Thoughts Concerning the Everlasting Covenant
By William Covert
There are references in the Scriptures to an eternal or everlasting plan for the redemption of man, which are stated in such language as to show that this plan existed prior to the creation of our world. Through the writings of Paul, the Lord thus calls the attention of Christians to the original source of their hope: “He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” Eph. 1:4, 5. The chosen one is in character “holy and without blame” before God, showing that the choice which the Lord makes depends upon the willingness of the chosen one to conform to the eternal purpose. To accomplish this purpose the apostle said their work was that of “admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ; whereunto I labor also, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.” Col. 1:28, 29. According to these explanations of the apostle, the eternal purpose was to prepare a holy people to inhabit our world at whatever labor and sacrifice it might require to bring it about. Another comment relating to the council concerning the redemption of man, speaks of it as “the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.” Rom. 16:25, 26. Isaiah, in speaking of the sure foundation upon which the hope of God’s people rested, said: “Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end. For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.” Isa. 45:17, 18. In carrying out the great plan of the eternal covenant, God gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The great gift shows that the salvation of man depends upon the faith he exercises in accepting and coming into harmony with the covenant. In speaking of how the Son of God would perform his part in the great compact, it is said: “I also will make him my first-born, the highest of the kings of the earth. My loving-kindness will I keep for him forevermore; and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.” Ps. 89:27-29. These verses express the stability that would be seen in the Son of God. But as to the vacillating character of those who profess to follow him, it is said: “If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.” Verses 30-32. But of the Son and the covenant, the Word declares: “My loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” The attention of the reader is called to the statement of what will occur if those who enter into covenant relation with Christ should fail to obey the Father’s commandments: I will “visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.” Christ took up this theme in his sermon on the mountain, and strongly emphasized his attitude toward the law, saying, “Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil [accomplish]. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5:17-19. This teaching of Christ shows that the keeping of the commandments by men has been considered, and also will in the judgment be considered by the heavenly councils. In the kingdom of heaven, men’s greatness and smallness are determined by their disposition to keep or reject the commandments in the law. In speaking of how the Lord teaches the intelligences in both heaven and earth relative to this covenant, Paul says the effort is “to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid in God who created all things; to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The incarnation and sacrifice of the Son of God were essential to the revelation of this mystery. After the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ had been accomplished, then the reception of the wonderful truth by the church, and the experience of the Lord’s people under the power of the Holy Spirit, became another agency through which the principalities and powers in the heavenly places were enabled to see the great wisdom and love of God manifested. The terms and mysteries of this covenant are revealed to those who submit10their minds to his working. Jesus said, “We know what we worship.” John 4:22. And David wrote, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.” Ps. 25:14. Thus the invitation and promise, “Incline your ear, and come unto me; . . . and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” The “sure mercies of David,” according to comments made by Paul (Acts 3:34), are those things which are assured to David and to all the redeemed through the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The blood of this everlasting or eternal covenant is the blood of the atonement shed by the Son of God in making the great sacrifice for man. God, through the working out of this blood-sealed covenant, is to make his people perfect and well pleasing to himself for eternity. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Heb. 13:20, 21.