The words "and hate you enemy" are thought by many to be part of the inspired record in the Mosaic Law. Yet Christ was not quoting from the Law when he said those last words. Nowhere in the Bible will you see the command to hate your enemies. The Pharisees, spurred on by others around them, made it nearly impossible to love any foreigners. Their "tradition" invalidated the "word of God."-Mark 7:13
It had always been prophesied that the Gentiles, people of the nations, would become associated with God's people. But, as with the case of Peter, drastic changes had to be made. Even after many years and the holy spirit working through that man, his actions still held him condemned. Why? Paul says, "For before the arrival of certain men from James, he [Peter] used to eat with people of the nations; but when they arrived, he went withdrawing and separating himself, in fear of those of the circumcised class. The rest of the Jews also joined him in putting on this pretense, so that even Barnabas was led along with them in their pretense. But when I [Paul] saw they were not walking straight according to the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas before them all: 'If you, though you are a Jew, live as the nations do, and not as Jews do, how is it that you are compelling people of the nations to live according to Jewish practice?'"-Gal. 2:12-14
The nation of Israel was a nation chosen by Jehovah God. He adopted them as an infant and took care of them, loving them even when they committed spiritual adultery. (Eze. 16:3-42) The same love with which Jehovah loved Israel would be given equally to the nations. "For I say that Christ actually became a minister of those who are circumcised in behalf of God’s truthfulness, so as to verify the promises He made to their forefathers, and that the nations might glorify God for his mercy. Just as it is written: 'That is why I will openly acknowledge you among the nations and to your name I will make melody.' And again he says: 'Be glad, you nations, with his people.' And again: 'Praise Jehovah, all you nations, and let all the peoples praise him.' And again Isaiah says: 'There will be the root of Jesse, and there will be one arising to rule nations; on him nations will rest their hope.'-Rom. 15:8-12; Ps. 18:49; Deut. 32:43; Isa. 11:10
If people had continuously acted like Peter and had refused to speak to people of the nations, what would have happened to Christianity? It would have probably have fallen into obscurity and not flourished. People would reject it as a Jewish sect, classing it with Pharisees and Sadducees. But Jehovah wasn't like that. Jesus Christ was a sacrifice to the entire world, sufficient for all men to find rest in him.
We find a similar reluctance among people today when it comes to joining the Truth because of harsh and unscriptural beliefs. Due to these beliefs we even find people saying things against Jehovah's Witnesses - things that are completely correct. And it can lead a Christian to ask this question: Who did Jesus Christ die for?
The night before he died, Jesus Christ passed a float loaf of bread and said, "This means my body which is to be given in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me." He then passed a glass of red wine and said, "This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf." (Luke 22:19-20) Christ made it clear that he died for for all of us. He didn't die for just the anointed or the Jews or his disciples of that day. He died for everyone.
By his death Christ "abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees." (Eph. 2:15) The Old Covenant, the covenant made with the Prophet Moses, was gone. No more would strict laws have to be lived by or animal sacrifices given. A New Covenant "by virtue of [Christs] blood" came into effect.
That same night, Christ made another covenant with his apostles "a covenant...for a kingdom, that you [his disciples] may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22:29) We will come back later to this and see why the New Covenant and the Covenant for a Kingdom are different.
First, we need to see how the idea that these two are the same has led many of us to feel rejected as inferior or unloved by Jehovah.
Even though the Apostle Paul made a good defense to the Romans about the Gentiles becoming God's people, it was not the last time he had to defend this point. The constant pressure to hate the Gentiles carried over into Christianity by Jewish converts.-Rom. 10:12; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:28-29
Today, the teaching that we of the "great crowd" are not in the New Covenant has made the Society claim things like the "great crowd" are not holy, do not have the holy spirit, and are not deemed righteous. Further, numerous Bible verses that encompass all of Jehovah's people are considered by the Society to only apply to the anointed.-Isa. 60:62; Matt. 10:42
The Governing Body goes on and on about how special they are to Jehovah, never failing to mention how "Anointed Christians" are this or that. For many years I felt like an orphan. I didn't belong to Satan and his world but I also didn't belong to Jehovah. I truly felt like I was being tossed back and forth by waves of the sea.
However, the Bible doesn't make as many distinctions between the "great crowd" and the anointed as the Governing Body would have us believe. Jehovah loves us as much as He loves the ones with the heavenly hope. How can we know this? Because He has included all of us in the New Covenant.
Hebrews chapters eight, nine, and ten deal almost exclusively with the New Covenant. In fact, a New Covenant was prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures. Jeremiah was inspired to write, " 'Look! There are days coming,' is the utterance of Jehovah, 'and I will conclude with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant; not one like the covenant that I concluded with their forefathers in the day of my taking hold of their hand to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of mine they themselves broke, although I myself had husbandly ownership of them,' is the utterance of Jehovah. 'For this is the covenant that I shall conclude with the house of Israel after those days,' is the utterance of Jehovah. 'I will put my law within them, and in their heart I shall write it. And I will become their God, and they themselves will become my people. And they will no more teach each one his companion and each one his brother, saying, "know Jehovah!" for they will all of them know me, from the least one of them even to the greatest one of them,' is the utterance of Jehovah. 'For I shall forgive their error, and their sin I shall remember no more.' "-Jeremiah 31:31-34
Regarding this New Covenant Paul says, "Jesus has obtained a more excellent public service, so that he is also the mediator of a correspondingly better covenant, which has been legally established upon better promises." This covenant is mediated by Jesus and not Moses, proving already that this Covenant is something different. Paul then goes on to explain how this Covenant is better then the old one because of the endless rituals the priests had to perform day by day, week by week, year by year.-Hebrews 9:1-7
Christ, when he came as High Priest does not have to perform endless rituals or "he would have to suffer often from the founding of the world", "year to year." (Hebrews 9:25-26) In the end, the New Covenant comes down to this: "When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come to pass, through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, he entered, no, not with the blood of goats and of young bulls, but with his own blood, once for all time into the holy place and obtained an everlasting deliverance for us. For if the blood of goats and of bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who have been defiled sanctifies to the extent of cleanness of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Christ, who through an everlasting spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works that we may render sacred service to the living God?"-Hebrews 9:11-14
Due to the fact that he died, was resurrected and ascended to heaven, Christ became our mediator of the New Covenant. He is now the "one mediator between God and man" all man. (1 Tim. 2:5) Yes, the Covenant was made by the blood of Christ and through this we have "the release by ransom through the blood of that one, yes, the forgiveness of our trespasses." (Eph. 1:7; Luke 22:20; Col. 1:13) Christ died for all mankind. The New Covenant was made for forgiveness of sins. Therefore, we are all part of the New Covenant.
In the book of Hebrews, the author of that book, in chapter twelve, spoke to ones who were not of the Anointed saying, "You have approached a Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, in general assembly, and the congregation of the firstborn who have been enrolled in the heavens, and God the Judge of all, and the spiritual lives of righteous ones who have been made perfect, and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and the blood of sprinkling, which speaks in a better way than Abel’s blood." (Heb. 12:22-24) So, we have approached heavenly Jerusalem, the angels, the anointed "who have been enrolled in the heavens", Jehovah God and Jesus Christ. Obviously, the ones "enrolled in the heavens" cannot approach themselves and so this cannot be speaking to those. We of the Great Crowd are the ones being spoken to, we of the Great Crowd, too, have a part in the New Covenant.
Therefore, when Christ said that we must partake of the memorial emblems, this included all of us. How can we know? Well, first of all, Christ passed the emblems before he made the "Covenant for a Kingdom." (Luke 22:19-20, 29) Second, despite what the Society says, Judas Iscariot was definitely still in the room when the emblems were passed. (Luke 22:19-23) The claim that Luke presented the contents out of order contradicts other statements by the doctor. "I resolved also, because I have traced all things from the start with accuracy, to write them in logical order to you, most excellent Theophilus." (Luke 1:3) Last, at this point nobody was anointed with holy spirit to the heavenly calling. That did not take place until nearly two months later. How could the twelve apostles partake of the emblems without being anointed. On the other hand, if someone uses the excuse that they were going to become anointed in the future and so it might as well have happened already then they have to also explain why Jesus didn't invite all 120 of his future disciples to partake of the emblems that night.
Another point in determining if the New Covenant and the "Covenant for a Kingdom" are indeed the same Covenant, we need to see exactly who is included in the "Covenant for a Kingdom." Jesus said, "I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom." There is only one Covenant regarding the Kingdom. Jehovah extended it to Jesus Christ and Christ in turn extended it to his disciples - but it is all one covenant! If the "Covenant for a Kingdom" were indeed the same as the New Covenant, and the New Covenant was for "forgiveness of sins", then that would mean that Christ died for himself! (Matt. 26:28) Only sinners are in the New Covenant because only sinners need forgiveness of sins. If anyone claims that the New Covenant and the "Covenant for a Kingdom" are the same then, in my honest opinion, they are guilty of blasphemy. Christ was a perfect man. (2 Pet. 2:22) If you try to argue otherwise then you claim that Christ needed to be forgiven.
Perhaps another thing to consider is the way the Old Covenant worked. All of Israel was part of the Old Covenant. All of the Tribes received some inheritance of the earth in the Covenant. However, the Levite's did not receive and inheritance because, as Jehovah said, "I am your share and your inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel." (Num. 18:20) The priest were set apart as the ones who worked in the Temple of Jehovah our God.
Likewise today, the anointed, who will serve as "priests to our God" with Christ as the High Priest, do not receive an earthly inheritance but will rule in the heavens. (Rev. 5:10) Their separated position is not what causes them to be in the New Covenant while the "great crowd" is excluded any more then the priests in ancient Israel were exclusively in the Old Covenant.
Unfortunately, the Bible never says that all Christians are in the New Covenant but to Paul, Peter, and the other Bible writers, it wasn't necessary - it was a given! And, even better, all the world can come into this special relationship with Jehovah God through Jesus Christ. (1 John 2:1-2) Interestingly, I felt that this Scripture touched me in a special way, almost as if Jehovah is speaking to the members of the "great crowd" who feel excluded by the arrogant talk of the Governing Body:
"let not the foreigner that has joined himself to Jehovah say, 'Without doubt Jehovah will divide me off from his people.' Neither let the eunuch say, 'Look! I am a dry tree.' For this is what Jehovah has said to the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths and that have chosen what I have delighted in and that are laying hold of my covenant: 'I will even give to them in my house and within my walls a monument and a name, something better than sons and daughters. A name to time indefinite I shall give them, one that will not be cut off. And the foreigners that have joined themselves to Jehovah to minister to him and to love the name of Jehovah, in order to become servants to him, all those keeping the sabbath in order not to profane it and laying hold of my covenant, I will also bring them to my holy mountain and make them rejoice inside my house of prayer. Their whole burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be for acceptance upon my altar. For my own house will be called even a house of prayer for all the peoples.' "-Isaiah 56:3-7
We all need to delve into the Bible and understand what the New Covenant was and how different (and better) it is then the Old Covenant so that we can truly appreciate what Jehovah, through Jesus, did for us. We also need to understand how the New Covenant applies to us and see that we are more then just beneficiaries in the New Covenant but participants (since the Governing Body always uses italics when trying to make us feel better about not being in the New Covenant). Yes, while we are not in the "Covenant for a Kingdom", just like not all the Israelite's were in the Priestly Covenant, we are in the "New Covenant" and can receive forgiveness on the basis of the "blood of the Covenant." - Matt. 26:28; Mark 14:23; Heb. 9:20; 10:29
With Sincere Christian Love and Affection,
Brother Ebed Abodah
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