Featured The Difference between the Old, New and Everlasting Covenants

I think what most overlook is that the "first" and "second" or "old" and "new" are VISIBLE PUBLIC HUMAN ADMINISTRATIONS of these covenants whereas the former covenant or covenants of promise are purely divine administrations. Hebrews 9:1 makes this abundantly clear. The "old" and "new" have a very public visible human administrative aspect. Both have a specific point of origin in time. Both have public qualified ordinances. Both were sanctified by shedding of blood. Both have pubic qualified ministries, mission and scriptures pertaining to each and both are limited in their future extent. The Old continued to what it anticipated was fulfilled - Christ on the cross. The New continues to the "end of the age" (Mt. 28:19-20).

Certainly the "new" is better than the "old" in many ways as a visible public human administration. However, neither is the completion or fulfillment of the "everlasting covenant" as that covenant is not completed until what we see in Genesis 1:26 as a sinless new world is recovered once again in another sinless new world (Rev. 21-22:4).

Now Roman Catholicism sees the obvious visible human administrative element in these two covenants and claims to be the visible administrator in an effectual and legislative sense. Therefore they claim that salvation is actually obtained and applied by the church and through its administration of the ordinance just as it was through the levitical administration under the old covenant.

However, there is no actual literal visible administration of salvation under either covenant by the human administration involved. The institutional and public human administration in both covenants is confined to declarative and ceremonial in both covenants. In both covenants the actual administration of salvation is totally by divine administration according to the "blood of the everlasting covenant" or the Trinue administration of salvation directly to God's elect under both covenants.

Here is the issue that most fail to deal with. Both covenants have an authorized visible human administration (Heb. 9:1). Both have public houses of worship. Both have a qualified public ministry. Both have scriptures. Both have public qualified ordinances. Both have a qualified commission. Both have a public immersion in the Spirit. Both have chosen prophets in their point of origin (Moses, Christ).

The problem is to distinguish between what function the human administration plays in these covenant administrations versus what function God serves through these administrations.

In the former, the human administrative function was not designed to obtain life (Gal. 3:21) but to serve as a school master to educate the individual Jew with regard to the nature of sin and then lead them to faith in the gospel of Christ as expressed in the sacrificial ceremonial types. The actual fulfillment of both purpose within the individual's heart (recognition of sin and recognition of Christ and coming to him by faith) was purely due to the divine administration of the "everlasting covenant."

In the new, the human administrative function is purely declarative. The ordinances are ceremonial or pictorial, based upon a much clearer presentation of the gospel of the "everlasting covenant" because of the fulfillment at Calvary and the empty grave accompanied with apostolic scriptures.

I am afraid that most commentators ignore the human adminstrative aspect of each covenant administration because they are not able to separate it from the divine administrative aspect or in reaction to Roman Catholicism.

However, those of us who have a proper understanding of the true nature of the New Testament church and its ordinances, ministry and mission need not fear or fail to properly dissect the human from the divine adminstration aspects in each covenant.

The "everlasting covenant" is all about the ultimate restoral of paradise lost. What God began in Eden is finished in the New heaven and earth. The covenants of "promise" are progressive manifestations of that everlasting covenant along with progressive revelations of the gospel promise in "seed" form first given in Gen. 3:15. The "old" or "first" covenant as a HUMAN ADMINISTRATION is instructive and declarative in nature while actual literal individual salvation is wholly by the divine administration of the everlasting covenant. The same is true to the "second" or "new" covenant as a HUMAN ADMINISTRATION except what the first anticipates the second declares to be fulfilled. The second is the superior covenant, not because salvation is secured by the human administrative aspect, any more than under the former covenant, but because this covenant administration's declarative function stands on the fulfillment of the promised seed and anticipates the coming prophetic fulfillment of the "everlasting covenant" in a new heaven and earth, thus restoring paradise lost.

 

The "new" covenant administration gives the clearest declaration of the terms of the "everlasting covenant" yet revealed among men. And in that sense, it is the ultimate working out of the "everlasting covenant" in visible manifestation than any covenant hither to. Yet, it is a time restricted covenant with regards to its beginning, its earthly administration and its extent in that its visible administration concludes with the "end of this age." At that point the "everlasting covenant" is manifested in all of its glory by direct divine intervention.

 

Is the King present on earth when this is being administered? If so, then God is directly administering this covenant as he is the direct administrator of the everlasting covenant.

 

Forsaking the assembly was seen as an act of forsaking the new covenant administration (Heb. 10:25-28). The New Covenant administration is directly inclusive of the ekklesia whose names are written in heaven but who are on earth (Heb. 12:22-23).

 

My friend you stopped short. Continue reading the next four verses and you will find that this act is repudiating the "blood" whereby we were sanctified and that is not the blood of bulls and goats.

The ministry under the Old Covenant had a completely different function than the ministry under the New Covenant. However, my point is that the establishment of the Old Covenant public administration has general similarities with the establishment of the New Covenant administration.

1. A Primary Prophet
2. A Public House of worship
3. A Public ministry
4. Public ordinances
5. A Public confirmation - immersion in the Spirit
6. A body of scriptures (old versus New)
7. A commission

The new is the clearest administration of the everlasting covenant in this age. It is clearly superior to the old in every way.

 

The "new" covenant is a TEMPORAL covenant administration designed between the cross and the second coming for this age only. The term "new" is used in context as a contrast with the covenant administration that is said to be "old" or "first" while this is the "second." Both "first" and "Second" or "old" and "new" are TIME references that demonstrate they are both TEMPORAL in nature.

In contrast, the "everlasting" covenant is namely just that - not restricted to time. It has its source and origin prior to time and it has its final application after this present age ceases and this present universe is replaced by a new heaven and earth.

The "everlasting" covenant has been expressed IN TIME several different ways. It was first expressed through preaching of the gospel in Genesis 3:15 and publicly symbolized in the sacrifice (Heb. 11:4). It's unconditional nature was first expressed in the promise to Abraham and in his justification by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone without works, thus "in Christ" (Gal. 3:17). However, the first covenant to give it the fullest expression was the Mosaic covenant. In this covenant the moral nature of the everlasting covenant was given fuller expression in the ten commandments and it their application to the civil laws. The redemptive nature of the everlasting covenant was expanded and more fully expressed in the ceremonial laws in connection with the Tabernacle/temple and its sacrifices.

However, the expression of the everlasting covenant in the "old" covenant was conveyed in signs, figures and shadows which all were terminated with the first coming of Christ.

With the first coming of Christ the "second" or "new" covenant administration was established upon the fulfillment of the "old" covenant signs, figures and shadows with the reality of Christ completed mission. Thus the "old" ceased with the coming of Christ. Yet the "new" also had a prophetic termination point with the Second Coming of Christ. So both the Old and New were prophetic covenants that had terminal fulfillments thus making them both temporal. For example the Great Commission lasts to "the end of this age" (Mt. 28:20 more literal translation). We are looking for the end of this age with the coming of Christ. With Christ's personal presence on earth the everlasting covenant will be ultimately fulfilled in the new heaven and earth.

The "new" is better than the old as it is more open and declarative of the everlasting covenant with much less signs, figures and shadows. The redemptive application of the everlasting covenant has never been through temporal covenants but has always been direct by God to his elect in all generations and thus by "the blood of the everlasting covenant." Under the new covenant the redemptive work of the Spiirt has merely expanded to "all flesh" meaning all nations rather than restricted primarily to just one nation - Israel. Under the new covenant, the everalsting covenant is seen the clearest and most direct in the administration of the new covenant, its house of God, its ministry and its ordinances. But eventually, God will directly fulfill the everlasting covenant apart from all temporal covenant administrations.

 

Yes, it is the outworking of the everlasting covenant. The difference, is that the "new covenant" includes more than mere salvation, it includes the visible administration of God's kingdom on earth - the administration of the ordinances, the ordained ministry, the Great Commission which is limited "unto the end of the age." However, the "everlasting covenant" entails more than what is confined to this present heaven and earth but finds its ultimate working out in a new heaven and earth or the completed redemption of the universe from the presence of sin, where there will be no administration of ordinances or ordained ministry, or Great Commission, etc. The Everlasting Covenant is more comprehensive than the "new" covenant but it is inclusive of the new covenant.

 

Most cannot distinguish between the redemptive element of the New Covenant which is an expression of the eternal covenant and how salvation has been attained from Genesis to Revelation, and the public administration of the New Covenant established by Christ in his earthly ministry that is inclusive of a public house of worship, ordinances, a public ordained ministry, a commission to the end of this age. This earthly New Covenant administration is limited to this present age as the great commission indicates "until the end of the age." However, this new covenant public administration is not the completion of the "everlasting covenant" as the everlasting covenant is completed in the eternal age of the new heaven and earth wherein there is no Great Commission, ordinances, ordained ministry, etc.