In your study on the Book of Ezekiel you said,
“Although God had known from the beginning of time that Israel would reject the Messiah’s offer of the Kingdom, it was a bona fide offer just the same, and had they accepted it, the prophecies from Ezekiel 36 would have been fulfilled at that time. But they didn’t and the door was opened to the Gentiles, in part to make them envious.”
So, if Israel had accepted Jesus as their Messiah and the Kingdom age (the Millennium) would have begun then, it sounds like Jesus’ death on the cross would not have been necessary. How then would the sins of mankind have been atoned for? “for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins”
According to Scripture, Jesus would still have had to die for the sins of the people. But if they had accepted Him in that role, the Resurrection would have led to the overthrow of the Roman Empire and brought about Israel’s Kingdom Age. It’s clear the Disciples expected Him to do this, because one of the questions they asked Him after the resurrection was, “Are you going to restore the Kingdom now?” (Acts 1:6)
In His resurrection He had fulfilled the sign of the prophet Jonah to prove He was who He claimed to be (Matt. 12:38-40). Then He gave them an additional 40 days to accept Him. When they refused to do so, He ascended into heaven to wait until they petition His return (Hosea 5:15). At that Point the door was opened to the Gentiles.