Hebrews 9:15-16 says of Christ, “He is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that, death having taken place for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those who have been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, the death of him who made the testament must of necessity be established.” This indicates that Christ’s death took place for redemption in order that we, the called ones, might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. This is according to the New Testament, which is based upon the new covenant in which God promised to us the eternal inheritance, that is, God Himself for our eternal enjoyment.
The eternal inheritance is God Himself with all that He is, has, has done, and will do. All this is our eternal inheritance for our enjoyment. The way through which we inherit this is the new covenant. The promise of the eternal inheritance is based on Christ’s eternal redemption, not on our work. Through His redemptive work, Christ has secured for us this promised eternal inheritance. Now with His resurrection life He is bringing us, the called and redeemed ones, into participation in all the riches of this eternal inheritance, according to the new testament in the new covenant way, that is, in the way of the Holy of Holies.
We have seen that after the Lord left the covenant with us, it became the new testament containing all the accomplished facts as our bequests. The Lord’s new testament is executed by the resurrected Christ as the Mediator in the heavens (12:24). While the Lord is resting on His throne in the heavens, He is concerned for all the heirs of this new testament. He is concerned about whether the heirs are wise and diligent enough to take the bequests, or whether they are trusting in their own cleverness and trying to do something else. Because He is so concerned, He is interceding that we will have the full realization of all the bequests contained in His bequeathed will. If our eyes are opened to see this matter of the Lord’s testament, we will be beside ourselves with joy. Most Christians understand God’s salvation in a low way according to the natural human concept, not in the way of bequests. We need to see that the forgiveness of sins, the imparting of the divine life, the new birth, our crucifixion with Christ, justification, sanctification, perfection, glorification, and even the New Jerusalem are all bequests (Matt. 5:48; John 3:6; Rom. 3:24; 6:19; 8:11, 17; Gal. 2:20; 1 John 1:9; Rev. 21:2). We were crucified before we were born (Rom. 6:6). It was accomplished by Christ on the cross, and it is one of the many bequests itemized in the will. In the new testament, the new will, everything is a bequest which has been accomplished already. In the last portion of this new will, the book of Revelation, the apostle John uses the past tense very often. For example, in Revelation 20:10 John says that “the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,” and in 21:2 he says, “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Both of these statements are in the past tense because every item in the will is a bequest, not a promise. We must enjoy and partake of all the bequests itemized in the Lord’s new will. If we have this view, we will be radically revolutionized. If we have seen this matter of the new testament, we will no longer pray in a begging way.
The Father promised everything, and the Lord Jesus accomplished everything. All the accomplished facts have been itemized in the new will as our bequests. We do not need to beg; we need to thank and praise the Lord for our bequests and enjoy them. If we know God’s economy, we will praise the Lord and thank Him for all that He accomplished and bequeathed to us. We simply need to take with thanks to the Lord what has already been given to us in such an extraordinary way—in the way of the new will.
Nothing is as binding and as strongly established as a will. No one can change it. Whatever is bequeathed in a will is final; it must go to whom it is bequeathed. We should not be poor beggars—we should be glorious inheritors. An heir has no need to beg; he simply receives all the bequests with thanksgiving. When our eyes are opened to see this matter of the bequests in the new testament, our whole concept will be changed. Whenever we pray, we should pray with the realization that everything was already given to us nearly two thousand years ago as a bequest in the divine will and that we can take all that we need. We can boldly say, “Praise the Lord! This is ours, and we take it.”
The Lord’s new testament is executed by the resurrected Christ as the Mediator, the Executor, in the heavens. Today the resurrected Christ is executing this will by restfully interceding for us. The testament, the will, has been confirmed and validated by Christ’s death and is being executed and enforced by Christ in His resurrection. The promise of God’s covenant is insured by God’s faithfulness, God’s covenant is guaranteed by God’s righteousness, and the new testament is enforced by Christ’s resurrection power. Christ is now on the throne interceding for us to realize this testament, this will. The heavenly Intercessor is motivating and energizing us day by day that we may partake of all the riches of His will.
Hebrews 12:24, which speaks of Jesus as “the Mediator of a new covenant,” mentions “the blood of sprinkling, which speaks something better than that of Abel.” Abel is a type of Christ. The Lord Jesus is the real Feeder, the true Shepherd of God’s people (John 10:11, 14; Heb. 13:20). Although not many people in the Bible are called righteous, both the Lord Jesus and Abel are called righteous. In Matthew 23:35 Abel is called “righteous Abel”; in Acts 7:52 and 22:14 the Lord Jesus is called the righteous One. Abel was killed by his brother in the flesh. Jesus also was killed by His Jewish brothers. Furthermore, both the blood of Abel and the blood of Jesus are a speaking blood. Genesis 4:10 says that the voice of Abel’s blood cries unto God from the ground. The speaking of Abel’s blood, however, is only a type of the speaking of the blood of Christ. In Hebrews 12:24, the fulfillment of the type in Genesis 4:10, we are told that the blood of Jesus is the “blood of sprinkling, which speaks something better than that of Abel.” Thank the Lord! We have not only the redeeming blood, the cleansing blood, and the covering blood, but also the speaking blood. Abel’s blood spoke from the earth; Jesus’ blood speaks from heaven.
Christ’s sprinkled blood speaks better than that of Abel. Abel’s blood speaks to God negatively for condemnation, accusation, and vengeance (vv. 10, 15), but the blood of Jesus speaks to God positively for better things, such as forgiveness, justification, reconciliation, and redemption.
The blood of Christ not only redeems, sanctifies, and purifies; it also speaks. This precious blood speaks to God for us, saying that by it the new covenant, which is eternal, has been enacted, and that in this new covenant God must give Himself and all His blessings to the believers in Christ, who receive this covenant by faith. Hence, it is called the blood of the eternal covenant (Heb. 10:29; 13:20).