Covenants And Testaments

[JLB777]

I stand firmly behind the paper posted in the beginning of this thread: Covenant theology is based on error, by those who do not see any difference between the Israelite religion and the Church. That is sad to hear.

There are eight covenants shown in the Word of God: Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Palestinian, Davidic, New Covenant. All of these pertain to Israel. The New Covenant is NOT concerning the Church, but is shown in Hebrews as the promise to Israel as a nation, that God will again restore them as a people at the beginning of the Millennium period yet to come ---a new hope for them.

The failure by those who do not know what the Church is, causes the confusion we see. The Bible is all about God's dealings with His covenanted people of Israel. The Church is a parenthesis in the Bible to take out a people (the Bride) for Christ's sake (a NEW TESTAMENT). When that is fully accomplished at the Translation of the Church (rapture), the judgment will commence to fall on this ungodly world and for seven years (Tribulation). Then the Lord Jesus Christ will return with His Bride and the heavenly host (O.T. saints) and vanquish God's enemies on earth. The Lord will reveal Himself to the remnant of Israel whom they rejected (144,000 preserved) and they will bow down and repent. The Lord will then begin the NEW COVENANT with Israel as He raises them up to rule over the Gentile world.

This is the essence in brief of the whole story of Covenants and Testaments. Thank God that those of us Gentiles who are brought in (grafted in) to the grace of God today will ever be with the Lord in His reign over the world for 1,000 years, and then return with Him to Heaven. God will then purge the earth (fire from Heaven) and have an earthly people (new Israel) and a heavenly people (the Bride of Christ) forever.

I rest my case, and hope others will be awakened to this truth and not fight against God's Word.

Who was the first member of The Church?

Saying the Church came into existence on the day of Pentecost is almost as crazy as saying The Lord Jesus came into existence when He was born of The virgin Mary!


Thanks, JLB

 

[Clare73]

The so-called Covenant Theology seems to be built on a false premise. The following letter written to one sets forth the difference between a covenant and a testament, which makes an important distinction.

- 1 Watchman

Understanding Covenants And Testaments ​

Dear friend:
We should see that a covenant is an agreement for two parties to contract to uphold certain conditions for an objective. In the Old Testament the Covenant God made with Abraham and the Israelites was to obey Him and keep His law and ordinances and He would then bless and help them. They accepted that, but rebelled against God and failed to keep the standards.

The covenant God made with Abraham (Ge 17) was a conditional covenant to be his God and a God to his descendants. The condition: total consecration to God as symbolized by circumcision.
The covenant God made with the Israelites (Ex 19-24) was a conditional covenant to be their God. The condition: Israel's total consecration to the Lord as his people.

Thank God we are not under covenant now, but grace ---an offer (see Heb. 8:6-10 as to God's way for Israel). The new hope for Israelites today (not "covenant" as stated in some Bibles) is to bring them into grace through the Lord Jesus Christ in this age, and then to re-establish the nation as a blessed people in the Millennium, by a new covenant.

The New Covenant promised in Jer 31:31 was established in the blood of Christ (Lk 22:20) and makes the Sinatic (Old) covenant obsolete (Heb 8:78, 13).
There is no future covenant in the clear specific Word of God.

The New Testament is a new testimony of the workings of God (not a covenant of obligations)

The New Testament is the age of the New Covenant made in the blood of Christ (Lk 22:20; 2Co 3:6; Heb 9:15)

Souls may decline to embrace the grace of God and will then forfeit blessings by choice, but Israel as a people will be restored in the future regardless of individual souls choosing to rebel.

It is important to not blur the line between Israel (a covenanted people of olden times) and the Church (the bride of Christ in grace). All references to Covenant in the Bible concerns Israel as a nation (as noted in Hebrews).

The New Covenant (Lk 22:20) made in the blood of Christ, is made with all believers in Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile.
It is not limited to Israel.
In fact, most of Israel is excluded from the New Covenanat made in the blood of Christ (Lk 22:20) because they have been hardened by God (Ro 11:7-10) for rejecting their Messiah.

The Bride of Christ today is called and brought in by grace and privilege --praise God for that! The promises of God are to a people, and individuals may perish by their rebellion.

The promises of the New Covenant made in the blood of Christ are only to the people that believe in Jesus Christ, both Gentile and Jew.

 

[JLB777]

The covenant God made with Abraham (Ge 17) was a conditional covenant to be his God and a God to his descendants. The condition: total consecration to God as symbolized by circumcision.
The covenant God made with the Israelites (Ex 19-24) was a conditional covenant to be their God. The condition: Israel's total consecration to the Lord as his people.


The New Covenant promised in Jer 31:31 was established in the blood of Christ (Lk 22:20) and makes the Sinatic (Old) covenant obsolete (Heb 8:78, 13).
There is no future covenant in the clear specific Word of God.


The New Testament is the age of the New Covenant made in the blood of Christ (Lk 22:20; 2Co 3:6; Heb 9:15)


The New Covenant (Lk 22:20) made in the blood of Christ, is made with all believers in Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile.
It is not limited to Israel.
In fact, most of Israel is excluded from the New Covenanat made in the blood of Christ (Lk 22:20) because they have been hardened by God (Ro 11:7-10) for rejecting their Messiah.


The promises of the New Covenant made in the blood of Christ are only to the people that believe in Jesus Christ, both Gentile and Jew.

Amen!

He is our Covenant!

"Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. 4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law." 5 Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: 6 "I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, Isaiah 42:1-6


JLB