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Eternal Covenant
(Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:23-24; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:20-21)
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The satisfaction of all of the major covenants initiated in time was made possible by the blood of the Eternal Covenant. Providing for fallen mankind to become both legally suitable and organically compatible with God, it constitutes the solitary means of redemption for fallen humanity.

The Eternal Covenant is a covenant of life (zoe). It was initiated in eternity and fulfilled in time by the members of the Godhead. Generally speaking, its stipulations were threefold. The Father would send the Son to earth with the promise of His resurrection from the dead and the Son would willingly sacrifice His life to pay the penalty for the human transgression of divine law. God the Spirit would empower the ministry and death of God the incarnate Son and apply its benefit to elect human beings.  

The Father is the originator of the Eternal Covenant. He not only sent the Son to earth in human flesh, but foreknew; predestined; elected; and called the fallen human beings whom He knew would respond in faith.

The Son, Jesus Christ, is the mediator of the Eternal Covenant. “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). In His role of mediation, Jesus willingly experienced incarnation and sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for human sin.

The Spirit is the facilitator of the Eternal Covenant. He facilitated the incarnation of the Son and empowered His ministry and sacrificial death on earth (Acts 2:23-24; Romans 4:25; 5:8; 8:32; Hebrews 9:14, 9:26; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 4:10). In addition, the Spirit of God applies the benefit of the Eternal Covenant to the elect.

​According to the perfections of His nature, God fulfilled the stipulations of the Eternal Covenant exactly as promised. The Father “brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood” (NLT) (Hebrews 13:20; cf. Acts 13:30; Romans 6:4; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:21). 
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“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, and I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison” (Isaiah 42:6-7). 
 
“But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand” (Isaiah 53:10). 
 
“For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (1 Peter 1:20-21).   
 
The role of the Godhead in the fulfillment of the Eternal Covenant can be summarized as follows:
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The Father: Covenant Origination
 
​The Father is the originator of the Eternal Covenant.  In eternity, He elected and called the fallen human beings whom He knew would respond in faith.  In fullness of time, the Father sent the Son to earth to pay the debt for human sin by means of His sacrificial death.  As promised, the Father resurrected the Son.  
(Isaiah 53:10; Ephesians 1:3-6; Hebrews 4:3; 13:20; 1 Peter 1:20-21; Revelation 13:8; 17:8; etc.)   
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Covenant Obligations
References
  • Election
  • Deuteronomy 4:37; 7:6-7; Isaiah 44:1-2; Matthew 22:14; 24:22, 24, 31; Mark 13:20, 22, 27; Luke 18:7; John 6:37-39; Acts 4:28; 9:15; 22:14; 26:16; 9:15; Romans 8:29-30; 33; 9:11; 11:5, 7, 28; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:4, 5, 11; 2:10; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:2; 2:4, 6, 9; 2 Peter 1:10; Revelation 17:14
  • Call (effectual)
  • Acts 2:39; Romans 1:6, 7; 8:29-30; 9:11, 24, 11:29;  1 Corinthians 1:2, 9, 24, 26; Galatians 1:6; 15; 5:8, 13; Ephesians 1:18; 4:1; 4; Philippians 3:14; Colossians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 2:14; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 3:1; 9:15; 11:18; 1 Peter 1:15; 2:9; 21; 5:10; 2 Peter 1:3, 10; Jude 1; Revelation 17:14
  • ​Commission (sent the Son to earth to fulfill the divine mission)
  • John 3:17, 34, 5:23-24, 26, 30, 36-38, 6:29, 38-39, 44, 57, 7:16, 28-29, 8:16, 18, 26, 29, 42, 9:4, 10:36, 11:42, 12:44-45, 49, 13:16, 20, 14:24, 15:21,16:5, 28, 17:3, 18:21, 23, 25, 20:21
  • Resurrection
  • Acts 13:30; Romans 6:4; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:20; 1 Peter 1:20-21
  • Justification
  • Romans 3:21-26; 4:25; 8:32; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:13-14
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The Son: Covenant Mediation
​The Son is the mediator of the Eternal Covenant.  He willingly went to earth to fulfill a mediatorial role between God and fallen man.  For three years the incarnate Son visibly demonstrated His qualification by His fulfillment of the mediatorial, covenant offices of prophet, priest and king.  He announced the Good News, spoke the words of God, healed the sick and brokenhearted, released the captive, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind and, subsequently, offered His life as the sacrificial payment for the debt of human sin.  
(1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24) 
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Covenant Obligations
References
  • Incarnation
John 1:1-5; 14; 18; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9
Mediation:
 
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  • Prophet
Deuteronomy 18:15; Luke 4:18-21; 13:33; Acts 3:22
  • Priest
  1. Sacrifice
  2. Intercede​
Psalm 110:4; Isaiah 53:12; John 17; Acts 2:23-24; Romans 4:25; 5:8; 8:32-34; Hebrews 3:1; 4:14-16; 5:5-6; 6:20; 7:25-26; 8:1; 9:26; 13:15; 1 Peter 2:5; 3:18; 1 John 4:10
  • King
Isaiah 9:6-7; Psalms 2:6; 45:6; 110:1-2; Luke 1:33; John 18:36-37; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:11; Revelation 19:16
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The Spirit: Covenant Application
​The Spirit is the facilitator of the Eternal Covenant.  He empowered its fulfillment on earth.  The Spirit of God facilitated the incarnation of the Son, the fulfillment of His mediatorial covenant offices and His sacrificial death.  In addition, He ensures the dissemination of the Good News of the Eternal Covenant on earth and applies it to the elect by means of conviction, regeneration, sealing and sanctification.  
(Matthew 1:18, 20; 3:16; 4:1; 12:18; Luke 1:35; 3:21-22; 4:1, 14, 18; 10:21; Mark 1:10-12; John 3:34; 6:63; Romans 1:4; 5:5; 14:17; 2 Corinthians 3:7-8; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 5:6)
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Covenant Obligations
References
Declaration/Propagation
Matthew 10:20; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12; John 7:37-39; 14:16-17; 26; Acts 1:2; 8; 2:4; 17-18; Romans 8:16; 15:18-21; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 10-14; Galatians 5:25; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6; 1 Peter 1:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21
Conviction
Zechariah 12:10; John 16:7-11
Regeneration/Spiritual Birth
John 3:3-7; 6:63; 7:37-39; Titus 3:5-6
Seal/Pledge/Guarantee of eternal security
2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14
Sanctification
Romans 15:16; Galatians 3:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2
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With foreknowledge of the fall of mankind, God graciously initiated the Eternal Covenant of life (zoe) before creation.  By its fulfillment in time, He paid the ultimate price for the restoration of fallen man to kingdom citizenship. 


© 2018 James Hiatt