WERE GOD’S PROMISES TO ISRAEL FOREVER?
“And I will establish my covenant between you and Me and you and your offspring after you through their generations for an everlasting covenant. . . and I will give to you and your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.” (Genesis 17:7-8; cf. Genesis 13:15; 48:4; Isaiah 60:21)
“The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as He has sworn to you, IF you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. . . But IF you will not obey. . . the LORD will send on you curses. . . until you are destroyed.” (Deuteronomy 28:9, 15, 20; cf. Zechariah 11:10)
Errors of biblical interpretation arise for several reasons, including:
1. Failure to reconcile all passages that seem to be different.
2. Presuppositions from errors arising from one’s denominational echo chamber (“mass formation hypnosis”).
3. Confusing new covenant things with old covenant things.
The two passages above from Genesis and Deuteronomy appear to be contradictory. On the one hand, God’s promises to Israel are everlasting. On the other hand, they are contingent on obedience. How do we reconcile these? Here’s how:
“God’s promises to Israel were forever so long as they were obedient. If they fail the obedience test, the promises are null and void. There is a limit to God’s patience.”
Was Israel obedient? NO. God took the blessings of the covenant away from the Jews as we see in such passages as this:
“Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. . . When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them.” (Matthew 21:43, 45)― leaving a remnant of faithful Jews to be saved along with believers in Christ―the new Israel of God (Romans 11)
The New Testament declares that all God’s covenant promises were fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 1:54-55, 69-75; 2 Corinthians 1:20), the ultimate offspring of Abraham (Matthew 1:1; Galatians 3:16). The new covenant began at the cross, being announced at the Last Supper when Jesus declared “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20).
But we understand from the book of Hebrews that the Old Covenant was washed away in finality in AD 70 when the temple was destroyed―and along with it the animal sacrifices for sin ended forever and the priesthood ended forever:
“In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:13)
Why did God take the blessings of the kingdom away from the Jews? ANSWER:
1. They were exceeding sinful (Matthew 12:38-39; 16:4; 23:13-38; Luke 9:41).
2. They broke the old covenant (Hebrews 8:8-9).
3. They persecuted and killed Jesus’ followers (Matthew 21:34-36; 22:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16; Revelation 18:20-24). Indeed, the first century Jews would suffer the penalty for all the righteous blood ever shed (Matthew 23:35-36).
4. They refused to accept Jesus as Messiah (Matthew 23:37).
5. They participated with Rome in Jesus’ crucifixion (Matthew 21:37-39; 27:24-26; John 19:15.)
The truly everlasting covenant would be the New Covenant in Christ (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 37:26-27; Hebrews 12:28; 13:20).
For more about this, see my article about the everlasting Israel of God in the new covenant―and the fundamental change to God’s covenant community:
https://prophecyquestions.com/who-is-the-israel-of-god-in-the-new-covenant/
Hey biblical scholar. How come Israel is a nation again? Why is Jerusalem a cup of trembling? Why are the nations of psalm 83 identified around Israel? Why is Ezekiel chapter 37, 38, and 39 coming into clear vision?
In Revelation, the church is talked about. Seven different churches that were real and also were represented as timeframes in history. We have churches performing circus acts instead of proclaiming the gospel. After chapter 3 the church is not talked about and all things are mentioned about the third temple. Context, context, context. I would be worried if I was a partaker of Gods blessing and turned my back on him. Don’t return to the vomit.
There will be a 70th week for Israel. It will not be pleasant but there will be 12000 from each of the 12 tribes.
Did God make an unconditional covenant with Abraham? Or maybe it was conditional and Abraham didn’t know it or God changed his mind after making the unconditional covenant?
Wasn’t Abraham the first Hebrew? Or are you going to say that Adam or Noah were Hebrews?
Wasn’t Israel a nation before the Mosaic covenant? So why did God change Jacob’s name to Israel?
Wasn’t the Abraham’s covenant before the Mosaic covenant? Or maybe not?
So now God’s unconditional covenant wasn’t really unconditional.
Unconditional can be conditional, right?
So God is not always faithful to his covenant?
I guess that sometimes God will be deceptive or break his word? Does it say that in the book of Hebrews?
And now Abraham Isaac and Jacob weren’t really Hebrews or Israel?
Didn’t Moses break the Law? Isn’t that why he couldn’t enter the promised land.
Is Moses in Hell because he broke the old covenant law? So what was he doing in the Transfiguration?