The Four Covenants of God

Did God redefine His covenants… or are His promises to Israel still unfolding exactly as spoken?

From Genesis to the Prophets, Scripture reveals not one vague agreement, but four distinct, interconnected covenants made with Israel. When they are blurred or reassigned, prophecy collapses. When they are read plainly, a powerful, unified story emerges.

Each covenant does not replace the previous—it builds, clarifies, and moves the promise forward toward its final fulfillment.

◦ The Abrahamic Covenant — The Unbreakable Foundation

God begins with promise, not law.

Genesis 12:2–3

"I will make of you a great nation… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Genesis 15:18

"To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates."

This covenant is unconditional. In Genesis 15, God alone passes between the pieces. Abraham does not. The promise rests entirely on God.

And it wasn't stated once, it was reaffirmed repeatedly:

Genesis 17:7–8

"I will establish my covenant… as an everlasting covenant… I will give… all the land of Canaan."

Genesis 26:3 (to Isaac)

"I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father."

Genesis 28:13 (to Jacob)

"The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring."

This repetition matters. God is not revising, He is reinforcing.

Jeremiah 31:35–36

"If this fixed order departs… then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever."

◦◦ The covenant is tied to creation itself. If Israel is redefined, then God's language has no stable meaning.

John Walvoord:

"Israel's covenants are not canceled by the Church; they await literal fulfillment in the future kingdom."

This promise sets the stage for everything that follows.

◦ The Mosaic Covenant — The 613 Commands and the Need Revealed

At Sinai, God gives Israel the Law—traditionally counted as 613 commandments.

Why so many?

Because the Law was not merely moral, it governed every aspect of life: civil, ceremonial, dietary, priestly, and moral. It set Israel apart as a holy nation among the nations.

Exodus 19:5

"If you will indeed obey my voice… you shall be my treasured possession…"

Deuteronomy 28:1–2

"If you faithfully obey… all these blessings shall come upon you."

Deuteronomy 28:15

"If you will not obey… all these curses shall come upon you."

This covenant is conditional. It does not secure the promise—it tests and exposes the human heart.

Galatians 3:24–25

"The law was our guardian until Christ came…"

The 613 laws reveal something profound: not that Israel could achieve righteousness—but that no one could.

The Mosaic Covenant does not replace the promise.

It reveals the need for redemption within it.

◦ The Davidic Covenant — The Throne That Will Not Move

God now advances His plan—from promise, through law, to a King.

2 Samuel 7:16

"Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever."

Psalm 89:34–36

"I will not violate my covenant… his throne as long as the sun before me."

This is not symbolic language. It is covenant certainty.

Luke 1:32–33

"The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David…"

If this throne is not literal, then no promise in Scripture can be read with certainty.

And Scripture tells us where this throne will be established:

Isaiah 2:2–3

"In the latter days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains… For out of Zion shall go forth the law."

Zechariah 14:9

"The Lord will be king over all the earth."

The Davidic throne will be in Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, exalted above all. Not metaphorically—geographically, visibly, globally.

Chuck Missler:

"God means what He says, and says what He means. The covenants with Israel are not poetic—they are contractual."

A real King. A real throne. A real reign.

◦ The New Covenant — Offered to Israel, Fulfilled in the Future

After failure under the Law, God promises transformation, not replacement.

Jeremiah 31:31–33

"I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah…"

This language is precise. It is never used for a spiritualized group.

Ezekiel 36:24–27

"I will take you from the nations… bring you into your own land… I will give you a new heart…"

Notice the order:

◦> Regathering ◦> Cleansing ◦> Renewal ◦> Obedience

This covenant was offered to Israel, and it still stands.

Yet many assume it was transferred entirely to the Church. That assumption cannot stand under the text.

Jeremiah 31:35–37 (partial)

"If the heavens above can be measured… then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel…"

Romans 11:25–27

"A partial hardening has come upon Israel… and in this way all Israel will be saved…"

This is not God abandoning His people—it is God ensuring their ultimate restoration.

The Church partakes in all the spiritual blessings through Messiah, but it is never called the nation to whom these covenants were sworn.

◦ Where the Confusion Begins

The issue is not Scripture—it is misreading it.

When the Abrahamic Covenant is made conditional, promise weakens.

When the Mosaic Covenant is made permanent, law replaces grace.

When the Davidic Covenant is made symbolic, the throne disappears.

When the New Covenant is reassigned, Israel vanishes from its own promises.

◦ The Chain Reaction

Spiritualized land ? God no longer means what He says

Symbolic throne ? Messiah never rules from David's line

Redefined Israel ? Covenant identity is erased

Collapsed prophecy ? Scripture loses predictive authority

◦ The Prophetic Anchor

Zechariah 14:4

"On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives…"

This is not symbolic. It is visible, geographic fulfillment—exactly where God said it would happen.

◦ The Story God Is Telling

These covenants are not competing—they are unfolding.

The Abrahamic Covenant establishes the promise.

The Mosaic Covenant exposes the need.

The Davidic Covenant secures the King.

The New Covenant restores the people.

◦ The Prophetic Crescendo

Amos 9:14–15

"I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel… I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted…"

God does not revise His covenants.

He fulfills them, exactly as spoken, in the place He promised, to the people He named.

==