You said this:
"For if it is truly the physical heavens and earth that must pass away, then we are still under the law and it is not fulfilled"
I did say that.
If Jesus did not fulfill the Law then we are still under the Law. What part the Law did Jesus not fulfill???
Well, it truly is the heavens and the earth that must pass away before all prophecy in the law and the prophets for this world is fulfilled, which was Jesus' actual meaning.
It literally does not say that in verse 18. What does not one jot or tittle passing from the Law mean to you???
It does however say UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY, nothing,
not one jot or tittle, will pass from the Law.
This leads us to an apparent contradiction if it is about the physical heavens and earth passing away, as the law did change: Hebrews 7:12
For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a
change in the law as well.
Another contradiction if it is about the physical heavens and earth passing away before a jot or tittle pass from the law is: colossians 2:16-17
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of
food and
drink, or with regard to a
festival or a
new moon or a
Sabbath (part of 10 commandments).
17These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
The idea is about heaven being rolled up like a scroll (
Isaiah 34:4), and God shaking this earth and bringing His consuming fire on it to burn man's works off it (
Hebrews 12:25-29 and
2 Peter 3:10).
Its very important to know the language of the old testament especially when it is used for judgement, and how it is used in the new testament:
Isaiah 51:6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the
heavens will vanish like smoke,
the
earth will wax old like a garment
Hebrews 1:10-11
He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the
earth, and the
heavens are the work of your hands.
11They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wax old like a garment.
Hebrews 8:13
In that he saith, A new
covenant, he hath made the first
old. Now that which decayeth and
waxeth old is ready to
vanish away.
Here is how God proclaimed judgement against Babylon by using the Medes:
Isaiah 13:13
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place,
Let's look at the judgment against Ninevah:
Nahum 1:1-5
The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
2God
is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and
is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth
wrath for his enemies.
3The LORD
is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit
the wicked: the LORD
hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds
are the dust of his feet.
4He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.
5The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
We are not to just study the New Testament Books, but the Old Testament Books also,
Agree, if we don't know how language is used in the OT, we will easily misinterpret the NT.
In other words, the phrase "Old Testament" does NOT mean 'Old Covenant',
Agree. The old covenant (the Law) came 430 years after abraham
Galatians 3:17
And this I say,
that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
So God's laws from the OT that are still in place today (like against murder, rape, thefts, etc.) are so that we could have peace, and not to be a burden on us.
Agree, to love your neighbor as yourself is greater than burnt offerings (part of the Law)
Mark 12:33
and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself,
which is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “
You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
Do we need to sacrifice animals today? No of course not because the Law has changed.
But how can a jot or tittle pass away from the Law if, according to you, physical heaven and earth have not passed away?