From the Editor Mar/Apr 2022

If you’ve been a Christian for many years, you have probably taken communion hundreds of times. In fact, you probably know Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:28 by heart: “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

But do you know to whom God gave the New Covenant? It seems fair to say many people do not, including synagogue-attending Jews and churchgoing Christians. I graduated from Hebrew school and attended synagogue every Sabbath for 18 years; and the first time I took communion as a new believer in Jesus, I was sure I had waded into the deep, deep waters of all things Gentile.

Recently, I did an Internet search on the New Covenant and got millions of hits. The first post, written by the editorial staff of a reputable Christian website, called the New Covenant “a promise that God makes with mankind that He will forgive sin and restore communion with those whose hearts believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.”

The second hit appeared to borrow from the first—and so it went until I reached this post: “The New Covenant With Israel” on bible.org. The author? The late president of Dallas Theological Seminary, John Walvoord. Bingo! God did not make the New Covenant with mankind or with the church. He made it with His people Israel.

The New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34) promises the Jewish people a personal relationship with God based on an inward change of heart. Jesus ratified this covenant with His blood, instituting it when He willingly went to the cross as the final sacrifice for our sin. Gentiles who place their faith in Israel’s Messiah are grafted into the Jewish promise (Rom. 11:17). It turns out the New Covenant is not Gentile at all.

This issue of Israel My Glory explains the New Covenant—how it often is misunderstood, how it affects us today, and how it will affect all Israel someday. The cover depicts the nation of Israel grounded in God’s promise of land, with the new heart of faith God promised (Ezek. 36:26–28), and the Gentiles grafted in through Messiah Jesus.

This Easter season, we encourage you to give God an extra measure of thanks for the nation of Israel when you thank Him for Jesus, who arose from the dead and provides forgiveness of sin to all who place their faith exclusively in Him.

Waiting for His Appearing,
Lorna Simcox
Editor-in-Chief