Hi Robert Gwin. How are you today?
Hi, doing well thanks for asking. Please do not think me disrespectful for not calling you sir/maam as I could not figure out which you are.
The "two major covenants" (sic), as I understand them from scripture (KJB), are:
[1]
The "Everlasting Covenant" (aka, "New Covenant", "Covenant of Life and Peace" (Malachi 2:5)), which was formed between the Person/Being of the Father and the Person/Being of the Son (aka: 'Israel'; Matthew 2:13-15,19-21; Hosea 11:1) in eternity past before angels or men were created, and witnessed by the Person/Being of the Holy Ghost/Spirit, and later ratified by Jesus' blood (Psalms 116:14,18 and the Father's confirmation/ratification after Jesus' ascension in Psalms 61:5, sealed by the Holy Ghost/Spirit). God promised to write His Law (Ten Commandments, God's
"my law", "my covenant"; Exodus 16:4; Jeremiah 6:19, 9:13, 16:11, 26:4, 31:33, 44:10; Ezekiel 22:26; &c) upon the hearts of mankind that they may do them (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 11:19, 36:25-29, 37:26-28; Hebrews 8:10, 10:16; 2 Corinthians 3:3)
[2]
The 'old Covenant' (Hebrews 8:13), which was formed between God and Moses & the peoples of Jacob (their leaders) (Exodus 19:3-9, 24:1-11), of which all peoples (except Christ Jesus) failed in keeping their promises (Hebrews 8:6-8) to God, even beginning to fail as soon as the golden calf incident (Exodus 32:1), was where the peoples promised God that they would keep God's law, "my covenant" (Ten Commandments).
In this, Exodus 19 & 24, reveals two distinct and separate covenants:
[2A.] God's Law, "my covenant" (Ten Commandments) (in Exodus 19:5).
[2B.] "... if ... then ... and ..." of God (Exodus 19:5-6) and the promise of the people themselves, "All that the LORD hath spoken we will do." (Exodus 19:8), with Moses as the Mediator of that agreement (Exodus 19:7, &c).
God's people have always seen the Ten Commandments, not as the Old Covenant itself, but as the eternal promises ("better promises", "I will") of God in the New Covenant, and to that which the peoples agreed to "do" in the Old Covenant. The Ten Commandments were never an agreement (a covenant) between God and the people, but rather they were always that perfect will and character of God which were to be done or carried out by all mankind, after the image and likeness of God by and through the Holy Ghost/Spirit.
Christians are truly participating in the New Covenant.
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
However, there are many which have taken the name, and yet are still attempting their own agreement with God, and live in disobedience as they of old.
A clarifying point. If I may ask you, and not to derail the thread too far, When you say "Pentecost of the yr 33 CE", how did you arrive at this date/conclusion, from scripture and history (please cite your sources)? Secondarily, is there a particular reason to use "CE", rather than "A.D." (Anno Domini; (Latin for Year of the/our Lord))? When you utilize "CE", do you recognize this as meaning 'common era', or 'Christian era'? If meaning, 'common era', what was the delineating event that marks the beginning of this, and/or the end of the previous ('BCE', I assume) in your view? Thank you for clarifying when you have opportunity.
CE stands for common era. The year of our Lord is somewhat deceptive, as most consider it Jesus' birth, and AD after death, but we believe the year of the Lord is the year Jesus became the Messiah, at his baptism at the age of 30.
Great question Re, We believe Tiberius Caesars reign began in 14 CE, with Jesus becoming the Messiah in his 15th yr of reign Luke 3:1. He being 30 at that point. We believe Jesus' ministry lasted 3 and a half yrs Dan 9:27. He attended 4 Passovers during his ministry. The yr of Jesus' death was a great sabbath Jn 19:31 which happened in the year 33. I do not know how often this occurs, but we are sure it did not happen in 31 or 32.
I am sorry this is so condensed, but I tried not to complicate it. Hope that helps, and is understandable.
I personally do not use 'CE' (common era) or 'BCE' (before common era), as in this age of secularism, I find it unhelpful in speaking to others when sharing the Gospel with them. I find that starting from Christ our Lord is best, as it lets people know where I am coming from right away, no surprises, and that the 'BC' and 'AD' identification methods have been around for a long time and most know them.
From my own prayerful study of the bible and careful searching of history, I find that Pentecost, being the year of the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, glorification, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, was in A.D. 31. You may see a historical chart with scripture on it here for that -
https://archive.org/download/awhn-2300-day-years-prophecy-of-daniel-8-vs-14-and-its-sub-parts/AWHN - 2300 Day-Years Prophecy of Daniel 8 Vs 14 And Its Sub-Parts.jpg
A brief synopsis of that understanding, may be found beginning in Daniel 8:13-14,26, 9:24-27, in which the going forth of "the commandment" (Daniel 9:25) to restore and to build Jerusalem was finalized in
457 BC (in the fall, one of the most established chronological dates in history, evidence upon request), in the 7th year of the reign of Artaxerxes I Longimanus/Macrocheir as found given in Ezra 7, and "the commandment" was given of God, through 3 Persian Kings (Cyrus II, Darius I Hystaspes and Artaxerxes I Longimanus/Macrocheir), as specified in Ezra 6:14 during the reign of the Medo-Persian empire as Daniel 8 required, of which Daniel 9 forms a section of ("determined"; Daniel 9:24). Utilizing the 'day for a year' principle of Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6 (&c, more as needful here -
https://archive.org/download/secrets-unsealed-stephen-bohr-20-reasons-to-apply-the-day-for-a-year-in-bible-prophecy/Secrets Unsealed - Stephen Bohr - 20 Reasons To Apply The Day For A Year In Bible Prophecy.pdf ), the '70 weeks' (Daniel 9:24), become 490 years (70 x 7), in a greater parallel, or anti-type, to Jeremiah's own 70 years as Daniel understands in Daniel 9:1-2. Therefore, from 457 BC, the 69 weeks (7 + 62 (& 7 x 69); making 483 years (49 + 434); Daniel 9:25), would terminate in the year A.D. 27 at the baptism of Jesus (6 months after John the Baptist began his own ministry in A.D. 26) in the river Jordan (Luke 4) at about the age of 30 years old (Luke 3:23). The final 'week' (Daniel 9:27) of the 70, being split into two equal portions, would bring the close of Jesus' ministry in A.D. 31 at the midpoint of that final 'week' with the true sacrifice given (Hebrews 10:26), and the endpoint of the 'week' in A.D. 34 with the stoning of Stephen by order of the Sanhedrin (Hebrews 2:3).