The Restoration of Israel in the New Testament

[Guest shiloh357]

The Restoration of Israel in the New Testament

By Shiloh357

Most of the time, whenever I talk people about the restoration of Israel to their Land, I use those tried and true prophecies from the Tanakh such as Gen. 17:8,9 Ezek. 36,37, Amos 9:11-15, Zech. 12:1-10 and others as well.

I was recently challenged by another believer that sought to discredit the biblical foundation for modern Israel, that I could not support my notions from the New Testament. This person's assertion that the restoration of Israel as physical nation was nowhere to be found in the New Testament. To this person, the Church is Israel, so any biblical validity given to the nation of Israel presents a very messy theological problem. I began sharing with this person NT passages that felt support the physical, national restoration of Israel. It was an interesting discussion to say the least!!

I will start off by presenting one or two of the Scriptures from the New Testament that I have noticed that support a biblical view of modern Israel's restoration. Please jump in with your own, and discuss them. I think it will be very a edifying discussion!! :thumb:

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

(Luke 1:30-33)

This passage specifically mentions the Throne of David. The Throne of David is always an earthly throne. Every reference to it in the Old Testament is that of a physical throne. The Throne of David is the throne that Yeshua will be seated upon as He reigns from Jerusalem during the Millenium. This is the ONLY New Testament passage that specifically mentions the Throne of David. It would therefore be clear to any unprejudiced reader that Mary would have understood the words of the angel as referring to Jesus reigning as a physical King over a physical nation, namely Israel.

A second passage is found a little later in the same chapter of Luke:

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he swore 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 him, all the days of our life.

(Luke 1:67-750

Often, I have run across those who misinterpret many OT passages relative to the restoration of Israel, as only applying to the restoration that occurred after the return from Babylon. Yet, here we have the father of John the Baptist prophesying about the future of national Israel. Zechariah is prophesying under the power of the Holy Spirit and speaks of a fulfillment of the blood oath that God swore to Abraham. As you know, it is this covenant that unconditionally secures Israel's Divine Right to the Land. From Zechariah's perspective, and indeed the Holy Spirit's perspective, this fulfillment was still forthcoming. It pertained to a future Israel. Truly Israel had not been delivered from all those that hated her, as history dutifully records. Even today, the ugly head of anti-Semitism still plagues the Jewish people, even in their own country. We can still feel the sting of irrational, insatiable hatred.

This prophecy had not been fulfilled in the first coming of Jesus. It was clearly another reference to the Millenium. The first coming of Jesus was only the first stage in bringing this to pass. I believe we are seeing the restoration of modern Israel as another stage in the process of God bringing His chosen people back unto Himself. The Bible clearly teaches that the children of Israel from both Israel and Judah will be together in the Land when they finally recognize the Messiah.

The fact that he mentions the covenant to Abraham is significant to me, since I believe that Israel, under the Messiah reign, will finally inhabit the original borders that God promised to Abraham.

As we go through this study, I think we will be reminded just how accurate Bible prophecy is. The rebirth of national Israel after nearly 2000 years of exile, is one of the best testimonies to the accuracy of the Bible.

Well, those are just for starters. I am interested in your thoughts, and other passages from the New Testament that you feel support Israel's restoration.

[Guest shiloh357]

Moving forward a bit in the chronology of Jesus' birth, we come to Matthew chapter 2 where Herod inquired about where the Messiah was supposed to be born according to the Scriptures.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

(Matthew 2:1-6)

The scribes and chief priests actually cited the Targum (Jewish paraphrase) of Micah 5:2. The verse actually reads,

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

The Targum holds correctly to the internal meaning of the verse. Between Micah 5:2 and the Targum quoted in Matt.2:6, we can see that there is an exact geographical location given for the birth of the Messiah. Therefore, it would be incorrect to assume that "Israel" mentioned in the verse could mean anything else than the physical nation of Israel itself. To the unprejudiced reader, the meaning of Israel is clear, and cannot be allegorized as some have tried to do with this very verse of Scripture.

Furthermore, the internal natural interpretive understanding of Micah 5:2 links perfectly with the aforementioned words of the angel Gabriel who told Mary that Jesus would sit upon the Throne of David and would rule over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever, and that His reign would have no end.

We also have no witness from Scripture that the obvious and natural interpretation is invalid. I would also like to point out that Matthew 2:6/Micah 5:2 is a two part prophecy. It prophesies of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, and His Millenial reign!! Both are to be understood literally in these passages. So there must be a restored, literal Israel for Jesus to reign literally on the Throne of David.

[Guest shiloh357]

What did Jesus say to indicate that restored Israel is to be understood literally?

But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

(Matthew 5:34-35)

Jesus is partially quoting from Ps. 48:2 where Jerusalem is called "the city of the Great King." Most commentators agree that David Himself is not the "king" being referenced here, but Jesus Himself. It is reference to His earthly reign from Jerusalem. Note that v2 of Ps. 48 speaks of Jerusalem as "beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth." I really believe that this is speaking of how it will appear in the millenium (though Jerusalem is already a beautiful city for those of us who love her).

Moving on a littler further, Jesus mentions the following:

And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

(Matthew 19:28-30)

Jesus uses the term "regeneration." Now most will correctly argue that this refers to the regeneration or restoration of the order in the earth at the Second Coming of Jesus, and they are absolutely correct. It is important to note that this includes the restoration of Israel, itself. I would point out that the physical restoration of Israel is the beginning of this process. It will be at this regeneration when the Messiah sits upon His throne:

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

(Psalms 2:6-9)

Jesus also says that during this time, the disciples will sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. It is important to also note that the Church is NEVER described in conjunction with the twelve tribes, which lends more credence to the view that the twelves tribes mentioned, should be understood literally. Nowhere are the disciples said to judge the Church. The Church will stand at the judgement seat of Christ after the rapture where we will each receive our reward for service while the world is going through the seven-year tribulation. So the disciples are judging a different entity or group of entities namely, the twelve literal tribes of Israel.

More later

[Guest shiloh357]

Let's look at a passage out of Luke 21:

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

(Luke 21:20-24)

Here Jesus is talking about the fall of Jerusalem and the diaspora of the Jewish people among the nations of the world. He says that Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until their times are fulfilled. When did this process of fulfillment begin? I believe that this process began in 1917 with the fall of Jerusalem from the Turks, to the forces of General Edmund Allenby.

Actually I found an an excellent article that explains this better than I ever could. Here is an excerpt with a link to the article at the end:

In his book, Light for the Last Days, written in 1886, Dr.Guiness pointed out (p.343) that the 1335 days of Daniel 12:12 (on the prophetic scale given in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 -- a day for a year) were due to expire in 1917. Turning to the Book of Daniel we find that chapter 9 records Daniel's prayer concerning his home-town Jerusalem, and his own people of Judah. Therefore the "blessing" evidently indicated something good for Jerusalem and the Jews in 1917.

Fulfilment

Here we have fulfilment indeed. The city as we know was delivered. The oppressor was driven out, and a new epoch for both city and people commenced in A.D. 1917 (Moslem 1335) as had been foretold nearly 25 centuries before.

Further Proof

After the publication of the first two editions, the writer felt led to apply the prophetic scale "a day for a year" to the other two time measures given in verses 7 and 11 of Daniel 12. Commencing with the rise of the desolating Moslem power (A.D. 622) and using the lunar year measure, the complete result was as follows:

A.D. 622

v.7: time, times and a half (i.e. 1260 days) = A.D. 1844

v.11: 1290 days = A.D. 1873

v.12: 1335 days = A.D. 1917

The year A.D. 1844 is as once recognized as being the year in which the Powers compelled the Sultan of Turkey to sign the Decree of Toleration, abolishing the death penalty from conversion from Mohammedanism. This was a definite stage in the breaking of the power of the desolator (the drying-up of the symbolic waters of Euphrates, Revelation 16:12).

The question immediately arose: What was the significance of the year 1873? The answer was found in a book entitled, A Short History of the Jewish People, 1600 B.C. - A.D. 1935, by Cecil Roth (Macmillan 1936). This book was written by a Jew, from an entirely secular point of view. Chapter 29 is entitled, "Anti-Semitism and the New Diaspora". Writing of the origin, towards the last querter of the nineteenth century, of the modern anti-Jewish movement in Germany, he says, "The Jews were held to be responsible for every trouble or misfirtune...even the leaders of thought joined in the craze, led by the historian Treitschke, who spoke of the Jews as 'German's misfortune'; ultimately there even developed a movement of opposition to Christianity, as being essentially Jewish and non-Aryan in origin." Then follow these striking words: "The movement in its new form ows its inception to the year 1873." The author goes on to tell how Bismarck joined in, and continues: "Thus the anti-Semitic movement was born."

The Exact Day

Even more remarkable is the fact that the actual day of the month on which the Holy City was delivered is very definitely marked in the inspired message of the prophet Haggai. God sent Haggai to deliver a prclamation to the civil and ecclesiastical representatives of the Jewish people, the Governor of Judah and the High priest at Jerusalem. The prophet had to reprove the people through their leaders. They had been brought back from their 70 years' captivity to the city where God had placed His name, and part of their first duty should have been to rebuild and restore His house, in reverent thankfulness to Him for His mercy and grace. Instead of this they were building fine houses for themselves and neglecting the ruined Temple. Haggai has to remind the people of the "bad luck" that seems to dog them in every department of life. Their sowing does not produce good crops; neither food nor drink gave satisfaction; their clothes did not seem to keep them warm; money had lost its proper purchasing power. Haggai has to tell them that the reason for this is that God has withheld His blessing from them. Haggai has to tell the people that if they change their ways, and begin to rebuild the Temple, God will restore to them His Blessing.

Both leaders and people did heed the message, and commenced the rebuilding of the Temple to the glory of God. As a result, a second message, a message of BLESSING, is brought to them from God by Haggai: it was given on the four and twentieth day of the nineth month, and the importance of the date is strongly emphasized; three times over the word "consider" is repeated. Unquestionably, therefore, a special significance is meant to be placed on this date (Haggai 2:15,18). The nineth month of the Hebrew year is Kislev (corresponding to part of November-December) and the Hebrew calendar being lunar the date varies in relation to our calendar, just as Easter does and for the same reason. Therefore we may recognize here again the finger of God in the deliverance of Jerusalem, when we find that it occurred on the exact date of the blessing foretold through Haggai 24 centuries beforehand, for in 1917 the 24th Kislev fell on 9 December. Furthermore, all Jewish days begin at the previous sunset, and from the beginning of 24th Kislev (sunset on 8 December 1917), and all through the night, Turkish troops were evacuating the Holy City. By early morning all had gone, and soon after 8 a.m. on 9 December (24th Kislev) the Mayor of Jerusalem and a small party, under a white flag, were seen coming from the Holy City, to surrender the keys of the city of the British commander. Divine foreknowledge alone can account for these facts. >>>Link<<<

Jesus said that at some point in the future, Jerusalem would no longer be trodden down of the Gentiles. It would once again become a city whose inhabitants were Jewish. I believe we have seen the process continue as Jerusalem was taken back by Israel in 1967. A time may very well be coming when Jerusalem will be inhabited by Jews only. At any rate, Jesus words were understood by the disciples as literal both as to the destruction of Jerusalem and its eventual restoration at the end of the "times of the Gentiles."

In Acts 1 we read the following:

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

(Acts 1:6-7)

They had just spent 40 days with Jesus talking about the Kingdom of God. That is why they asked if it was now time to restore the Kingdom to Israel. Jesus' answer was not "no." His answer was not some long treatise allegorizing the "Church" as Israel. He did not correct their perception of an earthly Kingdom being restored to Israel. His answer was not a denial of Israel's physical restoration at all. We can see from Jesus' answer that it was not a matter of "if," but of WHEN. It was just a matter of time.

In Acts Chapter 2, Peter demonstrates that Jesus is to be ruler over an earthly Jerusalem:

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

(Acts 2:29-36)

From the above Passage, we can see what Jesus was instructing the disciples about for those 40 days. Peter understood Jesus' throne to be an earthly one. The prophecies of the Kingdom demonstrate this over and over again, that Messiah will rule from Jerusalem on earth, on David's throne. There is no other way to understand Peter's words. This again links perfectly with the words of the Angel to Mary in Luke 1.

On to Acts 3:

And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

(Acts 3:20-21)

In this particular passage the word restitution is used again, but it refers to the restitution which God spoke by His prophets. This does not deny the restitution of all things in a universal sense, but it would seem that Peter here, is zeroing in on "all things" relative to Israel, since it is the restitution of the Kingdom to Israel that we find most prevalent among the ancient prophets of Israel.

More from the book of Acts, tomorrow!!

[Guest shiloh357]

There is an interesting Passage in Acts 13:

God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. (Acts 13:33-34)

In verse thirteen we see a quotation of Ps 2:7. It is part of a prophecy regarding Jesus' and His millenial reign in Jerusalem.

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

(Psalms 2:6-7)

In this passage from Acts, Paul is speaking to a Jewish audience when he mentions "the sure mercies of David." This is a reference to Is. 55:3

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

(Isaiah 55:3)

There two words that need to be looked at namely, "sure mercies." The word for "sure" means to be fixed or established. It refers to something unmovable, something that cannot be abrogated. "Mercies" is the word "chesed" in Hebrew, and refers to the goodwill, and loving kindness of God. The phrase refers to the covenant that God made with David that cannot be revoked.

This is linked God's promise to David in 2 Samuel:

Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as formerly, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee a house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever. (2 Samuel 7:8-16)

And of Messiah's millenial reign it is further prophesied:

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

(Isaiah 9:7)

[Guest shiloh357]

We now come to the book of Romans and chapters 9-11.

Romans chapter 11 is the death knell of the Replacement theology. I have talked to people who attempt to pervert the true meaning of Romans 11, but it is clear that Paul is referring to natural descendents of Abraham through Isaac.

Actually Romans 9,10, and 11 are the pinnacle of this book. These three chapters are point that Paul is leading up to in the first 8 chapters. Paul begins Romans by demonstrating how Gentile salvation was made possible. It is interesting that Gentile salvation was such a mystery in those days. Acts chapter 15 and council at Jerusalem settled the question of how uncircumcised Gentiles could qualify as members of the Kingdom of God. Today, the debate has been stood on its head. Today, the debate centers around how Jews can be believers and still remain Jewish!!

After Paul demonstrates Gentile salvation and how it was made possible, and price that was paid, Paul then turns his attention to the salvation of the Jewish people and appeals to his Gentile readership to return to the Jewish the blessing they have received through the Jewish people.

Paul begins in chapter nine by speaking of his unsaved kinsmen, the Jewish people who have not yet received the Messiah, and the heaviness and sorrow in his heart for them. David Stern in The Jewish New Testament Commentary says that Paul in his anguish is reminiscent of Moses who anguished for His people after the incident with the golden calf. Paul even goes so far as to say that he would be willing to cursed if it would save even some of his people. Romans 9-11 is not a parenthetical teaching as has been thought by some theologians, but it is an assurance that the restoration and salvation of the Jewish nation is an integral part of the Gospel.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

(Romans 1:16)

In his anguish Paul notes that their rejection of the Messiah is made even more tragic seeing that they have so many advantages over the Gentiles.

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

(Romans 9:4-5)

He speaks of the Jewish people as the children of promise chosen by God to carry out His Will and purposes in the earth. He demonstrates that it His sovereignty at work and that He chooses whom He chooses according to Sovereign Will and that there is no unrighteousness in His character and operations.

David Stern puts it this way:

God decides what his promises mean and how they are to be carried out. Although the phrase,

[Guest shiloh357]

At this point, I am going to begin dealing with different aspects of the restoration of Israel. There are four of them, namely the restoration of Israel, the regathering of Israel, the possession of the Land, and the Re-establishment of the Davidic Throne.

The seed bed for this particular leg of this study on Israel's restoration is found in a wonderful book written by a Arnold Fruchtenbaum, a Jewish believer, and a brilliant theologian. It is entitled "Israelology: The Missing Link In Systematic Theology. I am, for the purpose of systematically presenting Israel's restoration and regeneration, using the pattern found in a portion of his book. I could think of no better way to organize and develop this; so, since there is no point in re-inventing the wheel, I am using his outline and some of his thoughts in addition to my own. While the majority of the material presented is my own, it is flavored with Fruchtenbaum's influence and wisdom in these matters.

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

(Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Here we find the primary basis of Israel

[Guest shiloh357]

Could you please give your definition of

[Guest shiloh357]

Shiloh - you didn

[Guest shiloh357]

KatyAnn,

You are only presenting ONE part of what God says about this issue. The verses you present are not God's final word on Israel's possession of the Land. God not only promises Israel that they will be exiled from the Land for their disobedience, but He also promises them that once their punishment has been filled up, that they will be returned to Land.

God never promised a final and complete exile to the Land. God promised that Israel would be regathered after having been exiled and scattered from the Land because of their sins. The following verses pertained to a scattered Israel being regathered. There is no way they can be spiritualized or reinterpreted to mean refer to someone/something else. They do not apply to return from Babylon, especially when it says that they are returning from the "nations. Genesis 28:10-15; Deuteronomy 30:3-5; Isaiah 27:12-13; Isaiah 43:5-6; Jeremiah 23:3-6; Jeremiah 32:36-41; Ezekiel 20:34; Ezekiel 34:13;; Ezekiel 36:24; Amos 9:14-15; Zechariah 8:7-8. God promises a return from exile, and a restoration of Israel and He further promises that not only will they return to the Land but they will NEVER be uprooted and taken from their Land again.

Israel's ability to live and prosper in the Land is conditional. Their "ownership" is unconditional. Their ownership of the Land is based upon the Abrahamic Covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant, like the New Covenant is an unconditional covenant. God's promise to Abraham about the Land is based solely upon God's integrity. Genesis 15 is where we see the unconditional nature of this covenant and the promises that ensue from it.

Abraham wanted some sign from God that He could believe the promises of Land and offspring that God had made. God had Abraham prepare animals, in Gen. 15:9. The type of covenant that God was making with Abraham was a blood covenant. It was the most serious and binding covenant that could be made. Abraham knew exactly what God was preparing to do.

The animals were killed and split in half down the back. The halves fell opposite each other and the blood pooled in the middle between the halves. Ordinarily, when two families would make such a covenant, both representative would walk between the halves in the blood together. This brought both families into the covenant. They both shared responsibility to make sure the covenant was kept. Failure to keep the covenant on both sides punishable by death for party responsible for breaking the covenant.

In this case, God altered the practice a bit. In Gen. 15:12, Abraham was not allowed to walk with God between the halves. God put Abraham in a deep sleep, and by way of a vision Abraham saw God Himself walking between the halves. More to the point, Abraham saw a burning torch AND smoking furnace walking between the halves. It was The Father and Jesus together walking between the halves.

Because Abraham did not walk between the halves, the responsibility for the covenant did rest upon him or his conduct. This where the Land promises are come from. The Abrahamic covenant is unconditional because it was God Himself and not Abraham who was responsible for making it come to pass. This makes sense. God wants the Glory and He wants it be known that He and He alone brought these promises to pass.

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: The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

(Genesis 15:18-21)

Later God reiterates this promise:

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.

(Genesis 17:7-8)

The word used for "everlasting" in verse eight is "Olam" in Hebrew, and it means "eternal." The term "seed" as used in this verse refers to Abraham's physical offspring of Abraham through Isaac/Jacob. God cannot be more clear in what He means. If words mean anything at all, the Land is promised to Israel as part of an unconditional promise that is made with Abraham and His physical offspring through Isaac/Jacob.