Tag: kingdom of God

The Holy Land, Part 5: The Holy Land is Greater Than You May Think

On By Tyler BoydIn Holy land

In case you missed them, here’s the links to parts 1-4:
The Holy Land, Part 1: What Does it Really Mean to be Holy?
The Holy Land, Part 2: Who or What is Israel?
The Holy Land, Part 3: The Spiritual Significance of the Land
The Holy Land, Part 4: Did Israel Get Replaced?

One of the challenges in discussing the land promise is that the New Testament doesn’t address it as directly or explicitly as the Old Testament does. There’s no single, comprehensive statement that spells out exactly what became – or what will become – of God’s promise to give Abraham’s descendants a land. Because of this, some assume that the land promise no longer matters for Christians today – that it was once important for Old Testament Israel, but that it was quietly set aside once Israel was expanded to include all the faithful from every nation through Christ.

But that assumption may say more about our expectations than it does about the text of the New Testament itself.

The New Testament doesn’t ignore the concept of holy land. It does, however, reframe it.

It is important to remember that what made the land “holy” was not its geography or borders – it was the presence of God. In the Old Testament, Canaan was indeed set apart as God’s land because it was the place of His dominion and presence. It was holy, not because it belonged to Israel, but because it belonged to God.

So if we want to understand what happens to it in the New Testament, we should begin by asking: Where is God’s presence now? Where does He dwell? Where is His dominion exercised?  

While the New Testament doesn’t rehash the land promise in the same terms as the Old, it is far from silent about God’s kingdom, His dwelling place, or the scope of His reign. And when we follow those threads, a powerful truth emerges – one that shows us why the idea of “holy land” still matters today, but not in the same way many modern-day evangelicals assume. It matters, but in a transformed and expanded way.

Jesus Redefines Sacred Space

In John 4:19-20, a Samaritan woman asked Jesus a direct question about the geographical location where God should be worshiped.

 Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.

She was referring to Mount Gerizim, the center of Samaritan worship, while acknowledging the Jewish claim that worship should take place in God’s holy land, in Jerusalem. But Jesus’s response reframes the entire conversation:

Woman, believe me, that hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:21-24

Jesus was not dodging the question – He was reframing the concept of God’s sacred place of worship. No longer would worship be restricted to one sacred geographic location. Neither Mount Gerizim nor Jerusalem would remain central. Instead, worship would become geographically universal, unbound by borders, anchored not in one place, but in every place He is rightly worshiped – in spirit and in truth.

What Jesus promised in John 4 wasn’t a change in God’s plan – it was the fulfillment of it. From the beginning, God’s promise to Abraham was never meant to be confined to a single strip of land. Instead, it pointed toward a blessing that would extend to all nations through Abraham’s offspring (Genesis 22:18).

Even early in Genesis, God spoke in expansive, global terms. He told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the “dust of the earth” (Genesis 13:16) – an image not of a local settlement but of worldwide reach, a people far greater than the physical boundaries of Canaan could contain.

That’s why Paul, reflecting on this promise, could say its ultimate fulfillment was not limited to Canaan, but encompassed the entire world.

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

Romans 4:13

For Paul, the land of Canaan served as a symbol, a preview of a much greater inheritance. The true fulfillment of God’s promise was not in one land, but in the whole world, reserved as an inheritance for the faithful.

God’s Presence in His People

Through Christ, the blessing and inheritance once promised to Abraham has now been extended to all who are in Him. And with that expansion comes a radical redefinition of where God dwells. No longer is His presence confined to a physical temple in a single geographic location. The New Testament reveals something far greater: God’s temple is now His people.

Paul writes:

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?

1 Corinthians 6:19

Elsewhere he declares:

For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.

2 Corinthians 6:16 (quoting from Leviticus 26:12)

And in the vision of the new creation, John hears these words:

Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

Revelation 21:3

Just as God once made His home in the land of Canaan, Paul now explains that “the Spirit of God dwells in you” (Romans 8:9). This means that God’s holy presence is no longer limited by borders or buildings – it is present wherever His people are. Wherever Christians are gathered together, submitting to God’s will, there is God’s dominion. That is holy ground.

The New Creation

What makes a land “holy” has never been geography alone – it is the presence of God that makes any place sacred. In the Old Testament, that presence dwelled in the land of Canaan, but through Christ, God’s presence is now among His people – people drawn from every nation. That shift radically reshapes how we think about the idea of a “holy land.”

If God’s presence is no longer confined to one location but dwells with all who are in Christ, then the holiness once associated with a specific strip of land has now been extended as far as His people reach. In other words, God’s holy land has gone global! This being the case, it would be out of step with the teachings of the New Testament to single out Palestine as uniquely “holy” under the reign of Christ. To do so would suggest that God’s dwelling place is still geographically limited – that He does not dwell wherever His people live and worship in spirit and truth.

The problem with calling modern-day Israel “The Holy Land” isn’t that it assigns too much importance to their land – but that it imagines far too little about God’s Kingdom. God’s reign is no longer confined. It is greater – infinitely greater – and that expansion is the very fulfillment of what the prophets anticipated:

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:14 (cf. Numbers 14:21; Psalm 72:19; Isaiah 6:3)

Jesus confirmed this global scope during the Sermon on the Mount. Quoting from Psalm 37:11, He announced the inheritance that awaited the meek:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

He was not speaking of the present, broken world – a world enslaved by sin, violence, and decay. Rather He was pointing to something far greater. The author of Hebrews captures this cosmic transformation:

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem… Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.
This phrase, “Yet once more” indicates the removal of things that are shaken – that is the things that have been made – in order that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Hebrews 12:22, 26-28

Peter echoes the same theme. He reminds us that the current heavens and earth are being preserved for judgment in fire (2 Peter 3:7). This judgment, however, is what ushers in what has always been promised:

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

2 Peter 3:13

The land promise has not been discarded – it has been fulfilled, deepened, and universalized. What began as a parcel of land for Abraham’s descendants now culminates in a new world for the people of Christ. As Paul puts it, this is nothing less than a new creation (Galatians 6:15), the true and final “holy land” where righteousness dwells and where God makes His home with His people.

Understanding the fulfillment of the land promise reminds us that the church is not defined by borders or geography, but by the presence of God among His people. Wherever God dwells with His people, that is holy ground. As we go into all the world – making disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching obedience to Christ – we are conquering enemy territory and extending God’s holy land. This truth fuels our mission, deepens our unity across every nation, and lifts our eyes beyond the passing kingdoms of this world to the one kingdom that will not be shaken.

The Parable of the Camel’s Nose

On By Tyler BoydIn Christian Living, Christian's Relationship to Government, Kingdom Life

In the middle of a desert, where the winds blew sharp, and the nights were bitterly cold, a man found refuge inside his small, but sturdy tent. It was only a tent, but his modest shelter was a blessing from the frigid elements outside. As he lay upon his mat, bundled under thick blankets, he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Not far from the tent, his camel stood tethered to a post. The animal was accustomed to the desert’s harsh nights, but even camels can feel the stinging discomfort of the cold wind. The camel shifted uncomfortably. Seeking relief, the camel moved closer to the man’s tent.

With the most subtle move, the camel pressed its nose ever so slightly into the edge of the tent flap, where a faint bit of warmth seeped out for the camel to enjoy. The man stirred at the sound of the rustle, but saw only the camel’s nose sticking slightly into the tent. He thought to himself, “It’s just the nose. It’s doing no harm.” He rolled over and quickly slipped back into sleep.

But the camel didn’t stop there. Enjoying the warmth and encouraged by the man’s inaction, it pushed its head further inside. The tent flap fell open slightly, and the camel’s large eyes peered into the tent, surveying what was inside. The man, startled by the intrusion, woke again. “What is this?” the man said to himself, now seeing the camel’s head fully inside.

He considered shooing the camel away, but being so snug and comfortable under his blankets, the man reasoned, “It’s only the head, and it’s cold tonight. The cold drift of air won’t bother me since I’m under these warm blankets.” With that, he turned over and closed his eyes.

Only a few minutes passed, however, and the camel, emboldened, pressed further in. It’s long neck and front legs slipped inside, causing the tent to pull sharply as the small doorway stretched to accommodate the large creature. As the cold air rushed in the fully open flap, the man woke, now cramped, finding no room to stretch. “Enough!” he cried, sitting up.

But it was too late. The camel didn’t stop. Inch by inch, it pulled its entire body into the tent. The man struggled to fight back, pushing on the camel and yelling for it to get out, but he and the tent were now completely overtaken by the animal. The camel’s hefty bulk pushed on the tent poles, stretched the fabric, and then finally, the tent collapsed into a thin layer of canvas draped over the huge animal’s back. The man sat, shivering, wide-eyed, realizing too late what happened. Now finding himself outside in the bitter wind, he realized he should have never allowed the camel to stick its nose in the tent.

Beware of Incrementalism

What begins as a small, seemingly reasonable concession sometimes leads to dangerous compromises. The camel’s nose illustrates how small compromises, when left unchecked, can lead to significant, dangerous, and sometimes unintended outcomes.

 This is especially important to remember when it comes to matters of Christian doctrine. Compromising on the clear teachings of Scripture, even in response to seemingly reasonable hypotheticals, can lead to a slow, but significant erosion of truth. Consider the following argument:

“What if someone on their way to the church building to be baptized dies in a tragic accident? Surely a just and loving God wouldn’t condemn such a person to eternity in hell.”

The reasoning seems compassionate and reasonable. But once we allow for exceptions to God’s explicit command of baptism (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21, etc.), it is easy for the reasoning to progress further.

“If God can save someone in extreme circumstances without baptism, perhaps baptism isn’t necessary in other situations either. Maybe it’s not essential at all, as long as someone has faith and good intentions.”

Soon baptism, an act consistently taught and practiced throughout the New Testament, is reduced to a mere symbol. The necessity of following Scripture’s numerous teachings regarding it’s importance are discarded.

To avoid such a collapse, we must remain resolutely committed to Scripture, even when faced with difficult hypotheticals. While we can certainly acknowledge God’s mercy and grace, and wrestle with the implications of God’s character in exceptional cases, our responsibility is to uphold His revealed commands.

The Camel’s Nose in Political Engagement

The principle also applies to Christians and political engagement. The argument often begins innocently:

“It’s not sinful or idolatrous for a Christian to vote against a policy that harms their neighbors. It’s not idolatrous to desire rulers who fear God. We can care about church and politics. We can align with a political party and still trust in Jesus.”

Perhaps this reasoning holds in theory. But what follows? Political involvement has a way of drawing the heart deeper and deeper into the world’s systems, fostering a reliance upon human solutions rather than divine provision.

“If voting is permissible,” the reasoning often goes, “why not campaigning? If campaigning, why not encouraging churches to work together to wield greater political influence?”

Soon, the focus and efforts of the church shift entirely from proclaiming the unshakable gospel to promoting the shifting platforms of political parties. Loyalty to Christ mingles with loyalty to earthly rulers. The priorities of God’s kingdom are overshadowed by earthly agendas. The real world power of the gospel to transform the world is minimized in exchange for what feels like the more practical and efficient methods of earthly kingdoms.

The Bible warns against trusting in human rulers (Psalm 33:16-17). Jesus commanded his disciples to refuse to seek power the way the unbelieving world does (Matthew 20:25-28). Jesus rejected the devil’s offer of worldly kingdoms (Luke 4:6-8). When he was on trial before Pilate, he declared that His kingdom is “not of this world,: evidence by the fact that his disciples refuse to fight for power in the ways that are characteristic of earthly kingdoms (John 18:36-37). Paul encouraged Christians to avoid being entangled in civilian affairs, likening them to soldiers stationed in a foreign land (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

Perhaps we can look at the camel’s nose pushing slightly into the tent, and to accept that a small, measured degrees of political involvement are not idolatrous. But as followers of Christ, we must remain vigilant. Our ultimate allegiance must remain with Jesus, whom we confess to be the world’s true Lord.

Know The Boundaries

This is not a call for legalism so that Christians can begin making laws about political engagement (or any other matter of doctrine) in areas where Scripture remains silent. Nor is this an excuse for avoiding sincere, but difficult questions. Westling with the implications of Scripture and its application is good and important. However, we must recognize the danger of allowing worldly reasoning to undermine God’s clear teachings.

Far too often, conversations about Christian doctrine shift from honestly wresting with the implications of Scripture to a question of how far we can let the camel’s nose into the tent. Perhaps we should pause and reconsider whether it is wise to allow it in at all. As disciples of Christ, we have made a commitment to hold fast to the teachings and examples of our Lord. Let us hold fast to Him, trusting His wisdom, and resist the temptation to compromise, even in seemingly small ways.