lecting a specific nation. We know that this has been achieved and ful filled. Secondly, God wanted to establish a blood line through which would come into the flesh the Redeemer of the world, the very God of very God, our Lord Jesus Christ. This also was gloriously fulfilled through the Messiah, our Saviour. Lastly, God selected a specific na tion in order that in a coming hour there might be a specific witness to all the world. Now, while the first two aspects of the covenant have transpired, the third awaits its com plete prophetic fulfillment. During the time of the Tribulation, the peri od which immediately follows the Rapture of the Church, which in cludes all true born-again believers, Revelation 7 tells us that there will be 12,000 witnesses from the 12 tribes of Israel, for a total of 144,000 people. These will be God’s special witnesses during this time of un precedented judgment upon the world. Making this covenant with Abra ham was not something to be con sidered lightly. At least five different times Abraham was assured of its unusual promises. First, described
in Genesis 12:1-3 and 7, Abraham is promised ownership and occupation of the land. In Genesis 13:14-17, all of these elements are reiterated. Then in Genesis 15:4-21 we find certain minutiae of the promise. Again Genesis 17:1-16 states that Abraham, now in his old age, was promised a son. Finally in Genesis 22:15-18, at the time on Mount Moriah when Abraham would have offered up Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord, the prom ise is again reconfirmed. As if that weren’t enough, we can take further encouragement in finding that the promise was restated to Isaac (in Genesis 26:3-5), and to Jacob (in Genesis 6:2-8). When Martin Luther came to Genesis 12:1-3, he paused in his translation concerning the Abraham- ic Covenant to declare, “Now it fol lows the right promise which ought to be written in golden letters and proclaimed in all lands, and for which we ought to praise and glorify our God.” He was exactly correct in his evaluation. Abraham was called upon to make a three-fold sacrifice. He had to leave his country, his kindred, and his home. Have you ever had to make a decision like that? If you have, your children doubtless have said, “But we don’t want to live anywhere else. We like this home! All of our friends live here.” Such was indeed the challenge facing Abraham to go into a country he knew not of, to serve a God in whom he had im plicit faith. Corresponding to the three-fold sacrifice, the Lord also gave him a three-fold blessing which was per sonal, national, and universal. As far as the individual aspect was con cerned, Abraham, according to James 2, was called the friend of God. The Arabs know him as El Khalil. Do you get the full impact of that name? You see, it’s one thing to say God is your friend. That’s a relationship be lievers enjoy. But this wasn’t all
Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland (left), Biola president. Is presented a deed to property owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Livingston. The land and home was sold and the money given to the school for the much-needed library expansion. Looking on at the right is Mr. Paul W. Schwepker, treasurer and vice president of Biola. Mr. Livingston, a member of the Biola faculty, serves in the Business Administration Department.
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