A declaration from one person to another that something will or will not be done. It gives the other person the right to expect the promised action.
Types of Promise
In the Bible, there are a few examples of promises that people make to each other (for example, Numbers 22:17; Esther 4:7) and to God (for example, Nehemiah 5:12). But, God's promises to man are far more important. These divine promises are absolutely trustworthy because the one who gives them is totally able to perform that which he has promised (Romans 4:21).
God's promises in Scripture assure recipients of many benefits. These include:
Sonship (2 Corinthians 6:16–7:1)
Forgiveness of sin (1 John 1:9)
Deliverance from temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Grace in tough times (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Providing for all needs (Philippians 4:19)
Rewards for obedience (James 1:12)
Eternal life (Luke 18:29–30; John 3:16; Romans 6:22–23)
God's promises are certain and sure. But, to share in their blessings, we must meet certain conditions. Divine promises also are not always guarantees of blessing. Indeed, there are promises announcing the certainty of judgment on those who refuse to obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus (2 Thessalonians 1:8–9).
Besides God's promises, which apply to many individuals in different times and places, many are about the unfolding of his redemptive plan in a grand procession of historical events. These promises have neither repeated applications nor conditional natures. In such cases, promise is nearly synonymous with prophecy. These promises and their fulfillment are intertwined in redemptive history.
Promises in the Old Testament
The Old Testament's promise theme is best seen in the first announcement of the gospel (called the protevangelium). It is given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after their fall into sin (Genesis 3:15). The later promises are:
The covenant God made with Abraham (Genesis 12; 15; 17)
The covenant God made with David (2 Samuel 7)
The promise of a new covenant (Jeremiah 31)
The Protevangelium
Genesis 3:15b says: “I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman [Eve], and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” This statement is a promise that at some future time, the offspring of the woman will crush Satan. The offspring of the woman is individualized in the “he” of the last phrase. “He” shall strike you [Satan] on the head, although Satan will inflict a wound on the offspring of the woman. Here is the promise. It gives Adam, Eve, and their descendants hope. They expect their adversary, Satan, to be destroyed by their offspring.
The Promise to Abraham
In Genesis 12:1–7, Abraham is told to leave his people and country and to go to a land that the Lord would show to him. God, in turn, promises him:
His offspring would become a great nation
He would be blessed, and his name made great
Through him, other nations would be blessed
The land of Canaan would be given to his descendants
Among these promises to Abraham, the most important is this: He will bless many nations through his offspring. This promise appears five times in Genesis (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14). It refers to Genesis 3:15 and points to Christ.
The Promise to David
In 2 Samuel 7, God gave a promise to King David that his dynasty would endure forever (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:34–37). This Davidic covenant narrows the promised line to the royal line of David. It had run from Adam through Seth, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah. David is to be the ancestor of the Messiah-King to come (Psalm 89:3, 27–37). David thus became a central figure in the history of God’s plan to redeem the world. Jesus Christ is referred to as the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1).
The Promise of a New Covenant
Jeremiah 31:31–37 promises that, in the future, the Lord would make a new covenant with Israel and Judah. This new covenant reaffirms and extends the old one: "I will be their God, and they will be My people...I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33–34). The "new covenant" of Jeremiah is a restatement of the promises in the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants.
The new covenant began with Christ's first advent. Now, believers in him receive its blessings through the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 8:6–13). These blessings will be fully realized at Christ's return. Then, his kingdom will be fully established. We will enjoy life in the new heavens and new earth. God's people live in a time when some benefits of the age to come are real. But, the new age is not yet here.
The Promise Theme in the New Testament
The New Testament writers refer to the Old Testament promises. They did not view these promises as separate assertions. Instead, they saw them as parts of a single promise, fulfilled in Christ (see Luke 1:54–55, 69–73; Acts 13:23, 32–33; 26:6–7; 2 Corinthians 1:20). Jesus fulfills the promises made to the patriarchs and David. So, these promises should be seen as focused on him.
In Galatians and Ephesians, Paul expands on this. He tells the Gentile Christians they are "fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 3:6). Paul says that Gentiles who trust in Christ are heirs of the promise. They are now part of Abraham's seed (Galatians 3:29). He even equates the gospel with the promise given to Abraham. He states, "The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you'" (Galatians 3:8). These and other New Testament texts establish the close connection between the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of the promise. The promises of God converge in Christ. They rest in all he achieved and will achieve for his people.
One further aspect of the promise particularly emphasized in the New Testament concerns the coming of the Holy Spirit. Paul calls believers "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13). He also says they "receive the promise of the Spirit" (Galatians 3:14). The gift of the Holy Spirit fulfills an Old Testament promise (Isaiah 32:15; Ezekiel 36:27; Joel 2:28) and that of Christ (Luke 24:49; John 14:16, 20; Acts 1:4). But, it is also a promise of something yet future. Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit’s presence within the believer as a guarantee of our inheritance (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:14). The Holy Spirit is the “firstfruits” of future glory (Romans 8:23).
One final aspect of the New Testament's promise theme is its assurance of Christ's second coming and the new heavens and earth (compare John 14:1–3; 2 Peter 3:4, 9, 13).