The New and Everlasting Covenant and the Fullness of the Law – 3 Nephi 15

​In this week's review of the Book of Mormon, we’ll expand our analysis of Yeshua's statement that He would fulfill the Law. We have already learned that the Greek word for fulfilled meant “to make full” – that Yeshua made the Law full (Matt 5:17) - but here in chapter 15 of 3 Nephi Yeshua states that “old things pass away and all things become new”.  He also states that the “law in me is fulfilled and hath come to an end”.  This week we’ll evaluate these statements in the context of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is integral to a New and Everlasting Covenant.  When Yehovah freedom Israel from Egyptian bondage, He stated that He was going to make Israel a kingdom of priests an holy nation – Ex 19.6.  We see this same kind of statement at 1 Peter 2:9. We also see Yeshua obtain the Melchizedek Priesthood by the making of oath at Hebrews 7 since He was not qualified to receive the Levitical Priesthood because he was not descendent of Levi.  All these references can be connected to the Melchizedek Priesthood.

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Introduction
We have learned in a previous post that Yeshua (Jesus) made the Law full or covenant law full - we demonstrated that concept with this summary table.

Under Moses	Fullness Under Messiah (Christ)
​  Abrahamic Threshold/Passover (Kingship) Levitical Priesthood Sinai Davidic	Messianic (Atonement, Resurrection) Abrahamic Threshold/Passover (Kingship) Melchizedek Priesthood Sinai Davidic (High Priest) Enochic (Sealing Power)

​Moreover, the substantive aspects of making the Law full are centered into these three covenants indicated in red.  Concepts of eliminating poverty and loving one another under the Sinai Covenant is a matter of teaching and application, which we saw Yeshua set out in the Sermon on the Mount.
 
 
The Messiah and the Melchizedek Priesthood
When we consider the source of Yeshua’s authority, we have to look to the Priesthood of God.  Yeshua received His priesthood authority from the Father through a priesthood oath. All of the covenants we see here come through the priesthood.  Since Yeshua could only be a priest under the Melchizedek Priesthood, all functions of the Levitical Priesthood are incorporated in with the Melchizedek Priesthood.  We can summarize as follows –

Melchizedek Priesthood

Lesser Law ​(Levitical)	Higher Law
​Priest (fathers of families)	High Priest (groups/communities/family clans)
​Abrahamic Threshold/Passover Sinai	​Davidic Enochic (Sealing Power) Messianic (Savior from Eternal Death)

All Things Become New
We can now apply these concepts to the statement that “all things become new”.  Yeshua can make this statement that “all things become new” because now we can see the Law within the context of the Melchizedek Priesthood and not the Levitical Priesthood.
 
The Law Comes to an End
We can also draw the same conclusion that the Law under the Levitical Priesthood came to an end and now we have the fullness of the Law under the Melchizedek Priesthood.

​Fullness of the Law under the Melchizedek Priesthood

​Messianic (Atonement, Resurrection) Abrahamic Threshold/Passover (Kingship) Melchizedek Priesthood Sinai Davidic (High Priest) Enochic (Sealing Power)

The New and Everlasting Covenant
Some Believers have coined the phrase of a New and Everlasting Covenant.  We might consider that the New and Everlasting Covenant is an umbrella title for our fullness of the Covenant Law.  

THE NEW AND EVERLASTING COVENANT

​  REDEMPTION Messianic (Atonement, Resurrection)   SANCTIFICATION Abrahamic Threshold/Passover (Kingship) Melchizedek Priesthood Sinai   EXALTATION Davidic (High Priest) Enochic (Sealing Power) (Eternal Relationships)