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Chapter 2

The Divine Administration of Redemption and the Covenant

The Bible contains the infallible blueprint of God’s great plan for the salvation of mankind. All of God’s numerous works that are accomplished according to His plan are also called His divine administration. The force that propels God’s administration is His covenant and its fulfillment. In other words, the link that connects God’s work of salvation in each era is His covenant (also called agreement or promise) and its fulfillment.

The Bible is divided into two major parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is a covenant of the coming of Jesus Christ, while the New Testament is a covenant of Jesus Christ as the essential fulfillment (Luke 24:27, 44) and His Second Coming (Acts 1:11; Rev 1:7).

In Matthew 26:28, Jesus says, “For this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” The blood that Jesus Christ shed for all mankind is the blood of the covenant (Zech 9:11; Mark 14:24; Heb 9:20; 10:29; 13:20). The shedding of Jesus’ precious blood on the cross was not a spontaneous event, but a long-promised event. This is the message conveyed in the phrase, “the blood of the covenant.” Jesus came according to the promise of the Old Testament (Gen 3:15; Gal 3:19). He came at the fullness of time (Gal 4:4; Mark 1:15), at the right time (Rom 5:6), and with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times (Eph 1:9–10). He died according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:3) and was resurrected according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:4). At the proper time, He will surely come again to this earth to fulfill the promise of His Second Coming (1 Tim 6:15).

The covenant and its fulfillment as revealed in the Bible play a vital role in properly understanding God’s administration of salvation. Even to this day, the work to fulfill the covenant has progressed according to God’s perfect plan. It is continuously being fulfilled today and will continue to be fulfilled according to His administration until it is complete.

1. The Meaning of the Word Covenant

(1) Hebrew –

The word covenant is in Hebrew and refers to a mutual agreement between two parties. However, the covenant between God and His people is a unilateral agreement, with the emphasis on God’s sovereignty in its implementation because God is the Creator and mankind is the creature. By nature, God and human beings cannot be equal. In Genesis 6:18, God says, “But I will establish My covenant with you.” God is the One who establishes the covenant, and He is the rightful possessor of that covenant.

The word also means “to break apart.” The word originates from an Ancient Near Eastern practice of cutting an offering into two pieces when an important covenant was established (Gen 15:10; Jer 34:18). This act signified that if either of the two parties in the agreement does not keep his part of the agreement, he will also be torn into two pieces like the offering.

(2) Greek –

In the Septuagint, often is translated as , which is a combination of the word (dia, prefix for “two”) and the word (, “to put,” “to place,” or “to lay”). Thus, the compound word means “to place (or settle) between the two.” The covenant is made between two parties: God and His people in the Bible. The word is also used to mean “a will” (Heb 9:16–17). Normally, a covenant is made between two parties, but a will is given unilaterally. Just as a dying person unilaterally leaves behind final words (i.e., will) for the family, so too, is God’s covenant made exclusively by His sovereign power.

When considering the root meaning of the word covenant, one can see that the ultimate conclusion after entering into a covenant with God is for God and man to become one through a spiritual bond, thus forming a personal relationship. Accordingly, God’s use of the covenant as a tool to advance the plan of salvation is a clear display of His love toward mankind and strong will to save them.

2. Characteristics of the Covenant with God

(1) The unilateral and sovereign covenant

Although a covenant is an agreement between God and man, it is always initiated by God. In love, God drew near to fallen mankind to save them (1 John 4:10, 19) because human beings are God’s creation but lost the ability to enter into a covenant with God since the fall.

Thus, the covenant with God is unilateral by nature and is the sovereign covenant of His grace. Even when God’s people strayed from faithfully adhering to the covenant, He forgave them when they repented (Jer 33:8; 36:3). Furthermore, God Himself restored the covenant (Jer 31:31–34) and renewed it (Ezek 16:60–63; Rom 11:27).

We have received a new covenant in Christ. As a result, we have an eternal hope that keeps us from wavering no matter how difficult our circumstances may be. This covenant is our greatest comfort and the guarantee of the ultimate victory for those who wait for His Second Coming.

(2) The eternal covenant

The greatest characteristic of the biblical covenant is that once a covenant is made, it is unchanging and faithfully fulfilled. This is why we call it the “eternal covenant” (Gen 17:13, 19; 2 Sam 23:5; 1 Chr 16:17; Ps 105:8; Ezek 16:60; 37:26). The Word of God possesses eternal efficacy. Thus, once it is proclaimed, it is definitely fulfilled (Ps 119:160; Isa 40:8; 55:11).

1 Kings 8:56 Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant.

God’s covenant is not altered by any human condition or time. It can never be nullified or made void, and it can never be cancelled or terminated. Before this generation passes, all that He has planned will be fulfilled (Matt 24:34). He will fulfill His word with perfection, and He will not delay (Hab 2:3; Heb 10:37; Rev 1:1; 22:6).

Ezekiel 12:28 Therefore say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,’” declares the Lord GOD.

The covenant of the torch, which we will address in this book, is an eternal covenant. Psalm 105:8–10 states, “He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac. Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.” Once God takes an oath, confirming it as a statute, the covenant becomes an eternally unchanging covenant.

3. Types of Covenants

The Bible is a historical account based on God’s covenant. Through the covenant, God promised redemption in Jesus Christ. Thus, the main contents of the covenant are Jesus Christ and the redemption fulfilled through Him, which is eternal life (1 John 2:25). In Titus 1:2, the apostle Paul says that he is writing “in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago.” Thus, this promise of eternal life can be traced all the way back to the eternal world before creation. There are many different types of covenants in the Bible, but the covenants that appear after creation include the covenant of works, the covenant of redemption, and the covenant of grace.

(1) The covenant of works

After God established the Garden of Eden toward the east, He placed Adam there (Gen 2:8). In the garden, God entered into the covenant of works with Adam, who represents all humanity (Hos 6:7). Then God said to him, “But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” (Gen 2:17). This covenant, which God established with Adam concerning the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, is called the covenant of works because Adam’s life depended on his works.

The ultimate promise in this covenant of works is eternal life (1 John 2:25). If Adam and Eve had treasured, cherished, believed, and obeyed this divine Word wholeheartedly with fear, they would have eaten the fruit from the tree of life and lived eternally (Gen 3:22).

However, Eve listened to the words of the serpent, which were in complete opposition to God’s covenant. The serpent completely altered God’s Word by asserting, “You surely shall not die” by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 3:4). The serpent also tempted her with a lie that they could be like God: “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:5). As Eve’s heart became tempted, she began to believe in the serpent’s lies. Thus, with a proud desire to become like God, she reached out her hand for the fruit of that tree and ate it (Gen 3:6). Then, she became another tempter and gave the fruit to her husband, Adam. He too, ended up eating that fruit (Gen 3:6). Hence, the first man and woman committed the sin of disbelief, disobedience, and pride.

In this manner, the covenant of works that had been established by the Word of God was breached. The consequent condemnation that was poured upon mankind was enormous. Because of Adam, the ground was cursed to yield thorns and thistles, and in toil Adam was to eat of it all the days of his life (Gen 3:17–19). Adam and Eve were destined to die as a result of their sins (Rom 5:12). They received the sentence, “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” (Gen 3:19) and were cast out from the beautiful Garden of Eden, an actual, historical entity (Gen 3:24). After expelling Adam and Eve from the garden, God placed cherubim and a flaming sword that turned in every direction to the east of the garden to guard the way to the tree of life (Gen 3:24). God has shown that those who break the covenant simply cannot live forever.

Thus, sin caused mankind to fall. This fall caused a total separation from God that resulted in their expulsion from the garden and the stark darkness of despair in their lives (Isa 59:2). As a result of the breached covenant of works, the once noble mankind—originally created to live in eternity with God—fell and became children of wrath and beings under the curse of death who cannot escape judgment (Eph 2:3).

(2) The covenant of redemption

The covenant of redemption is the covenant that God established from before the ages to save fallen mankind. To restore a humanity expelled from Eden because they could not keep the covenant of works, God entered into a covenant with Jesus Christ, the Holy Son, and promised to accomplish the covenant through Him. In other words, the covenant of works, which Adam could not keep, was now enacted through Jesus. To do this, God the Father required two things from Jesus Christ.

First, Jesus must put on the form of humanity by coming as the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15; Gal 4:4–5; Heb 2:11–15). When mankind faced eternal destruction because of their transgression and fall, God did not simply abandon them (Isa 59:16); He made a firm promise to save them through the seed of the woman. The one who came as the seed of the woman at the fullness of time (Gal 4:4)—the only begotten Son who was in the bosom of the Father from before the beginning (John 1:14, 18) and was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the body of the virgin Mary (Matt 1:23; cf. Isa 7:14)—was indeed Jesus Christ.

By taking the form of flesh and blood, Jesus Christ achieved a hypostatic (personal) union of divinity and humanity. While He was on this earth, He was God-Man—the true God and true man.

Second, Jesus was to pay the penalty of sin on the cross, thereby satisfying the righteousness of the law (Gal 3:10–13). By bearing the transgressions of sinners and accepting their penalty on their behalf, Jesus undertook the work of atonement for their transgressions. Because the first Adam could not keep the covenant of works, Jesus Christ had to come and shed His blood on the cross, to fulfill the righteousness of the law and accomplishing the requirements of the covenant without fail (Heb 7:22; 8:6).

With the redeeming covenant that Jesus Christ has fulfilled on the cross, God the Father forgave the sins of the people who belong to Him and bestowed upon them the grace of justification (Rom 3:21–24). Therefore, the covenant of redemption is the lawful foundation for the fulfillment of the covenant of grace.

(3) The covenant of grace

While the covenant of redemption was made between God and Jesus Christ for the purpose of redeeming fallen mankind, the covenant of grace is made between God and fallen mankind. It is based upon the foundation of the covenant of redemption, in which sinners can find salvation and eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ. Considering that even faith in Christ—which is the sole requirement for salvation—is a free gift (i.e., grace) from God (Eph 2:8), we can conclude that the covenant of grace is entirely founded upon His unilateral grace. Neither our faith nor our repentance qualifies as the meritorious requirements for this covenant of grace.

In the covenant of works, men are given the task and obligation to carry out the covenant. However, because the covenant of grace is established in Christ, He is the One who guarantees to carry out the covenant. Humanity is merely a recipient under the covenant of grace through which eternal life is guaranteed in Christ. Thus, unlike the covenant of works, the covenant of grace requires no conditions, for it is laid upon the foundation of His boundless love, a gift freely bestowed through the One willed by God (John 3:15).

Indeed, the covenant of grace is the covenant of God’s sovereign love that He bestows upon His people. This covenant of grace emerges in various forms throughout the history of redemption.

4. The Gradual Expansion of Covenantal Revelations

(1) Covenants in the Old Testament

The relationship between God and mankind was severed when Adam, the forefather of humanity, disobeyed the Word of God (Gen 2:17) and ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. To restore this broken relationship, God elected Israel as His chosen people and made a covenant with them. Since then, God has been progressing toward the completion of the history of salvation by gradually fulfilling that covenant. Therefore, many covenants that appear in the Old Testament are the gradual expansion of revelations for the salvation of sinful mankind.

The very first revelation regarding the covenant is the “seed of the woman” promised in Genesis 3:15. This was the first covenant that vividly conveyed God’s will to save fallen mankind. All covenants, which are to be revealed gradually and vividly as the history of redemption progresses, stem from this covenant. God’s covenants were gradually developed into different forms in each time period throughout the history of the Old Testament. Such varying forms include the covenant with Noah (Gen 9), the covenant with Abraham (Gen 15; 17), the covenant with Moses (Exod 19; 24), the covenant with David (2 Sam 7; 1 Kgs 8:25; Ps 132:11), the new covenant through Jeremiah (Jer 31:31–34), and the everlasting covenant with Ezekiel (Ezek 16:60–63).

(2) The covenant with Abraham

God established a covenant with Abraham on seven occasions:

• First, God called Abraham and made His first promise in Genesis 12:1–3.

• Second, God promised the land of Canaan for the first time in Genesis 12:7.

• Third, God once again gave a promise concerning the land of Canaan and Abraham’s descendants in Genesis 13:15–18.

• Fourth, God reconfirmed His promise concerning the land of Canaan and Abraham’s descendants through the covenant of the torch in Genesis 15.

• Fifth, God established the covenant of circumcision in Genesis 17:9–14.

• Sixth, God once again promised the birth of Isaac in Genesis 18:10.

• Seventh, after Abraham offered up Isaac as a sacrifice, God gave His final confirmation of all the covenants He had made with Abraham thus far in Genesis 22:15–18.

The covenants that God made with Abraham became the focal point of the history of redemption that has progressed since then. Throughout the course of history, when the Israelites were rescued from their bondage in Egypt, when they conquered the land of Canaan, and at the establishment of the powerful dominion of David, the people of God cried out for God’s mercy by relying on the “covenant” which God had promised Abraham (Exod 32:13; Deut 9:27; 1 Kgs 18:36; 1 Chr 29:18). In return, God remembered the “covenant” with Abraham and helped them (Exod 2:24; 6:5; Lev 26:42, 45; Deut 9:5; 1 Chr 16:15–18; 2 Kgs 13:23; Luke 1:72–73).

Psalm 105:7–10 He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth. 8He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations, 9the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac. 10Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant.

(3) The redemptive and historical meaning of the covenant of the torch

Of the numerous covenants in the Old Testament and the seven covenants established with Abraham, the covenant that most explicitly and vividly conveys the intention behind the covenant of grace is the one of the “flaming torch” found in Genesis 15. The divine history of salvation for all humanity becomes clearly outlined in the covenant of the torch which God established with Abraham. The covenant of the torch historically implies the restoration of the nation of Israel, but it ultimately bears the great purpose in redemptive history of restoring fallen mankind’s lost “land” and the “people” of that nation. Concerning this, Erich Sauer states, “From the point of view of the history of salvation this is the most significant covenant-making of the Old Testament (Gen. 15:9–18).”2

Indeed, the covenant of the torch is the clearest manifestation of the administration of God in the history of redemption, which accomplishes the election of His people, their growth and the formation of their nation, and the possession of their dwelling place, the land of Canaan. There are two major reasons for this.

(i) It is a covenant established with a “torch” that passed between the pieces of the animals that were cut in two.

According to the Ancient Near Eastern customs of establishing a treaty (or covenant) around the fifteenth century BC, when the Pentateuch was recorded, the parties that are establishing the covenant must cut sacrificial animals in two pieces and pass between the pieces in front of many witnesses. This custom was carried out as an act of swearing an oath to keep the covenant, agreeing that whoever fails to keep the covenant will be cut into pieces like the animals (Jer 34:18-21).

A unique phenomenon that happened when God was making the covenant with Abraham is a flaming torch, which passed between the pieces of the animals. Since the torch symbolizes God’s presence (Exod 13:21; 19:18; 20:18-20; Deut 4:11-12; 5:23-24; Isa 62:1), the party that passed between the pieces was God. This was an emphatic expression of God’s will that He would certainly fulfill this covenant.

(ii) It was a definite promise concerning the establishment of God’s kingdom

Of the many covenants in the Old Testament, the covenant that contains the most details concerning the kingdom of God is the “covenant of the torch.” Genesis 15:7 states, “And He said to him, ‘I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.’” Through the covenant of the torch, God proclaimed that He would surely give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendants. Additionally, God promised that they would enter Canaan in the fourth generation from Abraham (Gen 15:16), and God even delineated the boundaries of Canaan (Gen 15:18).

The covenant of the torch is not limited to the fleshly descendants of Abraham. Ultimately, it is the promise given to all the spiritual descendants of Abraham—those who receive salvation through their faith in Jesus Christ (Rom 9:7–8; Gal 3:7, 27–29). If God established an everlasting covenant to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants (Ps 105:8–11), that covenant is still valid today for the believers who have received the promise of the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, the covenant of the torch is not merely a covenant from the past. It is a covenant of great importance that will be finally accomplished through the saints who fervently hope for the kingdom of God and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.