TEXT:"AND the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God."-Acts 11:1

The Gentiles are the nations and countries of the earth. They descended from the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem; Ham; and Japheth, Genesis 10:1-5.

Cush gave birth to Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. He started a kingdom called Babel. When the Gentiles got to Shinar; they dwelt there. And they wanted to build a city and a tower, named after the kingdom that Nimrod started, whose top may reach heaven. They wanted to make a name for themselves. But, all these was contrary to God's command in Genesis 1:28.

Nevertheless, the Lord scattered them abroad from there upon the face of all the earth: and they left building the city and the tower, because the Lord stopped them, Genesis 11:1-9.

After many generations, God called Abram(who later became Abraham) out from the Gentiles and promised to make him a great nation. God also said he will bless him and make him a source of blessing to the earth, Genesis 12:1-5.

Abraham later gave birth to Ishmael and Isaac. Isaac gave birth to Esau and Jacob(who later became Israel). And Jacob gave birth to twelve sons, which grew to become the nation of Israel. God made himself known to the nation, and to any person who will become a proselyte, that is, becoming a part of the nation of Israel by converting to the Jewish religion of Judaism. Two main nations existed by this time: the Jewish nation and the Gentile nations, comprising nations and countries of the earth.

Due to the disobedience of the nation of Israel, God scattered them among the Gentiles. God used the Assyrians first, then the Babylonians to remove them from their land. After seventy years, God brought them back, Ezra 1:1-6. This time, not the whole nation came back, but only the southern kingdom of Judah and Benjamin, also known as Judaea. The other ten tribes of the northern kingdom were still in exile, 2 Kings 17:20-23.

The nation of Israel and the Gentiles continued until the time of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the nation of Israel, now Judaea, still continued in disobedience. And God suspended his relationship with them and turned to the Gentiles. A new nation was born in Jesus Christ, called the nation of Christians. Some persons from the nation of Israel who believe in Jesus and some persons from the Gentiles who also believe, Ephesians 2:11-22.

There are now three nations: the nation of Israel, the Israelites; the Gentiles, the countries of the earth; and the nation of Christianity, the Christians. The Christians will be caught up to meet Christ in the air, during the period of the translation(which some scholars call the rapture), 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. The whole nation of Israel, with some persons that will join them, will be saved during the period of the great Tribulation, Revelation 7:1-10. While the unbelieving Gentiles will be destroyed by God, Revelation 20:7-10. And then the great white throne judgment, Revelation 20:11-15.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Pastor K. C.

Amen