Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard3 AT earthlink.net>]

Dear Yohanan,
> Harold,
>
> What do you actually think that this covenant spoken of in Sefer 
> Yirmeyahu chapter 31 is?

HH: I write as a Christian under NT authority. so I think it is the new 
covenant inaugurated by Jesus but thus far ignored or rejected by much 
of the nation of Israel.
>  
>
> I will speak as to what it is, for is not a new covenant in the sense 
> that we have not known it hence, but rather it is merely the Torah.

HH: The Torah was the old covenant, so that does not seem an appropriate 
answer. The new covenant is contrasted with the old covenant, not 
equated with it.
>  
>
> Yirmeyahu is speaking metaphorically to my people here, because of 
> what has taken place amongst my people, which is division.

HH: There is no indication of a metaphor. This new covenant is to be 
just as real as the old covenant was.
>  
>
> At the time of Yirmeyahu there were two kingdoms, the Northern and the 
> Southern, both worshipping our Creator differently, i.e. more than one 
> Torah. Thus, the nation was divided.

HH: There really were not two kingdoms at the time Jeremiah wrote. The 
northern kingdom ended in 722 B.C., and Jeremiah was writing about a 
century later.
>  
>
> Today we have the Yuhudhim (Jews) and the Shomerim (Samaritans) as a 
> result of this division. Our Creator never wanted this division. This 
> so-called New Covenant is the correction of such a division, where our 
> Creator places His Torah in our hearts so that there is no 
> disagreements amongst us, and we all know Him, and His truth.
>
>  
>
> After this division another division sprung up, the Parushim and the 
> Sadduqim, which likewise our Creator never truly wanted, but it 
> happened, and at the time of this prophecy's fulfillment such a 
> division will disappear. At this time the offspring of these groups, 
> the political movements still exist by other names.
>
>  
>
> Since such has not happened, we know without a doubt that the prophecy 
> of chapter 31 has not happened as of this time, so you are not under 
> it, as we are also not under it, but in truth, it is not new, it is 
> only the redeclaration of that which has been made in the past, the Torah.

HH:  Of course, the new covenant will involve a lot of things in the 
Mosaic covenant, since the Mosaic covenant was an expression of God's 
eternal moral truths in many respects.
>  
>
> At such a point there will be no need for one Yisraeli to speak to 
> another Yisraeli and say, "This is the correct way……", because we will 
> all know the correct way.

HH: Right. The temporal horizon of the new covenant according to the 
Book of Jeremiah seems to be the eschatological future, the blessed 
kingdom promised to the Jews and yet to be realized on earth.  The 
nation of Israel, as a nation, has not yet entered into the new 
covenant. I agree.  But because of my belief in the NT as divine 
revelation, I accept that the new covenant has been inaugurated. Someday 
Israel as a nation will realize the true identity of the Messiah and 
will enter into that covenant. Many Christians believe this national 
turning will occur shortly before the end of this age.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard