The Teleological Relationship between the Covenants1

Covenant Relationship
Noahic Provision of a continuing earthly
scene on which redemption could
take place.
Abrahamic Outlines the course of redemption
history, while setting forth the two
kinds of redemption and two
peoples to experience them.
Mosaic Regulated the course of redemption
history by producing the people
who would write the Scriptures and
bring forth the Messiah.

1
Wells & Zaspel, New Covenant Theology, nowhere address the relationship of the Davidic covenant to the
earlier or later covenant(s).

Systems of Theology: Charts © 2004 by R W Glenn Chart 5.1

 Chart 1.2

Innocency
Conscience
Human Government
Promise
Law
Grace
Kingdom

His Purposes
The People
The Goal of the Purposes
The Beginning of the
Fulfillment of the Purposes
The Consummation of the
Purposes
The Final State of the
People
Chart 2.2
Earthly Heavenly
Israel and Gentile nations OT saints who failed to
alive at Christ’s return who realize God’s earthly
persevere in the Great purpose, the entire church,
Tribulation and the martyrs of the Great
Tribulation
Liberty from the curse and Liberty from sin and
restoration of humanity deliverance to the presence
of the Lord
Inaugurated at the beginning Inaugurated at the
of the Millennium resurrection
Consummated at the close Consummated and
of the Millennium and experienced in perpetuity in
experienced in perpetuity on the New Heaven
the New Earth
Perpetually earthly—NO Perpetually heavenly—
resurrection resurrection
 Chart 3.2

The Church Age

Redemption of Israel Insertion of the church Resumption of earthly

and Gentile Nations age—unforeseen in OT redemption
 Chart 4.2

A Given Utterance in the OT

(E.g., people, offspring, land, blessing, command, etc.)
Earthly: Israel and Gentile nations Heavenly: the Church
Literal and historical meaning Spiritual meaning
 Chart 5.2

Abrahamic Covenant
Earthly fulfillment Heavenly Fulfillment
Mosaic Covenant
Earthly fulfillment only1 No heavenly fulfillment
Palestinian Covenant
Earthly fulfillment only No heavenly fulfillment
Davidic Covenant
Earthly fulfillment only No heavenly fulfillment
New Covenant
C.I. Scofield
Earthly fulfillment Spiritual Fulfillment
J.N. Darby: One New Covenant
Earthly fulfillment Heavenly fulfillment
L.S. Chafer: Two New Covenants
New Covenant 1 New Covenant 2
Earthly No heavenly Fulfilled in the Heavenly
fulfillment only fulfillment church fulfillment

1
That a covenant has an earthly fulfillment only does not mean that its fulfillment is not everlasting, for it will
be literally fulfilled commencing with the Millennium and culminating in the eternal state.
 Chart 6.2

Present In the preaching of Jesus

Present In mystery form in Christendom
Future In the Millennium
 Chart 1.3

The Perspective The Definition

From God’s Perspective An Economy
From Man’s Perspective A Responsibility
From the Progressive Revelation point of view A Stage
 Chart 2.3

Classic Dispensationalism Revised Dispensationalism

Earthly: Israel Heavenly No such hermeneutical distinction
Literal and Spiritual or Grammatico-historical method
historical Allegorical only
method Method
 Chart 3.3

His Purposes Earthly Heavenly

The People Israel and Gentile OT saints who failed to
nations alive at Christ’s realize God’s earthly
return who persevere in purpose, the entire
the Great Tribulation church, and the martyrs
of the Great Tribulation

The Goal of the Liberty from the curse Liberty from sin and
Purposes and restoration of deliverance to the
humanity presence of the Lord

The Beginning of the Inaugurated at the Inaugurated at the

Fulfillment of the beginning of the resurrection
Purposes Millennium

The Consummation of Consummated at the Consummated and

the Purposes close of the Millennium experienced in the New
and experienced in the Heaven or the New
New Heaven or the Earth
New Earth

The Final State of the Resurrection Life, yet Resurrection Life, yet
People forever Israel forever the church
 Chart 4.3

Insertion of the
Church Age

An Interlude in Resumption of
Redemption of God’s Program for
Israel Israel’s Redemption
Israel
 4.1

The Purposes of God in Redemption

Covenantalism Classic Revised Progressive
Dispensationalism Dispensationalism Dispensationalism
One Unified Multiple Purposes: Multiple Purposes: One Unified
Purpose: Earthly, National, Earthly, National, Purpose:
Spiritual Political, Social, Political, Social, The Manifestation
Redemption and Spiritual and Spiritual of the Kingdom of
God
The Covenant of Earthly/Heavenly Church/Israel Unity with
Grace Dualism Distinction Distinctives
 4.2

The Centrality of the Kingdom1

Divine Presence and Power Revealed in Progress of Redemption

Past Dispensations ÕJesus ChristÖ Present Future
Dispensation Dispensation

Millennial Eternal

The The The Eschatological Kingdom of God

Kingly Kingdom
Acts of of God In the In the In the In eternal
God person of community millennial fulfillment
Christ of Christ, empire of (after he has
the church Christ descended)
(while he is (after he has
ascended) descended)

1
This chart is a modified (but very close) version of one found in Blaising and Bock’s Progressive Dispensationalism 55.
 A Synopsis of the Systems

Emergence Major Purposes of The Covenants The Abrahamic The Old Covenant The Davidic Relationship of
in History Proponents God Covenant Kingdom the Church to
Israel
Covenantalism Late 16th, Rollock, Unified: All biblical Foundational Administration of the Already and The church is
early 17th Westminster Redemption covenants are Covenant of Grace; God’s not yet spiritual Israel
century Divines manifestations unchanging moral law
of the Covenant expressed in the Decalogue;
of Works or binding for believers
Covenant of
Grace
Classic Late 19th, J N Darby, Bifurcated: Some covenants Foundational Belongs exclusively to the Not yet The church is
Dispensationalism early 20th C I Scofield, Earthly and are heavenly dispensation of Law; not at all discrete from
century L S Chafer Heavenly and some are binding for believers Israel, an
earthly and intercalation into
some are both the biblical
heavenly and historical timeline
earthly (see
Chart 5.2)
Revised 20th century Charles Bifurcated: Some covenants Foundational Belongs exclusively to the Not yet The church is
Dispensationalism Ryrie, John Earthly and are heavenly dispensation of Law; generally discrete from
Walvoord, Heavenly and some are not binding for believers Israel, an
Dwight earthly and intercalation into
Pentecost some are both the biblical
heavenly and historical timeline
earthly
Progressive 20th century Craig Unified: The covenants Foundational Functions in biblical history to Already and The church is in
Dispensationalism Blaising, Manifestation represent manifest an aspect of the not yet some ways discrete
Darryl of the different kingdom of God; generally not from Israel and in
Bock, Kingdom manifestations binding for believers other ways is not
Robert of the kingdom discrete from Israel
Saucy of God
New 21st century John Unified: The covenants Foundational Functions in biblical history to Already and The church is the
Covenantalism Reisinger, Redemption stand in regulated the course of not yet fulfillment of Israel
Fred Zaspel, teleological redemption by producing the
Tom Wells relationship to people who would write the
one another Scriptures and bring forth the
Messiah; binding only insofar
as it has been fulfilled and
terminated in Christ

Systems of Theology: A Synopsis of the Systems © 2004 by R W Glenn 6. 1