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MEDIEVAL
concept of sinners tormented in Dante's lnferno - ruled over by the devil and his demons according to popular
belief (left). A Chinese concept of paradise - a lovely tropical garden (right).
Cvlver
Pictvros,
tnc.
whole world. The apostle Paul in
Romans 4: 13 called Abraham " the
heir of the world," not just of the
Iand of Canaan.
This, then, is the promise which
all Christians, as the seed of Abra–
ham, are to inherit!
New Testament Evidence
This same promise is reaffirmed
in lhe New Teslament. Jesus Chrisl
plainly told his disciples: " Blessed
are the meek: for lhey shall inheril
the earlh" (Mauhew 5:5).
In lhe book of Revelation, we
read the cryslal clear statemenl:
"... lhou [Christ] wasl slain and by
thy blood didsl ransom meo for
God from every tribe and tongue
and people and nalion, and hast
made them a kingdom and priests
to our God, and
they shall reign on
earth "
(Revelation 5:9-10, RSV).
The Psalms of David also make
this truth clear. David wrote: "For
evildoers shall be cut off: but those
that wait upon the Lord, they shall
inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:9). This
enti re psalm is full of similar refer–
ences. Verse 29 adds: "The righ-
26
teous shall inherit the land, and
dwelJ therein for ever."
Not Yet Fulfilled
However, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
David, and all the rest of the palri–
archs are sti ll waiting lo receive
what was promised to them. To this
very day, lhey have not yel inher–
ited the earlh.
In lhe book of Hebrews we read:
"By failh Abraham, when he was
called to go out into a place which
he should
after
receive for an inher–
itance, obeyed .. . . By faith he so–
joumed in the Iand of promise, as in
a strange country, dwelling in taber–
nacles with Isaac and Jacob, lhe
heirs with him of the same prom–
ise ..." (Hebrews 11 :8-9).
Notice further lhat these all "died
in faith ,
not
having received lhe
promises" (verse 13). Also: "And
these all, having obtained a good
report through faith, received nol
the promise ..." (verse 39).
So when will lhe patriarchs, a1ong
with true Christians - those who
truly
follo~
the leachings of Jesus
Christ, repenl of their sins, and ac-
cept him as Savior - receive the
promises?
At the Resurrection
Jesus himself gave the answer:
"Do not marvel at this; for the hour
is coming when alJ who are in the
tombs will hear his voice and come
forth, those who have done good, to
the resurrection of life, and those
who have done evil, lo lhe resurrec–
tion of judgment" (John 5:28-29,
RSV).
The promises will be inheriled at
the time of the resurrection of lhe
righteous. The apostle Paul de–
clared: "For lhe Lord himself shall
descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel , and
with the trump of God: and the
dead in Chrisl shall rise first: Then
we which are aüve and remain shall
be caught up together with them in
the clouds, to meel the Lord in lhe
air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord"
(1
Thessalonians 4: 16-17).
When Christ relurns to this earth,
lhe palriarchs and truly converted
Christians will be raised from their
graves. At that time, Jesus will re-
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