Inheriting the Land

Isn't this a curious phrase to be in the Bible?  Is it speaking to the Jews of finally gaining the West Bank, or control of Gaza, and that entire region of the Middle East?  I think it means more.  Let's take a look.

7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. 8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. 9 For evildoers will be cut off,

But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. 10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;

And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. 11 But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

Psalms 37:7-11 (NASB95)

27 Depart from evil and do good,

So you will abide forever. 28 For the LORD loves justice

And does not forsake His godly ones;

They are preserved forever,

But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. 29 The righteous will inherit the land

And dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,

And his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart;

His steps do not slip. 32 The wicked spies upon the righteous

And seeks to kill him. 33 The LORD will not leave him in his hand

Or let him be condemned when he is judged. 34 Wait for the LORD and keep His way,

And He will exalt you to inherit the land;

When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Psalms 37:27-34 (NASB95)

* One thing I love about the Hebrew word for land (aretz), it can also signify ‘earth.’ And I think that is a valid meaning in Ps. 37, as in v. 34: ‘Wait for YHWH and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the earth.’ Amen! For that is how it is going to be during the Millenial reign of Messiah, and after the great judgment, the saints will dwell on the earth with YHWH, the Lord Jesus Himself, for all eternity!” (Zech 14:9; Rev. 21:1-2, 22:1-7)


9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.

Zech 14:9 (NASB95)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.

Rev 21:1-2 (NASB95)

1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

6 And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.

7 "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book."

Rev 22:1-7 (NASB95)

We can see from these passages that the LORD, Yahweh, Jesus Himself is returning to rule on earth for a thousand years, in accordance with the words of the prophets. After the thousand years are up, and the great judgment has taken place, then the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven to the earth, and the tri-une LORD God will dwell on earth together with redeemed, perfected man forevermore.

Truly, the quickly approaching second advent of Messiah will be the dawning of a new age the world has never known or seen, in which the world will be rule by complete righteousness and holiness (Isaiah 9:7).