Tag Archives: New Covenant

Ezekiel’s Dry Bones Prophecy

Teaching,

 

When?

Ezekiel chapter 37 describes his experience of being carried out in the Spirit to the Valley of Dry Bones in order to prophesy to them. These bones represented the whole house of Israel which at that time had been captured and carried away into Babylon. The historical timeline for this was during the seventy years of captivity, about 605 to 535 BC. This captivity was for seventy years as foretold by Jeremiah 25:11-12, which also promised a “return” to the land.

A False Conflation of Scriptures

Did this captivity literally end in seventy years? Yes, according to Ezra 1:1-4. Yet many so-called “prophets” today are saying that this is only being fulfilled in recent times, about 2500 years later, by a people calling themselves “Israel.”  They are making a false conflation of the Scriptures, artificially fusing the Old Testament promises of a literal return to a geographical land with the eternal promises of the New Covenant, also foretold by Jeremiah 32:40; 33:1-26.

The New Covenant

This New Everlasting Covenant was to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Branch of Righteousness. Contrary to popular “prophesy,” these modern so-called “Israelis” can only be saved from their sins by this Branch, Jesus. According to Amos 9:10-11: “All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, ‘the evil shall not overtake nor prevent us’. In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.”

Fulfilled In Jesus Christ

This was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and His ministry according to Acts 15:15-18: “And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, ‘After this I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,’ saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.”

Do not be deceived by a false conflation of the Scriptures. Jesus is the Mediator of the New Covenant, the Heir of the promises, the Branch of Righteousness, the true Tabernacle of David.

Did the Law End With Christ?

Teaching, , ,

Romans 10:4: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Does this mean that Christ ended or stopped the Law? No. Let us look at the word end.
The Greek word here is #5056 in Strong’s Concordance. It means “to set out as a goal, a purpose, a point aimed at.” Christ is the goal and purpose of the Law.

Galatians 3:24-25 shows this purpose: “Wherefore the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” The ‘schoolmaster’ has brought us to Christ, the goal, and purpose of the Law.

Jesus said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled,” Matthew 5:17-18.

The Old Covenant of the Law was with the Fleshly Israel, and was broken by them thereby making it obsolete.

Jeremiah 31:31: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Jeremiah 31:32: “Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord.”

The promise of the New Covenant was: “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel ; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people,” Jeremiah 31:33, quoted in Hebrews 10:16 and in Hebrews 8:8-10.

The New Covenant was to exceed the Old Covenant, not to nullify it.

Whereas the Old Covenant was about external, fleshly actions and works, the New Covenant was to exceed it by also being internalized, a matter of the heart, a spiritual reality in motive, in thought and in intent. The born-again Spirit finds it a delight, not burdensome.

It is more serious to transgress the New Covenant than the Old: Hebrews 10:26-31:

“26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance [belongeth] unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 [It is] a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” – Hebrews 10:26-31 KJV.

Hebrews 6:4 “For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.” – Hebrews 6:4-6 KJV.