture that pretribulationists believe is contradicted by many passages which imply otherwise." 

There was an accusation by certain parties that Walvoord never admitted to what his first printing (1957) of "The Rapture Question" said, since later copies did not have the statements.  Though that first edition can be found, and photocopies of it are available, I found a similar statement by Walvoord many years later in an article he wrote in the "Grace Theological Journal" (Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Indiana, Fall 1985).  The article was titled, "Is a Posttribulational rapture Revealed in Matthew 24?"  He wrote: "Both pretribulationists and posttribulationists are confronted with the fact that Scripture does not expressly state either view."  So this statement says essentially the same thing as in the first printing of his book.  So why was the book changed, and yet this article many years later admits the same thing that was removed from the book?   

I would like to point out that if the Apostle Paul got his eschatology (the doctrine of last things / prophecy) from the Lord, and there are obvious parallels between the words of Jesus and Paul on end of the age and the coming of Christ, then there are some strong arguments for a posttribulational rapture.

Consider that Jesus said: 

29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will **gather together His elect **from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Matthew 24:29-31

Compare this to what Paul said:

"1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and **our gathering together to Him**"

2 Thessalonians 2:1