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Finishing the Week

'Prophecy Watch' by David C. Grabbe

The 'confirm[ing] a covenant with many' in the Seventy Weeks Prophecy hints at a future confirmation of the covenant to complete the seventieth week.

An Unchangeable Promise?

'Ready Answer' by Craig Sablich

Paul's statement in Galatians 3:15 that a confirmed covenant cannot be annulled or added to becomes the key for understanding God's dealings with Abraham and, ultimately, with all believers. Paul points back to God's promise in Genesis 12, 15, and 17, where God alone passed between the divided animal pieces, showing that the covenant depended entirely on Him, not on Abram. This one-sided guarantee meant the promise—both the physical inheritance of land and the spiritual blessing to all nations—was permanently confirmed and could never be altered. Since Abraham and the patriarchs died without receiving this promise, its fulfillment necessarily points to resurrection and eternal life, revealing that the gospel of the Kingdom was embedded in God's covenant with Abraham long before Christ's birth. Abraham's faith in this promise was counted to him as righteousness, establishing the pattern for all who would later believe. God repeated and expanded this same covenant to Isaac and Jacob, each time deepening its spiritual significance, though Abraham's descendants later became fixated on its physical aspects and missed its greater meaning. Paul explains that the law given four hundred thirty years later, at Sinai, could not annul this earlier confirmed covenant; it was added because of transgression, to define sin and guide Israel until Christ came. The spiritual law was not new at Sinai, since obedience to God's commands is evident from Abel, Noah, and Abraham, but the ceremonial and civil elements added at Sinai served Israel's temporary needs and became obsolete at Christ's death, while the moral law remains and is now written on hearts under the New Covenant. Paul's crucial point is that the promise was made not to many "seeds," but to one Seed, who is Christ. This reveals that the Abrahamic promise and the New Covenant in Christ are the same continuous promise, not a replacement of one by another. Christ, as Mediator, confirmed rather than changed this promise, becoming the first to receive the eternal inheritance as the Firstborn. Through repentance, baptism, and receiving God's Spirit, believers are grafted into this same unchangeable covenant, becoming Abraham's spiritual seed and joint heirs with Christ. This inheritance—eternal sonship and inheritance of all things—will be fully realized when God establishes His Kingdom at Christ's return, completing what was promised long ago. The enduring lesson is that this covenant was never based on human performance but on God's own faithfulness. Abraham's obedience flowed from genuine belief, illustrating that true faith naturally produces a transformed life, while rejecting the covenant risks forfeiting its promise. Because the covenant was confirmed by God alone, it remains steadfast despite human failure, and those who belong to Christ can trust with confidence that the same eternal inheritance promised to Abraham is secured for them through faith.

Why Was Jesus Not Crucified as Passover Began? (Part Two)

'Ready Answer' by David C. Grabbe

The timing of Christ's crucifixion does not coincide with the Passover, but instead lines up with the covenant God made with Abraham, marking a major fulfillment.

Passover and the Blood of Jesus Christ

Sermonette by

Christ's blood does much more than remit sin; it gives eternal life. The Passover wine represents the blood of the covenant, by which we are made complete.

The Book of Daniel (Part Seven)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Daniel's efficacy in prayer resulted in his view of God's omnipotence and absolute sovereignty. God has a timetable in world history.

Prayer and the Incense Altar

Sermon by Kim Myers

We have much work to do as saints, sending up incense symbolically as we pray for each other and for God's purpose to be fulfilled universally.

The Night to be Much Observed

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Night Much to be Observed is a memorial of the covenant with Abraham, and God's watchfulness in delivering ancient Israel as well as spiritual Israel.

Caught Up in the Rapture

'Prophecy Watch' by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Is the rapture biblical? If so, when will it occur? Is it different from the promised resurrection? Here is what the Bible teaches, without the traditions of men.