Many people who are not knowledgeable about the Tanach, called the Old Testament, will believe that there is no place for non-jews in the plan of Yahweh for Israel. That is why they so strongly believe that Yeshua came to open up a new way for gentiles to have eternal access to the Almighty instead of that for Israel.

There are many instances in the Tanach where non-jews became part of the worship system of the Jews to worship Yahweh. Aside these instances, there are also prophecies about gentiles joining Jews to worship Yahweh. This is in line with the Priesthood role of Israel and it’s duty to lead the world to righteousness in the messianic era.

When one considers the words of Yeshua during the cleansing of the temple after his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, you will see that he quoted from the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 56 vs 7
I will bring THESE to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Who are the “these” Yahweh was referring to? They are foreigners and eunuchs who will step up to join themselves to Yahweh, holding on unto His covenant and keeping His Sabbaths (Isaiah 56:3-4).

This prophecy of the temple accommodating Gentiles (for gentiles are not allowed to worship in the temple then) was for a future time and had been partially fulfilled in the days of Yeshua because Herod in 19 B.C.E. doubled the size of the Temple Mount. He added large areas to the north, west, and south of the pre-Herodian complex. Above the southern wall of the Temple Mount, he built a huge colonnaded structure called the Royal Stoa. When compared with others in the Roman Empire, it is clear that this edifice served as a sacred marketplace. Normally the changing of money and buying of sacrificial animals took place in this building.

The Herodian additions were constructed around the Temple Mount that was originally built by King Hezekiah. That mount was a square of 500 cubits (861 feet, 262.50 m) on each side. Although this area henceforth became a court inside the expanded Herodian complex, only this square area was considered the Temple Mount by the priests of that time. A tractate called “Measurements” in the Mishnah Middot 2.1, an authoritative collection of Jewish oral laws that was compiled at the end of the second century C.E., calls only that earlier square mount har habbayit, or Temple Mount. The same source indicates that the outer part of this square mount was called the Court of the Gentiles, which was separated from the centrally located sacred precincts by a balustrade, or soreg.

It was this Court of the Gentiles that Yeshua cleared those trading signifying that soon gentiles will have access to the place to worship Yahweh.

Definitely, from the beginning, Yahweh have the gentiles in mind in his dealings with Abraham and his descendants. Does it not now look awkward that gentiles will seek to create a plan for salvation for themselves outside that which Yahweh has in mind? Did Yeshua not say, “Salvation is of the Jews”? (John 4:22).

The Apostles had initial hitch in bringing gentiles into the fold but that was settled in Acts 15 and letter sent to all places where there were gentile converts. Paul submitted to the authority of James and other Apostles in Jerusalem and stayed bound to their decision concerning gentiles who ‘are turning to Yahweh’. Why then did the gentiles of the second century snatched authority from the Jewish leaders of the movement and changed the message of Yeshua?

Yeshua stayed glued to Yahweh’s plan for the gentiles to bring them into His house but the gentiles under the influence of Rome built a new ‘temple’ for themselves and excluded the Jews.