JOSEPH W. TKACH
March 1989
Dear Friend:
Thank you for your question concerning the old and new
covenants mentioned in the Bible.
The old covenant was a "marriage agreement" in which Israel
(the wife) promised to obey the Eternal (the husband). God, in
turn, promised to provide for the nation. To obey the husband
meant to keep God's prior-existing law. The old covenant, in
essence, meant simply that the children of Israel would be God's
people and He would be their God.
The conditions of that covenant are found in Exodus 20. It
is important to understand that this was a REAFFIRMATION of the
covenant made originally with Abraham: "On the same day the Lord
made a covenant with Abram, saying: 'To your descendants I have
given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the
River Euphrates'" (Gen. 15:18, NKJV). This same covenant was made
with Abraham's son Isaac and his son Israel (Jacob). Israel had
twelve sons from which came the twelve tribes. It was this
covenant which God fulfilled when He rescued the children of
Israel: "And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his
covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" (Ex. 2:24).
There was just one problem with the old covenant. The
children of Israel did not have God's Holy Spirit and were unable
to fulfill the requirements of that covenant -- to trust and obey
God. Therefore, God is in the process of making a new covenant:
"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no
place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with
them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I
will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the
house of Judah" (Heb. 8:7-8).
Please read the entire chapter of Hebrews 8, which shows
that God will write His Commandments in men's hearts through His
Holy Spirit. So the new covenant has the "better promise" of
God's Holy Spirit. It also has a better reward. Under the old
covenant, the Eternal promised to make Israel a nation above all
people. The promises were purely national and material -- for
this world. The new covenant contains the promise of an "eternal
inheritance" (Heb. 9:15).
Under the new covenant, all humans become spiritual
Israelites and Jews -- including those who were natural-born
Israelites. In that sense, those called out now are given the
promises of the new covenant. They are all spiritual Jews (Rom.
2:28-29) and spiritual Israelites (Gal. 6:16). At this time, God
is calling only scattered individuals, in what can be called "the
Church age." Therefore, the new covenant applies to them.
However, the great fulfillment of the new covenant will occur
when God delivers His people from captivity just prior to the
beginning of the Millennium.
You may wish to read our booklet THE UNITED STATES AND
BRITAIN IN PROPHECY. The booklet traces the history of these
peoples and explains how they became the recipients of the old
covenant promises made to Abraham.
Whenever we may assist you further with your study of the
Bible, we hope you will let us know. It is our pleasure to serve
you.
PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE DEPARTMENT
PASTOR GENERAL