“He hath made the first old… and ready to vanish away.”
Hebrews 8:13 (KJV)
What happened to the Old Covenant? That question lies at the centre of many theological misunderstandings, especially when it comes to the Jewish people and their place in God’s redemptive story. Some believe the Old Covenant is still active for those who haven’t come to faith in Jesus. But Scripture is not silent or vague, it speaks directly to this issue with bold clarity.
Let’s set the record straight: The Old Covenant is no longer in effect. The Mosaic system has been fulfilled, concluded, and replaced by something far greater: the New Covenant in Christ.
What Happened to the Old Covenant? (Keyword Focus)
When we ask what happened to the Old Covenant, we are not exploring a philosophical theory, we’re confronting a biblical fact. The Old Covenant, rooted in the Law of Moses, was a temporary arrangement designed to point toward Christ. It had a purpose, a timeline, and a termination.
“In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”
Hebrews 8:13 (KJV)
The buzz word ..what happened to the Old Covenant‘ is not just a search term; it’s the heartbeat of this conversation. The answer is found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Old Covenant Had an Expiration Date
What happened to the Old Covenant is a matter of covenantal succession. The Bible tells us that once the New Covenant was declared, the old was made obsolete.
The destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, the end of animal sacrifices, and the dissolution of the Levitical priesthood weren’t accidental. They were divine signals. They announced that the Old Covenant had fulfilled its purpose and was no longer in effect.
“For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”
Hebrews 7:12 (KJV)
This was not a revision, it was a replacement.
Christ Didn’t Patch the Old, He Replaced It
The idea that Jesus came to reinforce or upgrade the Mosaic system is a dangerous misconception. He didn’t come to support the Law; He came to fulfill it.
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
Matthew 5:17 (KJV)
To fulfill is to complete. Once a prophecy is fulfilled, it is no longer pending. Likewise, once the Law found its completion in Christ, it was no longer binding as a covenant.
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”
Romans 10:4 (KJV)
This is central to answering what happened to the Old Covenant. It reached its terminus in Jesus.
Understanding a Fulfilled Covenant: A Modern-Day Analogy
Think of how an online order works, when you place something with Amazon. The moment you place that order, it’s recorded. But it’s not yet delivered. The status might read: Processing, Open, or Pending. It’s real, it’s in motion, but it’s not yet fulfilled.
Behind the scenes, several things must happen:
- The item is picked from the warehouse,
- Carefully packed,
- Then shipped to your address.
Only when the package reaches your door does the status finally change to:
Fulfilled. Completed. Delivered. Finished.
Now take that image and apply it to the covenant God made with Israel in the Old Testament. The covenant was ordered, so to speak, at Mount Sinai ..laws, sacrifices, rituals, priesthood, all put into motion. But it remained in “processing” mode for generations.
Each sacrifice, each high priest, each festival was like one step in the fulfillment chain.
Then Jesus came.
He picked it. He packed it. He carried it. He delivered it on the cross.
And what did He say?
“It is finished.” (John 19:30)
Not cancelled. Not thrown away.
Fulfilled. Completed. Delivered.
He didn’t come to break the law or destroy the covenant, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Just like a fulfilled order isn’t discarded, but completed. So the Old Covenant wasn’t erased, it was accomplished. Christ is the delivery of everything the Law pointed toward.
So when you read that Christ “fulfilled the law,” think delivered, completed, mission accomplished. The shadows are gone. The substance has arrived.
Without the Temple, There Is No Old Covenant
The Mosaic system required three non-negotiables:
- A functioning temple
- An ordained priesthood
- Ongoing sacrifices
None of these have existed since the first century. Why? Because their role was completed.
“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”
Hebrews 10:12 (KJV)
The destruction of the temple was not merely political, it was theological. It screamed that the Old Covenant was finished.
Jesus: The Mediator of the Only Covenant That Remains
What happened to the Old Covenant? It was eclipsed by a superior reality.
“He is the mediator of the new covenant.”
Hebrews 9:15 (KJV)
“This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Matthew 26:28 (KJV)
Jesus doesn’t co-exist with the Mosaic system. He replaces it.
“No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 14:6 (KJV)
There is no alternative route to God. The Law was a shadow; Christ is the substance (Colossians 2:17).
Are Jews Still Under the Old Covenant?
This is where the discussion turns controversial but necessary. Some teach that ethnic Jews remain under the Old Covenant. But biblically, that’s impossible. Why?
Because the covenant has ended. It no longer exists. You cannot remain in a contract that has been torn up and replaced.
“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.”
Hebrews 8:7 (KJV)
“He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”
Hebrews 10:9 (KJV)
The cross eliminated the Old Covenant. What remains is one pathway: Christ.
A Simple Binary: In Christ or Not
What happened to the Old Covenant is no longer a mystery. The Scriptures draw a clear dividing line:
- Those who are in Christ, and
- Those who are not.
There’s no third option. Ethnicity, temple rituals, or Mosaic Law do not create a backdoor into God’s covenant.
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
1 John 5:12 (KJV)
“There is neither Jew nor Greek… for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28 (KJV)
Final Word: Jesus Is the New Covenant
So, what happened to the Old Covenant? It was fulfilled, concluded, and surpassed by something eternal. The New Covenant in Christ is the only standing agreement between God and man.
“This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:25 (KJV)
There are no shadows left to chase. Jesus is the light. The priest. The temple. The sacrifice. The covenant.
References & Sources
- The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)
- Hebrews 7–10
- Matthew 5, 26
- Romans 10
- Galatians 3
- Colossians 2
- 1 John 5
- 1 Corinthians 11
Have you been asking what happened to the Old Covenant? It’s time to stop chasing shadows and embrace the reality in Christ. Share this post, start the conversation, and walk confidently in the covenant that remains forever.
READ part 1 in the series https://gospelmysteries.com/are-there-gentile-believers-a-bold-reassessment-of-christian-identity/
