The Covenant of Redemption

[Anthony D'Arienzo]

This thread will attempt to bring clarity to those who give evidence of defective ideas, of God, and His Salvation

Found This on monergism .com

Is there a biblical basis for the Covenant of Redemption?

Although the term “Covenant of Redemption” is not a biblical designation, the teaching that, from before the creation of the world, the persons of the Trinity entered into a solemn pact to accomplish the work of redemption, the Father promising to give a people to the Son as his inheritance, the Son undertaking to accomplish their redemption, and the Spirit covenanting to testify to Christ, and apply his redemption to his people's hearts, is most evidently biblical. Thus, according to the divine testimony, the Lamb was already considered as “slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8) so certainly was the agreement to accomplish redemption established before history.

Several biblical passages give clear testimony to the concept of the Covenant of Redemption. One of the primary is Psalm 2, which depicts Christ relating the terms of the Covenant that the Father had established with him.

Psalm 2 King James Version (KJV)
2 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.



Isaiah 53:10-12 also speaks of the covenantal agreement between the Father and the Son in the accomplishing of redemption; and Ephesians 1:3-14 gives a trinitarian picture of the roles that each person of the godhead undertook from eternity to perform. However, the clearest and best passages depicting the Covenant of Redemption are to be found in the Gospel of John. There, Jesus repeatedly speaks of the work that the Father gave him to do, the glorious reward that he was promised, and the sending of the Spirit to apply the benefits of his redemption and bring about in fact the promised reward of a redeemed people, that was merited by the Son's unerring obedience to the Father (see John 5:17-31, 36-37, 43; 6:37-40, 57; 7:28-29, 38-39; 8:16-19, 26-29, 38, 42, 49-54; 9:4; 10:14-18, 25-30, 36-38; 12:23-28, 44-50; 13:3, 20, 31-32; 14:9-14, 16-20, 24-26; 15:8-15, 24-27; 16:7-16, 27-28; 17).

 

[Anthony D'Arienzo]

NEW TESTAMENT QUOTATIONS OF PSALM 2
Sixty percent of Psalm 2 has been quoted by the New Testament, either directly or indirectly. The thought of Psalm 2 is the same as that of the New Testament; thus, in a sense, you may find every part of Psalm 2 there. If you put all the New Testament parts together, you will have another Psalm 2. Let us look briefly at some of these verses in the New Testament that we may be more deeply impressed.

We have seen that the first section of Psalm 2, verses 1 to 3, is the opposition of world rulers against Christ. It began to be fulfilled at the time Christ was betrayed and brought to the judgment of Pilate. This is recorded in Acts 4:25-28: “Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”


This fulfillment will continue to the time of Revelation 19:19. “And I saw the beast (this beast is the coming antichrist), and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” Christ was the One sitting on the horse, and the antichrist, the kings and all the armies were making war against Him. This will be the final attempt of world rulers to oppose Christ, Praise the Lord! The fulfillment of the first section of Psalm 2 began with Pontius Pilate and will be ended with the beast, the antichrist.

In the second section of Psalm 2, God declared that He has anointed Christ as His king on Zion, the hill of His holiness. Here we must read Acts 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” This is God’s declaration. Now, Revelation 19:16, 20, and 21: “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KlNGS, AND LORD OF LORDS…And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” Then Revelation 20:4, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” This declaration of God in the second section of Psalm 2 lasts so long—from the time Jesus was resurrected and ascended God made this declaration; it is still continuing and prevailing, and it will do so till the thousand years of the kingdom will come. On the other hand, along with His declaration, God has accomplished and will accomplish much destruction upon the enemy: He has destroyed the Roman Empire and many other worldly powers trying to oppose Christ.

The third section of Psalm 2 is Christ’s declaration. Let us read Acts 13:33, “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” “This day” is the day of resurrection.

This same verse is quoted in Hebrews 1:5. In Psalm 2 Christ declared that God the Father will give Him all the nations as His inheritance. That word is fulfilled in Revelation 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

Psalm 2:9 concerning Christ’s rule is fulfilled in Revelation 2:26 and 27: “He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.” And again in Revelation 19:15, “Out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron.”

Revelation 6:15-17 is the fulfillment of the last section of Psalm 2, the gospel preaching, admonishing people to return to Christ, to put their trust in Christ and to kiss Christ, for His wrath will be kindled. “The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” This is not a direct quotation from Psalm 2, but the thought, the concept, is adopted from Psalm 2. One day Christ will be angered; the wrath of the Lamb will be exercised. The kings must be wise and put their trust in Him.

If you would properly understand Psalm 8, you must keep Psalm 2 within you. Psalm 2 tells us that Christ is the center of God’s economy, the center of God’s administration. God declared to the whole earth, “Yet have I anointed my king upon Zion, the hill of my holiness.” Do not care for many things; only care for this: God has declared that He has anointed, installed, and established Christ as the King. I do not think there could be any word more clear than Psalm 2. It is so brief, yet so strong. There is God’s declaration, then Christ’s declaration, and then the gospel preaching.

(Christ and the Church Revealed and Typified in the Psalms, Chapter 2, by Witness Lee)

 

[Behold]

Is there a biblical basis for the Covenant of Redemption?

Yes.

Adam sinned, Mankind became "fallen", and we found ourselves "sinners" and unrighteous, and needing this to be eternally changed.
Because we can't of ourselves be righteous or gain any righteousness, God had to deal with this problem of our unrighteousness.....himself.
Philippians 1:6
The way He dealt with our sin and our unrighteousness was to fulfill the Law then die on The Cross for all our sin, and give us His very own Righteousness as a Gift, so that we have HIS righteousness as OURS. "the Righteousness of GOD, In Christ".
This is us , the born again, AS = New Creations in Christ, ... We are the very Righteousness of God.
Once we are born again "justification by faith", we have the very Righteousness of God, which qualifies us for God's eternal Spiritual family.
We are GOD QUALIFIED by GOD's own Righteousness that has become who we are, "in Christ". = born again.

 

[Stan B]

Is there a biblical basis for the Covenant of Redemption?

I have not read the many words you have quoted, but the covenant of redemption is as simple as:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His [e]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

 

[Anthony D'Arienzo]

I have not read the many words you have quoted, but the covenant of redemption is as simple as:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His [e]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Yes, this verse is one of many that help reveal the Covenant of Redemption .
It describes that in Love, The Father gives the Son,for everyone believing..
The Covenant of Redemption is made among the three persons of the Godhead before the world was.