Gentiles in the Bible
The Bible is well known as a book containing much prophecy. Usually, the focus is on Israel and what God says about Israel: its past, present, and future. Most of the book was written by Israeli and Jewish authors and many times requires a look at things from a Jewish perspective. And rightly so, since it was the Jews who were entrusted to bring forth the very words of God (Ro 3:2). However, these Jewish authors did not just write about themselves, but God also led them to also write about Gentiles. Therefore, just as God had a plan for Israel, and still does today and into the future, so He has a plan for Gentiles. This must be understood in the light that there is a link between Israel and Gentiles, as both of their futures are linked together. God has a timeline for the world, and it is a Jewish timeline. Everything must be observed from a Jewish perspective, not only because the authors of the Bible were Jewish but because God has set it up that way.
Israel is on a timeline that has been preset. God told Abraham when his descendants would be given the land of Canaan (Gn 15:13-14), God gave Jeremiah the timeline for how long Judah would be in Babylonian captivity (Jr 25:11-12), God gave Daniel the timeline for when Israel’s Messiah was to come (Dn 9:25), God also gave Daniel the timeline for when God would work with Israel in the future (Dn 9:27), and God gave the apostle John the timeline for how long their long awaited Messiah would reign on David’s throne among them (Rv 20:4). Into this timeline God has placed the Gentiles and his plan for them, but this cannot be looked at without Israel being in the picture. God even gave us details about the present age. God had provided to Daniel a “gap” in the timeline He was providing about Israel (Dn 9:26), which the apostle Paul later revealed was the Age of Gentiles (Ro 11:25). It seems that this “gap” has no defined period of time as Paul stated it would end when this period of time had reached its “fullness” (Ro 11:25). Because the present period of earth’s history is focused on Gentiles and not on Israel, the timeline is suspended until the Rapture of the church occurs. At that point in time, the Jewish timeline will pick back up and what has been termed “the seventieth week of Daniel” will then continue as prescribed and described in scripture.
The definition of “Gentile” has morphed somewhat over time as God has dealt with mankind and with the nation of Israel. These discrete packets of time have been labeled “dispensations” where God’s plan has not changed but the degree of the revelation of Himself to mankind has expanded over time. The table below presents these dispensations in relation to how the definition of Gentile has evolved over and during these dispensations.
It has been observed that God has worked with Gentiles in each of these dispensational periods and has not left them out of His care, His interest, as well as His justice. God always gave warnings before His justice was administered. Before the flood, God announced coming judgment and the need for repentance (Ju 1:14-15) and announced a flood was coming during the time of Noah (Gn 6:3). He gave the Amorites time to repent before administering his justice (Gn 15:16). God announced his plans to the king of Nineveh (Jh 3:4-5), to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (Dn 2), to Cyrus, king of Medo-Persia (Is 45:1-13), gave visions to Alexander the Great, and had Paul give the gospel to Caesar’s household (Pp 4:22) during the time of the Roman Empire. Unfortunately, it seems that most of these did not heed his warning.
Yet, God was still glorified among the Gentile nations. The king of Nineveh did respond to Jonah’s preaching (Jh 3:5) and gave Nineveh another one-hundred years before it was finally destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar did finally recognize the authority of God (Dn 4:37), and several times did announce to his entire kingdom that the One True God was to be respected (Dn 2:47; 3:28-29). Several of the kings of Persia did the same (Dn 6:26; Er 1:1-2), and many of Caesar’s household in Rome accepted Christ as their Savior (Pp 4:22).
Over the millennia, God has used the Gentile nations to administer justice to Israel because of their disobedience and to get them to repent. Yet, God has always held these same Gentile nations accountable for their treatment of His chosen people, Israel. This helps us to see that Israel and Gentile nations have always been uniquely linked. The timeline that God had established for Israel also affects the Gentile nations.
Although not clearly seen in the Old Testament prophecies, God had a plan for Gentiles in His future kingdom as well. This was likely not truly understood by these Old Testament prophets who prophesied that Gentiles would accept the coming Messiah (Is 56:6-7; Ho 2:23; Ro 9:25) and would even help to rebuild Jerusalem in the future (Is 60:10). It became clear in the New Testament at the first Pentecost (Shavuot) after Christ’s resurrection and ascension how this would come about. God had a plan for both Jews and Gentiles to become part of His flock. These individuals would become the Church, His Bride, while Israel as a nation was put aside for a time (Ro 11:25).
God does not forget His chosen people indefinitely. When the Age of Gentiles reaches its “fullness,” God takes His Bride, the Church, to be with Him and then concentrates His attention back on the nation of Israel. God “remembers” His covenant. Although Satan works through the Antichrist, this does not thwart God’s plan. God actually uses the persecution that the Antichrist inflicts upon those of Israeli and Jewish descent to bring His people back to their homeland (Is 11:11-12; Jr 16:14-15). They come back in great numbers. Most of the Gentile nations are under the influence and sway of the Antichrist; however, God does not leave the Gentiles out of His final plan. God raises up one hundred and forty-four thousand Jewish evangelists who preach not only to their own people but to the Gentiles as well and many Gentiles also accept Christ as their Savior (Rv 7:9). God’s mercy knows no limits – and neither does His justice.
Christ comes to the aid of His people just before the Antichrist completely wipes them out of existence (Zc 14:2-3). None of the Antichrist’s forces can withstand Christ, and all of Israel’s enemies are wiped out of existence (Zc 14:12-13). God then puts Satan into the Abyss for one-thousand years and ushers in the long-awaited time of His Millennial reign where He sits on David’s throne and rules the earth from Jerusalem (Rv 20:3-4). Although Israel leads the world in the worship of God during this time (Is 61:6), it is the Gentiles that form the many nations who live their lives in a state of peace and follow Israel in their worship of their King (Is 2:3). Those born during this time will have to make a personal decision of faith, and, unfortunately, there will be many who will not (Is 11:4; 65:20). When Satan is released from his imprisonment at the end of the Millennium, those who refused to accept Christ as their Savior will follow him and try to overthrow Jerusalem and Christ’s rule. They will try in vain to set Satan up as the world ruler. God does not allow this and annihilates them all (Rv 20:9). This was not done earlier because Christ had to bring the world back to a non-cursed state to show that He is sovereign and is indeed the rightful ruler of the earth.
Both righteous Jews and righteous Gentiles enter the Eternal State on a newly created heaven and earth (Rv 21:1). Not only does Jesus Christ dwell with them on this new earth but so does the entire Trinity (Rv 21:3). God is now truly with His people. The Gentiles again make up the nations of the earth and they will continuously bring their glory and honor to God on a continuous basis (Rv 21:24). Many have wondered whether all of this could really be true. However, Jesus Christ who is “Faithful and True” (Rv 19:11) assures us “these sayings are faithful and true” (Rv 22:6); therefore, all Christ has spoken cannot possibly fail. All one can do is repeat with John, “Even so come, Lord Jesus” (Rv 22:20).
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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens