Who fulfilled gods covenant after Jacob and his twelve sons?

Answer 1

Who fulfilled the covenant, or who did the covenant pass through?

The covenant went from Jacob, to Judah, to Perez, on down to David, then down to Jesus.

Answer:

Amid the religious confusion in the world, few people recognize that God made "two" promises to Abraham that became their "covenant" [agreement].

For Abraham's "obedience to His Commands" God's two promises were a "material" one of "national greatness".... and a "spiritual" one, which is the promise of "global blessing"... "salvation through the Christ."

The "second" promise most people can recite. But the first one is lost on folks.

"...Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I WILL MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great..." (Gen.12:1-2).

This first promise to Abraham is not a "spiritual" or religious one. Although, ultimately, it shall be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God [but that Great Nation, flesh and blood cannot inherit - I Cor.15:50]. Most people gloss right over it when they read the words:

"PROMISED LAND."

Of course, it's been "spiritualized away" by all the religious confusion in the world since then. But the promise of the Christ is a different part of Abraham's promise.

"...and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curseth thee: and IN THEE SHALL ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED." (Gen.12:3)

A "blessing" is of a "spiritual" nature... as is the "faith" that Abraham displayed through his "obedience" to God's command:

"So Abram departed..." (verse 4).

"...wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:20)

These two promises of God to Abraham remained together and were passed down as one promise through two generations [Isaac and Jacob] before they became separated.

Again... the spiritual "blessing" promise of "salvation," the world recognizes as "the promise of the Anointed One [the Christ] which Jacob passed on to "Judah" [Gen.49:8-12].

Jacob, however, [his name was changed to "Israel"]... on his deathbed... passed on the "material" promise to "Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim -- splitting it in two between them! [Gen.48]

The Bible reveals a distinction between the "Jews" and "Israel." In other words, not all Israelites are 'Jews' [the descendants of 'Judah'].

All Jews [desdendants of Judah] are Israelites... but not all Israelites [Gad, Zebulun, Naphtali, Dan, Joseph, etc] are Jews [descendants of Judah]. Another way of saying it is: All native-born Virginians are Americans... but not all Americans are native-born Virginians.

In Genesis 48, the Abramic promise of "national greatness" became separated from the spiritual promise, and went to Ephraim and Manasseh. The name "ISRAEL" was "named on them"... NOT ON THE JEWS [Judah].

"The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and LET MY NAME [Jacob's name was Israel] BE NAMED ON THEM, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." (Gen.48:16)

"...salvation [the spiritual promise to Abraham] is of the Jews." (John 4:22)

The world recognizes this part of the promise.

But it's blind to the material "Promised LAND" phase... which the deceived world believes to be a small tract of land in the Middle East. The passing of time, man's worship of the god of this world, and global religious confusion has altered God's promise into "Going to Heaven" [which has always been the burning desire of Satan the Devil -- "...for thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven..." - Isa.14:13].

The world sees Jesus... sees the promise of salvation, whether it believes it or not. Jesus has "partially" fulfilled that phase of God's promise to Abraham. It's only "partial" because "all the families of the earth" have not yet been "blessed" [saved] with God's salvation.

But, the world remains ignorant of the material promise passed on to "Joseph" through his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. And if that's not enough, the ten tribes of the House of Israel that were headed up by "Joseph's" two blessed tribes DISAPPEARED from world view and world history -- their descendants scattered among the nations of the world. Not only does the world not know who these "blessed" descendants of Israel are... the descendants don't know who they are, either.

Unknown to the world, God did eventually cause Abraham's descendants to prosper materially in spite of themselves, and these two "brother-nations," each in turn, became great nations... the recipients of the majority of the vast wealth that the earth can bestow upon any nation. They are Great Britain [Ephraim] and America [Manasseh].

Both phases of God's promises to Abraham, however, haven't been fulfilled in their entirety. The amount of "land" that God promised Abraham kept spreading and growing to include the "whole world."

"For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." (Rom.4:13) How many people even know that Abraham's "Promised Land" is THE EARTH, instead of "heaven?"

"...if ye be Christ's, then are ye [faithful] Abraham's seed, and HEIRS [of the world] according to the promise." (Gal.3:29)

Not many people know that the Creator God of the Old Testament was and is "Jesus Christ" -- John 1:3. And that it was Jesus Christ who made the promises to Abraham. Faith is faith, beit in the Old Testament or New.

"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Gal.3:7-9)

God's "covenant" with Abraham, which was passed down to his descendants, Isaac, Jacob, Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah, and all the other scattered children of Israel... hasn't been fulfilled yet.

The "great nation" that Abraham was to become, the coming "Kingdom of God"... and Jesus Christ, the King of that Kingdom, haven't been established on earth, yet.

Moreover... in the global confusion that is religion... most religious people seem eager [in word, at least] to "get off of planet earth," thinking and being taught that "heaven" is where they're all headed.

Most religious folks think "God's plan is done." They seem to be waiting to "die and go to heaven"... even though there is no scripture in the Bible that says: "go to heaven" [except for the one cited "desire" of Satan, this world's god.

The covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel's twelve sons, and all their descencants has not been fulfilled yet.

They are still scattered to the four winds... lost in spirit and national identity among the nations of the world. The Bible says that they will all be gathered by the promised Messiah:

"...I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah [the Jews], and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand... and I will make them one nation... 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." (Ezek.37:19-22)

This hasn't been fulfilled, yet.

For the ultimate fulfillment of the covenant to take place [the promises of God of the Kingdom of God and Salvation for obedience to His voice] for "all the families of the earth"... a radical change in human nature must take place. A "spiritual rebirth." A change of man's natural selfish, rebellious heart for one of selfless love.

The old covenant has been replaced by the new one through Jesus Christ. But He hasn't fulfilled it, yet. He hasn't returned, yet. He hasn't saved all the families of the earth, yet. He hasn't gathered the two houses of Israel [Israel and Judah] together into a single House of Israel, yet.

"For this is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people... for ALL SHALL KNOW ME, from the least to the greatest." (Heb.8:10-11)

All the families of the world don't know Him, yet. Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of the covenant, says that He is the King... and that the Great Nation of Abraham, the Kingdom of God, is near. But He has not yet returned to fulfill it.