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To: topcat54

Joel 3 is cited to show you that there is a significance to the Land of Israel- of course the heavenly country is to be prefferred, and spiritual Israel is also, but the Land is not without profound significance to God-


5 posted on 12/31/2010 3:52:55 AM PST by pastorbillrandles
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To: pastorbillrandles
Joel 3 is cited to show you that there is a significance to the Land of Israel- of course the heavenly country is to be prefferred, and spiritual Israel is also, but the Land is not without profound significance to God-

But the “profound significance” was typological and temporary. The promise to Abraham was that ultimately he would inherit the entire kosmos.

For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. (Rom. 4:13)

But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (Heb. 11:16)

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, (Heb. 12:22)

The ancient land of Israel was merely a down payment, temporary earnest money, on the real promise of God.

We know this to be true because we know that all the promises to Abraham were made with His Seed, that is, with Jesus Christ.

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. … There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal. 3:16,28,29)

We know the universal nature of the promise from the explicit NT language cited above. We can also deduce this from the lack of any reference in the NT to the so-called land promise. When we arrive at the NT we find that the kingdom of God (aka kingdom of heaven) is never spoken of in terms of the ancient plot of ground in the middle east.

In fact Jesus says something quite different to His people:

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth (kosmos).
Any attempt to read the OT, for example Joel 3:1,2, apart from the universal understanding of the promises shown to us in the NT will cause one to arrive at incorrect conclusions and a faulty understanding of God's true covenant promises given to Abraham.

I fear that many Christians today are in that interpretative predicament because they have been taught to slice and dice the Bible rather than read it as a unified whole.

6 posted on 12/31/2010 12:00:39 PM PST by topcat54 ("Dispensationalism -- like crack for the eschatologically naive.")
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