The Sunset of the Gentiles

We are living in the sunset of the Gentiles. That phrase may sound poetic, but it’s also prophetic and dark. We’ve long spoken of the “day of the Gentiles.” The question now is—has that day passed its high noon? Are we in the dusk hours of Gentile ascendancy? I believe the answer is yes.

So how do we know? Well, one place to start is with the book that Christ Himself commanded us to search: Isaiah. If you want to understand the time you're living in—what's really happening beneath the headlines and political chaos—Isaiah is your map. But then there’s the deeper question: who are you in that map?

Isaiah doesn’t just speak about “the last days” in vague generalities. He speaks about peoples. He speaks of Jews, Gentiles, Josephites, and remnants. He speaks of covenants. He speaks of you. And no book lays that out more clearly than the Book of Mormon, which, let’s be honest, is built on the scaffolding of Isaiah. It doesn’t just quote Isaiah—it springs from it.

Isaiah as the Launching Pad  

Nephi’s sweeping prophecies—his vision of the Tree of Life, the destiny of his seed, the role of the Gentiles, the scattering and gathering of Israel—all of that is born in Isaiah’s worldview. Nephi isn’t just referencing Isaiah; he’s prophesying in the same stream. In fact, I would argue that Nephi’s visions are equal in prophetic power to Isaiah’s, and the Book of Mormon makes that claim plain.

And what happens when Jesus begins His ministry? He opens to Isaiah 61 and says, “This is me.” That’s no coincidence. The Book of Mormon and the New Testament are both launched, spiritually and thematically, from Isaiah.

But here’s what’s been lost: Isaiah is messianic, profoundly so. And while modern readings of the Old Testament have often muffled that voice—suffocating the Christ-centered undercurrents—Isaiah lets the Spirit breathe. He slips through the cracks of the scribes and the editors. The covenantal Christ—what I call the “cut” Covenant—is alive in Isaiah.

Two Timelines: Hegel vs. Heaven  

I've spoken before about the two ways to look at time. One is the secular, dialectical view—Hegel’s model. This is Cultural Evolution. History as thesis, antithesis, synthesis. Conflict drives progress. That may be how things function in a fallen world, and it's a real lens.

But there’s another timeline—God’s timeline. It is Dispensational. And it’s defined by prophecy. It’s not driven by conflict but by covenant. It doesn’t progress through chaos but through foreordination and fulfillment. And Isaiah, again, is the keystone to understanding that divine timeline—especially our time.

Who Are You in the Story?  

Let’s go straight to the Title Page of the Book of Mormon. It declares that this sacred record was written to:

“the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile.”

Right there you have the triad: Josephites (the remnant), Jews, and Gentiles. So, where do you fit?

The house of Israel includes the lost tribes, with Joseph and Ephraim playing prominent roles. The “Jew” here represents the kingdom of Judah, and the “Gentile” includes multiple subtypes. You might be an Ephraimite Gentile, likely in America, England, or Western Europe. Others fall into the broader Gentile category—outside of the covenant bloodlines, but still called and prophesied of.

This isn’t speculation. The Book of Mormon declares that it comes forth by the Gentile—and who is that Gentile? Joseph Smith. An Ephraimite. So when the Lord brings the Book of Mormon forth by way of the Gentile, we’re talking about a covenant people hidden under a Gentile label.

The Stick of Joseph and the Stick of Judah  

Let’s go deeper.

The Book of Mormon is the Stick of Joseph. And when you pick up one end of the stick, you pick up the other—the Brass Plates. That’s where the Isaiah prophecies come from. That’s where the messianic lens survives.

What’s fascinating is that these prophetic streams are not from the Judahite scribal tradition of the Old Testament, but from the Josephite tradition—Egyptian in script, Northern in culture, covenantal in purpose. The Book of Mormon is the flowering of that tradition.

This Josephite line is vital. It’s where you find the keepers of the record, the torchbearers of covenantal clarity, the people who preserve the doctrine of Christ when others have buried it under layers of ritual, law, and editorial redaction.

Identity and Purpose  

Now ask yourself: Which of these groups do you belong to?

Are you of the remnant of Joseph? Are you of the Jews? Are you of the lost tribes? Are you a Gentile called to carry the gospel torch?

Because knowing that gives you identity. And identity gives you purpose. And in the last days, when deception and despair are rampant, purpose becomes your anchor.

Isaiah tells us who we are. He tells us where we are. And he tells us what to do. The Book of Mormon echoes that message with power and clarity.

Are We in the Sunset?  

So back to the original question: Are we in the sunset of the Gentiles?

Look around. Look at the war on the family. Look at the rejection of religion, the dilution of doctrine, the collapse of Christianity in the West. America is walking the same secular path as Europe, just a few decades behind. Christianity isn’t just fading—it’s fragmenting.

And what does President Nelson do? He gives a General Conference talk on the Second Coming—emphasizing urgency, preparation, and identity. That’s not just a nice message—it’s a warning.

We are not just in the last chapter. We are in the last pages. And we are not passive readers—we are characters in the story.

What Are You Doing About It?  

If you know this—if you know the role of Isaiah, the structure of the Book of Mormon, the arc of prophecy, and the identity of the covenant peoples—what are you doing about it?

Learn Isaiah. Seek prophecy. Find your identity. Act with purpose.

Read the Book of Mormon.

Because the sunset doesn’t mean the end of light. It means the shift of that light.

And that shift? It’s happening now.