Yes — because Israel, as a nation, rejected her Messiah and King, God opened the windows of grace to the Gentiles.
Israel had every opportunity to receive the King, the Kingdom, and the promises, but she rejected her Messiah and crucified Him (Clip 1, Clip 4). Through that national fall, God turned to the Gentiles with a grace program that is free and based on simple belief — not works, religion, ritual, or priesthood (Clip 3). Scripture states it plainly: "through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy" (Romans 11:11).
Romans 11:11 — This is the key verse that states Israel's fall directly resulted in salvation coming to the Gentiles.
Romans 11 records the divine explanation. Israel, as a nation, did not obtain what it was seeking; the elect remnant obtained it and the rest were blinded (Romans 11:7). Paul then asks whether Israel stumbled so as to fall completely, and answers: "God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy" (Romans 11:11). He adds that the fall of Israel became the riches of the world and their diminishing the riches of the Gentiles, asking how much more will come when Israel's fullness arrives (Romans 11:12). The hidden plan, later revealed through Paul, is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of God's promise in Christ (Ephesians 3:6) — a mystery that had been hidden in God from the beginning of the world (Ephesians 3:9).
Les teaches that God's original purpose was not to discard the Gentiles. In the Old Testament, every Jew was to be a priest to bring Gentiles to the knowledge of the true God, but Israel missed that calling (Clip 5). Israel could have had her King and the Kingdom; had she received them, she could have evangelized the Gentiles by the millions. But in God's foreknowledge, Christ had to die, and the nation rejected Him, crucified Him, and continued to reject the message in the early Acts period (Clip 4). Because of that, God raised up Saul of Tarsus — the epitome of grace — and made him the apostle to the Gentiles (Clip 4, Clip 5). Les says the result was not a permanent casting away of Israel: "don't subscribe to the thought of so much of Christendom tonight that God's all through with the Jew. No, He isn't" (Clip 6). In the early ministry of Paul and Barnabas, the Jews were filled with envy as Gentiles were saved, and that was exactly what God wanted — to provoke Israel to jealousy (Romans 11:11; Clip 0). The Gentile inclusion was also a mystery hidden from the beginning of the world, now revealed through Paul (Clip 7).
In the Old Testament, the promise was that Israel — every Jew — could be a priest of God and bring the pagan Gentiles to a knowledge of the true God (Clip 5). Les says Israel could have had the King and the Kingdom, and from that position she could have evangelized the Gentiles by the millions. But in the foreknowledge of God, Christ had to die; the nation instead rejected her King, her Messiah, and her Redeemer, and continued to reject the message in the early Acts period (Clip 4). Rather than stopping the plan, Israel's failure cleared the way for God to raise up Saul of Tarsus and send him far hence to the Gentiles (Clip 4, Clip 5).
Scripture is explicit: "through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles" (Romans 11:11). Les describes this as God's turning to the Gentiles with a program of grace that was unheard of — a gospel without works, without religion, without ritual, without a priesthood, and free for nothing (Clip 3). What most people cannot comprehend is how simple it was: it merely had to be believed (Clip 3).
Romans 11:11 says salvation came to the Gentiles "to provoke them to jealousy." Les observes this happening in the early days of Paul and Barnabas: when the Jews saw the multitudes being reached among the Gentiles, they were filled with envy and spoke against Paul's message (Clip 0). Les says that envy was exactly what God wanted (Clip 0).
Les answers with Paul's question: "Have they stumbled that God should remove them completely? No way" (Clip 5). Israel as a nation was set aside, and salvation came to the Gentiles (Clip 6). But Les insists, "Don't subscribe to the thought... that God's all through with the Jew. No, He isn't" (Clip 6). Romans 11:12 points to the future fullness of Israel, which will bring even greater riches to the world.
Israel's Envy in the Early Pauline Ministry
As Paul and Barnabas saw Gentiles being saved in the early days, the Jews were filled with envy — the very response God intended, according to Romans 11.
Israel's Rejection Opened Heaven's Windows for the Gentiles
By rejecting her Messiah and King and crucifying Him, Israel opened the windows of heaven for Gentiles whose pagan ancestors had no knowledge of the true God.
Why God Started with Israel Rather Than the Gentiles
God knew the pagan Gentiles would trample His offer, so He deliberately worked with one nation — Israel — to take the truth back to the Gentiles; when Israel failed, He turned to the Gentiles directly.
The Grace Program Without Works or Ritual
Through Israel's fall, God introduced to the Gentiles a saving gospel that is free, beyond human comprehension, and based on simple belief — not works, religion, ritual, or priesthood.
From Rejection of the King to the Rise of Saul of Tarsus
Israel could have received her King and Kingdom, but in God's foreknowledge Christ had to die; the nation rejected Him and continued to do so, so God raised up Saul of Tarsus and saved him by grace as the epitome of that grace.
Israel's Original Priestly Calling and Saul's Mission
Israel missed her Old Testament calling to be a nation of priests bringing the Gentiles to God, so God raised up one Jew, Saul, primarily as the apostle to the Gentiles — without permanently removing Israel.
Salvation Has Come to the Gentiles — But God Is Not Done with Israel
Because Israel was set aside, salvation has come to the Gentiles, yet Les warns against thinking God is through with the Jew.
The Mystery of Gentile Inclusion
God always had the Gentiles in view, but their being fellow heirs and partakers of the promise was a mystery hidden from the ages and revealed through Paul.
Romans 11:7: What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Shows the division within Israel: a believing remnant received it while the rest were blinded.
Romans 11:11: I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Directly states that Israel's fall opened salvation to the Gentiles and was intended to provoke jealousy.
Romans 11:12: Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
Shows that Israel's fall became an avenue of spiritual riches to the world and the Gentiles.
Ephesians 3:6: That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Reveals the mystery that Gentiles are co-heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ.
Ephesians 3:9: And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Shows that the Gentile inclusion was a mystery hidden in God from the beginning, now made known.
Yes. Les says Israel rejected her Messiah, King, and Redeemer, and that opened the windows of heaven to the Gentiles (Clip 1). Paul states it in Romans 11:11: through their fall salvation came to the Gentiles.
No. Les says has Israel stumbled that God should remove them completely? No way (Clip 5). He warns against the idea that God is all through with the Jew — Israel was set aside for a time, not permanently discarded (Clip 6).
It means God used the salvation of Gentiles to make Israel envious. In the early ministry of Paul and Barnabas, the Jews saw Gentiles being saved and were filled with envy — the response God wanted (Clip 0).
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