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''And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;'' (Genesis 15:13)

Fifth, God spoke of the history of Abram's seed for many centuries to come. God knows the end from the beginning. God works in terms of foreknowledge, predestination, election, mercy, and grace. Salvation is not of the person who wills or the person who runs but of God who shows mercy (Romans 9:16). The Christian salvation has been planned carefully from the creation of the world.

Sixth, God spoke of bringing Israel as a weapon of judgment against the Canaanites as soon as the wickedness of the Canaanites had come to maturity (Genesis 15:16). So it is true that God will bring His people to battle readiness as the "tares" come to maturity. We Christian believers will be the hand of God's judgment upon evil spirits (Psalms 149:5-9; Romans 16:20).

The Divine judgment, the separation of what is to be saved from what is condemned to destruction, begins in our personality. Such judgment and separation constitute the true salvation that is in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Seventh, God promised Abram that his seed indeed would inherit the land of promise (Genesis 15:18-21)-and this when Abram had no children! How marvelous are the ways of the Lord God of Heaven.

We Christians have been "sealed to the day of redemption." The Day of Redemption is that point in history when God judges what is of Satan in us and delivers us. Christ will appear to those who look for Him, without sin unto salvation. We who love and serve the Lord Jesus are first in line for the deliverance that can take place only as God judges His enemies.

We have been forgiven. Now the eternal purpose of God, which is our redemption from the hand of Satan and change into God's image, is knocking at our door.

The Divinely ordained Word of Truth for our generation is that the salvation that is in Christ is not limited to a forgiveness of what we are. The Divine redemption is our release from bondage through means of God's hand of judgment on unclean, rebellious spirits, destroying them out of our personality.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; (Psalms 107:2)

The Day of Vengeance is at hand. Let us prepare our hearts for spiritual warfare. God is ready to save us, to deliver us-and through us the material creation (Romans 8:21).

The physical warfare of Israel was a shadow of the true Kingdom warfare, which is the casting out of wicked spirits. There is no account in the Old Testament of judging and casting out an unclean spirit, except possibly in instances of physical healing at the hand of the prophets.

But casting out devils in the name of the Lord Jesus is the first sign to follow the believer (Mark 16:17). This is one of the most important differences between the old covenant and the new.


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