Luke 21:23-24

The distress of pregnant women and nursing mothers then represents the trouble that all people in and around Jerusalem would face. God’s wrath and the wrath of Israel’s enemy would also be great. Some of the Jews would die in battle, and others would become captives and have to leave Palestine. Gentiles would dominate Jerusalem itself. This would last until the end of "the times of the Gentiles." This is a phrase that describes the period during which Gentiles rather than Jews would control the fate of Jerusalem (Daniel 2; Daniel 7). It began when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and will continue until Jesus Christ returns at the Second Coming (cf. Daniel 2:34-35; Daniel 2:45; Romans 11:25). Throughout this entire long period of history, including the present, Gentiles have controlled the fate of Jerusalem. [Note: See J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, p. 399; John F. Walvoord, "The Times of the Gentiles," Bibliotheca Sacra 125:497 (January-March 1968):3-9.] Luke’s reference to the times of the Gentiles is consistent with his interest in Gentiles.

Again careful comparison with the similar passages in Matthew and Mark reveals that they were recording Jesus’ prediction of the attack on Jerusalem just before His return (cf. Zechariah 14:1-2). Luke recorded His prediction of Jerusalem’s destruction that happened in A.D. 70.

Acts 3:19 records Peter’s invitation to the Jews to repent and to return to a proper relationship to God with the result that "times of refreshing" might come from the Lord’s presence. This is probably a reference to the inauguration of the messianic kingdom (cf. Zechariah 12:10-14). If the Jewish nation as a whole had believed in Jesus then, how could Jesus’ predictions about the destruction of Jerusalem have taken place? Probably the Romans would have invaded Jerusalem sooner than they did, the Rapture would have happened (John 14:1-3), the seven-year Tribulation would have followed, and Jesus would have returned to set up His kingdom. All of this could have happened within about 10 years from the time Peter extended his invitation.