Ok here is where I stand. The promise that all of those on the list died without having received was the life that we Christians have today.If you check up, Abraham did not live long enough to enjoy the fulfillment of one of the above.
- Abraham was Promised a Land that had borders (Gen.13:14-17), could be seen (Gen.12:1) and walked in (Gen.12:6-7)
- Abraham was Promised to be the father of many nations. He produced Ishmael, Isaac, and 6 sons from Kerturah
- Abraham was Promised to be the father of two notable peoples, one earthly and one heavenly (Gen.22:17)
- Abraham was Promised that his seed would possess the gates of his enemies (Gen.22:17)
- Abraham was Promised that his seed would be heirs to the whole world (Rom.4:13)
- Abraham was Promised that God would bless those that blessed him and curse those who cursed him (Gen.12:3)
- Abraham was Promised that in his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen.12:3)
Since God made man to be in His image and likeness, and to rule the earth, the Covenant of Promise is vital to the Christian. That is why Galatians Chapter 3 goes to lengths to establish those IN Christ as heirs to this Covenant (Gal.3:29). The Olive Tree of Romans 11 is another example of the Coming Kingdom which contains both Israel as well as the Church. The New Jerusalem is the consummate expression of the Covenant of Promise established. If it were not for Jesus Christ, the Covenant of Promise could not be fulfilled for Israel, having rejected Jesus, are still forgiven their iniquities and restored to their Land. The Covenant of Promise been fulfilled is vital to God's reputation, for He swore this Covenant with an OATH (Heb.6:16-17).
- The meaning of the word "sojourner" in the Hebrew is "foreigner" or "stranger"
- Abraham refused the spoils from the "slaughter of kings"
- Abraham refused the field of Machpelah as a gift, but paid for it, indicating his lack of ownership of the Land
- Abraham never owned Canaan, but will in the Millennium (Matt.8:11)
- Abraham saw only Isaac, not the great nation that Jacob would sire
- Abraham did not see the offspring of Ishmael, Esau's and Kerturah's sons
- Abraham saw neither a people "as the sand of the sea shore" (Israel), nor a people "as the stars" (the Church)
- Abraham defeated three kings but refused their possessions
- Abraham's seed as the sand will only possess Canaan "as an everlasting possession" after their resurrection (Gen.17:8; Ezek.37)
- Abraham's seed as the stars will only possess the whole world after their resurrection
- Abraham's seed as the stars will bring heavenly rule to earth in the Millennium and cause all the families of earth to be blessed
- Abraham's "Seed" (singular Capitalized) is refused by Israel and given to the Gentiles
- Abraham's "Seed" (singular Capitalized) will only possess the gates of his enemies in the Millennium (Gal.3:16)
- Abraham's seed occupied Canaan for less than 1,000 years and were cast out
- Abraham's seed were born and lived and died in the diaspora - not occupying Canaan
The Bible calls this way of life that we have - “a city who’s builder and maker is God”. That was the city that Abraham was looking for while he sojourned in the Promised Land. The Bible calls that city Heavenly Jerusalem.