Everything in the Old Covenant is centered on the physical world. The promises, the curses, the worship, the Temple, the festivals… all are physically oriented, but point to a great reality that was to come; this is called “typology” and these things are called “types.” Thus, the Land and the Sabbath are “types” of something wonderful that the people of the Old Testament had no real concept of… eternity. When Jesus began speaking of eternal life, He was speaking of something that the Old Testament made no mention of… at all. All of the promises in the Law were earthly, not one was eternal in scope. Jews do not die and go to Heaven; they die and live through their children. If you don’t believe me, ask one of your Jewish friends.
