Promise Still Valid
In the Prophets, the common element that is repeated over and over again is that the worldwide re gathering and possession of the land is based upon Yahweh's promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Especially revealing is the statement found in Isaiah 27:12:
And it shall come to pass in that day that Yahweh will thresh, from the channel of the river to the brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, O you children of Israel.
Isaiah reaffirms not only a regathering and possession of the land, but he further affirms the very boundaries of the land that were promised to Abraham, its northern and southern boundaries.
So, then, according to the Scriptures, three promises are made with regard to the land: First, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all promised the possession of the land; Second, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were promised the possession of the land; and Third, the boundaries of the Promised Land extended from the Euphrates River in the north to the river of Egypt in the south.
In light of the above passages and promises by Yahweh, Who cannot lie, two other things should be noted: First, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ALL DIED, and the most they ever possessed of the Promised Land was one burial cave and several wells; and, second, the descendants of these Patriarchs, although they had possessed portions of the Promised Land, have never possessed ALL the land in keeping with the boundaries given in the Scriptures. At no period in Israel's history have they ever possessed all of the land from the Euphrates in the north to the river of Egypt in the south. Since Yahweh cannot lie, these things must yet come to pass. Somehow, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob must possess all the land; and second, the descendants of Abraham must settle in all of the Promised Land.
So, how will Yahweh's promises be fulfilled? During the period of the Second Temple, Judaism was divided into several segments, but the two primary ones were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The two groups differed on several points of theology, one of which was the belief in a physical resurrection from the dead. The Pharisees affirmed it, while the Sadducees denied it. The Sadducees enjoyed asking tricky questions of the Pharisees in light of their belief in a resurrection to make the Pharisees look foolish. One such question had to do with the point of the Mosaic Law and how it could be placed in conformity with the concept of a physical resurrection from the dead. According to the Mosaic Law, if a man dies leaving a wife but no children, the brother of the deceased has the responsibility of marrying the widow and producing a male seed in the name of the deceased (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). The tricky question went something like this:
There were seven brothers, one of whom married a certain woman and then died, leaving no children. In accordance with the Mosaic Law, his brother then married the widow, but he, too, died childless. He was followed by a third brother and the same thing happened until all seven brothers were married to the one woman, all of them leaving the woman childless. Finally, she also died. So if there is a physical resurrection from the dead, whose wife would she be, since all had been married to her?
You should be able to see how the Sadducees enjoyed asking this question since the Pharisees were unable to explain how this particular Law would be put into effect in the world to come. But one day the Sadducees tried this question with Yahshua and got an answer they did not expect. It is recorded in Luke 20:34-40 (NIV):
Yahshua answered and said to them, 'The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of Elohim, being sons of the resurrection. But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when He called Yahweh the [Elohim] of Abraham, the [Elohim] of Isaac, and the [Elohim] of Jacob. For He is not the Elohim of the dead but of the living, for all live to him.' Then some of the scribes answered and said, 'Teacher, you have spoken well.' But after that they dared not question Him anymore.
Yahshua's answer revealed that the Sadducees were guilty of lacking knowledge of the Scriptures and not understanding the power of Elohim or the nature of the resurrection body (as so many lack today). The Matthew 22:29- 30 parallel account expressly reveals this point. One purpose of the institution of marriage on earth is to sustain the human race, since humanity sustains itself by natural generation. But those who attain the first resurrection do not reproduce, so there is no need for marriage. The resurrected body is not merely a restoration of natural life—it is a transformation of the body itself, I Cor, 15:50-54. This transformed body cannot be reproduced sexually or otherwise. However, the likeness thereof will be 'like Him [Yahshua], for we shall see Him as He is.' (I John 3:2 NIV)
But then Yahshua turned to the Scriptures for evidence of the resurrection by quoting Exodus 3:6, where Elohim said to Moses: '…I am the Elohim of your fathers—the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob…' That particular expression in the Old Testament Scriptures became a formula for the Abrahamic Covenant. That covenant as has been shown earlier, stated that the land (NOT HEAVEN) was not only to be possessed by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but also by their descendants.
The resurrection and enjoyment of the land in the Messianic Kingdom will not be automatic to every descendant of Abraham because he was born Abraham's natural offspring. Father Yahweh forewarned His people through Moses and the Prophets:
• 'Circumcise your hearts therefore, and do not be stiffnecked any longer.' (Deut. 10:16 NIV)
• 'For the days are coming,' declares Yahweh, 'when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh—Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart,' (Jeremiah 9:25-26 NIV)
• 'Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, circumcise your hearts you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem, or my wrath will break out and burn like fire because of the evil you have done—burn with no one to quench it.' (Jeremiah 4:4 NIV)
The Apostle Shaul (Paul) expounded on this shadowy meaning of true circumcision. He said,
A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from Elohim. (Romans 2:28-29 NIV)
In Him you were also circumcised In the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Messiah, having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of Elohim, who raised Him from the dead, Colossians 2:11-12.
In Romans 4:16-24, the Apostle Paul cleverly draws from the very terms of the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 17:5 and 15:5 to establish the right of the 'Faithful' to share in Israel's inheritance as 'Abraham's offspring' or descendants.
Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of Elohim, in whom he believed—the Elohim who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' Without weakening in faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of Elohim, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to Elohim, being fully persuaded that Elohim had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom Elohim will credit righteousness—for us who believe Him who raised Yahshua our Master from the dead, Romans 4:16-24 NIV. (Emphasis supplied)
So here we stand, engrafted branches into the Abrahamic Covenant through the 'Seed' of Abraham—Yahshua.
The promises were spoken to Abraham and his seed. The Scripture does not say 'and to seeds,' meaning many people, but 'and to your seed,' meaning one person, who is Messiah, Galatians 3:16 NIV.
Therefore, holding on to this hope, many have gone before us,
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. Elohim had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect, Hebrews 11:39-40 NIV.
Even so, 'Elohim as granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life,' Acts 11:18. Consequently, 'there is neither Jew nor Greek…you are all one in Messiah Yahshua…Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise,' Galatians 3:28-29.
'But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness' (2 Peter 3:13 NIV), where a Kingdom of Priests will serve Yahweh and 'reign on earth'. (Rev. 5:10, 22:3- 5 NIV).
In all of this, the element of faith is necessary as Messiah Yahshua said in John 6:38-40 (NIV):
For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
When all these things are fulfilled, we find in Scripture that Father Yahweh makes good on His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their faithful natural and spiritual offspring. Abraham becomes a blessing to all people and A FATHER TO MANY NATIONS; Israel occupies the Promised Land in its entirety and eventually in a new heaven and new earth (Isaiah 65:17-25); and the Holy City, New Jerusalem, will come down out of heaven from Elohim as the dwelling of Yahweh will be with men, and He will live with them. All the 'Faithful' will be His people and Yahweh Himself will be with them and be their Mighty One.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things [will have] passed away, Revelation 21:1-4 NIV.
Through all of these things, Yahweh will surely make Abraham's 'name great' (Genesis 12:26b).
He who overcomes will inherit all of this, and I [Yahweh] will be his Elohim and he will be my son, Revelation 21:7 NIV.
Therefore, the Scriptures (rightly divided) are clear regarding the ultimate hope of those who believe and share the faith of Abraham. The Abrahamic Covenant conveys no such claim that Believers will ever live eternally in heaven as falsely taught today in Churchianity. For Yahshua taught His disciples to pray 'thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…' (Matthew 6:10 KJV)
In ultimate hope the writer of Hebrews wrote, 'For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come' (Hebrews 13:14 NIV), and 'the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever (Psalms 37:29 NIV)."
Lastly, Yahshua announced in Revelation 22:12 (NIV): 'Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me…'
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