IT MAY HAPPEN

 

It May Happen

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Jesus says, ‘Blessed are meek, for they shall inherit the earth’ (Matt. 5:5, cf. Psa. 37:9-11). Not happy with the idea that those belonging to Jesus are being given the entire earth, some think that this verse refers only to the postage stamp sized ‘Land of Canaan’, the ‘Promised Land.’ They do the same with the Flood in Noah’s day. ‘Surely the Flood did not cover the whole earth? Therefore, it must’ve been only local!’ And so, Noah is made to look stupid! Instead of simply climbing to higher ground to escape a little flood, he spent years building an ark to accommodate his family and all the animals God would send him. 

And what of those who are of the faith of Abraham, the father of our faith? (Rom. 4:16), the ones of whom Paul writes, ‘Therefore know that only those who are faith are sons of Abraham’ (Gal. 3:9). Therefore, the ‘meek’ that shall inherit the earth are those who are of the same faith as our father Abraham.

What will be the extent of the land believers will inherit? Will it be larger than that supposedly inundated in Noah’s day or that which had been conquered in Solomon’s day? Well, what exactly was the promise made to Abraham and his seed, i.e., believers in Christ? Paul tells us, ‘For the promise that he would be heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law…’ (Rom. 4:13). Is there a difference between the promise of the earth and the promise of the world? Not to Abraham! He knew that the Old Testament ‘Land of Promise’ was merely a token of the whole world, the ‘new heaven and earth’ (Rev. 21:1-4, cf. Isa. 65:17). ‘By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God’ (Heb. 11:9-10). 

So, where was Abraham, the father of the faithful, i.e., those who are meek towards God, looking? His eyes, as are the eyes of all believers, were ‘looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God’ (Heb. 12:2). So, we see that any promise God made to Abraham is fulfilled in and by Jesus Christ. ‘For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us’ (2 Cor. 1:20). And what did God give to Jesus after He ascended bodily to sit at the right hand of the throne of God? A small piece of real estate in the Middle East? God the Father said to Him, ‘Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession’ (Psa. 2:6). The ‘ends of the earth’, the ‘world’, the same as that which Abraham and all whose faith is in Christ will inherit.

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But, what’s the point? Doesn’t Peter say that it’s all going to disappear in the end, that ‘both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up’? (2 Pet. 3:10b). Properly understood, as the Flood ‘purged’ all the ends of the earth in Noah’s day, so the ‘Fire’ refers to the future purging our inheritance in Christ of all evil. ‘But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death’ (Rev. 21:8). 

Since Scripture says that Christ is returning bodily to this Earth (Acts. 1:11), shouldn’t you make sure that you are right with God through His Son Jesus Christ? Christians do this by repenting and believing in His gospel, as did Abraham (Gal. 3:8-9).