Clearing Up Covenant Confusion: Understanding the Three Covenants of Promise

FAIR USE NOTICE

This material contains commentary, analysis, and critique referencing the YouTube video “Clearing Up Covenant Confusion” by Torah to the Tribes, available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmdbIsStqOk&t=377s

This use is protected under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 107), which permits the “fair use” of copyrighted material for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

No portion of the referenced video is reproduced here for commercial resale or distribution. All references are used solely for the purpose of critical commentary, theological evaluation, and educational discussion. The video remains the intellectual property of its respective owners.

If the copyright holder wishes for any referenced material to be removed or adjusted, they may contact the publisher, and such requests will be promptly honored.

A Note to Listeners

If you've just finished watching this teaching, you've encountered powerful biblical insights that challenge centuries of religious tradition. The passion for Scripture over systematic theology, the insistence that covenant requires agreement, and the distinction between the Book of Covenant and the Book of Law are foundational truths. These concepts remain valid and form the bedrock of faithful covenant understanding.

Since this teaching was delivered, continued study and refinement have clarified how these covenant truths systematically organize. This commentary explains how the framework has matured while preserving every core conviction you just heard.

What Remains Unchanged: Core Convictions

The teaching you just heard establishes principles that Scripture itself demands:

Covenant Requires Bilateral Agreement

Covenant requires mutual agreement. Adam had a relationship with Yahweh, but there was no proposal and acceptance. Therefore, there was no Covenant of Promise. Noah received an autonomous oath for creation's benefit, but plants and animals cannot agree to terms. Thus, it is not a covenant as we see with Abraham.

Four Elements Mark Every Covenant of Promise

Four elements define every covenant of promise: Proposal/Oath, Acceptance, Blood Ratification, and Covenant-Confirming Meal. These elements are not human inventions but Scripture's own pattern, connecting every covenant of promise back to Abraham.

The Book of Covenant vs. The Book of Law

The Book of Covenant is distinct from the Book of Law. Exodus 19-24 is a blood-ratified covenant with all four elements present. Exodus 24:12 onward contains laws added after the covenant was sealed. You cannot add to a ratified covenant (Galatians 3:15), therefore the Book of Law must be separate.

Genesis 17: Sign, Not Covenant

Genesis 17 is a sign, not a covenant. Scripture itself states that circumcision "shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you" (Genesis 17:11). The ring signifies marriage but isn't the marriage itself.

Everything Connects Back to Abraham

Everything connects back to Abraham. The oath of Genesis 12, ratified in blood at Genesis 15, and sealed with a meal at Genesis 18 forms the foundation. All subsequent covenants of promise must connect to this Abrahamic root.

The Ten Words: Eternal Covenant Vows

The Ten Words are eternal covenant vows. They alone were "written with the finger of Elohim" (Exodus 31:18), making them incorruptible. They represent the marriage vows between Yahweh and His Bride.

These truths remain the foundation. What has developed is how we organize them.

The Refinement: From Five Events to Three Complete Covenants

In the teaching you just heard, five covenants of promise were identified:

1. Genesis 12 (the oath)
2. Genesis 15 (the blood covenant)
3. Exodus 19-24 (Book of Covenant)
4. New Covenant (Yeshua's work)
5. Marriage of the Lamb (consummation)

Continued study revealed that Scripture presents three complete covenants, each containing all four stages of the covenant pattern. Here's what changed and why:

The First Covenant of Promise: Oath (Father)

Genesis 12 through 18 is one complete covenant cycle:

• Genesis 12:1-3 - The Oath/Proposal declared: "I will make you a great nation... in you all families of the earth shall be blessed."
• Genesis 15:9-21 - Blood Ratification: Abraham cuts the pieces, and Yahweh (as smoking oven and burning lamp) passes between them.
• Genesis 18:1-8 - Table and Presence: Yahweh appears at Mamre and eats the meal Abraham prepares.

This isn't three separate covenants; it's one Abrahamic covenant unfolding through its complete four-stage pattern. You can't have blood ratification without an oath to ratify. You can't have a confirming meal without prior blood sealing. The covenant is the entire cycle.

The Second Covenant of Promise: Vows (Son)

Exodus 19-24 is one complete covenant cycle:

• Exodus 19:3-6 - The Oath/Proposal: "If you will obey My voice... you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (acceptance in verse 8).
• Exodus 24:8 - Blood Ratification: "This is the blood of the covenant which Yahweh has made with you."
• Exodus 24:9-11 - Table and Presence: The seventy elders "saw the Elohim of Israel... and they ate and drank."

All four elements are present in one covenant. This is called "Vows (Son)" because the Ten Words given here are the eternal covenant vows. These vows are the marriage commitments that Yeshua will perfectly fulfill, and the Spirit will write on hearts.

The Third Covenant of Promise: Presence (Spirit)

The New Covenant is currently unfulfilled—two stages complete, two stages future:

• Matthew 26:27-28 - The Oath/Proposal: Yeshua lifts the cup, saying, "This is My blood of the new covenant."
• Luke 23:46 - Blood Ratification: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit" (He dies, blood is shed).
• Revelation 19:9 - Table (FUTURE): "Blessed are those called to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
• Revelation 21:3 - Presence (FUTURE): "Behold, the tabernacle of Elohim is with men, and He will dwell with them."

This is one covenant in process. We live between stages two and three, between the cross and the Marriage Supper, between the Spirit's down payment and full Presence.

Why This Matters: The New Covenant Connects to All Three

This is critical for understanding our position as believers:

The New Covenant Connects Back to the Oath (Father)

• Galatians 3:8 states, "In you all nations shall be blessed" (the gospel preached to Abraham).
• Luke 1:72-73 - Zechariah prophesied that Yeshua would "remember the holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham."
• When Israel broke the Genesis 15 blood covenant, the Goel paid the death penalty to reconnect us to the foundational Genesis 12 oath.

The New Covenant Connects Back to the Vows (Son)

• Jeremiah 31:33 - "I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts."
• 2 Corinthians 3:3 - Written "not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart."
• The same Ten Words given at Sinai are now written internally by the Spirit.

The New Covenant is Unfulfilled (Presence Awaits)

• The Spirit is our guarantee (Ephesians 1:14), the down payment of full Presence.
• We await the Marriage Supper and New Jerusalem.
• This creates faithful expectation—we walk in covenant relationship empowered by the Spirit, awaiting the Bridegroom's return.

The Four-Stage Pattern: Oath → Blood → Table → Presence

Every covenant of promise follows this progression because this is how covenant actually works in Scripture:

Stage 1: Oath/Proposal

Covenant intent declared, terms offered.

Stage 2: Blood/Ratification

Death seals the vow, making it irrevocable.

Stage 3: Table/Meal

Communion confirms the union.

Stage 4: Presence

Covenant partners dwell together.

This pattern isn't imposed—it's discovered by observing what Scripture repeatedly demonstrates:

• Abraham: Oath (Gen 12) → Blood (Gen 15) → Table/Presence (Gen 18).
• Sinai: Oath (Ex 19:5-6) → Blood (Ex 24:8) → Table/Presence (Ex 24:9-11).
• New Covenant: Oath (Cup) → Blood (Cross) → Table (Marriage Supper) → Presence (New Jerusalem).

Learn this pattern once, recognize it three times. This is the covenant structure that Scripture itself reveals.

What About the Book of the Law?

The distinction you heard in the teaching remains absolutely valid and actually becomes clearer:

The Book of the Covenant (Exodus 19-24)

This is the second covenant of promise. It has all four elements: proposal (19:5-6), acceptance (24:3), blood (24:8), and covenant meal (24:11). It's complete, sealed, and ratified.

The Book of the Law (Exodus 24:12 Onward)

This is added AFTER the covenant is sealed. Verse 12 states: "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law."

Since you cannot add to a ratified covenant (Galatians 3:15), this must be something separate, a temporary law added because of transgression (Galatians 3:19), lasting until the Seed would come (Galatians 3:24-25).

Joshua can add to the Book of the Law (Joshua 24:26), proving it's not covenant. Covenants cannot be added to once ratified. The Book of Law is changeable and temporary. The covenants of promise are eternal, though their administration evolves from external (stone) to internal (heart).

The Ten Words: The Incorruptible Core

The teaching emphasized the Ten Words' uniqueness. The refined framework makes this even clearer:

Only the Ten Words Were Written Directly by Elohim's Finger

(Exodus 31:18, Deuteronomy 9:10). Everything else, even the rest of the Book of Covenant, was mediated through Moses and transmitted through scribes. Only the Ten Words possess absolute incorruptibility because of their direct divine authorship.

They are the eternal covenant vows, the marriage commitments:

• Exodus 34:28 calls them "the words of the covenant, the Ten Words."
• Deuteronomy 4:13: "He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Words."

These aren't "commandments" in a legal sense but covenant words, vows defining the Bride's relationship with her Bridegroom.

This is why these same words are written on New Covenant hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). They transcend individual covenant administrations because they ARE the covenant substance, what the Oath declares, what the Vows demonstrate, and what the Presence inscribes.

The Trinitarian Pattern: Father, Son, Spirit

The three covenants aren't arbitrary but reflect how each Person of the Trinity relates to covenant reality:

Oath (Father)

Pure sovereign initiative. Genesis 12 originates in divine will without human negotiation. Ephesians 1:3-4 states, "The Father... chose us in Him before the foundation of the world." The Father is the covenant source.

Vows (Son)

Perfect covenant faithfulness. Yeshua keeps every vow given at Sinai, qualifying as mediator. Matthew 5:17 states, "I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." The Son demonstrates covenant keeping.

Presence (Spirit)

Internal application and guarantee. The Spirit writes vows on hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3), empowers obedience (Romans 8:4), and is Himself the down payment of ultimate Presence (Ephesians 1:14). The Spirit applies covenant reality.

One covenant plan, three Persons in perfect unity, working through three complete covenant cycles across salvation history.

Practical Application: What This Means for You

If you're a believer in Yeshua, this covenant structure reveals your position:

You Stand in the Oath Given to Abraham

You're not rootless but grafted into ancient promises (Romans 11:17-24). The blessing of Abraham comes upon you through Messiah (Galatians 3:14).

You Have the Vows Written on Your Heart

Not external law-keeping but internal Spirit-empowerment. The same Ten Words given at Sinai now govern your covenant life from within. Murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and coveting are covenant violations. Sabbath rest, exclusive worship, honoring parents, and revering Yahweh's name are covenant commitments.

You Await the Completed Presence

The Marriage Supper and New Jerusalem remain future. You live in inaugurated but unconsummated covenant, between the cross and the feast, between the Spirit's guarantee and full dwelling. This creates hope, not presumption.

You're Free from the Book of the Law

The temporary tutor has served its purpose (Galatians 3:24-25). You're not under Levitical priesthood, complex food regulations, or sacrificial system. These were added after the covenant was sealed and removed when the Seed came.

You're Under the Royal Covenant

The Ten Words as eternal vows govern your covenant relationship. Not legal obligation but marriage commitment. Not external enforcement but internal love response.

Liberation Through Covenant Clarity

The passion you heard in the teaching for freedom from religious control finds systematic expression in this framework:

Freedom from Control Terminology

No more "suzerain vassal treaty," "royal grant covenant," "threshold covenant," or other high church/Talmudic terms designed to mystify. We use Scripture's own categories: covenants of promise, Book of Covenant, Book of Law, Ten Words, Royal Covenant.

Freedom from Imposed Law

You're not under the temporary tutor added at Exodus 24:12. You're under eternal covenant vows written on your heart by the Spirit.

Freedom from Man-Made Theology

Everything is testable: Does it maintain the four-stage pattern? Does it distinguish covenant from law? Does it recognize the Ten Words' supremacy? Does it connect back to Abraham?

Freedom to Be Disciples of Scripture

Not bound to any teacher's system but to Yahweh's revealed covenant structure. We're all learning together, testing everything by Scripture, and walking in covenant faithfulness.

How to Use This Information

If you found the teaching valuable: The core insights are absolutely correct. What's been refined is organization, recognizing that Genesis 12, 15, and 18 are one covenant cycle (not three), and that the New Covenant is currently unfulfilled (inaugurated but awaiting consummation).

If you're studying covenant theology: Use the four-stage pattern as a testing tool. Every covenant of promise must have: (1) Proposal/Oath, (2) Blood, (3) Table, (4) Presence. If something's missing, it's either not a covenant or not yet complete. This keeps interpretation grounded in Scripture's own witness.

If you're teaching others: Start with the pattern: Oath → Blood → Table → Presence. Show how Abraham's covenant unfolds through Genesis 12, 15, and 18. Show how Sinai unfolds through Exodus 19-24. Show how the New Covenant is in process, with the cup and cross complete, and the Marriage Supper and New Jerusalem awaiting.

If you're defending covenant theology: Distinguish covenant from law using Galatians 3:15 (can't add to ratified covenant) and Galatians 3:17 (law came 430 years after). Show all four elements present in both Abrahamic and Sinai covenants. Demonstrate that the Ten Words alone were written by Elohim's finger, making them the incorruptible standard.

If you're walking in covenant: Remember you're between stages. You have the Oath (Father's promise), the Blood (Yeshua's sacrifice), and the Spirit (down payment). You await the Table (Marriage Supper) and full Presence (New Jerusalem). Walk faithfully in what you have while expecting what's promised.

Final Encouragement

The teaching you just heard represents a breakthrough moment, someone courageously challenging centuries of tradition with careful Scripture examination. The passion for biblical truth over systematic theology, the insistence on distinguishing covenant from law, and the liberation from religious control systems remain the driving force.

What's developed since then is organizational clarity that makes these insights more testable, more teachable, and more defensible from Scripture itself. The three-covenant structure with four stages each isn't abandoning the original insights; it's systematizing them so they can be consistently applied.

Both the early teaching and the mature framework serve the same Master, proclaim the same covenant truth, and aim at the same goal: a Bride prepared for her Bridegroom, walking in covenant faithfulness empowered by the Spirit, awaiting the day He returns to complete what He began.

You stand in the Oath (Father), sealed by the Vows (Son), guaranteed by the Presence (Spirit). Not under temporary law but eternal covenant. Not performing for acceptance but responding to grace. Not isolated but grafted into ancient promises now realized in Messiah.

This is your covenant position. Walk worthy of it.

For Further Study:

The 12Tribe Interpreter Framework (v4.8) provides the complete systematic structure referenced in this commentary. It codifies these covenant principles with scriptural documentation, hermeneutical safeguards, and practical application guidelines. It's designed to be testable; everything must be verified by two or three witnesses from Scripture.

The framework is available under Creative Commons licensing, encouraging community testing and refinement while maintaining covenant fidelity. Use it, test it, refine it, but always return to Scripture as the final authority.

The goal isn't creating a new systematic theology but recovering the covenant structure Scripture itself reveals, so the Bride can walk faithfully until the Bridegroom returns.