About 2000 BC (about 4,000 years ago)
In Genesis 22:1-18, God tests Abraham in an extreme way, asking him to sacrifice his own son, Isaac. Abraham passes the test. Isaac's life is spared. In the final verse, God prophetically informs Abraham that he will be a forefather to the promised Messiah:
All the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice. (Genesis 22:18, WEB)
This verse is foretelling a worldwide spiritual impact, which is a task that is assigned uniquely and repeatedly to the promised Messiah in several Old Testament prophecies. This is a Messianic prophecy.
Because Abraham proved that his faith in God is real, God chose Abraham to be the forefather of the Messiah, who would be the son of God, whom God would allow to be sacrificed for the sins of others, so that all who believe in his son, Jesus, will be saved and given eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Related articles: God's test of Abraham foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus and 40 prophecies that show that Jesus is the Messiah
Next: God chooses Isaac to be a forefather to the Messiah
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