Spir Dynamics 878, 856 7/10/96; 72 Hebrews

DOCTRINE OF THE NEW COVENANT TO ISRAEL

A. Definition.

1. A covenant is a disposition made by one party (God) in favor of another party (the regenerate of Israel).

2. The Mosaic Law or Mosaic Covenant is also called the old covenant. It was a covenant of shadow worship, shadow building, shadow priesthood, and shadow offerings.

3. Therefore, its function was legitimate only in a shadow dispensation, which is that part of the Age of Israel from Moses to Christ

. 4. The first advent of Christ and His saving work on the cross abrogated the old covenant and/or the Mosaic covenant.

5. The old covenant was given to the nation Israal and was not given to the Gentiles and not given to the Church. When the Church Age came along, the Mosaic Law was rescinded and superceded by the new covenant to the Church. A new covenant had to be established because of the limitations of the old covenant. The new covenant to the Church authorizes the royal family of God during the Church Age, sets up the modus operandi of the royal family, and sets up a universal priesthood among believers.

a. The new covenant to the Church rescinds and supercedes the old covenant to Israel. The old covenant to Israel, the Mosaic Law, has been rescinded and replaced with a better covenant—the new covenant to the Church, Heb 7:18-19, “For on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former covenant because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God.” All Church Age believers are under a new covenant with a royal priesthood, High Priest, and Mediator which is different. A mediator must provide a spiritual life compatible to a new spiritual species in the new covenant to the Church.

b. Because of the limitations of the Mosaic Law it needed to be rescinded.

(1) The Law cannot justify, Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16; Rom 3:28.

(2) The Law cannot provide the filling of the Holy Spirit and the spiritual life that comes from it, Gal 3:2,5.

(3) The Law cannot provide a spiritual life, Rom 8:1-6; 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness for everyone who believes in Him.” Rom 13:10, “...Virtue-love is the fulfillment of the Law.”

6. The new covenant to Israel is eschatological and is not operational until the second Advent of Christ. The new covenant to Israel recognizes the fulfillment of the unconditional covenants to Israel in the past, the Abrahamic, Palestinian, and Davidic Covenants, and sets up a modus operandi for Israel in the millennium.

7. The new covenant to Israel is a legacy for restored Israel during the millennial reign of Christ and is taken from the new covenant to the Church, not from the old covenant to Israel. 8. The new covenant to Israel emphasized the rulership of Jesus Christ on the one hand, but it also has a revival of the Levitical priesthood on the other hand.

B. Scripture: Jer 31:31-34 quoted in Heb 8:8-12, quoted in part in Heb 10:15-18, and mentioned as a magnificent point of doctrine in Gal 4:4.

C. The New Authorizing Agency in Israel. The abrogation of the Mosaic Law by the saving work of Christ on the cross plus the strategic victory (death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session) leaves Israel without authorization for their Levitical priesthood. Therefore, the new covenant to Israel replaces the Mosaic Law and gives a new license to the Levitical priesthood in the millennium. The function of that priesthood is described in great detail in Ezek 40-48.

D. The New Dispensation for Israel. Israel will be restored at the second advent of Christ when Christ will begin His millennial reign. The new covenant to Israel is the authorizing agency for the restored Israel of the Millennium as well as the verification of the fulfillment of the unconditional covenants that have never been fulfilled.

E. The Basis of the New Covenant to Israel.

1. Neither the Hebrew noun BERITH, nor the Greek noun DIATHEKE, refer to a will or testament.

2. The new covenant to Israel goes into effect with the sacrifice of the blood of Christ and/or the spiritual death of Christ and/or His efficacious sacrifice.

3. Therefore, the blood of Christ is the spiritual legacy for both the royal family in the Church Age and Israel in the millennium.

4. The new covenant to Israel is valid because of the blood of Christ, the efficacious death of Christ on the cross bearing our sins. It is valid because Christ sits in the mercy seat. 5. The new covenant to Israel is a reality in contrast to the shadows of the Old or Mosaic Covenant.

6. The new covenant functions in the millennium when Christ reigns as David’s greater Son. He is the royal family’s high priest, and Israel’s King. There will be a place in the millennium for the Levitical priesthood because Christ will reign over Israel as David’s great Son. 7. Animal sacrifices during the millennium, taught in Ezek 40-48, are no longer shadows, but represent a frame of reference and memorial to Israel concerning the saving work of Christ on the cross, Heb 9:15-17. Sin offerings are renewed in the millennium under the New Covenant to Israel, Ezek 49:19-27, 43:19, 21-22, 25. Sin offerings has two classifications as it had in the Mosaic Law—the burnt offering (propitiation with emphasis on the salvation work of Christ), Ezek 43:24, 27, and the peace offering (reconciliation with emphasis on the salvation work of Christ), Ezek 43:27.

F. The New Covenant and the Tribulation.

1. The Lord will not be reigning in the Tribulation. Satan will still be the ruler of this world.

2. Therefore, the new covenant to Israel will not be operative. During the seven years of the Tribulation, there will be neither the new covenant to the Church nor the new covenant to Israel.

3. There will be a tribulational temple, but it is a place of apostasy and reversionism, and is not authorized by the old covenant or the new covenant to Israel.

4. The new covenant to the Church will not be operative during the Tribulation because the Church has already been resurrected or raptured.

5. Neither of the new covenants operates during the Tribulation.

6. Therefore, God sets up a different type of spiritual function during the Tribulation. It is different from anything that happened in the past, but in some ways similar to the period of the judges. God sets up 144,000 Jews as spiritual leaders throughout the earth. They are evangelists and spiritual leaders. Twelve from every tribe except Dan, the tribe from which comes the Antichrist.

G. The new covenant to Israel is the authorizing agent for the restored Israel of the millennium. The new covenant to Israel verifies the future of Israel and recognizes that the unconditional covenants will be fulfilled. God keeps His word. The new covenant to Israel replaces the Mosaic Law for the function of Israel’s priesthood in the millennium.

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