Hebrews 2:16
The Seed of Abraham
For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. (Hebrews 2:16)
O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen. (Psalm 105:6)
He is the LORD our God: his judgments are in all the earth. (Psalm 105:7)
He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. (Psalm 105:8)
Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; (Psalm 105:9)
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: (Psalm 105:10)
From Ur of the Chaldees to the land of Canaan, God called Abraham when the God of glory appeared unto him. And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,. (Acts 7:2) When Abraham was called of God he was living in a dark land with the people that were scattered from the tower of Babel. There were all forms of idolatry, it was surely a miracle of God’s call when He appeared unto Abraham. Abraham was not looking for God that day, but God was looking for Abraham. According to the Scriptures, God gave Abraham a promise concerning his seed, and in this seed all nations would be blessed. The Lord Jesus referred to Abraham as ‘seeing his day,’ when in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son.
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. (John 8:56)
Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (John 8:57)
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM. (John 8:58)
The Lord Jesus declared that Abraham had seen His day. The Jews knew what He was referring to, and condemned the Lord Jesus by saying that He was not yet 50 years old, and how could He have seen Abraham? We refer back to Acts 7:2, The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham. This appearance of the God of glory was, in fact, the Person of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Abraham looked through the curtain of time to see that day, although it was centuries and millenniums away, Abraham saw His redeemer, and understood the promises that God had given to him in his seed. These promises were not given until Abraham had entered into the land of Canaan, and he understood the redeeming and justifying power of the God of glory. All the promises given to Abraham would be fulfilled in the day of Christ. God would provide HIMSELF a sacrifice. And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8) The fulfillment of this sacrifice would be the Son of God, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. Genesis 22 is a chapter of witness. We have the repetition of the number 2 throughout this chapter. In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses every word is established. We have the 2 personalities of Abraham and Isaac; one is portrayed as Father, and the other as his only begotten Son. Even though Ishmael came out of the loins of Abraham, he was not the son of promise; Isaac would fulfill this position. In Chapter 22, we have the 2 subjects of Abraham and Isaac; also, we have the young men that were with Abraham, we presume that they also were 2 in number. Then the wood for the fire that was borne by Isaac, the heir of promise. In the fulfillment of the promise it was the Lord Jesus Christ who bore His cross. Next we have the fire, we are reminded of the lamp and the burning furnace that Abraham beheld when God, in darkness, confirmed His promise to Abraham. The sacrifice that Abraham presented before God was the seal of the promise.
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)
And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. (Genesis 15:7)
And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? (Genesis 15:8)
And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. (Genesis 15:9)
And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. (Genesis 15:10)
And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. (Genesis 15:11)
And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. (Genesis 15:12)
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; (Genesis 15:13)
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. (Genesis 15:14)
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. (Genesis 15:15)
But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (Genesis 15:16)
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. (Genesis 15:17)
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:. (Genesis 15:18)
In examining the promise to Abraham, God gave a progressive promise. In the promise God would bless his seed as the sand of the sea, and as the dust of the ground. This was the earthly part of Abraham’s promise, which is being fulfilled behind the curtain of time. One day, Abraham’s seed will dwell in the land, and they will possess the land from the river in Egypt to the great Euphrates river; and their King, the Lord Jesus Christ, will sit upon His throne in Jerusalem. There is a second part to the promise. Abraham will have a seed that will be as the stars of heaven. This portion of the promise is being fulfilled today in the end of the age, all because in the fulness of time, God sent forth His Son to be a sacrifice for sin.
Genesis 22 establishes the sacrifice that would come in God’s Son. We can image what Abraham wrestled with while climbing mount Moriah. His faith was a faith of deliverance, not only for himself and his son, but for his seed to come. Abraham also had a knife in his hand as a type of the spear that the Roman centurion pierced the side of the Lord Jesus Christ. God paints a detailed picture of Abraham building an altar, laying the wood in order, and then binding his son to the altar. I believe that Abraham raised his knife believing that if he took Isaac’s life, God was able to raise him from the dead. Was it at the raising of the knife, or in the descending motion that the angel of the Lord called out, Abraham Abraham?
Abraham responded to the call of the angel, and then beheld a ram caught in a thicket. The allegories of God are part of His prophetic witness to man. We have the ram caught in the thicket. The thicket or bramble is a symbol of man’s fall under the curse entangled in sin; therefore, from the curse of the ground in Genesis 3:18 of thorns and thistles to the crown of thorns placed on the Lord’s head in Matthew 27: 29 we have the determinate counsels of God in that Christ would be the Lamb of God, and the sacrifice before the foundations of the world. In the ram we see the obedience of Christ held by the hand of the Father, and delighting to do the Father’s will. (Hebrews 10) From the call of Abraham to mount Moriah was a continued revelation of God to Abraham. God appeared to Abraham many times, in fact, up to this point in Scripture none of God’s servants had this many recorded visitations from God Himself. The offering was to be a burnt offering, and the seed of promise, Isaac, was to complete that offering. God interceded by providing Himself a sacrifice. In Genesis 15, we have the sealing of the promise to Abraham. In Genesis 22, we have the sealing of the promise in Abraham’s son, Isaac, that would be culminated in the fulness of time by God’s only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who would be the true and perfect burnt offering, and who would be a sweet savor unto the Lord. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. (Genesis 21:12)
Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. (Galatians 4:28) (Romans 9:7; Hebrews 11:18) As Abraham climbed mount Moriah, like John on Patmos, he was living a living revelation from God. Every step on that mountain was a step of faith, and for Abraham his faith was counted unto him for righteousness. The full meaning of Isaac, as the seed of promise, is fulfilled in the New Testament by the Lord Jesus Christ, and because Christ is the fulfillment of that seed, we, as the children of God are the seed of Abraham. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. (Galatians 4:28) And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29) We, as the children of God, walk the same faith as faithful Abraham. He walked on the other side of the promise before Christ died and suffered for sin; yet, God had revealed that day to Abraham, and Abraham rejoiced in that day and was glad in it. We walk on this side of the cross, or this side of the fullness of time. (Galatians 4:4) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,. (Galatians 4:4) Remember, Abraham looked forward to the cross, as we being heirs of Christ look back to see the seed of all faith. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. (Galatians 3:22) And that seed, being Christ, fulfilled the counsels of God while He was being made a curse for us on the cruel cross of Calvary.
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: (Galatians 3:13)
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:14)
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:15)
We conclude, with Paul, that the seed that was promised to Abraham was before the foundation of the world promised in Jesus Christ. For the just shall live by faith. (Habbakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38) And it is by faith that grace is known in the living God, who is the Author of both faith and grace.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
In Genesis 12 the Lord affirmed four times unto Abraham, I will.
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 shew thee: (Genesis 12:1)
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: (Genesis 12:2)
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3)
Stephen in Acts 7 disclosed that this was the God of glory, and He appeared to Abraham. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.(Genesis 12:7) In this short section of Scripture in Chapter 12 of Genesis, God appeared to Abraham twice. Once in Ur of Chaldees, and the second time was when Abraham entered into the land of Canaan. Now God adds the promise of Abraham’s seed.
This seed would be the completion of all the promises given to Abraham. He could not see the fulfillment in himself, but by faith he believed God, and God fulfilled that promise through the true seed, the Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham not only saw the fulfillment of His promise, and his seed in his son Isaac, but he saw the fulfillment of the promised seed in Christ. God sealed this promise with a sacrifice, for in verse 7 of Genesis 12 we have the first altar built by Abraham to the Almighty God. By building this altar unto the Lord we see the sealing of the promise thus far. According to the Scriptures there had only been one other altar built unto the Lord after the flood, and that was the altar of Noah. There is no mention of the sons of Noah building at any time an altar for God. And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. (Genesis 8:20) This is the only altar recorded until we see Abraham’s first altar. There were many years between Noah and Abraham, why then do we not have a record of other altars? The world of the descendants of Noah became a very dark place. Noah’s descendants fell into the darkness of idolatry, and in their self sufficiency they made a name for themselves. Was this name a false god, or religion; for they gathered themselves together in the land of Shinar and built themselves a tower; hopefully, to reach unto heaven, whose top may reach unto heaven;. The next structure that we see after the altar of Noah, is the Tower of Babel. The heart of man is revealed through this building of a tower, and man’s desire to be as god. In man’s rebellious postdiluvian madness, man was attempting to cast off the cords of God (Psalm 2), and the knowledge of God. (Romans 1) Man preferred darkness rather than the light. God looked upon this and, once again, saw that man’s dark heart was continually evil. God, therefore, came down and confounded their speech through language; thus, dividing them and driving them throughout the world. It is quite possible, that at this same time period, He also divided the races so that each race would be bound by their language and by their color.
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:4)
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. (Genesis 11:5)
And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. (Genesis 11:6)
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. (Genesis 11:7)
So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. (Genesis 11:8)
Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:9)
This division stirred up enmity between races, and nation against nation, and man against man. Language has always been a major separating factor between nations. We are approaching full circle of the Tower of Babel, from separation to unification. Borders are being cast off by nations, and the multitude of millions are traveling from one nation to another, and invading their host country. This is leading us to the one world government of Revelation, Chapter 13, when the times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled; and the man that is called The Beast will come forth. I give you 4 signs:
1 – nations will be in such chaos and unable to govern themselves.
2 – the currencies of the world will be controlled by one entity.
3 – a development of a one world government similar to the United Nations. This government will have one man leading an evil world, and his number will be 6 – 6 – 6, or 600 + 60 + 6; or the Greek numeral equivalent of that number (this symbol cannot survive this post translation), or binary equivalent (1010011010), or the Roman equivalent (DCLXVI). This man will lead all the nations of the world to an unprecedented state of idolatry; in fact, the world will worship him.
4 – this will be the last piece of the puzzle, and is now with us today. You call it computer language; even this website can be read in many languages, but originates in computer language. This language is still developing, and it is developing at a rapid pace. Since the computer age, all aspects of national life have changed, and will change further till the beast has control of all the souls of men.
What have these 4 points to do with the promises to Abraham? They are in regard to the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham’s seed in the earthly sense. This seed is now Israel, and at a future date Israel will receive the blessings given to Abraham. When the Lord Jesus returns, He will deliver Israel from all her troubles, and He will put the world in subjection to Himself; Israel, therefore, will have the dominant part of world leadership under a Holy and Righteous King, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us return to Noah and his altar . . . .
Noah was fulfilling God’s instruction in the building of the altar, as he had obeying God in building the ark. This was the first sacrifice in the new world. It was a sacrifice of clean beasts and clean fowls, and it was to be a burnt offering unto the Lord. Noah, therefore, understood the reason and the subject of that sacrifice, that it was a sweet savor unto the Lord. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2) It is also quite plausible that this was not the first time that Noah had ever offered a burnt offering to God, although it is not recorded before the flood, it would be an important witness of Noah, and a important part of Noah’s testimony before the flood as a man of God, and a preacher of righteousness that he preached a coming judgment upon a world consumed with sin. In the Church Age, we could put the present ‘breaking of bread’ as not only a figure of our devotion and worship to God, but it is also a symbol of God’s judgment to come on a world who has rejected Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: (2 Corinthians 2:15)
To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:16)
In Genesis 12:7 we have a shorter statement of Abraham building an altar. There is no mention of the sacrifice in itself; yet, we would believe if Abraham was going to build an altar, that he is going to offer a sacrifice especially when the Lord of heaven appears to him. We should see this as an act of obedience of Abraham as well as an act of worship to the most high God. This was one of many altars that Abraham built including the altar of Genesis 22 when he was about to offer Isaac. Up to this point in Scripture we do not have anyone, other than Abraham, documented who had as many meetings or appearances of Jehovah. It was to the most high God that he had lifted up his arm, the possessor of heaven and earth, and with these words, he turned away the king of Sodom. Abraham had met Melchizedek* prior to his meeting with the king of Sodom. At this meeting with Melchizedek they shared both bread and wine, this was the man who received the promises of God, and in the fulfillment of those promises we have been brought into a relationship with Jesus Christ who is the promised seed. The Lord Jesus is also a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec*, and like Abraham we show forth the Lord’s death until His comes with both bread and wine, because we are the seed of promise in Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:7-9
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Galatians 3:8)
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:9)
Paul relates the New Testament fulfillment of the promise that God gave to Abraham in verse 8, we have the word ‘foreseeing,’ this designates the same truth that the Lord Jesus declared that Abraham had seen His day and rejoiced in it. This is the New Testament fulfillment of that promise received by Abraham. Paul, also, in verse 8 declared that when God spoke to Abraham, He was in reality preaching the gospel to Abraham. If we consider the 3 ½ years of the Lord’s ministry, and the gospel that was related to both the Jew and the Gentile in the same promise that was given to Abraham, we see that Abraham understood the fullness of the gospel that would be preached by them that heard the Lord. Paul, being the Apostle to the Gentiles, revealed a far deeper truth to the world that was then, and is now. He brought forth the blessing that we receive as heavenly citizens of that Jerusalem which is above; yet, we receive these blessings through the same promises and seed of Abraham. We detract from the power of God in our own unbelief. If God could frame the world, and lay a foundation for it, and set the stars in the heaven, it is a light thing to explain to a well knowledgeable man like Abraham that God Himself would be Abraham’s Redeemer, and that the promise would come through Abraham’s seed. This is the prophetic promise of God’s Son as the seed of Abraham. The Apostle, therefore, in Hebrews 2:16 takes us to that promise when he declared that Christ took on Him the seed of Abraham. In Galatians, the Apostle puts the children of faith together in faithful Abraham. The Holy Spirit of God had already signified this truth in the very beginning of the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew 1:1 we have God introducing us to a new generation, this is not recorded genealogy, but a divine generation based on the promises and covenants given to both David and Abraham. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Even the way the Holy Spirit announces the promises by placing David first. This unveils that this Gospel of Matthew is the Gospel of the kingdom, and it’s future fulfillment would be in the kingdom of Israel when Christ reigns over all the earth, and David and his seed receive the promise. Then the Holy Spirit relates the promise of Abraham, this not only takes in Abraham’s descendants through Isaac, the promised seed, but David’s as well. For David was a descendant of Abraham, so we see both the earthly descendants, and the seed of promise in both David and Abraham. We see the heavenly descendants, that is those of the Church Age, in the promise of God to Abraham; thus, in Matthew 1:1, we have a new generation, a heavenly generation founded on two covenants, and yet, one divine promise that in Abraham, and his seed the nations of the world, both Jew and Gentile, would be blessed in the same gospel that God preached unto Abraham.
Verse 1 of Matthew must be treated completely separate from the unfolding genealogy that follows. If we treat verse 1 in this way we see a heavenly people who are the generation of Jesus Christ; a heavenly people set aside to be the Bride of Christ, the Church of the living God.
We are children of faith together with faithful Abraham. We are joint heirs with Christ. We are brought into all the promises that were given to faithful Abraham.And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29)Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7) As a spiritual and heavenly people we are separated from the earthly people of blessing which is Israel. The Church and her foundation is centered in Christ alone. In Israel’s future blessing they are the continuation of the promises given to Abraham and his seed. The confusion of our age is not seeing God working behind the curtain of time in Israel’s history while the Church exists on earth. One day the Church will pass into history, and only then be seen in it’s proper position in heaven with Christ. Many take Old Testament blessings and apply them to the Church when in reality, those blessings are set aside for Israel in her future glory when she receives her King of kings, and Lord of lords, the Lord Jesus Christ. In relationship to the Church, all our blessings, and all our glory are centered in the Person of Jesus Christ in heaven.
In the present day we must view the gospel as an instrument of separation. Separating a people from the world to dwell in the heavenly with their Savior, Jesus Christ. Now in saying all this, we still are identified with faithful Abraham, for by faith we are put in a position of the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7) Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7) It is because of the faith which is in Jesus Christ that we receive blessings, and are blessed with faithful Abraham. For the just shall live by faith. (Habbakkuk 2:4) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (Galatians 3:11) If we journey to Romans Chapter 4, we will receive confirmation of these promises that were given to Abraham in our own justification through Jesus Christ. Romans 4 is considering the same promise made to faithful Abraham who believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
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, (Romans 4:16)
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. (Romans 4:17)
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. (Romans 4:18)
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: (Romans 4:19)
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; (Romans 4:20)
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. (Romans 4:21)
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. (Romans 4:22)
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; (Romans 4:23)
But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; (Romans 4:24)
Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25)
The promise that God made to Abraham has reached unto us, who live by the faith of Jesus Christ. This faith is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. For it is by faith that we receive the grace of God which is in Jesus Christ. Faith must come first before God ministers to us His saving grace. By Christ, therefore, taking on Him the seed of Abraham, the Lord Jesus fulfills the prophetic promise of Christ being that very seed of promise. That is why He could not take on the nature of angels for He must come forth in the realm of Adam, in the likeness of sinful flesh, but not bearing sin in His flesh. He is the divine seed of promise, and that promise given to Abraham. He took upon Himself, therefore, the seed of Abraham. It was prophetically necessary for Him to fulfill the promise to righteous Abraham; that the seed of glory would come through the faith of Abraham.
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, (Galatians 4:4)
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Galatians 4:5)
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6)
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Galatians 4:7)
The Lord Jesus came in the fullness of time. This is the exact day or period of time that Abraham rejoiced in, the fulfilling of the promise that the Lord made to him concerning his seed, and that seed is Christ. If we consult the prophets in the Old Testament, we will find many prophecies relating to the Messiah, or the coming King of Israel. We have prophecies given of His childhood and how He was to be born. We have prophecies given that He would, in fact, be Emmanuel ‘God with us.’ We have prophecies given of His future Kingdom, and how He will reign in righteousness over the entire world. In fact, the Scriptures foreseeing the end from the beginning, and the beginning from the end, has left us and unquestionable testimony of the Holy Spirit of God in all divine truths. Both the written Word and the divine promises were fulfilled in Christ before the foundations of the earth. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (Hebrews 4:3) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,. (1 Peter 1:20)
In the fullness of time — we have a set point of time in the history of man that God would reveal His Son. It was the divine fulfillment as well as the divine consent to all that was laid before the foundation of the earth. Christ, the promised seed, was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(Revelation 13:8) In Christ we see the new generation of life born from above.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)
This presents a rip in the fabric of history. A time cut out for a new generation of people called the sons of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. These are contained in the same promise that was given to Abraham, they are the stars in the heavens — innumerable.
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. (Genesis 15:5)
And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.(Genesis 15:6)
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (Genesis 13:15)
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. (Genesis 13:16)
The Scriptures discloses that the covenant that was made with Abraham was given to him progressively on different occasions; still being the same covenant, and yet, one would be a heavenly people as the stars of heaven, and in the same covenant bearing a fulfillment in the earthly people, as the dust of the earth. Israel, the dust of the earth in number, and her future glory when Christ reigns in righteousness in His millennial Kingdom; and the heavenly people, the people called out of the earth, both Jew and Gentile to dwell with Christ in heaven as His Church, and they will be chosen out of the end of the Age, which is now. We are the heavenly people as the stars in the sky. Year after year, time after time, we have been chosen in Christ, and created by Him.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)
Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; (Ephesians 2:11)
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:12)
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:12)
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (Ephesians 2:14)
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; (Ephesians 2:15)
And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (Ephesians 2:16)
And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. (Ephesians 2:17)
Verse 10 reveals that we have not only been called of God, but we have been created a new creation in Jesus Christ. Not only as the body of the whole of the Church, but each individual member of the Body of Christ is created by and in Jesus Christ. And this makes us, each individual, part of the heavenly seed which is Christ.
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:14)
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Galatians 3:6)
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.(Galatians 3:7)
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Galatians 3:8)
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:9)
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)
And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. (Galatians 3:17)
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. (Galatians 3:18)
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:19)
As Paul unfolds the understanding of the seed of Abraham, we find that the faith of Abraham was counted unto him for righteousness. This faith was given by God from above, as we mentioned previously. This faith is both of Jesus Christ, and in Jesus Christ, the seed of promise. Paul makes it clear that it was not ‘many seeds,’ but ‘one seed,’ and that seed was Christ. Those of the heavenly calling are blessed in the prophetic promise of the seed to faithful Abraham. Even though, we as the Church have been called out of the world, we share the promised seed which is Christ. The fulfillment of Israel’s glory will also be because of that seed, and the promise of that seed to Abraham, which is Christ. Remember the promise that was given in the Garden, that it was the promised seed of the woman that would bruise the head of the serpent. The continuation of that seed is traced through Abraham, through the history of Israel till the fullness of time when God sent His Son, who was the perfect fulfillment of the promised seed throughout the Old Testament. God, Himself, has given His Son, as in Genesis 22, for a sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. The Lord Jesus Christ is the promised seed, and He has delivered us from the bondage of sin because He was made of the seed of Abraham. Both Israel and the Church should rejoice in this promised seed, although we are in two different spheres, one heavenly, and one earthly we should both rejoice in the Lord of glory that appeared unto Abraham, when he was yet in Ur of the Chaldees. Amen.
* Melchizedek (spelling according to the Old Testament), Melchisedec (spelling according to the New Testament).
© Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)