Genesis 12:1-3; Acts 26:6-7; 28:16-23

Introduction:

1. This lesson traces God’s land promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel in relation to the dispensational premillennial system.

2. Both modern Jews and premillennialists believe God’s land promise to Israel (the hope of Israel) is yet to be fulfilled.

3. If the Bible supports this, the premillennial system stands, but if it is seen that the promise was fulfilled, the whole system falls.

Discussion:

I. The Land Promise and Salvation History

A. The promises to Abraham are the lynchpin of salvation history (Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-15; 15:1-19; 17:6-8; 22:17-18; 26:3; 28:13).

B. The land promise was fulfilled in Joshua’s days (Joshua 21:43-45; 23:14-15).

C. Solomon ruled the full extent of the promised land (1 Kings 4:20-24).

D. These promises are also the lynchpin of the modern Jewish and premillennial view that Israel’s land and kingdom must be restored.

E. We will address the fulfillment of the promised restoration in the next discussion, but we will set the stage in this discussion.

II. The Land Promise, The Current Conflict, and Premillennialism

A. The land promise and the Arab-Israeli conflict:

1. Muslims and Jews agree Abraham was the conduit for God’s promised blessings to form His chosen people.

2. The dispute begins with Genesis 16 when Sarai and Abram arranged for Hagar to give Abram a son since Sarai was barren.

a. This is the first divergence between the Bible and the Quran.

b. The Bible holds Isaac to be the son of promise.

c. The Quran holds Ishmael to be the son of promise.

d. Ishmael is the progenitor of the Arab peoples from which Muhammad came and therefore Islam as well.

3. Both groups believe they have the divine right to occupy the land.

B. The land promise and premillennialism:

1. Like modern Jews, premillennialists (classical and dispensational) believe the land promise is yet to be fulfilled (cf. Isaiah 2:1-5; 11:1-16).

2. Specifically, the restoration of land and kingdom in the prophets (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Jeremiah 25:11-13; Ezekiel 37:11-14: cf. Acts 26:6-7; 28:16-23).

3. Some even argue the original promise was never fulfilled even in the days of David and Solomon, but we have already seen this is flawed.

C. God’s promise to bless or curse those who bless or curse Abram is the heart of the premillennial position that we must back Israel (Genesis 12:3)

D. The solution to all these problems is to determine the scope of the promise, its promised duration, and any conditions put upon it.

III. The Land Promise: An Unconditional, Everlasting Possession?

A. That the land was promised as an “everlasting possession” explains the belief that Israel must be restored (Genesis 13:15; 17:8; cf. 2 Samuel 7:12-16).

B. A few simple facts undermine the position:

1. Everlasting: Heb. Olam does not necessarily mean forever without end (Genesis 6:4; Exodus 21:6; Deuteronomy 32:7; Joshua 24:2; Psalms 73:12).

2. If it did, the final judgment and destruction of the world after the millennium would end an endless promise.

3. The promise of the land and kingdom were conditional (Deuteronomy 8:18-20; 28:15-68; 29:25-28; 1 Kings 2:1-4; 9:1-9).

C. When they turned to idolatry, God fulfilled the warnings just as He fulfilled the promises (Jeremiah 16:10-13; Ezekiel 36:17-20; Lamentations 2:15-17).

Conclusion:

1. Fortunately for Israel and for us, God was not done with His people as there were promises beyond the land and nation (Genesis 12:3).

2. In our next discussion, we will focus on the promised restoration of Israel’s land and kingdom.

3. In so doing, we will find the Hope of Israel came, established that for which He came to establish, and He blessed all the families of the earth.