As far as a chapter can completely cover a topic, this one covers all of the prophetic elements to be fulfilled in the Christian age.  The church and kingdom of Christ is understood in relation to the kingdoms of this world.  Its prophetical future is related to the character, working, and fate of the antichristian apostasy.  The church and kingdom of Christ will be consummated at his second coming and mediatorial kingdom.

There are a great selection of prophecies that relate the church and kingdom of Christ with those in the world.  Along with such prophecies in Daniel, Revelation speaks extensively on this topic.  The foundational struggle is that of worldly power.  There is a global power that exists under the dragon and a divine kingdom under the emblem of the Son of Man.

The structuring of Christ’s kingdom must be understood by its triumph over the  character, work, and fate of the antichristian apostasy.  In Daniel, the antichrist is first introduced typically, and then antitypically, as was further illuminated by Jesus, his apostles, and the Apocalypse.  Revelation shows the overthrow and destruction of this antichrist as a work begun and won on the cross.

The only issues that remain are Christ’s second coming, and the consummation of his kingdom.  The Lord’s coming is a doctrine that is taught in both the Old and New Testaments.  Yet, it is only in Revelation that we find an explicit passage for the millennium.  The timing of the millennium is thoroughly debated, but the culmination—the materialization of Christ as judge and the creation of  the new heavens and the new earth—is not a matter of debate.



There are three views concerning the prophetical future of the Jewish people.  Traditional literalism, held by Jews and some Christians, sees all land, worship, and preeminence yet to be restored to Israel.  The second view sees Jewish and Christian fulfillment interspersed.  The third interprets the promises spiritually, realized in Christ and the Church.  We must consult Christ and the apostles for proper interpretation.

To understand which of these interpretations are true, the student must grasp the teaching of Jesus Christ and his apostles.  Their teachings are implicit, but never explicitly laid out in a systematic manner.  Since Christianity grew out of the seed of Judaism, it would be understandable to see the promises mature into Christianity.

The typical nature of the Levitical age seems to imply this.  A reliable typological system is needed to be able to bridge the writings of the Old and New Testaments in regard to this point.  The Church has entered this antitypical priestly system through the Passover of Christ.  Once arrived, the Church becomes the priesthood of the kingdom.  This is a spiritual replacement of the physical reality.

Therefore, the prophecies are to be interpreted in the vein of the previous positions.  All of the predictions that were future for Israel are present or past for the current age.  Yet, the majority of prophecy has a moral element in it.  Revelation in this manner can be seen as God’s prophecy concerning the nations surrounding Israel, his judgment of their moral failure.  This is seen in the conditional nature which was given to Israel for the promised good or bad.  These prophecies must be understood according what is natural and have only one true interpretation.



Because of its predictive nature, prophecy has an apologetic value.  Although, predictive prophecy is only a branch of prophesy.  Its proper use is for the church.  Evidence of specific, realized prophecy is more necessary to argue for than a general survey.  When arguing for the apologetic value of prophecy, the four prophetic themes are states and kingdoms, the Jewish people, the Messiah, and Jerusalem.

The prophetic agency did not consist of prophecy to Israel only.  It also addressed  other ancient nations and kingdoms.  For these nations, to interact with the covenant people was to come into contact with God Almighty.  There was a general prophecy of destruction to all those that threatened Israel or rebelled against God.  Specific prophesies were given with regard to the role of nations in the history of redemption.

The entire foundation of the nation of Israel rested upon the Divine, prophetic word.  There is scarcely any latter prophet that did not highlight the exaltation of Israel.  Yet, when it came to a generational or individualistic level, there was a conditional substance to which demanded obedience.  Even through deportation, there remained an offer of reconciliation to those who had broken faith with the God of the kingdom.

The magnitude of the prophecies concerning the Messiah was so huge that when interpreting them to himself, Jesus confirmed that all the Old Testament testified to him.  In fact, his life, death, resurrection, mission, and message were founded on these prophetic texts.  The depth of these prophetic texts was shown in that when the Jews missed the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom, this led to the eventual destruction of Jerusalem and Israel itself.



Difficulties arise when prophecies are considered apart from their prophetical development.  Understanding comes from seeing the progressive character of prophecy.  This can be seen in the connection of prophesied covenants and the history of Israel.  All prophecy is tied to a common purpose—pointing to and announcing the Messiah.  The prophets are interconnected agents used by God to reveal his purpose and will.

Just as in history, there is a progression, a unity of plan, and a connection of prophetic parts.   The Divine nature of prophecy mandates this.  In prophecy, God has determined the end from the beginning; therefore, there is a consistency in its onward progress.  A common foundation can be traced from the first prophecy (Genesis 3) and the Abrahamic covenant throughout all the following covenants and their prophecies.

Israel’s return from Babylon showed the history and prophetic progression of revelation.  It revealed God’s foreknowledge and providence.  And, even in the last announcements of the prophecy of this age, highlighting both the character and mission of his Messiah, God’s intelligible thread consisted of natural results and future sequels.

What is to be made of one prophet’s use of the words and ideas of another?  Some see this as a sign that prophecy is nothing more than a literary device lacking actual revelation just like any other.  Yet, it must be remembered that prophecy was given to all as soon as received.  Therefore, the overlap that can be seen is not lack of revelation, but progressive revelation—a building on what has come before.  The prophets did not become inhuman automations during the prophecy, but were human agents in an unbreakable prophetic chain.



Prophetic style and diction ought to be viewed negatively and positively in three peculiarities.  The first peculiarity of the style and diction of prophecy is poetical elevation.  The second peculiarity is figurative representation.  The last peculiarity of the prophetic style and diction is the exhibition of events as present, linked, or future.

It is helpful to determine the character of the prophetic style and diction by stating what it is not.  The majority of scripture is not history written beforehand or undeveloped future, but a sign and witness in revelation.  This helps the interpreter by not forcing historical simplicity into the interpretation.  Therefore, the interpretation that prophecy is merely anticipated history is to be rejected.

Stated positively, the supernatural element always bases itself in the natural.    Yet, the communication that the prophets receive is through the spiritual realm.  The prophecy is to be interpreted as spiritual alone if the prophecy consists only in communication with God, in the spiritual realm.  The prophecy is actual life (history) if the prophet is relating his dealing with and among the people.  Prophecy should only be interpreted historically when there is an indubitable connection with the facts of history.

The three peculiarities about the style of poetry help to interpret prophecy.  First, poetry is greatly used in prophecy; and, the more symbolic prophecy gets, the farther it is removed from history.  Second, the more prophecy is used to veil the truth, the more that truth is spoken in a figurative sense.  Third, though the prophet may see future events, those events often either appear only in the present, in a succession of other prophecies, or without a link to an actual historical era at all.



What relationship did prophecy have with the hearer’s freedom in thought, action, duty, and outcome?  It must be established whether prophecy absolutely came to pass or if there was room in prophecy for conditions.  This also must be related to God’s kingdom standing in nations and hearts through proclamation in action.

The main concern of these two issues was whether prophecy put forth an irreversible decree of what would come to pass, or whether to some extent God was simply announcing his future dealings—contingent on the obedience of individuals or nations.  There are two camps on this theological issue.  The first states that all prophecies were more or less contingent.  The second that prophecies were not contingent  These two extremes miss prophecy’s revelation of God’s person and purpose of grace.

In a broad sense, prophecy related God’s kingdom standing in opposition to rival nations.  In this sense, the settled purposes of God were absolute.  Yet, there was also that class of prophecy in which God used both promise and threat to make his people advance in holiness.  In this sense there was no hint of change in God himself, but he did shape the heart and emotions of his people.  His prophecy was contingent on their obedience.

With regard to his relationship of kingdom rule in the hearts of his people, we might see a new connection to threat and promise.  God showed goodness by using threat to keep his people faithful.  What must be understood is that when he breathed judgment, he relented when there was repentance.  Also, he did not continue speaking words of blessing to a hard-hearted people that were against him.  He was using prophecy to expose the hidden intentions of the heart.



Old Testament (The Hebrew Scriptures, or Tanach):

EL: God (“mighty, strong, prominent”) used 250 times in the OT See Gen. 7:1, 28:3, 35:11; Nu. 23:22; Josh. 3:10; 2 Sam. 22:31, 32; Neh. 1:5, 9:32; Isa. 9:6; Ezek. 10:5. El is linguistically equivalent to the Moslem “Allah,” but the attributes of Allah in Islam are entirely different from those of the God of the Hebrews. ELAH is Aramaic, “god.” Elah appears in the Hebrew Bible in Jer. 10:11 (which is in Aramaic, and is plural, “gods”). In Daniel (the Aramaic sections) Elah is used both of pagan gods, and of the true God, also plural. Elah is equivalent to the Hebrew Eloah which is dual while Elohim is three or more. The gods of the nations are called “elohim.” The origin of Eloah is obscure. Elohim is the more common plural form of El. Eloah is used 40 times in Job between 3;4 and 40:2, but fewer than 15 times elsewhere in the OT. It seems to be mostly poetic.

ELOHIM: God (a plural noun, more than two, used with singular verbs, the dual form Eloah is used in Job); Elohim occurs 2,570 times in the OT, 32 times in Gen. 1. God as Creator, Preserver, Transcendent, Mighty and Strong. Eccl., Dan. Jonah use Elohim almost exclusively. See Gen. 17:7, 6:18, 9:15, 50:24; I Kings 8:23; Jer. 31:33; Isa. 40:1.

EL SHADDAI: God Almighty or “God All Sufficient.” 48 times in the OT, 31 times in Job. First used in Gen. 17:1, 2. (Gen. 31:29, 49:24, 25; Prov. 3:27; Micah 2:1; Isa. 60:15, 16, 66:10-13; Ruth 1:20, 21) In Rev. 16:7, “Lord God the Almighty.” The Septuagint uses Greek “ikanos” meaning “all-sufficient” or “self-sufficient.” The idols of the heathen are called “sheddim.”

ADONAI: Lord in our English Bibles (Capitol letter ‘L ‘, lower case, ‘ord’) (Adonai is plural, the sing. is “adon”). “Master” or “Lord” 300 times in the OT always plural when referring to God, when sing. the reference is to a human lord. Used 215 times to refer to men. First use of Adonai, Gen. 15:2. (Ex. 4:10; Judges 6:15; 2 Sam. 7:18-20; Ps. 8, 114:7, 135:5, 141:8, 109:21-28). Heavy use in Isaiah (Adonai Jehovah). 200 times by Ezekiel. Ten times in Dan. 9.

JEHOVAH: LORD in our English Bibles (all capitals). Yahweh is the covenant name of God. Occurs 6823 times in the OT First use Gen. 2:4 (Jehovah Elohim). From the verb “to be”, havah, similar to chavah (to live), “The Self-Existent One,” “I AM WHO I AM” or ‘I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE” as revealed to Moses at the burning bush, Ex.3. The name of God, too sacred to be uttered, abbreviated ( . . . . ) or written “YHWH” without vowel points. The tetragrammaton. Josh., Judges, Sam., and Kings use Jehovah almost exclusively. The love of God is conditioned upon His moral and spiritual attributes. (Dan. 9:14; Ps. 11:7; Lev. 19:2; Hab. 1:12). Note Deut. 6:4, 5 known to Jews as the Sh’ma uses both Jehovah and Elohim to indicate one God with a plurality of persons.

JEHOVAH-JIREH: “The Lord will Provide.” Gen. 22:14. From “jireh” (“to see” or “to provide,” or to “foresee” as a prophet.) God always provides, adequate when the times come.

JEHOVAH-ROPHE: “The Lord Who Heals” Ex. 15:22-26. From “rophe” (“to heal”); implies spiritual, emotional as well as physical healing. (Jer. 30:17, 3:22; Isa. 61:1) God heals body, soul and spirit; all levels of man’s being.

JEHOVAH-NISSI: “The Lord Our Banner.” Ex. 1:15. God on the battlefield, from word which means “to glisten,” “to lift up,” See Psa. 4:6.

JEHOVAH-M’KADDESH: “The Lord Who Sanctifies” Lev. 20:8. “To make whole, set apart for holiness.”

JEHOVAH-SHALOM: “The Lord Our Peace” Judges 6:24. “Shalom” translated “peace” 170 times means “whole,” “finished,” “fulfilled,” “perfected.” Related to “well,” welfare.” Deut. 27:6; Dan. 5:26; I Kings 9:25 8:61; Gen. 15:16; Ex. 21:34, 22:5, 6; Lev. 7:11-21. Shalom means that kind of peace that results from being a whole person in right relationship to God and to one’s fellow man.

SHEPHERD Psa. 23, 79:13, 95:7, 80:1, 100:3; Gen. 49:24; Isa. 40:11.

JUDGE: Psa. 7:18, 96:13.

JEHOVAH ELOHIM: “LORD God” Gen. 2:4; Judges 5:3; Isa. 17:6; Zeph. 2:9; Psa. 59:5, etc.

JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU: “The Lord Our Righteousness” Jer. 23:5, 6, 33:16. From “tsidek” (straight, stiff, balanced – as on scales – full weight, justice, right, righteous, declared innocent.) The God Who is our righteousness.

JEHOVAH-ROHI: “The Lord Our Shepherd” Psa. 23, from “ro’eh” (to pasture).

JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH: “The Lord is There” (Ezek. 48:35).

JEHOVAH-SABAOTH: “The Lord of Hosts” The commander of the angelic host and the armies of God. Isa. 1:24; Psa. 46:7, 11; 2 Kings 3:9-12; Jer. 11:20 (NT: Rom. 9:29; James 5:24, Rev. 19: 11-16).

EL ELYON: ‘Most High” (from “to go up”) Deut. 26:19, 32:8; Psa. 18:13; Gen. 14:18; Nu. 24:16; Psa. 78:35, 7:17, 18:13, 97:9, 56:2, 78:56, 18:13; Dan. 7:25, 27; Isa. 14:14.

ABHIR: ‘Mighty One’, (“to be strong”) Gen. 49:24; Deut. 10:17; Psa. 132:2, 5; Isa. 1:24, 49:26, 60:1.

KADOSH: “Holy One” Psa. 71:22; Isa. 40:25, 43:3, 48:17. Isaiah uses the expression “the Holy One of Israel” 29 times.

SHAPHAT: “Judge” Gen. 18:25

EL ROI: “God of Seeing” Hagar in Gen. 16:13. The God Who opens our eyes.

KANNA: “Jealous” (zealous). Ex. 20:5, 34:14; Deut. 5:9; Isa. 9:7; Zech. 1:14, 8:2.

PALET: “Deliverer” Psa. 18:2.

YESHA: (Y’shua) “Savior” Isa. 43:3. Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew “Joshua.” The latter is a contraction of Je-Hoshua. (“Christ”, the anointed one is equivalent to the Hebrew Maschiah, or Messiah).

GAOL: “Redeemer” (to buy back by paying a price). Job 19:25; For example, the antitype corresponding to Boaz the Kinsman-Redeemer in the Book of Ruth.

MAGEN: “Shield” Psa. 3:3, 18:30.

EYALUTH: “Strength” Psa. 22:19.

TSADDIQ: “Righteous One” Psa. 7:9.

EL-OLAM: “Everlasting God” (God of everlasting time) Gen. 21:33; Psa. 90:1-3, 93:2; Isa. 26:4.

EL-BERITH: “God of the Covenant” Used of Baal in Judges 9:46. Probably used originally to refer to the God of israel.

EL-GIBHOR: Mighty God (Isa. 9:6)

ZUR: “God our Rock” Deut. 32:18; Isa. 30:29.

Malachi calls Messiah “The Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2).

Isaiah calls Messiah “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God (El Gibhor), Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).

‘Attiq Yomin (Aramaic): “Ancient of Days,” Dan. 7:9, 13, 22.

MELEKH: “King” Psa. 5:2, 29:10, 44:4, 47:6-8, 48:2, 68:24, 74:12, 95:3, 97:1, 99:4, 146:10; Isa. 5:1, 5, 41:21, 43:15, 44:6; 52:7, 52:10.

“The Angel of the Lord: ” Gen. 16:7ff, 21:17, 22:11, 15ff, 18:1-19:1, 24:7, 40, 31:11-13, 32:24-30; Ex. 3:6, 13:21, Ezek. 1:10-13. Seen in the theophanies, or pre-incarnate appearances of the Son of God in the OT (See I Cor. 10:3 NT).

FATHER: Num. 1:9; I Sam. 16:6; Ex. 4:22-23; 2 Sam. 7:14-15; Psa. 2:7; Isa. 63:16, 64:8; Mal. 1:6.

THE FIRST AND LAST: Isa. 44:6, 48:12.

KURIOS: “Lord” Found some 600 times in the NT.

DESPOTES: “Lord” 5 times: Lu. 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 4; Rev. 6:10.

THEOS: “God” (equivalent to the Hebrew Elohim), 1,000 times in the NT. In the NT all the persons of the trinity are called “God” at one time or another.

“I AM”: Jesus upset his generation especially when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” John 8:58. Note also his claim to be Jehovah in such phrases as “I AM the Light of the world,” “the bread of life,” living water,” “the Resurrection and the Life,” “the Way, Truth and the Life” in John’s Gospel. From the Hebrew OT verb “to be” signifying a Living, Intelligent, Personal Being.

THEOTES: “Godhead” Col . 2 :9; Rom. 1:20.

HUPSISTOS: “Highest” Mt. 21:9.

SOTER: “Savior” Luke 1:4 7.

JESUS: Derived from the Hebrew “Joshua” (Y’shua) or “Je-Hoshua” meaning JEHOVAH IS SALVATION.

CHRIST: is equivalent to the Hebrew ‘Messiah’ (Meshiach), “The Anointed One.”

Other NT Titles for Jesus: Shepherd of the Sheep; Master; King of kings; Lord of lords; Bishop and Guardian of our Souls; Daystar, Deliverer, Advocate, Second Adam, Ancient of Days, Branch, Chief Cornerstone, Immanuel, First Born, Head of the Body, Physician, Rock, Root of Jesse, Stone, Potentate; Chief Apostle; Great High Priest; Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (or Author and Finisher); Lamb of God; Lamb Slain before the Foundation of the World; Lord God Almighty.

LOGOS: “The Word of God” John l; Rev. 19:13.

SOPHIA: “The Wisdom of God,” referring to Christ, refers back to Proverbs (I Cor. 1,2)

Father, Son, Holy Spirit: Christian orthodoxy has always understood God to be One God in Three Persons (Elohim). In The NT each person of the godhead is called “God” and “Lord” at least once.

Names for the Holy Spirit: Counselor; Comforter; Baptiser; Advocate; Strengthener; Sanctifier; Spirit of Christ (not the same as the spirit of Christ); Seven-Fold Spirit (Rev.); Spirit of Truth; Spirit of Grace; Spirit of Mercy; Spirit of God; Spirit of Holiness; Spirit of Life. Symbolized in OT and NT by (l) breath or wind; (2) fire; (3) water; (4) oil; (5) light; (6) a dove.

The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ: Most Study Bibles have notes which give references to the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is what the Scofield Study Bible Notes say:

(1) In the intimations and explicit predictions of the O.T. (a) The theophanies intimate the appearance of God in human form, and His ministry thus to man (Gen. 16:7-13; 18:2-23. especially v. 17; 32. 28 with Hos. 12:3-5; Ex. 3:2-14). (b) The Messiah is expressly declared to be the Son of God (Psa. 2:2-9), and God (Psa. 45:6, 7 with Heb. 1:8,9; Psa. 110. with Mt. 22:44; Acts 2:34 and Heb. 1:13; Psa. 110.4 with Heb. 5:6; 6. 20:7. 17-21; and Zech. 6:13). (c) His virgin birth was foretold as the means through which God could be “Immanuel,” God with us (Isa. 7:13, 14 with Mt. 1:22, 23). (d) The Messiah is expressly invested with the divine names (Isa. 9:6, 7). (e) In a prophecy of His death He is called Jehovah’s “fellow” (Zech. 13:7 with Mt. 26:31). (f) His eternal being is declared (Mic. 5:2 with Mt. 2:6; John 7:42).

(2) Christ Himself affirmed His deity. (a) He applied to Himself the Jeho-vistic I AM. (The pronoun “he” is not in the Greek; cf. John 8:24; John 8:56-58. The Jews correctly understood this to be our Lord’s claim to full deity [v. 59]. See, also, John 10:33; 18:4-6, where, also “he” is not in the original.) (b) He claimed to be the Adonai of the O.T. (Mt. 22:42-45. See Gen. 15:2, note). (c) He asserted His identity with the Father (Mt. 28:19; Mk. 14:62; John 10:30; that the Jews so understood Him is shown by vs. 31, 32; John 14:8, 9; 17. 5). (d) He exercised the chief prerogative of God (Mk. 2:5-7; Lk. 7:48-50). (e) He asserted omnipresence (Mt. 18:20; John 3:13); omniscience (John 11:11-14, when Jesus was fifty miles away; Mk. 11:6-8); omnipotence (Mt. 28:18; Lk. 7:14; John 5:21-23; 6. is); mastery over nature, and creative power (Lk. 9:16. 17; John 2:9, 10:28). (f) He received and approved human worship (Mt. 14:33; 28: 9, John 20: 28, 29).

(3) The N.T. writers ascribe divine titles to Christ (John 1:1; 20. 28; Acts 20:28; Rom. 1:4; 9:5; 2 Thess. 1:12; 1 Tim. 3:16; Tit. 2:23; Heb. 1:8; 1 John 5:20).

(4) The N.T. writers ascribe divine perfections and attributes to Christ (e.g. Mt. 11:28; 18:20, 28:20; John 1:2, 2:23-25; 3:13; 5:17; 21:17; Heb. 1:3, 11, 12 with Heb. 13:8; Rev. 1:8,17,18; 2:23; 11. 17; 22:13).

(5) The N.T. writers ascribe divine works to Christ (John 1:3. 16:17, Col. 1:16, 17; Heb. 1:3).

(6) The N.T. writers teach that supreme worship should be paid to Christ (Acts 7:59, 60; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 13:14, Phil. 2:9, 10; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 1:5, 6; 5. 12, 13).

(7) The holiness and resurrection of Christ prove His deity (John 8:46; Rom. 1:4).

Philippians 2 is the great Chapter on the kenosis or self-emptying of the Lord Jesus Christ when He became a man. His equality with the Father as the Son of God is stated here.

Note also John 5:18 “This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.”

A well-known NT passage of mine is Romans 9:5 “…to them (the Jewish race) belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Messiah (who is) God who is over all, blessed for ever. Amen.”

ALPHA AND OMEGA: The First and the Last, The Beginning and The End (Rev. 1).

The recipient and sphere of prophecy was the church.  This sphere was not in the sense of an organized institution with a temporal location, but the people of God from all time before and after Christ.  The aim for God was to communicate his ethical will to his people, blessing them for obedience and cursing them for disobedience.

The intention of this prophecy was not to satisfy the church’s hunger to know what the future might hold, but to be a light to guide her to faithfulness in the darkest of times.  This explains why prophecy came in unequal portions and at irregular times.  Often, God prophesied the church’s good by condemning the evil of her adversaries. This is the mode of the first prophetic promise and continues through both Testaments.

In understanding the prophecies of good intention toward the church, there was implied within them a sense of condition.  As the people walked in disobedience, the prophets would not prophesy good, but would threaten coming judgment.  The promises of good had their fulfillment because of Christ and the people’s relation to him.  These promises were for all believers from all time.

Though these promises may have come within different covenants or ages, they were given to one unified church with all the benefits offered to her.  Therefore, it reveals the mind of God and the life that pleases him throughout all ages and covenants.  All prophecies should be viewed in this ethical sense.  Moreover, many prophecies will only be understood as meeting their fulfillment in this sense.  Even predictive prophecy should not be understood merely as evidence of miraculous revelation, but as a supernatural call for men to submit to him.



The Covenant of Works

by Wayne Grudem

Some have questioned whether it is appropriate to speak of a covenant of works that God had with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The actual word covenant is not used in the Genesis narratives. However, the essential parts of the covenant are all there—a clear definition of the parties involved, a legally binding set of provisions that stipulates the conditions of their relationship, the promise of blessings for obedience, and the condition for obtaining those blessings. Moreover, Hosea 6:7, in referring to the sins of Israel, says, “But like Adam they transgressed the covenant”(RSV mg.; so NIV, NASB).

1 This passage views Adam as existing in a covenant relationship that he then transgressed in the Garden of Eden. In addition, in Romans 5:12–21 Paul sees both Adam and Christ as heads of a people whom they represent, something that would be entirely consistent with the idea of Adam being in a covenant before the fall.

In the Garden of Eden, it seems quite clear that there was a legally binding set of provisions that defined the conditions of the relationship between God and man. The two parties are evident as God speaks to Adam and gives commands to him. The requirements of the relationship are clearly defined in the commands that God gave to Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:28–30; cf. 2:15) and in the direct command to Adam, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die” (Gen. 2:16–17).

In this statement to Adam about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil there is a promise of punishment for disobedience—death, most fully understood to mean death in an extensive sense, physical, spiritual, and eternal death and separation from God.2 In the promise of punishment for disobedience there is implicit a promise of blessing for obedience. This blessing would consist of not receiving death, and the implication is that the blessing would be the opposite of “death.” It would involve physical life that would not end and spiritual life in terms of a relationship with God that would go on forever. The presence of the “tree of life…in the midst of the garden” (Gen. 2:9) also signified the promise of eternal life with God if Adam and Eve had met the conditions of a covenant relationship by obeying God completely until he decided that their time of testing was finished. After the fall, God removed Adam and Eve from the garden, partly so that they would not be able to take from the tree of life “and eat, and live for ever” (Gen. 3:22).

Another evidence that the covenant relationship with God in the garden included a promise of eternal life if Adam and Eve had perfectly obeyed is the fact that even in the New Testament Paul speaks as though perfect obedience, if it were possible, would actually lead to life. He speaks of a “commandment which promised life” (Rom. 7:10; lit., “the commandment unto life”) and, in order to demonstrate that the law does not rest on faith, he quotes Leviticus 18:5 to say, about the provisions of the law, “He who does them shall live by them” (Gal. 3:12; cf. Rom. 10:5).

Other covenants in Scripture generally have an outward “sign” associated with them (such as circumcision, or baptism and the Lord’s Supper). No “sign” for the covenant of works is clearly designated as such in Genesis, but if we were to name one, it would probably be the tree of life in the midst of the garden. By partaking of that tree Adam and Eve would be partaking of the promise of eternal life that God would give. The fruit itself did not have magical properties but would be a sign by which God outwardly guaranteed that the inward reality would occur.

Why is it important to speak of the relationship between God and man in the garden as a covenant relationship? To do so reminds us of the fact that this relationship, including the commands of obedience and promise of blessing for obedience, was not something that automatically occurred in the relationship between Creator and creature. God did not make any such covenant with the animals that he created, for example.3 Nor did the nature of man as God created him demand that God have any fellowship with man or that God make any promises concerning his relationship with men or give man any clear directions concerning what he should do. All this was an expression of God’s fatherly love for the man and woman he had created. Moreover, when we specify this relationship as a “covenant,” it helps us to see the clear parallels between this and the subsequent covenant relationships that God had with his people. If all the elements of a covenant are present (clear stipulation of the parties involved, statement of the conditions of the covenant, and a promise of blessing for obedience and punishment for disobedience), then there seems no reason why we should not refer to it as a covenant, for that is indeed what it was.

Although the covenant that existed before the fall has been referred to by various terms (such as the Adamic Covenant, or the Covenant of Nature), the most helpful designation seems to be “covenant of works,” since participation in the blessings of the covenant clearly depended on obedience or “works” on the part of Adam and Eve.As in all covenants that God makes with man, there is here no negotiating over the provisions. God sovereignly imposes this covenant on Adam and Eve, and they have no opportunity to change the details—their only choice is to keep it or to break it. Is the covenant of works still in force? In several important senses it is. First of all, Paul implies that perfect obedience to God’s laws, if it were possible, would lead to life (see Rom. 7:10; 10:5; Gal. 3:12). We should also notice that the punishment for this covenant is still in effect, for “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). This implies that the covenant of works is still in force for every human being apart from Christ, even though no sinful human being can fulfill its provisions and gain blessing by it. Finally, we should note that Christ perfectly obeyed the covenant of works for us since he committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22) but completely obeyed God on our behalf (Rom. 5:18–19).

On the other hand, in certain senses, the covenant of works does not remain in force: (1) We no longer are faced with the specific command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (2) Since we all have a sinful nature (both Christians and non-Christians), we are not able to fulfill the provisions of the covenant of works on our own and receive its benefits—as this covenant applies to people directly, it only brings punishments. (3) For Christians, Christ has fulfilled the provisions of this covenant successfully once for all, and we gain the benefits of it not by actual obedience on our part but by trusting in the merits of Christ’s work. In fact, for Christians today to think of themselves as obligated to try to earn God’s favor by obedience would be to cut themselves off from the hope of salvation. “All who rely on works of the law are under a curse….Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law (Gal. 3:10–11). Christians have been freed from the covenant of works by virtue of Christ’s work and their inclusion in the new covenant, the covenant of grace.

Wayne Grudem’s, Systematic Theology, 516-518.

There was a strong relationship between prophecy and history.  They cannot be separated from each other.  A survey of the Old Testament history of prophecy reveals this intermingling and inner-connectedness.  Scriptural prophecy was interwoven with history and biblical history was imbued with prophetic purpose.  Neither can they be separated from each other, nor can they be understood apart from each other.

The first prophetic word was an historical outline of all events to come.  It was a summation of history.  After the flood, a patriarchal line of prophetic promise and fulfillment began.  After Jacob, centuries of prophetic silence passed before the dawn of the Mosaic age of prophecy.  Another prophetic silence was followed in the time of Judges by a moral school of prophecy that focused on calling people to live in belief and obedience.  The last age of prophecy centered around the kingdom of Israel until Christ.

Scriptural prophecy was interwoven with history.  Both the nature of God and his commitment to seeing his kingdom come on earth demanded this.  Prophecy birthed history and guides it toward its prophesied consummation.  This does not mean that prophecy’s divine message from God can be understood by historical events.

History was intermingled with prophecy throughout.  This was the foundation for Christ and his kingdom.  For example, all prophecy before Christ’s coming was meant to point toward this higher prophetic realization of the inauguration and consummation of his kingdom.  All of the Old Testament is full of a prophetic element that is carefully laid out to reveal God and his Messiah.