PEOPLE OF GOD: ARE YOU AN ISRAELITE OR A GENTILE?

Israelites derived from the word Israel. Israel was the name given by God to Jacob, and God blessed him (Genesis 35: 10-12). God changed the name Jacob to Israel. Israel is not from man’s lips but from God's when He chose Jacob to be the father of the great nation, which He promised to Abraham. Hence, the nation which God promised was called Israel or Israelites. Thus, the Israelites were God’s chosen people or nation (Deuteronomy. 10: 14, 15; Deuteronomy 14: 1-3).  

Israel or Jacob is a grandson of Abraham - the father of faith whom God made a covenant of Promise (Genesis 12: 1-3; Galatians 3: 16-18, 29). But, most Israelites, especially their leaders, became so proud of themselves and were not recognized Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah (anointed One or Saviour). Thence, the gospel was turned to Gentiles (Romans 11:11)

The Gentiles is a word that literally meant nation, but the Bible usually used this word to address the other nations or people that are strangers in Israel or outside of the community of God’s people, and were called without hope (Ephesians 2: 11-12). The Jewish encyclopedia states,

"Gentile" corresponds to the late Hebrew "goi," a synonym for "nokri," signifying "stranger," "non-Jew." In the Hebrew of the Bible "goi" and its plural "goyyim" originally meant "nation," and were applied both to Israelites and to non-Israelites (Gen. xii. 2, xvii. 20; Ex. xiii. 3, xxxii. 10; Deut. iv. 7; viii. 9, 14; Num. xiv. 12; Isa. i. 4, lx. 22; Jer. vii. 28). "Goi" and "goyyim," however, are employed in many passages to designate nations that are politically distinct from Israel (Deut. xv. 6; xxviii. 12, 36; Josh. xxiii. 4). From this use is derived the meaning "stranger" (Deut. xxix. 24; comp. II Chron. vi. 32 ="'amme ha-'areẓ"). As the non-Israelite and the nokri were "heathens," "goi" came to denote a "heathen,"

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6585-gentile

Yes, we are Gentiles if we are not of Israel’s tribe, but when we accepted Christ as our personal Saviour, we will become dual: we are gentiles in flesh yet spiritually Israel. How? Biologically or naturally we are not Israelites but Gentiles; however, since we received Christ, we become Israel spiritually by faith. Why we become Israel? Because, when we received Christ, we become Abraham seeds (children/ offspring) as God’s promised (Galatians 3: 29).  We partake in the children of promised.

Abraham seeds are known in the Bible as the Israel which was the name given by God (Genesis 35: 10-12). We are “grafted in” to be part of the community of God’s chosen people (Romans 11: 17). Actually, the spiritual Israel is more real than those biological or natural Israel who did not and do not believe Christ (Romans 9: 6, 8), because, the real or true Israel like Jacob is a believer of Christ and believer of all the truth.

The Book of Revelation mentions that the people with God’s seal (guarantee for salvation) are Israel (Revelation 7: 4). The Holy City of God from Heaven prepared for His people has 12 gates (Revelation 21: 10-14). In the 12 gates, gentiles are not written there but only twelve tribes of Israel. The word gentiles are no longer mentioned or used there but Israel.

In the study above, it shows that those who received Christ as their personal Saviour will no longer called gentiles, that means stranger, but Israel like what happened to Jacob  (Gen. 35: 10). They are considered modern Israel, “a chosen people, a holy nation, a people belonging to God… once you were not a people, but now you are people of God… (1 Peter 2: 9, 10; Deuteronomy 14: 1-3) They are going to enter into the Holy City of God and live unto eternity.