What is the Christian land of promise? What is the new-covenant land of milk and honey? What is the rest of God spoken of in the fourth chapter of the Book of Hebrews? What is the goal of salvation? Precisely what do we mean when we say it is time for the Lord's people to enter the land of milk and honey, the promised "rest of God"? How will this take place?

For most of its history the Christian Church has regarded eternal life in Heaven as the goal of salvation. "We are saved to go to Heaven." But Heaven does not fit the type of Canaan. Also, no passage of Scripture points to eternal life in Heaven as the goal of salvation. We are not saved to enjoy eternal life in Heaven in a mansion. This is not to say we do not go to Heaven when we die or that in our life after death we cannot spend as much time as we desire in the spirit Paradise. But it is evident that the events of the Book of Joshua do not portray a saint entering the spirit Paradise, and it is true also that neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament suggest that to spend eternity in Heaven is the goal of salvation.

There are two areas of the Christian land of promise, the Christian rest of God. The first area is the spiritual rest. The second area is that of physical conquest. To enter these two areas is to enter our Canaan, to attain our goal.

The spiritual rest.

The physical conquest.

The spiritual rest has to do with our deliverance from the image of Satan and from the influence of his personality. Included in the spiritual rest is our change into the image of Christ and our entrance into Christ's Personality.

Another part of the spiritual rest is the resurrection of our body, and the clothing of our resurrected body with a robe of righteousness that has been created before the throne of God as we have sown our body to the death of the cross.

The physical conquest is described many times in the Old Testament, and most clearly in the New Testament in Revelation, Chapter 19. It is the invasion of the earth by the Lord Jesus and His saints and holy angels, the driving out of all wickedness, and the giving of the kingdoms of this world to God and His Christ.

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)

The spiritual battle is taking place now. The physical battle will occur when the Lord Jesus returns.

Successful participation in the physical battle depends entirely on successful participation in the spiritual battle. If we do not gain victory in the spiritual battle it is impossible for us to gain victory in the physical battle that is ahead. The strong man must be bound before his house can be occupied. Remember Achan!

To be continued.