Canaan is a land, which God gave to Abraham and to his seed “for an everlasting possession.” Genesis 17.7, 8. It was to be an everlasting possession for both Abraham and his seed. But Abraham himself had not so much as a foot-breadth of the land in his actual possession (Acts 7.5), and none of his seed had it either, for even the righteous ones among them (and only the righteous are Abraham’s seed) “all died in faith, not having received the promise.” Hebrews 9.13, 39
Therefore, as previously shown, the possession of the land involved the resurrection of the dead at the coming of Christ to restore all things. By the resurrection of Christ, God has begotten us unto a lively hope, “to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1.3-6
A World-Wide Kingdom
But the possession of the land of Canaan meant nothing less than the possession of the whole world, as we learn by comparing Genesis 17.7, 8, 11, and Romans 4.1-13. Thus: circumcision was the seal of the covenant to give Abraham and his seed the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. But circumcision was at the same time a sign or seal of righteousness by faith; and “the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham or his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” That is to say, that which sealed to Abraham his right to the possession of the land of Canaan, was the seal of his right to the whole world.