The New Covenant will be fulfilled at Christ's return, when God makes it with a believing remnant of Israel and writes His law on their hearts.
The New Covenant is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not with the Church (Jeremiah 31:31). Unlike the old covenant at Sinai, it will be written on hearts, not on tables of stone (Jeremiah 31:33). Only a surviving remnant of Israel — about one-third — will recognize Jesus as their Messiah and receive forgiveness of sins under this covenant.
Jeremiah 31:31–34 — This is the foundational passage where God promises a New Covenant with the house of Israel and Judah, and describes exactly how it will be fulfilled.
Jeremiah 31:31–34 is the central passage. God declares, "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah." In verse 32, He distinguishes it from "the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt," which covenant they broke. Verse 33 says, "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." Verse 34 adds that "they shall teach no more every man his neighbour... for they shall all know me... for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." The promise is made to Israel and Judah, not to any other people.
Les Feldick teaches from Jeremiah 31 that the New Covenant is entirely future and belongs exclusively to Israel, not to the Church. He points out that verse 31 says God will make this covenant "with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah," and that believers in the Age of Grace cannot be in a covenant God makes with Israel. Instead, the Church enjoys the benefits of everything God did to fulfill that covenant — the work of the cross, the power of Christ's resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit — but it is not a covenant relationship. According to Les, the fulfillment begins when Christ returns and the surviving remnant of Israel, which he describes as about one-third, sees Him in glory and immediately recognizes Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah. At that moment God again calls them "My people," and He makes the New Covenant with them. God puts His law in their hearts, so every Israelite will have full knowledge of God without human instruction, teachers, or rabbis. This is far better than the old covenant of law, which was a yoke of bondage and which Israel broke. When the Abrahamic covenant has fully run its course — with Israel in her land under Christ's rule — this New Covenant will become a reality, and Israel will be cleansed, obedient, and blessed.
Les Feldick is emphatic that the New Covenant is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah — no one else. He says it is not appropriate to put Israel under this covenant promise in the present age, but they will enjoy it one day. Believers today are members of the Body of Christ, with Christ as Head, and are not in a covenant relationship. They do, however, share in the benefits of what God accomplished for Israel's covenant: the work of the cross, the power of His resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The New Covenant is still future. Les emphasizes the verb tenses in Jeremiah 31 — God says "I will make" and "after those days." It will be made when the Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled, when Israel is living in her geographical area and Christ the Messiah is their King. Only then, he says, will God make the New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
The Old Covenant, made when God brought Israel out of Egypt, was the Law. Les says the Law was harsh and a burden, and Israel broke that covenant. The New Covenant will not be like that. Instead of tables of stone, God will put His law in Israel's inward parts and write it on their hearts. Israel will be an obedient people of faith, cleansed from iniquity, and will not need to be taught the Word of God.
Only a remnant of Israel will experience the New Covenant. Les teaches that when Christ returns, the surviving remnant — about one-third, as Zechariah says — will suddenly realize that Jesus of Nazareth is their Messiah and that Jehovah is their God. God will call them "My people" once again. The rest of Israel will be cut off and die, as Zechariah says.
Les places the New Covenant within the broader framework of the Abrahamic covenant. The Abrahamic covenant is still going to be fulfilled, and the covenant of law with Moses and the royal covenant with David are all wrapped up in it. When Israel is restored to her land and ruled by Christ the Messiah, the New Covenant will be made, completing God's covenant purposes for the nation.
New Covenant is Future and for Israel
Les shows from Jeremiah 31:31 that God promises the New Covenant to the house of Israel and Judah, and that Church-age believers are not under it but enjoy its benefits as members of the Body of Christ.
Heart of God Within Israel
Under the New Covenant every Israelite will have the law in their heart, be obedient and cleansed, and be showered with material blessings by God.
Fulfillment After Abrahamic Covenant
The New Covenant will be made only after the Abrahamic covenant reaches its fullness, when Israel is in her land under the rule of Christ, and it replaces the harsh covenant of Law.
Remnant Recognizes Messiah
The remnant of Israel will recognize Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah at His return; under the New Covenant all will know the Lord without human instruction, and their sins will be forgiven.
Law Written on Hearts
The New Covenant is not the Law they broke; rather, God will put His law in Israel's inward parts and write it on their hearts, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy of the surviving one-third realizing Jehovah is their God.
No Need for Teachers or Rabbis
The future New Covenant gives Israel full knowledge of God by an act of God, without reading Torah or studying under a rabbi, in contrast to the yoke of the old law.
Doctrine of the Remnant
Les explains that even though Israel is numerous, only a remnant will be saved, which is foundational to understanding who enters the New Covenant when it is fulfilled.
Covenants Under Abraham
Les places the later covenants, including the Mosaic and Davidic covenants, under the umbrella of the Abrahamic covenant; all point to Israel's future blessings under God's covenant plan.
Jeremiah 31:31: Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
This verse announces God's promise to make a New Covenant specifically with Israel and Judah.
Jeremiah 31:32: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
The New Covenant will be different from the old covenant made at the Exodus, which Israel broke.
Jeremiah 31:33: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
God will fulfill the New Covenant by placing His law within Israel and writing it on their hearts.
Jeremiah 31:34: And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Under the New Covenant, all Israel will know the Lord directly, and their sins will be forgiven.
Zechariah 13:8: And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
This verse explains why only a remnant of Israel will enter the New Covenant fulfillment.
Les Feldick says no — the New Covenant is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Church-age believers are not under the New Covenant but enjoy benefits of Christ's work as members of the Body of Christ.
It is still future. It will happen when Christ returns to establish His Kingdom, after the Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled, and Israel's surviving remnant sees Him and believes.
No, only a remnant — about one-third — of Israel will be saved and experience the covenant; the rest will be cut off and die, as Zechariah says.
God will put His law in their hearts and write it on their inward parts, so no one will need to teach them to know the Lord; they will all know Him.
Watch the Teaching: Is the New Covenant for Israel or the Church? Jeremiah 31 Explained