The Everlasting Covenant
Part II
(Perspective of Promised Blessings of the Fathers)

     When Abram [Abraham] found that there was great happiness to be found in God he sought for the blessings and promises of the fathers [Adam . . . Noah] (Abraham 1:2). As Abram's or Abraham's own father Tarah was not a righteous man, Jewish traditions has Abraham looking to the household of Noah who according to many a chronigrapher was still living in his early mid 900 years of age. And it may be concluded, if such is true, that Abraham did indeed rise to the station of receiving the 'covenant blessings of the fathers'.

Of course if Abraham had to go to Noah then the plural 'fathers' would have to included Noah and those of the more ancient fathers even back unto Adam. In speaking of whom Abraham received the priesthood from the Doctrine and Covenants states:

" . . . Abraham received the priesthood from Melchizedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah; and from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage of their fathers; And from Enoch to Abel, who was slain by the conspiracy of his brother, who received the priesthood by the commandments of God, by the hand of his father Adam, who was the first man——" ~ D&C 84:14-16

Now some would make Abraham's descent of prieshood authority a long list of often 'unnamed' fathers pleading the concept that 'till So and So, through the lineage of their fathers' does present that very concept of missing named priesthood bearers down to eventually Abrham. But I'd rather make it a shorter list, as it is clear from studying the scriptures that Abraham was a high priest before he left Ur of Chaldeas and received the priesthood as a relatively young man well before the age of 75.

In that 'short list' of priesthood linage I would include Melchizedek as the D&C states that is where Abraham's priesthood came, but then considering the facts of scripture that Abraham recieved his priesthood early and according to Jewish tradition from being associated with the household of Noah, then I am inclined to think that Melchizedek was also in that earlier time, a part of the household of aging Noah, as Noah died at age 950 which allows a window of opportunity for young Abraham to associate with Noah's house, seeking the blessings of the fathers directly from the most ancient father of his day, Noah and Noah's son Shem who I would make as Jewish tradition does, to be the same as Melchezedek.

Now I will not take time to argue the identity of Melchizedek, rather I will merely state the short list beginning with Abraham to Melchizedek to Noah to Enoch to Abel to Adam. These are the 'fathers' which D&C 84:14-16 names and these are they on that 'short list' of 'fathers' on Abraham's priesthood pedigree I'll provide. Interestingly, Jewish tradition has Shem's death when Abraham is 110 years old as also it has Melchizedek's departure also so dated when Abraham was 110 years old.

But assuredly, there were unnamed intervining 'fathers' unnamed, as Abel was killed before Seth was born when Adam was 130 years old. This also begs an answer to who could Abel have ordained to the priesthood that Enoch's line of priesthood came from Abel rather than his fathers? Enoch was born in the 622 year of Adam and he could have received his priesthood from his 3rd great grandfather Seth, who lived until 1042 of Adam, but unless Seth 'stood in the priesthood place of Abel' in the ordinantion, there seems to be no named person from whom Enoch received his priesthood other than that is came 'through Abel'. Also there would have been at least one unnamed person in Noah's priesthood lineage as the 'jump-gap' between Noah and Enoch leaves an open number of years from when Enoch was taken up into heaven in 987 Adam's time and Noah was not born until 1056 Adam's time, which leaves some 69 years between Enoch's departure and Noah's birth. Thus barring a 'visitation return by Enoch, Noah's immediate priesthood ordination came by way of at least one interviening person between Enoch and Noah.

All this aside, the priesthood and the attached 'covenant' of God with man, did come by way of the fathers. Adam was the 'first man' and presumeably to whom the 'everlasting covenant' promises were established on earth in the first place. From Adam that/those promised blessings of that covenant would have passed through and by way of others, Abel would have been next in the line of the covenant bearers though his life was cut short and that 'covenant' position is reported to fall to Seth in Abel's stead. Perhaps Abel's name is included on the 'fathers' priesthood list merely as to whom the covenant was held by as opposed to the actual inline prieshood ordinantions.

At any rate from Abraham the covenant line from then to Isaac, then Jacob, then Joseph and then Ephraim, whom we will connect to in this the latter day and by whose descendants the 'Covenant of Abraham' and those associated blessings are being taken to all the world as the fulfilling of the Covenant is proceeding forth.

Exactly What Are the Promised Covenant Blessings?

At this point we will establish a simple list of just what the 'covenant' blessings of promise did entail, leaving the further detailed discussion to such as the perspective of Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant of the Everlasting Covenant.

The matters related to the priesthood ordinances of the Abarhamic Covenant would be that 1) the gospel by baptism (the covenant of salvation) would be apart of the covenant. 2) The receipt of the priesthood, particularly that of the higher Melchizedek prieshood would be conferred. 3) The priesthood ordiance of 'Celestial Marriage' (the covenant of Exaltation) would be entered into thus gaining the insurance of eternal increase. 4) Finally, the covenant would include the promise that all of these covenant blessings would be offered to all the covenanting person's mortal posterity. Further included in the 'divine promises' would be the assurance that 5) Christ would come through the lineage of the covenanting person if he were the bearer of the covenant prior to the birth of the Redeemer. And 6) a last covenant blessing would be the right to receive certain particular lands of promise as an eternal inheritance. 7) And of course as part of the promises of the coveannt made unto the fathers, there was the ultimate promise that the (a) promised deliverer/redeemer would be provided which would enable mankind to be 'saved' from the fall and this by such obedience to the laws, ordinances and performances of the gospel plan.