Something to Think Upon

Jer 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

oh what a beautiful wonder it is when our Holy Creator/Saviour
calls us out of this evil world -
He draws us out of the world and into His loving arms,
giving us His assurance and promises of everlasting life!...

I believe these scriptures to be talking about God's visible church, Zion, The 144,000, the remnant, those of his elect that he has revealed the truths of the doctrine of Christ. They had been scattered throughout the land and had been without the fellowship of their God, and he is drawing them back together again to Zion.

and well and beyond them, as His children are without number...

Yes, the elect children are too numerous to be numbered.

If you look further on in the prophecy we see it points to the time of Christ, the gospel being proclaimed and the bringing in of the tribes mentioned in James letter (which John in the book of revelation name symbolically the 144.000):

Jer 31:15 Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

Paul stated the salvation of the remnant would be a short work:

Rom 9:27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

Rom 9:28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

All of Jacob, surnamed Israel, will be delivered to eternal heaven. All Israel is not of Israel, Rom 9:6. The remnant of Jacob/Israel will be delivered here in time to understand the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Jacob/Israel is representative of all of God's elect, Rom 9:11.

These scriptures harmonize with Matt 7 about the two gates.

Hosea 2:14-15
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

Judges 19:1-3
And it came to pass in those days, when [there was] no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite staying in the remote mountains of Ephraim. He took for himself a concubine from Bethlehem in Judah. But his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there four whole months. Then her husband arose and went after her, to speak kindly to her [and] bring her back, having his servant and a couple of donkeys with him. So she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the young woman saw him, he was glad to meet him.

Baring in mind that all 12 tribes no longer existed among the Israelites it seems James considered the Gentile converts a gathering of Israel's 12 tribes.

Actually they never ceased. god has promised to keep a remnant. They may not be seen as tribes. But to say that no one in the bloodline exists would be a mistake

The visible church has much more than 144000, the 144000 are missionaries during the tribulation people. Who along with the two witnesses will bring ,any to christ

Makes me wonder if James meant that the Gentiles are really Israel.

Micah 6:8

Nope. James wrote to his brethren. Not the gentile church.

James was the apostle to the jews. Paul was the apostle to the gentiles

I picture God like an artist with a pencil or maybe a pen and drawing us with loving kindness, and then colouring us in.

Galatians 2:9 tells you what James meant, and No, he only refers to the circumcised

The 12 tribes are the.c8rcumsized who are scattered among the Gentiles?

They might be, but James was definitely not addressing the gentiles in his letter.

The book of James was the first NT letter written, sometime after acts 8, but definitely before Acts 15.

Interesting. Could you supply scriptures for your statement?