The Promises to Abraham
By Eugene W. Farnsworth
HE Scriptures teach that God promised Abraham and his seed the earth for an "everlasting possession." This fact illumines many Scripture texts: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matt. 5: 5. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Ex. 20: 12. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matt. 6: 10. Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner. Prov. 11: 31. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. Prov. 2: 21, 22. A multitude of other scriptures proclaim the same truth. But the world is now under the curse. At the time sin entered, we read, "Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life." When the first martyr's blood was shed, God said to the murderer, "And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand." When the flood of waters was dried from the earth, God declared, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake." Under its heavy load of transgression, we are told, "The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." "The creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God." Rom. 8: 22, 21, A.R.V. There is a glorious future awaiting this earth. God has promised, "There shall be no more curse." Rev. 22: 3. "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." Gal. 3: 13. Christ was made a curse Himself, that He might lift the curse of God from the whole creation. Peter, speaking of Christ and His mission, said, "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: 21. There is, then, to be a restitution, a regeneration of the earth, as well as a regeneration of men. The Saviour said, "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." Matt. 19: 28. "Behold, I make all things new." Rev. 21: 5. The earth is to be renewed and brought back to its original condition. When it came from the hand of God He pronounced it "very good." By and by it will be brought back to that state again. Peter tells us how this will be accomplished: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?" 2 Peter 3: 10-12. The fires of the great day will "dissolve," "melt" this old earth, all marred and scarred by sin. That fire will "destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3: 8. It will "burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matt. 3: 12. That is the day when "all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. 4: 1. But when this raging fire has done its awful work, the earth melted and purged from every stain of sin will come forth a new earth, a renewed earth. Peter, after describing the fire and its results, continues,5"Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Peter 3: 13. This new earth is Paradise restored. In it the righteous will ever dwell. Of this beautiful home prophets have written and poets have sung. Isaiah, in his rapturous song, thus describes it: For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. Isa. 65: 17-19. All Nature Brought into Harmony
Wonderful changes will be seen. All nature will be in harmony. The fierceness and ferocity seen among animals will vanish. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord. Isa. 65: 25. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. . . . For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Isa. 11: 6-9. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isa. 35: 10. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord. Isa. 66: 22, 23. This is the reward Christ promised when He said, "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. 25: 34. And thus all God’s saved children, all the seed of Abraham, all the wandering, exiled pilgrims, those sojourners, will at last reach their own country and home. What a gathering that will be! The capital city of the new earth will form an interesting study to conclude this series of articles.