Chapter 17 - Eternal Covenant

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(Isaiah 53:10; Acts 2:23-24; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 1:20-21)

The Eternal Covenant is essential to the redemptive plan of God. Its stipulations provided the foundation for relationship between God and fallen mankind.

Apart from the Eternal Covenant there could have been no interaction between God and the fallen. They would have been left forever in a punitive state of separation from God.

The Eternal Covenant was the foundational covenant that allowed for the fulfillment of the covenantal plan of God. His covenantal redemption of both national Israel and the New Testament church could not have been satisfied without the blood of the Eternal Covenant.

  Covenant of Life

The redemptive Eternal Covenant is a covenant of life (zoe). Initiated in eternity and fulfilled in time by the members of the Godhead, the stipulations of the Eternal Covenant included the willing death of the Son and His subsequent resurrection by the Father. The Spirit empowered the earthly ministry and death of the incarnate Son and applied its unconditional benefit to elect human beings.

Covenantal Role

The Father is the originator of the Eternal Covenant. His covenantal role was satisfied not only by sending the Son to earth in human flesh but to foreknow; predestine; elect; and call 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 covenantal role of mediation, He willingly experienced incarnation and sacrificed His life to pay the penalty and debt of the sin of mankind.

The Spirit is the facilitator of the Eternal Covenant. His role in the fulfillment of the Eternal Covenant was to facilitate the incarnation, earthly ministry, and sacrificial death of the Son. (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 applied the benefit of the Eternal Covenant to the elect.

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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)

Concordant with the perfections of His nature, God fulfilled the stipulations of the Eternal Covenant exactly as promised. He “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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Covenantal Benefit

The essential benefit of the Eternal Covenant is twofold. It graciously provides its beneficiary with new law and new life suitable for union with God.

The new law of the Eternal Covenant is the “law of God.” (Romans 7:22-23, 25, 8:2, 7) It is described in the New Testament as the “law of Christ,” the “law of faith,” the “law of the Spirit of life (zoe) in Christ Jesus,” the “perfect law,” and the “law of liberty.” (Romans 3:27; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2; James 1:25; 2:12) The law of the Eternal Covenant is often referred to in this book as the “rule of life.”

The "law of God," the new law of the Eternal Covenant, is internal. Written on the heart, the recipient is legally suitable with God and thus, worthy to receive new life.

The new covenantal life associated with the Eternal Covenant is life shared with Jesus Christ, the mediator of the covenant. There is no greater privilege.

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Covenant Originator

The Father is the originator of the Eternal Covenant. (Isaiah 53:10; Ephesians 1:3-6; Hebrews 4:3; 13:20; 1 Peter 1:20-21; Revelation 13:8; 17:8; etc.) In eternity, He elected and called the fallen human beings whom He foreknew would respond by faith. In the fullness of time, the Father sent the Son to earth to serve as the perfect sacrifice. His death paid the penalty and debt of all transgression of divine law. Afterwards, as promised, the Father resurrected the Son.

The covenantal obligations of the Father are 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; 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); calling (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); and justification (Romans 3:21-26; 4:25; 8:32; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:13-14).

Covenant Mediator

The Son was the mediator of the Eternal Covenant. (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; 9:15; 12:24) He willingly went to earth to fulfill the role of mediation between God and fallen man. For three years, the incarnate Son visibly demonstrated the qualifications necessary to fulfill His stipulated role. He announced the Good News, spoke the words of God, healed the sick and brokenhearted, released the captives, raised the dead, gave sight to the blind, and, subsequently, offered His life as the sacrificial payment for the debt of all human sin. As a result, Jesus fully satisfied the covenantal offices of prophet, priest, and king.

The covenantal obligations of the Son are incarnation (John 1:1-5; 14; 18; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9); and mediation through His offices of prophet, priest, (sacrifice and intercede) and king (Deuteronomy 18:15;Psalms 2:6; 45:6; 110:1-4; Isaiah 9:6-7; 53:12; Luke 1:33; 4:18-21; 13:33; John 17; 18:36-37;Acts 2:23-24; 3:22; Romans 4:25; 5:8; 8:32-34; Hebrews 1:8; 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; 2 Peter 1:11; 1 John 4:10; Revelation 19:16).

Covenant Facilitator

The Spirit is the facilitator of the Eternal Covenant. (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). Ensuring its fulfillment, He facilitated the incarnation of the Son, the satisfaction of His mediatorial covenantal offices, and His sacrificial death. He also provided for the dissemination of the Good News of the Eternal Covenant on earth and applied it to the elect through conviction, regeneration, sealing, and sanctification.

The covenantal obligations of the Spirit are declaration and 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 and spiritual birth (John 3:3-7; 6:63; 7:37-39; Titus 3:5-6); providing a seal and guarantee eternal security (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; and sanctification (Romans 15:16; Galatians 3:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2).

With foreknowledge of the fall of mankind, God graciously initiated a redemptive covenant of life (zoe) in eternity, the Eternal Covenant. By its fulfillment in time, He paid the ultimate price to vindicate His nature from angelic challenge and restore fallen mankind to citizenship in the kingdom of God.

© 2025 James Hiatt

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