When will this biblical prophecy come true?

Question

In Genesis 26:4, God promises to make Isaac's descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven.

According to Christian site http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/star-number.html , there are some 100 billion stars in this galaxy alone, and an estimated 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, (ten billion trillion) stars in the universe.

Assuming God was truthful (he wouldn't promise something without intending to follow up, right?), how early can this prophecy come true?

From the answers so far, it sounds like god was indeed lying, taking advantage of Isaac's lack of astronomy knowledge.

Answer 1

the thing about passages from religious texts....theyre all open to interpretation..to some its already happened..to some, its happening now...to some it will probably happen in the near future

youd THINK the fact that not even believers can agree on that nonsense that it might make them think that its not a *truth*
truth is universal
fundamentalism is mental

Answer 2

Are you counting literal descendants, or spiritual ones as well? And do you only count the ones still alive now, or all of his descendants, past and present, living and now dead?

And wasn't God simply referring to the stars that Isaac could see with the naked eye? Isn't the use of telescopes "cheating" since Isaac didn't have access to one, and God knew that when he made the promise?

I assume that it has already come true, considering the number of Christians in the world.

===edit===

A "spiritual descendant", for those who don't know, is a reference to the fact that both the Apostle Paul and John the Baptist considered everyone who followed the faith of Abraham to be Children of Abraham, even if they were not biological descendants.

===edit2===

Why would God be lying simply because Isaac did not know much about astronomy?

Isaac knew what God actually meant, and so do you.

This is a dumb question.

Answer 3

You know not what you ask. Here are some. It was prophesy that God would scatter the Jews. WW ll ! He promised He would gather them back. Israel was restored to a nation in 1948 and He is still gathering them back. There are still telethons gathering the Jews out of Russia. It is sponsored by a organization called " On wings of Eagles". It is also prophesy that He would return their gold and treasures. I wasn't too long ago that the Jews sued the Swiss banks and they set up a fund for the banks to return the money to them. This was maybe 3 yrs ago. And as far as their treasures the USA had to cough up just a butt load of art, jewelery etc. It was also prophesy that Iraq would invade Kuwait. It also said that Kuwait would have to cry out for help from the country that has not gates and is divided by three rivers. It is also also prophesy that earthquakes and diverse flooding would be on an increasing frequency. The prophesy about the Jews or Israel is in the book of Jeremiah . I don't remember where the one about Kuwait is. I do remember reading them. i remember reading more but am not feeling well enough do the homework. You can probably check these out on the computer you are on now. the rest is in the newspaper and should be easy to document if a person actually tried.

Answer 4

Interesting, probably sooner than one would guess, if the prime purpose was to reproduce, and there were no limiting factors regarding space, and food.
So if each breeding pair had an average of 10 children and children became breeders at the age of 16, and assuming that there are equal male and female births.
It would be sometime soon.
Less incredible than some of God's promises, but equally barmy.

Answer 5

You missed the point by a country mile. When God creates it is always in abundance. He didn't make just one blade of grass,or just one tree,or a single grain of sand, nor did God create only one star. The message to Isaac was he too would be prolific and have many offspring.Spirit is infinite.

Answer 6

The descendents of Isaac have been tens or hundreds of millions already. God's promises are eternal and Isaac's progeny will continue to multiply forever.
Also, it is rather pointless to try to be so literal about it.

Answer 7

The prophecy in Genesis 26:4 was fulfilled through Jesus and his followers. The Jewish believers converted the whole world to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob---Jesus.

Answer 8

Since telescopes weren't invented at that time...he was referring to the stars Abraham could see in the heavens. We have far exceeded that number as Christians are the seed of Abraham also (by our faith).

Answer 9

FOOD FOR THOUGHT - A SPECIFIC NUMBER (100,000,000) at the First Resurrection -

Judgment is given to the saints of the most High (Dan.7:22, 1 Cor.6:2-3 below).

The Apostles will judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt.19:27-28, 1 Pe.4:17, Ro.2:9-10 below), the number so great that they cannot be measured nor numbered (Hosea 1:10 below); ALL Israel shall be saved (Rom.11:26 below).

At Daniel 7:10 below, we see a SPECIFIC number (a number that can be counted); one ministering before God for every one hundred standing before the judgment seat of God.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT - I am thinking (and almost believing) that the SPECIIFIC number we see standing before the judgment seat of God are not all who are raised at the first resurrection. I am thinking that since the Apostles judge the tribes of Israel and ALL Israel shall be saved and that they are so great a number they cannot be measured nor numbered, we are seeing not Israel as part of Daniel 7:22, but rather those Gentiles who have been judged to take part in the first resurrection WITH Israel. In other words, 100,000,000 Gentiles will also take part in the first resurrection after the Millennium.


Dan.7:22 Until the Ancient of days (Dan.7:13) came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High (1 Cor.6:2-3, Re.15:3); and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom (Dan.7:18).

1 Cor.6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world (Dan.7:22 above)? and if the world shall be judged by YOU, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

1 Cor.6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Matt.19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

Matt.19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

1 Pe.4:17 For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God (Ro.2:9-10 below)?

Ro.2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first (1 Pe.4:17 above), and also of the Gentile;

Ro.2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

Hos.1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered (Gen.26:4); and it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye [are] not my people, [there] it shall be said unto them, [Ye are] the sons of the living God.


Rom.11:26 And so ALL Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (Gen.49:28 above):


Dan.7:10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands (1,000,000) ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand (100,000,000) stood before him; THE JUDGMENT WAS SET (decided), and the books (plural) were opened (Re.20:12).



Pat (ndbpsa © - 03/16/07) Bible Prophecy on the Web

Answer 10

Just like the rest of the prophecies it will never come true. Old fairy tales told by people terrified of everything. I really is quite embarassing.