The “New Covenant”—Coming Soon!
To “...the family of Israel AND the family of Judah.”
Chapter 19, Part 1 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 can you prove it? Is it possible that Elohim promised this “New 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 by Christianity for centuries. The implementation of this prophesied Covenant is the very center of Bible prophecy! Read on and consider the earth shattering truth about the “emancipation proclamation” of the “age to come”.
Imagine a place in the Bible that explains the circumstances surrounding the implementation of the New Covenant. Imagine it in bold earth shaking detail. Picture this explanation in the context of one of the most eloquent and profound passages in the Bible. What did the Bible give as a SIGN that the New Covenant would be in effect? The answer is earth shaking—I mean LITERALLY earth shaking. When the first Covenant was put into effect the EARTH SHOOK, and the 10 Commandments became the law of the land! This EXACT SAME SIGN is going to happen “ONCE AGAIN”!
Hebrews 12:22-27 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living Aloha [God], to the Jerusalem that’s in the Heavenly realm, to the assembly of tens of thousands of spirit messengers, 23 and to the festival assembly of the firstborn ones, whose names are recorded in Heaven, and to YHVH, the Judge of everyone, and to the spirits of the righteous who are perfected, 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. 25 See to it that you don’t reject the One who speaks with you. Because if those who ignored the one [Moses] who spoke with them on earth didn’t escape, how much less will we if we ignore the One who speaks to us from Heaven, 26 whose voice SHOOK THE EARTH, but now He has promised, “ONCE AGAIN, I’ll not only shake the earth, but the heavens also.” 27 By His saying, “Once more”, it indicates another major rearrangement of the things that are shaken, because they were created in such a way that the things that can’t be shaken will remain unchanged.
The timing spoken of in the context of the New Covenant is unmistakable! The New Covenant will be implemented when Elohim shakes heaven and earth. It will accompany the “latter temple” that will soon be established in Jerusalem, before the Great Tribulation! Haggai elaborated on the time when Elohim will shake the heavens and earth again, AND REVEAL THE MEDIATOR:
Haggai 2:6-9,22 This is what Yehovah the ‘Warrior’ King says: Once more, in a little while, I’m going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea, and the dry land, 7 and I’ll shake all nations. The precious things of all nations will come, and I’ll fill this house with splendor, declares Yehovah the ‘Warrior’ King. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine’, declares Yehovah the ‘Warrior’ King. 9 The latter splendor of this ‘temple’ will be greater than the former, declares Yehovah the ‘Warrior’ King. And I will establish peace in this place, declares Yehovah the ‘Warrior’ King.” ... 22 I’ll overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of the heathen kingdoms. I’ll overthrow the chariots and their riders; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
There is only one place in the Hebrew Scriptures (the so called “Old Testament”) that specifically mentions the “New Covenant”, using that exact wording. However, this single context, viewed as a curiosity or spiritualized away by virtually all of Christianity, is the foundational prophecy that all of the statements in the The Testimony of Yeshua (the “New Testament”), concerning the New Covenant, are based! (It’s ironic that the Messianic Writings are referred to as “the New Testament” or “the New Covenant”, by those who have no clue what the Covenants are!) As unfathomable as it may seem, the foundational prophecy—Jeremiah chapters 30 & 31—defining the very core of the New Covenant has been replaced by a modern day counterfeit! As of this writing (2004) I don’t know of anyone who believes that Jeremiah 30 & 31 is an entirely unfulfilled prophecy. People like to quote chapter 31, verse 33, of the New Covenant prophecy, without a shred of the context, and say that it is sort of fulfilled. YET HAS ANY PART OF THIS PROPHECY REALLY BEEN FULFILLED? Yeshua (Jesus) said that He looked forward to the time when He would celebrate the New Covenant with His disciples over a glass of new wine (Matthew 26:28-29).
Before getting started, it is logical to ask what happened to the Old Covenant (no, it’s not a book). The first (old) marriage Covenant between Yeshua and ancient Israel was broken when He was sold, essentially by the wife of His youth, for thirty pieces of silver to Roman butchers, and killed:
Zechariah 11:10-14 I took My staff named Favor, and cut it in two, so that I could break the COVENANT that I had made with the nation. 11 IT WAS BROKEN THAT DAY so the afflicted of the flock who heeded Me, knew that it was the Word of Yehovah (Jehovah). 12 I told them, “If you think it best, pay me; and if not, keep it”. So they weighed out my price of thirty pieces of silver. 13 Yehovah told me, “Throw it to the potter, the sizable price of their appraisal for me”! I took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them to the potter, in Yehovah’s house. 14 Then I cut apart My other staff—Union, so that I could break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.—Gabriel Bible
Hebrews 8:13 When He [Yeshua] mentioned the New Covenant, He was ‘declaring’ that the first one was obsolete and about to be repealed, and what was obsolete and failing, will soon disappear.
The first marriage covenant actually lasted until Yeshua, the husband, died.
Romans 7:2 For example, a woman is bound to her husband by the Torah (Law) as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies she is freed from the Torah concerning her husband.
Even tho the marriage was over as far as the wife was concerned, the Husband still maintained His commitment to Israel:
Jeremiah 31:32 Unlike the marriage Covenant that I made with their ancestors during the time when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt, since they broke My Covenant, tho I was their Husband, declares Yehovah.
Now for Yeshua’s commentary on the prophetic New Covenant:
Mark 14:24-25 He told them, “This is My blood of the New Covenant [4] that is poured out on behalf of many. 25 I’ll definitely not taste the fruit of the vine again until the day when I drink a new variety [or just fresh] in the Kingdom of YHVH (Yehovah).
[4] Almost every modern translation omits the word “New” here, siding with a small minority of Greek texts, breaking the connection with the New Covenant promises of Jeremiah 30 and 31. Of over 6,000 known copies of the Greek texts, all but 2 or 3 mention New Covenant, those few corrupted Wescott and Hort editions are the ones that the the “scholars” rely on in the modern translations. A few writers claim it should say “renewed” here, claiming that the original Hebrew source of the term (Jeremiah 31:31) is “renewed”. Yet only the root word there is “renew”. Chadash khaw-dawsh’ is new, while chadash khaw-dash’ (with a different vowel point) is renew, such as “renew {02318} the face of the earth” or “renew {02318} a right spirit within me.” For a full examination of this topic see: Is It A “Renewed Covenant”? An explanation on how Yeshua was both Husband and Yehovah to Israel is here.)
Paul expected that Yeshua would return in his lifetime and establish the New Covenant, because he thought that the “first” one was “near to vanishing away”. Why shouldn’t we also look forward to ALL of Jeremiah 31 being fulfilled—every jot and tittle of it?
Many people quote the following prophecy and attempt to apply it to Christianity, without realizing that the “law” spoken of in their Bible version is the Torah and that it is plainly addressed to the 12 tribes of Israel:
Jeremiah 31:33 In this marriage Covenant that I’ll make with the family of Israel after those days, declares Yehovah, “I’ll put My Torah in the very seat of their thoughts and emotions, and I’ll write it into their minds. I’ll be their Elohim, and they’ll be My people.
If you have “My Torah” written in your heart, then exactly when was it written there? Did the inscription tingle? What is the reason for the Torah being written on your heart? Were you more knowledgable the day after you were inscribed? Did you need to ask someone, say a “neighbor” or a “brother” about this Torah? If you haven’t even considered what the Torah says, then are you certain that it’s really written there?
The subject of how the New Covenant might apply to us now is a topic of considerable debate—but always with the presumption that the New Covenant is already in effect, but people jump thru different hoops to get there. A significant minority of theologians (who have actually read Jeremiah 31) understand that the New Covenant was in truth meant for Israel, but they still maintain that “somehow” the church has inherited the “spiritual aspects” of it. Others further assume—without a shred of evidence—that Yeshua must have been speaking about a “separate New Covenant with the Church”. Were that the case, we would then need to figure out what the separate OLD covenant with “the Church” was—particularly in light of the fact that there was no Assembly or “Church” of the kadishea (saints) until after Yeshua died! In what way was this new and improved covenant with the Assembly better than the missing older one? Liberal theologians who dismiss the many nationalistic promises contained in Jeremiah 31 teach that the New Covenant is for “the Israel of God”. Most people tho have simply never questioned their inherited teaching.
In order to obtain a thoro understanding of the topic from the Bible—because this is a controversy—we should examine all of the evidence—every Biblical reference to the “New Covenant”, along with considerable context, to see if any of the popular teachings agree with the Bible. In this way we can determine everything that Elohim has revealed. I believe that you will see—if you dare to read this—that the basis for virtually all of Christendom believing that the New Covenant is already in effect is that the Catholic Church has taught for centuries that the “Kingdom of God” is already here, and by implication, the New Covenant must be in effect! When the Protestant Reformation occurred, the leaders simply could not bring themselves to explain that not only was the Catholic Church not “the Kingdom of God on earth” but that the New Covenant was not here yet either! An honest evaluation of the New Covenant references will reveal that it is the covenant relationship between Israel and Elohim, IN THE COMING KINGDOM OF ELOHIM! The kadishea will have something far better!
When most people say the words “Old Covenant” they think that they are referencing to all of the books from Genesis to Malachi. Actually the “first covenant” or “contract” has to do with the Sinai agreement that is based on the Ten Commandments of Exodus Chapter 20, followed by three entire chapters of “fine print”! After Israel was informed of the specifics, they agreed to the terms. This special occasion was celebrated by Yehovah Himself (in this instance the pre incarnate Yeshua) during a personal visit with seventy four witnesses (v.9-11)!
Exodus 24:3-11 Moses came and told the people everything that Yehovah had said, and all the ordinances, and all the people answered in ‘unison’, “All the words that Yehovah has spoken will we do. 4 Moses wrote down all of Yehovah’s words, and got up early in the morning, and built an altar at the ‘foot’ of the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 He sent young Israelite men, who offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings of cattle to Yehovah. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 He took the BOOK OF THE COVENANT and read it where the people could hear, and they said, “Everything that Yehovah has spoken will we do, and be obedient. 8 Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Look, this is the blood of the covenant that Yehovah has made with you concerning all these words.
9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up. 10 They saw the Elohim of Israel. Under His feet it was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness. 11 He didn’t lay his hand on the leaders of the Israelites. They saw Elohim, and ate and drank.
Many people have read verses 31-33 of the following quote, from Jeremiah, without even considering the detailed context. The context, comprising the entire chapter (actually the entire book) is about the time when Elohim will restore the national sovereignty of all twelve tribes of Israel under a resurrected King David! This climatic end of the age drama concerning a Second Exodus to come is described in The Time After Jacob’s Trouble. The entirety of the first thirty verses of Jeremiah 31, leading up to the promised “New Covenant”, refers to this near future time period. The commonly quoted portion of the New Covenant is described in verses 31-34—yet the remaining verses, very specific promises—constitute an oath by Elohim concerning the certainty that He will establish New Israel, over the dead bodies of anyone who opposes Him! Note that the recipients of the New Covenant are all Israelites—not a Church. Elohim never made a covenant with His Assembly! Check out the terms of Jeremiah’s prophecy carefully for yourself.
Jeremiah 31: At that time, declares Yehovah, “I’ll be the Elohim of all the clans of Israel, and they’ll be My people. 2 This is what Yehovah says: The people who survived the sword were blessed in the wilderness when I proceeded to give Israel rest. 3 Yehovah appeared to us long ago and said, “I’ve loved you with an everlasting love, so with loving kindness I have lead [or attracted] you out. 4 I’ll rebuild you, and you’ll be rebuilt, O virgin Israel, once again you’ll wear timbrels as you dance with others who are jubilant. 5 You’ll replant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria, those who plant them will enjoy the fruit. 6 There will be a day when the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim will cry, “Get up, and let’s go up to Zion to Yehovah our Elohim.’
7 This is what Yehovah says: Sing joyfully for Jacob, and shout among the major nations, shout praises and say, “Yehovah, save Your people, the survivors of Israel.’ 8 I’ll bring them from the North Country, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, pregnant women and those in labor together, a huge assembly will return here! 9 They’ll come with tears of joy, praying as I bring them back. I’ll lead them beside streams of water in a straight path so they won’t stumble, because I’m a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.
10 Hear the Words of Yehovah, you nations, and announce it in the islands far away, “The One who scattered Israel will regather him, and protect him like a shepherd does his flock. 11 Yehovah has paid the ransom of Jacob, and reclaimed him from from those too strong for them. 12 They’ll come and shout for joy in the elevated place [or height] of Zion, they’ll be beaming over the goodness of Yehovah” over the grain, the new wine, the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd. Their life will be like a well watered garden, and they won’t ever be sorrowful again. 13 Then the virgins will celebrate in the dance, along with young men and the old. I’ll turn their mourning into rejoicing, and comfort them and exchange their sorrow with happiness. 14 I’ll satiate the life of the priests with fatness, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness, declares Yehovah.
15 This is what Yehovah said, “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more. 16 This is what Yehovah said, “Refrain your voice from crying, and your eyes from tears, because your work will be rewarded”, declares Yehovah and they’ll return from the land of the enemy.’ 17 There is hope for your latter end’, declares Yehovah and your children will return to their own territory.
18 I’ve surely heard Ephraim moaning to himself, “You’ve chastised me, and I was chastised, like a calf unaccustomed to the yoke, turn me, and I’ll be turned, because you are Yehovah my Elohim. 19 After I strayed, I changed the way I thought and acted [repented], and after I was instructed, I ‘kicked’ my ‘butt’. I was ashamed and humiliated because I carried the shame of my youth. 20 Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a darling child? Because as often as I speak against him, I still earnestly remember him, so My mind yearns for him. I’ll surely have mercy on him, declares Yehovah. 21 Set up road signs, establish guideposts, set your thoughts toward the highway, the same direction that you left from, return, virgin of Israel, return to your cities. 22 How long will you go from here and there, you backsliding daughter? Yehovah has created a new thing in the earth, a woman will encompass a man.”
23 This is what Yehovah the ‘Warrior’ King, the Elohim of Israel, says: “Once again they will use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, after I return them from captivity, ‘Yehovah bless you, home of righteousness, kadosh mountain.’ 24 Judah and all its cities will live there together, the farmers, and the traveling shepherds. 25 Because I’ve satiated the weary life, and every sorrowful life have I replenished. 26 On this I awakened, and saw, and my sleep was sweet to me.
27 In days to come, declares Yehovah, “I’ll repopulate [sow] the nation of Israel and the family of Judah with ‘descendants’, and with animals. 28 Then, just like I watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant, declares Yehovah.
29 In those days they’ll no longer say, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” 30 But everyone will die for his own wickedness, every man who eats the sour grapes, will have his teeth set on edge.
31 The time is coming [1], declares Yehovah, when I’ll make a New marriage Covenant with the nation of Israel and the family of Judah. 32 It won’t be like the marriage Covenant that I made with their ancestors during the time when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt, since they broke My Covenant, tho I was their Husband, declares Yehovah. 33 In this marriage Covenant that I’ll make with the nation of Israel after those days, declares Yehovah, “I’ll put My Torah in the very seat of their thoughts and emotions, and I’ll write it into their minds [‘hearts’]. I’ll be their Elohim, and they’ll be My people. 34 People will no longer teach their neighbors or their relatives, by asking, “Do you know Yehovah (the “Lord”)”, because they’ll all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, declares Yehovah. “I’ll forgive their wickedness, and I’ll never again remember their sins.”
35 Yehovah says that He provides the sun to light the day and decreed the moon and stars to light the night, and He instantaneously calms [U] the raging waves of the sea—Yehovah the ‘Warrior’ King is His name, 36 If these enactments ever fail in My presence, declares Yehovah, then the Israelites will also cease from being a nation in My presence forever. 37 This is what Yehovah said, “If the heavens above can ever be measured, and the foundation of the earth beneath is ever found, then I’ll also reject all the Israelites because of what they’ve done, declares Yehovah.
38 Look, the time is coming, declares Yehovah, when the city will be rebuilt for Yehovah, from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner. 39 The measuring line will be stretched straight out to the hill Gareb, and then it will turn toward Goah. 40 The whole valley that was covered with dead bodies and their ashes, and all of the fields over to the Kidron brook, and over to the corner of the horse gate toward the east, will be kadosh to Yehovah, it won’t ever be uprooted, or torn down again.
Israel will be “thrown down” one more time, but afterward Elohim will establish a New Covenant with the New Israel that will last “forever”.
Verse 31 above tells us without question who the covenant is for—“the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah”.
Verse 32 indicates that both covenants are marriage covenants. For details see Who is the Messiah’s Bride?
Verse 33 tells us that Israel will have the Torah written in their hearts, and that they will truly be “My people”. If the knowledge of Elohim was really written in our hearts—internalized—then why are there literally hundreds of controversies? Until we are unified as a people, how can we believe that “I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people”? With so many different groups claiming to be the “one true Church”, we are certainly not this singular people of Elohim.
Once Israel has the knowledge of Elohim literally written in their hearts, it will not be long at all before “the nations will seek out” Yeshua! Then “the earth will be full of the knowledge of [Yehovah]”. This will happen just after the Second Exodus!
Isaiah 11:9-11 They won’t hurt or destroy in all My kadosh mountain, because the earth will be as full of the knowledge of Yehovah, as the water covering the sea. 10 In that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the people, and His resting place will be splendid. 11 In that day Yehovah will set His hand a second time to recover the survivors that are left of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Zechariah 8:23 This is what Yehovah the Warrior King says, “In those days, ten men from every language and nation will take hold of the “tzitzit” of one Jew, and say, “We’ll go with you, because we have heard that Elohim is with you.
Ezekiel spoke of this same Covenant but almost no one wants to obey His “statutes” and “ordinances”, and nothing is said about the fine print of living “in the land”.
Ezekiel 36:26-28 Then I’ll give you a new mindset, and I’ll put a new spirit within you, and I’ll remove the minds of stone from your bodies, and I’ll give you minds of flesh. 27 I’ll put My spirit within you, and cause you to ‘live’ within My statutes, and you’ll obey My ordinances, and do them. 28 You’ll live in the land that I gave to your ancestors, and you’ll be My people, and I’ll be your Elohim.
Verse 34 is the clincher: These Israelites will have absolutely no need to be teaching each other! Today every man teaches his neighbors something different. Among Christians—every man has a different idea of what sin or righteousness is, but under the New Covenant: “People will no longer teach their neighbors or their relatives, by asking, “Do you know Yehovah (the “Lord”)”, because they’ll all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, declares Yehovah. “I’ll forgive their depravity, and I’ll never again remember their sins.”! The teaching will only come from Elohim and from true representatives of Elohim—resurrected kadishea as well as the physical descendants of Zadok (Ezekiel 48:15-24, especially v.23).
The significance of the New Covenant promise was not lost on Paul, in fact he quoted the “mystifying” passage from Jeremiah, as he was explaining how it was going to take place. He explained that the Messiah was to be the mediator: “He is also the mediator of a Better Covenant.”
Hebrews 8: All The ‘main point’ is that we have a High Priest who is seated on the right hand side of the throne of the Majesty in Heaven. 2 He is the temple priest of the Kadosh Place, the true tabernacle that Yehovah built, not man. 3 Every high priest is appointed to offer offerings and oblations, and it was necessary for this One to have something to offer as well. 4 If he were on earth, he wouldn’t even be a priest, because there are priests here who offer offerings prescribed by the Torah. 5 They serve as a pattern and shadow of their ‘counterparts’ in the Heavenly realm, just as Moses was told when he was about to build the tabernacle, “Be sure you make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.” 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. 7 If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second one. 8 Finding fault with THEM He said, “Look, the days are coming, says YHVH, when I’ll enact a New Covenant with the ‘household’ of Israel and with the ‘household’ of Judah. 9 It won’t be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors during the time when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt, because they didn’t remain loyal to My covenant and I neglected them, declared YHVH. 10 But this is the covenant that I’ll make with the household of Israel after that time, says YHVH, I’ll put My Torah in their minds—inscribing it on their innermost being. I’ll be their Aloha [God] and they’ll be My people. 11 No one will need to teach doctrine to their fellow citizens [evangelize] or ask a brother, “Do you know YHVH” [witness to anyone], because they’ll all know Me, from the youngest of them to the oldest [1] 12 because I’ll be merciful regarding their unrighteousness and I’ll totally forget their prior sins.” 13 When He [Yeshua] mentioned the New Covenant, He was ‘declaring’ that the first one was obsolete and about to be repealed, and what was obsolete and failing, will soon disappear.
[1] People love to force fit one condition of Israel’s New Covenant into the here and now, citing verse 33 about the “new heart” (mind), pretending that at least this one verse of Jeremiah chapters 30-31 has been fulfilled—without ever considering the many other conditions of the New Covenant, such as quoted in verse 11 above. All of the fine print of the New Covenant is detailed in Jeremiah chapters 30 and 31.
The word “sponsor”, rather than “surety”, that we just tend to read over, makes the following point much better!
Hebrews 7:22 By all of this, Yeshua became the sponsor of a better covenant.
Years after Yeshua’s earthly ministry, the “First Covenant” was still not “obsolete”. It was “growing old”, but not yet dead. It was “about to vanish away”, in Paul’s optimistic view, but hadn’t yet vanished.
Some people explain that when the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, that that is when the old covenant became “obsolete” and vanished. At first glance that might seem satisfactory. Yet this scenario would have the First Covenant being in effect for about forty years after the death of Yeshua, authorizing the Roman Empire to be the deciding factor in the transition between the covenants—with Elohim taking the back seat in the affair. The old covenant must finally be taken out of the way before or “IN ORDER TO establish the second”.
Hebrews 10:9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first IN ORDER TO establish the second.
2 Corinthians has us being qualified to be priests of the New Covenant.
2 Corinthians 3:6 ...who has qualified us to be ministers of the New Covenant, not in the letter, but in the Spirit, because the letter kills, but the spirit produces Life.
But when do we start officiating?
Continuing in verse 11-12 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 ...
HOPE, from Strong’s #1680 elpís (from elpo-, “to anticipate, welcome”) – properly, expectation of what is sure (certain); hope.
So the hope, anticipation and expectation of our New Covenant priesthood is for the future.
The envoy (apostle) Paul said that the promises associated with the First Covenant were “brilliant”, and that none of these promised blessings will be diminished when Israel is under the New Contract, but the benefits package will no longer be limited to this physical realm, eventually ending in death. Yet the New Covenant benefits package is “even more brilliant”—having the promise of eternal life!
2 Corinthians 3:7-8 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?
Here are the rewards that Elohim promised to Israel for righteous living under the First Covenant. Notice that every benefit is in the physical realm of this life:
Deuteronomy 28:1-13 It will happen, if you’ll listen diligently to the voice of Yehovah your Elohim, to observe to obey all of His Commandments that I command you today, that Yehovah your Elohim will set you high above all the nations of the earth, 2 and all these blessings will come on you, and overtake you, if you’ll listen to the voice of Yehovah your Elohim. 3 You’ll be blessed in the city, and you’ll be blessed in the field. 4 You’ll be blessed in the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your animals, the increase of your livestock, and the young of your flock. 5 Your harvest basket and your kneading bowl will be blessed. 6 You’ll be blessed when you come in, and you’ll be blessed when you go out. 7 Yehovah will cause your enemies who rise up against you to [surrender defeated: Peshitta] before you. They’ll come out against you one way, and will flee before you seven ways. 8 Yehovah will command the blessing on you in your barns, and in all that you put your hand to, and he’ll bless you in the land that Yehovah your Elohim gives you. 9 Yehovah will establish you as a kadosh people for Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you obey Yehovah your Elohim’s Commandments, and live by His ways. 10 All the people of the earth will see that you are called by the name of Yehovah, and they’ll be afraid of you. 11 Yehovah will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body, and in the offspring of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land that Yehovah swore to your fathers to give you. 12 Yehovah will open for you His good treasury in the sky, to give rain to your land at the right time, and to bless all the work of your hands. You’ll lend to many nations, but you won’t borrow. 13 Yehovah will make you the head, and not the tail, and you’ll always be on top, never at the bottom, if you’ll listen to the Commandments of Yehovah your Elohim, that I command you today, and are careful to obey them ...
Have you ever considered that Yeshua’s death redeemed those who died before He was even born? His blood is not only for the generations that were born after His death, but it works retroactively “for the redemption of the transgressions under the First Covenant”. Essentially, that makes the patriarchs who lived and died under the “first Covenant” followers of Yeshua!
Hebrews 9:15-20 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. 16 When there is a last will and Testament, it follows that the one who made it will die. 17 It only goes into effect when someone has died. It doesnt take effect as long as the person who made it is alive. 18 That is why even the first covenant wasn’t put into effect without blood. 19 When Moses had spoken every ordinance to all the people, according to the Torah, Moses took the blood of a heifer with some water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the Scroll and all the people. 20 He told them, “This is the blood ‘that confirms’ that the covenant that YHVH has made with you is binding.”
The explanation for why Paul was so ready for the Old Covenant to become obsolete is because only after the Old Covenant is done away with can the New Covenant be implemented! Truly, Paul thought that it was “ready to vanish away”, but was he right on the timing, or was he about 2000 years in error? This is the key question to ask. Paul thought that the Kingdom was about to be set up in his generation. The envoys (apostles) were chomping at the bit from the “get go” on this issue:
Acts 1:6 When they assembled they asked Him, “Master, are You about to restore the Kingdom of Israel to its former state?”
Yeshua didn’t even tell His own disciples that there were still two millennia left before He was to return! The following two quotes vividly illustrate the state of readiness that He left His followers in. (Yeshua wanted His people to stay on Red Alert!)
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 We declare this to you by the Word of YHVH’s own authority, that we who survive and are alive when our Master comes, will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep [into the Kingdom]. 16 Our Master will personally come down from Heaven with a mandate, and with a voice like the chief Messenger and with YHVH’s shofar, and the dead who ‘belong to’ the Messiah will rise first! 17 Then, we who are still alive, having survived, will be carried away together with them into the clouds to meet our Master in the expanse. And we will be with our Master forever.
Paul thought that “NOW” (in his time) was the End of the Age, and that Judgment Day was nearly upon them!
Hebrews 9:24-28 The Messiah didn’t enter into the Kadosh Place made by human hands, that is a mere copy of the true Kadosh Place, rather, He entered Heaven itself, to appear in the presence of YHVH for us. 25 Nor was it necessary for Him to offer Himself often, the way the high priest enters into the Kadosh Place every year, with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise He would have to have suffered many times since the beginning of the world. But now, at the end of the age, He has offered Himself once as an offering to abolish sin. 27 And just as people are destined to die once, and after their death comes Judgment Day, 28 so the Messiah was also offered once, and personally placed on the altar for the sins of many, and He’ll appear a second time, without sins, for the eternal Life of those who expect Him.
So Paul finished his comments about Yeshua the Mediator, tying it to His return.New Covenant, New Priesthood
Yeshua is our “High Priest” in the sense of being relative to “coming good things”. The good things are in our future—we don’t have them yet.
Hebrews 9:11-14 But the Messiah who came was a High Priest of the good things to come, and He entered the greater and perfect tabernacle that wasn’t made by human hands and wasn’t part of this creation. 12 He didn’t enter with the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Kadosh Place just once with His own blood and obtained our eternal deliverance from the death penalty. 13 If the blood of goats and calves and the ashes of a heifer was sprinkled on those who were Levitically unclean, and dedicated them and cleansed their mortal bodies, 14 then how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who thru the eternal spirit offered Himself without blemish to YHVH, cleanse our consciousness from dead works so that we can serve the living Aloha?
The patriarchs died without having “received the promises” that were most important. Those promises had to do with eternal life in “a homeland”—the New Israel.
Hebrews 11:13-14 All these people died in faith without receiving what was promised [2], but they saw it from a distance, and were jubilant about it, acknowledging that they were aliens and pilgrims in the land. 14 Those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a city of their own. 14 Those who say these things, make it apparent that they are seeking a city.
Here are two references that show that our very purpose for being Elohim’s people will not be made apparent until the “the last days”. We are in the process of being “built up” to be a “kadosh priesthood” under Yeshua, to serve when the New Covenant is implemented:
1 Peter 1:3-5 Praise be to YHVH, the Father of our Master Yeshua Messiah, who in His great mercy has engendered us again to the expectation of real Life, thru the resurrection of our Master Yeshua Messiah, 4 and to an indestructible inheritance, undefiled and unfading that is reserved for you in Heaven, 5 while you are preserved, by the power of YHVH and by faith, for the eternal Life that awaits you and will be unveiled in the last days.
The followers of Elohim will be mistaken for idiots until the day that Elohim returns! The root word for “evildoers” has to do with our “mode of thinking”. The root word of “visitation” has to do with “to look upon or after; to inspect; examine with the eyes; to visit; go to see one. (Elohim actually visited ancient Sodom: Genesis 18:20-21).
1 Peter 2:4-6,12 As you come to Him, a living Stone that humanity has rejected, but selected by YHVH and precious, 5 you are also like living stones being built into a spiritual Temple, and kadosh priests who offer spiritual oblations, acceptable to YHVH, thru Yeshua Messiah. 6 The Scriptures say, “Look, in Zion I am laying a chosen and precious Stone for the cornerstone, and whoever believes in Him won’t be put to shame.” ... 12 Your behavior should be obviously commendable to everyone, so that those who slander you can see your good behavior and praise YHVH in the day of trial.
Matthew, Mark and Luke all quoted Yeshua, saying that His blood was associated with the New Covenant, and that He would only celebrate the establishment of the New Covenant with them when His Kingdom is finally “of this world”.
Matthew 26:28-29 This is My blood of the New Covenant that is poured out on behalf of many to release them from the bondage of sins. 29 I’m telling you that I’ll no longer drink any of the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink a new kind [4] with you in the Kingdom of Yehovah.
[4] The timing and circumstances of v.29 are explained in Did the Yeshua’s (or “the Lord’s) Supper Replace the Passover?”Again, this is prophetic:
Mark 14:24-26 He told them, “This is My blood of the New Covenant that is poured out on behalf of many. 25 I’ll definitely not taste the fruit of the vine again until the day ...
The New Covenant is prophetic—about bestowing on us a Kingdom! The Messiah’s Supper foreshadows the envoys eating and drinking “at My table in the Kingdom”.
Luke 22:20...30 After supper He did the same with the cup, He said, “This cup is the New Covenant in My blood that is poured out on your behalf! ... 28 You are the ones who have stayed with Me in My trials, 29 and I PROMISE YOU THE KINGDOM just as My Father has promised it to Me, 30 so that you can eat and drink at the table in My Kingdom and sit on thrones governing the twelve tribes of Israel.
At the Messiah’s Supper, He associated the New Covenant with His Return! Do you?
1 Corinthians 11:25-26 So, after they had eaten it, He then took the cup and said, “This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, so do this, as often as you drink it, to remember Me by.” 26 As often as you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you commemorate the death of our Master UNTIL He returns [5].
[5] While the “Lord’s Supper” will not be commemorated after He returns, the Passover will be celebrated, as prophesied in Ezekiel 45:21, in a millennial reign chapter, as will the Feast of Tabernacles, as prophesied in the very evident millennial chapter of Zechariah 14, verses 16-21 in particular. See Did Yeshua’s Supper” Replace the Passover?
We celebrate Yeshua’s Supper “so that we won’t be condemned with the world” on Judgment Day (v.32).
Click below to read Part 2.
