In His sermon to Nicodemus the Lord Jesus spoke of regeneration in connection with the "individual" sinner as well as with the "nation" of Israel. He told Nicodemus:

"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again" (Jn.3:3; NIV).

To this Nicodemus asked how he could be born again when he is old, and the Lord Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" (Jn.3:5-6; NIV).

Previously the Lord had been speaking of an individual's regeneration but He now begins to speak of the nation of Israel's regeneration. The Lord shifts from using the second person "singular" pronoun "you" to the second person "plural":

"You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit" (Jn.3:7-8; NIV). [A footnote in the NIV at verse seven says, "The Greek is plural."]

Nicodemus still not understand, asking, "How can these things be?"

By the Lord's reply we can understand that Nicodemus should have been aware of some truth in the OT Scriptures which spoke of a regeneration by the Spirit: "Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knoweth not these things?" (v.10).

Nicodemus should have been aware of the prophecies that speak of the blessings of the nation of Israel's regeneration. In the thirty-sixth chapter of Ezekiel we see "water" being sprinkled on that nation and the Lord putting His Spirit within that nation (Ez.36:25,27).

Then in the very next chapter we see verses describing the regeneration of the nation of Israel, and these same verses use similar language about the "wind": "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army...Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live" (Ez.37: 9-10, 13-14).

These verses are in regard to the vision of "the valley of dry bones" saw by the prophet Ezekiel. The bones are likened to the nation of Israel being in the grave--"These bones are the whole house of Israel" (Ez.37:11). Charles H. Dyer writes that "the breath of life the corpses received symbolized the Holy Spirit, promised in Israel's New Covenant" (Walvoord & Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary; Old Testament [ChariotVictor Publishing, 1985], p.1298).

Because Nicodemus was ignorant of these prophetic passages that speak of Israel's New Covenant the Lord told Him: "I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?" (Jn.3:12; NIV).

The "earthly things" to which the Lord refers is the regeneration of the "nation" of Israel. The "heavenly things" are in regard to an "individual" believer's regeneration.

Sir Robert Anderson writes that "the Lord's words to Nicodemus referred to some Old Testament Scripture with which he ought to have been familiar. Nor is there any doubt what that Scripture was, namely, Ezekiel xxxvi.- xxxvii., a prophecy that was greatly cherished by the Jew; and ignorance of it would have been as discreditable to a Rabbi as ignorance of the Nicodemus sermon would be to a Christian theologian. There we read, 'I will sprinkle clean water upon you. . . . And I will put My Spirit within you' (ch. xxxvi. 25—27). And in chapter xxxvii. we have the vision of the valley of dry bones, when the prophet is told to call upon the dry bones to 'hear the Word of the Lord'; and to prophesy to the Spirit to breathe upon them. The water of Ezekiel's prophecy was 'the water of purification' of Numbers xix. Water which had flowed over the ashes of the sin-offering had efficacy to cleanse the sinner. And the antitype of that water is the Word of God by which we are born again (1 Peter i. 23). When, therefore, the Lord went on to tell Nicodemus of eternal life through faith in Him as lifted up upon the cross (V. 14), He was unfolding the meaning of that Ezekiel prophecy, and of the type to which, as every Rabbi recognised, it so clearly referred" (Anderson, Misunderstood Texts of the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1995], p.62-63).

The Lord Jesus Himself employed a "type" in order to help Nicodemus understand His teaching in regard to the regeneration of an "individual," and that "type" concerns the regeneration of the "nation" of Israel. Also, according to the Lord Jesus the regeneration of an individual is "heavenly" while the regeneration of the "nation" of Israel is "earthly."

Again, in the book Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church Progressive Dispensationalist Bruce A. Ware quotes Homer A. Kent, Jr., extensively in order to attempt to prove that that there exists only one New Diatheke. Kent understands that "the essence of the new covenant is spiritual regeneration, enjoyed now by Christian believers and prophesied for national Israel at the second coming of Christ" (Kent, "The New Covenant and the Church," Grace Theological Journal, 6:2, Fall, 1985, p.290).

Since the regeneration of the nation of Israel is in regard to the "earthly" sphere and the regeneration of an "individual" believer relates to the "heavenly" sphere it is evident that these blessings are not the same blessings. However, the Progressive Dispensationalists continue to insist that the blessings received by the Christian at the present time are the same exact blessings promised under Israel's New Covenant. In fact, the major crux of the theology espoused by the Progressive Dispensationalists rests on the assertion that Christians do indeed partake of the same blessings promised to the nation of Israel. Blaising says that the blessings of Israel's New Covenant are the same blessings enjoyed by Christians today:

"It is indisputable that the New Testament views the new covenant predicted by Jeremiah and Ezekiel as established in the death of Jesus Christ with some of the promised blessings now being granted to Jews and Gentiles who are believers in Jesus. These are not blessings which are 'like' those predicted by Jeremiah and Ezekiel. They are 'the very same' blessings which those prophets predicted. For the new covenant which is presently in effect through Jesus Christ is not one which is 'like' that predicted by Jeremiah and Ezekiel, but is 'that very same' covenant which they prophesised which is in effect today" (Blaising & Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism [Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1993], p.202).

Even though the Progressive Dispensationalists understand that under Israel's New Covenant the blessings are directed at the "nation" of Israel they attempt to make these blessings apply to "individuals" at the present time. However, common sense tells us that blessings promised to a "nation" cannot possibly the same exact blessings that "individual" believers receive. Not only that, but they attempt to make blessings which are described as belonging to the "earthly" sphere to be identical to the blessings which are described as belonging to the "heavenly" sphere.