"We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it to you: come with us, and we will do you good: for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel." (Numbers 10:29)
We are journeying unto the land of which the Lord has said to His people in this age, "I will give it unto you." (Genesis 13:17)
Children of Promise
The Israel of today are not the literal seed of Abraham, but they are the spiritual seed, the children of promise. "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel; Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children; but, In Isaac shall your seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Romans 9:6-8) "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." (Romans 4:13) "Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." (Galatians 3:7)
The promise to Abraham was that he should be the heir of the world; and the same promise reaches down to us today; for, "If you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:29)
Abraham did not receive the promise, for, said the martyr Stephen, "He gave him no inheritance in it [the land of promise], no, not so much as to set his foot on;" (Acts 7:5) nor did his descendants receive it, nor any of the faithful who lived after him. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (Hebrews 11:13)
This has been the lot of God's people in all ages. They have been but strangers and pilgrims, knowing that "Here we have no continuing city," (Hebrews 13:14) but looking, as did Abraham, for "a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10)
Not This Old Earth
It is true that the literal descendants of Abraham did enter and possess the land of Canaan, but that was not the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham "that he should be the heir of the world." (Romans 4:13)
The Israelites possessed but a very small portion of the world, and their tenure of that was only maintained by almost continual war with the surrounding nations. They did not obtain that for which Abraham and the patriarchs looked. They did not enjoy the promised rest. "For if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest to the people of God." (Hebrews 4:8-9)
The promise to Abraham and to his seed is yet to be fulfilled. The promise is, as we have seen, that they shall inherit the earth. It is not an inheritance in heaven, or on some distant star or planet, but here, where they have sojourned as strangers, and amid trials and temptations and persecutions have fought the good fight of faith.
But they will not inherit the earth in its present state, for now it is given over to the dominion of sin and evil. It is under the rule of "the god of this world [Satan, who] has blinded the minds of them which believe not." (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Also Peter tells us that: "The heavens and earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto the fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3:7) "For behold, [says the prophet Malachi,] the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." (Malachi 4:1) "And we, [says Peter,] according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13)
The Time Is at Hand
We are journeying to this land, this new earth, of which the Lord has said to the seed of Abraham, "I will give it unto you;" (Genesis 13:17) and we are nearing the end of the journey. We are "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." (2 Peter 3:12) "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19)
The day dawn is near at hand. If we inquire, in the language of the prophet, "Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?" (Isaiah 21:11)
The answer is, "The morning comes, and also the night," (Isaiah 21:12) the morning of eternal day to those who are the seed of Abraham, and the night of eternal death to such as are not the children of faith. "The night is far spent; the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Romans 13:12) "This Gospel of the kingdom, [said Jesus,] shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14)
We are living in the day of the fulfillment of these words. Already the proclamation of the hour of God's judgment (Revelation 14:7) has encircled the earth. Every nation and kingdom has been entered, and dwellers in the uttermost parts of the earth have heard the voice of them "that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. ... Their sound has gone into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." (Romans 10:15,18)
A little work yet remains to be accomplished, and "then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14)
Then, The saints of the most the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." (Daniel 7:18)
That is the kingdom of the Son of David, the Seed of Abraham, to whom the promise of inheritance was made. The prophet beheld the time when "There was given Him dominion, and glory, and the kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him." (Daniel 7:14)
This kingdom and dominion His saints will share with Him. "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." (Daniel 7:27)
Then the heirs of the world will enter upon their inheritance- the new earth purified from sin and every trace of the curse-and enjoy with faithful Abraham the rest which has so long been promise. To this land of promise we are journeying, and we would that every man might share in this inheritance. Come with us! "Set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth," (Colossians 3:2) for, "The world passes away, and the lust thereof." (1 John 2:17)
It is hastening on to the burning day, when "the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." (2 Peter 3:12)
Already, "wars and commotions," (Luke 21:9) "pestilences, and earthquakes," (Matthew 24:7) "distress of nations with perplexity," (Luke 21:25) "signs in the heavens and in the earth, (Acts 2:19) "the sea and the waves roaring, [And] men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after the things that are coming," (Luke 21:25-26) betoken the approach of the day of God. It is the rumbling of the chariot wheels of the coming King. "The Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father, with His angels; and then shall He reward every man according to his work." (Matthew 16:27)
The reward of the faithful is the inheritance promised to Abraham. Set your face toward Zion, and away from the city of destruction. "For evil doers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, you shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Psalm 37:9-11)
Come with us to this inheritance. "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and let him that hears say, Come; and let him that is athirst, Come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17) "Come with us, and we will do you good; for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel." (Numbers 10:29)--Present Truth, September 14, 1893.