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A covenant is a legal agreement, a contract between two or more parties. The Everlasting Covenant is an agreement between YaHuWaH the Elohim of Israel, and His followers.

As its name implies, it is 'everlasting.' This contract will last for all time, age after age, for eternity! It is, therefore, of utmost importance to every believer in the Almighty to learn about this covenant. In common with most business or personal contracts the Everlasting Covenant has the following:

1. Parties to the covenant.
2. Specified territories and areas of concern.
3. A reason for its existence, an AIM.
4. Rules, provisions and conditions.
5. Outcomes, benefits and penalties. In spiritual language these are called blessings and cursings.
6. Signatures, Witnesses and a Seal.
7. Implementation Procedures: ratification, registration, publication and a starting date etc.

The Everlasting Covenant has all these elements and more. In this article we will briefly examine this amazing, eternal agreement between the Creator of the mighty universe and those who choose to sign up to the contract.

The term "Everlasting Covenant" first appears in scripture just after the account of Noah's flood, when YaHuWaH made an Everlasting Covenant never again to destroy all flesh on Earth. Seed time and harvest were also guaranteed in His promise and the rainbow was given as sign of that promise.

Next time you see a rainbow, remember that it is a sign, an 'icon in the sky' that tells you that the Almighty will never again annihilate all mankind by water.

The parties to the Everlasting Covenant are as follows:

• YaHuWaH the Almighty Elohim of Israel, and His Son on the one hand
• And all true believers who choose to accept YaHuWaH 's terms of salvation on the other.

In sacred terminology YAHUSHUA the Messiah is called "the seed of the woman." On the lower, physical plane the patriarch Abraham was selected to father the "chosen race" (Israel) from which this woman (the virgin Mary) was to come. Abraham's selection and call are described in these verses.

Many Bible truths are expressed on two levels, two planes - the physical and the spiritual. Failure to understand this fact will lead to frustrating misunderstanding. So let me explain these two planes before going any further. They are:

• The Lower Physical Plane: This is the visible lesson, the model, the blueprint, the type, the illustration, the pattern, the recipe. In human terms it is real, for it can be measured, felt, bought and sold. But in actual fact, this level is merely the temporary, passing lesson.
• The Higher, Spiritual Plane: This is the real thing. It is measureless and eternal. It embodies spiritual concepts, eternal principles and divine objectives.

On the lower, physical plane, that is at 'model or blueprint level' the literal descendants of Abraham (the blood-born descendants of Israel) were to take possession of the literal land of Canaan. On the higher, spiritual plane, Abraham's seed (YAHUSHUA the Messiah) and his spiritual offspring (true believers from all nations) will take possession of the new Heavens and new Earth. Remember these two levels as you study further.

The land promised to Abraham and his "seed" (initially the literal progeny of Jacob, but ultimately the Messiah's offspring of faithful followers) was actually much larger than that which is currently held by the nation of Israel. YaHuWaH promised Israel a territory stretching from the Mediterranean to the river Euphrates and to the uttermost sea! In other words, the Almighty promised the whole Earth to true believers in Abraham's seed - the Messiah. Literal Israel's possession of land is simply the 'kindergarten model' of that eternal inheritance - the reality! Here are the Bible texts which mention these astonishing facts.

In other words, the territory which the Everlasting Covenant encompasses is the entire universe. It will stretch from this age to age for all time and through all space - to the uttermost oceans of time and space!

YaHuWaH 's ultimate objective in designing the Everlasting Covenant is that His children, His followers become absolutely perfect as He is perfect. It is currently not possible for the Most High, the holy, sinless YaHuWaH to abide with mankind. We are sinful; and a holy YaHuWaH cannot abide sin anywhere near Him. We must first be cleansed, totally cleansed from every vestige of sin before we can ever hope to come and dwell in Elohim's holy presence. This fact is mentioned by YAHUSHUA, YaHuWaH's Son, in His famous sermon on the mount when He said:

The whole plan of salvation is simply a means to that end. In short, the aim of the Everlasting Covenant is that the redeemed host will reach a state of absolute perfection in order that we may live with a perfect and holy Elohim for all time.

Every covenant worthy of its name has conditional clauses and rules which the parties involved agree upon. It is not possible to find a covenant anywhere on Earth which doesn't contain rules or conditions. The Everlasting Covenant is no exception. It also has rules. The rules and conditions in the Everlasting Covenant were designed and delivered by YaHuWaH Himself in the presence of billions of angels, millions of literal Israelites and thousands of believing foreigners. These rules, YaHuWaH's Torah, were actually spoken by YaHuWaH Himself when He descended on mount Sinai in the desert of Arabia. Everyone present heard His voice as He delivered His law. Broadly speaking YaHuWaH 's Torah can be divided into two categories:

• The Ten Commandments which YaHuWaH spoke out loud to all Israel and then wrote with His own finger on stone tablets.
• Other commandments which He spoke and which later Moshe wrote in a book.

The ten commandments were then placed inside a specially prepared box called the Ark of the Covenant. The cover of this box is called the mercy seat. It was made of pure gold. At each end of the ark were two cherubim made of beaten gold. The Almighty would commune with His people from above the mercy seat and between the two cherubim. Here is the record of these facts.

The ark of the covenant is a scaled-down model of YaHuWaH 's throne and His government; which is based on His holy Torah and infinite mercy. These facts are fully explained in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In this article I simply quote a few verses as pointers. You must read those four books to get the whole picture. The Bible says: that any person, Jew or heathen, who believes in Israel's Elohim YaHuWaH and obeys His commandments is classified by the Almighty as His "peculiar treasure" - and is more precious to Him than all others.

In addition to its laws, the Everlasting Covenant has outcomes. Whether we realize or not these outcomes involve everyone who elects to become a believer in the Almighty and His Son. Briefly the two outcomes are as follows:

YaHuWaH 's Shabbat is His sign or signature of sanctification. It is the Almighty's badge of ownership on the true believer's mind; a memorial symbol that YaHuWaH the Elohim of Israel is setting that person apart for Himself. Sabbath observance identifies the true Israelite. The Sabbath is the everlasting sign of the everlasting covenant. It will be kept throughout eternity by the redeemed host. That is what the scriptures teach.

The Everlasting Gospel is the good news of salvation, an appeal to earth's multitudes to accept YaHuWaH 's offer of salvation through His only begotten Son YAHUSHUA the Messiah. The Everlasting Gospel is an invitation to sign up to the Everlasting Covenant. Those who positively respond to this invitation will declare their faith in the Creator and His Son, YAHUSHUA the Messiah, by keeping that divinely appointed memorial of the creation and the sign of the Everlasting Covenant, the seventh day Shabbat.

What does this mean for the average person? It means this: every believer in YaHuWaH the Elohim of Israel, whether he/she be Jew or heathen, should pay special attention to the Everlasting Covenant. The Everlasting Covenant, I need hardly repeat, is everlasting. It exists at this very moment. To be sure most of Israel, to whom it was first given, broke and rejected its terms. But that didn't cause YaHuWaH to abandon His covenant with Abraham and his 'seed' which on the higher plane meant YAHUSHUA and His followers. Oh no! Israel's and Christian disobedience simply activated those clause curses. Nevertheless the Everlasting Covenant still exists. Its laws and provisions are also eternal. They will last for all time, through endless ages in the new Heavens and the new Earth. The Everlasting Covenant has been signed, sealed and ratified with the blood of YaHuWaH 's Son, YAHUSHUA the Messiah!

If you are a true believer in YAHUSHUA the Messiah, then, according to the scriptures, you are a "child of Abraham" and are a party to this covenant. If you persist in disobedience the curses written in the book of the covenant will fall upon you. If you obey the terms of the covenant then blessings will be your portion. All this is plainly taught in the Bible. Hearken to these verses:

Where are the differences between the old and new covenants? The answer is:

• The old covenant had a man made temple, an Aaronic priesthood, animal sacrifices and various rituals involving blood, flour, oil and repeated washings.
• The new covenant has a divinely constructed Temple, a Melchisedec priesthood, it is ratified with the blood of YAHUSHUA the Messiah and the symbolism of the old is replaced by the reality to which the symbolism pointed.

But, and here is a vital point you must understand if you wish to a be party to the Everlasting Covenant: the same moral laws, (i.e. The Ten Commandments) apply in both covenants. Moral commandments embody eternal principles which can never become obsolete. They are a transcript of the Almighty's character and are as unchanging as YaHuWaH Himself. They are to be inscribed by Him on the tablets of the true believer's heart and mind in the very near future. If, therefore, you want to be party to the Everlasting Covenant, then you must allow YaHuWaH the Elohim of Israel to sign and seal you with His own character, His Name. This means you must be willing to receive and obey His commandments. No other option is on offer to those who wish to be party to the Everlasting Covenant. Please do not balk at this revelation. YaHuWaH the Elohim of Israel is about to inscribe His holy Torah on the minds and hearts of His people Israel. If you believe in YAHUSHUA the Messiah then you are an Israelite - a potential candidate for the Everlasting Covenant.

Do not miss this opportunity to become a party to the Everlasting Covenant!