What did Jesus mean when He said, "For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished" (Matt. 5:18)? Was He prophesying the end of the Earth?
What did Jesus mean when He said, "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away" (Matt. 24:34-35)? Was He predicting the destruction of the Earth?
Many preachers, "scholars" (so-called "experts"), and theologians have read these words at face value and attributed them to the utter destruction of our planet. Dispensationalists have run away with all sorts of fictitious imaginations as to what this could mean, imposing those fantasies upon the Scriptures themselves. But what does God's Word actually teach concerning this issue?
"I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, 'You are my people'" (Is. 51:16). This is how Yahweh describes His choosing of Israel as His people from among the nations of the Earth. He calls it "establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth."
"Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth" (Deut. 32:1). This is what Moses, the lawgiver of Israel, said when he assembled Yahweh's covenant people. He was speaking to the people of Israel—not to the literal heavens and earth.
"The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again" (Is. 24:1, 3-4, 19-20). Yet again, we see Israel being referred to as "the earth." Throughout Scripture, Yahweh's covenant with Israel is labeled as Yahweh forming "heaven and earth," so it would make sense that His abolishment of the same would be labeled as the destruction of "heaven and earth."
Even the apostle John wrote of Yahweh dissolving the old "heaven and earth" and establishing a new "heaven and earth"—the New Covenant. In this covenant, Yahweh takes a new Bride (consisting of people from every tribe, nation, and tongue—not just Jews), forms a new priesthood (every believer, male and female—not just a tribe of men), establishes a new nation (all believers are called Yahweh's "holy nation" in 1 Peter 2:9), and institutes an eternal and unshakable kingdom (Heb. 12:26-28).
Jesus came to fulfill the Law, and then He abolished it. By establishing the eternal New Covenant, Jesus caused the Old Covenant to become obsolete. Judaistic cults, like Torah Observant "Christians," would do well to learn how to read and study Scripture, paying attention to what they are reading. By attempting to turn to the Law, they are rejecting Jesus and His grace and spitting directly in His face. As the apostle Paul said, these people have been "severed (separated) from Christ," they have "fallen from grace."
Let us use some common sense and think about this logically. The apostles constantly said that they were living in "the last days." John said it was "the last hour." What are the chances that "the last days" and "the last hour" would last for 2,000 years?!?!? Highly unlikely! But if they were talking about the end of the Jewish era, the end of the Old Covenant, the end of the Law . . . Ah! Now that makes more sense.
"For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the Law as well" (Heb. 7:12). There was a change in priesthood. Under the Old Covenant, a priest had to be from the tribe of Levi. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah. So since there was a change in the priesthood, it necessitates a change in the Law. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). This is the Royal Law of the New Covenant of the Kingdom of God.
Torah Observant "Christians" would benefit greatly from reading Galatians. "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" Apparently they think the answer to this question is, "Yes." However, this is a rhetorical question. The obvious answer is, "No!" If you want to observe the Law, you are required to observe ALL OF IT (Gal. 5:3), every last one of the 600+ laws! You do not get to cherry pick which you are going to follow and which you are not. If you fail in even one point, you are guilty of breaking ALL OF IT (James 2:10). Observance of the Law has one of two results: DEFEAT if you are honest, and HYPOCRISY if you are not. No one can keep the entire Law, and no one ever could—except Jesus. The Law was a ministry of condemnation and death (2 Cor. 3:7-11). It could never do what it was intended to do because of our flesh (Rom. 8:3). JESUS fixed all of that. JESUS fulfilled the Law perfectly so we do not have to. If we trust in Jesus, HIS righteousness and all the blessings owed Him for HIS obedience to the Law are bestowed upon us. We get to benefit. This is the GREAT news of the Gospel!
If you want to place yourself under bondage to the Law, then YOU HAVE SEVERED (SEPARATED) YOURSELF FROM JESUS, YOU HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE!!! (Gal. 5:4)