God has made an eternal covenant with mankind.  That covenant extends to you and me.  In that covenant, God swears with an oath to either bless us or curse us.  Life and history can only be understood in terms of God's covenant.

If we want our lives blessed, we must obey His covenant.  If we think we can mock God and get blessed by any other means, we are kidding ourselves.

  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.   (Gal 6:7)

Below we find the seven covenants that God has made.

THE EDENIC²

 THE ADAMIC³

THE NOAHIC⁴

THE ABRAHAMIC

THE MOSAIC

THE DAVIDIC⁵

THE NEW

Notice that Christ came to restore what Adam lost.

In one sense there is only one covenant.  It is eternal.  The seven covenants have their origin in that eternal covenant nature of God and progressively return to  the "restoration of all things." 

Note the progressive nature of each covenant. Each new covenant that God made did not destroy the previous, but built on it.  God's revelation is progressive.  Even the covenant of Christ is progressive in its unfolding.  Take the example of Daniel's little stone that progressively becomes a great mountain that fills the whole earth (Dan. 2).  Look at the mustard seed that becomes a great tree (Mat. 13:31) Observe the leaven like the Kingdom of God that leavens the whole world (Mat. 13:33).  "He must reign until..." (1 Cor. 15:24,25).  He is "waiting till His enemies are made His footstool."  (Heb.10:13). 

Ray Sutton, author of "THAT YOU MAY PROSPER," has discovered that every covenant has five points.  This discovery is momentous.  It will clarify much concerning the mysteries of God.  It will prove that the God of the Old Testament has not changed in His dealings with Israel (the church).  Ray Sutton's book can transform our thinking.  We, in turn, will be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2). 

On the following page you will find the five points that make up every covenant, whether it be a pagan covenant or the covenant of God.  The Greek word for God, THEOS, is used as an outline to help us remember the five points.  Each of these points answers a question.

1.       Who is in charge of this pact?             T       TRANSCENDENCE

2.       To whom do I report?                        H       HIERARCHY

3.       What are the rules?                             E       ETHICS

4.       What do I get if I disobey or obey?     O       OATH

5.       What is the future of this outfit?          S       SUCCESSION

THE FIVE POINT COVENANT MODEL

(1) WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?

TRANSCENDENCE             (SOVEREIGNTY)

EXO 20:3      "You shall have no other gods before Me.

(2) TO WHOM DO I REPORT? 

HIERARCHY               (AUTHORITY)

MAT 10:40     "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

RUTH - The book of Ruth is a good example of how we must submit to the church.  Ruth first gave her life to Naomi (a type of the church).  Then she was married to Boaz (a type of Christ).

(3) WHAT ARE THE RULES?

ETHICS                        (DOMINION)

JOHN 14:15...If you love me, keep My commandments.

(4) WHAT DO I GET (FOR OBEDIENCE OR DISOBEDIENCE)?

OATH                  (SANCTIONS)

HEB 10:28     Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

HEB 10:29     Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

(5) DO WE HAVE A FUTURE?

SUCCESSION              (INHERITANCE)

ROMANS 4:13   (HEIRS OF THE WORLD)

Psalm 2:8 Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance

MAT.5:5   They shall inherit the earth.

Below, we have a breakdown of the five points of each of the seven covenants.

THE EDENIC (Commission to rule)

T       Transcendancy-Gen1:26

H       Hierarchy-Gen. 1:26-28 “Have dominion”

E       Ethics-Gen- 1:28; 2:15-17.  Multiply, & do not eat from the tree of…

O       Oath-Gen-  2:17  " in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

S       Succession-Gen 1:28  "fill the earth and subdue it"

THE ADAMIC (Commanded to work)

T       Transcendancy     God is in charge

H       Hierarchy-    Man is delegated over the earth- Gen. 3:16

E       Ethics      Man is to toil-Gen 3:17-19

O       Oath-   The ground is cursed -Gen 3:17-19

S       Succession -  The serpent will be crushed by Christ-Gen. 3:15

THE NOAHIC Gen 8:20-22;9:1-17  (Captal punishment)

T       Transcendancy      God is in charge

H       Hierarchy-    Man is the delegated authority under God -9:2

E       Ethics    Multiply 9:1, eat no blood 9:4, execute murderers 9:6, eat animals 9:3

O       Oath      Capital punishment 9:6

S       Succession   Day & night will never cease 8:21,22; no flood will ever destroy      earth 9:11

THE ABRAHAMIC  Gen 17   (Covenant people)

T       Transcendancy    God is in charge.   "I am Almighty  God"  (verse 1).

H       Hierarchy -We look to Abraham. " you shall be a father" (verse 4).

E       Ethics -This is the rule.   "be circumcised"  (verse 10)

O       Oath -This is what we get.   "I will..."   (verse 2, 6,7,8)

S       Succession      I will make you fruitful (verse 6)     

THE MOSAIC   (Codified law)

EXO 19:5      'Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

T       Transcendancy    "obey My voice"

H       Hierarchy -  "above all people

E       Ethics    "keep My covenant"

O       Oath -  "you shall be special if you will indeed obey"

S       Succession      "the earth is mine"  (We are the heirs of God.)

THE DAVIDIC 2 Sam 7:11-17    (Conquering nation)

T       Transcendancy    "The LORD tells you..."v.11

H       Hierarchy      David’s Son shall rule...v.12

E       Ethics     "If he commits iniquity..."v. 14

O       Oath -   "I will chasten him..."v.14

S       Succession    "Your throne will be established forever."  v.16

THE NEW Jer. 31:31-33   (Christ's kingdom)

T       Transcendancy     God makes the covenant  v.31

H       Hierarchy      "They shall be My people" v.33

E       Ethics       "My law in their hearts" v.33

O       Oath      "I will forgive their sins" v.34

S       Succession    "The seed of Israel shall never cease" v.36

•                 

Point four is oath.  God swears to bless us if we obey and to curse us if we do not.  Point four can also be called "sanctions".  Sanctions can be both positive and negative.

The New Covenant also contains these five points.  All covenants do. 

Below you will see that even the United States Constitution contains these five points.  The problem is that transcendence is given to "we the people" instead of to God Almighty.  The good news is that the U.S. constitution can be amended to say, "We the people, under the Triune God…".  Study the following pages carefully.

THE PREAMBLE OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND THE FIVE POINT COVENANT MODEL⁶

1.       THE SOVEREIGN CREATING AGENCY, "WE THE PEOPLE",

2.       ACTS IN HISTORY (HISTORICAL PROLOGUE) TO ESTABLISH A UNION THAT WILL...

3.       ESTABLISH JUSTICE AND INSURE THE COMMON DEFENSE (BOUNDARIES) TO SECURE...

4.       THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY FOR OURSELVES AND...

5.       OUR POSTERITY.

THE HUMANIST COVENANT

          Gary North says "Christians have sat on the sidelines of the great philosophical and political debates of our age in much the same the way as out-of-shape fans sit in the stands of football games.  They cheer loudly when "their side" scores.  The cheerleaders jump up and down wildly, backs to the players.  But the fans have little or no effect on the outcome of the game.  The key to the outcome is not the enthusiasm of the fans; the key is the rule book.  It has been written by those who have decided to determine the outcome of the game:  the liberal media, the educational establishment, and the liberal clergy--the priesthood.  The game is rigged because the rules are rigged.  The referees enforce the rules, the players play by the rules, and the fans cheer wildly.  All the rules in the book rest on five assumptions:"

THE HUMANIST FIVE POINT COVENANT

                             1. An absolutely sovereign God did not create the world.

                             2. The Bible is not the infallible word of God.

                             3. Law and truth evolve.

                             4. There is no final judgment in terms of God's law.

5. The kingdom of man has replaced the kingdom of God.

BECAUSE CHRISTIANS BEG TO DIFFER

(And I do mean beg.)

THE  HUMANISTS GIVE THEIR OFFICIAL VERSION

                   1. God need not be assumed to exist.

                   2. The Bible is, at most, an important work of literature.

                   3. Truth means "truth for you"; there are many truths.

                   4. Final judgment is one idea among many in men's religions.

5. The kingdom of man has room for the kingdoms of many gods.

THE COURT'S INTERPRETATION OF THE PRECEDING FIVE RULES

                   1. It is illegal to say officially that God created the world.

2. It is illegal to say officially that the Bible alone is God's word.

3. It is illegal in public schools to teach the Bible as morally binding.

                   4. The most fearful judgment is whatever the State threatens.

                   5. The kingdom of the State has no permanent limits.

THE FIVE RULES APPROPRIATE TO AN EXPLICITLY CHRISTIAN CIVIL ORDER

                   1. The Trinitarian God of the Bible created and sustains the universe.

                   2. The national covenant must be Trinitarian.

                   3. The Bible is the fundamental law of the land.

                   4. Every voting citizen must formally covenant with this God.

                   5. The nation must be part of God's covenanted kingdom in history.

The Tower of Babel can also be called the "City of Man."  We find this theme throughout history.  It has always been the City of Man versus the City of God.  We see this in the conflict between Moses and Pharoah, between David and the nations, Elijah and Ahab, the image of man in Daniel chapter two and three, the effort of Herod to destroy Christ, the conflict between Caesar and Christ, and the Beast versus the New Jerusalem.

The messengers of God have always preached that the City of Man shall be replaced by the Kingdom of God.  This message has always had political implications.  When John the Baptist said, "The kingdom of God is at hand," this was a threat to the City of Man.  Furthermore, it was an impending threat, and not a future one.  It still is.  The apostles were accused of "acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king --Jesus.”  (Acts 17:7) 

Augustus Caesar said, "There is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved, but the name of Caesar."  Peter contradicted him by saying, "This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:11,12)

If we say that this kingship of Jesus does not apply until He comes again, we are guilty of undermining His present authority.  All rulers are to "kiss the Son" now, not later.

"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."   (2 Cor 6:2)

Presently, "The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.”  (Psalm 2:2)  Who are the kings that do this?  In olden times they were the rich and the rulers.  Today they are the same.  It is the "same ole, same ole."  Freud and his followers say that the law of God is too binding and it causes guilt and pathologies.  Those in power today believe the answer is "plurality" and secularism.  They do not recognize God's covenant.  They believe we can be neutral.

Biblical culture is superior to all others.  " You shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine."  (Exodus 19:5) 

God sits in the heavens and laughs at these mockers.  Psalm 2:4 says He will "have them in derision."  That means He will make fun of them. 

Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure:

“Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”

 “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.

 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”

Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling.

 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

(Psalm 2:5-12)

Many Christians believe that Christ will not reign until He comes again.  But the Bible says, "All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.  For the kingdom is the LORD’S, And He rules over the nations."  (Psalm 22:27)

Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him. 

(Psalm 72:11)

By the power of God's oath in the covenant, He shall conquer the nations through the church.  He says to the church,

For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined.

The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will make the place of My feet glorious.  (Isaiah 60:12,13)  

God says He will make the place of His feet glorious.  What is the place of God's feet?  "Thus says the LORD: 'Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool.'"  (Isaiah 66:1)  God will make the earth glorious.  "The knowledge of the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea."  (Hab 2:14) 

Some say, "Yes, but He will not do that until He comes again."  Then I ask, "Why did He say it was better for us if He went away?  And why did He say that the church would do greater works than He?"  

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  (John 16:7) 

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.  (John 14:12) 

As Christians, we are to pray and preach that all kings must bow the knee to Christ now.  If we are expecting God to do what He commanded us to do by His grace, we are doing what the ten spies did.  We are denying that the land (the earth) can be conquered by us.  But Caleb said, "We are well able."  

Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.  (Num 13:30)