Covenants Lesson Overview : Scope and Sphere Relationships Summing up 1Lesson 3

Covenants Scope and Sphere Covenants affect not just man – his environment too - Natural Law: covenant of day & night, seasons - Curses on the earth: thistle & thorn, the great Flood - Millennial expectation: creation liberated from bondage (Rom.8:19- 23) 2Lesson 3

Covenants Scope and Sphere Numeric significations – the number is aligned with material creation – 4-compass points, 4-seasons  cherubim (4-faced, 4-winged) are guardians in the creation – keep the way of the Tree of Life – they are 4 in number (Eze.1:5-28), excluding Satan (Eze.28:14) 3Lesson 3

Covenants Scope and Sphere Numeric significations – the number 4 – b e riyth has 284 occurrences (4 X 71), earmarking covenants for Israel and the 70 “gentile” nations in the visible, material creation (i.e., the earth and its firmament) – “all families of the earth” (Gen.12:3) 4Lesson 3

Covenants Scope and Sphere Numeric significations – the number 4 (ctd) –diathēkē has 33 and diatithēmi 7 occurrences for a total of 40 (4 X 10), indicating “enlarged dominion” or “renewed or extended rule” 5Lesson 3

Covenants Scope and Sphere Numeric significations – the number 4 –After 4 th day of “creation”, earth was prepared for habitation – Lights in the firmament had 4-fold purpose “for signs and for seasons and for days and years” 6Lesson 3

Covenants Scope and Sphere Numeric significations – the number 4 –Man created to have a fourfold dominion over fish, fowl, cattle and creeping things 7Lesson 3

Covenants Scope and Sphere Numeric significations – the number 4 – 4 men began to fill the earth (Adam & Sons, Noah & Sons) – 4-fold promise after the Flood: “seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night will not cease” 8Lesson 3

Covenants Scope and Sphere Numeric significations – the number 4 –Noah given 4 commandments to govern the earth (Gen.9:1-6) – Israel’s dominion in the earth symbolized in 4-sided camp in the Wilderness, 4-sided Temple and Ark, 4- square New Jerusalem 9Lesson 3

Covenants Scope and Sphere Numeric significations – the number 4 –4 ordinances given to Gentiles during Acts (15:20) – In Day of the Lord global events have a 4-fold application – “every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9) 10Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships Theme: God’s purpose in dealing with sin and a creation that became subject unto bondage – a brief chronology 11Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation The 1 st Natural Order (Kosmos): Gen 1:1 Became corrupted by Satan’s fall (Eze.28:12-19) Overthrown by God (Gen.1:2), Who appointed a 2 nd Kosmos in 6 days, including a creature made in His image 12Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation Satan corrupted Adamic covenant – then the promise of the Seed Who will destroy him Principle of substitutionary sacrifice began with “coats of skins” – Adam received commandments (1 tacit, 1 implicit) 13Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation “Sons of God” corrupt the generations of men (giants) – only Noah’s family was tâmîym – global Flood overthrew all but the inhabitants of the Ark 3 rd Kosmos appointed after the Flood 14Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation 70 nations sprang from Noah – their boundaries set throughout the earth (Deu.32:8) – nations rebelled and God scattered them (Gen.11:1-9) Corrupt worship (idolatry) magnified by Nimrod – God gave up on the nations (Rom.1:19-25) 15Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation 2 nd irruption of Sons of God corrupted the generations of Canaan God calls & covenants with Abram – to be a channel of blessing to all peoples, except Canaanites (“Amorites”) who will be destroyed 16Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation Further down-selection of covenant promises: Isaac, Jacob, 12 tribes, David, then Christ – the Seed of the woman (Israel) – Kinsman Redeemer promised to Adam – the perfect offering for sin (the Just for the unjust) 17Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation Israel rejected 1 st offer of their holy kingdom (4 Gospels) Majority rejected 2 nd offer (during Acts), so a Gentile “graft” brought in to provoke them – covenant in abeyance after Acts 28:28 18Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation −Next on agenda: end-time of the age and tribulation for Israel −followed by “kingdom of heaven” and Millennial peace (Satan bound) 19Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation Satan loosed for final battle with God’s saints – Satan destroyed along with sin and even death itself (Fire Lake) 20Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation New heavens and new earth mark the 4 th Kosmos – Tree of Life restored – Edenic conditions return (sufficiency & rest) 21Lesson 3

Covenants Relationships – redemption of fallen creation New Jerusalem descends for the Overcomers to reign in Visible, material creation completely restored 22Lesson 3

Covenants Summing Up Covenants relate to earthly environment (+ firmament) Covenants relate to earthly families & earthly “seed” Covenants relate to earthly government (“kingdom”) 23Lesson 3

Covenants Summing Up Covenants relate to earthly blessings Covenants relate to the earthly aspect of the cross of Christ 24Lesson 3

Covenants Summing Up Members of the Body of Christ, as sojourners in the earthly sphere, reap some earthly blessings – temporarily Members of the Body of Christ are not grafted into Israel’s blessings 25Lesson 3

Covenant(s) of Natural Order: 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th Kosmos 26 Firmament Eden Satan corrupts, Sin enters Promise of the Seed Earth “Sons of God” Noah’s seed pure Noah’s government post-deluge 70 nations rebel – God gives them up God calls Abraham, Isaac, Jacob – “walk before me and be pure” “Sons of God” Abrahamic Mosaic Davidic Seed of the woman, Abraham’s Friend, Prophet like unto Moses, Son of David God’s government on earth Eden restored Sin & death destroyed God’s law written on the heart “a new covenant” Aaronic Phinehaic Jerusalemic Knowledge of the Lord covers earth New Jerusalem Lesson 3

Covenants A Final Thought – Covenant vs. Dispensational Theology Most covenant theologians teach 2 basic covenants: -Covenant of Works applied before the Fall -Covenant of Grace has applied after the Fall -Scriptural ideas merged through spiritualizing/allegorizing 27Lesson 3

Covenants A Final Thought – Covenant vs. Dispensational Theology Dispensational theology distinguished by: -Answers the need of Biblical distinctions -Presents as ultimate goal of history God’s glorification -Offers a consistent principle of interpretation 28Lesson 3