RESTORATION TO THE LAND AND THE SIGN OF THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

In Genesis 17 we have the Abrahamic Covenant established by God with Abraham and his seed. The sign of that covenant was circumcision. Many times covenants are accompanied with signs. The sign of the Noahic covenant was the rainbow in the sky. This “Token” or sign of the Noahic Covenant was intended to remind God of his promise to not destroy “all Flesh” ever again.

Genesis 9:8-17 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

The sign of the Mosaic Covenant was the Sabbath:

Exodus 31:13-17 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

Leviticus 24:8 Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

In setting out the Sabbath we see in this passage from Exodus that the Sabbaths were for a sign. And those who did not observe this sign were subject to the death penalty. God even goes as far as to state that the Sabbath was on a par with the covenant itself, “…to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant.” If you violated the sign of the covenant you were guilty of the whole covenant and subject to death. When Moses went to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt, God was prepared to kill Moses in the way because he did not circumcise his own son. How can he represent God before the seed of Abraham and not have his son bearing the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Exodus 4:24-26 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

Then while the nation of Israel was wandering the desert, a man was found picking up sticks on the Sabbath, they inquired from God what should be done to this man. God was very clear, he was to be stoned to death outside the camp. So, this being the sign of the Mosaic Covenant, violation of this sign brought the death penalty.

Numbers 15:32-36 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

We can see the same thing with the New Covenant. In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul said that many were sick and many were asleep (DEAD) because they ate the Lord’s supper unworthily. The Lord’s supper is the sign of the New Covenant. Violation of this New Covenant sign carried the death penalty, but it was carried out directly by God.

In Genesis 17 we see the Abrahamic Covenant laid out for us in great detail. Again, he gives with the covenant, a covenant sign. The sign of the Abrahamic Covenant is circumcision. He ties the sign so closely with the covenant that he says if you do not bear this sign, you are cut off from the covenant relationship. This sign of the covenant will be required upon every generation that participates in the Abrahamic Covenant without exception. In Exodus 12 God goes so far as to make circumcision a requirement to partake in the Passover feast. No circumcision, no passover. No circumcision, No covenant. Since the Abrahamic Covenant included the promised land, you could also say, No circumcision, No Land.

Genesis 17:8-14 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Genesis 17:23-27 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

Genesis 21:4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Exodus 12:42-44 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

Exodus 12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

Leviticus 12:3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

In Joshua chapter 5, God emphasizes the restrictive nature of this covenant sign. No Circumcision, No land. As Joshua was about to lead the nation into the promised land, God made them stop and circumcise all the males of the nation because the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant had been neglected during their 40 years of wandering. God was not going to let them inherit the Covenant blessing of the land without the sign of the Covenant; circumcision.

Joshua 5:2-9 At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way. And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

What happens when the sign of the covenant is abolished? It can only mean ONE THING. It means that the Covenant that the sign signified is no longer in force. Paul in Galatians declares to us the END OF the sign of Circumcision. The reason is because we are NOW in the New Covenant, and the Abrahamic Covenant can only move forward into the New Covenant by way of FAITH. It cannot have ANY STANDING based on circumcision. And we in the church who are the seed of Abraham by FAITH have inherited all the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant. Of course we have not inherited the literal promises of land, etc, but we have inherited all of the blessings through Christ. In Abraham’s SEED (Singular) all the nations of the earth are blessed…that is through his seed Jesus Christ. But what about circumcision. Paul says that if we insist on circumcision “we are still a debtor to the law”; “Christ will have become of NO EFFECT”; and we will have “fallen from grace”. But as many as walk according to the rule of FAITH, they are the ones who are the Israel of God, to whom belong Peace, and mercy. For in Christ circumcision avails nothing. But we in the church are the new creation.

Galatians 5:1-6 & 11Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.

Galatians 6:12-16 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

You might ask at this point; “So What?” I will tell you. If the sign of a covenant is no longer in force, the covenant is not longer in force. Christ has set up in his own blood, a New Covenant, vastly superior to the Abrahamic Covenant and the Mosaic Covenant. In doing so he has abolished the signs of those covenants, Circumcision and the Sabbath. See Colossians for the New testament statement doing away with Sabbath observance.

Colossians 2:16-17 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Since this is the case, in order to restore Israel as a physical nation back to a physical land in a physical kingdom, you MUST re-institute physical circumcision. The Abrahamic covenant promise of the land DEMANDS IT. If you do not bear the sign of the circumcision you are to be cut off from the people and from the covenant itself. If you are cut off from the covenant, NO LAND, NO KINGDOM. So how is it you can establish a physical kingdom in a physical land without re-establishing the physical circumcision. I propose that you CANNOT. But if you can, and if you do, you must reverse the Gospel freedom of no circumcision. When you go back to circumcision (according to Paul, not me) you have made Christ to be of no effect and have fallen from grace. So in effect, you must abrogate Christ’s work on the cross. This kind of teaching I cannot and I will not consent to. And any teaching that has a plan that requires us to set aside the work of Christ when he established the gospel of the New Covenant in his own blood I will oppose.

Paul has declared, by inspiration of God’s own Spirit, that the rite of circumcision is abolished. And to re-iterate;

---No Circumcision, No Abrahamic Covenant
---No Abrahamic Covenant, No Land
---No Land, No future Israelite kingdom.

THE KINGDOM LION...ARE YOU LYING?

It is the position of many dispensational teachers of our day that Isaiah chapter 35 is depicting Israel's restoration to the land in the future Millennial kingdom. A leading dispensationalist, John MacArthur makes this abundantly clear in his MacArthur
study bible. Particular verses that seem to support that are posted for your evaluation.

Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Isaiah 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isaiah 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Isaiah 35:7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isaiah 35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

I find this particularly fascinating when I read verse 9

No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:

While MacArthur and others claim that this is in the Millennium, yet future, they stumble when they also declare the following two verses from the same book of Isaiah to be a part of the same Millennium.

Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

How can the same kingdom be described as having "NO LION" and "NO RAVENOUS BEAST", and at the same time having lions lying down together with a calf, and the lion that eats straw. And yet they insist that this is the same future Millennial kingdom.

THE BODY

In a discussion on 2 Corinthians 5:10 with a friend, I suggest to him a paradigm shift that I thought would give him additional insight. The passage speaks about “be(ing) recompensed for his deeds in the BODY…” May I suggest that here, Paul is using figurative language in his use of the term “BODY”. We read in Jude of the angel Gabriel disputing with the Devil over the “BODY” of Moses. I believe what is being referred to; is the BODY of Mosaic Law, the Old Covenant (OC). This OC was in its last throes of death and was at the time of the writing of the New Testament, “passing away”. This OC BODY of law was a trap to those trying to live in the New Covenant (NC). I believe Paul was trying to teach that if we continue to labor in the BODY of law that is the OC, we will fall into judgment since the “BODY” of Christ is the only place to be to avoid judgment. There are many places in the New Testament where the context of Paul’s teaching on the BODY fits this paradigm.

We have been translated from the BODY of Moses into the BODY of Christ. Other references you may like to check out are Romans 7. Here Paul is struggling with those things he does in the BODY (OC) and those done outside the BODY (NC). He concludes by saying “Who shall deliver me from this BODY of death (the BODY of OC law which was death to all who did not keep it perfectly). If you look at the context of 2 Corinthians 5, you will see going back to chapter 3 that Paul is arguing for the replacement of the OC with the NC. When he begins chapter 5 he speaks of the tent folding. I believe that this tent is a reference to the temple worship of the OC that was finally and completely terminated in 70 A.D when the Roman General Titus destroyed it and all vestiges of the Hebrew religion. Paul’s whole approach throughout the epistles is to help people struggling with the life in the OC to forsake that old way and come fully into the NC. He argues this almost the entire letter of Galatians, and concludes by saying (allegorically) “cast out the bondwomen and her son”, (the OC law). As well, I believe that the contrast in Gal chapter 5 between Spirit and Flesh is a contrast between living in the BODY of OC law and living in the BODY of Christ in the NC by way of the Spirit. In Acts we see that even Paul was not immune to this struggle of coming out from under the BODY of Moses and coming completely into the BODY of Christ: we read of him making a Nazarite vow, shaving his head and offering his hair at the temple in Jerusalem. Paul is never praised for this and he never makes reference to it again (as if he were shamed by his lack of faith in offering an OC sacrifice).

Perhaps you do not see things as I have outlined them, but let my comments be to you…an encouragement to study even deeper for yourself. Do a study on the BODY of Moses and the BODY of Christ. Look at how the BODY is used figuratively in the New Testament.

Luke 17:37 “and they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, where ever the BODY is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” The context of Luke 17 is the judgment of Israel and the OC.

I believe the context of most passages will give the hints as to how to see the word BODY. I do not believe it is to be taken figuratively every time it is used. but I do believe that the context will guide us.

I believe that the BODY of OC law is what is in danger of judgment and is the BODY of Mosaic Law that has been judged. It is not a universal judgment that is being spoken of. It is a limited judgment; limited to that which is refusing to come out of the BODY of the OC, and that which refuses to be united with the BODY of Christ.

Just a few thoughts to chew on…let me know what you think, and or what you discover in your own study.

Here are a few New Testament passages where I feel the term “BODY” is being used figuratively. If you don’t agree, that’s fine. But take a look at the context of these and see if it may not fit. There are many more, but I feel I have given enough to make the point.

Any comments, corrections, critiques, condemnations and criticism are welcome.

Happy studying, and keep in touch.

Grace in abundance to you.

For many folks, a conclusion is simply the place where they got tired of thinking.

John 2:21

But he spake of the temple of his body.

Romans 6:6

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Romans 7:4

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Romans 7:24

O’ wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Romans 8:10

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Romans 8:13

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Romans 12:4 & 5, 4

For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one member’s one of another.

1 Cor 5:3

For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed

1 Cor 10:16

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

1 Cor 10:17

For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

1 Cor 12:13

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

1 Cor 15:44

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

2 Cor 5:6

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord

2 Cor 5:8

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

2 Cor 12:2

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth) such an one caught up to the third heaven.

2 Cor 12:3

And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth).

Ephesians 2:16

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Ephesians 3:6

That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel

Ephesians 4:4

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling

Col 1:24

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church

Jude 9

Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

JESUS COMING IN THE GLORY OF HIS FATHER

"Jesus coming in the glory of His Father, the angels with Him and rewarding every man according to his deeds. "

The above items are prophetic descriptions of what event:

A. The Second Coming
B. The Resurrection of Christ
C. The Transfiguration
D. The Ascension of Christ

If you picked “A” you might be shocked to learn that most commentators disagree with you. Strangely enough, they can’t seem to agree on what the correct answer is, but they all agree on what it’s not. Why? Because of the time indicator in the verse which follows that description:

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Matt 16:27-28

Jesus told His listeners that some of them would not taste death until they saw the event He had just described. This, according to most commentators, rules out the Second Coming. Although all of the other options have their proponents, the majority favor The Transfiguration as the fulfillment because it immediately follows the prophecy in all three synoptic Gospels. Jesus said that only some of them would not taste death, which implies that most of them would die before the event occurred.

Even by the time of The Ascension only one of the disciples (Judas) had died!

Since The Transfiguration occurred only about one week after Jesus made this prophecy, we feel compelled to ask: who died in that week?

"THE THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY TAKE PLACE"

"Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
knowing that shortly I must put off my tent,
just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me." 2 Pet 1:13-14

The most likely interpretation of this passage is that Jesus had revealed to Peter that:

A. Peter was about to die
B. Peter’s home was about to be destroyed
C. Peter would live for many more years
D. Peter is still alive today

The majority of people are most likely to choose option “A,” and least likely to choose “D.” That being the case, consider another passage in which Jesus revealed something to an apostle which was to shortly take place:

Rev 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place;"

So here we have Jesus revealing two events to two different apostles, and each event is to shortly take place.

In the case of Peter, if we were to say that event would take place at least two thousand years later, we would be laughed at. And yet, many laugh at the suggestion that the events of Revelation did indeed take place shortly after it was written.

Can we have it both ways?
---If we don’t believe that Peter is still living today, why are we looking for the events of Revelation to be fulfilled today, instead of shortly after the book was written?