What was the condition of the Gentiles who were outside of Israel?
The Gentiles outside Israel were outside the covenant promises and were not citizens of the nation of Israel. They were without hope and without God. They continued on their own way until the time when Israel could be funneled back to the Gentile nations to bring them to a knowledge of God.
Les explains that out of the mainstream of humanity, God called the nation of Israel and made promises that they would become a kingdom of priests. To prepare them, He placed them under the law and gave them the temple worship, the priesthood, and the Old Testament. The Gentiles, by contrast, were allowed to go their own way. They were outside the covenant promises, not citizens of Israel, without hope and without God. They continued in that condition until Israel could be funneled back into the Gentile nations with the idea of bringing them to a knowledge of their God. This whole scope belongs to Old Testament prophecy.