Hi kyredneck
You asked..........
“Could you briefly show from scripture what you mean by “ God’s covenant with Israel, is open-ended”, a covenant that we are plainly told has been abolished, done away in Christ?”
Yes I can and I will try to keep it brief.
One meaning of “open-ended”, is that it is everlasting........
1 Chronicles 16:16-19
V.16 [Even of the covenant] which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;
V.17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, [and] to Israel [for] an everlasting covenant,
V.18 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;
V.19 When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.
The Jews are God’s people, and will always be God’s people.
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Another aspect, of being “open-ended”, is that it isn’t dependent upon the Jews to keep it.......
Psalms 89:28-37
V.28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
V.29 His seed also will I make [to endure] for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
V.30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;
V.31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;
V.32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
V.33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
V.34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
V.35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
V.36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
V.37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and [as] a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
Old testament saints, had eternal security just like we do.
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As for you statement, of what we are plainly told has been abolished, and done away in Christ, is talking about the Old Testament law.
The law itself hasn’t been done away with, but it’s use in sanctification has been done away.
The Old Testament saints, were sanctified by keeping the law(as best they could); And they needed the law because they did not have God’s indwelling Holy Spirit.
But, we don’t need the law for sanctification, because the Holy Spirit personally tells us what God wants us to do.............
2 Corinthians 3:18
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
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Next I said that the Jews are still God’s people:
And you asked..........
“Can you reconcile that statement with(this list of) scriptures?:”
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Romans 4:14
“For if they which are of the law [be] heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:”
The Jews were not “of the law”, as the previous verse says..........
Romans 4:13
“For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.”
The Jews were saved by grace, just like we are.
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Romans 9:8
“That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”
This verse proves my point: “....the children of the promise are counted for the seed”
God’s promise to the Jews, is still in effect.
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Galatians 3:18
“For if the inheritance [be] of the law, [it is] no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise.”
This verse also supports my view: “..........but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise.”
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Philippians 3:3
“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
In this passage, Paul is talking about the error of legalism, and pointing out that “works of the flesh”, don’t do anything for us.
But it says nothing about God’s covenant with the Jews.
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Next you quoted me..........
As for the Church, being removed from history after the Rapture:
Actually the Church will only be removed from the Earth, during the 70th week of Daniel.
But will officially return to the new earth, in about 1,007 years.....
You asked..........
“Is this speculation or is there scripture that shows it to be so?”
It is so hard to be brief, but I will do my best.
The seven year tribulation period that is coming to this earth, has nothing to do with the Church, but is for the Jews only........
Daniel 9:24-27
V.24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
V.25 Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
V.26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
V.27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
In Daniel 9:, we see that Daniel was studying the book of Jeremiah, and found the prophecy of 70 years:
Daniel 9:2
“In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”
i.e That the Jews would be in captivity for 70 years.
With this observation, Daniel fell on his face before God from verses 3-19, because he knew that his people had not yet learned their lesson, and were as wicked as they were when the captivity started.
Then the LORD answers his prayer, by sending him a message.........
Daniel 9:24-27
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Here the LORD is explaining to Daniel, the deeper meaning of the “70 year prophecy”, that he had read in Jeremiah.
That 70 years, is actually 70 weeks of years.
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city”
God was going to keep the Jews in bondage, for 490 years, before they would repent!
“to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity”
Also, in verse 24, God tells Daniel about the completion of the revelation of His Word to man.......
“and to seal up the vision and prophecy” (A canonized Bible)
And the Lord’s millennial reign.......
“and to anoint the most Holy”
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Then in verse 25, the LORD explains all that will happen, between the 69 & 70 week of years.......
“from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks:”
By the way, “seven weeks” + “threescore and two weeks” = 69 weeks, of years.
And here is what God told Daniel would happen, between the 69th and 70th week....
Christ would be rejected by His people........
“shall Messiah be cut off”
But it would be for our benefit.........
“but not for himself:”
And the Romans will destroy Jerusalem........
“and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary”
(The prince{small cap “p”}, being the anti-Christ.
And this prince, will sign a 7 year peace treaty with Israel.........
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week”
But in after 3 ½ year, he will double cross them.......
“and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
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God has put off His final 7 year chastisement of Israel, during the Church age, which will end at the rapture.
