The New Covenant: According to the Scriptures

Genesis 18

We are walking in today:  The New Covenant: According to the Scriptures

Witness covenant throughout the Bible:  H1285 beriyth--covenant, alliance, pledge, to be joined by league

Genesis 6:18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; H1285 and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.

The Torah ..................…
 Exodus 34:10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: H1285 before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.

The prophets ...............…
 Isaiah 49:8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant H1285 of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;


The writings  .............
 ​J​udges 2:2 And ye shall make no league H1285 with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

Jeremiah 31:33 But this shall be the covenant H1285 that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Most Citizens today would be quick to say that they are 'New' Covenant Citizens. Many will say that they want no part of the 'Old' Covenant, for that has been replaced by the New. Many religious leaders today even go so far as to teach their followers to completely avoid the 'Old' Covenant.

But what do the Scriptures say? 

We must begin our look at these highlights of the New Covenant with a warning.

A Warning for the Bride

One important bit of information we may not realize is that the Covenant between The Most High and His people is actually the Marriage Contract between the Bridegroom and the Bride. A few of the highlights of this Marriage Contract are found in the New Testament writings. However, most of its promises, its provisions, and its Terms and Conditions, are 'hidden' within the Old Testament writings.

With that in mind, we must ask the question, "Do we really want someone else to determine our eternal destiny?" That is, do we want our religious Leaders deciding for us, what is true, and what is not — for something so important as our eternal relationship with the King of Kings? Have we not learned the lesson from the Bride in the Song of Solomon passage?

"The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me." (Song of Songs 5:7)

As it is many of the 'Watchmen' of today — the Ministers, Pastors, Preachers, and other spiritual Leaders — who continue [unknowingly] to smite the Bride, and to kill them that are fed [See Isaiah 56:10-11; Ezekiel 34:1-3 to see their prophetic identity today]. The goal of satan is to use these Leaders who are well-meaning, but spiritually asleep, to do satan's work out of ignorance.

As a result, through ignorance of the New Covenant, much of what some Leaders are teaching today is a mixture of Bible truths mixed with the Traditions and Doctrines of Men. Feeding upon this mixture removes the Bride qualities from those who desire to be among the Bride-Company, and prevents them from being "prepared as a Bride for her Husband" (Rev 21:2).

The Bride is hereby warned, that only by studying the Scriptures for oneself, can that one break free of the modern-day paradigms, the religious 'spin' that the Doctrines of Men have put on Scripture, twisting the Scriptures to mean what they do not say. Only then can the Bride prepare herself, and make herself ready (Rev 19:7). With this warning in mind, let us review some of the major points of the New Covenant.

The New Covenant: An Overview

We recall that The Most High made a Covenant with Abraham, and extended its promises to Abraham's Seed:

"As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham... And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." (Genesis 17:4-5,7)

So we see here that The Most High's Covenant was between Himself, and Abraham — but extended to Abraham's Seed as an 'Everlasting' [eternal] Covenant. But look at the following passage:

"And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice ('Righteousness') and judgment ('mishpatim'); that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." (Genesis 18:17-19)

This passage reveals the condition that must be met by Abraham, and his Seed, so that the promise may be realized. That condition is called in the above passage, "keeping the Way of The Most High."

This Covenant condition is an important part of The Most High's Covenant, and we will recall this when we look at Israel as our example. It is this condition that the Israelites, while in the Wilderness, did not fulfill, except for Joshua and Caleb of that original generation brought out of Egypt.

It is this same condition that Messiah did fulfill, as the 'Seed' of Abraham. Messiah continues to fulfill this condition, for those who continue to abide in Him. But lest we get ahead of ourselves, we will look at a few highlight Scriptures. Let's first look at this important passage:

"He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant..." (Psalms 105:8-10)

Here we see The Most High's view of His Covenant. Here we see that The Most High has only ONE covenant with His people. Yet, He has also expanded this Covenant, in nature and scope, each time it was made, reaffirmed or confirmed to successive generations. Men have called it many covenants — but The Most High calls it 'His Covenant.' Notice the above verse tells us it is the same 'Law' that was given to Jacob, that is given to Israel as an Everlasting Covenant. But now let us notice the following verse:

"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..." (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Here we see that the Blood of Yahushua that has redeemed us is called the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant. This is a clear indicator that all who are partakers of Yahushua's Blood-redemption are partaking of The Most High's Everlasting Covenant. So we see that The Most High calls it 'New' [literally, 'renewed'], but in the greater sense it is the Everlasting Covenant.

The name of The Most High's Covenant is a vital piece of understanding for us, for there are many hidden pieces of our preparation hidden throughout the 'Old' Testament writings. These Everlasting Covenant provisions have been laid up, and 'hidden' by the Bridegroom, for the Bride to find, both in the 'New' Testament writings, as well as in the 'Old' Testament writings (Proverbs 25:2; Matthew 13:52; Song 7:13).

The Bride-Candidates will take careful notice!! That wherever the Hebrew words for 'everlasting covenant' appear, there is likely a Bride-preparation provision described! The Hebrew word for everlasting is owlam, Strongs number <05769>. This word is also translated 'perpetual,' and means "eternal; for ever." This is the Covenant known in Hebrew as the "owlam berith."

The Old Covenant: Israel's Failure in the Wilderness

We are reminded (1 Corinthians 10:11; Heb 4:11) that Israel's failure to enter the Promised Land is for our example, and learning. So we had better look closely at this issue.

An entire generation of Israelites (except Joshua and Caleb) failed to enter into the Promised Land in that day, due to disobedience. They were refused entry into the Promised Land due to disobedience of The Most High's Commandments, Statutes, and Precepts!

We also saw the bigger picture, that The Most High's purpose for the Promised Land was "That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws." This is simply a more detailed description of the 'Terms and Conditions' that were given to Abraham and to his Seed that we saw above — the condition called "keeping the way of the LORD."

We saw also in the above-mentioned article, that The Most High's stated purpose for His people is not just a description given for the Israelites in that earlier day, but is The Most High's purpose for His Redeemed, New Covenant people today! This purpose is a detailed description of the daily walk of those who are in Messiah, and describes those who will be allowed to 'enter in.' Like the Israelites in the Wilderness, many Citizens in our day may fail to enter in for the same reason of disobedience, because they have been given wrong information by their spiritual Leaders!

To summarize the experience of Israel in the Wilderness, we may say that they had been given the Commandments, statutes, and precepts, written by Messiah's own finger, on external tablets of stone. It was because they did not take His Commandments to heart, and did not mix them with faith, that they disobeyed His commandments. As a result, most were refused entry into the Promised Land of their inheritance, that had been promised to Abraham and his Seed.

Of that original generation, only Joshua and Caleb were allowed into the Promised Land. Together, Joshua and Caleb are a prophetic picture for us today, of those who will enter — and they reveal how the Bridegroom and Bride will enter together, through obedience.

The New Covenant: How We May Enter In

As a result of Israel's failure we are told the following regarding The Most High's Covenant:

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

Here we see that The Most High spoke of a New Covenant, which was to be not according to the previous one that had been broken — which was external — written on outward tables of stone. The New Covenant, The Most High tells us in the above passage, will not be external, but internal — written on the heart. The Most High tells us He will write His laws inwardly, on the tables of the heart, but in this passage He does not give us details on how this is to be accomplished.

The prophet Ezekiel gives us further insight into how the New Covenant is to occur: 

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

From the above passage, and from the insight given to the apostle Paul, we now understand that "Messiah-in-you" is the one who will do this writing, necessitating that one first be Born-Again, whereby Messiah Himself becomes 'birthed' within us, by His spirit, and grows and matures in us. Father then tells us that His Spirit will cause us to walk in [obey] His statutes [ordinances, decrees, commandments] and His judgments [His mishpatim, which can be likened to His 'Household Rules']. The above revelation given to us by Ezekiel is one of the many pictures of the Grace Father supplies to His people, by which we are enabled to obey.

Fiveamprayer, did we catch that? He will 'cause us' to obey His statutes, and His judgments [this includes the Law of Moses - see Ex 21:1; Lev 26:46]. He will not force us, or compel us to obey, but He will guide our feet into the way of peace, by guiding us, and leading us into all Truth. He will then provide us the Grace to walk in obedience. In order to do this, however, we must first choose the Fear of The Most High (Prov 1:28-29). Those who choose the Fear of The Most High are those who are totally committed to obedience to His Word, and who are willing to 'let go' all the Doctrines of Men that are not in agreement with His Word. It is the Bride-Company whose hearts are soft enough to obey first, and understand later. But let's continue.

Many think that The Most High made an Old Covenant, which was not 'good enough' because it was too weak, then said, "Oops!" and then decided to make a better Covenant. But The Most High does not make mistakes. He merely wants His people to learn that without Messiah, we can do nothing (John 15:5) — but that if we abide ['remain'] in Messiah, then through Messiah, we can do all things (John 15:5-8; Philippians 4:13) — we can even obey all of His Word!

The apostle Paul tells us (1 Corinthians 10:1-6) that the Israelites in the Wilderness, in failing to obey the 'Old' Covenant, became our example [for our warning] of how we today are to live, day-by-day, in the 'New' Covenant! And we are told in the Book of Hebrews, chapters 3 and 4, what Israel did do, and did not do, for our warning. And those things the Israelites failed to obey, are exactly those things Messiah, living within us, desires that we obey today. But how do we know this from Scripture? Let us see.

First, in order for us to understand how the New Covenant is to operate in this regard, we must recall that it was the WORD of The Most High [Messiah Himself - John 1:14] who spoke all of the 'Old' Testament Commandments. So we see that Messiah's commandments consist of 'every word that proceeds from the mouth of The Most High' (Matt 4:4; Luke 4:4). Thus when we read, "If you love me, keep MY Commandments" (John 14:15), consisting of all of the Scriptures, we then understand what Messiah is telling His Bride.

We then see in Scripture that it is Messiah Himself who will prepare His Bride. It is Messiah-in-us, Messiah living within us, who will cause us to obey His Everlasting Covenant. He will do this, by His Spirit, and by His enabling Grace, as we abide in Him! The Scriptures go on to tell us in detail exactly how Messiah's Bride will become prepared. For some of these Scripture details Fiveamprayer is directed to study (Isaiah 45:8; Isaiah 61:10; Isaiah 57:14, 62:10; Ezekiel 36:27; John 15:10; Philippians 1:11; 1 John 3:24).

Many are not yet prepared, however, because they do not understand the identity of those included in the New Covenant. Let us now look further at this.

The New Covenant: Only for "My People"

We next notice the identities of those with whom The Most High made His Covenant. As we saw in the above passage in Genesis 17, The Most High made a covenant between Himself and Abram, then extended His Covenant to include Abraham's Seed as an 'Everlasting' [eternal] Covenant. Let's see what Scripture tells us of the identity of these Everlasting Covenant participants:

"...and to thy seed after thee..." (Genesis 17:7)

"...and to Israel for an everlasting covenant..." (Psalms 105:10)

"...a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah..." (Jeremiah 31:31)

"...this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel... and they shall be my people..." (Jeremiah 31:33)

"And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel..." (Matthew 2:6)

Notice carefully the wording in the above passages, that The Most High's Covenant is not made with any particular religion, or even with the nations; but only with those called 'thy seed' and 'My People,' whose name of endearment is "Israel." Let us discover some basic truths, to see who is included in The Most High's Covenant: 

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29)

In the above passages, the apostle Paul tells us two important bits of information. First, he tells us that the identity of the "Seed" of Abraham is Messiah Himself. Then Paul tells us that those who belong to Messiah [those who are 'in' Messiah (Rom 8:1; 2 Cor 5:17)] are included in this identity.

But notice again, that the New Covenant was promised only to the house of Judah, and to the house of Israel. Notice there are no nations in this promise. So how is it that the nations can be included in The Most High's New [everlasting] Covenant, and in the promises? The apostles Paul and Peter tell us: 

Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles/nations... 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11, 12-13)

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people... 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9, 10)

In the above (Ephesians 2:12) passage, Paul tells us that previously, as Gentiles/nations apart from Messiah, we were "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise." Likewise, Peter tells us in the (1 Peter 2:9, 10) passage, that the Gentiles/nations in time past "were not a people, but are now the people of God." The apostle Paul then tells us how one may become 'grafted-in' to the Olive Tree of Israel, through faith in Messiah:

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. 15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17 And 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; 18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. 20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold 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. 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. 24 For 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? 25 For 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 nations be come in. (Romans 11:13-25)

In the above passage, Paul tells us that the nations times past had no part in The Most High's Covenant, because they were not included in the commonwealth of Israel; but can now as nations become a part of the overall commonwealth called 'My People Israel' by virtue of becoming grafted in to the natural Olive Tree of The Most High's people called Israel.

Are all nations grafted in? As we saw in the (Ephesians 2:12) passage above, only those who are 'apart from Messiah' are still aliens. Citizens who are 'in Messiah' have been grafted-in to My People Israel. Those who are grafted-in are now partakers the promises — and are also subject to the conditions of the promises — that the fullness of the promised blessings hold true only for those who abide ['remain'] in Messiah. This last condition is perhaps the reason that Paul continued to teach and to warn the Citizens night and day with tears:

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: (Colossians 1:27-28)

Apparently there were teachers in Paul's day who were telling the Citizens that they need not be obedient to the Commandments of the Law [Torah] in order to remain [abide] 'in Messiah,' in direct contradiction of Messiah's Words, and of the words of the apostles:

Peter, an apostle of Yeshua, to the strangers ['Gentiles']... 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:1, 2)

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (1 Peter 1:22)

If ye love me, keep 'my' commandments. (John 14:15)

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (John 15:10)

And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit [the Holy Spirit, who leads us to obedience] which he hath given us. (1 John 3:24)

These corrupt teachers in Paul's day were apparently those who did not know Messiah. They did not know that the One who accompanied the Israelites in the Wilderness was none other than Messiah Himself (1 Cor 10:4); that it was Messiah who led them by a pillar of cloud by day, and by a pillar of fire by night. Nor did these corrupt teachers in Paul's day realize it was Messiah who gave the tables of stone to Moses, and indeed gave all the Commandments to Moses. It did not register with them, that the Commandments of the Law of Moses are part of 'MY' Commandments, as Messiah calls them throughout the Scriptures. Thus Messiah continues to cry out, "If ye love me, keep 'my' commandments" (John 14:15).

Fiveamprayer, what are your teachers telling you?

Would you not rather read the Scriptures for yourself, to see what they actually say?

Continuing with the identity of The Most High's Covenant people today, let us notice further what the Scriptures say. Notice the following passage:

"Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." (Psalms 50:5)

Here we see that the saints, the 'set-apart' ones of The Most High, are those that have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. However, covenants are always cut with a Blood [representative] sacrifice involved. The only acceptable Blood sacrifice today is that of Messiah's Blood. So it follows that these set-apart people of The Most High are those redeemed by the Blood of Yahushua Messiah Himself. But there is one additional identifying mark of the saints.

Just as the Blood identifies initially the parties to the Covenant, so their obedience identifies those who will enter in as a Bride. Recall that the Israelites were partakers of the Blood Covenant in Egypt, but failed to enter in due to their disobedience. Scripture reveals how the saints further identify the Bride: 

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)

In these last two passages above, we are told that the saints are further identified by their obedience to The Most High's Commandments; and that those who perform His Commandments, are those who will be allowed to enter in to the City of the King, which is the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Messiah.

Let's now look at some further pictures of the New Covenant.

Jacob or Israel?

Again we confirm that the 'My People' that make up Israel consists of all those in Messiah, either natural or wild Branches, that are grafted in. There is, however, one thing we might mention.

Although many have made the covenant by Sacrifice in Yahushua's Blood, not all view His Covenant in the same way. Recalling the passage in Psalms, note the two different perspectives of the same covenant:

"...And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant..." (Psalms 105:8-10

Here, The Most High reveals to us who we are, by how we view His Covenant. First we recall that Isaac and Jacob were both called heirs of the same promise, along with Abraham (Heb 11:9). So we see that Jacob is indeed a son of the Promise.

Next we recall that Jacob and Israel are one and the same person. Jacob's name was changed to Israel, only after he wrestled with The Most High, and prevailed, to receive the Blessing (Genesis 32:28, 30). So we see in the Psalms 105 passage above, that those who have the traits of Israel — those who have wrestled with The Most High, and have prevailed — are those who see The Most High's Covenant as an Everlasting Covenant.

On the other hand, those who have not yet wrestled with The Most High — nor have they prevailed, nor overcome — are still as 'Jacob.' They are children of Promise through faith in Messiah, but they have yet to wrestle with The Most High. And as a result, they see The Most High's Covenant not as everlasting, but as merely A Law, perhaps as a temporary decree that is no longer necessary, and is disdainful to them.

There is a time coming soon, however, when the 'Jacob' congregation of saints will be put in a corner, and will be forced to wrestle with The Most High. This will be called the Time of Jacob's Trouble, and that time is almost upon us, as a woman in travail, as a time in which the offspring are revealed.

So, as Sons of the Promise, who are we? Are we Israel — or are we Jacob?

How we view The Most High's Covenant reveals our identity.

Let us now look at some of the New Covenant provisions.

Shema Selah what will you choose are you Jacob or Israel?? https://www.facebook.com/fiveam.prayer/videos/1682531948491581/?l=8391212836839863278