Covenant Signs of the Bible

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Hi there, what are the signs of each covenant made in the Bible? (Scripture references for each one would be appreciated!)

Also, I am a bit confused…some say the sign of the Mosaic Covenant is Passover while others say it is the Sabbath Rest…yet others say it is the 10 Commandments.

Moreover, some suggest the sign of the New Covenant is baptism…others the Eucharist. Which one is it?

Thanks!
Chris
 
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I am leading a Bible study on it soon and just brushing up on my knowledge gaps
 
No worries. Do you mean like the bow for the Covenant with Noah, or where the Covenants are, ie Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ
 
Hi Roseeurekacross, thanks. I mean the rainbow for Noah, circumcision for Abraham etc. What makes things confusing is that I also remember in the past that people give different signs for the same covenant. E.g. some say the Mosiac covenant’s sign is the Sabbath Rest others say it is the Passover & some say the New Covenant’s sign is baptism, others say the Eucharist.

So just looking for some clarification. Thanks.
 
Good question. I am not so sure on the signs and symbols of Old Testament Covenants and the New Testament Covenant that God has given us.
In the unit I am doing ATM, we are starting to look at the Covenants.

It’s an area that really interests me.

Dei Verbum is good

http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_...ents/vat-ii_const_19651118_dei-verbum_en.html

From this http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s1c2a1.htm

1150 Signs of the covenant. The Chosen People received from God distinctive signs and symbols that marked its liturgical life. These are no longer solely celebrations of cosmic cycles and social gestures, but signs of the covenant, symbols of God’s mighty deeds for his people. Among these liturgical signs from the Old Covenant are circumcision, anointing and consecration of kings and priests, laying on of hands, sacrifices, and above all the Passover. The Church sees in these signs a prefiguring of the sacraments of the New Covenant.

And here
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s1c2a1.htm

Where Jesus Christ Himself is our Covenant with God, therefore the Eucharist . free from sin, forgiveness

This is lengthy but has some info,

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/relations-jews-docs/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20151210_ebraismo-nostra-aetate_en.html#5._The_universality_of_salvation_in_Jesus_Christ_and_God�s_unrevoked_covenant_with_Israel

That’s about all I have. Hopefully a Theological Covenant buff will jump in on our discussion.
 
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The covenant with Noah was the rainbow, And GOD SAID"This is the token of the covenant, I set between Me and you and all living creatures for all generations to come.I Will set My rainbow in the clouds and it
shall be a token between Me and the earth. (Genesis 9:9-13) Abraham because he obeyed God when God told him to kill his son Isaac G0d stopped him and formed a covenant telling Abrahamhe would be the father of a great nation… (Genesis 22, 1-19) Moses, GOD seals a special covenant with entire people of ISRAEL as HE gives Moses the ten commandments The Ark Of the covenant .H ope that helps a little.
GOD BLESS…
 
“mercuriel said:
Hi there, what are the signs of each covenant made in the Bible? (Scripture references for each one would be appreciated!)
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Just off the top of my head, the sign of the Noahide Covenant is the Rainbow.
The sign of the Abrahamic Covenant is circumcision.

But did the Adamic Covenant have a sign? If it did, the closest item that fits that description would be the Sabbath.

> Genesis 2:
> 1 Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. 2 [a]On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. 3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

Then again, it could be the creation of Eve:

Genesis 2:23 the man said:

“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called ‘woman,’
for out of man this one has been taken.”[a]
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.

25 The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.[c]

Or perhaps, the union of man and wife, matrimony.

Let’s see, the next Covenant is the Mosaic. The sign of that Covenant is the Law.

The next Covenant is the Davidic. The sign of that Covenant is the Temple.

And finally, the sign of Jesus Christ’s covenant with man, is the Catholic Church:

Matthew 16:18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,[a] and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Also, I am a bit confused…some say the sign of the Mosaic Covenant is Passover while others say it is the Sabbath Rest…yet others say it is the 10 Commandments.
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Don’t worry about it. These are theological musings. Except for the Noahide and Abrahamic Covenants, which are explicitly stated, there is no Doctrinal requirement that one must consider any particular thing the sign of the other Covenants. There is not even a set number of Covenants which must be believed. Some say four, some five and some 6.
Moreover, some suggest the sign of the New Covenant is baptism…others the Eucharist. Which one is it?
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In my opinion, its the Church because the Church provides both Baptism and Eucharist and 5 more Sacraments.
Thanks!
Chris
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You’re welcome. I hope that helps.
 
I think that the difficulty with the Adamic covenant is that Adam and Eve had a more direct communication with God and didn’t need a sign. Perhaps.
 
Covenant
  1. Noah- never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by a flood. Primeval covenant God enters into with Noah on behalf of every living thing- Bow
  2. Abram - God promises abundance in genetic descendants and land.- flaming torch standing in as God in the Covenant ceremony
  3. As Abraham- the Covenant promise becomes focussed on the Descendants of Abraham. Abraham is called to walk in God’s presence and be blameless. Then God says He will maintain His covenant with Abraham And his descendants only. The descendants will be more numerous then sands and stars - circumcision seals the deal here. But faith is the greater mark on the person. We who choose Jesus are adopted children of Abraham.
  4. Moses Mt Sinai and Israel and the Ten Commandments. Whilst wandering around the wilderness. The people agree and say they will keep this covenant. The rest of the Old Testament then describes the struggles the Israelites , the Chosen people , have, keeping mosaic law.
Then difficulty and outright disobedience of God’s chosen people in keepin the covenant- Gods law in the conversation between God and King Solomon. The prophets all warn and lament how the Chosen are ignoring the Covenants. God is not that impressed with the disobedience of His people.

God then charges his prophets including Jeremiah to tell people God is making a new covenant where people won’t need to be taught by others, but will have God written in their hearts. I shall be their God and they shall be my people. I will forgive their evil doing and remember their sin no more.

God sends Jesus.
  1. New Covenant written by Jesus in His own blood- Eucharist Instituted at the Last Supper , written about in the 3 Synoptic Gospels- Mark, Matthew and Luke.
A Covenant is an unbroken agreement or tie on God’s part. We, on the other hand, need to work hard to keep up our end of the agreement.

I am not sure there was a covenant with Adam. Signs like passovers , are human celebrations. The Sabbath is one of the commandments under mosaic law.

In the new covenant The deal is sealed with the Last Supper Introduction of the Eucharist.

I am not sure if Baptism is under Sacraments rather then signs. But some say the water aspect, which becomes ritual cleansing in the Old Testament Mosaic law , is from Noah’s flood.
 
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Professor John Bergsma at Steubenville authored a book entitled “Bible Basics for Catholics”
It answers your questions.
 
The following chart is from Scott Hahn’s book, A Father Who Keeps His Promises.(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

I personally would have chosen to include the Sabbath as the sign of the Mosaic Covenant since Exodus 31:16-17 explicitly states that it is.
Therefore the Israelites shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout their generations, as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” (Ex 31:16-17)
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My thoughts too! Thank you very much for your answer & for providing the chart.
 
mercuriel said:
My thoughts too! Thank you very much for your answer & for providing the chart.
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You are most welcome. I hope you find the chart helpful for your class.

Interestingly, the note on this passage (Ex 31:12 ff) from the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (the notes to which are written by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch) says:
“Sabbath observance is a sign of the covenant that can be traced back to creation”.
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I take issue with the sign for the Adamic covenant Scott Hahn proposes.

It would be cool if he corrected me:grin:

A sign needs to be visible in order to function. That’s why it was included in the covenant with Moses

The visible sign of the covenant before the fall was the immortal human body. This becomes evident when the covenant is broken. The visible sign is broken and disappears from the earth. Once destined to be divinized and lifted up the body becomes broken and it’s earthly life ends going back down into the earth

Then in Adam’s descendants it remains a sign but it signifies a broken covenant.

The Sabbath was an invisible reality before the fall and after until it could be a national custom visible to the world. It’s not visible as a universal reality if it’s observance is by a people within a nation or a tribe.

The Israelites grow into a nation and then can observe their own feast days and holy days not as a stranger in a strange land nor isolated in the desert. Observed by a nation among nations on earth now the Sabbath can be visible to the world.
 
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