Understanding the Everlasting Covenant*

      This ministry was named by the LORD after His everlasting covenant. This fall, the ministry will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. It is necessary to understand the importance and many facets of the everlasting covenant because, as we will see, it is not just an "Old Testament" term but is also present in the New Testament through Jesus Christ.

     The first mention of the everlasting covenant is found in Genesis 9, as the LORD spoke to Noah: "And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." (v. 15-16). The everlasting covenant was not just for Noah, but for all flesh, for every creature. The rainbow appearing in the cloud is not the covenant, but it is a token or reminder to the LORD (and to man) that an everlasting covenant has been created between God and all flesh not to destroy again by a flood of water.

     The LORD made an everlasting covenant with Abraham: "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee...He that is born in thy house...must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant...Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him." (Gen. 17:7, 13, 19, excerpts). Not only is the covenant between God and Abraham, but with his future seed. By this meaning of the everlasting covenant, Abram's wife Sarah, would have a child, a son, Isaac, and the everlasting covenant would continue with him and with his seed.  By this covenant, the LORD promises to be their God. Circumcision as related here was not the covenant, but it is the token or sign of the everlasting covenant.

     As the LORD gave Moses the command to create the shewbread for the tabernacle, He said of it: "Every sabbath he (Aaron, the priest) shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant." (Lev. 24:8). The shewbread of the Holy Place within the tabernacle, a burnt offering from the altar, would represent the everlasting covenant. Jesus would later declare: "I am the bread from heaven." 

     As an aged man, David, a man who was raised up on high and anointed of the God of Jacob, spoke by the Spirit of the LORD saying: "...he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God...Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow." (2 Sam. 23:1-5, excerpt). David, by the LORD's everlasting covenant with him, though he and his royal house had not ruled in the manner that God desired, knew that he had salvation and mercy from God in his heartfelt confession of sin (see Psalm 51).

     David also created a song of thanks to the LORD and handed his song to Asaph for worship that included the words: "Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people...Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth...his judgments are in all the earth. Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations; Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac; and he hath confirmed the same to Jacob for law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant." (1 Chron. 16:7-17, excerpt, see also Psalm 105:1-10). David says to seek the LORD's face. We can find His face. Not only is His face to be found in our hearts, but the image of Jesus' face and body have been miraculously supplied to us by the Shroud of Turin.

     The everlasting covenant meant to preserve man, sadly, is broken by man: "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." (Isa. 24:5). It is man who chooses to change the ordinances of God. Their traditions, scripture tells us, makes the Word of God to no effect. The ordinances of God make us understand the holiness of God.

     The LORD, however, also tells us to come unto Him: ..."hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David." (Isa. 55:3-4, excerpt). We read above about the sure mercies of David, who knew that if he came to the LORD with his heart of repentance, the LORD could and would extend the mercies of His everlasting covenant which He promised to David. The LORD is ever inviting us to come to Him so that He can save our souls from the eternal death of sin. The LORD who sees the heart will receive you if you seek Him and come to Him. He is able to save your soul to the uttermost and make an everlasting covenant with you as He did with David if you will come to Him with your heart. The LORD said: "For I the LORD love judgment (justice), I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them." (Isa. 61:8). The LORD is not looking for an insincere offering, or an offering made in robbery of God or people. You cannot buy and sell His everlasting covenant with corrupted offerings. The LORD Himself has supplied the Perfect Offering, which we will see.

     Within His everlasting covenant, the LORD establishes Himself as God to us and establishes us as His people. He promises to bring His people, Israel, back from where they have been scattered, to restore and to bring the covenant of peace to them. He establishes His sanctuary in the midst of His people Israel in a way that all men and nations can see that God is dwelling in the midst. (see Jer. 32:37-40, Ezek. 37:26-28).

     The Book of Hebrews speaks again of this peace that is part of His covenant: "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Heb. 13:20-21). The LORD has accomplished and is accomplishing His everlasting covenant of peace within us to make us perfect and pleasing before Him to do His will. He has accomplished this not in offerings made in robbery but through the Perfect Offering, the blood of Jesus Christ. He is the everlasting covenant.

     Jesus was made the blood of the everlasting covenant as He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (see Rev. 13:8), from the promised seed of the woman, a virgin birth, which God made to the fallen Adam and Eve in the garden (see Gen. 3:14-15). The promise is also contained in the Hebrew language of the beginning found in Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning..." or B'reshiet in Hebrew, whose ancient pictographic letters mean "The Son of God crushed, His hand on the cross." Jesus is an offering of the blood of the everlasting covenant provided for transgressors ("For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.") that was prophesied with specific detail in scripture describing the suffering, crucifixion and burial of Jesus centuries before the crucifixion of Christ took place on earth. (see Psalm 22, Isa. 52:6-15, Isa. 53:1-12). Nothing and no person fit the details of these prophecies, which are also described in the Gospels and are clearly seen upon the Shroud of Turin, except for Jesus. He is the blood and the perfect offering of the everlasting covenant, spoken of above, offered for each one of us as a free gift of love, salvation and the restoration of our souls from God if we will accept it.

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 7/12/26 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on the Facebook page of Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at the Kenneth Stevenson channel. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, which is evidence of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook. Also the book NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling, written by Dr. Stevenson, is available on Amazon.