The “New Covenant”—Coming Soon!
Jeremiah 31 Is The Centerpiece of Bible Prophecy
Chapter 19, Part 2 Preview: What is the “New Covenant”? Is the New Covenant already in effect? What are the terms of the Covenant (or contract). Who did Elohim (God) intend to make this Covenant with? The knee jerk response to this question is usually—it’s for the church. But try to prove it! Is it possible that Elohim promised this Covenant to another group of people, to begin at a later date? There is a great deal of misinformation concerning what this Covenant really is that has been taught in the churches for centuries. The implementation of the prophesied New Covenant is the very center of Bible prophecy! You have been a victim of “Replacement Theology”! Read on, and consider the earth shattering truth about the “emancipation proclamation” of the “age to come”.
Perhaps you, the kadishea (saints), have the “hope” of serving Him in a much higher capacity when Elohim is ruling over Israel. Matthew also spoke of literally ruling in the Kingdom:
Matthew 19:28 Yeshua (Jesus) told them, “I assure you that when the Son of Man sits on His magnificent throne on the Renewed Earth, those of you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, presiding over the twelve tribes of Israel.—Gabriel Bible
We will serve under the envoys (apostles) in the Everlasting Kingdom:
Revelation 1:6-7 and has made us a Kingdom of priests fo Yehovah (Jehovah) and His [YHVH’s] Father [5]. To Them belongs praise and power, forever and ever. Aw-main’. 7 He is coming with the clouds [cloud?], and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Yes, Aw-main’.
[5] The Aramaic versions all read this way, as does the KJV. Compares to John 20:28, “And Thomas said to Him [Yeshua], ‘My Master and my Aloha [God]!’”
“Service” in the spirit realm will “be with much more glory”. The New Covenant is something that we should have “such a HOPE” for. Serving in the Kingdom of Elohim is the destiny of all of Yeshua’s (presently human) servants:
2 Corinthians 3:4-14 This is the kind of confidence that we have in the Messiah towards Yehovah (Jehovah). 5 Not that we have sufficient ability to think anything of ourselves, but our competency is from Yehovah 6 who has made us fit to be ministers of the New Covenant, not in the letter, but in the Spirit, because the letter kills, but the spirit produces Life. 7 Now if the ministry of death that was engraved on stones was so brilliant that the descendants of Israel couldn’t look at Moses’ face [Exodus 34:29] because of the brilliance of his face that went away, 8 then won’t the ministry of the spirit be even more brilliant? 9 If there is brilliance in the ministry ‘that pronounces’ condemnation, how much more does the ministry of justification exceed it in brilliance? 10 For what was adorned in luster had no luster in this regard, in comparison with this that excels in brightness. 11 If what is being inactivated [condemnation, v.11] is brilliant, how much more brilliant must redemption be that lasts forever? 12 So because we have this hope, we speak even more boldly, 13 We aren’t like Moses who threw a veil over his face, so that the descendants of Israel couldn’t gaze at the remnant of the glow that ended. 14 But they’ve been blinded in their understanding to this very day, when the ancient covenant [old covenant”] [3] is read, because their veil hasn’t been lifted, nor is it apparent to them that the veil was severed [Matthew 27:51] by the Messiah.
In verse 11 above it says “is being severed away”. This implies that the First Covenant had not yet passed away (yet the envoys were expecting the New Covenant/Kingdom of Elohim to arrive very soon). The KJV goes as far as to say that it “is done away”. That is because the translators believed that the New Covenant was already in effect. It is true that the envoys believed for years that they were the generation that would see the Kingdom of Elohim established in their life times. They hoped to help administer the New Covenant to Israel. But they later changed their view about the timing, as is explained in Pentecost (Shavuot) in Prophecy!
The Old Covenant Finally Fulfilled
After Israel went into exile, Jeremiah still represented Elohim as saying that the First Covenant needed to be observed by the remnant of Israel (until the New Covenant is enacted).
Jeremiah 11:1-10 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yehovah: 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 3 Tell them, ‘This is what Yehovah said, the Elohim of Israel: Cursed is anyone who doesnt obey the terms of this covenant, 4 that I commanded your ancestors in the day that I brought them out out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, “Listen My voice, and do everything that I command you, so you can be My people, and I can be your Elohim, 5 That I can establish the oath that I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at today. Then I answered, Amein, Yehovah. 6 Yehovah told me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ‘Hear the words of this covenant, and do them. 7 Because I earnestly protested to your ancestors in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even to today, rising early and protesting, “Obey My voice”. 8 Yet they didn’t obey, or turn their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of their evil mind, so I brought on them all the terms of this covenant, that I commanded them to do, but they didn’t do them. 9 Yehovah told me, “A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to hear and obey My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them, the family of Israel and the family of Judah have broken My covenant that I made with their ancestors.
Daniel, in describing the end of this age, mentioned the Latter Temple’s offerings that will be reestablished in the end time. The temple will be functioning for three and a half years prior to when the Beast stops the sacrificing—breaking his covenant. The timing is from Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy, where a day represents a year:
Daniel 9:27 He will sanction a covenant with many for one ‘seven’. Then in the middle of the ‘seven’ [after three & a half years] he will stop the offeringss and the offerings. From a wing [of the temple] abominations will come from the one causing the desolations; until the predetermined end time, when wrath will be poured out on the awestruck.
Matthew, in what is commonly called the Olivet Prophecy, also stressed the significance the Beast’s or the “Abominator’s” presence in the “kadosh (holy) Place, when he will personally pollute the Latter Temple and force an end to the daily burnt offerings.
Matthew 24:15-22 When you see the unclean sign of the idolatrous abomination of desolation mentioned by the prophet Daniel standing in the dedicated Place—the reader must understand— 16 then those of you who are in Judea should escape to the mountain/s! 17 No one on the roof should come down to get anything out of their houses, 18 and no one in the fields should return to get their clothing. 19 But I pity pregnant and nursing mothers in those days. 20 Pray that your flight won’t be during the winter or on the Sabbath. 21 There will be Great Tribulation then, such as has never occurred from the beginning of the world until now and will by no means ever happen again. 22 If it weren’t for those days being curtailed, no one would survive. But for the sake of the select those days will be curtailed.
(This will be the new Third Temple. The kadosh Place” is mentioned 56 times in the Tanak {Hebrew Scriptures} in reference to the Temple.)
Daniel mentioned this event three other times, so that you wouldn’t miss it!
Daniel 8:11 Yes, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the army, and it took away from him the continual burnt offering, and the place of his Temple was throw down.
The Beast will not throw temple services to the ground when he sets foot in the Kadosh Place, he will throw the “TRUTH down to the Ground”.
Daniel 8:12-13 The army was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering thru disobedience, and it was throw down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered. 13 Then I heard a kadosh one speaking, and another kadosh one asked the one who was speaking “How long is the prophecy [vision] about the continual burnt offering, the desolating transgression, the surrender of the kadosh place [Temple], and the army being trampled under foot?”
We have not seen the last of Elohim’s First “Covenant”. Don’t assume that the Romans put an end to it. As soon as the Third Temple is constructed the “Covenant” will kick in again—complete with “the continual burnt offering”!
Daniel 11:28-35 Then he [the King of the North] will turn back toward his homeland with a lot of plunder, but then he’ll decide to take action against the kadosh covenant, and he’ll do that before returning 'home'. 29 At the appointed time he’ll return, and come into the south, but it won’t be in the latter time as it was in the former. 30 Ships from Kittim will come against him, he will be discouraged and turn back, venting his anger against the kadosh covenant, and take action, he’ll even return, and have an understanding with those who abandon the kadosh covenant. 31 Armed forces will rise up, and they’ll defile the Temple refuge, and put a stop to the daily burnt offerings, and they’ll set up an appalling detestable idol [KJV, abomination of desolation]. 32 He’ll pervert those who do wickedly against the covenant with flatteries, but the people who know their Elohim will be strong, and do exploits. 33 Those who are wise among the people will instruct many, yet they’ll fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by spoil, many days. 34 When they fall, they’ll be given a little help, but many who become allies with them will not be sincere. 35 Some of the teachers will fall away, to refine them, and to purify them, and make them white, all the way to the time of the end, but it will still happen during the time appointed [Hebrew, Mowed, a special Festival Day].
The First Covenant is valid until the time when “things are completely straightened out!”
Hebrews 9:6-10 The priests continually enter the outer tabernacle to perform their services. 7 The high priest enters the inner part of the tabernacle only once a year, alone, and with the blood that he offers for himself and the sins of the people. 8 By this the dedicated spirit indicates that the way into the Most Dedicated Place was symbolically hidden, as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for today, when both the offerings and the offerings being offered are unable to ‘clear’ the conscience of those who are offering them. 10 These things only deal with food and drink and various kinds of washings that are mortal ordinances, set up until the time when things are set right.
The New and Everlasting Covenant
Ezekiel also spoke about the New Covenant, and tho he did not use the word “New” as Jeremiah did, it is nonetheless the same covenant. What other covenant could this possibly refer to? In fact the term “Everlasting” is a better description of what Elohim has in mind. Elohim contrasted the coming “Everlasting Covenant” with the covenant that Israel broke “in the days of your youth”.
Ezekiel 16:59-63 This is what the Sovereign Yehovah says, “I’ll cause what you’ve ‘effected’. You ‘trashed’ your oath in breaking your marriage vows [covenant]. 60 But I’ll remember the marriage vow I made with you in the days of your youth, and I’ll establish an everlasting marriage vow with you. 61 Then you’ll remember the way you lived and be ashamed when I return your older and younger sisters to you. and I’ll give them to you as daughters, but not due to My covenant with you. 62 Then I’ll reaffirm My [marriage] covenant with you, and you’ll know that I am Yehovah. 63 Then you’ll remember and be ashamed, and never 'talk back' again due to your shame, when I’ve forgiven you for everything you’ve done, says the Sovereign Yehovah.
The Everlasting Covenant was begun with Abraham, and was never meant to be anything but everlasting. When the New Covenant is in force, it will become exactly what it was originally meant to be.
Ezekiel 20:33-38 As I live, says the Sovereign Yehovah, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will be your king. 34 I’ll bring you out from the nations, and gather you out of the countries where you were scattered, with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, 35 and I’ll bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there I’ll enter judgment with you face to face. 36 Like when I entered into judgment with your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, that is how I’ll enter judgment with you, says the Sovereign Yehovah. 37 I’ll cause you to pass under the rod, and I’ll bring you into the bond of the [New] Covenant, 38 and I’ll purge out from among you the rebels, and those who disobey Me, I’ll bring them out of the land where they were temporarily, but they won’t enter the land of Israel. Then you’ll know that I’m Yehovah.
Ezekiel 37:24-28 My servant David will be their king, and they will all have one shepherd, they’ll also walk in My ordinances, and obey My statutes, and do them. 25 They’ll live in the land that I’ve given to Jacob My servant, that your ancestors lived in. They’ll live there, they, and their children, and their grandchildren, forever, and David My servant will be their leader forever. 26 I’ll make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an Everlasting Covenant with them, and I’ll establish them, and multiply them, and set My Temple among them forever. 27 My home will also be with them, and I’ll be their Elohim, and they’ll be My people. 28 The nations will know that I am Yehovah who makes Israel kadosh, when My Kadosh Place is among them forever.
In fact the Great Tribulation will devastate the land because we have been trampling Elohim’s Torah (Law), and are still breaking the “Everlasting Covenant”!
Isaiah 24:3-6 The earth will be completely emptied and completely laid waste, because Yehovah has spoken this word. 4 The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The lofty people of the earth languish. 5 The earth also is polluted under its inhabitants, because they’ve transgressed the Torah, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant. 6 So the curse has devoured the earth, and those who live there are found guilty. The inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few people survive.
Ezekiel chapters 40-48 is actually all about the time of the New Covenant. None of the prophecies in these nine chapters have ever even remotely been fulfilled.
Ezekiel 43:5-11 The spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court, and look, the splendor of Yehovah filled the house. 6 I heard someone speaking to me out of the house, and a man stood by me. 7 He said, “Human son, this is the place where My throne is and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will live among the Israelites forever. The family of Israel will no longer defile My kadosh name, neither they, or their kings, by their prostitution, or with the dead bodies of their kings in their high places of worship, 8 in their setting of their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost beside My doorpost, and there was only a wall between Me and them, and they’ve defiled My kadosh name by their abominations that they’ve committed, so I’ve consumed them in My anger. 9 Now they should put away their prostitution, and the dead bodies of their kings, far from me, and I’ll live among them forever. 10 You, human son, show the Temple to the family of Israel, so that they’ll be ashamed of their wickedness, and have them measure the pattern. 11 If they are ashamed of everything that they’ve done, then let them know the design of the Temple, its arrangements, its exits and its entrances, the whole design, with all its ordinances and laws, and write it plain sight so that they can be faithful to its design, and all its ordinances, and carry them out.
This nine chapter prophecy ends with the river of life cleansing the earth, and trees of life bearing fruit each month.
Ezekiel 47:12 On the river banks, along both sides, every kind of crop bearing tree will grow. The leaves won’t wither, or fail to produce fruit, they will produce a new crop every lunation, because of the water that flows from the Temple. The fruit will be for food, and the leaves will be used for healing.
This is when the twelve tribes of Israel again take back their land—now truly a“Kadosh Land” again, because Yehovah is there! (all of Ezekiel 48).
Zechariah 2:10-13 Sing and celebrate, daughter of Zion, because, look, I come, and I’ll live among you’, declares Yehovah. 11 Many nations will side with Yehovah during this time, and become My people, and I’ll live among you, and you’ll know that Yehovah the Warrior King has sent Me to you. 12 Yehovah will inherit Judah as his portion in the kadosh land, and will once again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before Yehovah, because he has roused himself from His kadosh habitation!”
If you read these nine chapters you cannot help but ask why there is all of the emphasis on offerings. Indeed why is there any mention of offerings in the Everlasting Kingdom? Did Yeshua (Jesus) actually end the Levitical sacrificial system? Here is an entire website concerned with the issues of the Torah (Law), and what happened to it after Yeshua was crucified: Paul, the Temple & New Covenant Sacrifices. While the web host most likely has a traditional view of the New Covenant, he sees a big problem with what is taught about the Levitical Priesthood “having been abolished”. This too has been misrepresented by the Churches. Better still, find a copy of The Coming Last Days Temple. It is out of print, but new and used copies are still available on Amazon.com and other web sources.
Mediation by Crucifixion!
Is Yeshua presently acting as a mediator for the kadishea? I was taught that “Jesus has to mediate for the kadishea (saints) daily to the Father”, that is, He has to continually remind the Elohim (God) (Father) not to squash the mere humans, since, after all, only He could relate to what it is like being human. However, once we know what the New Covenant is, we should further understand that Yeshua completed the active mediation when He died! Three of the six references to “mediator” in the Testimony of Yeshua, mistakenly called the “New Testament”, concern the time of the future New Covenant. Hebrews 9:15 says that the mediation was performed “by means of death”. So the role of mediator was performed by a physical Yeshua, not the resurrected One. When the New Covenant is actually fulfilled by Yehovah and His Messiah (the Lord and His Christ), no additional mediation will have been needed. The New Covenant was ratified with the blood of Yeshua and now awaits the end of this present evil age.
Notice the statement that Yeshua, the human Man (Greek: anthropos), was the mediator.
1 Timothy 2:5 YHVH is One, and there is one Mediator between YHVH and humanity, namely the man Yeshua Messiah
Yeshua “has [now] obtained a more excellent ministry”. The first definition used for “ministry” in the Online Bible Greek Lexicon is: “a public office which a citizen undertakes to administer at his own expense”. There could be no higher expense!
Hebrews 8:6 But now, Yeshua (Jesus) Messiah has been given a superior ministry since He is made the Mediator of a better covenant, one that was founded on better promises than the former.
Hebrews 9:15 This is why He became the Mediator of the New Covenant—so that by His death He could become the ransom payment for those who had sinned under the first covenant, so that those who are called to the eternal inheritance can receive the promise.
Here again, the Mediation was accomplished by Yeshua’s offering.
Hebrews 12:24 and to Yeshua, the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to the sprinkling of His blood that reveals better things than ‘the blood’ of Abel.
To say that Yeshua must keep on mediating is tantamount to saying that He must keep on dying—a shameful concept!
Hebrews 6:4-6 But those who have already descended into immersion [baptism] [2] and have savored the gift from the Heavenly realm, and have received the dedicated spirit, 5 and have savored the wonderful Word of Aloha and the powers of the age to come, 6 and have then fallen away again, can’t be renewed a second time to a changed mind. That is like PERSONALLY crucifying Aloha’s Son all over again, and exposing Him to public ridicule.
[2] The Greek says, “those who have once been enlightened”, instead of “those who have already descended into immersion.” This ‘interpretation’ greatly diminishes the importance of immersion, just as was done in chapter 10:32.
The New Covenant goes into effect once the Redeemer comes to Zion:
Isaiah 59:20-21 “A Redeemer will come to Zion for those of the tribe of Jacob who turn from rebellion”, declares Yehovah. 21 “As for Me, this is My Covenant with them”, declares Yehovah. “My Spirit that is on you, and My words that I’ve put in your mouth, won’t depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your descendants, or from the mouths of their descendants’s”, declares Yehovah, “from today to forever”.
Paul also prophesied about the coming New Covenant and people are still “ignorant of this mystery”:
Romans 11:25-27 Friends, so that you won’t be presumptuous, I want you to know of this hidden mystery—that a degree of spiritual blindness has overtaken Israel until the time of the heathens comes into being, 26 and then all Israel will be Rescued. ‘As the Scriptures declare’, “A deliverer will come from Zion and turn Jacob from sinfulness. 27 And THEN they will have My [NEW] COVENANT, after I have forgiven their sins.”
I also added, in essence, a Part 3 called The New Covenant and the Great Multitude. It addresses who the Great Multitude are.
I recommend reading WHAT DO YOU MEAN... A NEW COVENANT? It is a rather technical article that demonstrates from the Hebrew and the Greek what “New” really means! Interestingly, Frank believes that the New Covenant is already in effect.
Ultimately, today’s popular “Replacement Theology” is the teaching that we are already living under and enjoying Israel’s (Jeremiah 31) New Covenant. It has to do with who the Israel of Bible prophecy really is. Is it “the church” or is it the misguided descendants of Israel who are awakened as a result of the coming Great Tribulation? Who is going to take over the land of Israel and live there for many many generations. So an addendum to this chapter, of sorts is: Should We Move To Israel Now?
Now for Part 3
