Moreover another mystery was predicted by what was done in the time of Noah, of which you are not aware. It is this. In the blessings wherewith Noah blesses his two sons, he also curses his son’s son. For the spirit of prophecy was not going to curse the son, when he had been blessed along with the others by God, but since the punishment of the sin was to be throughout the whole race of the son that laughed at the nakedness of his father, He has made the curse start from the son’s son.
Now in what he said he foretold that the posterity of Shem should hold the possessions and dwellings of Canaan, and again that the posterity of Japhet should hold those which the posterity of Shem had received from the sons of Canaan and had held, spoiling the posterity of Shem, even as they themselves had taken them from the sons of Canaan and had held them.
Now learn that this has indeed taken place. For you, who derive your race from Shem, entered, according to the will of God, on the land of the sons of Canaan, and held it in possession. And it is clear that the sons of Japhet, in accordance with the judgment of God, themselves came upon you, and took away your land and held it in possession. Now all this is written as follows: But Noah became sober after his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. And he said: Cursed be Canaan the servant; he shall be house-servant to his brethren. And he said: Blessed, be the Lord, the God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant. The Lord enlarge Japhet, and let him dwell in the houses of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.
Therefore as two peoples were blessed, those from Shem and from Japhet, and those from Shem were foreknown as the first to hold the houses of Canaan, and again those from Japhet were foretold as about to receive from them in succession the same possessions, and as the one people which was descended from Canaan was handed over to the two peoples in bondage, Christ came, in accordance with the power of the all-sovereign Father given to Him, calling men to friendship and blessing and repentance and family life, which is to take place in that same land of all the saints, of which He has promised them the possession, as has been already shown.
Wherefore men from every quarter, whether bond or free, believing on Christ, and knowing the truth that lies in His words and those of His prophets, are aware that they will be together with Him in that land, and will inherit the incorruptible things of eternity.