New covenant

[Guest agua]

Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

In Hebrews 8,Paul? quotes the Lords words from Jeremiah 31.

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Are we living in the days of the new covenant,and if so how is the Lord teaching His people?

Is this letter intended for all christians,or only the particular group called "hebrews"?

[OneLight]

Yes, we have been living under the new covenant since Christ.

Hebrew was addressed to the Hebrews, and some part of it pertains to them only, but there is nothing saying that it is not for us today, directly, or to learn from.

[Fez]

Yes we live under the new covenant, brought to us by Christ and the blood of the cross.

[Guest agua]

Yes we live under the new covenant, brought to us by Christ and the blood of the cross.

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

What does this mean?

[Fez]

Yes we live under the new covenant, brought to us by Christ and the blood of the cross.

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

What does this mean?

This is probably one for OneLight! But I read it as the foretelling of the coming of Jesus, and the fact that he would come to fulfill the law.

"I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people".

Mat 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Mat 5:18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Mat 5:19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

"for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more".

And die for us on the cross.

Blessings

[Franky67]

Yes we live under the new covenant, brought to us by Christ and the blood of the cross.

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

What does this mean?

The difference between the Old and the New Covenants

Hebrews 8:18, and Jeremiah 31 says God found fault with THEM, not with His covenant, so in verses 8-13, the writer of Hebrews explains the new covenant (the word " new " here refers to new in quality, rather than brand new, never existed before)

A new covenant where God says He will write His laws on their hearts, and put them in their minds.

Jesus says He would send the comforter to be IN us , Paul wrote that "we have the Mind of Christ"

And Romans 15 says Jesus came to confirm the promises made to the fathers, ie, the covenant.

What makes it better? we now have the Holy Spirit resident in us , we have the Mind of Christ.

We are told to renew our minds, which means to bring our physical minds into one accord with the Mind of Christ.

What else makes the new better than the old? this covenant was confirmed by the very blood of God.

Jesus took upon Himself all the curses of the law, He said "I came not to destroy, but to fulfill the law."

In Christ, we are heirs to all the blessings of the everlasting covenant, and in Christ, our iniquities are redeemed, our sins are forgiven, the debt is paid in full.

These are for all who are in Christ, but many do not know what they have inherited, and therefore cannot receive the blessings.

Many have said that if all these blessings were given by God through Christ, then all Christians would be healed, and all would be blessed in all these other ways, but they say they don't see it, so it must not be a true doctrine.

Do we prove the word of God, by the evidence of our senses?

2 Cor 1:20

"All the promises of God are, in Him, yes and amen"

Col 2:9

"In Him all god's fulness dwells."

Malachi 3:1

"..........the messenger of the covenant......"

[mizzdy]

Why if we are under a new covenant do we all debate 'the law'? The new covenant refered to in Jer. 31 and Heb. 8 is made with two groups of people, the house of Judah and the house if Israel. Are we not grafted into Israel and is that not our identity also? Its my belief that the 'church' is Israel. I'm not so sure we are under the full covenant yet but that we are in the process of it it, we are being renewed constantly by the Spirit are we not? Do we all abide in His laws yet? or are we still striving to walk in the ways He wants us to?

[HAZARD]

We are now living under the New Covenant.

Note the following contrasts between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant in 2 Cor.3;

The first is "old" and the second is "new"; the first brought "death" and the second brings "life"; the first was "glorious" the second is "much more glorious"; the first brought "condemnation" and the second brings "righteousness" which free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1-4); the first was "the letter" and the second is of "the Spirit"; the first had "no glory" in comparison to the second "by reason of the glory that excelleth"; the frist was "done away" and "abolished" and the second "remaineth"; the first came by "Moses" and was "done away in Christ"; the first required a vail to hide the glory because it was "the ministration of death" but the exceeding glory of the second can be looked upon with "open face" because it is "the spirit that giveth life"; and the first brought blindness and bondage while the second brings enlightenment and liberty and changes character by the spirit of the Lord.

A mere change in administration of the old covenant the failure of either party in keeping it, or the place where it is written does not change the covenant from a old to a new one. Nor does such change its glory in any sense as some argue in trying to get around this plain Scripture which says three times that the old covenant was "done away" and once that it was "abolished" in Christ. Any change in the administration of a contract or the terms of a will would not change the will or contract itself. A will or a contract itself would have to be changed or a new one take the place of the old one if it would be "done away" and "abolished" as is here stated of the old covenant.

Christ came to "fulfill" the law before He "abolished" it on the cross (Matt. 5:17, 18). The Greek word for "fulfill"is PLERO, to satisfy, execute, finish, end, make complete, and cause to expire. It is translated "Fulfilled in connection with many prophecies which came to an end when they were "fulfilled" (Matt. 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 26:54-56; 27:9, 35; ect. That the law also ceased to be in force when it was "fulfilled" is clear from (Matt 11:13; Luke 16:16; 24:27, 44; Gal. 3:19-25). The law was only a shadow of things to come and when these realities came the mere type, picture, or shadow of them was no longer needed (Col. 2:14-17; Heb. 4:1-11; 8:1-6; 9:1-10; 10:1-18).

The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by "Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). This not only proves that the law was not made know before Moses, but that is was replaced by the new covenant of grace and truth when Christ came.

Some teach Isaiah 8:20 holds us to the Old Covenant and all its Laws. This is not so.

Isaiah 8:20 has nothing to do with honoring the sabbath, or keeping the old covenant which has been done away and has been replaced with the new.

Isaiah 8:20, Isaiah the prophets great call to all men to try everything by the revealed Word of God (Verse 20). Anything contrary to the written revelation of God is of demons and satanic spirits, and not of the Holy Spiirit. The written Word of God is the true light; and those who want light and truth will follow it and reject all things to the contrary.

Verse 21; "And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward," They who live not in the light of God's Word will walk in Spiritual darkness. They shall wander here, and there through it (Immanuel's land, Palestine-the subject of this prophecy, Verse 8). hungry and oppressed by the judgments of God through other nations fretting themselves in themselves in spite of their trust in demon spirits who promise them help; and they will curse the king and their God for their miseries (Verse 21). They shall look up to heaven and down to the earth for help and shall find none; they shall have trouble and spiritul darkness and anguish to the point of dispair (Verse 22).

The following is prophecy, and Isaiah called all men to try everything by the revealed Word of God.

That being said, Scripture teaches that God foretold in prophecy that He would do away with the sabbaths, and feast days: "It was fortold that the sabbath would be abolished because it had become something to be abhorred by God The reason God hated it was because of the sins and hypocrisy of Israel in keeping the sabbath which was a "sign" between Him and Israel. "I will cause her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, AND HER SABBATHS, and all her solomn feasts" (Hosea 2:11).

"Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto Me; the new moons and SABBATHS, the calling of assemblies, I CANNOT AWAY WITH; it is an iniquity, even the solomn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts MY SOUL HATETH; they are a troubleunto me; I AM WEARY TO BEAR THEM. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.(Isiah 1:10-15).

Also, "I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts (Hosea 2:11);

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years" (Galatians 4:9-10)

"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 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" (Collosians 2:14-17);

People can worship on any day they choose as the Scriptures, and the New Testament, the New Covenant teaches;

"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living" (Romans 14:5-9).

Contrasts between the old and new covenants prove they were two distinct covenants made for different purposes and to be in force at different times.

1. One is called "the first covenant"; and other "the second covenant" (Heb. 8:7; 9:1-18; 10:1-9);

2. The first is called "the old covenant'; the second is called the "new covenant" (Matt. 26:28; 2 Cor. 3; Heb. 8:13).

3. The first covenant was given by Moses; the second by Jesus Christ (John 1:17; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 9:15; Matt. 26:28).

4. One is "the law of Moses"; the other is "the law of Christ" (Acts 13:39; Gal. 6:2).

5. One is "the law of sin"; the other is "the law of righteousness" (Rom. 7:7-25; 8:1-4; 9:31).

6. One is the law of "the flesh"; the other is "the law of the Spirit" (Rom. 7:5, 6; 8:1-4; Gal. 5:16-26).

7. One is "not of faith"; the other is "the law of faith" (Gal. 3:12; Rom.3:27).

8. One is the "yoke of bondage"; the other is "the law of liverty" (Gal. 5:1; James 1:18-25).

9. One is brought to an end by Christ (Rom. 16:4; 2 Cor. 3:14; Heb. 10:9); the other is established by Christ (Heb. 8:6; 9:15; 2 Cor. 3:6-18; Matt. 26:28).

10. One brought death; the other brought life (2 Cor. 3:6-18; Rom 8:1-4; Gal. 3:21; Heb. 9:15; 10:1-18).

11. One makes guilty (Rom. 3:19-20); the other justifies or makes not guilty (Acts 13:39; Rom. 3:21-31; 5:1-11).

12. One is "a shadow of things to come"; the other is the reality (Col. 2:14-17; Heb. 10:1-18).

13. On is "fulfilled" or completed; the ther is still in force (Matt. 5:17, 18; 2 Cor. 3:6-18; Heb. 10:9).

14. One demanded righteousness; the other gace righteousness (Luke 10:28; Rom. 8:1-4; Gal. 3:1-29; 5:1-26).

15. One made nothing perfect; the other made perfect (Heb. 7:19).

16. One was glorious; the other was more glorious (2 Cor. 3).

17. One was powerless to save from sin; the other saves to the uttermost (Heb. 7:11-28; 8:7-13; 9:9-28; 10:1-18).

18. One had many sacrifices; the other had only one (Heb. 9:9-14; 10:14; Rom. 6:6-13).

19. One had a changeable priesthood; the other did not (Heb. 7:23-28; 4:14-16; Rom. 8:34).

20. One remembered sins; the other forgets sin (Heb. 10:3; 8:12; etc.),

21. One had a representative and a seasonal access to God (Heb. 9:7-10; the other had a personal and daily access to God (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:25; 10:19, 20. Eph. 2:18).

22. One had a sinful ministry (Heb. 5:1-4); the other had a sinless ministry (Heb. 7:26-28; 2 Cor. 3; 1 John 3:9).

23. One was given under the Levitical priesthood (Heb. 7:11, 12); the other under the present Melchizadek priesthood (Heb. 6:20; 7:11-12, 24).

24. One had an earthly tabernacle service of animal sacrifices (Heb. 9:1-10); the other had a heavenly tabernalce of services of spiritual salvation (Heb. 4:14-16; 7:25; 8:1-5; 9:11-15).

25. One had a sinful mediator (Gal. 3:19); the other had a sinless mediator (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22).

26. One had no eternal inheritance (Romans 4:13); the other has an eternal inheritance (Rom. 8:17; Heb. 9:15; 1 Pet. 1).

27. One was ratified by animal blood (Ex. 29:1-8; Heb. 9:16-22); the other by the blood of Christ (Matt. 26:28).

28. One was a law of works; the other a law of grace (John 1:17; Rom. 3:24-31; Gal. 3:10-12; Eph. 2:8-9).

29. One brought wrath (Rom. 4:15); the other brought salvation from wrath (Rom. 5:9; Gal. 3:13, 14).

30. One could not redeem; the other could (Gal. 3:10-14; Rom. 8:1-4; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 7:25).

31. One could not satisfy God's demands; the other did (Gal. 2:21; heb. 7:22; 8:6; 10:5-18).

32. One made no provision for doing miracles; the other one provided fro them (Gal. 3:1-5; 1 John 5:8; John 14:12; Luke 24:49).

33. Prophecy fortold the abolishing of one and establishing of the other (Isa. 51:4; Jer. 31:33; Acts. 3:22; Heb. 8:7-13; 10:4-18; Rom. 11:25-29).

34. One had a fleshy sign of obedience (Acts 7:8; Rom. 2:25); the did not (Rom. 4:11; 1 Cor. 7:18).

35. One was too weak to overcome sin; the other gave victory over sin (Rom. 6:1-23; 8:1-4; Eph. 2:8, 9; 1 John 5:1-18).

36. One was made to be changed (Heb. 7:11-22; 8:5, 6; 9:9, 10; 10:1-18; Gal. 3:19-24; the other was made to be unchanged (Heb. 7:22; 8:6; 10:9; 13:20).

It is admitted by most denominations that ceremonial laws are not a part of the new covenant; so it is unnecessary to debate this point. The big questionis whether the entire ten commandments are a part of the new covenant or not. By an honest investigation anyone can easily find nine of the ten commandments in the new covenant, but the fourth commandment, which referes to the sabbath is no where to be found.

The New covenant Scriptures on the ten commandments are these:

1. Ex. 20:3 with Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 13; 1 John 3:1-4:21.

2. Ex. 20:4-6 with Rom. 2:22; 1 Cor. 5:10; 6:9-11; 8:1-10; 10:7, 19-28; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 5:5; 1 John 5:21; Acts 15.

3. Ex. 20:7 with Acts 26:11; Rom. 2:24; Col. 3:8; Tit. 3.

4. Ex. 20:8-10 (not commanded in the new covenant). "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks" (Rom. 14:5-6).

5: Ex. 20:12 with Eph. 6:2-3; Col. 3:20; 2 Tim. 3:2.

6. Ex. 20:13 with Rom. 13:9; 1 Pet. 4:15; 1 John 3:15.

7. Ex. 20:14 with Rom. 2:22; 13:9; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; Heb. 13:4.

8. Ex. 20:15 with Rom. 2:21; 13:9; Eph. 4:28.

9. Ex. 10:16 with Rom. 13:9.

10. Ex. 20:17 with Rom. 13:9; 1 Cor. 5:10, 11; 6:9-11.

An honest Bible study of all the Scriptures provided above plainly proves that the old covenant has been abolished and the new covenant is now in force.

[lekh l'kha]

I think it's important to point out that Jer.31: 31-33 and Hebrews, etc contrasts two covenants:

1. The Covenant God made with the Israelites "in the day He took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt" (the Mosaic Covenant, which Paul points out in Galatians came 430 years after the Abrahamic Covenant).

2. The New Covenant.

Both of the above two covenants were ratified with blood, and have to do with law and obedience to Law. Christ is the Son of Man who prefectly obeyed the Law on our behalf, then died for our transgression of the law, rose again and now remains our representative or Advocate before God.

But the Abrahamic Covenant and the Davidic Covenant were not ratified with blood - they were sealed by God's oath - and it is the Abrahamic Covenant which elected Abraham's seed through Isaac and Jacob - it was a covenant God made with the flesh-seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (just as He had made a different covenant with all flesh - the seed of Noah - following the flood).

The majority of the flesh-seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with whom the Abrahamic Covenant was made, have remained "broken-off" from God's chosen people through unbelief, but the remnant believes and remains, and it is among the remnant of the flesh-seed that the believing Gentiles are grafted into - in each and every generation since Christ until His return.

Thus Abraham has become the father of "many nations" - but the Abrahamic Covenant, Mosaic Covenant, Davidic Covenant and New Covenant was not made with "many nations" - the covenants were made with the flesh-seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - and the covenant is extended to any and all Gentiles who believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The New Covenant did not and cannot do away with God's eternal election of the flesh-seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (though only a remnant of the flesh-seed remain), because the election of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is based upon God's oath and not upon the Law which came 430 years later. This is also why the New Covenant is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, and not with "many nations", though any and all believing Gentiles share in it:

The New Covenant says:

"Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.

Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD." (Jer 31:35-37).

The New Covenant does not annul or cancel the eternal election of the flesh-seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (though only a remnant of the flesh-seed remains), because the covenant is and everlasting covenant sealed by God's oath - and the calling, election and promises were not solicted by the flesh with whom they were made (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their seed).

Gentiles who believe become grafted in among the remnant of the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The churches which teach otherwise, have practiced esiegesis of Rom.9: 8, and interpreted the rest of Biblical scripture "in the light of" that eisegesis:

"That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Rom 9:8).

Immediately before Paul said this, he said, "Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called." (Rom 9:7).

He had just stated that the everlasting covenant that God made with the flesh-seed of Abraham, came through Isaac (the seed of the promise) (and not through Ishmael), then he contrasted Sarah's son with Hagar's son to show that the promise is through the flesh-seed of Isaac and not through the flesh-seed of Ishmael.

In the same chapter, Paul mentioned the remnant of the flesh-seed of Isaac and Jacob that remain, and again in Romans 11 he mentions them, beginning like this:

"I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin." (Rom 11:1)

The fact that Paul mentioned the tribe of Benjamin shows that by "His People", Paul means the same people who are called "His people" here:

"And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness." (Exo 5:1)

Immediately after calling the flesh-seed of Isaac and Jacob "His people", Paul mentions the remnant of His people who remain - and after that, he says that believing Gentiles are grafted into "His people" among the remnant of "His people" (Rom.11: 17).

The Abrahamic covenant and the Davidic Covenant and the New Covenant are eternal covenenants which God made with the flesh-seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The Abrahamic Covenant and the Davidic Covenant were not ratified with blood - they were sealed by God's oath.

But the Mosaic and New Covenants were ratified with blood, and had to do with Law/obedience to Law. ("I will write MY LAW in their hearts..")

The "Old Covenant" is the Mosaic covenant ONLY - the covenant God made with their fathers "in the day He took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt", and it has nothing to do with God's eternal election and OATH-covenants with the flesh-seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Lekh

[lekh l'kha]

Obeying the fourth commandment (or any of the ten commandments) does not bring salvation, but there are many Christians who feel prompted by the Spirit of God, who writes the Law in their hearts, to honor the sabbath day - and there are very good reasons for this:

1. Eight of the ten commandments are negatives ("thou shalt not"). The only two positives - the only two "do" commandments, are the 4th and 5th commandments - and they both contain the word "honor"

"Honor the sabbath day"

"Honor your father and mother".

There is a link between the two - the one honors God, the other honors God by honoring your father and your mother.

Why does honroing the sabbath day honor God?

2. The Bible teaches us that the heavens and the earth were created by the Word of God.

Jesus is the word of God.

Jesus is the God who sanctifies us, and He rested on the sabbath day:

"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." (Exo 31:13)

Honoring the 4th commandment does not produce salvation, but Jesus honored the 4th commandment - and it is His Spirit which writes HIS LAW on our hearts, therefore although honoring the sabbath day does not produce salvation, many Christians feel prompted by the Spirit of God to honor the sabbath day - and they do so joyfully - not out of a sense of feeling bound to do so.

It is the same with regard to the other shadows contained in the Biblical Feast days:

"For "as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show" the Lord's death until He shall come." (1Co 11:26)

The apostles and early Christians would gather for the Passover meal, and they understood that because the Passover meal is a shadow of things to come, they proclaim the Lord's death at the Passover meal "until He comes".

Each intricate detail of the Passover meal is a shadow of Christ.

"For these are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ." (Col 2:17)

Some Bibles translate the above verse ".. a shadow of things that WERE to come", but the KJV and the Greek do not say "WERE to come", the Greek says simply "... a shadow of things to come".

The Passover meal and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Furstfruits (Pentecost) and the Day of Atonement are a shadow ofthings that WERE to come.

But the Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement (when Israel repents and is forgiven) and Feast of Tabernacles are a shadow of things that ARE to come, namely, the return of Christ.

Observing the sabbaths and the Biblical Feasts do not produce salvation, but many Christians feel prompted by the Spirit of Christ to observe them joyfully, with no sense ofobligation or of feeling bound to celbrate them - because they understand that these are all a shadow of Christ, which teach us a great deal about Him and about God's plan of salvation.

"For "as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show" the Lord's death until He shall come." (1Co 11:26)

Lekh