The smoking furnace and burning lamp signify the Lord Himself passing between the divided carcasses to seal the covenant that deeded the land to Abraham and his seed.
Les Feldick teaches that God descended to man's level and enacted the ancient rite of real estate transfer. The smoking furnace and burning lamp are the visible sign of the Lord's own passage between the pieces, completing the deed to the land.
Genesis 15:17 — This verse directly records the smoking furnace and burning lamp passing between the divided pieces.
Genesis 15:18 — This verse reveals the covenant that the ceremony sealed, deeding the land to Abraham's seed.
In Genesis 15, after Abram asks how he can know he will inherit the land, the Lord instructs him to bring a heifer of three years old, a she goat of three years old, a ram of three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon (Genesis 15:8-9). Abram takes all these, divides them in the midst, and lays each piece against another, but does not divide the birds (Genesis 15:10). When the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and an horror of great darkness fell upon him (Genesis 15:12). Then, in the darkness, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp passed between those pieces (Genesis 15:17). In that same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, 'Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates' (Genesis 15:18).
Les Feldick teaches that the events of Genesis 15:8-18 are God literally performing the ancient rite of transferring real estate. In the pagan world, transferring land involved offering blood sacrifices, killing animals, parting the carcasses down the middle, and leaving a walkway between the halves. The two parties would then pass between the pieces to make a blood covenant. Les says God came down and did the very same thing (Clips 1, 3, 4). Les tells his listeners to write 'Israel's deed' in the margin from Genesis 15:12 to the end, because God descended to man's level and went through the rites of deeding the whole Middle East to Abraham (Clips 5, 6). After the transfer, in the same day, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying 'unto thy seed... I have given this land from the river of Egypt...' (Genesis 15:18). Les emphasizes that the deed was not just the narrow strip from the Mediterranean to the Jordan, but the full extent described in verse 18, following the ancient customs coming out of the laws of Hammurabi (Clips 1, 2). During the rite, God also gave the prophecy that Abraham's seed would be strangers in a land that is not theirs and would be afflicted four hundred years (Clip 6).
Les explains that in the ancient Near East, transferring real estate involved blood sacrifice and the dividing of animals, with the contracting parties passing between the halves to make a blood covenant. God came down to do the very same thing, ensuring the covenant was binding according to the old customs.
Les says the deed was not just the narrow strip between the Mediterranean and the Jordan; it extended from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates, as verse 18 says. This is the title deed of the land for Israel.
Les advises writing 'Israel's deed' in the margin from Genesis 15:12 to the end, because here God descended to man's level and went through the rites of transferring real estate to Abraham and, ultimately, to Israel.
In the middle of the real estate transfer, God tells Abraham that his seed will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, will serve them, and will be afflicted for four hundred years — referring to Egypt. Les explains the four hundred years is the sojourning.
Israel’s Title Deed: Understanding God's Covenant in Genesis 15
responding to Jeremiah's flee to come back to Jehovah. As for the word, verse 16 of Jeremiah 44, As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth to burn incense unto the queen of heaven.
Transferring the Title Deed
Les explains that God appeared to Abraham, went through the rites of transferring the title deed, and then in the same day made the covenant declaring 'I have given this land from the river of Egypt.'
God Gives the Deed
Les shows that Abraham's request for proof led God to give him the deed in verses 10-18 — not just a narrow strip of land but the full extent of verse 18, following ancient Babylonian/Hammurabi customs.
The Ancient Blood Covenant Rite
Les describes the ancient real estate transfer where animals were killed and parted, leaving a walkway for the parties to pass between in a blood covenant; God then did the very same thing.
Abraham Asks for Proof
Les reiterates that even a man of faith like Abraham asked 'whereby shall I know?' so God enacted the typical Babylonian/Hammurabi real estate transfer.
Israel's Deed
Les tells readers to mark Genesis 15:12 to the end as 'Israel's deed' because God literally descended to man's level to go through real estate transfer rites.
The Rite and the Prophecy
Les identifies the rite as the ancient method of deeding the whole Middle East to Abraham and shows that within the transfer God gave the prophecy of four hundred years in Egypt.
8 Privileges God Gave Only to Israel — Romans 9:4 Explained
We'll have to go back I guess a page or two, and find the dust. Yeah, here it is. Back in chapter 13. Just about lost it. Genesis 13. Genesis 13 and drop down to verse 16. Genesis 13, verse 16. And again, verse 14. The Lord said unto Abraham, and so on and so forth. Verse 15. All the land which thou seest, to thee I will give it, to thy seed forever. And then verse 16.
Genesis 15:8: And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?
Abram asks for proof of the inheritance, prompting the covenant ceremony.
Genesis 15:10: And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
Shows the setup of the divided carcasses, the setting for the furnace and lamp to pass through.
Genesis 15:12: And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
Sets the time — as the sun went down — just before the smoking furnace and burning lamp appear.
Genesis 15:17: And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
The direct answer — the furnace and lamp pass between the pieces, sealing the covenant.
Genesis 15:18: In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
Identifies what the ceremony accomplished — the land deed to Abraham's seed.
In the KJV, the smoking furnace and burning lamp appear when the sun went down and it was dark, passing between the divided pieces. Les Feldick interprets this as God Himself coming down to seal the covenant — the ancient rite of transferring real estate to Abraham.
Les explains this was the ancient custom for transferring real estate: animals were slain, parted down the middle, and the parties passed between the halves to make a blood covenant. God did the same to deed the land to Abraham.
God said, 'Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.' Les emphasizes this deed includes the whole Middle East, not just the narrow strip from the Mediterranean to the Jordan.
Watch the Teaching: Israel’s Title Deed: Understanding God's Covenant in Genesis 15