THE HOPE OF ISRAEL - The Preterist Archive

The Hope of Israel: What Is It? 67
prophets." Furthermore, the terms in which God announced
through Moses and Joshua (the founders of
the nation of Israel) the destruction of that nation, exclude
the possibility of its restoration. And finally, it
was necessary that the old covenant and all that was
connected with it should wax old and vanish away, in
order that place might be found for the new and everlasting
covenant, the "better covenant, which was established
upon better promises" (Heb. 8:6-13). It was
under that old covenant, which had merely the "shadow
of good things to come" the glorious and eternal things
of God's everlasting kingdom that the children of
Israel took possession of the land of Canaan. And now,
not only have the old covenant and all the shadows
connected with it passed away, but they have been replaced
by the eternal realities, which those shadows
represented for that era of mingled light and darkness.
But "the darkness is past and the true light now
shineth" (1 J. 2:8) ;
so there can be no going back
again to the time of dimness and shadows.
It is of the highest importance that this truth be
clearly grasped and firmly maintained, for it is of the
very essence and substance of the gospel that, while
life and
there is mercy now for all men pardon,
eternal blessing "through the blood of the everlasting
covenant," there is no mercy and no blessing for
any, whether Jews or Gentiles, under any other covenant;
but judgments and curses only. There now remain
no promises for any except the "better promises"
of the gospel of Christ ;
and for those who refuse that
gospel it matters not what their ancestry there
is nought but the abiding wrath of God, nought "but
a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery in-