Yes—after Israel rejected Christ, the Book of Acts records God turning from national Israel to the Gentiles through the Apostle Paul.
Peter and the eleven continued preaching to Israel after Pentecost, but the nation refused to believe that Jesus was the Christ and King. When it became evident Israel would not believe, God raised up Saul of Tarsus and designated him to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. This opened the Age of Grace, which will end with the rapture so God can resume His unfinished program with Israel.
Acts 13:46 — Paul explicitly declares the turn from Jewish rejection to Gentile inclusion.
Acts 28:28 — At the close of Acts, Paul confirms that God's salvation is sent to the Gentiles.
Acts records that after the resurrection and ascension, the gospel was still taken first to the Jewish people. Yet when the Jews rejected the message, Paul and Barnabas declared in Acts 13:46, "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." Earlier, the Lord told Ananias that Saul was "a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles" (Acts 9:15). And near the end of Acts, Paul told the Jewish leaders, "Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it" (Acts 28:28). These passages show the biblical movement in Acts from Israel to the Gentiles.
Les Feldick teaches that after Israel rejected Christ, God did not immediately turn to the Gentiles. In the early chapters of Acts, Peter and the eleven kept appealing to the nation of Israel, preaching that the crucified Jesus was the Christ and King. For the first seven or eight years, God was still dealing almost exclusively with Israel. But Israel continued to reject the Messiah, so when it became evident they would not believe, God raised up Saul of Tarsus, saved him by grace, and sent him to the Gentiles. This opened the Age of Grace, during which God is calling out a people for His name—the Body of Christ—from Jews and Gentiles alike. This age was not revealed in the Old Testament; it is a Pauline revelation. When the Church is complete, God will take it out by the rapture just before the final seven years, so He can finish where He left off with Israel.
Les teaches that while Acts is often seen as the birth of the Church, it is primarily the fall of the nation of Israel. For the first seven or eight years God continued to deal with Israel, but the nation finally rejected her Messiah completely. Peter kept appealing to the nation, and then God raised up Paul so that the Gentile work could begin.
Peter and the eleven preached to the nation of Israel that the One they had crucified was the Christ and their King, that He was alive, and that He could yet come and be their King. Peter was strictly appealing to the Jew on the basis of Old Testament prophecy, just as Jesus had done during His three years of earthly ministry.
Israel continued to reject the message, even after Pentecost. Once it became evident that the nation was not going to believe, God raised up Saul of Tarsus and saved him by grace. The Lord told Ananias that this man was designated to go to the Gentiles, and Paul's conversion opened the way for the age of grace among the nations.
In the Age of Grace, God is calling out a people for His name, forming the Body of Christ, made up of Jews and Gentiles by grace. The Old Testament did not reveal this; it is a Pauline revelation. When the Church is complete, God will take it out of the way.
Les teaches that the Church will be taken out by the rapture shortly before the beginning of the final seven years, and then God can finish where He had left off with Israel. Those seven years are prophetically split three and a half and three and a half.
On the basis of Old Testament prophecy, if Israel had accepted Jesus as King, the King and the Kingdom could have come, and Israel would have evangelized the Gentiles, bringing them in by the millions to know their God. But in God's foreknowledge Christ had to die, and Israel rejected the offer.
What Does It Mean to Be "All Things to All Men"? — 1 Corinthians 9
exceptions, I guess, I shouldn't say strictly, but almost exclusively with the nation of Israel. There are exceptions that He deals with Gentiles, but that's all they are. It's totally God dealing with the nation of Israel. And then, of course, once the Law comes in, and they get the tabernacle and the temple, then this is the whole makeup of our Old Testament, is Israel under the Law with the pri…
Acts as the Fall of Israel
Les explains that the book of Acts records not just the birth of the Church, but Israel's final rejection of the Messiah as God begins raising up Paul and turning to the Gentiles.
Peter's Unfulfilled Appeal to Israel
Les shows that Peter continued appealing to the nation of Israel on Old Testament grounds, but Israel kept rejecting, leading to the departure with Saul's conversion and Cornelius's household.
Israel Could Have Had the King and Kingdom
Les teaches that Peter and the eleven preached that the crucified Jesus was the living Christ and King, but Israel rejected the offer, so God turned to the Gentiles with the age of grace.
The Body of Christ Is a Pauline Revelation
Les explains that God remained focused on Israel in early Acts, and the term 'Body of Christ' is not used until Paul receives his revelation after his conversion.
Paul Raised Up After Israel's Unbelief
Les emphasizes that when Israel proved it would not believe, God raised up Saul of Tarsus, saved him by grace, and sent him to the Gentiles.
Peter's Strict Appeal to the Jew
Les notes that right after the ascension, Peter was strictly appealing to the Jew, continuing the same premise as Jesus' earthly ministry to Israel.
The Church Age and the Final Seven Years
Les teaches that the Age of Grace, calling out a people for His name, was hidden in the Old Testament and will end with the rapture shortly before the final seven years, allowing God to resume with Israel.
Acts 9:15: But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
The Lord's words to Ananias reveal Paul's commission to the Gentiles from the beginning.
Acts 13:46: Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Paul states plainly that since the Jews rejected the word, the gospel now turns to the Gentiles.
Acts 28:28: Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
At the end of Acts, Paul confirms that God's salvation is sent to the Gentiles.
No. Les teaches that God continued dealing with Israel in the early chapters of Acts, with Peter and the eleven preaching to the nation for the first seven or eight years. Only after Israel proved it would not believe did God raise up Paul and send him to the Gentiles.
When it became evident that Israel was not going to believe the message Peter and the eleven were preaching, God raised up Saul of Tarsus, saved him by grace, and designated him to carry the gospel to the Gentiles.
According to Les, when the Church is complete, God will take it out in the rapture just before the final seven years, so He can finish where He left off with Israel.
Watch the Teaching: What Does It Mean to Be "All Things to All Men"? — 1 Corinthians 9