“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.” Revelation 14:9,10

If you worship the beast and receive his mark you will receive the complete wrath of God. So it is very important to understand who the beast is so you can avoid worshiping him.

First of all, the beast is not a wild animal like a tiger or a lion. He is not a literal animal.

Second, the beast is not a person, a country, or a human organization. So who is the beast? What does the beast represent?

The Beast is Satan claiming to be God

The beast is a symbol for Satan. But here’s the catch. Satan will come to earth disguised as God. He will wear a costume that makes him appear to be God. He will take on the appearance of God. But he is not God. He is Satan, the great deceiver.

Satan has been on the earth for thousands of years. But most of the time he has not been visible to human eyesight. He has existed in the spirit world. Soon he will transform himself into a being that looks and sounds like God.

Satan will become visible to us and he will be disguised as God. He will have the appearance of a glorious, heavenly being. The Bible calls him the beast when he comes to earth pretending to be God. The beast in Revelation 13 is Satan masquerading as God.

What does the Beast look like?

When Satan comes to earth in a visible body he will be glorious, impressive, attractive and charismatic.

People will recognize that he is stronger and more majestic than a mere human being. People will be convinced by their senses that Satan is God. The book of Revelation calls him the beast.

The beast will speak in a melodious voice and he will have friendly, loving eyes. He will be gentle and kind. His appearance will dazzle and charm people. He will be extremely powerful.

The Beast will look like God

People will believe that the beast is God. They will be entranced and drawn to him. They will have an almost irresistible desire to worship the beast.

“And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.” Revelation 13:1

When Satan comes to earth looking like God and claiming to be God, he will have seven symbolic heads. Each head will have a blasphemous name.

Blasphemy is claiming to be God when you aren’t God. Satan will claim to be God even though he is not God. He will give himself seven names that are variations of God’s name.

The 10 horns that the beast has are 10 of Satan’s leading demons. These 10 demons will be kings and rule with Satan. This is why each of them is wearing a crown.

When will the Beast come to earth?

The beast will arrive on the earth in the very near future. The whole world will quickly become aware of his coming. He will not arrive in secret.

The beast will have a supernatural and glorious arrival on earth. He will look like God. People on earth will worship him. Most people will be deceived into believing that he is God.

The beast is not God. He is Satan himself. But he will come to earth disguised as God.

There are 5 major events that will happen on earth just before the beast comes.

Worldwide Earthquake

Very soon there will be a worldwide earthquake. This major earthquake will shake the whole world. It will be accompanied by thunder, lightning and noises.

“Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.” Revelation 8:5

Shortly after the first worldwide earthquake there will be 4 severe calamities. They are called trumpets in the Bible. These four trumpets will devastate the earth.

Trumpet 1

“The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.” Revelation 8:7

A barrage of meteorites hits the earth and thousands of fires are ignited. The crops that are ready for harvest are burned up and 1/3 of the trees in the forests are burned up.

Trumpet 2

“Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” Revelation 8:8,9

An asteroid the size of a mountain plummets into the ocean. 1/3 of the ships that are sailing on the ocean are sunk and 1/3 of the fish die. The ocean becomes like blood.

Trumpet 3

“Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.” Revelation 8:10,11

An asteroid falls to the earth, blazing with fire. The asteroid contains a bitter contaminant. One third of the rivers and springs of water are poisoned. Many people die from drinking the water.

Trumpet 4

“Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.” Revelation 8:12

One third of the sun, moon and stars are darkened and the day and night turn dark. The smoke and ejecta from the first three trumpets darkens the air and the sky.

The first four trumpets occur over the course of a few days. They cause worldwide devastation and they get the attention of everyone on the earth.

These calamities are acts of God. They are not caused by man or by Satan. It is evident that God has interrupted the lives of people on earth. People are frightened beyond description. “Is God angry with us?” they are wondering. Preachers are calling on people to repent and return to God.

The Beast comes to earth

Within a month or two after these four disasters occur, the beast will come. He will say that he is God and that people must repent of their sins and return to him. But he is not God. He is Satan and people should not worship or follow him.

The first beast in Revelation 13 is Satan, pretending to be God.

The second beast in Revelation 13

The second beast in Revelation 13 will arrive on the earth at the same time as the first beast. These two beasts will come together and they will work together.

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” Revelation 13:11,12

Notice these characteristics of the second beast:

1. Two horns
2. Like a lamb
3. Speaks like a dragon
4. Exercises authority in the presence of the first beast
5. Forces those who dwell on the earth to worship the first beast

Second beast has 2 horns

The second beast in Revelation 13 has two horns. These two horns represent two of Satan’s demons. These two demons will appear to be gentle and harmless, like a Lamb. But they will speak the words of Satan, who is the dragon.

These two demons will be continually in the presence of the beast. Their goal and objective is to force every person on earth to worship the first beast. The first beast is Satan, claiming that he is God.

Two demons named Moses and Elijah

The second beast in Revelation 13 has two horns. These two horns represents two demons. One of them will be named Moses and the other one will be named Elijah. They will pretend to be the prophets Moses and Elijah from the Old Testament in the Bible.

“He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast.” Revelation 13:13,14

The demon named Elijah will call down fire from heaven to prove that the beast is God. This will be like what the prophet Elijah did thousands of years ago.

The demon named Moses will work signs and miracles. This will be like what the prophet Moses did thousands of years ago.

The first beast in Revelation 13 is Satan, claiming that he is God. The second beast in Revelation 13 is two demons, claiming to be the prophets of old, Moses and Elijah.

These two beasts will arrive on earth at the same time. Ten leading demons will come with the two beasts. These ten demons are the ten horns that belong to the first beast.

“And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.” Revelation 13:1

Twelve demons

The 10 demons (10 horns) and the 2 demons (2 horns) added together make 12 demons. Satan will have 12 leading demons with him.

When Jesus was on earth, He had 12 disciples. When Satan is on earth, claiming to be God, he will have 12 leading demons with him.

There will also be millions of demons who come to earth at the same time as the first beast and the second beast of Revelation 13. Many of these demons will pretend to be angels from heaven.

Other demons will pretend to be people who died in the past and went to heaven. They will appear on earth in perfect bodies. They will not have the defects that the people had while they lived on earth. They will say that they have come back to earth to help and warn their friends and relatives on earth.

How long will the beast be on earth?

Satan and his demons are currently confined to the spirit world. Soon Satan will be released from the spirit world and he will come to earth in a glorious, physical body. He will claim to be God. The Bible calls Satan the beast when he is physically on earth, claiming to be God.

“And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns. . . And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.” Revelation 13:1,5

42 months

Revelation 13 tells us that the beast will be here on earth for 42 months. This is equivalent to 3 ½ years. Satan will be visibly and physically on earth for 3 ½ years.

During the 3 ½ years Satan will pretend that he is God and he will appear to be God. He will deceive most of the people on earth. Just about everyone will worship him as their god.

Beast cast into lake of fire

At the end of the 3 ½ years, Jesus will come the second time to rescue His people and take them to heaven. When Jesus comes the beast will be cast into the lake of fire.

“Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” Revelation 19:20

Satan himself is not destroyed at this time. The beast is a costume or disguise that Satan uses. The beast is thrown into the lake of fire. Satan’s ability to disguise himself as God is destroyed in the lake of fire. Satan will never again be allowed to pretend to be God.

Who will worship the beast?

The beast is Satan, claiming that he is God. Revelation 13:4 reveals how people will react when he appears.

“So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’

The beast will be extremely powerful. He is the Satan, the Devil, the dragon, and the Serpent of old. He has spent thousands of years developing and strengthening his deceptive powers.

Very soon Satan will transform himself into an angel of light. When he appears as an angel of light he is called the beast.

“For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14

The whole world will worship the Beast

When Satan comes as the beast he will have so much power and authority that the whole world will marvel.

“And all the world marveled and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3

Almost everyone in the world will worship the beast.

A few people will choose to worship the Lamb instead of the beast. Jesus is called the Lamb and Satan is called the beast. The people who choose to worship the Lamb will have their names written in the Lamb’s book of life. Everyone else will worship the beast.

“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:8

Worship the beast and receive the wrath of God

The Bible gives a severe warning against worshiping the beast and receiving his mark:

“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.” Revelation 14:9,10

If you worship the beast and receive his mark you will receive the complete wrath of God.

How can I know the beast isn't God?

When Satan comes to earth in a glorious body and pretends to be God most of the people in the world will believe him. They will deluded and will believe his lie.

Second Thessalonians describes what will happen when the beast comes. The beast is Satan, the lawless one.

“8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:8-11

Satan will be extremely powerful and he will work miracles and signs. He will lie and deceive almost every person.

Words will contradict the Bible

There will only be one way to differentiate the lawless one from the God that he claims to be. The words that Satan speaks will not agree with the Bible.

“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20

Satan will speak words that contradict the word of God. He will mix in a few lies with a lot of truth. But when you mix in a little poison with good food the result is poisonous food.

When you mix in a little black paint with white paint, the result is gray paint. So when Satan mixes in lies with truth the result is deception.

Very soon a glorious being is going to show up on earth and claim that he is God. Please listen carefully to his words and test everything he says against the Bible.

“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11

Breaks the ten commandments

Notice that Satan is called the “lawless one”. He does not keep the law of God and he will lead his followers to disobey the law of God.

Satan will tell people that since he is God that he has the right and the ability to change the ten commandments. He will expect people to obey his changed version. But his words will not agree with the ten commandments and he should not be obeyed or worshiped.

The Mark of the Beast

The mark of the beast is coming soon. Getting the mark of the beast will have eternal consequences.

Learn what the mark of the beast is, who will get it, and when they will get it.

What will happen to you if you get the mark of the beast? What if you refuse the mark of the beast?

Revelation 13 contains a Bible prophecy that will be fulfilled very soon. It will affect you and every other person on earth. Satan does not want you to know what the mark of the beast is. Take a few minutes to learn about this important Bible prophecy.

Don’t get the mark of the beast

If you worship the beast and receive the mark of the beast you will receive the complete wrath of God. The book of Revelation in the Bible gives us this strong warning:

“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.” Revelation 14:9,10

If you get the mark of the beast God’s complete wrath will be poured out on you.

Mark of the beast required

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17

When you are required by law to get the mark of the beast and when you can’t buy or sell without it how will you live?

What is the Mark of the Beast?

The mark of the beast is a combination of letters and symbols that will be physically and permanently placed on your forehead or right hand. Most people will consider it an honor to receive the mark. It will be like a key for them that will open doors of acceptance, prosperity and peace.

The mark of the beast will be placed on people who worship the beast and choose to receive his mark. There will be severe penalties for refusing the mark and great rewards for getting it.

Worship the beast and get his mark

The mark of the beast will be enforced. The people who believe in the beast and worship him will be glad to get his mark.

The beast is not a person or a human organization. The beast is Satan himself. But when Satan comes as the beast he will appear in a glorious body. People will not recognize him as the Devil. He will claim to be God and most people will believe that he is God.

The mark of the beast is an outward, physical symbol, showing that the wearer has chosen to worship the beast and receive him as God.

Mark of the beast a symbol of worship

When two people get married the wife will often take the last name of the husband as her own. The husband and wife will both wear a wedding ring as a symbol of their marriage. Likewise, people will take the name of the beast and will wear his mark as a symbol of their allegiance to him.

There will be six hundred and sixty six different ways to get the mark.


The Main Covenants Of Yahweh



Introduction

"A covenant is a sovereign pronouncement of God by which He establishes a relationship of responsibility (1) between himself and an individual, (2) between Himself and mankind in general, (3) between Himself and a nation, or (4) between Himself and a specific human family. A covenant in one category may overlap others...The covenants are normally unconditional in the sense that God obligates Himself in grace, by the unrestricted declaration, 'I will' to accomplish certain announced purposes, despite any failure on the part of the person or people with whom He covenants. The human response to the divinely announced purpose is always important, leading as it does to blessing for obedience and discipline for disobedience. But human failure is never permitted to abrogate the covenant or block its ultimate fulfillment." (C.I. Scofield)

In a separate study entitled What is a Covenant? examples of several types of covenants found in the Bible are described. This was done primarily by quoting various passages in the Bible so the reader would have first hand references available when studying the subject of God's covenants. God (Yahweh) is a God who frequently enters into personal relationships with individuals and with groups of individuals. One special set of these covenants might well be called "mainline" covenants because they are connected one after another in a line, all the way from the first promise God made to Eve (that one of her sons would be the Messiah, the Savior of mankind), down through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (rather than Ishmael or Esau for example), through King David and ending in Jesus Christ. Both Joseph and Mary are descended from David though through different family lines as the NT genealogies in Matthew and Luke detail.

This essay lists the "mainline covenants" mainly by quoting the relevant Bible references, without commentary which hopefully can be added later.



I. The Edenic Covenant

Man is charged with responsibility for propagating the race, subduing the earth, exercising dominion over the animals, caring for the garden in Eden, and refraining from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

"And God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.' And God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.' And it was so."(Gen. 1:28-30)

"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.'" (Gen. 2:16, 17)



II. The Adamic Covenant

See Genesis 3. Consequences of man's fall necessitated a changed relationship between man and God including the following elements: (1) A curse on the serpent: Gen 3:14, Rom. 16:20, 2 Cor. 11:3,14, Rev. 12:9. (2) The first promise of a redeemer (the proto-evangelium). Messiah would come in the line of Seth, Noah. Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David. (3) A changed state of woman including bondage and subservience to man's headship, and suffering and pain in motherhood. (4) Loss of the garden in Eden as a dwelling place and light occupation changed to heavy burden of work because of a cursed earth. (5) Inevitable sorrow and disappointment in life. (6) Shortened life span and tragedy of death.



III. The Noahic Covenant

This unconditional covenant with Noah (which affects all mankind) establishes principles for all government, and includes the following: (1) Sanctity of all human life established. Man responsible to protect life, even to capital punishment. (2) A Promise that another universal flood will not occur and the ground will not be cursed further. (3) Man's relationship to the animals and to nature is confirmed (Gen. 8:22, 9:2). (4) Man, presumably a vegetarian before the flood, is now allowed to eat meat. (5) Special characteristics are assigned to the three sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

"And when the LORD smelled the pleasing odor, the LORD said in his heart, 'I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.' And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the air, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. For your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning; of every beast I will require it and of man; of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, bring forth abundantly on the earth and multiply in it.'

"Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 'Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.' And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will look upon it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.' God said to Noah, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth." (Gen. 8:21-9:17)

Reference: Who Needs Government, Genesis 9, by Ray C. Stedman.


IV. The Abrahamic Covenant

An unconditional covenant. (1) God gave Abraham the promise of a great nation---primarily meaning Israel, but also includes great peoples in the line of Ishmael and Abraham's others sons. In all Abraham, had eight sons, six through his second wife Keturah after Sarah died, (Gen. 25:3). Two peoples descended from Abraham are named specially. They are an earthly group (Israel) "as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore," and a heavenly group (the true church) "as numerous as the stars in the heavens." These two "family trees" form the subject of the mainstream of redemptive history in the Bible. (2) Abraham was chosen to be the father of numerous descendants, to be blessed personally, to be personally honored, to be a channel of blessing to others. (3) Those who bless Abraham are to be blessed and those who curse him will be cursed. Blessings on the nations are to come through Abraham. (4) Reaffirmation of the promise of a Messiah was made by God to Abraham.

"Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.' So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions which they had gathered, and the persons that they had gotten in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram, and said, 'To your descendants I will give this land.' So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him." (Gen. 12:1-7)

"The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, 'Lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your descendants also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you." (Gen. 13:14-17)

"After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, 'Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.' But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, 'Behold, thou hast given me no offspring; and a slave born in my house will be my heir.' And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, 'This man shall not be your heir; your own son shall be your heir.' And he brought him outside and said, 'Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your descendants be.' And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. And he said to him, 'I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.' But he said, 'O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?' He said to him, 'Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.' And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. "Then the LORD said to Abram, 'Know of a surety that your descendants will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and will be slaves there, and they will be oppressed for four hundred years; but I will bring judgment on the nation which they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for yourself, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.' When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites." (Gen 15:1-21)

"And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, 'By myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice." (Gen. 22:15-18)



The Covenant With Abraham Is Restated
And Confirmed To Isaac By The Lord

"And Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. And the LORD appeared to him, and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will fulfill the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give to your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves: because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." (Gen. 26:1-5)



The Covenant With Abraham Is Restated
And Confirmed To Jacob By The Lord

"Jacob left Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place, and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, 'I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you.'" (Gen. 28:10-15)



V. The Mosaic Covenant

A Conditional Covenant. Connected with the giving of the Law at Sinai, and the Levitical priesthood. The Law condemns all men.

"And Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." (Exodus 19:3-6)



The New Testament Comments On The Mosaic (Old) Covenant

"Now if the dispensation of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such splendor that the Israelites could not look at Moses' face because of its brightness, fading as this was, will not the dispensation of the Spirit be attended with greater splendor? For if there was splendor in the dispensation of condemnation, the dispensation of righteousness must far exceed it in splendor." (2 Cor. 3:7-9)

"Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." (Rom. 3:19,20)

"For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? If the worshipers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any consciousness of sin. But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, 'Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings thou hast taken no pleasure. Then I said, `Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God,' as it is written of me in the roll of the book.' When he said above, 'Thou hast neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings' (these are offered according to the law), then he added, 'Lo, I have come to do thy will.' He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Heb. 10:1-10)



VI. The Palestinian Covenant

This partly conditional covenant has several parts: (1) dispersion of the Jews was to be a consequence of disobedience. (2) Future repentance will be accomplished by God. (3) God will regather his scattered people and restore them to the land. (4) The people of Israel will be brought to the Lord as a nation. (5) The enemies and oppressors of Israel will be punished. (6) Future national prosperity and preeminence is guaranteed. See also Deut. 28, 29. Because of this covenant, the right of the Jews to live in the land is conditional upon their behavior.

"When all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God has driven you, and return to the LORD your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you this day, with all your heart and with all your soul; then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes, and have compassion upon you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there he will fetch you; and the LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, that you may possess it; and he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. And the LORD your God will put all these curses upon your foes and enemies who persecuted you. And you shall again obey the voice of the LORD, and keep all his commandments which I command you this day. The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground; for the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

"'For this commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, `Who will go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, `Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'' But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. 'See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you this day, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you this day, that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land which you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." (Deut. 30)

"For lo, I will command, and shake the house of Israel among all the nations as one shakes with a sieve, but no pebble shall fall upon the earth. All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, `Evil shall not overtake or meet us.' 'In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name,' says the LORD who does this. 'Behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land which I have given them,' says the LORD your God." (Amos 9:9-15)



The New Testament Promises God Will Resume His Fulfillment Of Various Covenants With Israel

"Simeon [Peter] has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written, `After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.'" (Acts 15:14-18)

"and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob'; 'and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." (Rom. 11:26, 27)



The Old Testament Concurs

"In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant which is left of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Ethiopia, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." (Isa. 11:11,12)

"Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, says the LORD. 'Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: `The LORD is our righteousness.' Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when men shall no longer say, `As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but 'As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.' Then they shall dwell in their own land." (Jer. 23:3-8)

"...Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all sides, and bring them to their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. They shall not defile themselves any more with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 'My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe my statutes. They shall dwell in the land where your fathers dwelt that I gave to my servant Jacob; they and their children and their children's children shall dwell there for ever; and David my servant shall be their prince for ever." (Ezek. 37:21-25)

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her vineyards, and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt. 'And in that day, says the LORD, you will call me, 'My husband,' and no longer will you call me, 'My Baal.''" (Hosea 2:14-16)

"And the LORD said to me, 'Go again, love a woman who is beloved of a paramour and is an adulteress; even as the LORD loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.' So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. And I said to her, 'You must dwell as mine for many days; you shall not play the harlot, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.' For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days." (Hosea 3)

"The LORD will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and aliens will join them and will cleave to the house of Jacob. And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the LORD's land as male and female slaves; they will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them." (Isa. 14:1,2)

"For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there, on account of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations, and have divided up my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and have sold a girl for wine, and have drunk it. 'What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will requite your deed upon your own head swiftly and speedily. For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich treasures into your temples. You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, removing them far from their own border. But now I will stir them up from the place to which you have sold them, and I will requite your deed upon your own head. I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the sons of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off; for the LORD has spoken." (Joel 3:1-8)

"In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name,' says the LORD who does this. 'Behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them upon their land, and they shall never again be plucked up out of the land which I have given them,' says the LORD your God." (Amos 9:11-15)



VII. The Davidic Covenant

Features (1) a temple in Israel, (2) a kingdom in perpetuity, (3) a throne, i.e., royal authority in the line of David, and (4) chastisement on sons for their disobedience. The promise of Messiah in the line of David is confirmed.

"Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David, `Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men; but I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you, And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.'"(2 Sam. 7:8-16)

"Therefore the Lord says, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: 'Ah, I will vent my wrath on my enemies, and avenge myself on my foes. I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy. And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.' Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed." (Isaiah 1:24-28)

"Thou hast said, 'I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant: "I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne for all generations." [Selah] I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him; so that my hand shall ever abide with him, my arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. He shall cry to me, `Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.' And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth. My steadfast love I will keep for him for ever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of the heavens. If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with scourges; but I will not remove from him my steadfast love, or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His line shall endure for ever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established for ever; it shall stand firm while the skies endure." [Selah] (Psalm 89, excerpts)



VIII. The New Covenant

An everlasting, unconditional covenant imparting a renewed mind and heart to the recipients. Restored favor and blessing for Israel. Complete and final forgiveness and removal of sins. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit. A rebuilt temple in Israel (Ezek. 37:26,27a). Cessation of war and institution of world peace. The Greek word diatheke is used interchangeably 15 times in the New Testament for "covenant" and "testament."

"Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.' And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" (Matthew 26:26-28)

"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD. In those days they shall no longer say: `The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' But every one shall die for his own sin; each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. 'Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD.

"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, `Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.' Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar ---the LORD of hosts is his name: 'If this fixed order departs from before me, says the LORD, then shall the descendants of Israel cease from being a nation before me for ever.' Thus says the LORD: 'If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the descendants of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD.' 'Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the LORD. It shall not be uprooted or overthrown any more for ever." (Jer. 31)

"But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry which is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: 'The days will come, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and so I paid no heed to them, says the Lord. This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach every one his fellow or every one his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.' In speaking of a new covenant he treats the first as obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." (Heb. 8:8-13)



Some Provisions Of The New Covenant

The New Covenant promised to Israel went into effect at the Last Supper during Easter Week. Jesus instituted this covenant with his eleven disciples who were representatives of true, believing Israel. Jesus then asked these disciples to become representatives of a new body of believers known as the church. They were called as Apostles to invite Jews and Gentiles alike around the world to enter into this New Covenant. After the completion of this calling out of the true church, Scripture promises that God will return and bring the nation of Israel (as a nation) into the New Covenant. This will take place at the end of the age when Jesus return to Jerusalem to sit as King on the throne of His father David.

Under the new covenant all those who belong to Christ and are part of the church benefit in the following ways:



Called children of God---Romans 8:16.
Called the household of God---Ephesians 2:19
Called children of Abraham---Galatians 3:7
Called children of promise---Romans 9:8
A "people of His own"---Titus 2:14
Heirs of God according to promise---Galatians 3:29
God's people called the temple of God---1 Cor 3:16
God's people called "the circumcision"---Philippians 3:3
God's people called "the Israel of God"---Galatians 6:16
Called "a chosen generation, royal priesthood, peculiar people, a holy nation"---1 Peter 2:9
Heirs of the kingdom---James 2:5
Called "sons of God"---John 1:12
Kings and priests of God---Revelation 1:6
Called "Mount Zion", "The City of the Living God"---Hebrews 12:22
The Bride of Christ---2 Cor. 11:2
The Body of Christ---1 Cor. 12.


Is the New Covenant a renewal of the Mosaic Covenant?

The new covenant is declared in Jeremiah as follows:

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jer 31:31-34).

Let's examine Jeremiah 31:31 carefully. Literally it reads:

"'Behold, days are coming' declares YHWH, 'I will covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant.'"

The word I have translated as "new" is the Hebrew word "chadash" (H2319). The DBD Hebrew Lexicon definition of this word is "new, a fresh thing." But the Hebrew word for "renew" (H2318) is also transliterated as "chadash." The difference between "new" (H2319) and "renew" (H2318) are the vowels - the consonants are identical (chet*dalet*shin). H2318 has the vowel patach under the dalet whereas H2319 has a qamats. Since the vowels were added by the Masoretes how can we then be sure if this word is "renew" (H2318) or "new" (H2319)? Perhaps the Masoretes made a mistake? Could then the phrase "new covenant" be translated as "renewed covenant"? No. We can tell by the word order of the sentence which word is correct. In Hebrew the order is: verb-noun-adjective. In Hebrew "renew" (H2318) is a verb and "new" (H2319) is an adjective. The word "chadash" comes after the noun "covenant" (beriyt, H1285). The word must be an adjective and not a verb. Thus, "new" is correct and not "renew." The next verse confirms this meaning. The Lord continues to describe this new covenant as "not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt" (Jer 31:2a). The Lord specifically states that this new covenant will be different than the one that they received at Mt. Sinai.

Now lets look more carefully at Jeremiah 31:32. It literally reads: "not like the covenant that I covenanted with their forefathers on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out from the land of Egypt because they broke my covenant though I was a husband to them declares YHWH." The verse starts out, in Hebrew, as "lo kab'riyt." The word "lo" means "not" (H3808); the prefix "ka" means "like the;" and "b'riyt" means "covenant." Since the word "lo" appears at the beginning of the sentence it has a special stress upon it. The new covenant mentioned in Jer 31:31, we are told here, is "not like the covenant" that was given at Sinai. The imagery is of a marriage covenant that has been violated by one of the parties and has become subject to nullification. It is now by the Lord's discretion whether He will allow the violated covenant to continue. He proclaims here that He will establish a new covenant that is NOT LIKE the covenant given at Sinai. The stress in the Hebrew is on how this covenant will be completely different. It is not a renewal. It is not an enhancement. It is not a modification. It is different. God is sovereign. So it is His prerogative to continue on with a covenant that has become subject to nullification. But the Lord proclaims in Jer 31:31-32 that He will establish a new and different covenant.

The covenant made with Israel was subject to nullification because Israel had broken the covenant. But don't confuse the covenant with the goal of the covenant. The goal of the covenant cannot be nullified. The goal of the covenant at Sinai was to bring men back into a loving relationship with God and restore the position of man to God's original intent for him when He placed him in the Garden of Eden where only one law existed. The goal of the Sinai covenant and the new covenant remain the same. The goal of these two covenants has always been to draw men into a trusting relationship with God. This is a constant in all God's dealings with man and is exemplified in Abraham's trust in God counting as righteousness.

Since we see that the Patriarchs did not have the covenant of Sinai and that the Lord declared that He would create a new covenant not like the one given at Sinai (Jer 31;31-32) we then see that the Sinai covenant is not the exclusive way in which God has provided to obtain this goal. Certainly Abraham obtained this goal without the covenant of Sinai because he was not alive when it was given. And the new and different covenant spoken of by Jeremiah will not have provisions to deal with sins because, according to Ezek 36:25-27 & 37:23, there will be no sin.

So how are the new covenant different? The Lord describes it in contrasting terms to the covenant that was delivered to Israel at Sinai: the covenant at Sinai was written on tablets of stone whereas this new covenant would be written on our hearts (Jer 31:32).

You will notice that the reference is to the establishment of the covenant with Judah and Israel (Jer 31:33). You are right in stating that this prophecy has not yet been completely fulfilled. How is it that I can say that the new covenant is now in operation? The key is to understand the specificity of this particular prophecy to Judah and Israel. The new covenant is now being provided to the Gentiles. So how can this be? Consider when David actually became king of Israel in God's eyes and when the men of Israel recognized him as their king. First, King Saul loses his kingship and David gains it, though David does not yet know that he is king:

"So Samuel said to him [King Saul], 'the LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you.'" (1 Sam 15:28).

But then David is officially anointed king over Israel and recognized by Samuel:

"Now the LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel' Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.'" (1 Sam 16:1).

"So he sent and brought him [David] in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, 'Arise, anoint him; for this is he.' Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah." (1 Sam 16:12-13).

Over the next several years, in God's eyes David is king, though the men of Israel still have Saul over them. But finally David is recognized first by the men of Judah:

"Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah." (2 Sam 2:4).

And then by the men of Israel:

"So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the LORD at Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel." (2 Sam 5:3).

In God's eyes David was king over Israel years before the men of Judah and Israel recognized him as such. So in the same way the new covenant is now in operation, with the Messiah Jesus as King though the men of Israel have not yet recognized Him to be King over Israel. However, after some time Jesus will be recognized as their King who operates under the new covenant of Jer 31:31-32.

Isaiah says some especially interesting things in regards to the covenant that the Messiah will instigate. Isaiah refers to a particular servant of His:

"I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison." (Isa 42:6-7).

Reading Isa 42:1-6 reveals that this is an individual (for the "you" is singular, masculine) and seems to refer to the Messiah. One interesting thing to note is that it says "I will appoint YOU AS A COVENANT." Don't you think that this is a curious phrase? The Messiah will be appointed as a covenant and not that he will enforce or maintain or renew a covenant. He will BE the covenant! We see a similar phrase used in Isa 49:8:

"Thus says the LORD, 'In a favorable time I have answered You, and in a day of salvation I have helped You; and I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, to restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages.'" Isaiah is telling us that the Messiah himself will be the covenant. This is a very curious phrase.

The Messiah as the new covenant is also presented by Daniel the prophet. Daniel wrote:

"Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined." (Dan 9:24-26).

The "weeks" (literally "sevens") which Daniel spoke of cannot possibly be a regular week of seven days because no one appeared even remotely resembling the Messiah that soon after the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The other alternative is that the "sevens" refer to years. Calculating years, starting from Cyrus' decree (compare Isa 44:28; 25:13; and Ezra 1), places the Messiah's coming at the time of Jesus's ministry on earth (around AD 30).

But concerning the new covenant we need to look at the Hebrew word translated as "cut off" in verse 26. The Hebrew word is karath (H3772); it means "to cut" but also means "to covenant" (e.g., Gen 15:9-18 and Jer 34:18). Daniel seems to doubly indicate that the Messiah would be "cut off" and that he would "covenant." This is precisely what happened to Jesus (cut off) and what He did (covenant) when He was crucified. He became the new covenant spoken of by Jeremiah. Note what Daniel later tells us was to be accomplished with the Messiah as the covenant: "to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness." Also note that Isaiah tells us (Isa 42:6) that the Messiah, as the covenant, would be "a light to the nations (i.e., the 'goyim,' the Gentiles)." This is precisely what Jesus accomplished. He is the new covenant that Jeremiah spoke of, the atonement for our sins that Daniel prophesied, and a light to the Gentiles that Isaiah said He would be. And at some point in the future Israel will come into the New Covenant as Jeremiah prophesied.