It was repeated to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David. This promise was the message of the prophets. Out of days of darkness and human tragedy, the prophets spoke of a new age. They depicted God's final act of redemption in the light of past history and contemporary events. They promised that in the fullness of time God would recapitulate Old Testament history in one glorious drama of liberation.
All history is shown to be moving toward that goal.
The New Testament brings a dramatic change of tense. The promises of the Old Testament are no longer future but present. They are said to be fulfilled in Christ. Today this scripture is fulfilled in your ears. Paul proclaimed this message in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia.