Publication date
9/1/13
Volume
34
Number
17
The WatchTower
Superiority of the Original Abrahamic Covenant
The Watchtower Magazines
/../literature/watchtower/1913/17/1913-17-1.html
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE 
WATCH 
TOWER 
BROOKI.YN, 
N. 
Y. 
are 
assured 
that 
it 
will 
be 
accepted 
by 
Justice 
and 
that 
all 
mankind 
will 
come 
forth, 
will 
be 
turned 
over 
to 
the 
Redeemer, 
who 
will 
then 
take 
unto 
himself 
his 
great 
power 
and 
will 
reign 
for 
a 
thousand 
years, 
as 
the 
Mediator 
between 
God 
and 
man. 
'This 
mediation 
will 
reach 
mankind 
through 
Israel, 
with 
whom 
the 
New 
Covenant 
will 
be 
inaugurated. 
While 
waiting 
for 
the 
time 
to 
come 
when 
he 
shall 
give 
his 
C'arthly 
rights 
as 
a 
restitution 
blessing 
to 
mankind, 
the 
Re­ 
deemer 
in 
carrying 
out 
the 
Pather's 
program 
makes 
use 
of 
his 
merit 
in 
the 
interest 
of 
those 
whom 
the 
Pather 
draws 
and 
calls 
to 
be 
the 
church 
of 
the 
first-borns. 
To 
each 
called 
and 
obedient 
one 
who 
turns 
from 
sin 
and 
presents 
his 
body 
a 
living 
sacrifice 
to 
the 
Father, 
the 
Redeemer, 
as 
his 
Advocate, 
imputes 
a 
sufficiency 
of 
his 
merit 
to 
make 
the 
sacrifice 
accept­ 
able. 
'rhen, 
as 
soon 
as 
the 
sacrifice 
is 
accepted 
and 
completed, 
the 
imputed 
merit 
of 
Christ 
will 
be 
thereby 
freed 
and 
returned, 
so 
that 
in 
the 
end 
of 
the 
age, 
after 
the 
church 
has 
been 
assisted 
by 
the 
imputation 
of 
Christ's 
merit, 
the 
original 
amount 
in 
the 
hands 
of 
Justice 
will 
be 
unimpaired-sufficient 
for 
the 
sins 
of 
the 
whole 
world-sufficient 
to 
give 
restitution 
blessing 
to 
Adam 
and 
all 
of 
his 
posterity 
during 
the 
Millennial 
reign 
of 
Christ. 
VOL. 
XXXIV 
BROOKLYN, 
N. 
Y., 
SEP'l'ElVIBER 
1, 
1913 
No. 
17 
SUPERIORITY 
OF 
THE 
ORIGINAL 
ABRAHAMIC 
COVENANT 
The 
Scriptures 
mention 
three 
great 
covenants, 
typified 
by 
the 
three 
wives 
of 
Abraham. 
These 
covenants 
are 
represented 
in 
the 
order 
of 
those 
wives. 
Sarah 
was 
the 
first 
wife 
of 
Abraham-the 
only 
acknowledged 
wife. 
Then 
carne 
Hagar. 
8arah's 
maid-servant; 
and 
later 
Keturah. 
Sarah 
and 
Hagar 
each 
had 
one 
son, 
but 
Keturah 
had 
six. 
'The 
Scriptures 
show 
that 
Abraham 
made 
Isaac 
his 
heir 
(Gen. 
25: 
5), 
and 
that 
through 
Isaac 
both 
Ishmael 
and 
the 
sons 
of 
Keturah 
received 
their 
portion. 
The 
fact 
that 
Ishmael 
was 
born 
before 
Isaac 
did 
not 
alter 
the 
fact 
that 
Isaac 
was 
the 
heir. 
From 
the 
very 
beginning, 
the 
covenant 
which 
God 
had 
in 
mind 
was 
the 
one 
which 
is 
in 
operation 
in 
the 
church-the 
Abrahamic 
Promise, 
or 
Covenant. 
St. 
Paul 
declares 
(Gal. 
3:8) 
that 
God 
preached 
the 
Gospel 
to 
Abraham 
in 
advance, 
saying, 
"In 
thee 
and 
in 
thy 
seed 
shall 
all 
the 
families 
of 
the 
earth 
be 
blessed." 
(Gen. 
12:3; 
28:14) 
The 
same 
Apostle 
also 
shows 
that 
the 
original 
Abrahamic 
Covenant 
mentions 
two 
seeds, 
represented 
in 
the 
statement, 
"I 
will 
multiply 
thy 
seed 
(1) 
as 
the 
stars 
of 
heaven, 
and 
(2) 
as 
the 
sand 
which 
is 
upon 
the 
sea 
shore." 
(Gen. 
22:17) 
As 
Abraham 
here 
typi­ 
fied 
God, 
the 
promise 
shows 
two 
classes 
developed 
as 
God's 
children-(l) 
Christ 
and 
the 
church, 
on 
the 
spirit 
plane; 
and 
(2) 
the 
rC'stitution 
class 
of 
mankind, 
on 
the 
human 
plane. 
St. 
Paul 
refers 
to 
these 
two 
seeds 
in 
Rom. 
4: 
16, 
17, 
the 
one 
devC'lopf'd 
under 
faith, 
and 
the 
other 
under 
law 
and 
works. 
The 
first, 
the 
spiritual 
seed, 
has 
been 
in 
process 
of 
development 
during 
this 
Gospel 
age. 
The 
second, 
the 
seed 
according 
to 
the 
flC'sh, 
the 
restitution 
class 
(with 
the 
excep­ 
tion 
of 
the 
ancient 
worthies, 
developed 
previous 
to 
the 
Gospel 
age), 
will 
be 
developed 
under 
the 
New 
Covenant 
and 
by 
its 
Mediator, 
according 
to 
law 
and 
works, 
and 
not 
by 
faith 
merely. 
The 
Law 
Covenant, 
made 
at 
Sinai, 
was 
a 
type 
of 
the 
New 
CO\'enant, 
and 
had 
for 
its 
mediator 
Moses, 
the 
man 
of 
God. 
'rhis 
covenant 
brought 
nothing 
to 
perfection, 
however, 
for 
its 
mC'diator, 
as 
well 
as 
the 
people, 
was 
imperfect. 
St. 
Paul 
ex­ 
plains 
that 
Israel, 
typified 
by 
I 
shmael, 
did 
not 
receive 
the 
bless­ 
ing, 
but 
that 
The 
Christ 
received 
it. 
Later, 
however, 
Israel 
is 
to 
receive 
a 
hlcssing, 
as 
the 
Apostle 
points 
out; 
and 
that 
hlessing 
will 
be 
broug'ht 
by 
the 
New 
Covenant, 
after 
the 
glorification 
of 
the 
church. 
The 
question 
naturally 
arises, 
If 
the 
Abrahamic 
Cove­ 
nant 
contained 
the 
divine 
promise 
to 
the 
full, 
both 
for 
the 
church 
and 
for 
the 
world, 
why 
did 
God 
arrange 
for 
two 
other 
,'ovenants; 
namely, 
the 
Law 
Covenant, 
instituted 
at 
Mount 
Sinai 
with 
Israel, 
and 
having 
Moses 
for 
its 
mediator, 
and 
the 
New 
Covenant, 
which 
is 
to 
follow, 
and 
under 
which 
the 
whole 
world 
is 
to 
be 
hlessed 
~ 
PURPOSE 
OF 
THE 
ADDED 
COVENANTS 
\Ve 
answer 
that 
these 
two 
covenants 
were 
added 
to 
further 
elucidate 
the 
divine 
purpose, 
and 
to 
help 
us 
to 
appreciate 
the 
operation 
of 
divine 
love 
and 
justice. 
(1) 
The 
Law 
Covenant 
was 
added 
to 
the 
Abrahamic 
Promise, 
or 
Covenant, 
as 
St. 
Paul 
explains, 
to 
fill 
up 
the 
time 
until 
the 
promised 
seed 
should 
come, 
to 
whom 
the 
cove­ 
llant 
applied, 
and 
this 
was 
necessary 
because 
of 
sin, 
that 
the 
high 
divine 
standard 
for 
the 
seed 
might 
be 
shown. 
The 
Law 
Covenant 
with 
Israel 
rendered 
this 
very 
service; 
for 
it 
set 
up 
the 
standard 
which 
approved 
Jesus 
and 
condemned 
all 
others. 
It 
also 
helped 
to 
develop 
the 
Jewish 
nation 
toward 
God 
and 
righteousness, 
and 
to 
fit 
and 
prepare 
some 
of 
them 
for 
the 
glorious 
high 
calling 
of 
the 
Gospel 
age, 
which 
ultimately 
came 
to 
them, 
inviting 
them 
to 
divine 
favor 
and 
joint-heirship 
with 
Messiah 
in 
the 
Millennial 
kingdom. 
The 
Law 
Covenant 
also 
provided 
certain 
typical 
trans­ 
actions 
and 
prophecies, 
which 
have 
been 
very 
beneficial 
to 
spiritual 
Israel 
during 
this 
Gospel 
age, 
illustrating 
to 
us 
in 
these 
types 
and 
shadows 
of 
the 
law, 
and 
enunciating 
to 
us 
in 
the 
prophecies 
of 
the 
Old 
Testament, 
various 
matters 
apper­ 
taining 
to 
the 
blessing 
of 
the 
church 
during 
this 
age, 
and 
that 
of 
the 
world 
during 
the 
next 
age. 
(2) 
Through 
the 
New 
Covenant-the 
second 
addition 
to 
the 
original, 
Abrahamic 
Covenant-the 
world 
is 
to 
get 
all 
of 
its 
blessings 
and 
favors 
of 
restitution. 
'l'his 
New 
[Law] 
Covenant 
has 
not 
yet 
been 
inaugurated; 
for 
the 
.:vrediator 
who 
is 
to 
inaugurate 
it, 
and 
to 
cause 
its 
blessings 
to 
reach 
every 
member 
of 
Adam's 
race 
during 
the 
Millennial 
age, 
has 
not 
yet 
been 
completed. 
This 
New 
Covenant 
will 
be 
inaugurated 
in 
the 
end 
of 
this 
Gospel 
age, 
and 
its 
work 
will 
embrace 
the 
entire 
period 
of 
the 
Millennium. 
Jesus, 
our 
Redeemer 
and 
Head, 
is 
the 
apllointed 
:YIeuiator 
of 
the 
New 
Covenant 
by 
virtue 
of 
the 
merit 
of 
his 
own 
sacri­ 
fice 
at 
Calvary. 
He 
could 
have 
s('aled 
it 
mul 
l>egun 
at 
once 
its 
operation, 
had 
not 
the 
Father 
"proviued 
some 
better 
thing 
for 
US" 
(the 
church, 
the 
bride 
of 
Christ, 
whom 
God 
foreknew 
as 
Jesus' 
members), 
than 
for 
the 
anclc-nt 
worthies. 
This 
is 
the 
mystery-that 
the 
Gospel 
age 
has 
bepn 
elevoted 
to 
the 
development 
of 
the 
body 
of 
the 
Medintor.-Bphesians 
3: 
3-6; 
Colossians 
1: 
27. 
THE 
CffiLDREN 
OF 
THE 
OATH 
The 
Scriptures 
clearly 
show 
that 
our 
Lord 
was 
the 
::\lessiah, 
the 
long-promised 
seed 
of 
Abraham. 
(Luke 
1: 
:l2, 
,>'il, 
5:"5, 
72-74; 
2:11; 
John 
1:41; 
4:25,26) 
"Thc 
chnrch, 
which 
is 
his 
body," 
is 
also 
developed 
under 
the 
Ol'igin:1l 
A 
brahamic 
Covenant, 
which 
God 
bound 
with 
an 
oath. 
St. 
Paul 
calls 
it 
"the 
hope 
set 
before 
us, 
which 
we 
have 
as 
an 
anchor 
of 
the 
soul, 
both 
sme 
and 
steadfast, 
and 
whi,'h 
entereth 
into 
that 
within 
the 
veil." 
(Heb. 
6: 
13-20) 
Again, 
he 
says 
to 
the 
church, 
"Ye, 
brethren, 
as 
Isaac 
was, 
are 
the 
children 
of 
tllf' 
promise." 
(Gal. 
4:28) 
The 
church 
are 
the 
childrcn 
of 
the 
oath. 
Our 
begetting 
Promise, 
through 
Christ, 
to 
the 
new 
nature, 
is 
very 
different 
from 
that 
by 
which 
the 
.Jews 
were 
constituted 
the 
house 
of 
servants, 
and 
wholly 
different 
from 
those 
promises 
by 
which 
restored 
Israel 
and 
all 
the 
families 
of 
the 
earth 
will 
be 
brought 
to 
human 
perfection 
through 
restitution 
processes. 
as 
children 
of 
the 
Keturah, 
or 
New 
Co\'enant. 
Since 
our 
Lord 
was 
developed 
under 
the 
Abrahamic 
Covenant, 
the 
eJmrch 
also 
must 
be 
developed 
under 
that 
covenant; 
for 
the 
spiritnal 
seed 
cannot 
be 
the 
child 
of 
two 
mothers. 
It 
is 
written, 
"In 
I 
saac 
shall 
thy 
seed 
be 
called.' 
'-Gen. 
21: 
12. 
THE 
NEW 
COVENANT 
EVERLASTING 
It 
is 
very 
evident 
that 
the 
world 
does 
not 
enter 
into 
New 
Covenant 
relationship 
with 
God 
individually 
at 
the 
heginuing 
of 
the 
Millennial 
age, 
and 
will 
do 
so 
only 
at 
the 
end 
of 
th:lt 
age. 
Throughout 
that 
period, 
the 
matter 
will 
be 
strictly 
and 
solely 
in 
the 
hands 
of 
the 
Mediator. 
During 
that 
time 
he 
will 
uplift 
mankind, 
and 
make 
them 
individually 
and 
collectively 
(as 
many 
as 
are 
willing) 
worthy 
of 
God's 
everlasting 
life 
and 
blessing. 
So 
then, 
we 
see 
clearly 
that 
the 
end 
of 
the 
Millennial 
age 
will 
be 
the 
end 
of 
the 
Mediatorship 
of 
Christ, 
and 
will 
mean 
the 
personal 
and 
individual 
New 
Covenant 
relationship 
of 
each 
one 
of 
the 
world. 
There 
ii> 
another 
view, 
however, 
which 
should 
have 
our 
consideration, 
and 
that 
is 
this: 
The 
same 
New 
Covenant 
that 
starts 
with 
the 
beginning 
of 
the 
Millennial 
age 
will 
continue 
through 
all 
eternity. 
There 
is 
not 
to 
be 
an 
additional 
New 
Covenant 
at 
the 
end 
of 
the 
thousand 
years 
of 
Christ's 
reign. 
This 
New 
Covenant 
will 
be 
operated, 
not 
directly 
between 
God 
and 
man, 
but 
through 
the 
Mecliator. 
In 
this 
covenant, 
God 
agrees 
that 
he 
will 
remember 
the 
sins 
and 
iniquities 
of 
the 
world 
no 
more, 
that 
he 
will 
have 
nothing 
against 
them, 
and 
that 
they 
may 
have 
his 
blessings 
the 
same 
as 
though 
they 
were 
personally 
received 
of 
himself. 
They 
will 
be 
receiypd 
through 
their 
Representative, 
The 
Mediator, 
The 
Christ. 
The 
whole 
world 
ouring 
the 
Millennial 
reign 
will 
be 
in 
[5300] 
(259-260) are assured that it will be accepted by Justice and that all mankind will come forth, will be turned over to the Redeemer, who will then take unto himself his great power and will reign for a thousand years, as the Mediator between God and man. This mediation will reach mankind through Israel, with whom the New Covenant will be inaugurated. While waiting for the time to come when he shall give his earthly rights as a restitution blessing to mankind, the Redeemer in carrying out the Father’s program makes use of his merit in the interest of those whom the Father draws and calls to be the church of the first-borns. To each called THE WATCH TOWER Brooxiyn, N. Y. and obedient one who turns from sin and presents his body a living sacrifice to the Father, the Redeemer, as his Advocate, imputes a sufficiency of his merit to make the sacrifice acceptable. Then, as soon as the sacrifice is accepted and completed, the imputed merit of Christ will be thereby freed and returned, so that in the end of the age, after the church has been assisted by the imputation of Christ’s merit, the original amount in the hands of Justice will be unimpaired—sufticient for the sins of the whole world—sufficient to give restitution blessing to Adam and all of his posterity during the Millennial reign of Christ. BROOKLYN, N. Y., SEPTEMBER 1, 1913 Vou. XXXIV SUPERIORITY OF THE ORIGINAL ABRAHAMIC COVENANT The Scriptures mention three great covenants, typified by the three wives of Abraham. These covenants are represented in the order of those wives. Sarah was the first wife of Abraham—the only acknowledged wife. Then came Hagar. Sarah’s maid-servant; and later Keturah. Sarah and Hagar each had one son, but Keturah had six. The Scriptures show that Abraham made Isaac his heir (Gen. 25:5), and that through Isaac both Ishmael and the sons of Keturah received their portion. The fact that Ishmael was born before Isaac did not alter the fact that Isaac was the heir. From the very beginning, the covenant which God had in mind was the one which is in operation in the church—the Abrahamic Promise, or Covenant. St. Paul declares (Gal. 3:8) that God preached the Gospel to Abraham in advance, saying, ‘‘In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’? (Gen. 12:3; 28:14) The same Apostle also shows that the original Abrahamic Covenant mentions two seeds, represented in the statement, ‘‘I will multiply thy seed (1) as the stars of heaven, and (2) as the sand which is upon the sea shore.’’ (Gen. 22:17) As Abraham here typified God, the promise shows two classes developed as God’s children—(1) Christ and the church, on the spirit plane; and (2) the restitution class of mankind, on the human plane. St. Paul refers to these two seeds in Rom. 4:16, 17, the one developed under faith, and the other under law and works. The first, the spiritual seed, has been in process of development during this Gospel age. The second, the seed according to the flesh, the restitution class (with the exception of the ancient worthies, developed previous to the Gospel age), will be developed under the New Covenant and by its Mediator, according to law and works, and not by faith merely. The Law Covenant, made at Sinai, was a type of the New Covenant, and had for its mediator Moses, the man of God. This covenant brought nothing to perfection, however, for its mediator, as well as the people, was imperfect. St. Paul explains that Israel, typified by Ishmael, did not receive the blessing, but that The Christ received it. Later, however, Israel is to receive a blessing, as the Apostle points out; and that blessing will be brought by the New Covenant, after the glorification of the church. The question naturally arises, If the Abrahamic Covenant contained the divine promise to the full, both for the church and for the world, why did God arrange for two other eovenants; namely, the Law Covenant, instituted at Mount Sinai with Israel, and having Moses for its mediator, and the New Covenant, which is to follow, and under which the whole world is to be blessed? PURPOSE OF THE ADDED COVENANTS We answer that these two covenants were added to further elucidate the divine purpose, and to help us to appreciate the operation of divine love and justice. (1) The Law Covenant was added to the Abrahamic Promise, or Covenant, as St. Paul explains, to fill up the time until the promised seed should come, to whom the covenant applied, and this was necessary because of sin, that the high divine standard for the seed might be shown. The Law Covenant with Israel rendered this very service; for it set up the standard which approved Jesus and condemned all others. It also helped to develop the Jewish nation toward God and righteousness, and to fit and prepare some of them for the glorious high calling of the Gospel age, which ultimately came to them, inviting them to divine favor and joint-heirship with Messiah in the Millennial kingdom. The Law Covenant also provided certain typical transactions and prophecies, which have been very beneficial to spiritual Israel during this Gospel age, illustrating to us in these types and shadows of the law, and enunciating to us in the prophecies of the Old Testament, various matters appertaining to the blessing of the church during this age, and that of the world during the next age. (2) Through the New Covenant—the second addition to the original, Abrahamie Covenant—the world is to get all of its blessings and favors of restitution. This New [Law] Covenant has not yet been inaugurated; for the Mediator who is to inaugurate it, and to cause its blessings to reach every member of Adam’s race during the Millennial age, has not yet been completed. This New Covenant will be inaugurated in the end of this Gospel age, and its work will embrace the entire period of the Millennium, Jesus, our Redeemer and Head, is the appointed Mediator of the New Covenant by virtue of the merit of his own saerifice at Calvary. He could have scaled it and begun at onee its operation, had not the Father ‘‘provided some better thing for US’’ (the church, the bride of Christ, whom God foreknew as Jesus’ members), than for the ancient worthies. This is the mystery—that the Gospel age has been devoted to the development of the body of the Mediator.—Ephesians 3:3-6; Colossians 1:27. THE CHILDREN OF THE OATH The Scriptures clearly show that our Lord was the Messiah, the long-promised seed of Abraham. (Luke 1:32, 33, 55, 72-74; 2:11; John 1:41; 4:25, 26) ‘‘The church, which is his body,’’ is also developed under the original Abrahamic Covenant, which God bound with an oath. St. Paul calls it ‘‘the hope set before us, which we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and whieh entereth into that within the veil.’’ (Heb. 6:13-20) Again, he says to the church, ‘‘Ye, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise.’’ (Gal. 4:28) The church are the children of the oath. Our begetting Promise, through Christ, to the new nature, is very different from that by which the Jews were constituted the house of servants, and wholly different from those promises by which restored Israel and all the families of the earth will be brought to human perfection through restitution processes, as children of the Keturah, or New Covenant. Since our Lord was developed under the Abrahamie Covenant, the church also must be developed under that covenant; for the spiritual seed cannot be the child of two mothers. It is written, ‘In Isaae shall thy seed be called.’’—Gen. 21:12. THE NEW COVENANT EVERLASTING It is very evident that the world does not enter into New Covenant relationship with God individually at the beginning of the Millennial age, and will do so only at the end of that age. Throughout that period, the matter will be strictly and solely in the hands of the Mediator. During that time he will uplift mankind, and make them individually and collectively (as many as are willing) worthy of God’s everlasting life and blessing. So then, we see clearly that the end of the Millennial age will be the end of the Mediatorship of Christ, and will mean the personal and individual New Covenant relationship of each one of the world. There is another view, however, which should have our consideration, and that is this: The same New Covenant that starts with the beginning of the Millennial age will continue through all eternity. There is not to be an additional New Covenant at the end of the thousand years of Christ’s reign. This New Covenant will be operated, not directly between God and man, but through the Mediator. In this covenant, God agrees that he will remember the sins and iniquities of the world no more, that he will have nothing against them, and that they may have his blessings the same as though they were personally received of himself. They will be received through their Representative, The Mediator, The Christ. The whole world during the Millennial reign will be in [5300]

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