Yes Hank we agree on the essentials. Wouldn’t be boring if we all agreed on everything.
Think about the implications of what you are assuming in that the cosmos will pass away and that doesn’t refer to the temple and Jewish society ordered around the Old Covenant—that would mean the Mosaic Law is still in affect today and we can’t rely on Christ for salvation.
The Abrahamic Covenant does not refer to the DNA descendents of Abraham—the children of the promise are the Christians—his spiritual descends this is pointed out word for word (Romans 9:8) Paul specifically in no uncertain terms says it is not the physical but the spiritual descendants that are the fulfillment of the promise.
Romans 9: 7 Not all of Abraham’s children are called Abraham’s descendants, but instead your descendants will be named through Isaac. 8 That means it isn’t the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children from the promise who are counted as descendants.
And, unless Paul lied or didn’t know what he was talking about you can’t say there is any distinction between Jews and Gentiles now in God’s eyes.
Romans 10:12 There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord is Lord of all…
Ephesians 3:6
This plan is that the Gentiles would be coheirs and parts of the same body, and that they would share with the Jews in the promises of God in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
This was the mystery that Paul often spoke of.
Forever in the old testament only gets you to the end of the Old Covenant and then these promises are counted as fulfilled and done with.
Galations 3: 19 And in your own verse Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.
You can see here the law was never intended to go past the time of Christ.
Revelations 21 you point to in Regards to Jerusalem is just a symbolic retelling of the temple description given towards the end of Ezekiel.
Bottom line it describes the fact that Christ indwells us now. It is just being given in symbolic language that the crowd listening to the letter being read can envision it and relate to it. Remember most people don’t read in that day and someone will read the letter in a group setting. The images are like movies playing in the mind of the audience.
Without going into the details again, we are agreed as to the facts concerning the law but in disagreement as to the promises of the mighty nation that God promised Abraham.
Gnesis 18
17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
The promise to Abraham did not depend upon the law. It was added to show the sinfulness of sin that every mouth (including Gentile mouths) would be shut.
Israel shall not perish.
2 Samuel 7:24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.
1 Kings 10:9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
1 Chronicles 29:10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
Ezra 3:11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
Ezekiel 43:7 And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places.
Again concerning the cosmos. Why does sin and death remain? Why the need for grave yards?
The cosmos still has the curse of death upon it commonly called entropy which goes against the promise of the Scripture in many places:
Romans 2
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
HankD