(5) Abraham and the Covenant of the Torch

 (5) Abraham and the Covenant of the Torch

Genesis 15:12-17 “When the sun went down, a deep sleep fell on Abram, and great darkness and fear came upon him. Then the LORD said to Abram, ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs and will serve them, and they will oppress them four hundred years. I will punish the nation they serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You will be buried in peace with your ancestors at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet come to fruition.’” When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking firepot appeared, and a burning torch passed between the pieces.

While sunset signifies the end of the day, here it symbolizes the end. The coming of Jesus Christ into the world is said to be the beginning of the end. Therefore, the above words can be considered prophetic words about Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Although the above is a conversation between Jehovah and Abram, it can be understood in meaning as a conversation between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Before the birth of Jesus Christ, the entire world was shrouded in darkness. Genesis 1:1-2 states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." Genesis 1:1 speaks of Christ's predestination, and verse 2 states that when Christ comes into the world, it will be a world of spiritual darkness.

"Your descendants will be strangers in a land not theirs, and they will serve them, and they will oppress them four hundred years." Abram's descendants are the Israelites. This passage describes their entry into Egypt, where they lived as slaves to Pharaoh for four hundred years, before their exodus under the leadership of Moses.

However, spiritually speaking, Christ's people are angels in the kingdom of God. Fallen angels are born into the world as humans and are under Satan's rule. The term "400 years" symbolically represents a period of spiritual darkness. If we express the period from the first man, Adam, to the last, Adam, in numerical terms, approximately 4,000 years have passed.

"I will punish the nation they serve." During the Exodus, God punished Egypt with ten plagues. Similarly, Jesus Christ, entrusted with God's authority, subdued Satan and his angels and freed those who repented from his control.

"Afterward your descendants will come out with great wealth." During the Exodus, the Israelites brought many treasures with them. Exodus 3:19-22 "For I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go until I strike him with a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand against Egypt, and I will strike him with all my wonders in the midst of it. After that, he will let you go. I will cause the Egyptians to grant favor to the people, and when you go out, you will not go empty-handed. Let every woman ask her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house for articles of silver and gold and clothing, and put them on your sons and daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians."

The treasure we receive through salvation and freedom from Satan through faith in Jesus Christ is the treasure of heaven. Those who are in Christ not only receive freedom from sin, but also the amazing grace of being seated in heaven.

"You will live a long life, and you will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried. In the fourth generation your descendants will return to this land." Abraham's ancestor is the first man (Christ). Abraham symbolizes Christ. This land represents Canaan. Canaan symbolizes the kingdom of God (heaven), and the number four (4) in the four generations represents spiritual darkness. The time when all humans are born and live on earth is a period of spiritual darkness. However, when a person meets Jesus Christ, from that time on, they move toward the world of light. When Christ is present in the heart of a believer, it becomes heaven itself. They enter the world of light.

John 1:9-12 “The true Light, which gives light to every man, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, but his own did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

"For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full," he said. The Amorites were the people who attacked the Israelites as they entered Canaan. The fleshly self is what hinders believers from becoming citizens of heaven. When the fleshly self completely dominates a believer's heart, they will struggle to find the opportunity to repent. This means that only by repenting and turning from a spiritual state before the fleshly self completely takes over can they attain heaven. This means quickly repenting and turning from that state.

“When the sun had set and darkness had set, a smoking firepot appeared, and a burning torch passed between the pieces of meat.” This is a prophecy that in the midst of spiritual darkness, among the dead, Christ, the light of life, will appear, rise to the resurrection life, and give the light of life to all who are in darkness.

The torch symbolizes resurrection life. The pieces of meat represent the physically dead. This covenant contains the promise that those who are physically dead will receive resurrection life through the power of the Holy Spirit and be resurrected with eternal bodies.