2. Promises to Abraham fulfilled Bible Overview Steve Atkerson ~ Atlanta, Georgia New Testament Reformation Fellowship 2. Promises to Abraham fulfilled

1. Land, 12:1, 7a 2. Seed, 12:2a 3. Blessing, 12:3b

Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there . . . Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. — Joshua 21:43-45 (ESV)

Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. — 1 Kings 4:21

Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. — 1 Kings 4:21 “To your offspring I give  this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates” — Genesis 15:18 (ESV)

And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous. You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.  You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite . . . And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous. — Nehemiah 9:7-8 (ESV)

Land promise was literally fulfilled

Literally

Literally Literarily

Then came one of the seven angels Then came one of the seven angels . . . saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,  having the glory of God . . . And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb . . . And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.  And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,  and its gates will never be shut by day — and there will be no night there.  They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.  But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. — Revelation 21:9-27

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. — Hebrews 13:14 (ESV)

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. — Hebrews 11:39 (NIV)

HEAVENLY COUNTRY (11:16)

HEAVENLY COUNTRY (11:16) CITY of GOD (11:10)

BLESSING TO ALL FAMILIES And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. — Genesis 22:18 (KJV)

“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”  . . . if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”   Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.   And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,  just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:  “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” — Romans 4:2-8, ESV

And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.  You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’  God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” — Acts 3:24-26 (ESV, Peter speaking)

THE PROMISED SEED I will surely multiply your offspring (seed) as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. — Genesis 22:17 (ESV)

Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. — 1 Kings 4:20 (ESV) I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. — Genesis 22:17 (ESV)

Seed Promise Physical descendants of Abraham

Seed Promise Physical descendants of Abraham Christ (Seed Jesus)

Seed Promise Physical descendants of Abraham Christ (Seed Jesus) 3. Any true believer (Israeli or Gentile): True Israel, Spiritual Israel

He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,  and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. — Romans 4:11-12 (ESV)

He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,  and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. — Romans 4:11-12 (ESV)

"Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did.” — John 8:39 (NIV)

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent

physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality immediate . . . ultimate physical . . . metaphysical foreshadow . . . reality type . . . fulfillment temporary . . . eternal outward . . . inward, internal sign . . . substance interim . . . permanent.

What effect (if any) do the ultimate New Testament fulfillments of the promises of the Abrahamic covenant have on the intermediate Old Testament fulfillment of the promises?

Once the final fulfillments came, how are we to view the initial fulfillments?