Which is it: “to the age!” or “forever.”? How can the same word mean both limited and unlimited time? To the age became forever in the new covenant. To the age became destruction in the old covenant.

Jeremiah 31:40

YLT… Nor is it thrown down any more to the age!

Jeremiah 31:40

LITV… nor thrown down any more, forever.

Well, was Jerusalem thrown down again at the age or did Jerusalem remain forever? And what was the age they were counting on getting to?

Jerusalem was rebuilt in order for the Jewish Messiah to arrive and procure salvation for His people, so the Jews who were God’s chosen people could live to the age rather than perish. They did not cease to be God’s people when the old covenant age ended. All God’s chosen people were born again and before the end. Jesus told Nicodemus there was no other way to be saved (John 3:7). Even the unfaithful Jews who were not His people did not see the destruction of Jerusalem until the Lord took all His faithful people into His new covenant. John said Jesus was the bridegroom who came down from heaven to testify (John 3:33).

At pentecost, the Jews were made even more responsible then they already were. They were even more responsible in their new covenant then they were in their old covenant. Jesus witnessed by way of the Holy Spirit in the old (John 3:32) and the Holy Spirit witnessed directly to them in the new (Romans 8:16). Pentecost did not release the Jews from their covenant responsibility. Pentecost enabled a good transition response from the Jews. Pentecost granted life to the age to those Jews who were otherwise stuck in their dead and dying old covenant. All God’s chosen ones were born again before AD70. Jesus lost none lost none that were His.

Romans 8:13-16

YLT ¹³ for if according to the flesh ye do live, ye are about to die; and if, by the Spirit, the deeds of the body ye put to death, ye shall live; ¹⁴ for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God; ¹⁵ for ye did not receive a spirit of bondage again for fear, but ye did receive a spirit of adoption in which we cry, `Abba—Father.’ ¹⁶ The Spirit himself doth testify [Greek root martyr] with our spirit, that we are children of God;

John 10:27-29

CLV ²⁷ My sheep are hearing My voice, and I know them, and they are following Me.” ²⁸ And I am giving them life eonian, and they should by no means be perishing for the eon, and no one shall be snatching them out of My hand.” ²⁹ My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to be snatching them out of My Father’s hand.”

In the following translation the same root word for age is first used used as an adjective and then used as a noun: age-enduring (adjective), to-the-age (noun). The consummation of the old into the new resulted in a never ending covenant life. Life to the age became eternal life rather than destruction. John 10:27-29

LITV ²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish to the age, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck out of My Father’s hand.

Life to the age was the salvation the Hebrews were waiting for. Jesus took their place in death so they would resurrect with Him. They would live to the age and never die in His covenant renewal. Disciplinary judgement started with the family of God in transition. Wrathful judgement came upon the non-transitioners when the old covenant ended.

1 Peter 4:17 – Peter to the diaspora

CLV ¹⁷ seeing that it is the era for the judgment to begin from the house of God. Now if first from us, what is the consummation of those who are stubborn as to God’s evangel?

James 5:5-9 – Jacob to the 12 tribes

YLT ⁵ ye did live in luxury upon the earth [or land], and were wanton; ye did nourish your hearts, as in a day of slaughter; ⁶ ye did condemn—ye did murder the righteous one, he doth not resist you. ⁷ Be patient, then, brethren, till the presence [parousia] of the Lord; lo, the husbandman doth expect the precious fruit of the earth, being patient for it, till he may receive rain—early and latter; ⁸ be patient, ye also; establish your hearts, because the presence [parousia] of the Lord hath drawn nigh; ⁹ murmur not against one another, brethren, that ye may not be condemned; lo, the Judge before the door hath stood.

Jeremiah 31:38-40

Thomson ³⁸ Thus said the Lord who hath given the sun to enlighten the day and the moon and stars to enlighten the night, and hath caused the sea to roar and its billows to resound, the Lord Almighty is his name; Behold days are coming, saith the Lord, when a city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Anameel to the gate of the corner; ³⁹ If these laws cease to operate in my presence, saith the Lord, then may the race of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever and the diameter thereof shall extend forward as far as the hills of Gareb: ⁴⁰ and it shall be enclosed around with choice stones; and all the Asaremoth as far as Nachal Kedron, even to the corner of the horse gate eastward shall be dedicated to the Lord, and it shall no more fail nor shall it be demolished until the age.

The city was rebuilt so the messiah could be born a Jew and save His people. The sun and the moon determined the timing of the old covenant festivals, until the typical sabbath laws ceased. We now live in the final sabbatism that remained for the chosen people to enter into. Pentecost was the preliminary new covenant sabbatism of the Hebrews. Tabernacles was the sabbatism that still remained for them to enter into. The final sabbatism was salvation by marriage.

Pentecost made the Jews more Responsible not less. They were already more responsible than the nations, whom they were teaching, because they were the ones who first received the old covenant Word from Yahweh. Were they now becoming less responsible in their new covenant? Peter’s first new covenant sermon held old covenant feet to the fire. He didn’t let them off for what they just did. He did offer them the gospel: unmerited life in the resurrected Messiah instead of merited death in the old man. Join the rebirth or die.

The blessings that came upon the Jews at pentecost surpassed all their typical blessings. Holy Spirit blessed Jews lived responsibly, to the age of 1000 and beyond. New covenant Jews are the blessed people of God. Old covenant Jews stubbornly died at their national age of accountability.

Genesis 49:26

Thomson ²⁶ He hath made the blessings of thy father and mother, More durable than the blessings of perpetual mountains, And more permanent than the blessings of everlasting hills. [more permanent than everlasting?]

Genesis 49:26

YLT ²⁶ Thy father’s blessings have been mighty Above the blessings of my progenitors, Unto the limit of the heights age-during [typical blessings ended when the typical sacrifices ended]

God sent His Son to bring His people to the age alive in His new covenant resurrection. Jesus paid the old covenant price of death to secure the new covenant gift of life. Jesus died an old covenant death to open Hades for humanity. Jesus ascended from new covenant life to open heaven for humanity. The two covenants overlapped in their transition. The one that had grown obsolete went away. Their obsolete covenant died it’s second death even as the new covenant was consummated at the age of 1000. First century Jews were acutely aware of their millennial Jubilee. To them the millennium designated the ultimate super sabbath that fulfilled their typical days of counting. And yes the time of Jubilee coincided with tabernacles. Would they remain in their old covenant death or marry His new covenant life?

Acts 2:16-40 – to the 12 tribes gathered

LITV ¹⁶ But this is that which has been spoken by the prophet Joel, ¹⁷ “And it shall be” in the last days, God says, “I will pour from My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy;” “and your young men shall see visions,” “and your old men shall dream dreams;” ¹⁸ “and also I will pour out My Spirit on My slaves and slave women in those days,” and they shall prophesy. … ²¹ “And it shall be that everyone who shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Joel 3:15 ²² Men, Israelites, hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man from God, having been approved among you by powerful deeds and wonders and miracles, which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, ²³ this One given to you by the before-determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you having taken by lawless hands, having crucified Him, you put Him to death. ²⁴ But God raised Him up, loosing the throes of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. ²⁵ For David said as to Him, “I always foresaw the Lord before Me, because He is at My right hand, that I not be moved. ²⁶ For this reason My heart rejoiced, and My tongue was glad; and My flesh also will dwell on hope, ²⁷ because You will not leave My soul in Hades, nor will You give Your Holy One to see corruption. ²⁸ You revealed to Me paths of life; You will fill Me with joy with Your face.” LXX-Psa. 15:8-11; MT-Psa. 16:8-11 ²⁹ Men, brothers, it is permitted to say to you with plainness as to the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is among us until this day. ³⁰ Being a prophet, then, and knowing that God swore with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loin, as concerning flesh, to raise the Christ to sit on his throne, see Psa. 132:11 ³¹ foreseeing, he spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, “that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.” LXX-Psa. 15:10; Mt-Psa. 16:10 ³² This Jesus God raised up, of which we all are witnesses. ³³ Then being exalted to the right of God, and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He poured out this which you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend into Heaven, but he says, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand ³⁵ until I place Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.” LXX-Psa. 109:1; MT-Psa. 110:1 ³⁶ Then assuredly, let all the house of Israel acknowledge that God made Him both Lord and Christ, this same Jesus whom you crucified. ³⁷ And hearing, they were stabbed in the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men, brothers, What shall we do? ³⁸ And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, each of you on the name of Jesus Christ to remission of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all those afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call. ⁴⁰ And with many other words he earnestly testified and exhorted, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation.

Hebrews 4:7-9 – To the Hebrews

LITV ⁷ He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, Today (after so long a time, according as He has said), “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” LXX-Psa. 94:7, 8; MT-Psa. 95:7, 8 ⁸ For if Joshua [Yeshua] gave them rest, then He would not have afterwards spoken about another day. ⁹ So, then, there remains a sabbath rest to the people of God.

The last days of the millennium were being fulfilled: either in the old man or in the new man. The Day of new covenant Yeshua (Joshua) surpassed and fulfilled the day of old covenant Yeshua (Jesus). There is not another day to come. “after so long a time” had arrived and was being called “today”! That day was the Day of the Lord.

Or you can believe this as the meaning of sabbatismos in Hebrews 4:9:

Hebrews 4:9, Albert Barnes says sabbatismos means “Sabbatism” or “keeping of a Sabbath,” as it is rendered in the margin of the King James Version of the Bible. The meaning of Hebrews 4:9 then is, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (English Standard Version).

“Some have presumptuously inferred that there is no Sabbath under the Christian dispensation. The truth is, the Sabbath is considered as a type. All types are of full force till the thing signified by them takes place. But the thing signified by the Sabbath is that rest in glory which remains for the people of God, therefore the moral obligation of the Sabbath must continue till time be swallowed up in eternity” (Adam Clarke’s Commentary).

Faithfulness to the Word increases with correct application. I believe the time of typical sabbath keeping was fulfilled before the sabbath feasts ended. The moral obligation to enter their final sabbath was a warning to the Hebrews, lest they fall like the hard hearted Hebrews did on route to their typical promised land.

Hebrews 8:13

KJV ¹³ In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Is the old Hebrew covenant still ready to vanish away today? Are the transitioning Jews still inviting the nations to join their new covenant? That was the great co-mission Jesus assigned to the Jews in their old covenant land. Jesus alone was in the new covenant at the time He commissioned them. They joined Him in His new covenant on Pentecost.

Matthew 28:16-20

LITV ¹⁶ But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mount where Jesus appointed them. ¹⁷ And seeing Him, they worshiped Him. But they doubted. ¹⁸ And coming up Jesus talked with them, saying, All authority in Heaven and on earth was given to Me. ¹⁹ Going, then, disciple all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the completion of the age. Amen. [so be it]

It seems like the goal Jesus had for these Jews was the completion of the age with Him. The day of works that had to be completed before entering the 7th day was the 6th day. Only in the new man could the Jews finish their 6th day and rest in their good works. Jesus enabled them to rein in the 6th Day with Him. The same Holy Spirit that supernaturally enabled Jesus to work in the old covenant was given to the Jewish believers. The (unmerited) gift of the Holy Spirit was a new covenant development. The death was an old covenant development. Even Jesus died in the old covenant. Jesus put old covenant death to death.

Matthew 28:16-20

ECB ¹⁶ And the eleven disciples go to Galiyl – to a mountain where Yah Shua ordained them ¹⁷ – and they see him and worship him – but some doubt. ¹⁸
THE FINAL MISVAH OF YAH SHUA
And Yah Shua comes and speaks to them, wording, All authority is given me in the heavens and in earth. ¹⁹ So go and disciple all goyim, baptizing them in the name* of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: ²⁰ doctrinating them to guard all – as much as ever I misvahed you: and behold, I am with you all days – even to the completion/shalom of the eon. Amen. ^{*name: Exodus 3:3-15, Isaiah 42:8, John 8:58}

Exodus 3:13-14

LITV ¹³ And Moses said to God, Behold, I shall come to the sons of Israel and say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you; and they will say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them? ¹⁴ And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and He said, you shall say this to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.

Jesus was nearly killed for blasphemy when He identified Himself as their God who had made Himself known to Moses:  “I tell you the truth … before Abraham was born, I am. At this they picked up stones to stone Him …” (John 8:58, 59) Jesus identified himself as the great “I AM.” God was the only one who rested in the 7th day of creation until Jesus invited His people to find rest in Him, by joining in His work. They were enabled to complete their day of works and join the final sabbatism.

The following commentator tries to resolve this conundrum another way:

Hebrews 4:9-12

Notice in the above scripture how God says that we need to “labor” to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” He is equating not resting, with unbelief. Therefore to be in Faith is to be at Rest.

While this is true today, it does not address the sabbatism that still remained to be entered into by the first century Hebrews who were still in their covenant transition. The faithful Hebrews were still waiting for their salvation.

As for typical Jerusalem, judgement for their day of works was put on hold until AD 70. The legal consequence of murdering their messiah didn’t arrive until the full number of martyrs came in. Time was only making the judgement worse for the unrepentant murderers. Meanwhile, the Jewish witnesses were busy filling up the Jewish wedding hall with Gentiles. The Jews were the witnessing: both to their own people and to the nations. The Greek word for martyr primarily means witness. The old establishment kept killing off the witnesses who testified against them. That is how the word came to mean martyr as we know it. God told the Jewish witnesses under the alter that the time of His vengeance was near. Their work was done. They were told to rest from their work while other transition witnesses completed the Day’s work.

Daniel defines time as a week of years. The last week of years for typical Jerusalem was put on hold. This caused the witnesses to ask what was taking so long. Why was Jerusalem not destroyed shortly after they murdered Jesus? Obviously the Jews under the alter saw that Jesus was cut off mid-week. Yet, Jerusalem was allowed to keep on murdering God’s chosen ones, for decades. The faithful Jewish witnesses were basically asking God why He was still waiting to take vengeance on those in the land. Technically time was up, but God was waiting for the full number of Jewish witnesses to arrive in heaven. Heaven was the realm of the witnesses who were ready to testify against old covenant Jerusalem. The witnesses had already assembled and they seemed to be getting impatient. After the 3 1/2 year siege on Jerusalem, old covenant grace-time was no more. They completed the last week of Daniel. Time means year in Daniel chapter 9. Jesus told Peter to forgive an offensive Jew 490 times, which means 490 years according to Daniel. If a week of times was 7 years then 70 weeks of times was 490 years. We all know what happened when old covenant time finally ended. Jesus and Titus brought destruction to the typical hold outs.

Daniel 9:24-27

Thomson ²⁴ Seventy weeks are set apart for thy people and for the holy city; for finishing sin offerings, and for sealing up sin offerings; and blotting out iniquities, and making atonement for iniquities; and for bringing in an everlasting righteousness; and for sealing vision and prophet; and for anointing the Holy of Holies. ²⁵ Therefore thou art to know and understand, that from the going forth of a word for returning an answer and for building Jerusalem until an Anointed ruler are seven weeks, and sixty two weeks. They shall indeed return and a street shall be built and a wall, and these times shall be emptied out, ²⁶ and after the sixty two weeks, the Messiah shall be cut off, though there is no crime in him; and he [He the Messiah], with the ruler who is coming [Titus], will destroy the city and the sanctuary. They shall be destroyed with a deluge, and even to the end of the war determined on in course, with desolations. ²⁷ Now one week shall confirm a covenant for many and in the half of that week my sacrifice and libation shall be taken away. And upon the temple shall be an abomination of the desolations, and at the end of a time, an end shall be put to that desolation.

The tabernacle was merely a shadow of the real sanctuary in heaven. The letter to the Hebrews took them out of the shadows to reveal Christ’s superior priesthood. The Hebrews now had access to the real alter. The Holy Spirit taught that the ordinances of “foods and drinks” and “various washings” were “fleshly” and temporary. Fleshly does not mean “sinful.” The law was holy. People are sinful. The people who chose the flesh mode over the Holy Spirit mode became extremely sinful. These religious regulations lacked sufficient means to save people because they removed only defilement of the flesh. The Levitical priesthood was in effect while the earthly temple had standing, “until the time of reformation”. The types did not set things right or restore mankind to a right relationship with God. The earthly tabernacle was a temporary figure that represented spiritual truths and pointed the people of God to the new and better covenant that was being established through the 3 1/2 year ministry of Christ in the old covenant land. There were obviously two kinds of Hebrews. Jesus came to separate believers from unbelievers before the end. Some Hebrews chose to stay in the shadows until the end. Some were eating from the alter in heaven while waiting for the consummation.

Hebrews 13:10

CLV ¹⁰ We have an altar from which they have no right to be eating, who offer divine service in the tabernacle.”

When did the unbelievers, in the name of the old temple, stop killing the witnesses? In AD70 an end was put to the number of Jewish witnesses who were being put to death by the old covenant Jews who refused to hear and be forgiven. An end came to the new covenant desolation that was being caused by the old covenant hold-outs. God extended His grace period to the unbelievers in old Jerusalem, while the faithful witnesses filled the wedding hall with all God’s chosen people. Never again will old covenant Jews murder new covenant Jews. Never again will new covenant Jews witness to old covenant Jews. Nobody is being saved out of the old covenant. That is His-story.

Daniel 9:27

LITV ²⁷ And he shall confirm a covenant with the many for one week. And in the middle of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on a wing of the altar will be abominations that desolate, even until the end. And that which was decreed shall pour out on the desolator.

An accumulation of witnesses was piling up against the people still serving the earthly copy of the heavenly temple. The witnesses were speaking out from under the real alter in heaven. They were still being killed in the name of saving the old covenant alter. The faithful Jews wanted the desolaters (and the obsolete temple complex) to be destroyed, sooner rather than later. The martyrs finally got to see that which was decreed to Daniel, when the old covenant grace time ran out. At the end of time means at the end of the last year of the transition. The end of old covenant time came at the end of their last year in the land. Jesus witnessed to them for 3 1/2 years before being martyred. Then Titus and Jesus witnessed to them in a 3 1/2 year siege on Jerusalem. This last half-week concluded old covenant time. The second 490 years of old covenant time no longer exists. The second old covenant death ended all of old covenant time. All time is in the new covenant now. Time is always present. If time itself ended so would we. We are always present in time. Since time is part of God’s creation, He exists outside of time. He always speaks to us in time. Old covenant time ended, but not before new covenant time became never-ending.

Daniel 9:27

Brenton ²⁷ And one week shall establish the covenant with many: and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink-offering shall be taken away: and on the temple shall be the abomination of desolations; and at the end of time an end shall be put to the desolation.

Are the old covenant Jews in the flesh still desolating the new covenant Jews who were born from above?

Romans 8:6-9

CLV ⁶ For the disposition of the flesh is death, yet the disposition of the spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the disposition of the flesh is enmity to God, for it is not subject to the law of God, for neither is it able.” ⁸ Now those who are in flesh are not able to please God. ⁹ Yet you are not in flesh, but in spirit, if so be that God’s spirit is making its home in you. Now if anyone has not Christ’s spirit, this one is not His.”

Galatians 4:28-29

NLT 28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit. 30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.

Romans 2:28-29

LITV ²⁸ For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that outwardly in flesh; ²⁹ but he is a Jew that is one inwardly, and circumcision is of heart, in spirit, not in letter; of whom the praise is not from men, but from God.

Romans 7 – Paul is addressing his brethren

CLV ¹ Or are you ignorant, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know law), that the law is lording it over a man for as much time as he is living? ² For a woman in wedlock is bound to a living man by law. Yet if the man should be dying, she is exempt from the law of the man.”

Romans 6:6

LITV ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be nullified [may-be-being-down-un-acted, may-be-being-nullified], so that we no longer serve sin.

Paul’s old covenant flesh and blood body was dying, both covenantally and biologically. Every body still dies biologically. Their is no escape from physical death. But no body dies covenantally anymore. Every body in the new covenant leaves their flesh and blood body behind. My flesh body will return to the land it was taken from. I will go to heaven without it. I have a spirit-realm body in Christ. It goes with me to heaven after my flesh burns out. When I stop burning calories I burn out of here.

Gehenna is where Jesus and His brother Jacob (James) pictured the old covenant body burning out in a destruction, without eternal life. Both the old covenant soul and body ended there. Jesus told the believing Jews to fear God rather than their unfaithful brethren. Jesus expected the Jews to be His faithful witnesses regardless of the threats from the unbelievers in the land. The new covenant soul guaranteed their salvation. The old covenant hold-outs could and would murder His witnesses, but they couldn’t stop the transition of covenants. The old covenant soul was destroyed in AD70. The word Gehenna is only used as a warning to the first century Jews.

Matthew 10:28

CLV ²⁸ And do not fear those who are killing the body, yet are not able to kill the soul. Yet be fearing Him, rather, Who is able to destroy the soul as well as the body in Gehenna.”

Martyrdom was sure to come upon the faithful transition Jews, starting with their Messiah. Every Jew in the resurrection was being saved with a new covenant soul that would never die again. The born again Jews all lived to the age. Now they live forever.

John 10

LITV ¹ Truly, truly, I say to you, the one not entering through the door into the sheepfold, but going up by another way, that one is a thief and a robber. ² But the one entering through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The doorkeeper opens to him, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. ⁴ And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes in front of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they never follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of the strangers. ⁶ Jesus spoke this allegory to them, but they did not know what it was which He spoke to them. ⁷ Then Jesus again said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you that I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in, and will go out, and will find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief does not come except that he may steal, and kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and may have it abundantly. ¹¹ I am the Good Shepherd! The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. ¹² But the hireling, not even being a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and forsakes the sheep and flees. And the wolf seizes them, and scatters the sheep. ¹³ But the hireling flees because he is a hireling, and there is not a care to him concerning the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the Good Shepherd, and I know those that are Mine, and I am known by the ones that are Mine. ¹⁵ Even as the Father knows Me, I also know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And I have other sheep which are not of this fold. I must also lead those, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock, one Shepherd. ¹⁷ For this reason My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life [soul], that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down from Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. I received this commandment from My Father. ¹⁹ Then a division occurred again among the Jews, because of these words. ²⁰ And many of them said, He has a demon and is insane. Why do you hear him? ²¹ Others said, These are not words of one having been possessed by a demon. A demon is not able to open the eyes of blind ones. ²² And the Feast of Dedication took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. ²³ And Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s Porch. ²⁴ Then the Jews encircled Him, and said to Him, How long do you lift up our soul [keep our soul in suspense]? If you are the Christ, tell us publicly. ²⁵ Jesus answered them, I told you, and you did not believe. The works which I do in the name of My Father, these bear witness about Me. ²⁶ But you do not believe for you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. ²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish to the age, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one! ³¹ Then again the Jews took up stones, that they might stone Him. ³² Jesus answered them, I showed you many good works from My Father. For which work of them do you stone Me? ³³ The Jews answered Him, saying, We do not stone you concerning a good work, but concerning blasphemy; and because you, being a man, make yourself God. ³⁴ Jesus answered them, Has it not been written in your Law, “I said, you are gods”? Psa. 82:6 ³⁵ If He called those gods with whom the Word of God was, and the Scripture cannot be broken, ³⁶ do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, You blaspheme, because I said, I am Son of God? ³⁷ If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me. ³⁸ But if I do, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may perceive and may believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. ³⁹ Then again they sought to seize Him. And He went forth out of their hand. ⁴⁰ And He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John was at first baptizing and remained there. ⁴¹ And many came to Him and said, John indeed did no miracle, but all things that John said concerning this One were true. ⁴² And many believed into Him there.

Many Jews believed in Him. They were being saved by the new covenant soul. He left His perfectly good old covenant life for their sake. They could not be saved in their old covenant. They could only be saved in their new covenant. God sent Jesus and Titus to destroy the old covenant soul, as picture by the fires of Gehenna that no longer burn today. According to wikipedia, modern day Jerusalem uses a non-burning landfill.

Environmental Damage and Health Risks

The Abu Dis waste disposal site is located above a mountain aquifer. Dissolving limestone above the aquifer poses a risk of polluting the groundwater. The acidic elements in the water, especially leachate, are dangerously polluting a valuable source of water.^[7] Abu Dis waste disposal site is considered to be an “unsanitary waste dumpsite” because of the leachate being leaked into the aquifer and affecting freshwater used by both the Israeli and Palestinian side.^[8]

Leachate collecting tanks are visible at the site; however, there is no sufficient information on the efficiency of the tanks in preventing the toxin seepage in the groundwater, in addition the location of these leachate tanks is exposed and poorly maintained.^[9]

Burning of waste is internationally unacceptable because it emits gases that contain toxins such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphate.^[10] The accumulation of waste in the site is creating an unbearable stench that is carried in the wind and affecting Bedouin communities living nearby. Also, there is a risk of Methane exploding since the site is poorly managed; there are many concerns that the severe environmental risks are endangering human lives in the region.^[11]

Sounds like the worms that never die are back in the city dump. Maybe it would be better for the neocolonialist population of Jerusalem if they started burning their waste again. The fires of the old covenant city dump went out a long time ago, at the end of the old covenant age. They did not burn forever. They burned to the age. Sodom and Gomorrah was an example of fire to the age. Jerusalem was the real thing. The burning of Jerusalem actually ended the old covenant age.

Jude 1:7

YLT ⁷ as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in like manner to these, having given themselves to whoredom, and gone after other flesh, have been set before—an example, of fire age-during, justice suffering.

Revelation 17:5-6

YLT ⁵ and upon her forehead was a name written: `Secret, Babylon the Great, the Mother of the Whores, and the Abominations of the earth.’ ⁶ And I saw the woman drunken from the blood of the saints, and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus, and I did wonder—having seen her—with great wonder;

Revelation 11:1-9

YLT ¹ And there was given to me a reed like to a rod, and the messenger stood, saying, `Rise, and measure the sanctuary of God, and the altar, and those worshipping in it; <sup>2</sup> and the court that is without the sanctuary leave out, and thou mayest not measure it, because it was given to the nations, and the holy city they shall tread down forty-two months; <sup>3</sup> and I will give to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy days, a thousand, two hundred, sixty, arrayed with sackcloth; <sup>4</sup> these are the two olive trees, and the two lamp-stands that before the God of the earth do stand; <sup>5</sup> and if any one may will to injure them, fire doth proceed out of their mouth, and doth devour their enemies, and if any one may will to injure them, thus it behoveth him to be killed. <sup>6</sup> These have authority to shut the heaven, that it may not rain rain in the days of their prophecy, and authority they have over the waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the land with every plague, as often as they may will. <sup>7</sup> `And when they may finish their testimony, the beast that is coming up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them, ⁸ and their dead bodies are upon the broad-place of the great city (that is called spiritually Sodom, and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified,) ⁹ and they shall behold—they of the peoples, and tribes, and tongues, and nations—their dead bodies three days and a half, and their dead bodies they shall not suffer to be put into tombs,

Are we still waiting for the old covenant Jews to make the full number of martyrs out of the faithful Jews who were the resurrection witnesses? The million Jews who died during the 3 1/2 years Roman siege of Jerusalem were not the Jewish martyrs. They were the Jews who were held accountable for making more Jewish martyrs. The Jewish martyrs died for their faithful witness not their unfaithful witness. Old covenant hold-outs died for their unbelief. The Jewish martyrs were the heroes not the criminals. People often try to make the criminals the victims. Transition martyrs only came from the first century. People are still being martyred for faithful witnessing today. But they are not being martyred by the old covenant hold-outs. No old covenant people are alive to hold-out, let alone make martyrs out of the true Jewish witnesses.

Revelation 6:9-11

YLT ⁹ And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony that they held, ¹⁰ and they were crying with a great voice, saying, `Till when, O Master, the Holy and the True, dost Thou not judge and take vengeance of our blood from those dwelling upon the land?’ ¹¹ and there was given to each one white robes, and it was said to them that they may rest themselves yet a little time, till may be fulfilled also their fellow-servants and their brethren, who are about to be killed—even as they.