Ⅰ
The good land, the land of Canaan, is a type of the all-inclusive Christ, the Christ who is all and in all and who is everything to us (Deut. 8:7-10):
Ａ
Only the land of Canaan is a full type, the complete and ultimate type, of Christ; the type of the good land shows that Christ is the all-inclusive One.
Ｂ
In Colossians Paul employs the concept of the all-inclusive land, speaking of "the allotted portion of the saints" (1:12; Josh. 5:11-12):
１
This portion is the all-inclusive Christ for our enjoyment (Col. 3:4, 11).
２
The Greek word rendered "portion" can also be rendered "lot," referring to an allotment of the inheritance, as mentioned in Joshua 14:1.
３
The land of Canaan was everything to the children of Israel, and Christ, the reality of the type of the good land, is everything to us (Deut. 8:7-10).
Morning Nourishment
Deut. 8:10 And you shall eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless Jehovah your God for the good land which He has given you.Col. 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light.
The good land, the land of Canaan (Deut. 8:7-10), is a type of the all-inclusive Christ, the Christ who is all and in all and who is everything to us. The Passover, the manna, the tabernacle with its furniture, and all the offerings are types depicting various aspects of Christ. Only the land of Canaan is a full type, the complete and all-inclusive type, of Christ. In the Old Testament no type other than the good land shows that Christ is the all-inclusive One. Therefore, the good land is the ultimate type of Christ found in the Scriptures. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 466-467)
Today's Reading
In the Bible the land is a figure, a symbol, of Christ. The land that came out of the death water on the third day (Gen. 1:9-10, 13) is a type of the resurrected Christ who came out of death on the third day. Many different kinds of life, including vegetable, animal, and human life, then came out of the land (Gen. 1:11-12, 24-25). This signifies that Christ is the source of all kinds of life. Everything God prepared for mankind is concentrated in the land. God's intention revealed in the Scriptures is that Christ should be our land. Christ as the good land, the land that came out of the death water, the land that was elevated above and surrounded by the death water, is depicted by the land of Canaan.This land is the crucial focus of the Old Testament. For this reason the Lord speaks of the land again and again. He called out Abraham and told him that He would bring him into a certain land, the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:1). The center of God's plan, speaking according to type, is the good land with its temple and city.
In Colossians Paul employs the concept of the all-inclusive land. In Colossians 1:12 he speaks of "the allotted portion of the saints." This portion is the all-inclusive Christ for our enjoyment. The Greek word in this verse can be rendered "portion" and can also be rendered "lot," referring to an allotment; [hence, it is an "allotted portion"]. When Paul was writing the Epistle to the Colossians, he no doubt had in mind the picture of the allotting of the good land to the children of Israel (Josh. 14:1). He used the word portion with the Old Testament record of the land as the background. God gave His chosen people, the children of Israel, the good land for their inheritance for their enjoyment. In Colossians Christ is revealed as our portion, our lot. Just as the land of Canaan was everything to the children of Israel, so Christ, the reality of the type of the good land, is everything to us.
The good land provided whatever the children of Israel needed: water, wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, pomegranates, olive trees, animals, milk, honey, stones, iron, copper. All these items, most of which are mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:7-10, are types of Christ. He is the water that springs from valleys and hills. He is the wheat, which signifies the incarnated and crucified Christ, and the barley, which signifies the resurrected Christ. The vine typifies Christ as the sacrificing One who cheers God and man; the fig tree, the sweetness and satisfaction of Christ as our life supply; the pomegranate, the abundance and beauty of the life of Christ; the olive tree, Christ as the man filled with the Spirit and anointed with the Spirit as the oil of exultant joy; the animal life, Christ with His redeeming life; milk and honey, Christ in His richness and sweetness; stones, iron, and copper, Christ as the materials for building and fighting.
In Acts 26:18 Paul refers to the all-inclusive Christ as our inheritance. As the result of having our eyes opened and of being transferred from the authority of Satan to God, we not only have the forgiveness of sins, but we also receive a divine inheritance. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 467-468)
Further Reading: The All-inclusive Christ, ch. 1