"Now the Lord had said unto Abram,
Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from
thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I
will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and
make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: . .. and in
thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed. So Abram
departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; . . . And Abram
took Sarah his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their
substance that they had gathered; . .. and into the land of
Canaan they came.... And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and
said, Unto thy seed will I give this land."—Gen. 12
:1-7. "And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look
now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to
number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be."
"In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram,
saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river
of Egypt unto the great river, the river
Euphrates."—Gen. 15:5-21. "And in thy seed shall
all nations of the earth be blessed." Gen. 22:18.
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord
appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God;
... And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will
multiply thee exceedingly.... As for me, behold, my covenant
is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name
shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made
thee.... 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. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after
thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of
Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their
God." —Gen. 17 :1-8.
The covenant here spoken of is truly
wonderful, and one that is greatly speculated upon by
Millennial advocates. Some teach that it will have a literal
fulfillment in the future—that Christ will set up his throne
in Jerusalem, which will be the capital of the world, and
through his seed (the church selected in this gospel age) all
the families of the earth will be saved and dwell in literal
Canaan forever. While the many texts already cited, which
prove that the second coming of Christ will be the day of
judgment, and will eternally fix the doom and destiny of all
men, and at which time this earth will be "burned
up," and "pass away" and "no place be
found for it"—while these texts are a perfect
refutation of all such chaffy theories, yet we feel led of the
Lord to give a thorough exposition of this covenant. It is one
that contains a number of promises, which, when properly
divided, are as follows:
First. "I will make of thee a
great nation." "And will multiply thee
exceedingly." "Look now toward heaven, and tell the
stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him,
So shall thy seed be." "Unto thy seed have I given
this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the
river Euphrates ;" i. e., the land of Canaan. Second.
"Thou shalt be a father of many nations. And in thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." "I
will give unto thy seed after thee, all the land of Canaan for
an everlasting possession."
The first of these were personal and
familiar; the second, spiritual, universal, and eternal: or,
in other words, the first had respect to Abraham's natural
descendants, according to the flesh; the promise of "a
great nation" in own family. The second had respect to
the Messiah and all his people. This blessing is spiritual and
eternal.
These promises—the first for a
nation, the second for all time and eternity too embrace
within them the entire nations; the first for fleshly and
temporal, the second for spiritual blessings; the first for a
time, the second for all destinies of humanity. They are the
fountains of two streams of promises, prophecies, and
histories, which, born that moment, began to flow, and whose
waters meander through all ages, and disembogue themselves at
last into the vast ocean of eternity. The distinction of Jew
and Gentile is conceived in these promises. The Jew stands
Abraham's "nation." The Gentile is always a
cosmopolite—a citizen of any nation. The Gentiles, or
"the nations', on the one side, and the Jews on the
other, are here first placed in comparison and contrast. But
after being for a time severed by a special providence, both
meet in the Messiah, by a mystic tie, and become one in him;
in whom "there is neither Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free,
male nor female."
Two covenants, sometimes called two
testaments, "old and new," are founded on these
promises. The "old" or Sinaitic covenant—the
law—was established upon the first. That law was given to
only one nation—the Jews. It was a "middle wall of
partition" between them and the Gentile nations. They
were a favored people above all the nations of the earth. The
"new testament" was established upon the second.
These promises upon which the new covenant was established,
Paul tells us are "better promises" than those upon
which the old covenant was established. (Heb. 8:6). The whole
Jewish nation, with all their peculiarities, grew out of the
first; the whole Christian church, out of the second. We will
now proceed to prove that the first of these promises, which
related to Abraham's literal seed the Jews, have been
fulfilled.
Promise. "I will make of
thee a great nation, and will multiply thee exceedingly, until
thy seed shall be as the stars of heaven for number."
Fulfillment. "The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and,
behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for
multitude."—Deut. 1:10' "Thy fathers went down
into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord
thy God hath made tbee as the stars of heaven for
multitude."—Deut. 10:22. "But David took not the
number of them from twenty years old and under; because the
Lord had said he would increase Israel like to the stars of
the heavens."—1 Chron 27:23. "Therefore sprang
there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the
stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the
seashore innumerable These all died in faith."—Heb.
11:12, 13.
Promise. "Unto thy seed
have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great
river, the river Euphrates." Fulfillment. Just before his
death, Moses went to the top of Pisgah that is over against
Jericho. "And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead,
unto Dan, and all Naphtali, and the land of
Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the
utmost sea, and the south, and the plain of the valley of
Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. And the Lord said
unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto
Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I
have caused thee to see it with thine eyes."—Deut. 34
:1-4. "Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and
possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed
after them."—Deut. 1:7, 8, 21. Just before the children
of Israel crossed over Jordan into Canaan, "the Lord
spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
...now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all
this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even the
children of Israel. Every place that the sole of our foot
shall tread upon, that have I given unto you,. ,..From the
wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the
river Euphrates, . . . Be strong and of a good courage: for
unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the
land, which I sware unto their fathers to give
them."—Josh. 1:1-6. They crossed over Jordan (Josh.
Chapters 3 and 4) and possessed the land. (Joshua, Chap.12 to
22.) "Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by
the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry.
And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the
land of the Philistines, and unto the border of
Egypt."—1 Kings 4:20, 21. Read carefully Ps 105:9-44.
Here David tells us clearly the promise of God to Abraham's
literal seed was fulfilled. Now turn to Nehemiah 9. "Thou
art the Lord the God who didst choose Abram, and broughtest
him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name
of Abraham; ... and madest a covenant with him to give the
land of the Canaanites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and
hast performed 61 words; for thou art
righteous."—Verses 7 and 8. In verses 8 to 22 is given
a description of God's dealings with Israel from their exodus
from Egypt to the time they arrived at Jordan. Now we read
verses 23-25— ÒTheir children also multipliedst thou as the
stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning
which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should
go in to possess it. So the children went in and possessed the
land,... And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and
possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards,
and olive. yards, and fruit trees in abundance; so they did
eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves
in thy great goodness." This line of scripture could be
drawn out considerably, but abundant proof is given that the
promises of the Abrahamic covenant to "Israel after the
flesh" have been fulfilled. This cuts off one branch of
Millennialism; for many contend today that these promises will
have a literal fulfillment in the future, when (as they say)
Christ will reign over the Jews in Palestine. Having seen that
the promises to Abraham's natural descendants have beer,
fulfilled, we will now prove that those respecting the Messiah
and his people reach their fulfillment in this gospel age.
Promise. "Thou shalt be a
father of many nations." Fulfillment. "For
the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not
to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the
righteousness of faith. For i! they which are of the law be
heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none
effect: . . . Therefore it Is of faith, that it might be by
grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed;
not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which
is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as
it is written, I have made thee a father of many
nations)."—Rom. 4:13-17. Nothing is plainer than the
fact so clearly stated in this text, that the promise of God
to make Abraham a father of many nations has a spiritual
fulfillment in the New Testament dispensation. God is making
all nations children of Abraham, by bringing them into the
faith of the gospel. "For they are not all Israel, which
are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham,
are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are
not the children of God: but the children of the promise are
counted for the seed." "Even us, whom he hath
called, not of the Jews only, but also of the
Gentiles."—Rom. 9:6-8, 24. "Now,we, brethren, as
Isaac was, are the children of promise."— Gal. 4:28.
"Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same
are the children of Abraham."—Gal. 3:7. "For ye
are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."—Ver.
26. "And if ye be Christ's then are ye AbrahamÕs seed,
and heirs according to the promise."— Ver. 29. Every
convert of the cross, from the dawn of this dispensation to
its close helps to constitute this great family, the children
of Abraham, the "Israel of God."
Promise. "And in thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Fulfillment.
"He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one,
And to thy seed, which is Christ."—Gal. 3:16.
"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles
through Jesus Christ."—Ver. 14. Christ then is the seed
through whom all nations were to be blessed. Russel and other
Millennial advocates teach that Christ is now selecting a
certain few out of the Gentile nations, a select
"seed," through whom he will extend special offers
of salvation to all families of the Berth in the Millennium.
The scriptures quoted above prove his theory a falsehood.
"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles
[nations] through Christ." And, "Behold, now is the
day of salvation." Full salvation is the blessing
promised. "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son
Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you
from his iniquities."—Acts 3 26. Here we are told that
the blessing of Abraham promised through Christ includes a
turning away from iniquities. This was something that could
not be obtained under the law. A turning away from iniquities
signifies the obtaining of grace to live a sinless life; hence
God's oath to Abraham vouchsafes to us, through Christ, grace
to "serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before him all the days of our life."—Luke 1:74, 75. A
present, perfect salvation from all sin, in the holy image of
God, is now offered to all nations; yea, to "every
creature," through the gospel of Christ; and the highest
inducements are held out for men to embrace the same.
Multitudes of all nations have washed their robes and made
then white in the blood of the Lamb. Amen.
Promise. "I will give unto thy
seed after thee all the land of Canaan for an everlasting
possession." Fulfillment. As before proved, all
true children of God whether Jews or Gentiles, in this
dispensation compose the spiritual seed of Abraham, the
"Israel of God," who were to obtain. tain the
blessing promised. This blessing was to come through Christ.
Through Christ we obtain a perfect salvation from sin, an
eternal soul rest. This is the spiritual Canaan we now
inherit and receive for an everlasting possession. The literal
land of Canaan inherited by the Jews was a type of the
complete redemption we have in Christ Jesus, i. e., perfect
holiness. The literal Canaan given to the Jew was only for a
time. Its blessings were temporal. The spiritual Canaan which
it typified is for all time and eternity. Its blessings are
spiritual and eternal. Hence it is an "everlasting
possession." "Therefore it is of faith, that it
might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all
the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that
also which is of the faith of Abraham." This shows
conclusively that the Canaan here promised has a spiritual
signification, and meets its fulfillment in the grace of God
bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus. "Christ hath redeemed
us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us: for it
is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that
the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith."—Gal. 3:13, 14. Here Paul positively
declares that "the promise of the Spirit" is the
"blessing of Abraham," and that the same has
"come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ." This he
identifies with the "inheritance" given to Abraham
by promise (See verses 14 18.); and we receive the same
"by faith." There was no inheritance promised in the
covenant but "Canaan," which Paul by authority of
heaven interprets to be "the Spirit." Christ
instructed his disciples to tarry at Jerusalem, and wait for
the "promise of the Father," the "baptism of
the Holy Ghost and fire."—Read Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 5.
They obeyed and received the promise. See Acts 2:1-4, 32, 33.
It is said of all the patriarchs and good men who lived under
the law, that "these all, having obtained a good report
through faith, received not the promise."— Heb. 11:39.
The Holy Spirit in the sense of the abiding Comforter was not
received under the old dispensation, because, according to the
plain teaching of the New Testament, he could not be received
in this sense until after the incarnation and glorification of
the Savior. See John 1:39; 16:7. But we further read that God
has provided these "better things" (namely, the
glorious fulfillment of his promise) "for
us."—Heb. 11:40. hallelujah! "And now, brethren, I
commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is
able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all
them which are sanctified." Acts 20:32. "Inheritance
among them which are sanctified,"—Acts 26:18. "In
whom also we have obtained an inheritance."—Eph. 1:11.
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light." Col. 1:12. "To perform the mercy promised to
our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which
he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us,
that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might
serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before
hin, all the days of our life."—Luke 1:72-75. This is
clear and conclusive. The experience of entire sanctification,
or perfect holiness, is the spiritual land of Canaan "we
which believe do enter." (1) Through spiritual birth then
become children of God. (2) All the children of God (both Jews
and Gentiles) in this dispensation are the seed of Abraham. As
such they are "heirs" to the "inheritance"
promised. (3) This inheritance is clearly stated to be Òthe
baptism of the Holy Spirit," "sanctification,"
or ~perfect holiness." These terms relate to the same
experience. (4) This experience is not received by a
transition from earth to heaven, nor is it deferred to future
age It is now received "by faith," and can be lived
and enjoyed "all the days of our life."
"Far down o'er the ages a promise
divine,
Descending to us in tbe fullness of time:
A seed should appear as the stars of the heaven,
And they should inherit a land to be given.
"Oh, we are the seed, so happy and
blest
That dwell in the land of Canaan's holy rest:
Here streams of pure love are flowing along,
And anthems of glory are sounding in song.
"This land is salvation and holiness
pure;
We find it in Jesus, our title is sure.
O sweet land of Beulah, thy glory divine
Forever and ever unclouded shall shine."
—Selected.
In Paul's letter to the Hebrews,
chapters 3 and 4, the apostle draws an analogy between Israel
in the wilderness and children of God not yet fully saved;
also between literal Canaan and the spiritual "rest"
"we which have believed do enter." God had promised
the children of Israel rest in the land of Canaan. The first
generation did not enter this land, "because they
believed not." Of them he sware, "They shall not
enter into my rest." "So we see that they could not
enter in because of unbelief." —3:19. We have before
shown that literal Canaan was a type of the experience of
perfect holiness. God had promised to give Israel rest in the
land of Canaan, "from all their enemies round
about."—Deut. 25:19. "My presence shall go with
thee, and I will give thee rest."—Ex. 33:14. By
exterminating all the Canaanites who were born and bred in
that land, the children of Israel were to possess the land and
have rest. How clearly this typifies the complete redemption
we have in Christ Jesus! The various bents of evil—pride,
selfishness, jealousy, fear, covetousness, anger, etc.are born
in us. These are in. ward enemies. Christ "condemns sin
in the flesh," and "destroys the works of the
devil" out of us; namely, saves us from these enemies,
and enables us to serve him "in holiness and
righteousness before him all the days of our
life."—Luke 1:74, 75. Not one of these enemies is
allowed to remain and lurk in the walls of "man's
soul." Perfect love casteth out fear, and the soul sinks
down into a perfect tranquillity, a haven of rest—a rest
that gives "quietness and assurance forever." This
is the land of Beulah. Here "peace is extended like a
river," and the soul is enabled to "rejoice
evermore," and "in everything give thanks";
even in times of trial, adversity, disappointment, pressure,
opposition, and misunderstanding. Here e soul
feasts on "fat things" and is "satisfied."
This so far surpasses the experience of the masses, that they
naturalIy suppose it can only be obtained in a supposed
Millennium or after death. But thank God, the redeemed
have found it in this life. "We which have believed do
[present tense] enter into rest." Hallelujah! You
see this is present. Believers now "do enter"
by faith into the Canaan "rest." The apostle urged
the Hebrew converts to enter this perfect soul rest. 4:1;
4:11; 10:19-22; 12:14.
We have clearly proved that those
promises in the Abrahamic covenant which related to his
literal descendants after the flesh reached their fulfillment
under the Law; and that those which related to the Messiah and
his people reach their fulfillment in the gospel age: that the
very things people are looking for in their Millennium, now
possess and enjoy in this last and best dispensation of God's
love and mercy. Here again the word of truth gets far
ahead of the dark age Millennium theory.
"The kingdom of God is within you,
So the greatest of teachers hath said;
And the faithful and loving have found it,
And enjoyed it before they were dead.
"The Word, and the blood of the Savior
Is the anchor in which we do rest;
And heaven began with its favor
Now we reign with the pure and the blest."
