History proves that Abraham's seed did suffer affliction for a period of four hundred years beginning with Ishmael's persecution of Isaac (21:9; Gal. 4:29) about 1891 B.C. until the exodus out of Egypt about 1491 B.C. (Exo. 3:7-8; Acts 7:6). Ishmael's mocking of Isaac was the start of the affliction of Abraham's seed that was to continue for four hundred years. What is the significance of the number four hundred? This number is composed of ten times forty. In the Bible, the number forty is the number of trials, sufferings, and tests. Thus, four hundred indicates ten times of trials. Before the children of Israel were tested in the wilderness for forty years, they had been tested for ten times forty years already. From Ishmael's persecution of Isaac, the promised seed, until the exodus out of Egypt was four hundred years. Why then does Exodus 12:40-41 (cf. Gal. 3:17) speak of four hundred thirty years? This four hundred thirty years began with Genesis 12:1-6, from about the year 1921 B.C. From the day that Abraham was called in Genesis 12 to the persecution of Isaac by Ishmael was exactly thirty years, the period in which God's called ones lived in a strange land. While Abraham was in Canaan, it was a strange land to him, and it remained a strange land to God's called ones until the day they entered into it as the good land. The persecution of the seed began thirty years after Abraham was called in Genesis 12 and continued for four hundred years.
This is not merely a doctrinal matter, for the principle is the same in the church life today. While we are enjoying Christ as the seed within and as the land without, a dark night may fall upon us and some trials and testings may come. What is the purpose of this? For the purpose that, in the midst of the dark night, the lack of function of the called ones, and the affliction, God might come in as a smoking furnace to refine us and as a flaming torch to enlighten us that we may fulfill His purpose by the seed and by the land.
In making the covenant with Abraham, God sovereignly made an environment of darkness in which He told Abraham that his descendants would suffer affliction for four hundred years. This prophecy, which was fulfilled accordingly, was a sign for the fulfillment of God's covenant made here. The affliction of the promised seed was a sign that God would fulfill His covenant. By suffering the affliction as God prophesied, God's people should be assured that God would fulfill His covenant. It is the same with us today. The suffering of the church in dark times is a strong sign that God will fulfill His covenant for the church life with Christ as the seed and the land.
In verse 18 the Lord made a covenant with Abraham and said, "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates." Abraham's seed was given a spacious land, from the river of Egypt to the great river of Euphrates. The nation of Israel today has only a narrow strip of land, but the promised land is more spacious than this. In typology, this means that after all of the experiences of affliction, the church life will be expanded and become spacious. Then we shall have a richer seed and a wider, broader church life. The seed within us will be richer, and the land without us will be broader. It is here that we fulfill God's eternal purpose.
I believe that now, by the Lord's mercy, Genesis 15, a chapter which has been so difficult to understand, has been made clear to us. In this chapter we have the seed and the land. Here we have Christ as the crucified One and as the resurrected and living One. Here we also have our identification with Him. In this chapter there are the four hundred years of affliction and God's coming in as a furnace and a torch. It is here that God enacted His covenant that we might fulfill His eternal purpose. How did God enact His covenant? In the way of Christ's being crucified as the peace offering, sin offering, and burnt offering and being resurrected as the living One; in the way of our offering Christ and being fully identified with Him in His crucifixion and resurrection; and in the way of our realizing that we shall have the dark night, the affliction, and God's coming in as the furnace and the torch to refine and enlighten us. It is here in Genesis 15 that we are in the covenant made through Christ that enables us to fulfill God's eternal purpose. It is here that in the church life we enjoy Christ as the seed and as the good land. It is here that we enjoy Him as the all-sufficient grace for the fulfillment of God's purpose.