"Good, so you then agree that the PLURAL promises spoken to Abraham and his offspring are to CHRIST."
Yes & No.
We are close in most things. It has been a good discussion. Thank you.
You will notice WHAT the verse & its context says:
'Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is
only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, NO ONE SETS IT ASIDE OR ADDS CONDITIONS TO IT.
16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham AND to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as
referring to many, but
rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.
17What I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
18For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
A big question must be asked. Since we know when & where God spoke to Abraham when giving the promises in the unconditional Abrahamic covenant, WHEN & WHERE did God speak these also to his Seed (Christ)? Do you know?
I said yes & no in my answer because the promises were spoken by God to BOTH Abraham & also to his Seed (Christ). Both, not just one. So that is why I qualified my statement not agreeing fully with your conclusion.
And here is my explanation why I do not fully agree with what you said, but mostly. We are not too far apart.
Remember in my prior post, I mentioned an amazing fact in Scripture about the phrase, 'and the word of the Lord came to...' as being direct revelation of God to man. And that in Genesis 15:1,4 this is said of Abraham & that it was the FIRST TIME IN SCRIPTURE, that this is mentioned, being repeated afterwards with prophet after prophet receiving direct revelation from the LORD.
So we know it is God speaking--His very God-breathed words to someone. That is what we mean by Scripture being inspired.
So I come back to my question: where did God ALSO speak to the Messiah, in promising the things spoken in the unconditional covenant to Abraham?
Psalm 2!
Why do the nations RAGE & the peoples plot in vain?
2The kings of the earth set themselves & the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord AND against his Anointed ('HaMoshiach', Messiah), saying,
3“Let us burst their bonds apart & cast away their cords from us.”
4He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
5Then He will speak to them in his wrath & terrify them in His fury, saying,
6“As for Me, I have SET MY KING ON ZION, MY HOLY HILL.”
7I will tell of the decree: THE LORD SAID TO ME, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
8Ask of Me &
I WILL make THE NATIONS YOUR HERITAGE & THE ENDS OF THE EARTH YOUR POSSESSION.
9You shall break them with a rod of iron & dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11Serve the Lord with fear & rejoice with trembling.
12Kiss the Son, lest He be angry & you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. BLESSED are all who take refuge in Him.
Here we see where God the Father spoke these promises to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, the King of Israel, to rule from Mt. Zion over all the ends of the earth. We see the blessing, we see the heritage or inheritance, we see the ends of the earth as His possession.
Now again we know that the one promise of inheritance promised to Abraham's Seed, the Messiah, will see its fulfillment in the Gentiles ALSO being wild shoots, grafted into the cultivated vine of Israel. We are ADOPTED SONS by faith; the offspring of Abraham being the nation of Israel are NATIVE SONS who believe by faith; the rest in unbelief are not grafted in as unbelieving Gentiles or are branches removed as unbelieving Israelites.
So yes, the Promised Seed is the Messiah, our Lord. Yet the promises also are given to Abraham's physical descendants (plural) when God spoke & reiterated His promises to Abraham in Genesis 17, still before he was circumcised & still before the OC was established.
This was when God changed his name from Abram ('exalted father') to Abraham ('father of many nations'), showing the promises also belonged to his descendants which became the nation of Israel.
Gen 17:3-8 Then Abram fell face down & God said to him, “As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
6I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you & kings will descend from you. I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me AND you AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU, to be your God AND the God of your DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU.
8And to you AND YOUR DESCENDANTS I WILL GIVE THE LAND OF YOUR SOJOURN—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession & I will be their God.”
So that is why I qualified my statement. Yes, the promises are for Abraham; yes, the promises are for the Messiah AND YES, the promises are for Abraham's physical descendants, which is the special, peculiar nation of Israel that God chose as the pupil of His eye, despite their often failings.
God is not done with them yet. They are now ONCE AGAIN, coming back into the geographical promised land as all the prophets predicted would happen, from all the nations to which they have been scattered.
This means we are still in the times of the Gentiles, the Messiah hasn't returned yet to bring further fulfillment of these promises. He told the parables that He would be gone for a long time before He returned.
And we see the reality of that. Christ's emphasis is that yes, the time is at hand & we are in the last days or close to the end of the age, AS FAR AS GOD'S TIMETABLE IS NOT OURS. Christ's emphasis is not on the length as much as on He will appear SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING, like a thief in the night. So we are to be awake & ready, conducting His business until He returns.
Here are a few other verses to ponder on as well.
Isaiah 45:23,24 By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will confess allegiance. Surely they will say of Me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness & strength.'" All who RAGE against Him will come to Him & be put to shame.
Rev 11:15 Then the 7th angel sounded his trumpet & loud voices called out in heaven: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord AND of His Christ (Messiah) & He will reign forever & ever."
Psalm 110:5 The Lord at Thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath. (Messianic Psalm also)
Acts 4:23-30 On their release, Peter & John returned to their own people & reported everything that the chief priests & elders had said to them. When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord.
“Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven & the earth & the sea & everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David:
‘Why do the nations rage & the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand& the rulers gather together against the Lord & against His Anointed One.’ (Messiah)
27In fact, in this very city Herod & Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles & the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. They carried out what Your hand & will had decided beforehand would happen.
29And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
Isaiah 61:1-11 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives & release from darkness to the prisoners,to proclaim the year of the LORD’s FAVOR AND the day of our God’s VENGEANCE, to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who grieve in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, & a garment of praise for a spirit of despair.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
Foreigners will stand & feed your flocks & foreigners will be your plowmen & vinedressers. But you will be called the priests of the LORD; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will feed on the wealth of the nations & you will boast in their riches.
Instead of shame, My people will have a double portion & instead of humiliation, they will rejoice in their share & so they will inherit a double portion in their land & everlasting joy will be theirs. For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery & iniquity; in My faithfulness I will give them their recompense & make an everlasting covenant with them.
Their descendants will be known among the nations & their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed. I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation & wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a priestly headdress & as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its bud & as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness & praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Isaiah 60:18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders. But you will name your walls Salvation & your gates Praise.