The Signs of the Times (45): Everlasting

‘When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.’
Hebrews 6:13-17

The Most High has bound Himself to Israel forever – to the land, the people and the city of Jerusalem – in order to bless the nations and the world. He has bound Himself to this inseparably with at least eight everlasting covenants.

They are everlasting and all endorsed by an oath of the God Himself, who swore by His own Name, because He cannot swear by anything or anyone greater than Him, because there is nothing or no one greater than He. Hebrews 6:13 Psalm 105:9.

1945   was the year the United Nations were established
1948   was the year the Jewish State of Israel was proclaimed
1967   Jerusalem was liberated from the Jordanian occupation
1948   was the year the Word Council of Churches was founded

1948 thus was the year that replacement theology, that for centuries theologically had dominated Christianity, died an inglorious death. God was faithful to Himself and to all the covenants He had made with Israel and the Jewish people. Prophecies were being fulfilled. And they are still being fulfilled. We are a special generation. It happens right before our very own eyes.

For centuries, Christianity had taught and believed that the Church had replaced the Jewish people as the chosen people of God. That God had rejected His people Israel because many of the Jewish people had rejected Jesus – while the Church had accepted Jesus. This Christian theology has led for centuries to the hatred and persecution of Jews, with the climax in the Holocaust, which took place in the Christian countries of Europe. The church taught that the judgement of God was on the Jewish people. And suddenly this turned out to be completely incorrect. This wrong theology has led to rivers of Jewish blood spilled in the lands of Christianity. There is a lot of repenting to do, and changing of many Christian concepts. God began to lead His people Israel to a new future, with the first steps being the return to the Promised Land of Israel from all parts of the world, the establishment of the State of Israel 1948 and the liberation of the city of Jerusalem in 1967.

Where is this all leading to? What else is going to happen? Is there hope? For Israel and the Jewish people?

One thing is certain: The Most High will be faithful to Himself. He cannot lie. This makes Israel the greatest sign of hope the world has ever seen. God is faithful. He will not abandon the works of His hands. This is good news for Israel, for the nations, for the Church of Jesus Christ, yes, even for creation itself!

These are the eight covenants: Seven unconditional covenants, which means that they are not dependent on the behaviour of Israel, but are decisions that God made by His own choice how He would deal with Israel and the Jewish people in order to bless the world through them:

1. The covenant with Abrahamic, Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 12:1-3)
2. The covenant about the Promised Land of Israel, the covenant about the land of Canaan (Genesis 13:14-17, 15:18-21, Psalm 105:7-11)
3. The covenant about the everlasting priesthood of Levi (Numbers 25:10-13, Jeremiah 33:19-23)
4. The covenant about the everlasting kingship of the house of David (2 Samuel 7:10-16, Psalm 89, Ezekiel 37: 24-25)
5. The New covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Luke 22:19-20)
6. The covenant about the earthly City of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 16:59-60, 43:1-7, Psalm 132:13-14)
7. The Covenant of Peace (Ezekiel 37:20-28)

One conditional covenant, the 8^th covenant:

8. The covenant of the Law, the covenant of Sinai, the covenant of Moses, the ‘old’ covenant, that ‘will soon disappear.’ Hebrews 8:13 says about that, after having explained the beauty of the New covenant: ‘By calling this covenant “New,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.’

Yet the wisdom of the Torah will last forever. Isaiah 2:2-4 says about that: ‘In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s Temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” The Law [Torah] will go out from Zion, the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.’

If the Most High has bound Himself to Israel with everlasting covenants, should we not stand on God’s side with regard to Israel and the Jewish people?