What kind of promises did God give to Israel?
God gave Israel earthly promises, not heavenly ones. Under the Abrahamic covenant, the nation understood blessings tied to the earth, including an earthly Temple in Jerusalem and the hope that their Redeemer would stand upon the earth. Scripture presents Israel as God’s earthly people, while the Body of Christ is heavenly.
Les explains that all the way through the Old Testament, dealing with the nation of Israel under the Abrahamic covenant, including Christ’s earthly ministry and the early chapters of Acts, God was dealing with His earthly people, Israel. Israel had nothing but earthly promises. The Jew knew nothing of dying and going to heaven; Job said his Redeemer lives and would stand on the earth, and in his flesh he would see God. All the promises given to Israel were earthly, never heavenly. Their Temple was in Jerusalem, and God’s Shekinah glory resided there. Hebrews compares that past earthly goodness with the believer’s present connection to the Jerusalem which is in heaven, not an earthly Temple. From Paul’s commissioning to the Gentiles, the Body of Christ is heavenly, while Israel is earthly. History will culminate in the thousand years, when Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords and everything earthly and heavenly comes under His reign.