Please notice who comes before Israel in this prophecy of Simeon in the temple:
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation [Christ], which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. (Luke 2:29-32)
It should be noted that it was the Holy Spirit who brought Simeon to the temple, and it was the Spirit who spoke through him. So firstly we find that Christ is the Salvation of "all people". Then He is the Light of the Gentiles. And finally He is the glory of Israel. That is God's order.
But Israel rejected Him, while the first people to worship Him were Gentile Magi, and the first converts of Christ were actually Samaritans (John 4). And whose faith in Israel impressed Christ to the point were He "marvelled"? It was a Roman centurion!
But what did God have to say about the Jews?
ROMANS 10: BUT THEY HAVE NOT ALL OBEYED THE GOSPEL
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
Who was Isaiah speaking about in verse 20? GENTILES. So today the Church is primarily Gentiles who will be kings and priests in the Kingdom of God.
Romans 11
New King James Version
Israel’s Rejection Not Total
11 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham,
of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then
it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. [
a]But if
it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:
“God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”
9 And David says:
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.”
Israel’s Rejection Not Final
11 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their [
b]fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation
has come to the Gentiles. 12 Now if their [
c]fall
is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13 For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy
those who are my flesh and save some of them. 15 For if their being cast away
is the reconciling of the world, what
will their acceptance
be but life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruit
is holy, the lump
is also
holy; and if the root
is holy, so
are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and [
d]fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast,
remember that you do not support the root, but the root
supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well
said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, [
e]goodness, if you continue in
His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who
are natural
branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25
For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own [f]opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be [g]saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this
is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28
Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has [
h]committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?”
35 “Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
36 For of Him and through Him and to Him
are all things, to whom
be glory forever. Amen.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
New King James Version
16 All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [
a]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
