Where or what is the “promised land” for New Testament believers?

The “promised land” as far as the believer is concerned, is the Kingdom of God on earth, with Jesus reigning from Jerusalem (Luke 1:32-33) with the help of his immortalised followers – the saints or believers.  (Rev 5:10)

This is the gospel or good news of which we read, in Acts 8:12 – the good news of  the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.  This gospel had it’s roots right back in the wonderful promises God made to Abraham (Gal 3:7-9).  By being baptised into the saving name of Jesus, we become heirs of these amazing promises to Abraham.  Galatians 3: 16 & 27 & 29:

3:16  Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

3:27 & 29  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  … (29)  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

To look more closely at these promises, we’ll go to the book of Genesis in chapter 15:18-21

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,  (19)  the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,  (20)  the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,  (21)  the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Notice this promised land is very much on earth.  This point is emphasised

• the land between the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates
• the very land where the nations mentioned, dwelt

and again in Genesis 17:8 we read that the land of promise is

• the land of Abraham’s sojournings
• all the land of Canaan.

Genesis 13:15 & 17 tells us that

• all the land Abraham could see would be his and his offspring’s forever.
• He was told to walk through the length and breadth of the land that he would receive.

This is very literal language.

The promised land is not in heaven, as so many think, but right here on earth.  And as we saw earlier, if we align ourselves with Jesus Christ through baptism, we become heirs to these great and precious promises – eternal life with Jesus on earth.