Note:  The nine New Covenant Greetings have been written up as an article which is somewhat easier to read.
Go to the New Covenant Article

Reading time 8 minutes

Dear Friends in Yahshua,

There were several comments on last Sabbath’s message.
Most were very positive.

One reader was concerned that I said
the people were not required to do anything
and that I had not mentioned Yahshua as being involved in the new covenant.

As to the first point – I only meant that the covenant
as stated in Jeremiah 31 left the people with a very passive role.
Nothing is yet required of the people.
On the contrary, a typical example from the Torah
shows the people being required to obey Yahweh:
          Exodus 19:5  'Now therefore,
          IF you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,
          THEN you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

By the way:   I recently learned to use a good help in studying scripture.
Whenever I come to the word IF, I circle it.
Then I look further for the word THEN and circle it.
There is often a THEN shortly after an IF.
Then I draw a light line from the IF to the THEN.
It helps me to understand what is being said.

As to the second point --we will get to Yahshua’s role
in the new covenant in due time.
This is a pretty big subject, so it might take a while.

While we’re off the subject, I did some searching for information
on the new covenant and I came up with a few really wild articles.
They mostly ignored the scriptures that tell what the new covenant is
and just went on their merry way ‘proving’ things that are not true.

Let’s go back to the scriptures.
Last week we found these things in Jeremiah 31:31 - 34 about the New Covenant:
1. It is to be with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
2. “I (Yahweh) will put MY LAW in their minds, and write it on their hearts.”
3. “I will be their Elohim.” As in the old covenant
4. “They shall be My people.” As in the old covenant
5. “They all shall know Me.”
6. “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Lets look at some other Old Testament scriptures that
talk about a new covenant, and see if we can learn more.

Jeremiah 32:36-44   Now therefore, thus says Yahweh,
the Elohim of Israel, concerning this city of which you say,
'It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon
by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence':
37. “Behold, I WILL GATHER THEM out of all countries
where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath;
I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.
38. THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE,
and I WILL BE THEIR ELOHIM;
39. then I WILL GIVE THEM ONE HEART AND ONE WAY,
that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them
and their children after them.
40. And I WILL MAKE AN EVERLASTING COVENANT WITH THEM,
that I will not turn away from doing them good;
but I WILL PUT MY FEAR IN THEIR HEARTS
so that they will not depart from Me.
41. Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will
assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.”

42. For thus says Yahweh:
“Just as I have brought all this great calamity on this people,
so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them.
43. And fields will be bought in this land of which you say,
‘It is desolate, without man or beast;
it has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’
44. Men will buy fields for money, sign deeds and seal them,
and take witnesses, in the land of Benjamin,
in the places around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah,
in the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the lowland,
and in the cities of the South;
for I will cause their captives to return,” says Yahweh.

Isaiah 61:1-10  The Spirit of the sovereign Yahweh is upon me,
Because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2. To proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh,
And the day of vengeance of our Elohim;
To comfort all who mourn, 3. To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of Yahweh, that He may be glorified."
4. And THEY SHALL REBUILD THE OLD RUINS,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
5. Foreigners shall stand and feed your flocks,
And the sons of the foreigner shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6. But YOU SHALL BE NAMED THE PRIESTS OF YAHWEH,
They shall call you the servants of our Elohim.
You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
7. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor,
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land THEY SHALL POSSESS DOUBLE;
EVERLASTING JOY shall be theirs.
8. "For I, Yahweh, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering;
I will direct their work in truth,
And will make with them AN EVERLASTING COVENANT.
9. Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles,
And their offspring among the people.
All who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are the children whom Yahweh has blessed."
10. I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh.
My soul shall be joyful in my Elohim;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

So, what additional things have we learned are part of the New Covenant.
7. “I will gather them out of all the countries.”
8. “I will make an everlasting covenant with them.”
9. “I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from me.”
10. “They shall rebuild the old ruins.”
11. “You shall be named the priests of Yahweh,
       they shall call you the ministers of our Elohim.”
12. “In their land they shall possess double.”
13. “Everlasting joy shall be theirs.”

Still no commitment required from the people. Yahweh does it all.

Still no eternal life.
We see an eternal covenant and eternal joy
but those promises do not necessarily mean eternal life for individuals.

We also see people of other nations’ serving the children of this
covenant; who are “the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”

We still have more to learn from the scripture about the New Covenant.

We should be able to sight the new Moon tomorrow evening, July 2.
The New Moon day should be July 3, 2000.

Friends, may Yahweh bless you richly and keep you on this Sabbath Day.

Shabbat Shalom from Tom and Cathy

Dear Friends in Yahshua,

So far we’ve looked only at Old Testament scriptures
and we’ve learned that the new covenant includes the following:
From Jeremiah 31:31-34
1. It is to be with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
2. “I (Yahweh) will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts.”
3. “I will be their Elohim.” As in the old covenant
4. “They shall be My people.” As in the old covenant
5. “They all shall know Me.”
6. “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
Additionally from Jeremiah 32:36-44 and Isaiah 61:1-10
7. “I will gather them out of all the countries.”
8. “I will make an everlasting covenant with them.”
9. “I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from me.”
10. “They shall rebuild the old ruins.”
11. “You shall be named the priests of Yahweh,
       they shall call you the ministers (servants) of our Elohim.”
12. “In their land they shall possess double.”
13. “Everlasting joy shall be theirs.”

We have one other Old Testament scripture to review
before moving on the New Testament.

Joel 2:28-32  "And it shall come to pass afterward that
I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall PROPHESY,
your old men shall DREAM dreams, your young men shall SEE VISIONS.
29. And also on menservants and on maidservants
I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT in those days.
30. "And I will show WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS AND in the EARTH:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh.
32. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of Yahweh
shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As Yahweh has said, Among the remnant whom Yahweh calls.
Joel 3:1-2  "For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,
2. I will also GATHER ALL NATIONS,
And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
And I will enter inTO JUDGMENT with them there on account of My people,
My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations;
They have also divided up My land.

Here we see a few new elements:
14.  “People shall prophesy, dream, and  see visions.  I will pour out my spirit”
15.  “Wonders in the heavens and in the earth.”
16.  “Yahweh will gather all nations to judgment.”
 

Hebrews 9:15 says that Yahshua is “the Mediator of the New Covenant,”
but he mentions the New Covenant only once
in all the words we have recorded from him.
It is at the last supper.

Matthew 26:27-28  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks,
and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.
28. For this is My blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
 (= Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20 and 1 Cor 11:25)

Now we see blood associated with the New Covenant.
It is the blood of the Messiah!

Now we can also understand HOW the promise, “I will forgive
their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." is accomplished.
Yahshua said it is through his blood.
Actually, several of the promises hinge on the people being free from sin.
3. “I will be their Elohim.”
4. “They shall be My people.”
5. “They all shall know Me.”

Another thing we see in this short sentence of Yahshua’s
is that the people must DO SOMETHING.
They have to drink of the cup at Passover.
It is a simple thing but it has profound implications.
It means that we share in the blood of Yahshua.
We accept his sacrifice in order to enter into this wonderful New Covenant.

There is a lot of good information in the New Testament
about the New Covenant and our part in it.
We’ll start on that next Sabbath, Yahweh willing.

Friends, may Yahweh bless you with hope and joy on this Sabbath Day.

Shabbat Shalom from Tom and Cathy

Reading time 5 minutes

Dear Friends in Yahshua,

We’ve been reviewing the Old Testament scriptures about the New Covenant.

The clearest scriptures about the New Covenant have told us that
it is to be with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
Yahweh will gather them out of all the countries back into the land promised to Abraham
where they will live in Edenic joy and peace, serving Yahweh in spirit.
They will have a very close relationship with Yahweh.
Yahweh’s law will be placed in their minds.
Past sins will be forgiven and forgotten and sinning will be ended by Yahweh.
The establishment of this covenant time will be accompanied by
awesome events in the heavens and in the earth.
And Yahweh will be gathering all nations to judgment.

A covenant can be described as a contract or an agreement
but it really is more accurate to describe it as THE TERMS OF A RELATIONSHIP.
A marriage covenant is a good example.

Often, covenants are entered into with the blood of cut-apart animals.
We see that blood is used this way in many scriptures:
Genesis 9, Genesis 15, Genesis 17, Genesis 22,
Exodus 24, Zechariah 9, and Hebrews 8-13.

Several covenants are mentioned where the blood is not predominant
but they do show the relationship aspect of a covenant:
Genesis 31, 1 Samuel 18 & 20, and Ezekiel 16.

The new covenant clearly defines a close relationship of Israel with Yahweh.
Yahshua said he was the key to this relationship.
John 14:6-7 Yahshua said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.
NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.
7. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also;
and from now on you know Him and have seen Him."

Think of verse seven as saying:
“If you would have had a close relationship with Me,
you would have had a close relationship with My Father also:
and from now on you do have a close relationship Him and have seen Him.”

Yahshua the Messiah mentioned the New Covenant directly
only once that we know of:
Matthew 26:27-28  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks,
and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
28. For this is My blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

Here, Yahshua mentioned the New Covenant along with the remission of sins.
At last we get an idea of HOW the forgiveness of sins is to come about.
It is through Yahshua’s blood, symbolized by the Passover wine.
It is interesting that the wine is not sprinkled ON the people
as it was for the old covenant in Exodus 24.
In this case it is taken inside the people and becomes part of them.
 --  An apt figure for the new covenant.

Daniel predicted that the Messiah would confirm the new covenant
which would end the need for sin sacrifices.
Daniel 9:26-27  "And after the sixty-two sevens Messiah shall be cut off,
but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
and till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27. Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one seven;
But in the middle of the seven He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. . . ."

Many translations use ‘week’ instead of ‘seven’ in this passage.
The Hebrew word can mean either one.
Actually Daniel is referring to seven year periods.
Yahshua has a seven year period to confirm the New Covenant with his followers.
His ministry on earth has already used three and one-half years.
He will use the other three and one-half years at the close of the age.

Next Sabbath we will explore more scriptures in the New Testament.
Perhaps we will even get into Hebrews.
This is a long study for this format but it could be much longer
if all the pertinent scriptures were discussed.

May your Sabbath be full of blessings in Yahweh’s word,
with your family, and with our brethren in fellowship, dear friends.

Shabbat Shalom from Tom and Cathy

Dear Friends in Yahshua,

Last Sabbath, we mentioned that the New Covenant
is for the children of Israel.
You may be thinking that you have a problem
because the New Covenant is for Israel only.

Consider these scriptures:

Romans 11:16-17  For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy;
and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17. And if some of the branches were broken off,
and you [Gentiles], being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them,
and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,
(Read the context of the whole chapter this Sabbath.)
And:
Galatians 3:6-9  Just as Abraham "believed Yahweh,
and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
7. Therefore know that those who are of faith are sons [children] of Abraham.
8. And the Scripture, foreseeing that Yahweh would justify the Gentiles by faith,
preached the good news to Abraham beforehand, saying,
"In you all the nations shall be blessed."
9. So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
Galatians 3:29  And if you are the Messiah’s, then you are Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise.

Just as Yahweh told Abraham, “All nations shall be blessed in you.”
You can be blessed in the seed of Abraham, Yahshua the Messiah.
***

There is some good information about the New Covenant in 2 Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 3  Do we begin again to commend ourselves?
Or do we need, as some others, letters of commendation to you
or letters of commendation from you?
2. You are our letters of commendation written in our hearts,
known and read by all men;
3. clearly you are a letter from the Messiah, served by us,
written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living Elohim,
not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.
4. And we have such trust through the Messiah toward Yahweh.
5. Not that we are worthy of ourselves
to think of anything as being from ourselves,
but our worth is from Yahweh,
6. who also made us worthy as ministers of the NEW COVENANT,
not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Paul is talking about the same New Covenant we saw in Jeremiah 31:31.
In the New Covenant the law is written on the hearts rather than on tablets of stone.
Of course, ‘written on the heart’ means that
the law is part of the structure of the mind.
Keeping the law becomes automatic.
It is certainly true that if one of the people under the Old Covenant
broke Yahweh’s law they were subject to penalties,
up to and including death.
Of course, if they kept the law
there was no penalty, but rather great blessings.

7. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious,
so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses
because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away,

Paul is referring to Exodus 34:29-35, when Moses had just
come down from receiving the law from Yahweh.

8. how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?

In Matthew 17:1-5 and in Revelation 1:14-15 and 21:23 Yahshua
is shown as being really bright and glorious all over.
Not just his face, like Moses.
 
9. For if the ministry of condemnation had glory,
the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
10. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect,
because of the glory that excels.
11. For if what is passing away was glorious,
what remains is much more glorious.

The Old Covenant is passING away.
It has not passed away yet.
Yahshua the Messiah, the minister of the New Covenant
is indeed more glorious than Moses when he came down from the mountain.
Besides that, the entire New Covenant consists of
greater, higher and more generous promises than the old.

12. Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech;
13. unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel
could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.
14. But their minds were blinded.
For until this day the same veil remains un-lifted in the reading
of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in the Messiah.
15. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

Pray that it does not lie on OUR hearts.

16. Nevertheless when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away.
17. Now Yahweh is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of Yahweh is, there is liberty.

As we have seen, in the New Covenant Yahweh’s spirit will cause them to
think with a new mind, one with Yahweh’s law as part of  it.

18. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of Yahweh,
are being transformed into the same image [as the Messiah] .
from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of Yahweh.

We are moving from the Old Covenant glory to the New Covenant glory!
HalleluYAH ! ! !

Friends, may Yahweh bless you, and may the New Covenant become
your confident hope in Yahshua on this Sabbath Day.

Shabbat Shalom from Tom and Cathy

Reading time 4 minutes

Dear Friends in Yahshua,

If you read the 11th chapter of Romans as we suggested last week,
you saw Paul’s parable of the olive branches being grafted in.
You probably read:

Romans 11:25-27  For I do not desire, brethren,
that you should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest you should be wise in your own opinion,
that blindness in part has happened to Israel
until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away unrighteousness from Jacob;
27. For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins."

Paul is quoting Isaiah (59:20-21 and 27:9),
who is writing about the new covenant time.
Notice that Yahweh  says he will take their sins away,
not that he will forgive them (which he does say elsewhere).
In the fulfillment of the New Covenant He actually takes the sins out of their lives.
They do not sin any more!

Jeremiah 31:33-34  "But this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, says Yahweh:
I WILL PUT MY LAW IN THEIR MINDS,
AND WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS;
and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.
34. "No more shall every man teach his neighbor,
and every man his brother, saying, 'Know Yahweh,'
for THEY ALL SHALL KNOW ME,
from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Yahweh.
For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Yahweh can forget their sin only because they are no longer practicing it.
If they were continuing in sin, even Yahweh would not forget it.
Of course we are trying to keep from sin.
We are even helped in that by Yahweh’s Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:26   Likewise the spirit also helps our infirmities:
for we know not what we should pray for as we ought:
but the spirit itself makes intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Also, love is one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22)
and love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:10)
But any believer who claims to never sin is just not being honest.
Our sins are only taken away when Yahshua the Messiah returns and we are changed.
Not before.
Until that time we have to go to Yahweh,
sincerely repent, and ask for forgiveness in Yahshua’s name.
Then our past sins are forgiven.

1 John 1:8-10  If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9. If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar,
and His word is not in us.

In the new Covenant time Yahweh says:
Jeremiah 32:40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them,
that I will not turn away from doing them good;
but I will put my fear in their hearts
so that they will not depart from Me.

Next week we will finally get to Hebrews,
A book rich in information about the New Covenant.
Two or three weeks in Hebrews and we can return to
shorter and lighter topics.
We’ve learned a lot in this study of the New Covenant
but I’m sure everyone will be pleased when it’s completed.

The New Moon is expected Monday evening 7-31 Watch for it!

Friends, may Yahweh bless you and your family on this Sabbath Day.

Shabbat Shalom from Tom and Cathy

Reading time 6 minutes

Dear Friends in Yahshua,

Let us see what we can learn about the new covenant from the book of Hebrews.

In the beginning of Hebrews 8 (quoted below) we see Yahshua
named as the High Priest in heaven.
He is seated at the right hand of the father.
The writer of Hebrews then connects this fact
with the high Priest’s service on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16).

There is another place where we see the same set of facts.
The opening of the scroll with seven seals:

Revelation 5:4-10  So I wept much, because no one was found
worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
5. But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep.
Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,
has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."
6. And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne
and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders,
stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes,
which are the seven Spirits of Yahweh sent out into all the earth.
7. Then He came and took the scroll
out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
8. Now when He had taken the scroll,
the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp,
and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
9. And they sang a new song, saying:
"You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals;
For You were slain, And have redeemed us to Yahweh by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10. And have made us kings and priests to our Elohim;
And we shall reign on the earth."

Notice the importance of the Lamb’s blood in accomplishing this act.
Also notice the gathering of Yahweh’s people
and their service before Yahweh in righteousness.
Revelation 5 is a New Covenant scripture!
We must also see that Leviticus 16, the description of the Day of Atonement,
describes the New Covenant in its fulfillment.
This is the only time in the Torah where all the sins of the people are forgiven.
Leviticus 16:30  "For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you,
to cleanse you, that you may be clean from ALL YOUR SINS before Yahweh.
See also verses 16, 21 and 34.
The Day of Atonement is a clear foretaste of the Messiah,
the kingdom and the New Covenant promises.

Now to Hebrews:
Hebrews 8  Now this is the main point of the things we are saying:
We have such a High Priest,
who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
2. a Minister [servant] of the sanctuary
and of the true tabernacle which Yahweh erected, and not man.
3. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices.
Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.
4. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest,
since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the Torah;
5. who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things,
as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle.
For He [Yahweh] said, "See that you make all things
according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."
6. But now He [Yahshua] has obtained
a more excellent ministry [than the Levitical Priests],
inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant,
which was established on better promises.

Yahshua obtains that higher Priesthood
because none other is found worthy in Heaven.
Yahshua alone is the lamb without blemish.
Because of his blood he can open the seals,
come into the Heavenly Holy Place
and establish the long-promised New Covenant.
HaleluYAH!!!

Hebrews 8:7. For if that first covenant had been faultless,
then no place would have been sought for a second.
8. Because finding blame WITH THEM, He says:
‘Behold, the days are coming, says Yahweh,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
9. not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers
in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them
out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant,
and I disregarded them,’ says Yahweh.
10. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
after those days, says Yahweh:
‘I will put MY LAWS in their mind and write them on their hearts;
and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.
11. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother,
saying, 'Know Yahweh,' for all shall know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest of them.
12. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,
and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’”

This is the familiar New Covenant passage, quoted from Jeremiah 31:31-34.

13. In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete.
Now what is BECOMING obsolete and growING old is ready to vanish away.

As we have discussed,
the New Covenant was prophesied about 1450 BCE (Lev 16),
clearly promised about 600 BCE (Jer 31),
sealed with the blood of Yahshua in 31 CE (Matt 26:28)
and will be finally established at Yahshua’s return.
May Yahweh send that time soon!

Friends, may Yahweh bless you with His spirit of
love and gentleness on this Sabbath Day.

Shabbat Shalom from Tom and Cathy

Reading time 6 minutes

Dear Friends in Yahshua,

We continue in Hebrews to learn about the new covenant:

Hebrews 9:8-18  The Holy Spirit indicating this,
that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest
while the first tabernacle was still standing.

The writer of Hebrews refers to the Day of Atonement again.

9. It was symbolic for the present time in which
both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot
make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience;
10. concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings,
and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.
11. But The Messiah came
as High Priest of the good things to come,
with the greater and more perfect tabernacle
not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
12. Not with the blood of goats and calves,
but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place
once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer,
sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
14. how much more shall the blood of The Messiah,
who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to Yahweh,
cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim?
15. And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant,
by means of death,
for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant,
that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
16. For where there is a covenant,
there must also of necessity be the death of the covenantor.
17. For a covenant is in force after men are dead,
since it has no power at all while the covenantor lives.

We are talking about a covenant which brings us into the family of Yahweh.
Inheritance is determined according to the Torah.
The firstborn gets a double portion and the others get equal portions.

Deuteronomy 21:16-17  "then it shall be,
on the day he causes his sons to inherit his possessions,
that he must not bestow firstborn status on the son of the loved wife
in preference to the son of the unloved, the true firstborn.
17. "But he shall acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn
by giving him a double portion of all that he has,
for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Yahshua, as the firstborn son, automatically gets the double portion.
Believers who have entered into the covenant through Yahshua the Messiah
also become heirs, just as David became a legal heir to Saul's throne
through his covenant with Jonathan. (1 Samuel 18)
We are not talking about a last will and testament as men use today.
The inheritance is determined by the Torah.

18. Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.

Verses 19 through 28 discuss the blood of Yahshua as
a seal of the new covenant.

Since covenants are sealed with blood,
the blood of Yahshua was used to seal to new covenant.

Mark 14:24  And He said to them, "This is
My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

Through the new covenant we become
part of the family of Yahweh and Yahshua.
Yahshua is then in the role of our kinsman-redeemer.

Leviticus 25:47-49  'Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich,
and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor,
and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you,
or to a member of the stranger's family,
48. 'after he is sold he may be redeemed again.
One of his brothers may redeem him;
49. 'or his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him;
or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him;
or if he is able he may redeem himself.

See the book of Ruth where this law is used.

By entering into the new covenant with Yahweh,
having Yahshua as our covenant mediator through his blood,
we become part of Yahweh's family and can inherit with Yahshua.
With the position of being children of Yahweh
comes certain rights, privileges and responsibilities.
Since we are covenant brothers with Yahshua,
we become adopted members of the family of Israel. (Romans 11)

We also receive Yahweh's Holy Spirit within our heart:
Hebrews 10:16  "This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says Yahweh:
I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,"

We are conceived as children but not yet born,
We have a portion of the Spirit
but not yet the complete change of our very nature
that makes it IMPOSSIBLE for us to sin.
When that happens, sinning is behind us.
We keep the law of Father Yahweh and,

Hebrews 10:17. then He adds,
"Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

Hebrews 10:19  Therefore, brethren, we have confidence
to use the way into the Holiest Place opened by the blood of Yahshua.

We can now approach Father Yahweh directly in prayer:

John 16:26-27  "In that day you will ask in My name,
and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;
27. for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me,
and have believed that I came forth from Elohim.

In the kingdom we will apparently have physical access
to Yahweh's throne room to be able to talk directly with Him.
HALLELUYAH ! !

Friends, may Yahweh richly bless you
as his own dear child on this Sabbath Day.

Shabbat Shalom from Tom and Cathy

Reading time 4 minutes

Dear Friends in Yahshua,

We have been trying to make it clear that the New Covenant is for the latter days.
It comes into FULL EFFECT only after the second coming of Yahshua the Messiah.
Here is some additional scriptural support for that view:

1.  The New Covenant is mentioned by Elohim in connection with the Kingdom
and not with any other time:
 Jeremiah 31:31 in the context of  31:10-40
 Jeremiah 32:40-44 in the context of 32:37-44
 Ezekiel 37:26-27 in the context of Ezek 37:1-28
 Matthew 26:28-29 (= Mark 14:25)

2.  In the New Covenant era ALL Israel will know Yahweh. Jeremiah 31:31, 34

3. When the New Covenant comes,
Israel will hold ALL the land promised to Abraham.
Genesis 16:18-21, Jeremiah 32:41, Ezekiel 37:25.

4.  In the New Covenant the Temple will stand in Israel,
Ezekiel 37:25-27.

5. In the New Covenant time there is no longer
a need for sin offerings, Hebrews 10:16-18

6. Yahshua refused to partake of the cup of the New Covenant
until he could drink it in the kingdom. Matthew 26:28-29

7. If the New Covenant were in effect,
the Old Covenant would have already faded away,
but when Hebrews 8:13 was written, it had not.

* * * * *
Colossians 2 pertains to the New Covenant
It tells about a sign of the covenant which parallels circumcision;
the sign of Abraham’s second covenant (Genesis 17).

Colossians 2:11-14  In Him [Messiah] you were also circumcised
with the circumcision made without hands,
by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh,
by the circumcision of the Messiah, 12. buried with Him in baptism,
in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of Elohim,
who raised Him from the dead.
13. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14. having wiped out the handwriting of [man-made] dogma that was against us,
which was contrary to us.
And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the tree.

Paul also talks about circumcision in Romans 2:

Romans 2:25-29  For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law;
but if you are a breaker of the law,
your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
26. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps
the righteous requirements of the law,
will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
27. And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law,
judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision,
are a transgressor of the law?
28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly,
nor is circumcision that which is outward, in the flesh;
29. but he is a Jew who is one inwardly;
and circumcision is of the heart,
in the Spirit, not in the letter;
whose praise is not from men but from God.

The circumcision of the heart
needs to be a breaking of the heart of stone
so that Yahweh can indeed inscribe his law on a yielded heart.

Ezekiel 36:26  "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

We need to yield our stiff necks and soften our hard hearts.
We need to seek to follow Yahshua in all we think and feel.
As we do, we shall be ready for the fulfillment of the New Covenant
within us today by that small portion of Yahweh’s spirit, and
when Yahshua the Messiah comes and we are changed to be like him.
May that day come soon!
HalleluYAH ! ! !

* * * * * * * * * *
My son sent me this  VERY NEAT   URL for a web site
that lets you know how great our Creator is.
It shows pictures in various scales – cosmic to sub-microscopic.
Check it out at.
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/tutorials/java/powersof10/

Please pray for the children.

Friends, may Yahweh bless you
with his gifts of love and hope on this Sabbath Day.

Shabbat Shalom from Tom and Cathy

Reading time 7 minutes

Dear Friends in Yahshua,

What would you think if you got a letter addressed this way?
To the called out ones of Yahweh,
to those who are sanctified in the Messiah Yahshua, called to be saints,
with all who in every place call on the name of Yahshua the Messiah
our Master, both theirs and ours: (1 Corinthians 1:2)

Would you think it may be for someone else who’s more righteous?

We touched on the subject of sanctification
at the close of the New Covenant study
now let’s explore it further.

The word SANCTIFICATION means making something holy
or setting it apart for Yahweh’s purposes.
Sanctification is a process.
Many things can be sanctified,
but today we will just discuss people being sanctified.
We want to know if our being sanctified is important to Yahweh
and just what sanctification means.

It was important to Yahshua.
He talked with the Father about it.
Both for the disciples and for himself.
John 17:17-19  "Sanctify them by Your truth.
Your word is truth.
18. "As You sent Me into the world,
I also have sent them into the world.
19. "And for their sakes I sanctify Myself,
that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

The priests had to be sanctified in order to serve before Yahweh:
Exodus 28:41  "So you shall put them on Aaron your brother
and on his sons with him.
You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them,
so that they may minister to Me as priests.

Revelation 1:5-6 says we are to be washed in Yahshua’s blood
so we may be kings and priests.

The children of Israel had to be sanctified
to receive the Ten Commandments from Yahweh.
Notice that it includes washing:
Exodus 19:10  Then Yahweh said to Moses,
"Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow,
and let them wash their clothes.

Our service for Yahweh must be done as a sanctified vessel.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 In a great house there are not only
vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay,
some for honor and some for dishonor.
21. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (dishonor),
he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master,
prepared for every good work.

Our sanctification is what Yahweh wants:
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5  For this is the will of Yahweh, your sanctification:
that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4. that each of you should know
how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
5. not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know Yahweh;

As we saw above in John 17:19,
Yahshua sanctified himself in order to sanctify his followers:
Hebrews 2:10-11  For it was fitting for Him (Yahweh),
for whom are all things and by whom are all things,
in bringing many sons to glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11. For both He who sanctifies
and those who are being sanctified are all of one,
for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

And Yahshua sanctifies the congregation:
Ephesians 5:25-26  Husbands, love your wives,
just as The Messiah also loved the congregation and gave Himself for her,
26. that He might sanctify and cleanse her
with the washing of water by the word,

1 Corinthians 6:11  And such were some of you.
But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified
in the name of the Master Yahshua and by the Spirit of our Elohim.

It is an essential requirement!
Hebrews 12:14  Pursue peace with all people, and sanctification,
without which no one will see Yahweh:

Leviticus 22:32  "You shall not profane My holy (qodesh) name,
but I will be sanctified (qadash) among the children of Israel.
I am Yahweh who sanctifies (qadash) you,

Exodus 31:13-14  "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying:
'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep,
for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations,
that you may know that I am Yahweh WHO SANCTIFIES YOU.
14. 'You shall keep the Sabbath, THEREFORE,
for it is holy to you.
Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death;
for whoever does any work on it,
that person shall be cut off from among his people.

Since Yahshua frees us from sinning:
Romans 6:22  But now having been set free from sin,
and having become slaves of Yahweh,
you have your fruit to sanctification, and the end, everlasting life.

Romans 6:19  I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.
For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness,
and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness,
so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for sanctification.

Hebrews 10:9-10  then He said,
"Behold, I have come to do Your will, O Yahweh."
He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
10. By that will we have been SANCTIFIED
through the offering of the body of Yahshua The Messiah once.

It even seems to “rub off.” from a believer to his/her family:
1 Corinthians 7:14  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife,
and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband;
otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy (sanctified).

Conclusion and blessings:
1 Corinthians 1:28-31  Yahweh has chosen the base things of the world
and the things which are despised and the things which are not,
to bring to nothing the things that are,
29. So that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30. But of Him you are in The Messiah Yahshua,
who became for us
wisdom from Yahweh;
and righteousness
and sanctification
and redemption;
31. that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in Yahweh."

Acts 20:30-32  "Also from among yourselves men will rise up,
speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
31. "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years
I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
32. "So now, brethren, I commend you to Yahweh
and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up
and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

1 Thessalonians 5:23  Now may the Elohim of peace Himself
sanctify you completely;
and may your whole spirit, soul, and body
be preserved blameless at the coming of our Master Yahshua The Messiah.

Shabbat Shalom from Tom and Cathy

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