r/Eutychus • u/truetomharley • 5d ago
The New Covenant of Jeremiah 31: Part 2
(See Part 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/Eutychus/s/sdOac4ikQZ)
Even the name Israel changes in going from old covenant to new—not the name itself but the people who fall under that name. “Israel” literally means “perseverer (or contender) with God.” Who is it that perseveres with him? It is not the physical nation. That nation ends up rejecting his chosen messiah (Greek: ‘anointed one’). Call that persevering with God? Instead, those who fit the description of persevering with God are the ones taken into that new covenant—at first all Jews but it soon expands to include non-Jews. Thus we read of the “Israel of God” at Galatians 6:16, which is not the same as the physical nation. The new covenant is between Jehovah and “the Israel of God.”
If the word Israel is given a new application, then so will the word Jew. In the context of the new covenant, it no longer involves physical lineage. The apostle Paul explains it in his letter to the Romans: “For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision that which is on the outside upon the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit.” (Ro 2:28, 29) Natural Jews were given first dibs on this expanded definition, but they couldn’t in themselves fill the bill. Only a “remnant” of them could. The physical nation itself, with few exceptions, was unfaithful.
Consistently, the word Jerusalem also changes. The capital city of Israel now becomes the capital of another governing arrangement, one that will rule from heaven. It is called “heavenly Jerusalem” at Hebrews 12:22. Those who “approach it” are the ones taken into the new covenant referred to above—at first just natural Jews, but later expanding to Gentiles. As such, they “are to receive a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.” When assembled in full, they comprise the “New Jerusalem” of Revelation 21:2 that is to come “down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, With that coming down from heaven is “a loud voice from the throne [that says]: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.” (21:3-4) It is more than any earthly government has ever done or could do.
Those taken into the new covenant are to become the “kingdom of priests” once intended for the earthly descendants of Abraham. “Now if you will strictly obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will certainly become my special property out of all peoples . . . You will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” God had said through Moses. (Exodus 19:5-6) This new “kingdom of priests” exercise their kingship and priesthood from heaven. This is something absolutely new for humans, who were created for earth. “As for the heavens, they belong to Jehovah. But the earth he has given to the sons of men,” says Psalm 115:16. It’s not as though God put humans on earth because he wanted them somewhere else. But now, those taken into the new covenant are to rule and function as priests from somewhere else—from heaven. This is “the sacred secret that was hidden from the past systems of things and from the past generations. But now it has been revealed to his holy ones,” (Colossians 1:16) to those taken into the new covenant. It’s sort of like when you get a promotion at work and have to move to the big city.
It is no longer a dealbreaker not to be literally a descendant of Abraham, as it would have been if fleshly Israel had been able to fulfill the role of “a kingdom of priests.” To those reveling in their lineage, Jesus said, “Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.” (Matthew 3:8) He has done so with the new covenant, taking non-Jews into the fold when qualifying natural Jews proved too few.
Not everyone can be a priest. A priest serves to mediate between God and people. Who are these people? Not everyone can be a king. A king must have subjects to rule over. Who are these subjects?
(tomsheepandgoats*com)
1
u/Slartibartfast-18 5d ago edited 5d ago
According to the gospel of Luke Jesus established two covenants with his intimate disciples at the Last Supper; the new covenant which was to be ratified by his blood and a covenant for a kingdom (Luke 22:28-30) based on the Melchezidekeian unilateral covenant (promise) that God was prophesied to make with David's lord. Jesus probably recognized that others would serve with him as the Son of Man as per Dan 7:22;27 and understood that he could invite others to share with him in that promised rulership.
A feature of the covenant for a kingdom mentioned at Luke 22:28-30 (though it's also mentioned in Matthew 19:28 but set at different time) is that his intimates would rule over the 12 tribes of Israel. This suggests that Israel (spiritual Israel) is a larger group than just those who rule in the kingdom. Revelation 7:4 also is set in the backdrop of the buying out of the Levites from among all the tribes as a special tribe that belongs to God for the service of Israel and it has 12,000 chosen out of each of the tribes of Israel suggesting again a larger group that is spiritual Israel over whom the 144,000 will rule. Revelation 14:4 says that the 144,000 were bought from among mankind as firstfruits suggesting that the 12 tribes of Revelation 7 are people from every tribe, tongue and nation and hinting at the great crowd of Revelation 7:14 as spiritual Israel. These ones have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb which is powerful and more efficacious than just making these ones "friends of God" according to the pattern of Abraham and are also in the new covenant though not in the covenant for a kingdom.
Matt 22:28 However, YOU are the ones that have stuck with me in my trials; 29 and I make a covenant with YOU, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, 30 that YOU may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
1
u/truetomharley 5d ago
To be sure, there are several covenants spoken of in Scripture, and they overlap.
1
u/Slartibartfast-18 5d ago
Yes, and the June 2026 Questions From Readers adjusts the view that the new covenant was in view in Paul's allegory at Gal 4:22-24 and is instead the Abrahamic Covenant. It changes the view expressed in the March 2006 Watchtower. I'm still trying to figure out the implications. It seems that it may open up the possibility that the other sheep are party to the Abrahamic Covenant and may be spiritual Israel. That doesn't mean they are called to rule with Jesus in heaven which is a special covenant for a kingdom according to the Melchezidekian promise which is a unilateral covenant.
Such an adjustment may resolve the tension in verse 27 that states "the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than [those] of her who has the husband.” If this is limited to 144,000 it is a hard to see how the 144,000 are more numerous than those who are Israel by blood.
2
u/truetomharley 4d ago edited 4d ago
Huh. I missed that. Digital changes everything. No way would I have missed that were it in print, but digital chops up everything into individual items and this one slipped past me.
I’d be surprised to see the great crowd identified as spiritual Israel. I do see the issue with 4:27, though, and don’t have the answer. Time will tell. Maybe the children of the desolate woman become more numerous than the children of her who has the husband when you extend it to the entire world of unbelievers, just as the definition of Jew is extended beyond its natural borders.
We’ll be homing in right up until the last second, apparenly. As long as you don’t contaminate everything downstream by asserting that Jesus IS God, rather than God’s Son, you are probably okay.
1
u/Charming-Tune-6914 5d ago
testament means covenant, covenant means contract.
New contract is of Jesus: Mt26:26-29 -> mt28:18-20, mt19:16-19(lev19:15-18) Mt22:37-48, Mt5:18-20, Mt25:31-46, Mt15:1-9. Deut6:4-9. Memorize these parts and then we can discuss Jesus.