Nations Blessed Through Abraham's Seed

Jehovah promised Abraham:  "By means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves." (Genesis 22:18)  Under the old covenant, may meekhearted foreigners were blessed through their association with Israel, the national seed of Abraham. In its basic spiritual fulfillment, however, the Seed of Abraham was one perfect man. Paul explained this when he said:  "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.  It says not: 'And to seeds,' as in the cases of many such, but as in the case of one: 'And to your seed,' who is Christ." -Galatians 3:16.

Yes, Jesus is the Seed of Abraham, and through Him the nations receive a blessing far superior to anything possible for fleshly Israel.  Indeed, the first nation to receive this blessing was Israel itself. Soon after Pentecost 33 C.E., the apostle Peter said to a group of Jews:  "You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God covenanted with your forefathers, saying to Abraham,'and in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed.'  to you first God, after raising up his Servant, sent him forth to bless you by turning each one away from your wicked deeds." -Acts 3:25, 26. 

Soon the blessing was extended to Samaritans and then to Gentiles.  (Acts 8:14-17; 10:34-48)  Sometime between 50 and 52  C.E., Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia in Asia Minor:  "The Scriptures, seeing in advance that God would declare people of the nations righteous due to faith, declared the good news beforehand to Abraham, namely: 'By means of you all the nations will be blessed.' Consequently those who adhere to faith are being blessed.' Consequently  together with faithful Abraham." (Galatians 3:8, 9; Genesis 12:3) Although many Christians in Galatia were "people of the nations," they were blessed through Jesus because of their faith. In what way? 

Paul told the Galatian Christians, of whatever background:  "If you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham's seed, heirs with reference to a promise." (Galatians 3;29)  For those Galatians, the blessing through Abraham's Seed included  their being participants in the new covenant and also being  coheirs with Jesus, associates with Jesus in the seed of Abraham.  We do not know the population of ancient Israel.    We know only that it came to be "like the grains of sand that are by the sea for multitude."  (1 Kings 4:20)  We do, however, know the final number of Jesus' associates in the spiritual seed-144,000.  (Revelation 7:4; 14:1)  Those 144,000 out of 'every tribe and tongue and people and nation" of mankind and share in administering to yet others the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. -Revelation 5:9. 

Next time: A Prophecy Fulfilled

From the Watchtower magazine, 1998