“People will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 13:29)
The people of Israel have a special position because they have been in a covenant relationship with God for thousands of years. Jesus was born in Israel, He did most of His preaching and miracles there, and so the Jews were the first who could accept Him as their Lord and Savior. However, Jesus makes it very clear that His offer of salvation is not limited to the people of Israel. He says that people from all over the world will enter His Kingdom of peace and joy.
Initially, Jesus’ followers had a hard time understanding that people from other nations were just as much “God’s children” as the Jews. But the Lord showed them that “to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18).
The book of Revelation records some visions about the future. These visions also show that God’s Kingdom consists of “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9). All these people will be “at home” on the new earth. No one will be a stranger, foreigner or outsider anymore, because God adopts them all into His family.
The only criterion to become part of God’s people, is to repent and believe in Jesus. Have you accepted His invitation?