2. Covenants

The most meaningful relationships are “covenant” relationships. The best example of a covenant relationship is the marriage covenant. Each person demonstrates whom he or she trusts by the covenants they enter .Just as a bride and groom demonstrate covenant faith in each other, we are called to place covenant faith in God. The central book of end-time prophecy, titled Revelation, tells about three covenants. Just as with God’s covenants in the Old Testament, scripture depicts covenants in Revelation with a mark on the forehead or hand(Deuteronomy 6:6-8). This type of mark may seem odd. However, consider that a common covenant symbol today, the wedding ring, distinguishes (marks) the left hand of the husband and wife. During the end-times it will be most convenient to accept the covenant offered by the preeminent world leader, a powerful man commonly called the Antichrist. Initially the leader of a restored Roman Empire, Antichrist will entera temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and claim to be God. Paul wrote that Antichrist sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (2Thessalonians 2:4).Belief in religion is a second covenant option. A person can have faith in his or her religion without having any faith in God. The Pharisees were the preeminent first-century teachers of Israel; yet their faith was in religion instead of God (Matthew 23:23). Pharisees wore long flowing robes (Mark12:38), prayed in an impressive manner (Mark 12:40), and routinely fasted(Matthew 9:14). The typical Israeli citizen thought they set the gold standard for religious behavior. Those who followed such religion were also in perilous danger. Jesus warned the Pharisees and their congregations when he said,

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.(Matthew 23:13-14)