Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/299

 kingdom power. In order of development it was first the natural (earthly), afterward the heavenly rulers ; but in order of grandeur of position and time of instalment, it will be first the spiritual, afterward the natural ; and so there are last which shall be first, and first which shall be last. Matt 19: 30; Luke 16: 16.

The promise made to Abraham, to which Stephen refers (A6ls 7 : 5), and in which Israel trusted, was earthly : it related to the land. God "promised that he would give it to him for a possession," said Stephen. And God said to Abraham, "Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and east- ward and westward ; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed be num- bered. Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee." (Gen. 13:14-17.) Stephen shows that this promise must yet be fulfilled ; for he declares that God gave Abraham "non^ inheritance in it [in the land], no> not so much as set his foot on."

The Apostle, writing of this same class of ancient wor- thies Abraham among others agrees with Stephen's state- ment that the promise to Abraham has not yet been fulfilled ; and he goes further and shows that those earthly promises cannot and will not be fulfilled until the still higher heav- enly promises concerning the Christ (Head and body) are fulfilled. He says of them : These all died in faith, not [/. *., without] having received [the fulfilment of] the promise, God having provided some better thing for us [the Christ], 1 aat they without us should not be made perfect. (Hcb. ir : 13, 39, 40.) Thus is shown again that the Re- deemer ana Restorer is spiritual, having given up the humaa

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