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Unbanned Bible Publications |
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Defending God’s Truth in Church Doctrine and Political History – Renette Vermeulen |
JESUS’ SPIRITUAL, INTERNATIONAL NEW TESTAMENT COVENANT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GODRenette Vermeulen
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[Acknowledgement to the person who compiled and published this image] ———————————————————————————————- “Are you the [political] king of the Jews?” Pontius Pilate demanded. “My Kingdom is not of this world,” Jesus answered. “If My Kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My Kingdom is not from here.” God’s Spiritual Kingdom has no earthly origin, source, or political aspirations, (Jn. 18:36.)
Related articles: Þ Israel’s National, Old Testament Law or The First Covenant was Their Way to GodÞ The Old Covenant priesthood was forever changed to Jesus’ eternal Melchizedekian priesthood Þ The Bible was written in Two Testaments or Covenants for a very good reason
On this page: Þ The Temple Veil was torn from top to bottom; separation between man and God ceased Þ The Eternal New Testament Covenant, written in the blood of Jesus Þ Jesus did not annul the [ceremonial temple] Law until He fulfilled the entire Law: Mt. 5:17-20 Þ If the first covenant were faultless, no place would have been sought for a second Covenant Þ The Old Testament temple was totally destroyed: Heb. 9:8-12! Þ The temple of the Holy Spirit built ‘without hands:’ Acts 7:44-50 Þ The Old Levitical priesthood was forever changed to Melchizedek’s eternal spiritual priesthood Þ Melchizedek, the Risen High Priest and God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Only Head of His body Þ The Bible was written in Two Testament or Covenants for an important reason Þ God speaks through His New Testament/Covenant Word, the Lord Jesus Christ: Heb. 1:1-3
INTRODUCTION The contextual Truth of New Testament Scripture teaches, at the cross, the Lord Jesus first utterly fulfilled and then completely annulled God’s Old Testament Covenant with the Hebrew nation concerning the country of Israel, the literal temple, the ceremonial temple law, the Levitical priesthood, and everything pertaining to it: Heb. 8:7,13; 7:15-19; 9:8-15. This study is not ‘replacement theology,’ which, Messianic Judaists say, ‘replaced physical Israel’ to “supersede Judaism.” Messianic and other Judaists reject the Lord Jesus of the New Testament Covenant, the Only Way, Truth, and Life, as the One and Only Christ of the entire believing world, (Jn. 3:16-18.) They do not believe the many Scriptures that state, the Lord Jesus literally ousted the entire Hebraic Old Testament Covenant. Instead, they reject the New Testament and falsely allege that the Old Testament “remains valid for Jews” and Messianics: Heb. 8:13. They are still waiting for their christ to come, while the Old Testament prophesies that refer to the Christ, were fully fulfilled by the Lord Jesus. There is no doubt that there is no other Christ than the Lord Jesus. And yes, His Koine Greek Name is Jesus, as the New Testament was written in Greek and not in Hebrew. The ‘holy name’ movement blaspheme by twisting and rejecting the Name of Jesus. Paul explained the function of the Old Testament during New Testament times as follows in 1 Corinthians 10:6-11, “All those things happened to [the Israelites] as examples, and were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages, [the New Testament Covenant,] has come.” He also cautioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, “Test ALL things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” To that, John added this serious warning, “Do not believe every spirit; but test the spirits [their manifestations and teachings,] to see if they are of God…” (1 Jn. 4:4.) Thus, none of my studies are grounded on church doctrine. Only the entire, contextual truth of God’s Word, interpreted from the viewpoint of the New Testament Covenant in Christ, is Truth.
THE TEMPLE VEIL WAS TORN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM; SEPARATION BETWEEN MAN AND GOD CEASED. [This is an extract from the free e-book Relationship Versus Religion.] When the Lord Jesus Christ died with this shout of victory on His lips, "IT IS FINISHED,” [I atoned in full for all the sin and brokenness of humanity, which they inherited from the fall,] the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, and the rocks split and opened mausoleums so that many entombed bodies of [true believers] which slept, rose…” Jn. 19:28-30; Rom. 5:12; Rev. 1:18, Heb. 2:14-15 KJV. This incredible miracle was a symbol of the resurrection that awaits all those who physically die in Jesus: Mt. 27:51-52; 1 Ths. 4:14-17. As the human being Jesus Christ died, the spirit world must have shuddered under His full-blown onslaught on the devil and all his demons, to redeem humanity from death, separation from God, and cursedness. His victory manifested in the material world as He conquered darkness and it lost its grip on His believers of Light. While the Lord Jesus Christ uttered that incredible cry of victory with His last breath, His victory over spiritual and physical death rent the rocks that entombed humanity. And finally, as He finished everything to fully atone for all true believers in Him, His victory over the separation between man and God manifested in the tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom, to signify that the division between man and God was forever destroyed: Mt. 27:51; Jn. 3:16; Heb. 4:12.
Jesus’ wonder of tearing apart the separating temple veil, is that we still experience that almighty power at the preaching of His true Gospel. Humans who are separated from God are then set free of deception and spiritual death by the power of His Word, which is ‘spirit and life’ - if they choose to “eat” or accept the Tree of Life and reject the tree of ‘The knowledge of good and evil,’ which they inherited from the fall: Mt. 27:51; Jn. 6:63. This is how God, by His grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, calls His “chosen [personally believing, New Covenant] generation… out of darkness, [spiritual death, and separation] into His [Kingdom] of marvelous Light [and Life:]” 1 Pt. 2:9-10. Paul vividly described Jesus’ victory at death so that all true believers can rejoice in their almighty Savior. Note the absolute finality in what Jesus did. Paul wrote, “Jesus wiped out the handwriting of requirement [of the Law] that was against humanity… by taking it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed all principalities and powers [of their plans, weapons of deception, and all destruction against humanity,] He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. [As far as Jesus’ victory for humanity and the rest of His creation goes,] He became the Head of all principality and power… [Not a single demon or human is excluded from Jesus’ victory. Through their faith, He raised all true believers,] who were [spiritually] dead in their trespasses and the uncircumcision of their [satanic nature of sin: Col. 2:11.] He made them spiritually alive together with Him, having forgiven them all trespasses:” Col. 9-15; Eph. 1:7; 12-14! ►►► The Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, died with a cry of victory on His lips because after that, there will never be another war for the spiritual redemption, salvation, and blessing of humanity. Before that dreadful day at the cross dawned, Jesus prophesied the outcome of that spiritual war as follows. “[This will be] the judgment of this world, when the ruler of this world will be cast out…” God’s prophecy in Genesis 3:15 that “Satan would bruise His heel but He will bruise Satan’s head,” was manifest. There will be no more war for the human spirits of men. It was finally over. So, to supposedly “war” against a completely defeated foe, is simply silly. The “battle” or “fight” humans now face is for the mind, (will, intellect, emotions) of man, which the Bible calls “the [sinful] flesh,” that must be constantly renewed through true knowledge of God’s Word to understand His will for every situation: 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Rom. 8:5-11; 12:1-2! At the cross, the destruction that humanity committed in the garden was done away with in the spiritual world. Jesus’ deathbed cry of victory sounded globally to summon the final arrest of the devil and all his demons, which were fighting on the spiritual battlefield in an attempt to keep the man Jesus Christ from fulfilling the Law in the place of humanity. In that last moment, the Lamb of God revealed Himself as the Lion of Judah. He came into this world as the Lamb; He left it as the Lion. When He returns to earth, it will be as the victorious Lion: Rev. 5:5; 10:3: 1 Ths. 4:16. In The Day He will not come to save anymore, but to judge the “living and the dead:” Rev. 19:11-16.
THE ETERNAL NEW COVENANT, WRITTEN IN JESUS’ BLOOD Jesus did not annul the Law until He fulfilled it: Matthew 5:17-20 The Old Testament’s ceremonial or ritual temple Law, “being a shadow of the perfect things to come [through Jesus Christ…] could not, with the sacrifices of [animals, etcetera,] make those who approached God [in the old temple] perfect… It is impossible that the blood of [animals] could take away sins:” Heb. 10:1-4; Col. 2:9-10! Those ceremonial offerings only had power because, as representations or symbols, they pointed to the Ultimate New Testament “Lamb of God, Who would take away the sin of the whole [believing] world:” Jn. 1:29; 19:28-30; 3:16-18. >> Hebrews 7:18-19: “..There is an annulling of the former [sacramental or ceremonial] commandment [or law] because of its weakness and unprofitableness. For the Law made nothing perfect [through Israeli temple ceremonies.] On the other hand, there is the bringing in of a Better Hope, [the New Covenant in Christ,] through which we draw near to God.” > Jesus’ eternal, spiritual New Testament Covenant could only be established once He fulfilled the entire dual, Old Testament temple Law ceremonially, (outwardly throughout His life and on the cross,) and the Moral Law, (inwardly through His perfect teachings, examples, and conduct on earth.) The Lord could not have been obedient to every single precept of the entire Law until that moment when He said, “It is finished!” [‘I have fulfilled every precept of the whole Law in the place of all true believers globally:’] Mt. 19:28-30! As the temple was done away with, so all its outward ceremonial laws ceased, (Heb. 9:8-12.) Not a single external, old covenant law remains: Gal. 2:21. >> Accordingly, Jesus declared before the cross: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, [the Hebrew Scriptures; our Old Testament. And this does not mean that Hebrews, Messianic Judaists, and others may keep to the fulfilled, ousted, law: Hebrews 7:18-19!] Not one jot or tittle, [even the smallest letters in the Hebrew and Greek alphabets,] will pass away until it is all fulfilled [when Jesus dies.] Therefore, [after the cross,] whoever breaks one of the least of [My New Covenant, Moral Law] commandments, [as the old ceremonial temple Law was annulled when He died,] and teach men so… [will be punished:] Heb. 7:18-19! Unless your [New Covenant] righteousness [in Me] exceeds the [outward temple] righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, [who could not fulfill the Law,] you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven:” Mt. 5:17-20.
The entire Old Testament covenant vanished away “If the first covenant were faultless, no place would have been sought for a second” Until that moment when Jesus died at the cross, the Old Testament Covenant and the symbolical, outward, ceremonial law of the Hebrew temple remained in force: Heb. 7:18-19; 8:13. Jesus still ministered to the old Hebrews under the Old Covenant, as His blood atonement for all humanity was not accomplished yet: Jn. 7:38-39. However, all of that was annulled at the cross when Jesus died, so the Lord could establish His eternal, New Testament Covenant with all sincere believers worldwide: Heb. 8:5-13; chapters 7-9; Jn. 3:16-18. “… This is the Covenant I will make [after the cross.] I will put my laws in the hearts and minds [of all My disciples, so they will be governed only by the Moral Law: John 13:34.] “And I will be their God and they will be My people…’ In that He says, ‘A New Covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. [At the cross,] it was [already] growing old and was ready to vanish away [when Jesus died:]” Heb. 8:1-13; Jn. 1:12-13; 3:16-18.
The literal old temple was destroyed Not only the Old Covenant and its ceremonial Law, but also the temple itself became forever “obsolete” when everything about the temple was fulfilled as symbols of the New Covenant, spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit, Who indwells all true believers in Christ: Heb. 7:18-19; 1 Cor. 3:16-17. > Some of Jesus’ accusers said that they heard Him say: “I will destroy this temple that is [literally] made with hands and within three days, [when I rise from the dead,] I will build another [spiritually] made without hands:” Mark 14:58; Acts 7:44-50. “The Holy Spirit said that the Way into the [true] Holy of holies is not thrown open as long as the former [Old Testament temple; the shadow or symbol of the New Covenant, blood-cleansed temple of true believers,] remains a recognized institution and is still standing:” Heb. 9:8-9; 1 Cor. 6:15-20. > Hebrews 9:11-12; 10:11-22 explained how the literal old temple did not ‘remain a recognized, standing institution.’ It reads: “Christ, becoming the [eternal and Only] High Priest… to a greater and more perfect [spiritual] tabernacle, not made with hands… by His own blood, entered [only] once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us… So [true believers have…] boldness to enter into the holiest [presence of God] by the blood [Covenant] of Jesus, by the New and Living Way, [Jesus Himself; the New Covenant Christ and Mediator between God and man…] which He consecrated for us through the [spiritual] veil, that is His [own] blood [and marred flesh.]” > In Matthew 24:1-2, Jesus’ disciples “showed Him the buildings of the temple. And He said, ‘Assuredly, not one stone will be left here upon another that will not be thrown down.” The Hebrew temple was violently destroyed in 70 A.D., when the Romans conquered Jerusalem to subdue Hebrew insurrection. Supposedly, a portion on the Western wall remained, but I do not believe it is authentic. Jesus prophesied that the whole old temple would be obliterated. >> One cannot even think that Christians annul most of what Jesus did at the cross to wait for the so-called “millennium rule” of Christ, when the ‘everlasting kingdom of Old King David’ will allegedly ‘be established on earth.’ Theoretically, this will be the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer, “Let Your Kingdom come…” (Jesus was referring to His everlasting spiritual Kingdom in the hearts and minds of true believers: Jn. 1:12-14; 18:36.) Even so, this poisonous Israeli Timeline teaching rejects the New Testament Covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ to favor another ‘christ,’ which all Messianic Judaists and Christian Zionists knowingly and unknowingly ‘are still waiting for.’
The temple of the Holy Spirit built ‘without hands’
The suffering and disfigurement of Jesus Christ on the cross was unparalleled, as prophesied in Isaiah 52:14. “[But as He destroyed the physical temple and everything that pertains to it under His New Covenant,] we have [an eternal] High Priest over the [spiritual] house of God. Let us draw near with a true heart…” Heb. 10:21. > “God does not live in [‘the once recognized temple institution,’] which was made by human hands:” Acts 7:44-50; Heb. 9:8-9; 10:11-12. The New Covenant temple that He built “without hands” is the spiritual temple of the Holy Spirit, Who dwells inside all sincere, blood-cleansed believers in Christ: 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:15-20; Heb. 8:1-2. “Therefore, you are no more strangers and foreigners [to God in heaven,] but fellow citizens with… the [spiritual] household of God… in whom all the [spiritual] building, fitly framed together, grows unto a holy temple… [An eternal] habitation of God through the Spirit: Eph. 2:199-22. >> It is blasphemy and a great insult to God to discard the incomprehensible suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ, through which He established His spiritual New Covenant temple of believers, to keep to the distorted, pagan form and function of the old, ousted, physical temple; ‘revived’ as the manmade church system: 1 Cor. 6:15-20; Acts 7:44-50. (Continue to The Bible was written in Two Testaments or Covenants for a good reason ) |
