Our Covenant is:

“A Covenant by Sacrifice not the New Covenant” (edited)

From our studies thus far as Bible Students we have learned that the New Covenant is to become fully operational by the close of this Gospel Age, when once the Mediator (the Christ, Head and Body) is made complete, and that it is this covenant under which restitution blessings are to come to the world of mankind.

This was pointed out to us as the Keturah Covenant–separate and distinct from the Hagar Covenant, under which natural Israel was developed, typified by Ishmael and separate and distinct also from the original Abrahamic Covenant, typified by Sarah, whose seed Isaac typified The Christ, Head and Body.

 We saw that the antitypical Isaac–The Christ, Head and Body–is the Melchisedec Priest, of which Jesus is the Head and the Church his Body–the great Priest under whom the New Covenant is to be made effective to Israel and to the world of mankind through Israel.

We also saw that the elect Church of this Gospel Age, a “Royal Priesthood,” must all offer sacrifice; as the Apostle declares, “Every priest is ordained of God to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin.” That our Lord Jesus is the great High Priest of our profession and that he offered himself in sacrifice and that he requires that all who would be with him in his Throne must likewise walk in his steps (sacrificing themselves)—this only after being justified through faith in his blood, that they might present a sacrifice holy and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1).

We saw that this is what is referred to in the Scriptures as the Covenant by sacrifice, “Gather my saints unto me, those who have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psa 50:5) We associated this sacrificing of the earthly nature by all those who would be partakers of the divine nature with the Apostle’s exhortation of Heb 9:23.

“It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.”

Our attention was called to the fact that the word sacrifices is in the plural and refers not only to the most important sacrifice made by our Lord and Redeemer, but that it applies also to the sacrifices of all those whom he accepts as his members of the Royal Priesthood.

These are the “better sacrifices,” which were typified by the bulls and goats of the typical Atonement Day (the “Bullock” and the “Lord’s goat”). We saw and mentioned that the Church as priests, while under the Covenant of Grace, the primary Covenant, the Sarah Covenant, have a work to do in connection with the New Covenant.

As the Apostle says, “We are able (or qualified) ministers (or servants) of the New Covenant.” But we see more clearly now than we did at the beginning just how we serve the New Covenant—that as members of the Body of the Mediator of that Covenant, we are associated with him in making preparation for its inauguration. We are serving it in the sense that he served it, only in an inferior degree and not individually, but in him, as “members of the Body,” members of the “Royal Priesthood,” to whom “old things have passed away and all things have become new.”

We see now more clearly than ever the meaning of our precious relationship to God in Christ as members of the antitypical Isaac, through whose mercy Israel and the world shall obtain mercy, under the provision of the New Covenant put into operation as soon as the Royal Priesthood shall have completed the appointed work of sacrifice. (Rom 11:27-30).” R4681

“A few additional thoughts concerning the Abrahamic Covenant as mentioned in our last post under which the “Seed” is developed. Note this particular statement of Psa 50:5, “Those who have made a covenant with me.”

Here Jehovah intimates that those who have presented their bodies a living sacrifice to Him have thereby made a covenant with Him. Observe it is not stated that he made a covenant with them, but rather they have made a covenant with Him. His part of the covenant was made with Abraham long before it became operative, thus, “In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

It became operative when Jesus sacrificed His human nature to redeem mankind from the death penalty, and was resurrected to the divine nature, at which time He became Head over all things to the Church, His body — Head of the seed of the Abraham “Class“; because Jesus, the Head, and the Church, His body, together constitute that class. (Gal 3:27-29.)

When Jesus sacrificed Himself at Jordan, He made a covenant with Jehovah — “a covenant by sacrifice.” Jehovah had made his part of the covenant with Abraham about 2,000 years previously. Mark well, He did not make it with Jesus, but with Abraham; and that Jesus by sacrificing Himself — giving His flesh for the life of the world — came under the conditions of the Abrahamic covenant — the very first person to do so. Furthermore, all who are justified by faith in Jesus’ great work of sacrifice, since it was accomplished, who likewise go on to present their bodies in sacrifice to God, accept and come under the conditions of the same covenant God made with Abraham.

They make a covenant with Him by sacrificing their human nature. The Abrahamic covenant was not unconditional with respect to those who come under it, but with respect to the proposition that Abraham’s seed will be the particular channel through which all the families of the earth will be blessed. When Abraham complied with certain conditions proposed by Jehovah (leaving his native land, etc.) the unconditional covenant was made with him, viz.: that God would use his seed to deliver mankind from sin’s awful curse — without any reference as to who would constitute that seed.

To His well-beloved son He offered the first opportunity to become that channel of blessing, but He must first sacrifice His human nature, and thus come under the conditions of a covenant that had existed about 2,000 years, but had been unfruitful, unprolific, all of that time. This particular covenant was represented by Sarah, we understand. (Read Isa 54:1-10; Gal 4:21-34).

Ah, yes; while God’s oath-bound covenant to bless all the families of the earth, through Abraham’s seed, is unconditional, only those can come into that seed class who make a covenant with God by sacrifice. This oath-bound covenant needs no Mediator, because it comprehends, includes, only perfect persons — actually or reckoned so.

Thus proving conclusively that the “seed” that is those who compose the seed are not under the New Covenant nor shall they, because the New Covenant requires a Mediator.

Jesus, the Head of the seed-class, was absolutely perfect; He therefore did not need a Mediator, and all truly consecrated who are baptized into His death, as human beings, and become members of His body, as New Creatures, likewise do not require the office of a Mediator, because they are members of Christ (Gal 3:27), the anointed class, the “seed of Abraham” class. The “Body” is complete in the Head, and acceptable IN Him. (Col 2:10; Eph 1:6.)

God deals with the “Body“ through Jesus, the Head, the Advocate of the members of the “Body“; but in the Millennium He will not deal with mankind at all — will not accept them in the Beloved — while they are below the standard of actual human perfection; and to make it possible for such imperfect beings to live until the end of the Millennium, they must have a Mediator — for without such a “go-between,” divine justice would require their execution. The entire Christ class — Head and “Body” — the seed of Abraham, will evidently constitute that medium — that “go-between“, the great Mediator.

The Jews and Gentiles will then be under the glorious conditions of the “New Covenant.”

“After those days,” i.e., when the more than thirty-six centuries during which the Jews have been under the Law Covenant will have terminated, they will come under the conditions of the New Covenant. Then it will not be necessary for any man to teach his neighbor, for ALL shall know the Lord.

Surely we are not under the conditions of the New Covenant now! Why, even the members of Christ’s body must be instructed now relative to God’s glorious plans. But, nevertheless, God’s laws are already written in the hearts of Jesus’ disciples (2 Cor 3:3), in advance of the world of mankind; and this was made possible by the shedding of Jesus’ blood (Luke 22:20), the precious blood that ratified, and will soon make fully operative, the “New Covenant” and will constitute Jesus’ faithful disciples “able ministers of the New Covenant,” when associated with Him in glory.” (1908 Put-In-Bay Convention, Discourse by Brother Frank Draper.)