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The Covenants
THE MOSAIC COVENANT
The Mosaic Covenant was a marriage agreement between God and the descendants of Jacob Jer 3:14, Isaiah 54:5.
Like all marriages, this covenant would remain until the death of one of the parties Rom 7:2-3.
The being who became Jesus Christ was the God who married Israel 1 Cor 10:4. All things were created by Jesus
Christ Eph 3:9. He was later made flesh and dwelt among men Joh 1:14, giving up the glory that He had with God
before the world began Joh 17:5.
THEN HE DIED, thus ending the marriage covenant with
Israel. The Mosaic Covenant has been annuled by the death of one of the parties. It no longer exists. Neither
Israel nor Judah are in a covenant of marriage with God any longer.
MOSES SEAT
Jesus said that the Pharisees sit in Moses seat Mat 23:2. It should not be overlooked however,
that Jesus said this, while still in the flesh. The moment that Christ died, the Mosaic covenant died with Him.
The seat of Moses, through which the Pharisees administered the Mosaic covenant, immediately became IRRELEVANT,
for they had suddenly become administrators of a nonexistent agreement. When Christ was raised, His sacrifice was accepted
by God and He became the administrator of a better covenant, with a better sacrifice and a better hope. Christ
became the only mediator between man and God Heb 8:6 and 1 Ti 2:5. JESUS CHRIST is now our high priest for the Levitical
priesthood has been replaced by a new and more efficacious priesthood. Heb 3:1. Now, Christ gave the law to Israel,
it was NOT given by MOSES! Moses was only the mediator of the old covenant, the law was given by the husband.
The marriage was between God and Israel, to which Israel agreed by declaring: Everything that the Eternal has said, WE WILL
DO Ex 24:3, and the Law was God's law. The marriage covenant obligated Israel to obey her husband. The husband
gave His law. The old covenant was simply an agreement to obey in return for certain blessings. The law was NOT
part of the old covenant, which was a simple marriage agreement. The law was a list of the desires and expectations
of the husband, who the wife had pledged to obey. Therefore the desires of the husband as reflected by the law did not
end when the Mosaic marriage ended!! The new covenant is the same as the old, a marriage agreement to obey our husband,
but with a BETTER SACRIFICE AND BETTER PROMISES!!
When a man and woman marry, they agree
that he will take care of and love her and that she will love and obey him. We call this, our marriage vows. At
the marriage, we do not spell out everything that we desire, because the agreement to love, care for and obey covers all else.
Even so, the marriage covenant between God and Israel was about the obedience of Israel and the blessings of God.
The law of God was the expression of God's will, His expectations of His new wife. What He expected of His wife
in the past, He will also expect of His wife in future, for, I change not, saith the Eternal Mal 3:6. If we desire
to be part of His church, His collective bride, we must fulfill our obligations as a wife and seek to please and obey
our espoused husband. Doing His will and keeping His commandments!
The covenant,
whether old or new, is not a detailed list of things that we agree to do. It is an agreement to do EVERYTHING that our
Lord may require. It is a marriage agreement to obey our husband in ALL things. The law is the list of the things
that our Lord requires of us. Since the Eternal does NOT CHANGE Mal 3:6, and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today
and forever Heb 13:8, He will expect and require of us, the same things that He has ALWAYS required of His people.
When Christ died, it was the agreement, that the Eternal would be their God and Israel would be His people, which
ended. The desire of God for a faithful, obedient, loving, caring wife, did not end. God's nature, as reflected
by His commandments, did not end. God's will, as expressed by His commandments, did not end. NOTHING about
God changed, only His relationship with Israel changed!
NOTHING about God's commandments changed.
NOTHING was done away. Even the sacrificial system was not done away! It was FULFILLED BY CHRIST! He was
the perfect and complete sacrifice, ALL other sacrifices were merely prophetic shadows of His TRIUMPH. Being perfect
and complete, it need never be made again. Yet, we weak persons still sin, so that perfect sacrifice needs to
be constantly re applied. His sacrifice, only applied to sins committed before He died, it could never be applied in
advance, for this would be a true license to sin. His sacrifice could only be applied to sins REPENTED of and NOT to
anticipated sin. Now, each time sin is committed and repented of Acts 2:38, Luk 3:3,
Christ applies
His sacrifice, atoning for us. If the law of sacrifice were done away, there would no longer be a legal framework, for
the atonement of todays sins! Christ's sacrifice has fulfilled the entire law of sacrifice and it is that law that
allows for atonement for ALL REPENTANT SINNERS. That is why the law of sacrifice is hated and despised by satan and
his world!
When entering into the new covenant, we promised to obey our espoused husband
Jesus Christ. Tell me, you who say that the Pharisees are in authority over various things; How can you obey both
the Pharisees and Christ, when the Pharisees rejected Christ?
Indeed, those who claim
that the Rabbins of today are the heirs of the Pharisees of Christ's day have forgotten that those Pharisees of Judea
were wiped out by the destruction of Judea in the first century!
They were replaced by the Hellenic Pharisees,
who unlike the Mosaic Pharisees, held the Babylonian Talmud as having greater authority than the Torah of Moses. Modern
Rabbins, who exalt Talmud over Torah, are nothing more than another branch of the Babylonian Mysteries! In the Babylonian
captivity, a small number repented and returned to Judea, where they eventually became so self-righteous that God destroyed
them, the majority remained in Babylon, absorbed Babylonian traditions and were later called Hellenic Pharisees, eventually
dispersing to Greece, Egypt and Rome. The modern Rabbins are NOT the heirs of the Mosaic Pharisees of Christ's day,
they are the heirs of the Hellenic Babylonian Pharisees! Therefore they do NOT and have NEVER sat in Moses seat!
THE NEW COVENANT
I will put my laws into their minds
and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people Heb 8:9-10. I will put
my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them Heb 10:16. Behold the days come, saith the Lord,
that I will make a new covenant Jer 31:31 and Jer 32:37-41. And it shall come about afterward, that I will
pour out my spirit upon ALL FLESH Joel 2:28. This was done, in part only, on the Feast of Firstfruits, with the
holy spirit being poured out publicly upon a kind of firstfruits of the new covenant Acts 2 and Jas 1:18. The very word
FIRSTfruits reveals that other fruits of the same type are expected! This prophecy will be fulfilled in full by the outpouring
of the holy spirit upon all flesh, on the Feast of Firstfruits, establishing the Kingdom of God! As
Israel was a Theocracy, a Kingdom of God, established by a marriage covenant at Sinai on Pentecost. So A New Kingdom
established with a New Covenant, made with ALL FLESH shall begin on the Feast of Pentecost, when our Lord and King comes with
His saints. At that time all people will live lives espoused to and preparing for their future union with Christ, just
as those called out ones are doing today! See our articles on the holydays.
The
new covenant, like the Mosaic, is a marriage covenant. During our physical lives, we are in a period of engagement, where
our fitness to marry the Great King is being assessed 1 Pet 4:17. At the resurrection, when the Bridegroom comes to
take His Bride, the wedding will take place and the new covenant will begin Mat 25:1-13.
Like all marriages, this new covenant bestows certain obligations upon it's participants. The bride must
fulfill all the duties of a wife; to submit, obey, love and please her husband in every way. While the husband undertakes
to; love, care for, protect, provide for and nurture his bride. The presence of God's spirit within the bride will
enable her to fulfill her obligations. Those who seek to be united with Christ for all eternity, must prepare
themselves NOW, by learning FAITHFUL SUBMISSION and LOYALTY to their Lord. He is not willing to enter such a covenant
with a person that He cannot TRUST, who may at some future time rebel, causing immense damage and suffering,
therefore a trial and learning period in this life is necessary.
A marriage covenant
is an agreement between two parties, to be kept as long as they shall live. Physical marriage is a reflection of the
spiritual relationship between Christ and His people Eph 5:21-33, especially verse 32. Because of this, satan does all
he can to pervert and damage physical marriage, in order to obscure the spiritual reality, of God's intentions.
Right now, some humans are being given a token amount of God's spirit so that they can prepare for that spiritual
union at the resurrection of the dead. They are being tested and judged now, to determine their worthiness for this
honour. The wedding and wedding feast will take place immediately after the resurrection. Shortly after this, God's
spirit will be poured out upon all flesh Joel 2:28, making a New Covenant with ALL MANKIND, ushering in a millennium
of peace, a sabbath of rest, with all men living in the presence of their CREATOR Rev 20:2 and 4. For it is written;
I will make a NEW COVENANT with the HOUSE OF ISRAEL Heb 8:8-10, writing my laws upon their hearts, that is, giving them
the HOLY SPIRIT! At that time ALL MANKIND will be graffed into the natural olive tree, the family of Israel Romans 11.
YES, the NEW COVENANT, WILL be established with the whole house of Israel and all those who agree to keep the
commandments of God. For it is written that any stranger who agrees to be circumcised, in the flesh and to keep the
commandments and the Passover, shall be considered as an Israelite Ex 12:48. IF this be true of the Mosaic Covenant,
it is also true of the New Covenant to be made with Israel. Any stranger who agrees to keep the commandments of God
and the Passover and is circumcised in the SPIRIT shall be counted as an Israelite, a participant in the New Covenant! A part
of SPIRITUAL ISRAEL!
The New Covenant IS the writing of God's laws
upon the hearts and in the minds of people. God IS going to do this with ALL FLESH. HE SAID SO! He WILL
do this at the return of Christ to establish the Kingdom of God! As the Theocratic relationship between God and Israel
was established by a covenant, so the Kingdom of God will be established by a New Covenant! As a token of the Holy Spirit
was given to the called out ones throughout history, God demonstrated at Pentecost, that the same token shall be given to
all flesh at the Return of Christ, on the same day of Pentecost (see SPRING FESTIVALS page), as all flesh are then called
into His kingdom.
When the called of this age have been chosen and changed, they shall
then fully enter this New Covenant of Marriage with Christ. Even so, when God's Kingdom is established on this world,
this opportunity to be espoused to God will be extended to all persons living at that time, for God's Spirit will be poured
out upon ALL FLESH Joel 2:28 and at their final choosing and change into spirit, they shall also enter into the fullness of
the New Covenant of Marriage with Christ. Later, He WILL perform the same process with all of the main harvest, after their
resurrection to flesh, during the Ingathering of All Nations!
The New Covenant WILL be extended to ALL FLESH Joel 2:28. GOD SAID SO!
What a Hope! What a Joy to understand. The FIRSTfruits are only the FIRST of many more to come! It is time
to reacquaint ourselves with the letter to the HEBREWS.
The Holy Spirit; and The Resurrection
What happens
when we die? Is that when judgement takes place? Do we immediately go to heaven, hell or some other place?
Are the dead conscious, thinking, knowing; somehow still living? How can the dead be brought back to life when the body
is destroyed? What about the resurrections?
LIFE AND DEATH
Death is when the physical body ceases to function, for whatever reason. When this happens consciousness is lost,
body activities stop and the body begins to decay.
Life can be defined as the ability to grow, respond to
stimuli and to reproduce. There are six types of life that we are aware of. 1 The single cell or very
few cell organisms. These would include viruses, bacteria and microscopic life. 2 The next level would
be plant life. 3 Animal life exhibits a certain level of intelligence, not seen in the first two forms.
4 Human life, which features an even higher level of intelligence, the ability to reason and to imagine.
5 Spirit life, which appears to lack the ability to reproduce but is otherwise fully alive and is self contained
life, not requiring the input of energy to maintain life. 6 God life. Which is fully self-contained
life, featuring the highest level of energy and intelligence.
Each layer of life has distinct improvements
over the previous layers. Animals have more freedom of movement and are able to form attachments that we might consider
emotional interactions. Plants cannot do this. Humans have considerably more intelligence and ability than animals.
The human has something that we call a mind, that animals do not have. What is a mind? Biblically it is called
a spirit. There is a spirit that is given to humans, that enables them to perform; thinking, imagining, creating functions,
far beyond the ability of any animal. Pro 18:14, 20:27 and 25:28; James 2:26; 1 Cor 2:11, Gen 45:27. Animals do not
have a mind, they do not have this type of spirit.
When a human person dies, the spirit that God placed in
him goes back to the God who gave it. Ecc 12:7. When we are concieved and develope into a fully formed individual,
we are born and God places a spirit in us. When we die that spirit is removed and goes back to God. I realize
that this analogy may not be perfect but, to illustrate this point: We might liken the body to a computer and the spirit
of man to a disc. The disc allows the computer to function at a higher level while recording everything that the computer
does. Our spirit lifts our level of function from the animal level and records every thing we think, say or do!
When the computer wears out or is turned off, the disc may be removed and put into a new, better computer. So, when
our body fails, our spirit can be removed and placed into a new body whenever God is ready to do so. Either the same
type of body or into a much upgraded model!
While our bodies are certainly ours and are part of us, everything
that you are, your thoughts, knowledge, experience, beliefs, memories and character are contained in the mind, the spirit
of man.
Now the disc even though it contains so much information REQUIRES the computer to function. It cannot
function on it's own. Even so, the spirit in man, the human mind, REQUIRES a body to function. It MUST be
plugged into a body to function. It CANNOT see, hear, think, feel or perform any function whatsoever, if it not placed
in a living, functioning body. For it is written that the dead know not anything Ecc 9:4-5.
To further
illustrate the point, we may turn to nature. Much about the mind of God can be learned by looking at His creation.
It is written; Thou worm Jacob Isa 41:14 and again; man is but a worm Job 25:6. A little inquiry here will show
that the word rendered worm, is actually a maggot or caterpillar. Lets examine the life-cycle of the worm or caterpillar.
They start off a wormlike creature that consumes voraciously and grows. They then enter a cocoon where hidden from
all eyes a dramatic change take place. They then emerge as a totally new creature, one that could not even have been
imagined by just looking at the caterpillar or maggot. Their life consists of three stages; development and growth,
followed by the apparent death of the creature and completed by the change into a totally new creature. Just think,
a caterpillar appears to die and emerges a beautiful butterfly! A man lives his life learning and building his character,
then dies and is then changed into a NEW CREATURE.
His spirit, which is the very crux of what he is, is put
into a NEW BODY and his life goes on.
The spirit of man or the mind of man, IS the man. When the body
shuts down, it has served it's purpose and is of no more use than is the castings of the maggot or caterpillar. It will
decay and return to dust. Whether that body is cremated or buried or eaten by wild beasts does not really matter. The
spirit, the sum of the person has gone back to God and is in God's hands. Where are these spirits kept by God? God
knows, I don't, but I do know that are not animate, not functioning until they are placed into a new body. Rev 6:9
indicates that the souls (Greek psuche spirits) of God's people are kept under God's altar in heaven, whether
the spirits of those who died not knowing God, are kept in some other place or not I do not know. I do know that the
spirits of all men shall be placed in a new body. That body may be made of spirit itself or it may be a new fleshly body.
Those who are Christ's at His coming will receive a new body made of spirit. The rest of the dead shall receive
a new physical body at their resurrection, until such time as they are judged by God. At that time they shall be changed
into a spiritual body or they shall be destroyed in the second death Rev 21:7-8, for God is able to destroy BOTH FLESH AND
SPIRIT Mat 10:28
As the spirit of man raised him above the animals, so the Spirit of God is higher than man.
God has called some through the ages and given them a limited amount of His Spirit. This raised the mind or spirit
of man to a still higher level, for he will begin to understand the things of God. As no animal can understand the things
of a man, so no man can comprehend the things of God. Man must have his mind expanded by the addition of the Holy Spirit
of God, to begin to understand the things of God.
Those who receive this GIFT OF GOD and are willing to
REPENT to CHANGE their nature, by following where God's Spirit leads and to embrace the things that God's Spirit reveals
will be given a new body made of Spirit and become the CHILDREN OF GOD!
If we do not have the Holy Spirit
of God added to our spirit, we can not even begin to understand the things of God. Rom 8:7. We will not be subject to
Him and we can not be born of Him. We must be made flesh again and this time be given God's Spirit, so that we may
begin to comprehend the things of God.
THE RESURRECTIONS
The resurrections can be divided into several types. I would like to call the first type: Demonstration Resurrections.
Jesus said I am the resurrection Joh 11:25. To demonstrate and prove this point, he waited for several days until
Lazarus was well known by everyone to be absolutely dead and then raised him back to his physical life Joh 11. Later,
at Christ's death, God raised many that had been dead, back to physical life Mat 27:52-53. This was to demonstrate
the power of God and to give the saints hope through a display of that power. In like manner, to demonstrate the power
of God in His apostles and prophets, both Peter Acts 9:40 and Elisha 2 Kings 8:5 raised the dead to physical life. These
events were performed to give us hope and to demonstrate the power and glory of God.
Next is the resurrection
to eternal life in spirit. Jesus Christ was resurrected into eternal life as the only begotten Son of God. A firstborn
of many brethren. The first of the firstfruits. The beginning of the early harvest. Changed into eternal self
living SPIRIT as a child of God. Those who are His at His coming will be resurrected or changed to become like Him Ph'p
3:21. I do not think that I need to quote the scriptures concerning the resurrection of Christ, which are very many
and well known.
So far we have 1 Demonstration resurrections 2 The resurrection of Christ 3 The
resurrection of the firstfruits and then comes 4 A final resurrection to physical life of the main body of mankind.
Rev 20:11-14, Ezek 37 When their judgement is completed they will either be destroyed Rev 20:15 or be given eternal
life Rev 22:14 for the second death, is the FINAL death. There is No resurrection from the second death Rev 20:14-15.
After the resurrection of the firstfruits, they are to rule the earth for one thousand years, in peace, with Jesus Christ.
Rev 20:4. During that time there will be NO other resurrections for it is written; But the rest of the dead lived NOT
again until the thousand years were finished. Rev 20:5. When the thousand years are expired, satan shall be loosed Rev
20:7-10 for a short time, after which he will be removed forever! This is probably because, after one thousand years
of peace, mankind will have forgotten the evil of sin. Those living at the end of this time will have had no experience
with the suffering that sin brings, they will have become complacent and unbelieving and they will NEED a reminder.
AFTER the thousand years there will be a resurrection of ALL the other remaining dead and they will be judged Rev 20:10-15.
This is the main harvest of mankind. The time of the INGATHERING of all nations into the Family of God. All humanity
will be raised, in their courses and taught the way of God, being given understanding and the Spirit of God. They will be
given a certain amount of time to learn and develop and to prove themselves. If they repent, turning from their commandment
breaking and willingly follow where God's Spirit leads, It shall lead them into the Family of God. If they do not, then
the second death awaits. Rev 20:13-15. They shall all be judged by their own conduct, according to the words of the
Book of Life, the Holy Scripture. This main harvest of the Great White Throne judgement Rev 20:11 when completed, will
be followed by a NEW heaven and earth Rev 21, a NEW BEGINNING for
ALL mankind, at last at total PEACE in HARMONY
with GOD and each other.
For a greater understanding of this final resurrection, please read
the article on the FALL FESTIVALS.
For more on the resurrection of the firstfruits please read the article
on the SPRING FESTIVALS.
1 Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
A comment by Kenneth Hoeck
The sun had set and it was becoming
very dark. A young boy was seen cutting across the cemetery and was later asked by an observer, "Aren't you afraid?"
"No," said the boy. "I only cut through here to get home."
The boy didn't see any
reason to fear the cemetery; the graveyard was only a place he passed through for but a moment. The only thing he focused
on was that he was going home. In the same way, we have no reason to fear death; it is merely a shortcut to our heavenly
home which shall descend from God. The Bible tells us that, because in death we have no feelings, memories or consciousness,
it will seem for us to be only an instant that we are absent from this life and this body that we are present with the Lord.
Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more
a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. [They have no conscious thoughts but sleep soundly in the grave-kh] Job
14:13-15 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that
thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time
will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.1
Corinthians 15:52-54 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal
must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
What a comforting
thought! Friends, if we have entered covenant with the Lord as our Savior, we have an eternity yet to live with Him!
We should rejoice in that fact and keep our eyes firmly fixed on Christ until we so long for the Kingdom that, like the little
boy, we see no reason to fear the shortcut home. Death for you, as a child of God, is to fall asleep in His arms and awake
in your new body, alive forever beyond the power of pain, safe forever from all sickness and suffering.
Another
analogy one can draw upon is that dying is like when you were a small child that fell asleep on the way home from grandma’s
house, and after mom and dad had driven you home, youe woke up in your own room but didn't remember the trip, being carried
to your room or tucked into your bed. So it is with dying. We fall asleep here on earth and wake up in the room
Jesus has prepared for us in the kingdom (John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also
in me. In my
Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.).
You don’t have to be scared to death
of death. Jesus taught us about this on the cross when he died for you and me. At his death, unafraid and confident,
he quoted Psalm 31:5: “Into thine hand I commit my spirit” Trusting in his Father to deliver him, he put
Himself entirely in his Father’s hands and let go of his bodily life on earth. He knew his Father would restore Him
to Himself in heaven. He promised to return for you and call you from your grave to eternal life with Him. So what do you
have to be afraid of? Paradise lies on the other side of death.
A sick man turned to his doctor, as
he was leaving the room after paying a visit, and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."
Very quietly the doctor said, "I don't know." The patient retorted,"What? You don't know?
You, a medical professional and Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"
The doctor was
holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came an eager sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened
the door a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness and affection.
Turning
to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know
what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened he sprang in without fear. I know
little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing: I know my Master is there, and that is enough. And
when the door opens, I shall pass through not only with no fear, but with great joy and anticipation."
2 Corinthians 5:1-8 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of
God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with
our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore
we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith,
not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Revelation 21:2-4 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he
will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more
pain: for the former things are passed away.
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