The nature of the New Covenant will be discussed later on, but it is my hope that the reader understands to whom the New Covenant is directed. Christ fulfilled prophecies that predominately involve the reconciliation of the two houses of commonwealth Israel. While foreigners were certainly grafted in, God remains the one true God, the God of Israel, throughout scripture. It is difficult to argue that God had all these plans for the reconciliation of Israel, and then they all got messed up by their rejection of Him, and so He then put those plans on the back burner and decided to instead go after a group termed the church, who are distinct from commonwealth Israel. Since Paul calls gentile believers who come to Christ as being one with the commonwealth of Israel, such dispensational thought seems to be on weaker scriptural ground than the idea that God is unchanging and has remained true to His original covenantal promises. Again, we will describe the differences in the covenants later on, but we need to realize first and foremost to whom the covenant was promised, for gentile believers that come to Christ, are the fulfillment of the return of the 10 tribes of the House of Israel.
We read in Zechariah, that in the last days, as the mountain of Zion, the highway built on His cornerstone, ascends, there shall be peace after God had been provoked to wrath. Judah will no longer fear, and they will act as guides to the 10 tribes who grab hold of their feasts and commandments as they walk toward New Jerusalem:
And the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. 3 Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain 13 And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.” 14 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the Lord of hosts, 15 so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. 20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ 22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
Zechariah 8:1-8,11-15,20-22 ESV
The ten tribes, estranged from the ways of God for over 2,700 years, will take hold of the robe of Jew (the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin), and ask if they may follow them to Zion. Today, many within the modern gentile church are the House of Israel, for His commandments are truly written on their hearts, but their identity is still unknown to them because of the dispensational doctrines within the greater Christian church.
In Isaiah 42, we see truth and judgement brought to the gentiles through God’s servant, Israel, and ultimately, Christ. It will be a light and a covenant to those scattered within the nations.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. 2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. 3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. 4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. 5 Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isaiah 42:1-6 KJV
The idea that gentile Christian believers may represent the House of Israel, should be placed in stark contrast to the idea of replacement theology, which espouses that the modern gentile church replaced Judaism in the eyes of God. Again, Zechariah’s prophecy tells us that the 10 tribes ask the House of Judah for guidance, so they are not replaced. In replacement theology, the House of Judah is simply ignored, for they believe God had a plan for the 12 tribes of Israel, and then decided to go with some other group because things didn’t pan out, and yet may come back again to Israel at a later date. God is unchanging, and His plans don’t fall apart based on our actions. This replacement narrative also represents a straw man argument, for we know that no one comes to the Father unless they confess Christ as savior, regardless of their Jewish or Gentile origins, so to imply that God decides to save people at a later date despite their unbelief and rejection of Messiah, is not scriptural.
In essence, we are left with two groups of people that we must categorize. Gentile Christians who live entirely by feeling and emotion, knowing nothing of His covenant promises and guidance granted to us in the law, and those who know only of His covenant promises, who try to gain favor through their lawful actions, despite their rejection of the Messiah. The truth is that both are misguided. In the next part, we will see that God did not abandon the Law in the New Covenant, and the manner in which the law was intended in the New Covenant, should be followed by both Gentile Christians (northern house) and Jewish Christians (southern house) alike. Gentile Christians are the House of Israel, and just as the House of Israel was spread throughout diverse nations, so too are those coming back to His ways today. We are to embrace and follow after Christian believers of the House of Judah as they travel toward Zion, and in this way, all Israel will be saved.
Christ is the culmination of OT prophecies, and OT prophecies about Christ concern the reunification of the 12 tribes of Israel. OT prophecies do not say that God will abandon Israel and save another group for a time, then return one day to Israel. Nor do they suggest a 3rd group in addition to Israel. God’s people are and have always been, Israel. There is no other. Gentiles must graft in if they are to be part of His Kingdom, for Christ was sent to the save the lost sheep of the House of Israel. In addition, at the final summation, New Jerusalem is for the 12 tribes of Israel, so if one believes their name is written in the lamb’s book of life and that one day they will partake of the living waters of the tree of life, then they are somehow within the 12 tribes of Israel, which in God’s eyes, is built on the foundation of the apostles in Christ.