You Will Become "a Kingdom of Priests" - THE NEW COVENANT GOES INTO EFFECT

When did  the new covenant go into effect?  Not when Jesus made reference to it on his last night on earth.  For it to go into operation, Jesus' blood had to be poured out and its value had to be presented to Jehovah in heaven.  Moreover, the holy spirit needed to be poured out on those who would be "joint heirs with Christ."  Hence, the new covenant went into effect at Pentecost 33 C.E.  when Jesus' loyal disciples were anointed with holy spirit.

Though the former Law covenant was in a sense made "obsolete" when Jehovah announced through Jeremiah that He would conclude  a new covenant with Israel, it did not actually end until the new covenant went into effect. (Hebrews 8:13)  When that happened, God could view both Jewish and uncircumcised Gentile believers in the same light, since their "circumcision is that of the heart by spirit and not by a written code." (Romans 2:29)  By concluding the new covenant with them, God wold put his laws "in their mind, and in their hearts [he would] write them." (Hebrews 8:10) The total number of those in the new covenant would be 144,000, making up the nation-"the Israel of God." - spiritual Israel. - GALATIANS 6:16; REVELATIONAS 14:1, 4. 

How do the Law covenant and the new covenant compare?  The Law covenant was between Jehovah and natural Israel; the new covenant is between Jehovah and spiritual Israel.  Moses was the mediator of the former covenant; Jesus is the Mediator of the new one.  The Law covenant was validated by means of animal blood; the new covenant was validated by the shed blood of Jesus.  And the nation of Israel was organized through the Law covenant under Moses; those in the new covenant are organized under Jesus-the Head of the congregation. - EPHESIANS 1:22.


The new covenant relates to the Kingdom in that it produces a holy nation that has the privilege of becoming kings and priests in the heavenly Kingdom.  That nation constitutes the secondary part of Abraham's offspring. (Galatians 3:29)  The new covenant thus reinforces the Abrahamic covenant.

One more aspect of the Kingdom remains to be established.  The new covenant produces spiritual Israel and provides the basis for its members to become "joint heirs with Christ."  A binding legal arrangement, however, is needed to allow them to join Jesus in his Kingdom as kings and priests in heaven.

Next time: You Will Become "a Kingdom of Priests" - A COVENANT THAT ALLOWS OTHERS TO RULE WITH CHRIST

From the jw.org publications