THE EVERLASTING COVENANT Kevin J. Conner and Ken Malmin HIS GLORY REIGNS B. Childress Jun 6 2008 The Everlasting Covenant is that Covenant made in Eternity, before Time began, in the counsels of the eternal Godhead, between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It was made before the creation of man and the entrance of sin into the human race. It embodies, as an all-encompassing Covenant, God's complete plan involving Creation and Redemption. It is the heavenly foundational Covenant in eternity for all Covenants revealed in Time. Man was not a party to it but the object of it. INTRODUCTION The Scripture clearly teaches that God had an "eternal purpose" before Time began and before the creation of man and the entrance of sin into the human race by the Fall of Adam and his wife. This "eternal purpose" was contained in the form of the Everlasting Covenant, for God declares no purpose apart from Covenant. This overriding purpose of the Everlasting Covenant provided the basis for the purposes revealed in the covenants made on earth in Time (Ephesians 3:11; Romans 8:27-30; Ephesians 1:9; Hebrews 13:20). Of the eight Divine Covenants revealed in time, these being the Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Palestinian, Davidic, and New Covenants, the first pertains to God's purpose in creation, while the next six are covenants of promise - promising and symbolizing redemption before the cross, while the remaining or eighth covenant pertains to God's realized redemptive purposes in Christ Jesus. As seen in the Edenic Covenant, God had a purpose for Adam and his offspring. This Covenant involving God's purpose for man was made before the entrance of sin. There we see the covenant cycle begin. Man is put on a period of probation, which ends in failure and judgment. Then God initiates the first link in the chain of the Covenants of redemption, the Adamic Covenant. As tragic as the entrance of sin was into the human race, it should be recognized that God was not caught unawares. Because of His essential attributes He foresaw the fall of man from His creative purposes. Thus He set in motion the Covenants of redemption to redeem man from sin. The culminating New Covenant actually becomes the covenant of redemption by which God restores man back to His original purpose in the Edenic Covenant of creation. The New Covenant makes the Edenic Covenant possible. However, it was the pre-existent Everlasting Covenant in heaven that made possible all the Covenants of Creation and Redemption on earth. The Everlasting Covenant, as unfolded in creation and redemption could only be realized because of God's essential and moral attributes (Hebrews 13:20). Therefore the Everlasting Covenant is: 1. Possible because of God's Essential Attributes
Genesis 21:33; Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalms 41:13; 90:2; 93:2).
choose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because of His omniscience He purposed to redeem all men who would come to Him on His terms (Acts 15:18). Omniscience includes wisdom, knowledge, and understanding required to carry out covenantal purposes.
redemption. His sovereignty over creation and creatures is evident (Daniel 7:17).
convicting power of the Holy Spirit (Psalms 139:7-12).
3:6; Hebrews 13:8).
the Life-source and can act out of this eternal life accordingly and give life to all creatures (John 1:1-4; 3:16). If it were not for these essential attributes of God, no covenant could have been made in eternity and certainly none could have been made and fulfilled in time. 2. Available because of God's Moral Attributes
16).
judgment upon man's sinfulness (Psalms 119:142; Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 1:17).
the divine motive in the covenant of creation, and love was the motivation in the Covenants of redemption (I John 4:8,16; John 3:16; 14:23; Galatians 2:20).
and obligations to the man He created (Psalms 119:144; Hebrews 6:12-20; II Timothy 2:13; I Peter 4:19). 3. Eternal because of the Eternal Godhead
involves man. It is a covenant between the persons of the eternal Godhead, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person in the Godhead would fulfill their part in the contract which involved creation and redemption. The eternal characteristics of the Godhead are thus stamped upon this covenant as well as all other covenants.
the covenants.
offerer, sacrifice and priest.
executor of the covenant and see that it would be carried out in full. The great doctrines of Foreknowledge, Election, Sovereign will of God, Purpose, and Predestination all declare the language and truth of covenantal revelation in the Godhead in eternity and time (Romans 16:26; Psalms 106:48; 112:6; Habakkuk 1:12; Hebrews 13:20). 4. Eternal because it is Spiritual
of in certain of the other covenants. Following are some of the most important factors about this covenant that illustrate its eternal value.
object of it.
the Godhead, and for man it involves eternal life.
that which is in the Everlasting Covenant.
covenants generally had both temporal and everlasting elements in them. Most of the temporal elements were fulfilled and abolished at the cross, while the remaining temporal elements pass away at Christ's second coming. This is seen in the following examples:
"everlasting" in Christ (Revelation 10:1).
This can only be in the heavenly Canaan, for the earth is to pass away with fervent heat (II Peter 3:3-10; Hebrews 11:10-16).
seed (Genesis 17:13). The physical token was but temporal and therefore the circumcision that is everlasting is of the heart and spirit, and therefore spiritual (Romans 2:28,29: Colossians 2:12; Galatians 6:15,16).
34). All such were fulfilled and abolished at the cross. So it is the spiritual principle in these things that are eternal.
12-15; Numbers 25:12,13). This could not be the Aaronic priesthood as Hebrews clearly show that the priesthood pertaining to the Mosaic Covenant was done away. Therefore, Phinehas could only receive the covenant of an everlasting priesthood through the New Covenant priesthood, after the order of Melchisedek. This is the priesthood of Christ and His Church that lives on in the power of an endless life (Hebrews 7:16; Psalms 110; Revelation 1:6, 5:9, 10; 20:6).
ministers (Jeremiah 33:17-22). However, the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us that the Levitical order and animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant are done away (Hebrews 7-10). Therefore these promises can only find fulfillment in a spiritual and eternal priesthood in the New Covenant priesthood and sacrifices (I Peter 2:5-9).
Christ, who is the seed of David, and in His house, throne and kingdom in the Church (II Samuel 23:5; Isaiah 55: 3).
by the Godhead (Genesis 9:16; 17:7,19; II Samuel 23:5; I Chronicles 16:17; Psalms 105:10; Isaiah 24:5,6; 61:8; Jeremiah 32:40; Ezekiel 16:60; 37:27). So it is with all "everlasting" promises in covenants of earth having both temporal and everlasting elements in them. The temporal elements flow to and are fulfilled and abolished at the cross, while everlasting elements flow through the cross into the New Covenant. The New Covenant with its promise of eternal life brings redeemed mankind into the Everlasting Covenant. The New Covenant makes possible the creative and redemptive parts of the Everlasting Covenant, bringing God and man together in covenantal relationship eternally. God counts the things that are not as though they were because of His attributes (Romans 4:17). As far as the believer in the New Covenant is concerned he is ushered into the Everlasting Covenant at the second coming of Christ. I. The WORDS of the Covenant The Scriptures show that God's foreknowledge, election, calling, and predestined purposes took place both before the foundation of the world (John 17:5, 24; Ephesians 1:4,9,11; 3:10,11; II Timothy 1:9,10; Ephesians 2:10; I Corinthians 2: 7), as well as from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34; Revelation 13:8; 17:8). Numerous promises are given by God in the Bible. All are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 1:20). Only the major promises are noted here.
promised by God, who cannot lie, before the world began (Titus 1:2,3; I John 2:25). It is the greatest promise that Jesus ever gave and it was made possible and available through the New Covenant (John 3:16,36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:27,40,47; 12:50; Acts 13:46; Romans 6:22; Matthew 19:29; Galatians 6: 8; I Timothy 6:16; Luke 18:30; Daniel 12:2).
hid in God and later revealed by Christ (Deuteronomy 29:29; John 1:14-18; Romans 16:25,26; Ephesians 3:9-11).
Timothy 6:16; Romans 2:7; II Corinthians 5:1-5; I Corinthians 15:15-57). Mortality means death- doomed. Covenant promises make immortality available to man in Christ by which he will receive an immortal body, never to die, but to live in the power of eternal life.
kingdom of darkness he now comes into the kingdom of life and light (Psalms 145:13; Matthew 25: 34; I Corinthians 6:9,10; Ephesians 5:5; Galatians 5:21; II Peter 1:11; Daniel 4:3,34; 7:14,27).
through Christ (Jeremiah 31:3; Isaiah 54:8; Psalms 100:5; 103:17).
24).
(Genesis 2:9,16,17; Revelation 2:7; 22:2,14).
death began in Adam (Revelation 2:11 with Genesis 2:16,17, Revelation 21:4).
name in it. To eat of this manna one shall never die (Revelations 2:17; John 6:53-63).
He is also given the morning star of light. It speaks of ruling and reigning with Jesus over all enemies (Revelation 2:26-28; 22:16).
name confessed before the Father and the angels (Revelation 3:4,5). It will be the white raiment of light from his glorified body; that raiment which Adam and Eve lost in the Fall.
name of the Father, the name of the bride-city, and the Son's new name written upon him (Revelation 3:12). It speaks of the perfect nature, image and character of God in Christ upon them.
the promise of promises for it comprehends all the promises of God ever made. Those promises having eternal elements in them will be enjoyed forever. 2. Promises of Cursing
Covenant. The greatest of all curses is to be banished from the presence of God and the Lamb rejected, and to be cast into the eternal Lake of Fire, the final Hell. This is the curse of curses. All who reject God's New Covenant in Christ, rejecting the words, the sacrifice and the seal of the covenant, are cast into Hell after the Great White Throne Judgment. This final Hell is spoken of as:
8).
eternally out of covenant relationship with God. They reject the "everlasting Gospel" (Revelation 14:6-11). Hell was not prepared for man but for the Devil and his angels. But all who make their "covenant with death and hell" (Isiah 28:14,15,18,19) and serve the Devil and sin will live eternally with him in this prison. Such punishment and torment will last as long as eternal bliss does for those who have accepted God's covenant in Christ (Matthew 25:41,46).
Him is given everlasting life (John 3:16; I Peter 1:19-20).
response to God's loving initiative (I John 4:19; Jeremiah 31:3). If we love Him we will keep His commandments (John 14:15; 15:9,10; I John 3:22-24; 4:11-18; 5:2,3).
Christ we are restored to that faith and obedience of love for all eternity. Such will be the terms of the Everlasting Covenant promises in the eternities to come.
it would be impossible to fall. This "making" process was interrupted by the fall of man, but it is through the full working of the New Covenant that God imparts His own sinless perfection to man ensuring his perfect faith and loving obedience for all eternity.
Son's incarnation and voluntary and substitutionary death for sin, the Father would raise Him from the dead and give to Him an eternal priesthood after the order of Melchisedek (Psalms 110:1-4; Hebrews 7:20-25; Acts 2:23- 26).
the Everlasting Covenant.
elective and predestined purpose (Romans 8:28-30; 16:25,26; I Peter 1:1,2), God was able to place the names of the redeemed in His book. It is spoken of as "the Lamb's book of life" (Revelation 13:8; 17:8; 3:5; 22:19; Exodus 32:32; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 20:12-15). II. The BLOOD of the Covenant Because the covenants of God involves both the creation and redemption of man, and because God foresaw the Fall of man, the Everlasting Covenant necessitated the incarnation of the eternal Son of God. It was this eternal purpose of God contained in the Everlasting Covenant that was fulfilled in the work of Christ in the New Covenant.
Man was made a triune being; spirit, soul, and body. The fact of man's sin necessitated man's redemption. None of Adam's race could redeem as all are born in sin and shapen in iniquity. Hence it necessitated God to come and redeem man. But God could not redeem man as God only, but God had to become man to redeem man. It was the Son of God who became man by taking on Himself a human body. The WORD was made flesh (John 1:1-3, 14-18). The Son was God incarnate. By taking upon Himself a sinless human body, Jesus Christ made the supreme sacrifice for man's sin. All animal body sacrifices simply pointed to the sacrifice of the sinless body of Jesus offered once for all (Hebrews 9-10).
immortal and glorified. Jesus has this same glorified body in heaven at the Father's right hand and this becomes the surety of the New Covenant and the Everlasting Covenant. It is the covenant body of the eternal Son of God (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:30-33; John 1:1-3, 14-18; Hebrews 10:5-14; Romans 1:3; Galatians 4:4).
flesh (Romans 9:5). As such He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29,36).
of sin, sinless blood was needed to redeem man. Hence because "the children are partakers of flesh and blood" it was necessary that the eternal Son of God, by reason of the Everlasting Covenant, take upon Himself "flesh and blood" (Hebrews 2:14).
the Divine seed of the Father and with it the sinless blood needed for the atonement.
incorruptible. It is in heaven for us now and it is upon the throne of God. It is there as "the blood of the everlasting covenant" (Hebrews 13:20; 9:11-28; 10:29). All sacrificial animal blood under the Old Testament altars pointed to the blood of God in the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28; I John 1:7). Jesus Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, as well as before that foundation (Revelation 13:8; 17:8; I Peter 1:19-20).
purged, and the heavens and earth shall be cleansed of the presence of Satan and his evil hosts (Revelation 12:4-12; Job 15:15; Hebrews 9).
be the mediator as well as the sacrifice. The sacrifice of His sinless body and blood pertains to His perfect humanity. The priesthood and mediatorial ministry pertain to His diety. Thus human nature and Divine nature are brought together in Jesus Christ, the God-Man and the mediatorial person in the Godhead.
lives in the power of an endless life by the resurrection. Therefore there can never be a successor or change of His priesthood. All earthly priesthood, patriarchal, Aaronic, and Levitical, shadowed forth His priesthood They were temporal; His is an eternal priesthood because of His eternal Sonship in the eternal Godhead. He is our Melchisedek, the King-Priest of the Abrahamic Covenant and fulfilled in the New Covenant (Genesis 14:18-20; Psalms 110; Hebrews 5-7; 8:6; 12:22-24). All of His Old Testament "goings forth" consummated in His incarnation to be our Saviour and Mediator under the New Testament (Micah 5: 2; John 16:27,28).
possible a priestly body to be joined to the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Hence, Christ and His Body which is the Church, together, constitute the priesthood after the order of Melchisdek.
priesthood is the one that Phinehas, and other priests and saints enter into, whether on this or the other side of the cross. Patriarchal, Aaronic and Levitical priesthoods and orders all shadowed the eternal priesthood of this order of Melchisedek (Revelation 1:6; 5:9,10; 20:6; Numbers 25:12,13; Acts 6:7; I Peter 2: 5-9; Hebrews 5,6,7; Jeremiah 10:10).
Righteousness and King of Peace (Ephesians 1:4,5,9,11; 3:11).
prototype or the original sanctuary. The earthly sanctuaries of other covenants were only the shadows on earth of the true and heavenly sanctuary which the Lord pitched and not man (Revelation 15:5-8; 11:19).
sanctuary. The Book of Hebrews especially deals with the sacrifice, the priesthood and the sanctuary of Christ (Hebrews 6:19,20; 8:1-5; 9:11,12,25; Isaiah 66:1-4; Acts 7:48-50; I Kings 8:27).
New Jerusalem. In it is the throne of God and the Lamb, the covenantors of the Everlasting Covenant (Revelation 21-22). It is this city that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob looked for, a city having foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10-16; 12:22-24; 13:14; II Peter 3:8-10; Isaiah 60:19,20). It is situated on the New Heavens and New Earth. III. The SEAL of the Covenant There are two aspects of the Everlasting Covenant; that which pertains to God and that which pertains to man.
third person in the Godhead, was ordained to be the sign, seal, and token of this covenant. With the promises of the Father, the sacrifice of the Son, the Holy Spirit Himself would be the executor of the covenant. Hence the Holy Spirit is spoken of as:
The Holy Spirit Himself as the seal of the New Covenant, as the Earnest, and as the Firstfruits points to the completeness of the seal and work of the Spirit which takes place under entrance into the Everlasting Covenant. This complete work pertains to the other part of the seal as it pertains to man.
body, by the power of the Holy Spirit, became the seal of the Everlasting Covenant (Romans 1:1-4; Hebrews 13:20). In the Godhead counsels in the Everlasting Covenant, it was agreed that, upon the Son's completed sacrifice for sin and His burial in the tomb for three days and three nights, the Holy Spirit would raise Him from the dead. The Spirit would quicken the body of Jesus to life and glory to live in the power of an endless life (Hebrews 7:16). This body would be the same body but spiritual and glorious. It would be the seal of the Spirit upon the accepted and finished work of Christ (Romans 8:11; Acts 2:23-26; Romans 7:4; Ephesians 1:13-23; Philippians 3:21; Romans 1:1-4).
heaven. There is a glorified Man in the Godhead. His glorified body has become the surety, the token, and seal of that which the Holy Spirit will do for all believers in the consummation of covenantal promises (Hebrews 7:22).
quicken our mortal bodies as He quickened Christ's body (Romans 8:10,11).
and glorification of his redeemed body (II Timothy 1:9,10; I Timothy 6:16; Romans 2:7; 8:9-11; Titus 1:2).
"born of the Spirit" and "sealed by the Spirit" (John 3;1-5; Romans 8:16,17; II Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13,14; 4:30). However, the Scriptures also show that the final redemption that the believer will experience is that which pertains to the physical body. We groan within ourselves, waiting for the redemption of our body (Romans 8:22-25; I Corinthians 6:19,20; Luke 21:28).
changed. Together they receive an immortalized and glorified body. All believers will receive a glorified body like unto Christ's glorious body (Philippians 3:20,21). The promise is the ultimate of that which was promised and made possible by the New Covenant (II Corinthians 5:1-5; I Corinthians 15:51-57; I Thessalonians 4:15-18; Philippians 3:20,21; John 11:24-27). This will indeed be the seal of God upon those in covenantal relationship with Him through Christ.
stars; all will shine as light (I Corinthians 15:35-50). This takes place at Christ's coming, at the last trump. This ushers the believer, by the New Covenant, into eternity and the complete benefits of the Everlasting Covenant made in eternity past before time began (Ephesians 1:1-12; 2:7; 3:9-12).
surety of the full and complete seal (Hebrews 7:22; Luke 24:36-40; I John 1:1-3; John 1:14-18).
The New Covenant seal of the covenantal name in baptism and the Holy Spirit of God point to and make possible the completeness of the seal of the Everlasting Covenant; the redemption, immortalization and glorification of the believer's body.
of the Spirit's work is the glorified body; a spiritual, yet real and eternal body like Christ's.
Everlasting Covenant for the redeemed of all ages, those redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, tribe, and nation. In terrible contrast there will be those who have rejected the covenants of God, rejected Christ and thus forfeit their bodies in Hell fire and suffer spiritual torments for eternity (Mark 9:43-49; Matthew 10: 28).
Covenant person will seek to glorify God in his spirit and body for he has been bought with a great price (I Corinthians 6:19,20). Source: The Covenants, by Kevin J. Conner and Ken Malmin, Copyright 1983, Bible Temple Publishing. |
LIFE IN JESUS-MINISTRIES |