204. Dwell in the Land Forever
Isaiah 7:5-7 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor; if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to you hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
The conditional promise continues the previous verses with the promise to dwell in this place, with the additional promise “in the land…forever.” The ultimate fulfillment of the promise of living in the land forever cannot be the physical land of Palestine, for that land, as well as heaven and earth itself, will pass away and not last forever. The forever land is the eternal life, dwelling with God in the kingdom and in heaven forever, world without end. This promise has been fulfilled in the New Testament with the coming of Jesus Christ to bring in the kingdom of God. To dwell in this place signifies Jerusalem, Zion, and the Temple. This is the place where God dwells on the earth. This place, this temple, this dwelling-place becomes the physical body of Jesus when He is on the earth. After His resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling-place of God on earth is the body of Christ, the Church, and the individual believers in it. And this place is a forever place. This wonderful paradise place is shown in the Book of Revelation. The promise is that in this forever land we will dwell forever in the glorious presence of God.
The condition, however, is spelled out a little more fully: If you amend your ways and doings, if you execute judgment, if you do not oppress, if you do not murder, and if you stop worshiping idol-gods, then you will dwell in the forever land. The conditions mentioned are pieces of the Ten Commandments. In other words, if you obey the Law you will have eternal life. So Jesus says in response to the ruler’s question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” [Luke 18:18ff.] He lists the Ten Commandments in order to say, “No one is good.” No one, not even one, has ever been good or kept the commandments. It is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
The condition of perfect obedience has been fully satisfied and met by Jesus Christ and His life. This holy life has been given to us who believe in Him. Therefore, Jesus can promise: “Believe in Me and you have eternal life.”