70AD was the removal of the Old Covenant. Placing ALL in the New Covenant? What stands to condemn if ALL are in New Covenant in this "Age to Come" that Preterists say we are now in.
Don Preston Elements will Melt Page 240
We have shown that Peter's prediction of the destruction of the "elements" must be a reference to the destruction of the elemental world of Old Covenant Judaism. Peter says that Paul taught the same thing on the passing of the elements as he did. But Paul, when discussing the passing of the elements, invariably speaks of the PASSING of the Old Covenant system. Elements will Melt Page 241
Now, Daniel was not predicting that the end of time would be at the end of the 70 weeks. This is admitted by all. However, he did see the consummation of the scheme of redemption, the bringing in of everlasting righteousness. And Daniel's prophecy TERMINATES with the destruction of Jerusalem. That destruction, with the attendant REMOVAL of the covenant that could not give life and righteousness, would signal that ALL WAS NOW completed, all was fulfilled (Luke 21:22), everlasting righteousness had been brought in! (Universalism?)
In Galatians 4 the apostle speaks of the two sons and the two mothers.
These represented the Old Covenant and Israel, and the New Covenant and new people In Galatians, Paul spoke of the inability of that old world to impute righteousness, "If a law could be given that could give life, then verily righteousness would be through the Law" (Galatians 3:21).
That old creation of futility, that could not give life and righteousness was at that time "persecuting the seed of promise," and as a result Paul said, "cast out the bondwoman and her son!" (Galatians 4:30-31). Contrary to the popular belief that God was through with Israel at the cross, Paul makes it clear that Israel was to be cast out for persecuting the church. Unless Israel persecuted the church prior to the cross, then Israel was not cast out at the cross! Elements will Melt Page 202
Many people mistakenly believe that the Old Covenant was removed at the Cross and that God's promises to Israel were all fulfilled at that juncture. It is held that post-Pentecost, Jehovah was no longer bound to any of His covenant promises to Israel, and that, consequently, the eschatology found in the New Testament books is found in new promises made to the church exclusive of Israel. This is egregiously wrong!
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The rejoinder will be offered that Jesus took the Law away by his death (Romans 7, Ephesians 2, etc). Without question his death was the ground and power for that removal, but the Law was not removed at the Cross. As noted, Jesus said the Law and prophets COULD NOT PASS AWAY UNTIL IT WAS ALL FULFILLED. In A.D. 33 Jesus looked beyond Calvary to the fall of the Jewish polity in 70, and said in that demise all prophecy would be fulfilled. Therefore, Jesus well knew the Law would not fully pass until then.
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Further, the New Covenant teaches that the passing of the Law was an on-going process. In 2 Corinthian 3:13 Paul said the Law was "being abolished," and they were living, several years subsequent to Calvary, in "hope" of the coming New Covenant. In Hebrews 8:13 inspiration says the Old Law was "nigh unto vanishing away" or in the process of vanishing.
Hebrews 12:22f speaks of the system that was being shaken so that the unshakable kingdom, that was in the process of being delivered, might remain. Each of these texts illustrates that the PASSING OF THE O.T. WAS NOT COMPLETED in one singular action at the Cross. Again, that was the power behind the Law's demise, but other prophecy had to be fulfilled to complete that abrogation. The passing of the O.T. occurred over a period of time as it's prophecies were fulfilled and as the New was given and confirmed. Other verses confirm this.
