(This study may still need editing)
Introduction
Among Bible Students, one of the most persistent debates concerns the timing of the New Covenant: Is it active now for the church, or does it belong exclusively to the coming age? Much of the confusion arises from the assumption that if the New Covenant is not yet active for the world, then it cannot be active for the new creature either. Others conclude that if the new creature benefits from the New Covenant, then the covenant must already be fully in force.
This article explores a third position—one that avoids both extremes. Scripture shows that the new creation belongs to the age to come, and therefore the blessings that sanctify believers today are drawn from the powers of that future age. This, we believe, is true even though the New Covenant has not yet been inaugurated with Israel.
The New Creation Belongs to the Age to Come
Paul writes:
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The old creation is the creation through Adam, the whole creation now under bondage of corruption and vanity, from which there can be no new creation. -- Genesis 3:17; 5:29; Psalm 39: 5; Ecclesiastes 1:2,9,10,13-25; Romans 5:12-19; 8:19-22.
The new creation is consistently associated with the renewal of
all things—the passing away of the present heavens and earth and
the establishment of the new.
See: Isaiah 65:17; Matthew 5:18;
24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; 2 Peter 3:10,13; Revelation 21:1–5.
These passages point to a future reality, not a present one. The new heavens and new earth belong to the age to come, not to this present evil age.
The Age to Come Is Future
Jesus repeatedly distinguished between “this time” and “the age to come”:
“He will receive a hundredfold now in this time… and in the age to come, eternal life.” — Mark 10:30
“Who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” — Luke 18:30
The writer of Hebrews confirms that the age to come had not yet arrived in the first century—and it still has not:
“…tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.” — Hebrews 6:4–5
Believers in this age taste the powers of the coming age, but they do not yet live in that age.
How the New Creature Experiences Future Blessings Now
Hebrews 6:4–5 is key. It shows that the new creature receives spiritual life and sanctification through the powers of the age to come. This means:
The New Covenant is not yet active for the world.
Yet the new creature experiences its blessings in advance.
These blessings are applied by reckoning—God treats the believer as belonging to the day that has not yet dawned.
Thus, the new creature is sanctified by the blood of the New Covenant, even though the covenant itself has not yet been inaugurated with Israel.
Why the New Covenant Is Not Yet Fully Active
The present world remains under corruption:
Satan still blinds the nations (2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:3).
The promised blessing of all nations (Genesis 22:18) is not yet visible.
God continues to call individuals out of the world (John 15:19).
The corrupted world still exists (Romans 5:12; 8:21; 2 Peter 1:4).
The world has not yet passed away (1 Corinthians 7:31; 1 John 2:17).
The Law Covenant has not yet passed away (Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17; Hebrews 8:13)
Since the present heavens and earth remain, the New Covenant—promised specifically to Israel (Jeremiah 31:31)—has not yet begun its full operation. Likewise, since the Law Covenant has not yet passed away, the New Covenant is not yet inaugurated.
The Future Activation of the New Covenant Through Israel
Once the present order passes away and the new heavens and new earth appear, the New Covenant will be established with Israel as promised. At that time, its blessings will flow outward to all nations.
Until then, believers experience its sanctifying power in advance, not because the covenant is active now, but because God applies its benefits to the new creation by anticipation.
The Blood of the Covenant Applied to Christ’s Followers
When Jesus said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” — Luke 22:20; cf. 1 Corinthians 11:25
He indicated that His disciples would indeed receive the benefits of the New Covenant. The “blood of the covenant” (Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24) is the very means by which believers are sanctified:
Hebrews 10:29 — sanctified by the blood of the covenant
Hebrews 12:24 — Jesus, mediator of a new covenant
Hebrews 13:20 — the blood of the everlasting covenant
These blessings come through the powers of the age to come (Hebrews 6:4–5), applied now to those who believe.
Conclusion
The New Covenant is not yet active for the world, nor has it been inaugurated with Israel. Yet the new creature experiences its sanctifying power today because the new creation belongs to the age to come. Believers receive the blessings of that future covenant by anticipation, through the Spirit, and through the blood of Christ.
This understanding avoids the extremes often found among Bible Students and harmonizes all relevant Scriptures: the covenant is future, but its power is already at work in those who are being prepared for the coming age.
