In an effort to further shine light on the Bible\u2019s restoration message<\/span><\/mark><\/a>, I\u2019m taking the time to explore different themes, threads, and patterns within the Bible that point to the restoration (not destruction) of God\u2019s good world.<\/em><\/em> \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n God always intended for humans to have their own land. As a matter of fact, He pledged land to us before we even entered the frame.<\/p>\n If your experience as a Christian has been anything like mine, there\u2019s a good chance that you\u2019ve never been presented with the idea that Earth is our promised land. We tend to think about promised land as something that only came into the picture well down the line, having been promised to Abraham first, and then to his offspring. But the truth is the Earth is our promised land. God started our story in the land \u2014 in a garden meticulously curated and cultivated by Himself. And it was from this garden, that we were to multiply and fill the entire Earth with God\u2019s glorious image.<\/p>\n The Bible is clear, from the very beginning God promised us a wonderful place to live, love, learn, grow, and exercise the authority He\u2019d given us.<\/p>\n Now, I believe we don\u2019t tend to think of the Earth as a promised land primarily for two reasons:<\/p>\n But, make no mistake, this world has always been our promised land. When God made man, he never said \u201cjust do your thing down here for a while, and if you do a good job of following my rules, then you can go to a better place waiting for you in the \u2018great beyond\u2019.\u201d No, He breathed life into the human that He\u2019d just formed from the soil and said \u201chere you go, enjoy what I\u2019ve made for you\u2026multiply and rule over all of it just like I\u2019ll show you.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the first couple chapters of Genesis<\/mark><\/a> \u2014 it doesn\u2019t look anything like God creating humans to eventually leave for somewhere better. Instead, it\u2019s God creating humans to live in and enjoy all of His goodness right where He put them.<\/p>\n We (humans) were made from<\/em> this land and we were made for<\/em> this land. We entered it and existed in it as our promise from the very beginning.<\/p>\n Promise (v):<\/strong> assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something<\/p>\n Similar words\/phrases:<\/strong> The land that God swore to us was a part of His covenant with us. Everything God did when creating us in the beginning communicates something like this: \u201cBe with me, love me, enjoy me, learn from me, be my people in this land that I made for you. Be with me and this land will always be yours.\u201d<\/p>\n God pledged to us a home \u2014 and all the good things in it \u2014 to experience, enjoy, and rule over. And we couldn\u2019t give ourselves the right to rule, that right had to be given<\/em>. The enormous, unearned, gifts of authority and rule (over the land and its creatures) were sworn to us since the beginning as a part of our solemn covenantal relationship with God (Genesis 1:26<\/span><\/mark><\/a>).<\/p>\n The fact is: the land that God gave us was (and still is) a part of our covenant with God \u2014 and it is good.<\/p>\n The story begins with a covenanted people in a covenanted land living in close proximity and perfect intimacy with God.<\/p>\n And all too quickly, the beautiful harmony of this existence was shattered.<\/p>\n The covenant promise was broken by man, and as a result man was separated from the perfect garden existence they were created for.<\/p>\n This was the first exile.<\/p>\n Fast forward in the story and God called a man named Abram (later, Abraham) to leave his father\u2019s land for a land that He would show him \u2014 a land of promise where his descendants would flourish and become immeasurable in number and glory (sound familiar?).<\/p>\n Fast forward some more and one night under the stars that very same promise was repeated in a vision to Abraham\u2019s grandson, Jacob. And as a part of that promise God tells Jacob that his descendants will live in the very place where he (Jacob) was laying his head. <\/p>\n Fast forward again. Hundreds of years and many generations have passed, and Abraham\u2019s descendants have finally taken ownership of the land promised to their forefathers which would allow them to flourish and establish themselves as God\u2019s holy and chosen people. But, as we humans tend to do, the Israelites turned from God time and again, breaking their promise(s) to him and violating their covenant. And just like the initial covenant violation resulted in exile from the garden, Israel\u2019s violations resulted in exile from their promised land of Canaan (several times, in fact).<\/p>\n .<\/mark><\/p>\n Foundational Truth:<\/strong> .<\/mark><\/p>\n So, despite Israel\u2019s repeated transgressions, God always (contingent on their repentance) brought them back to their land of promise. Because that\u2019s where He wanted<\/em> them to be, and He knew that\u2019s where they needed<\/em> to be. In their beautiful, safe, abundant land living in covenant with Him.<\/p>\n It\u2019s here that I need to call out an important fact that we must remember: As far as a set apart people are concerned, Israel was never God\u2019s ultimate goal. God\u2019s intent was to use Israel as the vessel through which He would reach the entire world. <\/p>\n It was through<\/em> Israel that God would re-establish His everlasting covenant with all people<\/em>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Lord\u00a0had said to Abram, \u201cGo from your country, your people and your father\u2019s household\u00a0to the land\u00a0I will show you.<\/p>\n \u201cI will make you into a great nation, Genesis 12: 1-3 (NIV)<\/strong> emphasis mine<\/em><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n .<\/p>\n There above it\u00a0stood the\u00a0Lord,\u00a0and he said: \u201cI am the\u00a0Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.\u00a0I will give you and your descendants the land\u00a0on which you are lying.\u00a0Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you\u00a0will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.\u00a0All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring<\/em>.\u00a0I am with you\u00a0and will watch over you\u00a0wherever you go,\u00a0and I will bring you back to this land.\u00a0I will not leave you\u00a0until I have done what I have promised you.\u201d<\/p>\n Genesis 28: 13-15 (NIV)<\/strong> emphasis mine<\/em><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n .<\/p>\n What does this mean? (And this is true as it relates to many topics, not just this one) It means that we should understand the larger story of the world through Israel, as Israel\u2019s story is, and always has been, a microcosm of the broader human drama\u2026God blesses people, the people wander \u2014 causing damage to themselves and the world around them, God punishes the people, the people return to God for a while, then the people wander again\u2026.wash, rinse, repeat. <\/p>\n The Israelites weren\u2019t any better or any more faithful than any other group of humans, they were just the ones God decided to bring renewal through. When we observe the the Israelites, we\u2019re really observing the story of God and humanity.<\/p>\n With this concept in mind, we can recognize the dynamic of Israel temporary separation from their land playing out on the human level, as well.<\/p>\n In the beginning humans broke their covenant with God and were exiled from their promised land \u2014 the garden, here on Earth. But the Bible is clear that in the end, God\u2019s plan is to restore his people to their original covenanted land to for them to all exist in harmonious covenanted relationship again (Ezekiel 37: 21-28; Isaiah 65:17-25; 66:18-23; Matthew 5: 5; Revelation 5: 6-10; 21: 1-7<\/mark><\/a>).<\/p>\n And in so doing, the story comes wonderfully full circle \u2014 it doesn\u2019t take a hard left turn where humans are stolen away to live a purely spiritual existence in a non-physical realm. Instead, the Bible tells of humanity returning to live in the holy and pure garden life like it had in the beginning (see: Revelation 21-22<\/mark><\/a>); with humans again living in full intimacy with God and ruling over creation in God\u2019s power and love and wisdom.<\/p>\n At a high level, it looks something like this:<\/p>\n The Bible tells the story of a people made in a land, from the land. Those people were then kicked out of their land because of their wrongdoing. But their [faithful] God works patiently to, in the end, bring them back to their land to be with Him again.<\/p>\n This story played out on a smaller scale with Israel, but their story is our (human) story.<\/p>\n This Earth is our land; And this land (in its perfected state) has been our destiny and our promise from the beginning.<\/p>\n And God is faithful to His promises.<\/p>\n Blessed are the meek, Matthew 5:5 (NIV)<\/strong><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n .<\/mark><\/p>\n Your fellow landowner, .<\/mark><\/p>\n Acknowledging that promised land and exile and return from exile are legitimate recurring themes in the Bible story\u2026if the common view of the end (that we\u2019re going to live a purely spiritual existence in heaven after the return of Jesus) were true, this would mean that the real exile was not man being kicked out of the garden, but instead it would have to be earlier \u2014 man must have first been kicked out of heaven and exiled to Earth.<\/p>\n But there are a few issues with this take\u2026<\/p>\n With these things in mind, it doesn\u2019t make sense to think that humans were ever exiled from heaven to Earth. The Bible is clear, from the beginning Earth has always been our home, with no other destination in view.<\/p>\n One last thing to consider:<\/p>\n
This post will explore the theme of promised land, exile and the restoration of promised land.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
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give one\u2019s word, swear, pledge, guarantee, give an assurance, bind oneself, covenant<\/p>\n
\nCovenant Land<\/h2>\n
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Just like God doesn\u2019t want us to be permanently separated from Him \u2014 because He is our blessing,
He likewise doesn\u2019t want us to be permanently separated from our land, as He made it a blessing for us, as well.<\/p>\n
\nThe Great Return<\/h2>\n
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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and you will be a blessing<\/em>.
I will bless those who bless you,
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0will be blessed through you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/heis.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/image-3.png?resize=640%2C360&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIn Conclusion<\/h2>\n
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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0for they will inherit the earth.<\/p>\n
Alex<\/p>\nThoughts for the Road\u2026<\/h3>\n
Exiled to Earth?<\/span><\/h4>\n
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Buried with Their People<\/span><\/h4>\n