Jeremiah 31 is so often quoted, but what was the actual promise made -- and to whom? Let's go through Jeremiah chapter 31, beginning with verse 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

The first hint of when the new covenant is established is that it is made with both the Houses of Israel and the House of Judah. When did Israel and Judah make this covenant? According to scripture, there was a national *rejection* of Yeshua when He came -- Israel and Judah did *not* make the New Covenant with Yeshua. Yet many Christians assert that the new covenant is now in effect. Impossible! G-d will *only* make this covenant with the Houses of Israel and Judah -- the 'church' cannot usurp this promise and steal it for themselves. The new covenant is still in the future.

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; forasmuch as they broke My covenant, although I was a lord over them, saith the LORD. 33 But this is 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 in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people;

Here this covenant is contrasted to the written Torah -- this new covenant will be identified by the *heart having Torah*. Torah will be renewed among the Houses of Israel and Judah, Torah will be written in their hearts. Further, Israel and Judah will be His people -- He will be their G-d. Believers look for the day when G-d's people accept their Messiah -- this hasn't happened yet though. When the Jewish people call on Yeshua -- only then will He return and establish this promised new covenant. As Yeshua said:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Matthew 23:37-39
Until that day, Yeshua will not return to establish the new covenant. The new covenant cannot be made until the parties (House of Israel and Judah) are willing to make it.

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 their sin will I remember no more.

Again, this speaks of a still future time when all of Israel and Judah know their Messiah; a time when they do not need to be taught about the L-rd, because they all already know Him! This has not happened yet.

35 Thus saith the LORD, Who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirreth up the sea, that the waves thereof roar, the LORD of hosts is His name: 36 If these ordinances depart from before Me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever. 37 Thus saith the LORD: If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then will I also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.

G-d's faithfulness -- He will never forsake His people, He will make a covenant He will never break.

38 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel unto the gate of the corner. 39 And the measuring line shall yet go out straight forward unto the hill Gareb, and shall turn about unto Goah.

This is referring to the messianic kingdom -- a time when Israel will inhabit all the land they were originally promised. The Messianic kingdom is tied into the making of the new covenant -- they come together. Contrast this to what actually happened in 70 CE --- Israel *lost* possession of the land, they didn't gain control over the land. When the New Covenant is completed, Israel will be in her land, *never* to be forced out again. This is why the disciples asked in Acts 1:6: "When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" They understood a new covenant was to be made and the messianic kingdom established; but with the national rejection of Yeshua, they were unsure when He would set things in motion and fulfill the new covenant promises.

40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

This promise is telling -- it refers to a time after a great war has come -- the tribulation. This has not happened yet; yet it is tied in to the time G-d makes the covenant with the Houses of Israel and Judah.

New Covenant in Ezekiel

Similarly, in Ezekiel 36:26 we see the new heart and spirit, indicative of the new covenant, being discussed. And again, the description is tied in to the messianic kingdom, indicating a still future fulfillment of the new covenant promises.

Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep Mine ordinances, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God.

Here again we see the promise of this wonderful regeneration of Israel to come -- a time when G-d sends His Spirit to Israel (here still depicted in unbelief) and they will all obey G-d, and they will dwell in the land of their fathers! Dwelling in the land is the promise of the peaceful Messianic Kingdom. Let's examine Ezekiel 37, starting at verse 21:

21 And say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, whither they are gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land;

Here we see the diaspora of Israel throughout the nations comes before this peaceful covenant and Messianic Kingdom arrive. The Jews have been dispersed for some 2000 years -- not until 1948 do we see larger numbers of Jews beginning to return to the land of Israel. This diaspora occurred early -- James 1:1 sends greetings to "the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad."

22 and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all; 23 neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling-places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them; so shall they be My people, and I will be their God.

Messiah will rule over the unified houses of Israel and Judah as one nation. This regeneration will mend and restore the nation and bring about their national salvation. This did not happen at Yeshua's first coming but still awaits future fulfillment. (Yeshua left their house desolate, because they weren't interested in the covenant He wanted to make with them - Matthew 23:38)

24 And My servant David shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd; they shall also walk in Mine ordinances, and observe My statutes, and do them.

Here Yeshua on throne ruling Messianic Kingdom is tied to the covenant G-d is making with Israel. And Israel will observe all the statutes, and walk by G-d's ordinances -- and they will succeed because His Torah will be written in their hearts, as promised.

25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, they, and their children, and their children's children, for ever; and David My servant shall be their prince for ever.

A reiteration of the promise G-d made Abraham --- this time when G-d brings them into the land and makes the New Covenant with them -- it will be forever. They will never leave the land again.

26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them--it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will establish them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for ever.

A dual promise -- not just the promise of this New Covenant, but a promise of the Messianic temple.

27 My dwelling-place also shall be over them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Again, the promise of regeneration -- of being a covenant people.

When the new covenant is established, Israel will be back in their land; Torah will be on their hearts; G-d will be their G-d; they will all know him; there will be peace in the land; and Messiah will rule over them. Until these things happen, the new covenant cannot be in effect.

But Doesn't The Book Of Hebrews Teach The New Covenant Is Already In Effect?

Hebrews 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."

Nothing here indicates the new covenant is already in effect. And the writer of Hebrews is quoting Jeremiah 31, showing with whom the covenant is made -- the House of Israel and Judah. The fault with the first covenant is that the people strayed from it. So G-d will renew the first covenant by writing Torah on their hearts this time and not on tablets.

Hebrews 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.

This verse comes at the conclusion of *two whole chapters* devoted to showing the superiority of Yeshua's "Melchizedek' priesthood to that of our earthly Levitical priesthood. So what is 'ready to vanish' must be taken in the context of what has just been discussed! It is the earthly temple and the earthly priesthood ready to vanish, to be rendered inoperational (as did occur a few years later in 70 CE). What is about to vanish away here is NOT Torah; it can only mean the just-discussed the temple & associated priesthood. Why? "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. Luke 16:17 Have heaven and earth ended? The law will not fail! The only thing about to vanish away here is the earthly temple and priesthood.

Now notice that the *need* for a priesthood doesn't change, merely the means of provision for the priesthood. Torah is upheld, the provision for the priesthood is upheld. But instead of earthly priests we will now have a perfect high priest instead. Likewise with sacrifices -- the *need* for a sacrifice doesn't fade away (if it did, Yeshua would have died in vain since the Torah covenant requiring sacrifice would be made void!) Torah remains valid, what changed was only the means of how the sacrifice was provided. Torah is upheld -- G-d makes provision for both a priest *and* a sacrifice even though the temple cult is about to disappear.

One comment about G-d's appointed times (like the Yom Kippur atonement mentioned here in Hebrews), G-d's convocations (from the Hebrew word "mikraw" - Strong's #4744) *means* rehearsal! These appointed times were literal earthly rites in and of themselves, but they were also shadows (rehearsals) of larger heavenly events to come! In other words, Torah itself (in its wording) was alluding to the fact that each festival of G-d had a bigger fulfillment coming. Yeshua perfectly demonstrates this with His unique priesthood and Yom Kippur atonement. So what is 'about to vanish away' in Hebrew 8:13 is that the earthly rehearsal is becoming the heavenly event it originally foreshadowed. Torah itself is being brought to perfection/completeness with this changeover.

Hebrews 12:24 And to Yeshua the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Note the present tense -- He *is* the mediator of the new covenant. He has NOT established the new covenant yet -- but He is at the right hand of the Father, in the heavenly holy of holies, sprinkling His own blood, (See "NOTE: Blood" below) acting as our high priest and mediating between us and G-d. He will not return and establish this new covenant *until both parties (Israel & Judah)* are willing to enter into this covenant with Him.

At the last Passover Seder, Yeshua mentioned the cup of the covenant; yet He was clear to tie it's completion in with the messianic kingdom. He said "But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." Matthew 26:29 Yeshua is currently mediating the New Covenant, but it isn't in effect until He returns, sets up His kingdom, and drinks that last seder cup!

NOTE: Blood
The high priest entered the earthly holy of holies once a year to offer atonement for Israel. When he came out he would be covered in blood. Likewise when Yeshua returns from the heavenly holy of holies, He too is covered in blood.
"And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." Revelation 19:13
Connect this passage to:
"I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment." Isaiah 63:3

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