For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: Isaiah 28:10

Rather than allow the imaginations of our heart to run wild, let us again return to the Scripture and study line upon line, precept upon precept, on what is written. Truth very plainly written, and it is incredibly dangerous to try and read any extra thoughts into the Text. In studying the Bible diligently and prayerfully, always look to extract everything from the Text as it is written and in the context within which it is written.

They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. John 8:39

There is no ceasing of works, but the works that are to be done are not done in order to be saved, but are done as the visible fruits of salvation.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? James 2:20

And the works which Abraham did were directly connected with the Moral Law of the Ten Commandments:

Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Genesis 26:5, Galatians 3:29

And all those who are the children of Abraham are the children of a living faith that works, not a works that looks to earn salvation as wages for then the Creator would be indebted to His own creation. The keeping of the Law then rightly understood as an expression of gratitude and done as an outflow of love:

If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

No where was it mentioned that by the works of the law is someone saved; if you truly knew all of what was written, then the response which was written would have been worded differently and contained Scripture, put in its proper context and with its proper understanding, to assert any claims.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:2-3

Again, the keeping of the law is the outward expression of faith, even as the works of Abraham that were done not in order to be saved, but as a conscious realization of being saved.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5:18

For heaven and earth are still here, and the great work of character building is on-going while today is still called today.

And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. Revelation 15:8

Because the final fulfillment comes with the final plague which have not yet come, but are soon to come.

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20

And that righteousness which you are speaking of is that of the scribes and the Pharisees, is a self-righteousness derived from exacting laws ceremonial, not laws Moral (being the Ten Commandments). If you truly read and pondered over the Bible study, then you would see and hear that the Scripture makes this abundantly clear.

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. Mark 7:7-8

Where is the washing of pots and cups in the Ten Commandments? These ceremonial and traditional laws were the burdens that you speak of, not the Moral Law, for the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees was a self-righteousness that refused to differentiate between the Moral law and the ceremonial law, just as you are doing now, despite claiming to understand the Scripture. The scribes and the Pharisees too claimed to understand Scripture.

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. Hebrews 4:4-8

Now if Jesus Himself is rest, as some mistakenly believe, then there would “not afterward have spoken of another day”.

Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Hebrews 4:7-10

To rest as God did is to rest on the seventh day from all works, just as commanded in the Fourth Commandment. Do notice the word "day" in Hebrews 4:8 is translated from the Greek "hēmera" which is the equivalent of the Hebrew "yom". The word "day" therefore represents a very real, a very physical, evening and morning, sunset to sunset, 24 hour day.

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Matthew 24:20-21

Now if there was not a physical day to rest, then there would not be a direct admonishing that the Sabbath be kept even in the future as read here in Matthew 24:20.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. Luke 4:16

Because the keeping and preaching to the effort of sanctification, to the effort of character building, was done during the Sabbath.

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Acts 17:2

And Paul, along with the disciples, followed in the example of Jesus and reasoned in the Scriptures with them on the Sabbath day.

And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Acts 18:4

With the reasoning being of the Moral law, and the "them" being both Jew and Greek.

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Acts 13:42

Because the Sabbath was made for all as a day of restoration, not as a day of obligation. It is a decision which each individual makes, but to say that it is spiritual and to put it on par with the Sunday, if you truly had an understanding of what you were saying, then you would realize the error in those words.

Now to rest is, as the word implies, to rest. How can it then be works? It is then not to work, but it is to discard all feelings of pride and thoughts of self-sufficiency and be rid of any imaginations of the heart which seek to add to a work of salvation that was completed before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9). The works have already been completed, and the Sabbath of rest is to physically rest in that understanding as a day given to grow in a relationship with God and restore that which was lost in Eden.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: Genesis 3:4

Now what was lost in Eden? Wise moral conduct, as the word for "die" is the Hebrew "mûṯ", meaning "a neglect of wise moral conduct". Where is wise moral conduct found? How will man learn of what was lost in Eden? How can there be an expulsion on the basis of the neglect of law, then a claim that a return is too on a neglect of law, on a spiritualization of law? Governments and countries have law, and "law and order" is even one of the idioms of the administration, yet there is no expectation of a higher law, a heavenly law, to understand? This is not reasonable even by the imaginations of the heart, let alone the teaching of Scripture.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:12-14

Lucifer was banished from Heaven due to his selfish mindset of covetousness.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Exodus 20:17

The Tenth Commandment, the capstone of the second table of stone of the Moral Law, speaks not about the action, but about the same mindset of covetousness which caused the fall of Lucifer.

Just as there are laws on earth, there is verily a law in heaven. Just as you do not ideally keep the law on earth in order to not receive punishment, but because "well, it is the right thing to do", it is the Moral Law of the Ten Commandments which teach what is that right thing to do in order to form the character. To keep the law as works of salvation is not salvational, but to keep the law as a desire to learn how to love, as a desire to learn more of the unchanging character of God that can not simply be spiritualized away as the Ten Commandments is verily the transcript of the character of God, is the fruit of salvation.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19

Because to teach the Ten Commandments is to teach of the character of God, even to make known the love of God.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3

What a wonderful catch! A text without a context is a pretext, after all. So let us do a little more detailed study of the Bible in order to trace and analyze the covenant and show that the "New Covenant" is not different from the "Old Covenant", but is rather where the shadows of the "Old" are confirmed and affirmed in the substance of the "New". After all, the New Testament unlocks the Old Testament, then the Old Testament locks the New Testament rigidly into place.

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. Exodus 19:5-6

The "Old Covenant" and the association with being a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, is no different than the description of those "as part of the New Covenant" as written by Peter:

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 1 Peter 2:9

The context is right this time! Now here is the very beginning of the covenant:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15

Then repeated (see: re-instated) through Noah:

And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. Genesis 9:8-10

Then repeated (see: re-instated) through Abraham:

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Genesis 17:7

And the condition of the covenant was neither nation nor creed nor lineage, but faith and obedience as outflows of love:

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Genesis 22:18

Now Abraham was visited again, and the covenant was again repeated to him in his old age:

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. Genesis 17:1-2

And the condition was no different, for there is no once saved always saved, there is no once covenanted always covenanted. There is a work to do on behalf of the one who appropriates the signature of Christ.

For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8

Because while man has a desperately wicked and deceitful heart (Jeremiah 17:9), the Lord changes not. If the covenant, which is based on a law, could change, then the law could be changed.

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 John 3:4, Romans 6:23

And if the law could be changed, either in the time of the "Old Covenant" or the "New Covenant", then there would be no need for death. This is even ratified in the Sabbath:

He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth. Psalm 115:13-15

The bold part contains the signature of God which is found in the Sabbath. The promise which precedes it is no different than the "Old Covenant" promise continued through Abraham. Interestingly enough, even the Sabbath was instituted in Eden, re-affirmed in the wilderness with the manna (Exodus 16), then re-affirmed again as Jesus rested, momentarily, in the grave (Mark 15:42; 16:1).

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Galatians 3:16

Now the seed which the promise was made for meets its substance in Jesus.

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. John 8:58

And Jesus changes not. Now the reason why the Jewish picked up stones afterwards, in John 8:59, was because Jesus said that He was God:

And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. Exodus 3:14

The "I am" is the same as the "I Am That I Am", Hāyâ 'ăšer Hāyâ, or "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh" (אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה). This is a name of God, of Jesus, which in the Hebrew is YHWH, and in the Greek is referenced as the Tetragrammaton.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Galatians 3:29, Hebrews 2:15

The covenant has always been conditional on Jesus, the same Jesus found in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. As Jesus changes not, neither would His covenant of faith, trust, and obedience as outflows of love.

He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. Psalm 89:26-28

The word for "stand fast" is "aman", meaning "to be confirmed, to be verified, to be established". The covenant is not made new with Jesus Christ, it is confirmed, verified, and established through Jesus Christ. The covenant promises are made available only through the faith of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:20), or else Enoch would not have been translated (Genesis 5:24), Elijah would not have been translated (2 Kings 2:11), and Moses would not have been resurrected (Jude 1:9) before the events recorded in the New Testament: the covenant promise of life and relationship begins and ends with Jesus, whether as written in the Old Testament, or in the New Testament.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Daniel 9:24

Now the word for "determined" is "hatak", meaning "to divide, to be marked out". This prophecy is the confirmation of, and its fulfillment is the affirmation of, Jesus as Messiah.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. Daniel 9:26

When the "cutting off" was not for Himself, it is because He is in no need of His own salvation: rather, it is His signature that each person has to appropriate by faith, and show the fruits thereof in out-flowing works of grace, in the signing of the same covenant decreed from everlasting to everlasting.

Now the word for "cut off" is "karat", meaning "to cut" or "to make a new covenant, to make an alliance". Wow! This part you are especially going to love! What comes right after this word? "but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary". Who were the ones to destroy the city and the sanctuary? Pagan Rome! With an alliance with who? Simon Maegus, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees! The "New Covenant" theology, from this Verse alone, is verily Roman. A covenant will always be bound by a set of laws, and any system or teaching that has done away with the Moral Law has no problem teaching that the covenant has changed.

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. Hebrews 8:6

Now the Biblical covenant as explained in the New Testament is not different than, but is better than, the covenant as explained in the Old Testament. This is because the time had come for Jesus Christ to verify His signature on the covenant that was to be directly given to the whole world. All of the earthly promises as contained in the Sanctuary message had become heavenly promises directly available to all of the creation, just as the covenant had began in Adam and Eve in whom all creation were first begat.

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Hebrews 12:24

The word "new" here is "neos", meaning "youthful, regenerated, fresh". In harmony with Hebrews 8:6, it is not speaking of a different covenant, but of a covenant regenerated, re-instated, re-confirmed, re-affirmed, from the time of Eden.

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 9:12

Because all of the shadows written into the earthly Sanctuary were given to lead the mind to the substance of the work that Jesus is doing right now in the Heavenly Sanctuary.

For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Isaiah 61:8

Now directing the everlasting covenant in truth is directing the work according to the law (Psalm 119:142), the Word (John 17:17), and Jesus (John 14:6).

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

And "in the beginning" is an indefinite article, so therefore the Word, being Jesus who changes not, is from everlasting to everlasting just as His covenant.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. Psalm 103:17-19

And the covenant promises will always be an unchanging and everlasting expression of love.

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Genesis 17:7

For remember, the covenant was to be "a God unto thee". These conditions have never changed, as God never changes.

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Hebrews 5:9

For Jesus is both the Author and the Signer of eternal salvation, and the unchanging conditions of an unchanging covenant authored by an unchanging God are, well, unchanging. You already know this, but they are to have His imputed and imparted Signature on that covenant document through the appropriation of His faith and the sanctification through His grace.

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12