Some have a misunderstanding about the nature of God’s covenant with us today. Has there been one everlasting covenant throughout the history of mankind? Or is the covenant currently in force today different from the one we read about in the Old Testament? If we consider one of the prophecies from Jeremiah, we will get a clearer picture of the nature of the new covenant which is currently in effect.
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The faith that God wants us to have is an “assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). He does not expect us to take a “leap of faith” — choosing to believe something, even though there is no evidence upon which to base our belief. Instead, He has provided a reasonable basis for our faith.
The most notable example of this is in the coming of Christ. His arrival into this world, His death on the cross, His resurrection and ascension, as well as His reign as King over His kingdom was all prophesied to occur. But can we really believe that it actually happened? Skeptics and critics say that we cannot accept what the Bible says. But Peter gave us two reasons why we can and should accept it.
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In Jeremiah 8, the prophet condemned the people of Jerusalem for their sins. The condemnation was not for an occasional misstep, but for the persistent practice of sin and their stubborn refusal to repudiate it: “Why then has this people, Jerusalem, turned away in apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return” (Jeremiah 8:5).
The deceit to which they held fast consisted of the lies of the scribes (Jeremiah 8:8) and of the priests who would say “‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace” (Jeremiah 8:11). They had become so accustomed to their sin that they were no longer “ashamed of the abomination they had done…and they did not know how to blush” (Jeremiah 8:12). They had replaced the Lord with “graven images” and “foreign idols” (Jeremiah 8:19).
After outlining this miserable state of the people, the prophet said, “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20).
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Isaiah prophesied of a kingdom that was to come “in the last days” – the age that was ushered in following the coming of Christ into the world (cf. Hebrews 1:2). There are several keywords in this prophecy that we must understand if we are to appreciate what the passage teaches.
“Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all nations will stream to it.
“And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
“And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war” (Isaiah 2:2-4).
Let us briefly consider each of these key terms:
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The Hebrew writer quoted from Jeremiah 31:31-34 to show the promise of the new covenant (Hebrews 8:8-12). Long before it came into effect, God planned for the new covenant to replace the old one that God had made with the Jews after leading them out of Egyptian bondage. There are a few characteristics of the new covenant listed in this text. I would like for us to consider one in this article.
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One very common idea in the denominational world is the doctrine of Premillennialism. The prefix “pre” means before. The second part of the word – “millennial” – refers to the thousand year reign of Christ. The doctrine of Premillennialism states that Christ will one day return and reign on earth for a thousand years before the final judgment and that we are living in the time before this period.
There are a few variations of this doctrine. These variations usually have to do with the timing of the “tribulation” and the “rapture.” But all the variations have one thing in common – the belief that Jesus will come again to establish His kingdom and reign for a thousand years.
There are several problems with this doctrine when we compare it with what the word of God teaches. Let us notice some of these problems:
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Periodically, different ones will make the claim that the end of the world is near. They point to various “signs” that indicate that the time is upon us. These signs are ripped from the book of Revelation and other places in the Bible with no regard to the context or the purpose of the book. The reality is that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Peter 3:10), not with signs so we will expect it. But this certainly does not keep people from creating these fanciful theories.
One of the supposed signs of the end is the coming of the “anti-christ.” This entity is often linked with the beasts of Revelation 13. Many believe the anti-christ will be some political leader. Some have even suggested certain leaders in this country as the anti-christ. But I can tell you with certainty that none of these are the anti-christ.
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Peter issued this challenge to all Christians: “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15). However, many Christians feel unprepared to do this; therefore, many conversations that could potentially lead people to the truth never get started.
This book will help equip all Christians to start engaging in spiritual conversations with those around them by providing simple answers to some basic Bible questions. Being ready to give an answer does not mean having an answer to every possible question at the drop of a hat. Instead, it means being able to give a ready answer to questions that are fundamental to our faith that can open the door to further discussions and studies with those who are interested. By studying the material in this book and becoming familiar with the Scriptures cited in each answer, Christians will be better prepared and have more confidence when they discuss their faith with others.
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