About 2000 BC (about 4,000 years ago)
In Genesis 22:1-17, God tests Abraham in an extreme way, asking him to sacrifice his own son, Isaac, which would mean putting him to death. Abraham passes the test and God spares the life of Abraham's son.
Then, in Genesis 22:18, God reveals that Abraham would be a forefather to the promised Messiah.
In other words, because Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own son, God chose Abraham to be a forefather to the promised Messiah, who would be the son of God, whom God would allow to be sacrificed, for the sins of others.
Abraham and Isaac lived about 4,000 years ago. Jesus, who is a descendant of Abraham and Isaac, lived about 2,000 years ago.
The near-sacrifice of Isaac prophetically foreshadowed the actual sacrifice of Jesus. There are other parallels. God foretold the birth of Isaac, in Genesis 17:18-19, and foretold the birth of Jesus, in Isaiah 7:13-14, Isaiah 9:6-7, and Micah 5:1-4. Also, both births were the result of miracles.
Jesus, as explained in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew and Luke, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary of Nazareth. He is a human descendant of Abraham and Isaac, and he is the divine Son of God.
God allowed Jesus to serve as the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin, about 2,000 years ago, when the Romans crucified Jesus. His death atones for the sins of the world, so that all who believe in him are forgiven of their sins and given eternal life in heaven (John 3:16).
You can read more about the significance of the near-sacrifice of Isaac in the book, Jesus the Messiah, by Ray Konig.
Related offsite article: 40 prophecies that show that Jesus is the Messiah
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