would build a house for Jehovah’s name. God’s purpose in this covenant was to provide a kingly dynasty for the Jews and to give Jesus, as David’s heir, the legal right to the throne of David, “Jehovah’s throne” (1 Chron. 29:23; Luke 1:32), and to provide identification for Jesus as the Messiah. (Ezek. 21:25-27; Matt. 1:6-16; Luke 3:23-31) This covenant included no priesthood; the Levitical priesthood served in conjunction with kings of David’s line; priesthood and kingship were strictly separate under the Law. Since Jehovah acknowledges this kingship and works through it forever, the covenant has everlasting duration.—Isa. 9:7; 2 Pet. 1:11.

COVENANT WITH CHRIST TO BE PRIEST ACCORDING TO THE MANNER OF MELCHIZEDEK

This covenant is expressed at Psalm 110:4, and the writer of the Bible book of Hebrews applies it to Christ at Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17. It is a covenant made by Jehovah with Jesus Christ alone. By Jehovah’s oath Jesus Christ, the heavenly Son of God, would be a priest according to the manner of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was king and priest of God on earth. Jesus Christ would hold both offices of King and High Priest, not on earth, but in heaven. He was installed permanently into office after his ascension to heaven. (Heb. 6:20; 7:26, 28; 8:1) The covenant is forever in operation, since Jesus will act under Jehovah’s direction as King and High Priest forever.—Heb. 7:3.

NEW COVENANT

Jehovah foretold the new covenant by the prophet Jeremiah in the seventh century B.C.E., stating that it would not be like the Law covenant, which Israel broke. (Jer. 31:31-34) On the night before his death, Nisan 14, 33 C.E., when he established the celebration of the Lord’s evening meal, Jesus Christ announced the new covenant, to be validated by his sacrifice. (Luke 22:20) On the fiftieth day from his resurrection and ten days after he had ascended to his Father, he poured out the holy spirit, which he had received from Jehovah, on his disciples gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem.—Acts 2:1-4, 17, 33; 2 Cor. 3:6, 8, 9; Heb. 2:3, 4.

The parties to the new covenant are Jehovah, on one side, and the “Israel of God,” the spirit begotten ones in union with Christ, making up his congregation or body, on the other side. (Heb. 8:10; 12:22-24; Gal. 6:15, 16; 3:26-28; Rom. 2:28, 29) The new covenant is made operative by the shed blood (the sacrifice of the human life) of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 26:28) When one is selected by God for the spiritual or heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1) God brings that one into His covenant over Christ’s sacrifice. (Ps. 50:5; Heb. 9:14, 15, 26) Jesus Christ is the Mediator of the new covenant (Heb. 8:6; 9:15) and is the primary Seed of Abraham. (Gal. 3:16) By means of Jesus’ mediatorship of the new covenant he assists those in the covenant to become part or the real seed of Abraham (Heb. 2:16; Gal. 3:29) through forgiveness of their sins. Jehovah declares them righteous.—Rom. 5:1, 2; 8:33; Heb. 10:16, 17.

These spirit-begotten, anointed brothers of Christ become underpriests of the High Priest, a “royal priesthood.” (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 5:9, 10; 20:6) These do a priestly work, a “public service” (Phil. 2:17), and are called “ministers of a new covenant.” (2 Cor. 3:6) These called ones must follow Christ’s steps closely, faithfully, until laying down their lives in death; Jehovah will then make them a kingdom of priests, making them sharers in divine nature, and will reward them with immortality and incorruption as joint heirs in the heavens with Christ. (1 Pet. 2:21; Rom. 6:3, 4; 1 Cor. 15:53; 1 Pet. 1:4; 2 Pet. 1:4) The purpose of the covenant is to take out a people for Jehovah’s name as a part of Abraham’s “seed.” (Acts 15:14) They become the “bride” of Christ, and are the body of persons whom Christ takes into a covenant for the Kingdom, to rule with Him. (John 3:29; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 21:9; Luke 22:29; Rev. 1:4-6; 5:9, 10; 20:6) The purpose of the new covenant requires that it continue in operation until all of the “Israel of God” are resurrected to immortality in the heavens.

JESUS’ ‘COVENANT FOR A KINGDOM’ WITH HIS FOLLOWERS

On the night of Nisan 14, 33 C.E., after celebrating the Lord’s evening meal Jesus made this covenant with his faithful apostles. To the eleven faithful apostles he promised that they would sit on thrones. (Luke 22:28-30; compare 2 Timothy 2:12.) Later he showed that this promise extended to all spirit-begotten ‘conquerors.’ (Rev. 3:21; see also Revelation 1:4-6; 5:9, 10; 20:6.) On the day of Pentecost he inaugurated this covenant toward them by the anointing with holy spirit of those disciples present in the upper room in Jerusalem. (Acts 2:1-4, 33) Those who would stick with him through trials, dying his kind of death (Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24) would reign with him, sharing his kingdom rule. The covenant remains operative between Jesus Christ and these associate kings forever.—Rev. 22:5.

VARIOUS OTHER COVENANTS

a. Joshua and the chieftains of Israel made a covenant with the inhabitants of the city of Gibeon to let them live and, though they were cursed Canaanites, whom the Israelites were to destroy, yet a covenant was considered so binding that the Gibeonites were allowed to live, the curse being performed by making them gatherers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly of Israel. (Josh. 9:15, 16, 23-27) b. Joshua, not long before his death, made a covenant with Israel to serve Jehovah. (Josh. 24:25, 26) c. The older men of Gilead made a covenant with Jephthah at Mizpah to make him head over the inhabitants of Gilead if Jehovah gave him victory over the Ammonites. (Judg. 11:8-11) d. Covenant between Jonathan and David. (1 Sam. 18:3; 23:18) e. Jehoiada the priest with the chiefs of the Carian bodyguard and of the runners. (2 Ki. 11:4; 3 Chron. 23:1-3) f. Covenant of Israel with Jehovah to put away foreign wives. (Ezra 10:3) g. Jehovah to give his servant as a covenant of (for) the people. (Isa. 42:6; 49:8) h. David with all the older men of Israel, at Hebron. (1 Chron. 11:3) i. A covenant of the people, during Asa’s reign, to search for Jehovah with all their heart and soul. (2 Chron. 15:12) j. Josiah with Jehovah to keep Jehovah’s commandments, according to the Law. (2 Chron. 34:31) k. Jehovah spoke of the “braggarts” who ruled Jerusalem as erroneously thinking they were safe in a “covenant with Death.”—Isa. 28:14, 15, 18.

COW

The cow filled an important role in the economy of the Israelites. Besides serving as a draft animal, the cow was valued for its production of milk, from which other common items of diet were prepared, including cheese, butter and buttermilk. (Num. 19:2; Isa. 7:21, 22) Also, the hide could be used in making a variety of leather goods.

Cows or heifers were at times sacrificed. (Gen. 15:9; 1 Sam. 6:14; 16:2) The ashes of an entire red cow, burned outside the camp, came to be an ingredient in Israel’s “water for cleansing.” (Num. 19:2, 6, 9) In the case of an unsolved murder, the representative older men of the town nearest the slain one were required to kill a young cow in an uncultivated torrent valley and then wash their hands over the carcass while testifying to their innocence of the crime.—Deut. 21:1-9.

In the Scriptures numerous illustrative uses of the cow or heifer may be noted. The seven fat-fleshed and seven thin-fleshed cows of Pharaoh’s dream were explained as referring to seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of famine. (Gen. 41:26, 27)