Blessings of Abraham a transferrable promise?

[Guest shiloh357]

 

 

Gal 3:29 - " And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs to the promise."

 

Through Christ all nations are to be blessed.

 

The promises to Abraham are dual, both physical (the descendants of Abraham) and spiritual (the followers of Christ)

 

Spiritual Israel of God is the church.

No, the Church is not a spiritual Israel.   The NT never spiritualizes israel to refer to the Church.  The Church is NEVER called Israel.   Israel is Israel.  the Church is the Church.  They are radically separate in the NT.

 

 

In Gal 6: 15-16 - we see the church being referred to as the Israel of God.

 

 

No, we don't.   Paul is not referring to the church but to the remnant of believing Jews who are the true Israel, according to Paul in Romans 9.   Israel is NEVER spriitualized to refer to the church.  The Church is the Church  and Israel is Israel.  That is the ONLY correct and biblical way to look at it.

We know an assembly, a body of people, a congregation, is called a church.

 

In Acts 7:38 we see the people of Israel under Moses being referred to the " church in the wilderness"

 

No, we don't.  The original Greek word is "ekklesia" and refers to God's called out people.  The word "church" is not a translation of ekklesia and has no connection to that Greek word.  The word, "church" is a Germanic/teutonic word that means "circle" and originally referred to a group of sun worshippers in pre-Christian Europe.

 

Acts 7:38 is better rendered "the congregation" in the wilderness. 

 

 

Just as Israel was called out of Egypt, we in today's world have been called out of the sinning ways of the world by following Christ through the church He created on Pentecost.

 

Yes, but is nothing more than theological foreshadowing, and has nothing to do with who is or is not Israel.

 

God used physical Israel to help Him bring forth Spiritual Israel-paralleling His plan of salvation for mankind.

 

There is no spiritual Israel.   The Bible knows nothing of a "spiritual Israel."   That is a man made term born of sloppy theology.

Just as in Ezekiel 36 where God's spirit is promised to Israel, Ephesians 2:22 describes the indwelling of God's spirit to the church.

 

Israel was God's first born Ex 4:22

 

And the New Testament church is referred to as God's first born Heb 12:23

 

Wrong.  Hebrews 12:23 refers to us as the "church of the Firstborn."    The Firstborn in that verse is referring to Jesus.  We are the Church of Jesus Christ, and He is the "Firstborn" of creation, meaning He is the preimminent one of creation, the chief or head of all creation.

The church has an important role to mankind-first by receiving the physical blessings in the OT and then by receiving the spiritual blessings in the NT through Christ.

 

The Bible doesn't say that,  Sorry but you are wrong.   The Church receives none of the physical blessings promised to Israel and you have no Scripture that says otherwise.

[nebula]

 

The Gentiles do not need to be circumcised because we are not under the covenant of Abraham. We are under the New Covenant of Jesus.

 

The Holy Spirit is a part of Jesus' New Covenant, not a part of of the old Abrahamic Covenant.

 

Just because the word "Israel" has a meaning, that does not mean his name applies to us.

God uses names in the bible a lot of times to reflect a purpose or signify what the person represents - Jesus means " God is our salvation ".

And Israel's name applied to Israel. There is not indication the body of believers whom we in English call "the Church" is not a single person, not founded by anyone but Jesus, and was not given a name - like the man Abraham or the man Israel were given.

 

Abraham, Israel, received physical promises but the spiritual promises of the covenant were to come with the ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Please list these spiritual promises.

 

 

Heb 8: 6-8 -shows the old covenant had been broken by disobedience-and 2 Cor 3:6-9 show the new covenant is part of the better promises

I hope you know that there was more than one covenant in the Old Testament?

 

Adam had a covenant, Noah had a covenant, Abraham had a covenant, The children of Israel with Moses had a covenant, David had a covenant.

 

The "old covenant" spoken of in Heb. and 2 Cor. was the Mt. Sinai covenant, the one cut with the children of Israel with Moses, also known as the Mosaic covenant.

 

 

With Jesus we see the physical aspects of the old covenant like sacrifices, circumcision are no longer required. Jesus represents the new priesthood.

 

Agreed, but nothing in the covenant states a replacing of "Israel".

 

The new covenant was given to the Israel (the Jews), as was prophecied, but the people of the nations (the gentiles) were granted access to this covenant as well.

 

Only a remnant from both sides (Jews and Gentile) received this covenant.

 

 

Circumcision can be voluntary but not necessary for salvation regardless of physical lineage or heritage. Viewing circumcision as necessary, even to the Jewish converts to Christianity  would imply that faith and the blood of Jesus was not enough for them.

 

Circumcision was a sign of the covenant with Abraham.

 

We obey the law of circumcision when our attitudes are circumcised. We no longer need an outward sign with our savior Jesus Christ. We are keeping both covenants with the better promises of inward obedience written in our hearts. The physical promised land was Canaan -the spiritual promised land is the Kingdom of God.

 

Canaan was given to the the descendants of Israel, not the descendants of "Abraham." That Covenant only passes on through Isaac and Jacob (Israel).

[Remnantrob]

Some of the blessings to Abraham are transferable, the others are not.

 

God promised Abraham in a Covenant; a seed, a land, and a blessing.

 

The seed was through Issac and Jacob (not transferable) Gen 17:15-19

The land was for this specific group (not transferable) Gen 15:18-20

The blessing later came through Jesus Christ (all who come to Him are included)  Gen 12:3

 

In Christ

Montana Marv

 

 

Hi Montana,

 

Thank you for giving me some scripture to look at.  I have been busy at work and this weekend was my bday so I really haven't had time to respond.  Now lets see how I can respond. 

 

Genesis 17:15-19 says:

 

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

¹⁶ And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

¹⁷ Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

¹⁸ And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

¹⁹ And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

 

What is this everlasting covenant that God is saying he will establish with Isaac and his seed?  Why is it not transferable as you mentioned in your response since it went from Abraham to Isaac and from Isaac to his seed? 

 

I read in this passage that Abraham and Sarah were going to be parents of nations and that kings would come from those nations.  I know that Isaac was a type of Christ being the promised seed.  But I'm not seeing why the covenant promise is only for Israel because the promise is to the seed.  When I read Galatians 3:16 it says:

 

 

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.

¹⁷ 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.

¹⁸ For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

 

II.

Even in the land mentioned in Gen 15 it says seed.  Not saying that I'm after the land of Caanan but Jesus said Matthew 5:5 that the meek would inherit the earth.  I don't think its talking about this old earth we have now because the bible in Isaiah 65:17 says:

 

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

 

Revelation 21:1 further confirms this for me.  So what's the big deal about worrying about piece of land that's going to be destroyed and made new anyway?  I believe the children of Israel were geographically placed there by God the be a witness to the surrounding nations of the goodness of God to his people if they would obey him.  The COI didn't nor could they except they did so by faith just as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did.

 

III.

 

Not sure how this blessing was differentiated in anyway throughout the entire story of Abraham.  But I believe that Jesus was always the goal of God's covenant to his people.  I base this on my understanding of Genesis 3:15.  God created man for his glory and we fell short, but he never left us without a way to reconnect with what he had originally planned for the human family.  Abraham and his decendents were the medium used to bring this about and now it's his church that he wants to use to bring people who would choose him out of the world so that they would be his glory.  I see no hate message in that.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Your Bro. In Christ

Rob

[Remnantrob]

Hey guys,

 

I also forgot to bring out what I read in Hebrews 11:8-10 which says:

 

⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

⁹ By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

¹⁰ For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

 

Reading this I see that Abraham wasn't so concern about the promise of earthly inheritance so much as he was looking for the heavenly Caanan. 

 

Later on in the same chapter in verses 12 and 13 it says:

 

¹² 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 sea shore innumerable.

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

 

I interpret this to mean that Abraham and his children were taught the gospel and to look forward to this promise and many of them as the stars of the sky and sand of the seas died not receiving those promises.  They knew they were strangers on this earth.

 

Lastly I love verses 39 and 40 which says:

 

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

⁴⁰ God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

 

 

I believe it was always God's plan for us to be one people...the human race and Thankfully there was one person worthy to help bring God's message to a sinful dying world and that was Abraham and his decendants.  I think they fulfilled their purpose and because of that their still a blessed people but Christ was always the promise the world was waiting for. 

[Remnantrob]

 

In Gal 6 the subject matter is the Church and Paul is addressing gentile converts. ...

 

What difference do you think there is between the Jewish believers in the NT church and the gentile believers?

 

The difference is what is described in Romans 11 - being a natural branch versus a wild branch. Natural branches and wild branches have different functions to the olive tree.

 

Yes, we are all under the New Covenant of Jesus' blood. But this covenant was a new covenant, not an extension of any previous covenant, including the covenant with Israel.

 

The Jewish believers are under both covenants. We Gentiles are not.

 

 

The Jewish believers were trying to force the Gentiles into the Abrahamic covenant, which is why they were pushing them to get circumcised. Circumcision was a sign of the Covenant with Abraham. Look it up, it's there!

 

Paul was telling the Gentile believers they did not need to be circumcised to be a part of the covenant becausethe Gentiles were under a New Covenant, not the old one which required circumcision.

 

 

The covenant with Abraham that was passed on to Isaac and Jacob (Israel) and his descendants also included an inheritance to the land. Did Paul or anyone else ever advocate for the Gentile believers to possess the land of Judea (what it was called back then)?

 

 

Israel covers all people both Jews and gentiles

 

No, it does not. That is an interpretation you and whomever you learned this theology from put it there.

 

 

The rule to walk by is from the previous verse that God doesn't care if you are circumcised or not, you are all one in Christ.

 

Not disagreeing with you there.

 

That still does not make the New Covenant the same as the Old Covenant, nor does it make Gentiles a part of the Old Covenant. (Why do you want to be a part of the Old Covenant anyway?)

 

 

Church is the english translation of the Greek word ekklesia generally means " called out" but commonly used to indicate an assembly as used in Acts 19:32,39

 

The Lexicon and the Etymology of the word "church" disagree with you on this.

 

 

Church is used in the original KJV bible referring to the called out ones with Moses in the desert.

 

I do not use the KJV translation as my final authority. The word "church" does not mean "assembly" nor "called out", it means "Lord's house", which is an entirely different meaning.

 

 

The Holy Spirit was available for all people Jews and gentiles.

 

The Holy Spirit was not included in Abraham's covenant.

 

 

There is no difference between Jew or Greek in the NT -righteousness comes from having faith and keeping His Law

 

The OP is about the blessings of Abraham transferring over to "the church". The issue of there being no difference between Jew and Greek is a matter of the New Covenant under Jesus, not the Old Covenant blessings of Abraham.

 

 

Israel means one who prevails with God and the NT church is expected to honor that definition

 

Explain this one with Scriptural references please?

 

 

Hi Neb,

 

The only thing I wanted to address was this statement that you made:

 

The Holy Spirit was not included in Abraham's covenant.

 

Was the Holy spirit not available to those who were a part of this covenant of Abraham.  His Job hasn't changed as far as i know and because he is God I think he existed just as much for God's people then as he does now.  Could you clarify this statement for me?  Thanks.

[Remnantrob]

 

 

 

Heard a sermon about this topic and was wondering what you guys thought.  Abraham was given blessing that he tried to give to Ishmael by his own work and God said no, it was going to Isaac even though he was the second born.  I've heard in that culture in those days that the first born was always entitled to the inheritances of the father.  We go down the lineage a little and see that the blessing was supposed to go to Esau goes to the second born Jacob.  Adam is the first man and Jesus is the second man and he gets the blessing(or is the blessing).  Could it be possible that the blessings/promises of Israel could be transferrable to the church? 

 

 

*** Removed link to SDA teaching ***

Hi Rob,

 

Actually, the promises to Abraham are given to the Gentiles through Christ. Many Christians don't understand this because they have been tught the "Heavenly Destiny" doctrine. The believers "hope" is not to go live in Heaven, it is to spend eternity in the restored land. God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the land as an everlasting possession.

 

14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (Gen 13:14-15 KJV)

 

Then it was given to Isaac,

 

KJV  Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Gen 26:1-5 KJV)

 

It was also given to Jacob

 

KJV  Genesis 28:1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. (Gen 28:1-4 KJV)

 

This phrase the "blessing of Abraham" is tied directly to the inheritance of the Land. The phrase is used only twice in the Bible here in Genesis and Paul uses it to apply the "Blessing of Abraham" to the Gentiles.

 

13 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:

14 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 KJV)

 

The Gentiles receive the "blessing of Abraham" (the land) through faith in Christ. God promised the land to Abraham and his Seed. The Jews understood this to mean that they as the seed of Abraham would inherit the promises. The Jews understood Seed as a collective group, themselves, however, Paul says that the Jews misunderstood. He argues that when God said the promises were to Abraham and his Seed, He meant it singularly and not in the plural and that that Seed is Christ.

 

16 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. (Gal 3:16 KJV)

 

The land was promised to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Christ. It is through faith in Christ that the Gentiles receive the inheritance which is the land promised to Abraham.

 

I've written a paper on this subject if you'd like to read more. I go into much greater detail and use a lot Scripture to show that this is indeed what the Bible teaches. The Paper is "The Kingdom of God (A Biblical perspective)"

 

I hope this helps and let me know if I can answer any questions you have.

 

In Gal 3:13-" Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law" what exactly is the curse of the Law since Christ had to redeem us from it? I understand it to be death, the same death from the wages of sin which would be the breaking of the law.

 

Hi Fruitful,

 

In context, I believe the "us" is the Jews, it was they who were under the Law not the Gentiles

 

 

Why are the Gentiles not under the law?

[Remnantrob]

 

 

 

Gal 3:29 - " And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs to the promise."

 

Through Christ all nations are to be blessed.

 

The promises to Abraham are dual, both physical (the descendants of Abraham) and spiritual (the followers of Christ)

 

Spiritual Israel of God is the church.

No, the Church is not a spiritual Israel.   The NT never spiritualizes israel to refer to the Church.  The Church is NEVER called Israel.   Israel is Israel.  the Church is the Church.  They are radically separate in the NT.

 

 

In Gal 6: 15-16 - we see the church being referred to as the Israel of God.

 

 

No, we don't.   Paul is not referring to the church but to the remnant of believing Jews who are the true Israel, according to Paul in Romans 9.   Israel is NEVER spriitualized to refer to the church.  The Church is the Church  and Israel is Israel.  That is the ONLY correct and biblical way to look at it.

We know an assembly, a body of people, a congregation, is called a church.

 

In Acts 7:38 we see the people of Israel under Moses being referred to the " church in the wilderness"

 

No, we don't.  The original Greek word is "ekklesia" and refers to God's called out people.  The word "church" is not a translation of ekklesia and has no connection to that Greek word.  The word, "church" is a Germanic/teutonic word that means "circle" and originally referred to a group of sun worshippers in pre-Christian Europe.

 

Acts 7:38 is better rendered "the congregation" in the wilderness. 

 

 

Just as Israel was called out of Egypt, we in today's world have been called out of the sinning ways of the world by following Christ through the church He created on Pentecost.

 

Yes, but is nothing more than theological foreshadowing, and has nothing to do with who is or is not Israel.

 

God used physical Israel to help Him bring forth Spiritual Israel-paralleling His plan of salvation for mankind.

 

There is no spiritual Israel.   The Bible knows nothing of a "spiritual Israel."   That is a man made term born of sloppy theology.

Just as in Ezekiel 36 where God's spirit is promised to Israel, Ephesians 2:22 describes the indwelling of God's spirit to the church.

 

Israel was God's first born Ex 4:22

 

And the New Testament church is referred to as God's first born Heb 12:23

 

Wrong.  Hebrews 12:23 refers to us as the "church of the Firstborn."    The Firstborn in that verse is referring to Jesus.  We are the Church of Jesus Christ, and He is the "Firstborn" of creation, meaning He is the preimminent one of creation, the chief or head of all creation.

The church has an important role to mankind-first by receiving the physical blessings in the OT and then by receiving the spiritual blessings in the NT through Christ.

 

The Bible doesn't say that,  Sorry but you are wrong.   The Church receives none of the physical blessings promised to Israel and you have no Scripture that says otherwise.

 

Hey Shiloh,

 

I think church and congregation basically have the same meaning so I don't see a problem with that translation.  I'm curious if you could go further in your response that in Romans 9 Paul was speaking about Israel but was Pauls job to preach to the Gentiles?  Thank you.

[Remnantrob]

 

Heard a sermon about this topic and was wondering what you guys thought.  Abraham was given blessing that he tried to give to Ishmael by his own work and God said no, it was going to Isaac even though he was the second born.  I've heard in that culture in those days that the first born was always entitled to the inheritances of the father.  We go down the lineage a little and see that the blessing was supposed to go to Esau goes to the second born Jacob.  Adam is the first man and Jesus is the second man and he gets the blessing(or is the blessing).  Could it be possible that the blessings/promises of Israel could be transferrable to the church? 

 

 

*** Removed link to SDA teaching ***

Hi Rob,

 

Actually, the promises to Abraham are given to the Gentiles through Christ. Many Christians don't understand this because they have been tught the "Heavenly Destiny" doctrine. The believers "hope" is not to go live in Heaven, it is to spend eternity in the restored land. God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the land as an everlasting possession.

 

14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (Gen 13:14-15 KJV)

 

Then it was given to Isaac,

 

KJV  Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Gen 26:1-5 KJV)

 

It was also given to Jacob

 

KJV  Genesis 28:1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. (Gen 28:1-4 KJV)

 

This phrase the "blessing of Abraham" is tied directly to the inheritance of the Land. The phrase is used only twice in the Bible here in Genesis and Paul uses it to apply the "Blessing of Abraham" to the Gentiles.

 

13 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:

14 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 KJV)

 

The Gentiles receive the "blessing of Abraham" (the land) through faith in Christ. God promised the land to Abraham and his Seed. The Jews understood this to mean that they as the seed of Abraham would inherit the promises. The Jews understood Seed as a collective group, themselves, however, Paul says that the Jews misunderstood. He argues that when God said the promises were to Abraham and his Seed, He meant it singularly and not in the plural and that that Seed is Christ.

 

16 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. (Gal 3:16 KJV)

 

The land was promised to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Christ. It is through faith in Christ that the Gentiles receive the inheritance which is the land promised to Abraham.

 

I've written a paper on this subject if you'd like to read more. I go into much greater detail and use a lot Scripture to show that this is indeed what the Bible teaches. The Paper is "The Kingdom of God (A Biblical perspective)"

 

I hope this helps and let me know if I can answer any questions you have.

 

 

 

I just printed it out and so far its pretty interesting.  Thank you.  

[Butch5]

 

 

 

 

Heard a sermon about this topic and was wondering what you guys thought.  Abraham was given blessing that he tried to give to Ishmael by his own work and God said no, it was going to Isaac even though he was the second born.  I've heard in that culture in those days that the first born was always entitled to the inheritances of the father.  We go down the lineage a little and see that the blessing was supposed to go to Esau goes to the second born Jacob.  Adam is the first man and Jesus is the second man and he gets the blessing(or is the blessing).  Could it be possible that the blessings/promises of Israel could be transferrable to the church? 

 

 

*** Removed link to SDA teaching ***

Hi Rob,

 

Actually, the promises to Abraham are given to the Gentiles through Christ. Many Christians don't understand this because they have been tught the "Heavenly Destiny" doctrine. The believers "hope" is not to go live in Heaven, it is to spend eternity in the restored land. God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the land as an everlasting possession.

 

14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (Gen 13:14-15 KJV)

 

Then it was given to Isaac,

 

KJV  Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Gen 26:1-5 KJV)

 

It was also given to Jacob

 

KJV  Genesis 28:1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. (Gen 28:1-4 KJV)

 

This phrase the "blessing of Abraham" is tied directly to the inheritance of the Land. The phrase is used only twice in the Bible here in Genesis and Paul uses it to apply the "Blessing of Abraham" to the Gentiles.

 

13 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:

14 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 KJV)

 

The Gentiles receive the "blessing of Abraham" (the land) through faith in Christ. God promised the land to Abraham and his Seed. The Jews understood this to mean that they as the seed of Abraham would inherit the promises. The Jews understood Seed as a collective group, themselves, however, Paul says that the Jews misunderstood. He argues that when God said the promises were to Abraham and his Seed, He meant it singularly and not in the plural and that that Seed is Christ.

 

16 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. (Gal 3:16 KJV)

 

The land was promised to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Christ. It is through faith in Christ that the Gentiles receive the inheritance which is the land promised to Abraham.

 

I've written a paper on this subject if you'd like to read more. I go into much greater detail and use a lot Scripture to show that this is indeed what the Bible teaches. The Paper is "The Kingdom of God (A Biblical perspective)"

 

I hope this helps and let me know if I can answer any questions you have.

 

In Gal 3:13-" Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law" what exactly is the curse of the Law since Christ had to redeem us from it? I understand it to be death, the same death from the wages of sin which would be the breaking of the law.

 

Hi Fruitful,

 

In context, I believe the "us" is the Jews, it was they who were under the Law not the Gentiles

 

 

Why are the Gentiles not under the law?

 

Hi Rob,

 

The Law is the Law of Moses, it was only given to the Jews.

[Butch5]

 

 

Heard a sermon about this topic and was wondering what you guys thought.  Abraham was given blessing that he tried to give to Ishmael by his own work and God said no, it was going to Isaac even though he was the second born.  I've heard in that culture in those days that the first born was always entitled to the inheritances of the father.  We go down the lineage a little and see that the blessing was supposed to go to Esau goes to the second born Jacob.  Adam is the first man and Jesus is the second man and he gets the blessing(or is the blessing).  Could it be possible that the blessings/promises of Israel could be transferrable to the church? 

 

 

*** Removed link to SDA teaching ***

Hi Rob,

 

Actually, the promises to Abraham are given to the Gentiles through Christ. Many Christians don't understand this because they have been tught the "Heavenly Destiny" doctrine. The believers "hope" is not to go live in Heaven, it is to spend eternity in the restored land. God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the land as an everlasting possession.

 

14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (Gen 13:14-15 KJV)

 

Then it was given to Isaac,

 

KJV  Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Gen 26:1-5 KJV)

 

It was also given to Jacob

 

KJV  Genesis 28:1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

2 Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

4 And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. (Gen 28:1-4 KJV)

 

This phrase the "blessing of Abraham" is tied directly to the inheritance of the Land. The phrase is used only twice in the Bible here in Genesis and Paul uses it to apply the "Blessing of Abraham" to the Gentiles.

 

13 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:

14 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 KJV)

 

The Gentiles receive the "blessing of Abraham" (the land) through faith in Christ. God promised the land to Abraham and his Seed. The Jews understood this to mean that they as the seed of Abraham would inherit the promises. The Jews understood Seed as a collective group, themselves, however, Paul says that the Jews misunderstood. He argues that when God said the promises were to Abraham and his Seed, He meant it singularly and not in the plural and that that Seed is Christ.

 

16 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. (Gal 3:16 KJV)

 

The land was promised to Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Christ. It is through faith in Christ that the Gentiles receive the inheritance which is the land promised to Abraham.

 

I've written a paper on this subject if you'd like to read more. I go into much greater detail and use a lot Scripture to show that this is indeed what the Bible teaches. The Paper is "The Kingdom of God (A Biblical perspective)"

 

I hope this helps and let me know if I can answer any questions you have.

 

 

 

I just printed it out and so far its pretty interesting.  Thank you.  

 

OK, let me know if you have any questions. Here is link that gives more information

 

http://www.answersinrevelation.org/Heaven.html