In Luke 21:7-17 when Jesus Christ disciples asked Him what the sign of His second coming would be, He told them that terrible and troubling times would exist just before He returned. Jesus spoke about increasing religious deception, natural disasters, disease and pestilence, religious persecution, revolutions and wars. He went on to say the fighting would culminate with Jerusalem being surrounded by armies. And He said, “Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”
(verse 24, emphasis added throughout). We know the series we are into now is The Time of the Gentiles.
Who are the Gentiles?
The word 'gentile' comes from the Latin word 'gentilis'.
It was used in Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible in the fourth century and has been retained in the English translations as “Gentiles.” It was used to translate the Hebrew word goyim, which first appears in Genesis 10:5 and means “peoples or nations” that were non-Israelite or non-Jewish.
Simply put, the gentiles are people of the nations that are not of Israelite descent. In other words, the gentiles are people who are not descendants of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel (Genesis 32:28). Meaning that you and I are gentiles.
Jacob’s 12 sons became the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israel, and the descendants of those sons are Israelites even to this day—though many don’t realize it. In biblical terminology, those who are not Israelites are gentiles.
Apostle Paul recognized this distinction when he spoke to the first-century gentile Christians. While not of Israelite descent, they were now “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” because of their conversion.
Ephesians 2:11-13,18-19
[11]Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
[12]That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
[13]But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
[18]For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
[19]Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
God created all people of the same blood and with the same ultimate potential to be saved (Acts 17:26; 1 Timothy 2:4). He loves all people, but He chose to work first with the children of Israel, giving them knowledge and blessings so that they could become a model nation to help others come to God. Sadly, Israel failed in its intended role, and Bible prophecy outlines how both the descendants of Israel and the other nations will eventually learn to obey God I will go to this in our next teaching).
Why Did God Choose Israel?
The Scriptures are quite clear that among all the nations in the world, God chose Israel as the one He would work with. This was the nation that God delivered out of slavery in Egypt, the nation to whom God gave the land of Canaan, and the nation through whom would come Jesus, the Messiah.
God chose the ancient Israelites because He had promised Abraham that his descendants would become a great nation and occupy the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:3, 7; 17:4, 7-8; 22:17). God blessed Abraham and his descendants because of Abraham’s faith, a living faith that resulted in diligent obedience to God’s instructions and law (Genesis 26:3-5). This promise was repeated to Abraham’s son, Isaac, and to Abraham’s grandson, Jacob
(Genesis 17:21; 26:24; 28:1-4, 13).
Was there something special about these people unlike others?
God Himself answered this very question. In addressing the ancient Israelites, He told them: “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers , the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8, emphasis added).
God’s purpose in choosing Israel
The purpose God Choose Israel was for them to be a model nation to other nations and that through them “all the families of the earth” would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). He wanted Israel to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Other nations would see that when the Israelites obeyed God, they were blessed (verse 5), and when they disobeyed God, they would be punished (Deuteronomy 28).
Non-Israelites welcomed in the Old Testament
While God chose to work with the ancient nation Israel, this decision did not exclude people from other nations (gentiles) from coming to understand God and serve Him. God instructed the ancient Israelites that they were to respect peoples of other nationalities who came to live with them.
As for observing the Passover (one of God’s commanded observances in both the Old and New Testaments), God said, “And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it” (Exodus 12:48). Showing fairness for all, God continued, “One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you” (verse 49). Later, God added: “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 22:21).
A good example of God’s acceptance of non-Israelites in the Old Testament is found in the life of Ruth. Though a Moabite by birth (Ruth 1:1-4), she came to respect and follow God. As Ruth told Naomi, her Israelite mother-in-law, after the premature death of her husband: “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (verse 16). Ruth then married an Israelite man named Boaz and became part of the family lineage God selected for Himself when He manifested in the Flesh in Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-16).
The connection between Israelites and gentiles
When God delivered ancient Israel from Egypt (a gentile nation), He warned them that if they rejected and forsook God, He would allow them to be militarily overthrown and taken into captivity by gentile nations. Israel did forsake God, and its people were eventually taken away into captivity by the Assyrians and Babylonians around 721 B.C. and 586 B.C.
The Jews who were the earliest Christians did not fully understand that God was also going to bring gentiles into the Church. Through a miraculous granting of the Holy Spirit to a gentile named Cornelius and his household, just as God had previously done for Jews on the Day of Pentecost, Peter and the members of the New Testament Church came to understand that God was now also calling gentiles.
The few scriptures below, explain the connection between the Gentiles and the Jews, the Israelites.
Galatians 3:13-14,26-29
[13]Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
[14]That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
[26]For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
[27]For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
[28]There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
[29]And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Colossians 3:11
[11]Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
The bottom line is that, one of the major reason why the Gentiles were brought in through the blood of Jesus Christ and the grace of God is for us to be heirs and partake of the blessings of Abraham which God had promised him. So, what connect us together is the blessing of Abraham, it's no more of the Jews alone but for both the Jews and gentiles.
Shout Hallelujah!!!!
Now, Reading Through the book of Romans chapter 9 to chapter 11, Apostle Paul reveals a mystery,
Romans 11:25
[25]For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
What's is this Mystery? This I will be going into in our next teaching.
Stay Tuned...
