ABRAHAM SAW CHRISTS DAY AND REJOICED AND WAS GLAD

John 8:56  Jesus Christ said that Abraham saw the day of Christ, Abraham rejoiced and was glad.  Did Jesus lie about this ?  No, Jesus didn’t lie.  

Abraham was a prophet.  Genesis 20:7  Genesis 15:1   James 2:23   Genesis 18:16,17,18,19  Abraham was chosen by GOD and was a prophet.  The old covenant writings were all that existed when Timothy was young, yet these scriptures were able to make Timothy wise for salvation through faith in Christ. 2 Timothy 3:15   When Timothy was young, around 20 to 25 AD , Jesus was not yet preaching the gospel.  Therefore do not discredit the old covenant writings and think that they do not contain the truth of salvation.  Under the law there is no salvation but that same law was to function as a schoolmaster to bring a person to Christ. Galatians 3:24,25  Abraham was never under the law because the law was not given until 400 years later. 

Abraham saw in a vision the day of Christ before Christ was born but yet even before Abraham existed Jesus was.  How can this be ?  Even though Christ did not actually exist the idea and understanding of him was known by the ancient saints. Moses was a prophet long before Jesus was born but this isn’t a problem for GOD.  Moses said, Deuteronomy 18:15,16,17,18,19   This prophet was Jesus Christ.  Moses believed in Jesus before there was a Jesus in the flesh, but that is irrelevant, it is the spirit of things that is important.  What all did Moses, Abraham, King David and many others see when they were shown ,  1 Peter 1:10,11,12   Do you understand what Peter said ?  Matthew 13:16,17  many prophets and righteous men desired to be with Christ as his disciples were but didn’t see Jesus or hear him speak.  This is not a problem, it goes with,  John 20:29  ,  Abraham and all the prophets only saw in vision the Christ and the suffering followed by the glory.  None of them were actually there and neither were we.  We believe in the same way as Abraham, Moses and David by a vision given to us.  The Apostles were eye witnesses to the life of Christ but they are not the only Christians.  The sacrifice of Christ covers all of time and the belief in him does not require a physical presence.  Obedience and faith is to both GOD and Christ and time, place and labels are all irrelevant.  To make time, place and labels the relevant things is to be carnally minded.  A person with tunnel vision is only seeing things physically not spiritually.  The deep things of GOD can be understood but it takes time, we have to grow in grace and knowledge.  1 Corinthians 2:9,10,11,12,13

We must think spiritually or we remain a natural man.  People today that call themselves Christians acknowledge Christ but understand nothing about what Christ said.  Therefore being a true Christian is not in a label but in the message, the gospel that the carnal world does not know.  Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever, that is before he existed, while he was on Earth and then on the right hand of his GOD.  The carnal world sees the messenger, Jesus, but not his message. Abraham never actually saw Jesus but did have his message.  The gospel was given to Jesus by his GOD. Everything Jesus said and did was directed by his GOD.  Jesus was of the same will as his GOD, was one with his GOD and the gospel he preached he received from his GOD.  This is the GOD that preached to Abraham the same gospel, the same Christ.  Focusing on time and a label is to miss the entire understanding of what GOD has done.  The gospel has been preached from Genesis to Revelation but our minds must enabled to see it.

The title of this article is  true, Abraham knew all about Christ just as the saints of the church do today and both were taught the same way, in a vision by the spirit of GOD.  This shows us that to have been physically present at the time of the Christ event and the hope of our salvation in the kingdom of GOD is irrelevant with respect to time and that the label Christian is applicable to all the saints, past, present and future.  Jesus died once and for all but not all known this. Salvation is in three separate stages; at the second advent, in the millennium and lastly the second resurrection.  The blood of Christ will cover them all but at different times.

If a truly converted person does not know this it will not effect their salvation but will have an impact on the appreciation of their salvation.  Just after the testimony by Paul to the post Christ saints in Hebrews 11 is Hebrews 12:1  Paul referred to these ancient saints as “as a great cloud of witnesses” , or individuals from before Christ who demonstrated strong faith that serves as encouragement to us that we are not alone in our faith journey and we can draw strength and encouragement from the examples of those who came before us.  It is altogether fitting that the saints today should recognize that these who came before Christ are saints as well.  Reason it out; if Abraham is our father then should we his children reject him and refuse to acknowledge him as a saint, a Christian, an elect of GOD ?   If Abraham knew Christ in the same way we do, by vision, and believed having faith in the vision of Christ, seeing the sufferings of Christ and the glory that followed, then should we refuse and reject Abraham and all the ancient saints of the title of Christian ?   

Understanding these things are part of the deep things of GOD.   The scriptures are there to prove it but the eyes to see it are from GOD.  Abraham was taught by GOD through an angel but in these last days GOD speaks to us by HIS son.  Hebrews 1:1,2

It doesn’t matter whether GOD used an angel or the Christ because the truth would be the same.  GOD does not lie.  Today GOD speaks to the saints through Jesus to give us understanding of spiritual things but in Abrahams day GOD used an angel.  

By the will of GOD Abraham is the father of the faithful, the faithful being the church, the Israel of GOD, spiritual Israel.  If we today are to be Abrahams seed but deny him his right to be called a Christian then what plant are we from ?  We basically remove ourselves from the olive tree of which Abraham was of the root .  

I would very much like to hear from my readers their thoughts about this.  Please respond.