God's promise to Abraham: Gen 22:17-18
17 "blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
(NKJ)
In Gen 22:17 we see the word "descendants," it is plural, not singular and it refers to Abraham's children in the flesh. In verse 18 we see the word "seed" and it is singular, not plural, and it is referring to Christ. It should also be noted that in verse 17 we see a promise God made to the descendants (plural) that they "shall possess the gates of their enemies." This has never been fulfilled.
Read Isaiah 54:1-8, below, and know that these words have not been fulfilled either. But they will all be fulfilled during the 1000-year reign of Christ on this earth.
Isa 54:1-10
1 "Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman," says the LORD.
2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.
4 "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
5 For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; he is called the God of the whole earth.
6 For the LORD has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused," says your God.
7 "For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you.
8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer.
9 "For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
(NKJ)
17 "blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
(NKJ)
In Gen 22:17 we see the word "descendants," it is plural, not singular and it refers to Abraham's children in the flesh. In verse 18 we see the word "seed" and it is singular, not plural, and it is referring to Christ. It should also be noted that in verse 17 we see a promise God made to the descendants (plural) that they "shall possess the gates of their enemies." This has never been fulfilled.
Read Isaiah 54:1-8, below, and know that these words have not been fulfilled either. But they will all be fulfilled during the 1000-year reign of Christ on this earth.
Isa 54:1-10
1 "Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman," says the LORD.
2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.
4 "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
5 For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; he is called the God of the whole earth.
6 For the LORD has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused," says your God.
7 "For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you.
8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer.
9 "For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
(NKJ)