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 F we put in connection with that promise and oath certain other
statements of the Bible, we see not how any impartial student of
scripture can come to any other conclusion in regard to the meaning
of this engagement of God to Abraham than its obvious sense. It
either belongs to the past or future ages of this world’s history.
That it has been fulfilled in any past age, or ages, it is
impossible for any one to prove.
Let us now look at corresponding testimony, and see if the Bible
does not re-affirm the same idea of a period in which all the
families of the earth are to be blessed in Abraham and his seed.
Jesus was introduced into the world with this proclamation by "the
angel of the Lord:".. "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is
born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the
Lord." Lu 2:10,11. This is the same, in substance, as
"the angel of the LORD" uttered to Abraham, when He "called to him
out of heaven." Ge 22, after the trial in offering up his son Isaac.
"All people" are announced, by the angel at Jesus’ birth, as those
who "shall be" the recipients of the "good tidings of great joy,"
thus proclaimed.
Again. When the child Jesus was brought into the temple at Jerusalem
to be "presented to the Lord," old Simeon, full of the Holy Spirit,
took the child in his arms and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy
servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have
seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all
people: a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Israel." - Lu 2:28-32. "All people" have not yet seen this light
in any age past: then it will have a fulfillment somewhere in the
future.
John says of "the Word made flesh," "That was the true Light which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world." - Joh 1:9. Is
this not equal to saying, "All the families of the earth shall be
blessed in Abraham’s seed?" Take this in connection with Jesus’
words, Joh
3:16, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal
life." If God required belief in his Son, in order to the reception
of eternal life, then He is pledged to have all the world, that is,
"all the families of the earth, blessed with the knowledge of his
love and gift. How else could they believe in his Son? To us, this
text, in connection with the promise and oath of God to Abraham, is
demonstration that in some age "all the families of the earth" are
to be blessed with the knowledge of God’s love to them, and so have
a chance to believe the good news.
Again. After his resurrection from the dead, Jesus commanded his
disciples, saying, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature." - Mr 16:15. Was not that command based on the
promise and oath to Abraham? and was it not an announcement and
pledge that said promise and oath should be accomplished under His
superintendence? and will not He, who was the "propitiation for the
sins of the whole world," fail in the work he came into the world to
accomplish, if "every creature" does not, in this age or "the ages
to come," hear the "glad tidings" under circumstances which shall
enable them to embrace or reject the offered mercy? The command was
given to the apostles, and through them to the Church universal. But
it has never yet been carried out. Will this age close without its
being done? Certainly it will, if it is to close near the time in
which we live. Does not this fact involve another age or ages in
which the promise and oath of God, and the command of Jesus shall
all find a full and perfect fulfillment? We have no doubt such will
be the fact. Does it not follow, that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and
all who belong to the seed promised, viz., all of the true Church of
Christ, must first have their resurrection from the dead, or, if
alive when Christ returns from heaven, be changed to immortality?
Abraham did not receive the land God swore to give him, during his
natural life: therefore, you all say, he must be raised from the
dead to have the promise and oath fulfilled. The gospel has never
yet been preached to "every creature." Yet the command has never
been revoked and must some time be carried out: else how are men to
be judged? Justified or condemned? "He that believeth and is
baptized, shall be saved;" or, have life; "but he that believeth
not, shall be damned;" or, be condemned. Here the principle of
judgment is laid down. Faith brings the life which is eternal.
Unbelief is that which brings the condemnation to death eternal.
Here, then, we see that the proclamation of God’s love and good will
to men must be proclaimed to "every creature’ before their final
state is determined, or made permanent; i.e., the Gospel message is
to be proclaimed to men first; and their reception or rejection of
it determines their final state. The Gospel message is that by which
they are to be judged. In no age or dispensation has that message
ever yet been proclaimed to "every creature:" therefore, an age or
ages will be employed to carry out God’s promise and oath that all
the families of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham and his seed.
Again: "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be
testified in due time." - 1Ti 2:5,6. Here the fact is set forth
that Christ gave himself a ransom for all "men;" and that fact is to
be testified in due time to all for whom he gave himself a ransom.
In other words: "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" in
the seed of Abraham according to the promise and oath of God.
Yet again: "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the
angels... that he by the grace of God should taste death for every
man." - Heb 2:9. "All the families of the earth" are embraced in
this language. But, the beloved John says, "Jesus Christ... is the
propitiation... for the sins of the whole world. - 1Jo 2:1,2. This
expression covers the whole ground—all men, all families, all
nations. Still more, John adds, "We have seen and do testify that
the Father sent the Son to be the Savior" (LIFE-GIVER) " of the
world." "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because
that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might
live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he
loved us, and sent His Son, to be the propitiation for our sins." - 1Jo 4:9,10,17.
Do not these testimonies cover the whole ground of the promise and
oath of God to Abraham, that in him and his seed all the families of
the earth shall be blessed? We think they do, and see no way to
escape that conclusion; hence, believe a time is to come, in a
probationary state, when the promise and oath will be carried out in
all their fullness according to God’s design and intention. Whether
it embraces all that ever have lived, or some one age in the
dispensation, it may not be so easy to prove; but it cannot fail of
being in an age when men are in a state of probation. If, then, no
such universal blessing of the families of the earth has taken place
in any of the past ages, there must and will be an age or ages in
the future, when the promise and oath of God will be seen not to be
and unmeaning pledge, but will have fulfillment which shall justify
it in all its fullness and beyond all finite conception
We do not hesitate to admit, that we are inclined to believe the
promise includes all those who have died without any knowledge of
God’s love to the world; that by some means, God will, hereafter,
cause all men to see the love He has had to them in giving his Son
to give them eternal life. What God has promised He is able also to
perform; no matter how impossible or improbable the thing may appear
to finite wisdom. After God had promised Abraham that in Isaac his
seed should be called, He commanded him to offer up this child of
promise for a burnt offering. Did Abraham stop to find fault, and
say, God cannot fulfill his promise, if Isaac is to die? No: he
"accounted that God was able to raise him up, that such would be the
case, if Isaac died; for he "accounted that God was able to raise
him up, even from the dead;" and his faith embraced the fact that
such would be the case, if Isaac died; for, "he staggered not at the
promise," through all appearances were against it in that hour of
the trial of his faith. Is God less able to raise all the dead to
whom the blessing of Abraham and his seed has never yet appeared,
than He was to raise Isaac, to fulfill His promise of a
multitudinous seed? We hardly come up to the Abrahamic faith in
these days, though we perhaps think ourselves strong in faith; yet
too many, if they cannot see just how a thing is to be done reject
it, as if it were impossible for God to do it because they cannot
see the process.
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