The people of Israel are the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and were (are) the subject of God's great love story with a people who over and over turned their backs on Him. Though they thumbed their proverbial noses at God (see the four chapters of Malachi), He is the immutable God who, when He makes a promise, absolutely cannot go back on that promise.
The Gentiles make-up the balance of all humanity. The term Gentile is an English translation of the Hebrew word goyim (“people, nations”) and the Greek word ethne (“nations, people groups, people”). The Latin Vulgate translated these words as gentilis, and this word was then carried over into English as “Gentile.” The term refers to a person who is not a Jew.1
Take a close look at this passage in Romans 11 (Today's Living Translation) -
"25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,
“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,
and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness.
27 And this is my covenant with them,
that I will take away their sins.”
28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn."2
Now, notice that Paul warns the Christians in Rome, and all who follow Christ, not to become haughty, even as the Jews had become. They were "the Chosen Seed"..."the Special People of God"..."the People of the Promise." And, they had become proud...even so much that they thought of themselves that they could make up their own belief system...and God set them aside for a period of time so that He might graft in others (the Gentiles) that we might become children of God too. This is a work of "grace" and "mercy" and we Gentiles must recognize that God has provided a way for us to become His children as well. Therefore, we must not be proud in any way thinking that we have done something to earn God's favor. Rather, out of His heart of perfect love, He has provided us a way of redemption for us through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.
So, how is God going to work out this "special promise" for the Jews and when will this take place? Look again at the last part of verse 25: "...until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ." There will come an end of this "Gentile Age" or "Church Age" when every last Gentile who will place their trust in Christ as Savior will have done so. When that time comes, and God alone knows that time, the "Church" will be removed, or taken up to be with Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:12-18)3
Take special notice in verse 17 in 1 Thessalonians 4, the words "caught up." We who believe in Christ Jesus and trust Him as Lord and Savior will be taken up into the clouds...not the fluffy water droplets in the sky but rather the "cloud of witnesses" those whom the writer of Hebrews refers in chapter 12. This miracle will be the culminating and fulfilling event to which our passage speaks in Romans 11:25. This will be the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles.
Following the "catching up" event, there will be a period of time like which history has never seen wherein God will cleanse the earth (mankind) with "Great Tribulation" and He will purify for Himself those Jews (144,000 in number) who will become the citizens of Christ's 1,000 year reign on the earth, in Jerusalem, on the throne of David. The nation of Israel will be the nation God intended her to be when he promised Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that they and their descendants would be a special people unto God. No more secular, no more unbelievers...rather all will worship and serve God through their Lord and King, the Messiah, Jesus.
In Paul's letter to the Romans, we see his words of encouragement for both Gentiles and for his own people the Jews. God has a plan and it will be fulfilled. There is no one who can interrupt or delay that plan. It will come to fruition at just the right time. For those who have trusted in Jesus both Jews and Gentiles, for all who are in Him, we shall ever be with the Lord!
May I add, if you are reading this and you are not sure that you will be in heaven with Christ, or if you have never given your heart to God through Jesus, right now is the time to do this. If you want to place your trust in Him, you need to pray and ask to give you eternal life with Him. Just read this prayer, or pray to God what is on your heart...just do it right now, for today is the day of Salvation.
Pray: Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and that I do not measure up to your perfect life. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and that He has paid the price for my sins...the price which I could not pay. I trust Him as my Lord and Savior and I ask you to give me eternal life with You. Come into my heart and cleanse me and make me whole. In the name of Jesus, Amen!
1 http://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-a-Gentile.html#ixzz3c9TEuhFy
2 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+11%3A25-29&version=NLT
3 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Thessalonians+4%3A13-18&version=NLT
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