“But as truly as I
live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” Numbers 14:21
Tucked away in the book of Numbers, a
book that is often passed over, is this vow of God that the time is coming then
His glory will fill the Earth. The prospect of seeing this come to pass should
fill the heart of every Christian with joy and longing. What is overlooked is the significance of
where and when and under what circumstances this vow was made.
Israel was at the border of the
Promised Land, having been led by the Cloud of the Spirit through the
Wilderness. Their destiny was to possess the Land and establish the Kingdom.
Twelve men were sent in to spy out the Land. The report of the majority was
that it was indeed a good Land, but it was occupied by giants in walled cities.
The Land was impregnable!
Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, reminded
the people that God had given them the Land for their inheritance and He was
with them. They couldn’t fail. Israel choose to believe the negative report and
incurred God’s anger by refusing to enter the Land. Moses interceded for Israel
and God pardoned them. It was then that He made the vow. In effect He said:-
“You won’t possess the
Land, but one day a generation will arise who will. It is then that My glory
will fill the Earth.” [My paraphrase vs 21-31] God’s
glory filling the earth is dependent upon the people of God possessing the
Land. The ultimate fulfilment of this promise still lies ahead.
The promises of God belong to the
Seed of Abraham. The patriarch had physical Seed – Isaac and his descendants; and he had
spiritual Seed – all those in Christ. [Read Galatians 3:16, 29.] These
scriptures are pivotal to our understanding of the role of the Church in these
end times. They tell us that Abraham’s Seed is One but many. Isaac and Israel together are the physical
Seed. [God called them His Son. “Israel
is My son My firstborn” Exodus 4:20]. Christ and His Church are the
spiritual Seed of Abraham.
To the physical Seed of Abraham, God
gave the Land of Canaan for an inheritance; to the spiritual Seed, He gave the
Earth. “For the promise that he would be
heir of the world, was not given to Abraham, or to his seed through the law,
but through the righteousness of faith.” Romans 4:13. This is probably a
revelation to most Christians. For many years we thought of the Promised Land
as Heaven. This is reflected in the many songs that speak of ‘crossing Jordan’
as dying. However the whole Salvation scenario is about reclaiming the Earth
for the Kingdom of God. We lost Heaven on Earth at the Fall when Adam
transferred his allegiance from God to Satan: Now ‘the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.’ 1 John
5:19. At the Cross Jesus removed Satan’s authority from all who trust in Him
and regained the title deeds of the Earth for redeemed Man. It is legally ours, but like the land of
Canaan, we have to possess it.
Israel’s journey to and possession of
their inheritance is a type or a map, showing us how the spiritual Seed will
possess their inheritance. It is then that the glory of God will fill the Earth
just as He vowed.
After many years in the Wilderness, a
generation arose in Israel who, under Joshua, finally crossed Jordan and
conquered the Land. When Solomon, son of David, sat on the throne, the Land was
prosperous, the great golden temple was built and Israel came under the rule
and blessing of Almighty. This is a faint earthly picture of what it the Earth
will be when the Kingdom comes. All that was lost at the Fall will be restored,
and King Jesus will sit on the throne.
The end time generation of Overcomers
is soon to rise in the Earth. The battle of the ages for possession of the
Earth will be fought and won on the battlefield of prayer and through proclamation of the Gospel and the heavenly hosts will join the fray just as they did at Jericho. Then Hell’s
strongholds will crumble; Creation will be restored and the Kingdom of God will
come ‘on Earth as it is in Heaven.’ AMEN
