Who Have the Covenants? The Old and New

Greets fellow ATSers. I hope this message finds you and yours in good health and at peace. It came to mind to write a thread about some very important covenants in the Bible, who are in them today, and why they are important to humanity. That is everyone. So this thread is really for everyone. Not just those who believe in the Bible. For these covenants affect those who do not believe as well. In fact it is imperative that you exercise faith in order to avail yourself of these covenants that God has made.

It has been with me for awhile on writing a thread about the covenants. Because I believe that when one really sees what is at play they can see the truth more clearly. What made me decide to sit down and write it was a recent conversation with a member on this board. He was under the impression that Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult and followed the law of Moses. Although he admitted that he is not sure anymore and brought up the fact that the Israelites are God's chosen people.

To understand these things more fully it is imperative to understand the covenants God has made in the Bible.

A covenant is a formal agreement, in modern terms we would call it a contract, between God and humans, or two parties to do or refrain from doing something. Covenants can be unilateral or bilateral.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden Jehovah God uttered a prophecy in the presence of both Adam and Eve and the "serpent" who is revealed in Revelation 12:9 as being Satan the Devil. There Jehovah foretold:

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head, and you will strike him in the heel."-Genesis 3:15.

This prophecy sets the groundwork for the entire Bible. And it is important to understand because the covenants have to do with fulfilling it. Who was Jehovah talking to? Eve may have thought the woman was her. But it is not. Later Bible passages will reveal to us whom the woman and her offspring is. Satan is the original serpent. And all who oppose the woman and her offspring would be the offspring of the Devil.

Let us unveil who the woman of the prophecy and her offspring is by looking at the covenants in the Bible. The key covenants discussed here will be:
(1) The Abrahamic Covenant
(2) The Law Covenant
(3) The New Covenant
(4) The Covenant for a Kingdom
(5) The Covenant for a Priesthood


The Abrahamic Covenant

This covenant is a unilateral one made by Jehovah with Abraham, in effect a promise. That is, there are no conditions set on it. Jehovah would fulfill this everlasting covenant no matter what Abraham did or did not do when it was made.

It was made with Abraham when he left the land of Ur and stepped into the "Promised Land" on Nisan 14, 1943 B. C. E. There at Genesis 17:2-8 God made a covenant with Abraham to make him a father of nations and to be his God and the God of his offspring forever:

"And I will keep my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.."

A little later on after Abraham proved his faith by being willing to offer his son of the promise Isaac to Jehovah (and he did this in an illustrative way referring to the sacrifice Jehovah would give by sacrificing his son's life, Jesus Christ) Jehovah added to the covenant:

"And by means of your offspring all nations of the earth will obtain a blessing for themselves because you have listened to my voice.’”-Genesis 22:18.

Did you notice that all the nations will be blessed by means of this covenant? That means that any of us who are not part of the covenants of old will receive blessings by means of them. Those who did not know Jehovah and did not receive the covenants will also benefit by them. That is why it is good to understand them. Even if you are not a servant of the true God.

The Law Covenant

430 years to the day after Abraham had entered into the promised land Jehovah released his descendants, who had now become a nation of people known as the Israelites, from slavery in Egypt on Nisan 14, 1513 B. C. E.:

"The dwelling of the Israelites, who had dwelled in Egypt, was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, on this very day, all the multitudes of Jehovah went out of the land of Egypt.-Exodus 12:40-41.

After Jehovah had led them into the wilderness 3 months later, in 1513 B. C. E. Jehovah God used Moses as the mediator of the Law Covenant with the people of Israel. He gave them a law and they promised to obey its letter, and Jehovah promised to be their God and they would be his special chosen people out of all the lands of the earth.

"Then Moses came and related to the people all the words of Jehovah and all the judicial decisions, and all the people answered with one voice: “All the words that Jehovah has spoken, we are willing to do.” So Moses wrote down all the words of Jehovah. Then he got up early in the morning and built at the foot of the mountain an altar and pillars corresponding to the tribes of Israel. After that he sent young Israelite men, and they offered up burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as communion sacrifices to Jehovah. Then Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said: “All that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do, and we will be obedient.” So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said: “This is the blood of the covenant that Jehovah has made with you in harmony with all these words."-Exodus 24:3-8.

The Law Covenant that Jehovah made with the nation of Israel was bilateral. They promised to obey the Law and Jehovah promised to bless them and be their God. But it did not go into effect until the blood of the covenanter and mediator was shed. Moses was both the mediator of the Law Covenant with the nation of Israel, and the covenanter between Israel and Jehovah. The blood of the bulls that were sacrificed was in place of his. And by means of the shed blood sprinkled on the alter, on the book, and the people the covenant was put into effect.

The New Covenant

Now the Isralties had a long perfidious and unfaithful record in the Bible with Jehovah. They time and time and time again disobeyed God's voice, and broke their covenant agreement. Finally, after great patience and mercy Jehovah was fed up and was going to do away with them as his people. In fact in Jeremiah's day a New Covenant was foretold and that meant the the old covenant, or the Law Covenant with the nation of Israel, had become obsolete:

“Look! The days are coming,” declares Jehovah, “when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, ‘my covenant that they broke, although I was their true master,’ declares Jehovah.”
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Jehovah. “I will put my law within them, and in their heart I will write it. And I will become their God, and they will become my people.”

When Jesus came to earth and gave up his life as a ransom sacrifice for all those who exercise faith in it he became the mediator and covenanter of the better and New Covenant. He nailed the old covenant, the Law Covenant, to the torture stake and did away with the law consisting of decrees:

"He kindly forgave us all our trespasses and erased the handwritten document that consisted of decrees and was in opposition to us. He has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake."-Colossians 2:13-14.

"In his saying “a new covenant,” he has made the former one obsolete. Now what is obsolete and growing old is near to vanishing away."-Hebrews 8:13.

"That is why he is a mediator of a new covenant, in order that because a death has occurred for their release by ransom from the transgressions under the former covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance."-Hebrews 9:15.

The priesthood changed. From that in the nation of Israel in the house of Aaron to Jesus Christ who now becomes the high priest in the manner of Melchizedek forever! This is another covenant foretold in Psalm 110:4: "Jehovah has sworn an oath, and he will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever In the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek!”"

As the priesthood changed the law also changed:

"For since the priesthood is being changed, it becomes necessary to change the Law as well."-Hebrews 7:12.

Who are brought into the New Covenant? All those whom Jehovah God baptizes, or anoints with holy spirit, through Jesus Christ:

"For it is not really angels he is assisting, but he is assisting Abraham’s offspring."-Hebrews 2:16.

" Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s offspring, heirs with reference to a promise."-Galatians 3:29.

The anointed Christian congregation, which consists of 144,000 (for an in-depth explanation of the 144,000 see this thread) adopted sons and daughters of Jehovah God, brothers of Christ are brought into the New Covenant, and even though they are chosen out of all the tribes and nations, and languages of the earth, they are the real offspring of Abraham, the spiritual Israel of God, and become ministers of the new covenant:

"...who has indeed adequately qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not of a written code, but of spirit; for the written code condemns to death, but the spirit makes alive."-2 Corinthians 3:6.

Those who are brought into the new covenant are guaranteed thrones in heaven where they will sit down to reign as kings and under-priests with Jesus Christ in his rule over the earth. These are the bride of the lamb, they will partake of divine nature as they are resurrected in divine immortal spirit bodies like that of Jehovah God, their adopted Father, and Jesus Christ, their adopted brother:

"To an incorruptible and undefiled and unfading inheritance. It is reserved in the heavens for you."-1 Peter 1:4.

"Through these things he has granted us the precious and very grand promises, so that through these you may become sharers in divine nature, having escaped from the world’s corruption produced by wrong desire."-2 Peter 1:4.

"For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I personally promised you in marriage to one husband that I might present you as a chaste virgin to the Christ."-2 Corinthians 11:2.

"One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls that were full of the seven last plagues came and said to me: “Come, and I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife."-Revelation 21:9.

Thus the Law Covenant was put out of existence when Jesus nailed it to the torture stake and a better, new covenant was put into place. All those who are anointed with holy spirit are brought into that covenant, and they come from all nations and tribes, and language groups of the earth. These are the true offspring of the woman in Genesis 3:15. The main offspring was Jesus Christ. He was given the heel wound when Satan had him put to death. But he was raised from the dead. The mother of the Christian congregation is the Jerusalem above, and she is the woman prophesied in Genesis 3:15:

"But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother."-Galatians 4:26.

From Jerusalem above, the spirit realm, came Jesus Christ. And after the 1,000 year reign of Christ over the earth he will deal the head wound to Satan the Devil by putting him out of existence.

This new covenant Jehovah God said would be made with a people taken out of all the nations and set apart to bear witness to his name:

"Symʹe·on has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name."-Acts 15:14.

So long ago Jehovah God foretold that he would take out of all the nations a people for his name. Jehovah's Witnesses.

Among Jehovah's Witnesses are all of the anointed and chosen who are alive today on earth. They have been drawn into the covenants and given the promises. So they are indeed God's chosen people.

The Covenant for a Kingdom

On the night Jesus was to die, referring to the covenant at Psalm 110:4 that Jehovah made him with he made the kingdom covenant with the 11 faithful apostles, and then later, all those whom he baptized with holy spirit:

“However, you are the ones who have stuck with me in my trials; and I make a covenant with you, just as my Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and sit on thrones to judge the 12 tribes of Israel.

So those who are called and chosen with holy spirit are brought into the new covenant, and the covenant for a kingdom. They will reign with Jesus Christ in heaven as kings over the earth for the 1,000 year reign of Christ. When his kingdom government comes they will all be in heaven with him. When he wages war with wicked humanity and destroys all human rulership they will be with him to shepherd the nations with an iron rod at Armageddon.

The Covenant for a Priesthood

Remember in 1513 B. C. E. at Mount Siani God established the Law Covenant with the fleshly nation of Israel. He made them a promise as a part of the covenant that if they kept it they would become to him a kingdom of priests:

"Now if you will strictly obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will certainly become my special property out of all peoples, for the whole earth belongs to me. You will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”-Exodus 19:5-6.

While the family line of Aaron of the tribe of Levi the priesthood was bestowed, the nation as a whole did not become a kingdom of priests. Later on after Jesus had done away with the Law Covenant, and put into effect the better New Covenant, the apostle Peter told the anointed Christian congregation that they had received that priesthood:

"But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that you should declare abroad the excellencies” of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."-1 Peter 2:9.

So Jehovah's Witnesses today and all those of the past who were brought into the New Covenant are also given a covenant for a kingdom to sit down on thrones and rule as kings, and given the covenant for a priesthood. When they are called to heaven they will rule with Christ in his kingdom over the earth for the 1,000 years as kings and as priests:

"And you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.”-Revelation 5:10.

"Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and they will rule as kings with him for the 1,000 years.-"Revelation 20:6.

One problem here. You need to bring the text of the new covenant into the discussion. So Here it is.

Romans 11
1I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
8(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear unto this day.
9And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
25For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Continued.

a reply to: ntech

The problem here now is that something complicated is going on in the background. And what that is the curse contained in Malachi 4.

5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Matthew 17

10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

This is the cause of the new covenant. Being that the 1st century Jews triggered the curse of Malachi by killing John the Baptist. So looking for the details of the curse I found the "day of Jezreel" prophecy in Hosea. And it turns out to be a bad one. A long term top level Leviticus 26 curse placed on the 1st century Jews and Israelites. But here's the timeline of the curse from Hosea 6 verses 1 through 3.

1Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

2nd Peter 3-8
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The 1st century Jews triggered a 2000 year curse to be followed by a 1000 year "day of Jezreel".

Now look at Romans verses 2 through 11. With the language used Paul is acknowledging that first century Israel had triggered a curse. And with the olive tree parable he's telling us how Gentiles are being grafted in to the tree of life while the Jews were being cut out. Simply put what we have here is a rescue mission to save Gentiles, blood Israelites, and Jews with an adoption program. And through this adoption program the animal sacrifices and the temple is eliminated.

BUT. And this is a big but BTW.

The old covenant HAS NOT been eliminated. Rather through the warnings in verses 18 through 25 if you fall away from Christianity and/or begin to sin you can be "cut off" from the tree of life like the original Jews and then you receive the punishments of the old covenant. Remember you are an adopted Israelite. Being a Christian in good standing immunizes you against the curse. Fall away and you may wind up "cursed". And they range from minor annoyances all the way up to death with many stops along the way.

The new covenant as of now is the old covenant with a modification. A new replacement covenant may be coming but not until at least the 1000 year reign of the saints if not after that even.

originally posted by: randomuser
“Look! The days are coming,” declares Jehovah, “when I will make with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah a new covenant. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, ‘my covenant that they broke, although I was their true master,’ declares Jehovah.”
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares Jehovah. “I will put my law within them, and in their heart I will write it. And I will become their God, and they will become my people.”

Just realized I did not leave a scripture for this quote:

Jeremiah 31:31-33.