They shall no more be pulled up out of their land, Amos 9:15

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In the 10th of his 15 arguments against the idea that Christ reigns upon the throne of David now, in this article, George Zeller commented on the prophecy of Amos 9:11-15, which James applied to the church in Acts 15:16. Zeller wrote:

What is the land of Christ’s kingdom?

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In the sixth of his 15 arguments against the idea that Christ reigns upon the throne of David now, in this article, George Zeller declared that the territory of Christ’s kingdom is upon the earth. His judgment is executed on earth, at Jerusalem, he said. Zeller wrote:

A royal priesthood

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In the 7th of his 15 arguments against the idea that Christ reigns upon the throne of David now, in this article, George Zeller raises the question of God’s perpetual covenant with the Levites. Taking this literally, Zeller argues that the prophecy requires the restoration of both David’s throne and the Levitical priesthood in a millennial temple. He wrote:

Burying Gog and Magog, and how the serpent’s flood is swallowed up

Could the burial of the hordes of Gog and Magog described in Ezekiel 39, and the earth swallowing up the serpent’s flood in Revelation 12, depict the same event? Each prophecy is about removing a threat to the church. Each alludes to the symbolic significance of the land. In Revelation 20, the hordes of Gog and Magog come from all parts of the earth, and compass the camp of the saints, and the beloved city, terms that apply to the church. In Revelation 12:14 the woman who flees to the wilderness is the church. In verse 16, the word γῆ or gē is translated earth in the KJV, and in most other translations, but the word also means land. The land that swallows up the serpent’s flood, and the land where the armies of Gog and Magog are buried, are metaphors, which represent spiritual and eternal things which the church inherits.

William D. Barrick on the church inheriting the promised land

In Romans 8:32 Paul wrote: “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” But there is something that many Christians adamantly deny that God has ever given to the church: the land and mountains of Israel. Therefore, they implicitly reject the above statement of Paul; they do not believe it.

The heavenly city under siege

The land of Canaan promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a type of something greater, the permanent inheritance of those who believe in Christ. The New Testament refers to this inheritance as a heavenly promised land, a “better country.” [Hebrews 11:16] The promised land represents the spiritual inheritance of the saints.

The better country

Several connections between the mountains and rivers of prophecy were identified in this post. Where mountains and rivers are, there must be a land. If it is true that the mountains and rivers described in prophecy are spiritual, rather than natural ones, they are associated with a spiritual land, or country.

Mountains and rivers of peace

The scriptures say that God is around his people like the mountains around Jerusalem, and like broad rivers and streams.

Psalm 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever

Isaiah 33:21 But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

In many other scriptures, like the above example, mountains and rivers of a spiritual nature are related.

The continuity of the covenant

The New Testament describes God’s covenant with the church as an everlasting covenant. The covenant is like an agreement to enter into a marriage, where Christ is the groom, and the church is the bride. This everlasting covenant is mentioned in Hebrews.

Hebrews 13:20-21
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.

Milk and honey and believing the gospel

In Hebrews, the promised land and the sabbath day both represent the rest that is promised to the Christian. This rest is something that has to be believed, and it is something that the saints are encouraged to labour to enter. [Hebrews 3:18-19 & 4:9-11]

Hebrews 4:11-12
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In the verses quoted above, and as the context shows, the rest that the saints may enter is believing the word of God. This is also the symbolic meaning of the promised land. Believing the word of God, corresponds to entry into the land of promise. This is supported in other scriptures too.

Rain and rivers in Isaiah 30:20-28

In his commentary on Isaiah 30:20, where the English translation reads “yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more,” John Calvin translated: “Thy rain shall no longer be restrained.” Calvin viewed ‘rain’ as better suited to the immediate context in the verse itself, (‘the water of affliction’) than the word ‘teachers.’

Sheep, green pastures, and the promised land

In Scripture, Christians are identified with sheep who are led by Christ to green pastures, and still waters where they may drink. David wrote:

Psalm 23:2
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

In the metaphor of sheep in this psalm, Christ, who is the shepherd, leads his saints to places where they may find plenty of nourishment, and spiritual water to drink. The green pastures suggest that they are taught new things, that have an aspect of freshness and newness, rather than old, familiar things. New wine is a metaphor with a similar meaning in other prophecies. Jesus characterized his teachings as new wine. He said men do not put new wine in old wineskins. [Luke 5:37, NIV]

Rivers in high places

Isaiah foretold a time when there would be rivers on every high mountain; he wrote:

Isaiah 30:25
And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

These rivers and streams of water are metaphors of the knowledge of God springing forth, and watering places previously barren, meaning obscure passages of Scripture. Prophecies will begin to make sense, as if a desert were springing to life, when it is irrigated by a stream where there was none before.

The valley of promises

When Zechariah wrote, “And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains,” in Zechariah 14:5, it is as if he were to say, “And ye shall flee to the valley of promises,” as the mountains represent the promises of God to the saints in scripture.

Why did Ezekiel describe a temple?

Ezekiel’s vision of the temple included copious details. His description was given before the second temple was built, but there was no attempt by the Jews who returned from the exile to follow his design. It was a much larger and more impressive structure than either the second temple, or the previous one built by Solomon. In comparison, the one actually built was not ideal, and would not be the temple which was to be filled with God’s glory, as promised for Ezekiel’s temple. [Ezekiel 43:5; 44:4]

A way in the mountains

Isaiah said, “And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.” [Isaiah 49:11] By various interpreters, the mountains of prophecy are said to be powerful, self-righteous and proud people, kingdoms, obstacles in a road, proud thoughts, or literal mountains. However, I suggest, the mountains of prophecy are in fact none of these, but instead, they represent God’s promises. These promises, and blessings are a way or route that believers can follow, because in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promised a number of blessings to those who follow him. [Matthew 5:1-11] Below are some of the reasons why the mountains represent God’s promises to believers.

Patrick Fairbairn and the designation of kingdoms as mountains

In an appendix included in Prophecy viewed in respect to its distinctive nature: its special function, and proper interpretation [T. and T. Clark, 1856, pp. 496-497.], Patrick Fairbairn supported his claim that the mountains of prophecy represent kingdoms. He wrote:

Mountains made low

Isaiah’s prophecy about making a highway in the desert is coupled with a prophecy about mountains being made low, and in many interpretations of his prophecy, the mountains are reduced to mere bumps in the road!

The inheritance of the priests and Levites in Ezekiel 48

One of the most curious features in the division of the land described in Ezekiel 48 is the allotment of land to priests and Levites, because under the Law, they were to receive no inheritance of land. This was to be “a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.” [Numbers 18:23] Instead, the Lord was their inheritance. This was stated in Deuteronomy 18:2, Joshua 13:33 and 18:7 and in several other scriptures.

The desolation prophecies

In the table below, various prophecies about desolation are listed. Among the things that are described as becoming desolate in prophecy are the city of Jerusalem, the temple, mount Zion, other mountains of Israel, the land of Israel, and the church. Even heaven is listed in the table below. It is made desolate because of “spiritual wickedness in high places” [Ephesians 6:12] and because of the war in heaven involving the angels of Michael and of Satan described in Revelation 12. Jerusalem and mount Zion are identified with the church in Hebrews 12:22, and so the prophecies imply it is the church which has been made desolate. The other things that become desolate, the land, the mountains of Israel, and heaven, represent the spiritual inheritance of the saints, revelations of God, covenants, and promises. Mountains and hills were employed as symbols of God’s promises by Jacob when he blessed his son Joseph. [Genesis 49:26]