Observations

Michael OConnor, p.1

Observations based on Jason DeRouchies Father of a Multitude of Nations

One writer who sees a close relationship between the Old and New Covenants is
Jason DeRouchie. In his article, Father of a Multitude of Nations: New Covenant Ecclesiology in OT Perspective,1 he develops the case that the revelation found in the New
Covenant of a body of Christ that incorporates both Jew and Gentile has its roots in the
Old Testament.
For many writers the idea that the main themes of the New Testament have their
roots in the Old Testament is usually based on a methodology that begins with the revelation of Jesus Christ found in the New Testament. In other words, for many, the New
Testament has priority in determining Old Testament interpretation. Steven Motyer
makes mention of this:
Many New Testament scholars maintain that the New Testament use of the Old Testament works within a closed logical
circle: it depends on Christian presuppositions and reads the
Old Testament in a distinctly Christian way (even if employing
Jewish methods of exegesis), often doing violence to the true
meaning of the Old Testament texts employed. Thus, New
Testament arguments based on the Old Testament, it is held,
would generally be convincing to Christians but hardly to
Jews. (Steven Motyer, Old Testament in the New) 2
The idea for many theologians is that were it not for the New Testament, we
would not be able to see these revelations just from reading the Old Testament. Yet, in
DeRouchies article one is left with the impression that since such references and allusions are so numerous, the full biblical notion of the people of God, a notion which finds
its culmination in the New Testament church was already being revealed in the Old Testament, at least in part.
If that is the case, it brings the common approach (as cited by Motyer above) in
question. Indeed a salient characteristic of the Old Testament is that it was forward looking and had much to teach regarding future events, indeed the very events of the New
Testament, even the events surrounding the composition of the new covenant church.
My own conclusion is that if someone in the time of the Old Testament truly sought
God, they would have had all that they needed for a faith not only in the Messiah, but
also in a new people of God. Faith is, indeed,the substance of things hoped for. And
that was true not only in the time of Jesus or Paul, but also in the time of the prophets.
Something, evidently, was convincing to those Jewish saints! (Hebrews 11 lists some of
those Old Testament saints.)

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Michael OConnor, p.2

DeRouchie quite justifiably notes that the revelation of the New Testament, although based on the Old Testament, is also a transformation of the Old Testament.
While there are both elements of continuity and discontinuity between the two testaments, DeRouchie aptly shows that the signs of continuity were there in abundance,
and that the signals of a coming transformation were also indeed present in the Old.

Therefore the issue goes beyond just that of the makeup of the people of God
and touches on the issue of Scriptural interpretation, especially that of how to reconcile
the New Testament with the Old. DeRouchie recognizes all that and undergirds his
thesis through the following concepts seen already in the Old Testament, concepts that
explain, predict, and illustrate the transition from the Old Testament to the New.
Distinct developments and transformations occur as the text moves from the Old
Testament to the New. The following are some of the concepts that I have pulled out of
DeRouchies article that help the reader understand how the shadows and roots of the
Old Testament become the verdant reality of the New:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.

Offspring: an analysis of how the concept of seed as seen in the Old Testament
indicates that eventually the seed of Abraham will come to include more than biological descendants.
Expansion of the Old Testament references to Israel as the people of God that go
beyond just ethnic Israel.
Faith: The basis of the inclusion of offspring of Abraham as the people of God will
be by faith, no longer by natural birth.
Adoption: The concept that natural descendants will be expanded to include descendants through adoption.
Connection to the Messiah. The new covenant community, whose identity will
be intricately connected by faith to the messiah Jesus, the true and faithful Israelite. The indications of a coming Messiah led also to the idea that there would
be a new era.
Two Eras. There will be two distinct covenantal eras. From the particular to the
universal: This eschatological era would be characterized by expansion of the
original promises from the particulars of ethnic Israel to a universal application to
all mankind. The inauguration of the New Era will come with the first coming of
Christ and be consummated with his return.

DeRouchies main contention is that all of these aspects of the new covenant
were already in the Old Testament to become key aspects in the new revelation (i.e.,
the mystery now fully revealed) of the gospel of Christ. In fact it was the eternal Christ
who was casting his shadow over the Old Testament.
These aspects mentioned above now serve as hermeneutic keys that enable the
reader to decipher and understand not only the newness found in the New Testament,

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Michael OConnor, p.3

but also the continuity between the two Testaments. Paul refers to this relationship as
one of mystery finally unriddled:
This mystery [previously partially revealed, but only now fully] is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of th body,
and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the
gospel. (Ephesians 3:6 ESV) 4

1. The Offspring of Abraham would extend beyond just the biological to include
the Gentiles.
The question then is whether we can point to Old Testament evidence that supports the proposition that the Gentiles have been included in the people of God? Was
this in any fashion expressed in the Old Testament? Indeed was this even a key promise? As Jason DeRouchie points out, the answer is yes, and he first refers us to the
arguments of Paul.
It was so much a part of the Old Testament record that Paul, in making his above
inclusion assertions, would always back them up with passages in the Old Testament as
his supporting evidence. Here we see Paul referring to the inclusion of the Gentiles as
a miraculous act by citing the verses back in Genesis:
That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise
may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his ospring
not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who
shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it
is written, I have made you the father of many
nationsin the presence of the God in whom he believed,
who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the
things that do not exist. (Romans 4:16-17 ESV, cf. Genesis
17:5)

Paul sees a connection between the new covenant Gentile participation in the
people of God as a fulfillment of the Old Testament promises, especially promises given
to Abraham, but also including those given by other prophets. In Pauls ecclesiology5
both Jews and Gentiles in Christ are Abraham seed. (Gal. 3:28-29). Pauls reasoning is
that all are included through Gods grace and not just because of biological relationship
or even because of self-efforts to keep the law (Gal. 3: 8-9). Both are included because
they both share the faith of Abraham (Gal. 3:8-9).
Derouchie elaborates on Pauls assertions by focusing on the word seed [/
] seen in Genesis to show that new covenant ecclesiology has its roots in the
Old Testament.6 The dilemma that DeRouchie tackles is that from an initial, cursory

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Michael OConnor, p.4

reading of the text the word seed, it appears to refer just to those descendants who
are biological offspring of the patriarch. As DeRouchie writes, Genesis 15: 5 appears to
address most immediately only natural seed: Please look to the heavens and count
the stars if you are able to count them. . . . So shall your offspring be.7
However, as he points out, there are verses in Genesis that express the anticipation that the boundaries of the term seed will expand to include those saved from both
ethnic Israel and the Gentile nations (albeit during the age of the Messiah). He sees
this new covenant reality alluded to in Gods promises to Abraham. (I will make you into
nations and kings will come from you. Genesis 17:6) Similar promises were given to
Sarah, his wife, (I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people
shall be of her. Gen. 17:15-16), to Isaac, (And I will make your seed to multiply as the
stars of heaven, and will give unto your seed all these countries; and in your seed shall
all the nations of the earth be blessed. Gen. 26: 3) and to Jacob (And I will make your
seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto your seed all these countries;
and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Gen. 28:14). To Jacob,
God also said, A nation and a company of nations will come from you and and kings
from your loins. ( Gen. 3:11)
Nevertheless, only one nation came naturally from the loins of Jacob and that
was Israel. Even in Genesis 15, God specifically mentions to Abraham that the offspring promised would come from his loins. In other words, according to some of the
verses,it would be natural offspring. Nevertheless, in order to fulfill the second half of
the promise, a company of nations, Jacobs progeny would have to be expanded by
adoption through faith.
2. The progressive and transitional idea of expansion.
Consequently, as DeRouchie aptly points out, there is an ample number of verses that express the idea that the notion of seed or offspring will be expanded in
succeeding ages, going beyond just natural offspring to include, in addition to ethnic Israel, others from other nations.8 This notion of expansion can be seen in several chapters of Genesis:
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you
I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be
blessed. (Genesis 12:3 ESV)
And he brought him outside and said, Look toward heaven,
and number the stars, if you are able to number them.
Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be. (Genesis 15:5 ESV)

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And again in Chapter 28, verse 14 we see the beginning of the notion that Abrahams offspring will expand:
Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall
spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north
and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the
families of the earth be blessed.
And also in Isaiah, we see this idea of expansion:
when his soul makes an oering for guilt,

he shall see his ospring; he shall prolong his days; the will of
the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his
soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the
righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted
righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall
divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul
to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore
the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:10-12

ESV)

It makes sense that there will be an expansion of the demography of the kingdom and
that this would be seen not only in the New Testament , but also in the Old simply because expansion is a chief characteristic of the kingdom of God:

Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:7 ESV)
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole
earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.(2 Chronicles 16:9 ESV)
May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth!
(Psalm 72:8 ESV)
This is the purpose that is purposed

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concerning the whole earth,
and this is the hand that is stretched out
over all the nations. (Isaiah 14:26 ESV)

This idea of expansion even applies to Gods promise of a land to Abraham.

DeRouchie lays out the case that just as there is an expansion of the concept of who
Gods people are, there is also an expansion of the idea of the boundaries of their
habitation, i.e., the land promise (contrary to Dispensationalist writers) now becomes
universalized to that of the whole world. 9
Initially, the idea of a promised land as being Gods kingdom was restricted to the
borders of an earthly, national kingdom. But eventually it was expanded to go far beyond the boundaries of Israel to include the whole earth, if not the whole cosmos. (Matt
5:5; Rom 4:13; Eph. 6:3).
Abraham himself understood this. In Hebrews 11:16 we read that Abraham
longed for a better, more heavenly country. As he moved around the Biblical land that
was promised, he knew that he was only a sojourner (Gen. 23:4, Heb. 11:9). Even so,
the land that was promised had its origin, and therefore the same purpose, as a
dwelling place for the relationship between God and mankind, a purpose found further
back in paradise and only renewed in the time of Abraham. The land of Israel belonged
to God and was to be the place of his presence, a holy land. But now in Genesis we
see the roots of the new covenant truth that Abraham would not only inherit the land of
the Bible, but he also could anticipate that it would be expanded to include the whole
cosmos. This would be in keeping with the original charge given to Adam as Gods vice
regent to subdue and take dominion over the whole earth. What once encompassed a
call to dominion over the whole earth was temporarily assigned to a particular people in
a particular land. This, however, would prove to be temporary as God renews his call to
the whole world.
An expansive lordship of God over the whole creation was implied in several
places throughout the Old Testament. Numbers 14:21 stated the earth shall be filled
with the glory of the Lord. Psalm 72:19 reads: May the whole earth be filled with his
glory. The expansiveness of Gods ownership, and therefore rule, via the rule of Abraham and his offspring, was also spoken to Abraham:
I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your ospring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the
seashore. And your ospring shall possess the gate of his
enemies, and in your ospring shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my
voice. (Genesis 22:17-18 ESV)

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In the following verses we read that God has promised also to Isaac not only
would he give him this land, singular, but lands, plural. Clearly there is something in
mind that goes beyond just the Biblical land of Israel:
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless
you, for to you and to your ospring I will give all these
lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham
your father. I will multiply your ospring as the stars of
heaven and will give to your ospring all these lands. And
in your ospring all the nations of the earth shall be
blessed,

(Genesis 26:3-4 ESV)

3. Faith
Another important key to understanding the relationship between the Old Testament ecclesiology and that of the New is through recognizing the instrumental role of
faith. Paul delineates in his writings of the New Testament the role of faith as the instrument of salvation. But does this concept find its root in the Old?
As the text of the New Testament makes clear, Paul recognized that inclusion
into the people of God is no longer determined by natural birth, but rather by faith. In
the following passage, Paul states that acceptance into the presence of God and, consequently the individuals receiving of the gift of his Spirit is determined by those who
have faith. And not only that, Paul also links this back to the example of Abraham.
Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles
among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with
faithjust as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to
him as righteousness? Know then that it is those of faith
who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached
the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all
the nations be blessed. So then, those who are of faith
are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
(Galatians 3:5-9 ESV)
Those who are of faith are the true sons of Abraham. God has now justified Gentiles by faith and had announced that beforehand to Abraham himself. This revelation to
Abraham, although incomplete, was even called gospel by Paul, indeed it was the very
root of the gospel of Jesus Christ:

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And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham,
saying, In you shall all the nations be blessed. (Galatians
3:8, ESV)
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you
I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall
be blessed. (Genesis 12:3, ESV)
Indeed the Gentiles, and even now the Jews, would be justified by faith in Jesus
and no longer through biological birth or even religious, lawful works:
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his
sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now
the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the
law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it
the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for
all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by
his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to
be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness,
because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former
sins. (Romans 3:20-25 ESV)

As Paul recognized, this inclusion by faith had its roots in the Old Testament:
What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by
works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God,
and it was counted to him as righteousness. (Romans 4:13 ESV)
4. Adoption
(Membership into the people of God under the New Covenant would be established not by biological means, but rather by adoption through faith. This is one of DeRouchies main points as
he mentions the word adoption 31 times in his article.10 The following discussion is based on
his article with some ideas of my own.)

The New Testament makes the case that one enters into the community of God
through adoption with no distinction to ethnicity, whereas the Old Testament primarily
presents the case that, the people of God were those that keep the law and were naturally born into Israel (Gen. 15:4). In other words, only the Jewish nation of Israel consti-

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Michael OConnor, p.9

tuted the people of God. How then is God going to expand his family to include those
outside of ethnic Israel? This dilemma concerning the offspring, which normally was
from natural seed, is resolved by the concept of adoption. The question then is whether
there were indications already in the Old Testament that predicted the New Testament
revelation of the inclusion of the Gentiles by adoption?
The word adoption appears only rarely in the New Testament and not at all in the
Old, yet, as a concept it is very present and very powerful. The concept of God adopting Israel (Romans 9:4), while not primary, is alluded to in the Old Testament. For instance, among those in Israel there was the idea that they had been deliberately chosen
by God (Isa.1:2, Jer.3:19, Hos. 11:1). There was also the idea that God was their father
and that he had bought them out of bondage.
This then becomes the basis for the New Testament reality of adoption primarily
as expressed by Paul. Paul on several occasions uses the word adoption with reference to the new covenant believer in Jesus. The word adoption, a legal term, indicates
the process whereby God bestows sonship on a believer, but not through natural
means. By faith and through the Spirit one becomes Gods child and heir.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For
you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by
whom we cry, Abba! Father! The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirsheirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17 ESV)
And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the
first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for
adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans
8:23)

to redeem those who were under the law, so that we

might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:5)

In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the
praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:5)

Now the question remains whether this new status that comes by adoption has
even more roots in Old Testament. DeRouchie sees this phenomenon having its roots in

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several sections. The first would be in Genesis in the many passages that speak of
Abraham being the father of many nations, such as in Genesis 17:
Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, Behold,
my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a
multitude of nations. (Genesis 17:3-4 ESV)

Here he mentions that Abrahams relationship to the nations is primarily a nonbiological relationship and that the use of the term father is primarily figurative. For instance, in Genesis 17:5 Yahweh changes Abrams name to Abraham, which reinforces
the promise that he will be a father of a multitude, but it also indicates a future revelation
concerning the people of God.
The Scripture reiterates this promise many times. In 17:6 Yahweh reinforces the
promise in many ways. A similar promises are given to Sarah (17:15,16) and Jacob,
which are essentially a repetition of the Abrahamic promises. To Jacob the promise
reads like this:
And God said to him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from
you, and kings shall come from your own body. (Genesis
35:11 ESV)

DeRouchie concludes that these promises could not possibly be fulfilled through
just Israel alone (i.e., Jacobs blood line11) or even through Edom (i.e., Esaus blood
line), but could only be fulfilled through a non-biological covenantal relationship. 12 Consequently, the fact that Jacob is to bring forth a company of nations suggests his family is larger than Israel proper and will include some adopted from other nations. DeRouchie goes on to suggest that the language of father can also be interpreted figuratively and therefore non-biologically. 13 Such use of the this term can connote a relationship of authority such a king or shepherd and certainly connote a spiritual relationship!
DeRouchie then goes on to take his investigation into the roots of the New Testament concept of adoption to the book of Isaiah. In chapter 52 of Isaiah we see recorded that Gods salvation will reach all nations (52:10). But regarding ethnic Israel, many
will turn away out of disbelief (53:1, 3, 6). In the end, the suffering, sacrificial Servant will
see his offspring. His sacrifice will justify many (Isa. 53:4, 12). Many, a term used
twice, probably echoes back to the previous reference to the nations (52:10). 14
According to DeRouchie, the next chapter, chapter 54, really underscores the
idea of adoption. Here we have a barren woman who by herself has never borne children. The decree of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah is that she will, nevertheless,
have an abundance of children. It can be inferred that it will not be through natural
birth, but through spiritual adoption, asserts DeRouchie (Isa. 54:1).

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Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing
and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her
who is married, says the LORD. (Isaiah 54:1 ESV)
Furthermore, the mention that the number of her children will exceed that of the
married woman can be seen as a reference to ethnic Israel. Not only will the number
be greater, but her offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate
city (54:3). If this woman would bear children, but not with the usual pain of labor, the
conclusion can be that this is not a natural birth. DeRouchie then offers the suggestion
that this acquisition of children is by adoption. The one who experiences the birth pangs
is the suffering servant depicted in the preceding verses of Isaiah 53. Through his sufferings we are born again:
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed
for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that
brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed (or
saved). (Isaiah 53:5 ESV)

Note that this suffering will bear many offspring:

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him
to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall
see his offspring; he shall prolong his days the will of the
LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his
soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the
righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted
righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:10-11
ESV)

Isaiah, in fact, repeats this in another chapter pointing towards the future reality
of salvation of the nations through adoption.
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your ospring from the
east, and from the west I will gather you, I will say to the
north, give up, and to the south, do not withhold; bring my
sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth,
everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my
glory, whom I formed and made. (Isaiah 43:5-7 ESV)

5. Connection to the Messiah. The new covenant communitys identity will be intricately connected by faith to the Messiah Jesus, the true and faithful Israelite.

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The Messiah is closely connected with the idea that there will be two distinct
eras. Christs life, death, and resurrection are the key to understanding the new
creation of the new era.

One of the key concepts that unite the two Testaments are the references to the
Messiah. Jesus, himself points to this in his post-resurrection comments to the travelers
on the road to Emmaus:
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning
himself.
(Luke 24:27 ESV)
Then he said to them, These are my words that I spoke to
you while I was still with you, that everything written about
me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand
the Scriptures, and said to them, Thus it is written, that the
Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from
Jerusalem.
(Luke 24:44-47 ESV)

So it is not surprising that so much of the Old Testament speaks repeatedly of the
messiah of the coming age. The ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament promises
would come in a second era through an obedient King, the seed of the woman and of
Abraham15:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field
that the LORD God had made.
He said to the woman, Did God actually say, You shall not eat of
any tree in the garden? (Genesis 3:1 ESV)

Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father

of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be
called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have
made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you
exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and
kings shall come from you. (Genesis 17:4-6 ESV)

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And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,

and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed, because you have obeyed my voice. (Genesis
22:17-18 ESV)
Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on
the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down
before you. Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you
have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and
as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not
depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his
feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. (Genesis 49:8-10)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be
called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of
peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over
his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and
with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.The zeal of the LORD of
hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV)

6.Two Eras. There will be two distinct covenantal eras characterized by an extension from the particular to the universal: This eschatological era would be characterized by expansion of the original promises from the particulars of ethnic Israel to a universal application that includes all mankind. The inauguration of the
New Era will come with the first coming of Christ and be consummated with his
return.
There are two different eras and that there will be a vision of Israel's restoration in

the second messianic era is seen in many of the prophets.

Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the
LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come
in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.
(Hosea 3:5 ESV)
Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who
sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will
bring my servant the Branch. For behold, on the stone that I
have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I

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will engrave its inscription, declares the LORD of hosts, and I
will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. (Zechariah
3:8-9 ESV)
And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so
that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced,
they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and
weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
(Zechariah 12:10 ESV)
Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the
word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an
anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for
sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat,
but in a troubled time. (Daniel 9:25 ESV)

In fact there are two stages that are seen by prophets. The first stage is the initial
restoration of the physical land of Israel. this is seen in Isaiah 42:18 and 43:21. But the
second stage is the stage of spiritual reconciliation with God and that is seen in Isaiah
43:22 44 :23. This spiritual reconciliation will be brought about by the royal Davidic
servant who's blessing will reach to all the nations.16

Implications of the continuity of the both Testaments regarding the canon

One last comment: We can conclude fromDeRouchies article that there is a
very solid case that the New Testament revelations concerning ecclesiology have their
roots in the Old Testament. But there is more. By implication we can see initial evidence
that there is a close connection between the Old and New Testaments.
And not only that, we can also take note that this connection gives support to the notion of the authority and reliability of the whole canon.

Especially we see evidence of not only the consistency of God and his purposes, but also the consistency of his Word. From DeRouchies article alone we can see
that there is a continuity to Gods word that begins in Genesis and continues right
through to the New Testament. This observation concerning Scripture as a whole does
not come under the thesis of this article, but it does suggest further research. What
other evidence is there that supports the idea that the Bible hangs together? Is there
an underlying biblical theology that is consistent throughout? The conclusions of this
article certainly points us to an armative answer to those questions.

God has made covenants that he adheres to. In addition, God has continually
given previous notice as to how he will fulfill his covenants. And he records as he goes

Observations

Michael OConnor, p.15

along in a progressive manner making his way to the fulfillment of his promises. The
writers of the New Testament, while dealing with the new and explosive events of
Christ, knew that the eternal truths brought out and revealed with Christ did not originate at the time of the events but were recorded in Scripture centuries previous. New
Testament Scripture is reliable because it is in accordance with what has transpired before, both in terms of patterns, promises, and in terms of fulfillment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, what DeRouchie has done is noteworthy. Not only has he shown
us that the concepts of new covenant ecclesiology have their roots in the Old Testament, but he has given us strong evidence as to how the two covenants relate: not
through a narrow duplication, but rather through an expanding transformation centered
on the promised messiah, Jesus.

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1(2016-04-15).

DeRouchie, Jason. Father of a Multitude of Nations: New Covenant Ecclesiology in OT Perspective in Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenantal Theologies. B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenantal Theologies. B&H Publishing
Group. Kindle Edition.
2 Motyer, Stephen. "Old Testament in the New Testament, the - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary

of Biblical Theology Online." Bible Study Tools. Accessed July 04, 2016. http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/the-old-testament-in-the-new-testament.html.
Another writer that sees the roots of the new covenant in the Old Testament is G.K. Beale.
Beale, G. K. A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the
New. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011.
3

Even Jesus has a twofold comment on the Old Testament. On the one hand he endorsed the
Old Testament down to its every jot and tittle. And on the other hand, he introduced new revelations and new ways of interpreting the text. Chief among the new revelations was that he himself was its fulfillment: "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Luke 4:21

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Pertinent to our discussion of how the Old Testament reveals this aspect of the Old and New
Covenant, is the notion of mystery mentioned above. Here Paul is using this term to mean
something that was once hidden, or not made known, but is now revealed. But the question
we need to consider is how hidden in the Old Testament was this notion of New Covenant?
What we read in the above passage in Ephesians is that this and other notions regarding Christ
and the New Covenant were previously hidden and only in the time of Christ were they fully
revealed. But how were they hidden and to what degree? Were they completely hidden and
completely unknown? As we will find out, they were hidden in that they were revealed only
partially, in piecemeal fashion, and over a period of time to a people that were not at all open to
hearing or understanding what God was trying to say. (Isaiah 65:2, Romans 10:21) But indeed they were revealed. We can also see that some of the patriarchs (as opposed to most of
the people) of the Old Testament (such as Abraham, but others like Moses, Isaiah, and David)
had developed a mature understanding of what God had in mind, even if some of the details
were still missing.

So as we will see in this chapter, Abraham and others received from God a robust revelation concerning Christ, and, concomitantly, a revelation concerning the New
Covenant, especially concerning the inclusion of the Gentiles into the people of God.
That is why Paul and Luke can go on to make this seemingly contrary claim that we now
read in two other passages. The claim is that Scripture revealed the mystery of the New
Covenant people:
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of
Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would
justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all the nations be
blessed. So then, those who are of faith are blessed along
with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:7-9 ESV)

Moses said, The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does
not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. And all the prophets who have spoken, from
Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed
these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the
covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your ospring shall all the families of the earth
be blessed. (Acts 3:22-25 ESV)

DeRouchie, Jason, Kindle Locations 390-391.

DeRouchie, Jason. Kindle Location 397

DeRouchie, Jason. Kindle Locations 396-398.

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Hsieh, Nelson S. "ABRAHAM AS HEIR OF THE WORLD: DOES ROMANS 4:13 EX PAND THE OLD TESTAMENT ABRAHAMIC LAND PROMISES?" Master's Seminary
Journal, Spring, 26, no. 1 (2015): 95-110. https://www.tms.edu/m/msj26g.pdf.
9

10

DeRouchie, Jason.Kindle Locations 396-398.

11

DeRouchie, Jason. Kindle location 443

12

DeRouchie, Jason. Kindle location 425

13

DeRouchie, Jason. Kindle location 451

14(2016-04-15).

DeRouchie, Jason. Father of a Multitude of Nations: New Covenant Ecclesiology in OT Perspective in Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenantal Theologies (Kindle Location 375). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenantal Theologies (Kindle Locations 396-398). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
15

DeRouchie, Jason. Kindle location 849.

16

When we turn to the New Testament, we pass from the climate of prediction to that of fulfillment. The things which God had foreshadowed by the lips of His holy prophets He has now, in
part at least, brought to accomplishment. . . . The supreme sign of the Eschaton is the Resurrection of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Church. The Resurrection of Jesus is
not simply a sign which God has granted in favour of His son, but is the inauguration, the entrance into history, of the times of the End.
Christians, therefore, have entered through the Christ into the new age. . . . What had been predicted in Holy Scripture as to happen to Israel or to man in the Eschaton, has happened to and
in Jesus. The foundation-stone of the New Creation has come into position. William Manson
as quoted in G.K. Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology. Unfolding of the Old Testament in
the New. p. 18