Scripture Reading: Deut. 8:7-9; Col. 1:12; Acts 26:18
Ⅶ
The good land, the land of Canaan, is a full, complete, and consummate type of the all-inclusive Christ, who is the embodiment of the Triune God realized as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, as the inheritance allotted to God's people for their enjoyment—Deut. 8:7-9; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12; 2:2-7, 9; 1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17; Gal. 3:14:
A
The riches of the good land in Deuteronomy 8:7-9 typify the unsearchable riches of Christ in different aspects as the bountiful supply to His believers in His Spirit—Eph. 3:8; Phil. 1:19:
１
The good land typifies Christ in His unlimited spaciousness—Exo. 3:8.
２
The high, mountainous land of Canaan typifies the resurrected and ascended Christ—Christ in His ascendancy—Deut. 32:13; Ezek. 34:13-16; 20:40-42; Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1.
３
The waterbrooks, springs, and fountains signify Christ as the flowing Spirit, and the valleys and mountains signify the different kinds of environments in which we may experience Christ—Deut. 8:7; John 4:14; 7:37-39; Rev. 22:1; 2 Cor. 6:8-10.
４
Wheat typifies the incarnated Christ, who was crucified and buried to multiply Himself—Deut. 8:8; John 12:24.
５
Barley, being the first-ripe grain, points to the resurrected Christ as the firstfruits—Deut. 8:8; 2 Sam. 21:9; 1 Cor. 15:20.
６
Vines typify the Christ who sacrificed Himself to produce wine to cheer God and man—Deut. 8:8; Judg. 9:13; Matt. 9:17.
７
The fig tree speaks of the sweetness and satisfaction of Christ as the life supply—Deut. 8:8; Judg. 9:11.
８
The pomegranates signify the fullness, the abundance and beauty, and the expression of the riches of Christ as life—Deut. 8:8; Exo. 28:33-34; 1 Kings 7:18-20; S. S. 4:3b, 13.
９
The bread signifies Christ as the bread of life—Deut. 8:9; John 6:35, 48.
10
The olive tree typifies Christ as the One who was filled with the Spirit and anointed with the Spirit—Deut. 8:8; Luke 4:1; Heb. 1:9.
11
Olive oil typifies the Holy Spirit, by whom we walk to honor God and whom we minister to honor man—Deut. 8:8; Judg. 9:9; Gal. 5:16, 25; 2 Cor. 3:6, 8.
12
Milk and honey speak forth the goodness and sweetness of Christ—Deut. 6:3; Exo. 3:8.
13
Stones signify Christ as material for building God's dwelling place—Deut. 8:9; Isa. 28:16; Zech. 4:7; 1 Pet. 2:4.
14
The iron and copper are for making weapons and typify our spiritual warfare by which we fight the enemy—Deut. 8:9; 2 Cor. 10:4; Eph. 6:10-20.
15
Iron also signifies Christ's ruling authority and copper, Christ's judging power—Matt. 28:18; Rev. 19:15; 1:15.
16
The mountains from which copper is mined signify Christ's resurrection and ascension—Deut. 8:9; Eph. 4:8.
B
God's goal in His economy is not merely to redeem His people and save them from the world, typified by Egypt, but to bring them into Christ, typified by the good land, that they possess Him and enjoy Him in His unsearchable riches— Exo. 3:8; Eph. 3:8:
１
By enjoying the riches of the land, the children of Israel were able to build up the temple and the city of Jerusalem to establish God's kingdom on earth.
２
By enjoying the unsearchable riches of Christ, the believers in Christ are built up to be Christ's Body, the church, which is Christ's fullness, His expression, and which is also the habitation of God and the kingdom of God—1:22-23; 2:21-22; 1 Tim. 3:15; Matt. 16:18-19; Rom. 14:17.
３
Ultimately, God's habitation and God's kingdom will consummate in the New Jerusalem in eternity for the fulfillment of God's eternal economy— Rev. 21:1-3, 22; 22:1, 3.
C
As the good land, Christ is ready to be possessed by His believers, but there is the need for those who are ready to take Him, possess Him, experience Him, and enjoy Him in His all-inclusiveness—Deut. 1:21; Num. 14:6-9, 24; Josh. 1:3.
D
Satan, the enemy of God, has been doing whatever he can to keep us from enjoying the all-inclusive Christ as the good land—Col. 2:8, 18:
１
Evil forces are veiling the all-inclusiveness of Christ from God's people; thus, there is an exceedingly real spiritual warfare in which we must engage— 2 Cor. 10:3-4; Eph. 6:10-12; 1 Tim. 6:12a; 2 Tim. 2:3-4.
２
Because very few Christians are like Paul in pursuing the all-inclusive Christ, God needs the overcomers, today's Joshuas and Calebs who will fight to take possession of the land—Phil. 3:8, 12; Num. 26:65; 32:11-12.
３
"We all need to know what the recovery is, where the recovery is, and what kind of persons can take the recovery on. We all need to see that in the Lord's recovery today we are on a battlefield. We should be today's Joshua and Caleb, fighting against Satan's aerial forces so that we can gain more of Christ for the building up of the Body of Christ, setting up and spreading the kingdom of God so that Christ can come back to inherit the earth. It is not adequate for us simply to be spiritual and holy. We need to learn of Joshua and Caleb to represent God's interest in this age to fight down the enemies that Christ can be gained by people and that Christ can be increased by His pursuers" (Life-study of Joshua, p. 61).