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While various views have been
presented to answer this question, the best answer is
found when we allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.
Looking to the text in question we note two points. First,
Abraham rejoiced at the prospect of seeing Jesus' day. It
was something that Abraham anticipated. Second, the thing
that Abraham anticipated seeing is
what he saw. How did he do this?
In that Abraham anticipated
the seeing of Jesus' day, we find no reason to conclude
that this is related to the seeing of Jehovah in the Old
Testament. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate that
Abraham ever had an anticipation of seeing God that came
to be fulfilled. Indeed, Jehovah did appear to Abraham
(through an angel acting as his legal agent), but the fact
that this happened does not mean that Abraham anticipated
it happening.
It is to be noted that Abraham
was not continuing to see Jesus' day when Jesus spoke
these words. He was not observing from a distant place
such as Heaven or Hades, as many will argue. It was a
seeing that was already completed, giving no indication
that Abraham was alive beyond the grave.
Abraham
had an anticipation of seeing Jesus' day, and so this
anticipation must have come from a promise made by God.
How Abraham "saw" the fulfillment of such promises is
explained for us.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died
by way of faith, not having received the promises, but
seeing them from afar, and being persuaded, and having
embraced and confessed that they are aliens and tenants
upon the land.
The ones spoken of in this
text, including Abraham, were "seeing them from afar" with
prophetic foresight, through eyes of faith, various
promises that were made. This does not refer to a visible
observation that was seen with their eyes, but they saw
them, as Vincent explains, "by faith."
How did this take
place?
God had promised Abraham that
it would be by him that all of the nations would be
blessed. (Gen. 12:3; 18:1) This was a joyful prospect for
him, but he did not fully realize and thus "see" the
fulfillment, for he did not yet know how this would come
to pass.
When Abraham and Sarah were
both up in age and past the years of child-bearing, he was
promised that they would became "nations and kings of
people." (Gen. 17:16) Because of their age Abraham
actually burst out in laughter, viewing such an idea as
absurd. (Gen. 17:17) Though he did not initially believe
it, God's promise would come to pass with the birth of
Isaac.
It can be argued that it was
not with the birth of Isaac that Abraham had complete
foresight of the promised blessings that would result.
With Isaac still a boy God had commanded Abraham to offer
him as a human sacrifice. (Gen. 22:2) Not understanding
why he would command him such a thing, Abraham remained
faithful, intending to carry out the sacrifice. At the
last moment God sent forth an angel to stop him. (Gen.
22:11-12)
Following these events the
angel that God had sent related to Abraham a promise from
God. Jehovah explained that it would be Abraham's seed,
through Isaac, that would cause the nations to be blessed.
(Gen. 22:16-17) As the apostle Paul explains, this seed
would be Jesus Christ: "But the promises were spoken to
Abraham and to his Seed (it does not say, And to seeds, as
of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," which is
Christ)." (Gal. 3:16)
We can thus see how Abraham
both rejoiced at the prospect of seeing Jesus’ day and did
see it. God had promised to Abraham that he would have a
son, though both he and his wife were well aged. This
proved to be true. God had put Abraham to the test,
demonstrating how faithful Abraham would really be.
Abraham was to offer his own child Isaac. With Abraham
about to carry it out, an angel came and delivered Isaac,
promising a blessing to all nations, which would prove to
be the Messiah. These events, with the promises made,
caused Abraham to see these things coming to pass through
the eyes of faith. With these promises, in line with the
deliverance of his son Isaac, we can be certain that
Abraham rejoiced in viewing them through the eyes of
faith.
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