I think it's a muddy approach to lean towards the 'not a literal city/ place' stance. There's too much evidence demonstrating that the actual land is part of the course of events to come (albeit, fully agree that it's certainly not the final destination, that is indeed the new Jerusalem).
I am glad we agree, the present earthly land of Israel is not the final destination.
However, what NT scripture teaches us that land restoration is a part of the new covenant to confirm that true interpretation of Ezekiel 40-48 is about literal land?
If anything we can use scripture to interpret scripture to show that the Ezekiel temple/Jerusalem = New Jerusalem
Both the New Jerusalem and the Ezekiel temple/Jerusalem are where God dwells (Ezekiel 43:7, Revelation 21:3). Both the Ezekiel temple/Jerusalem have a river flowing from the temple (Ezekiel 47:1 revelation 22:1). Both the Ezekiel temple/Jerusalem have fruit growing near the river and leaves for healing the nations (Ezekiel 47:12, Revelation 22:2). Both the New Jerusalem and the Ezekiel temple/Jerusalem have 12 gates with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel on them (Ezekiel 48:30-35, Revelation 22:12). Thus the Ezekiel temple/Jerusalem = the New Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:10–11 describes the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and connects them (the Jews) as being the ones who pierced him.
And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of
oNathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves.
I agree
This is their realisation that Yeshua is really the Messiah.
“And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”
How is it that only a remnant will be saved.....
Romans 9:27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea,
only a remnant of them will be saved
........and yet all Israel is saved?
Romans 11:26
And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written
Because not all Israel is Israel
Romans 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed.
For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.
Only those in Christ under the new covenant, whether Jew or Gentile, are Abraham's offspring
Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
Part of natural Israel was hardened so that they would reject the messiah resulting in Jesus' crucifixion. This resulted in riches for the vessels of mercy = remnant of natural Israel and grafted in gentiles.
Romans 9:22-24 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power,
has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
Romans 11:25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers
: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
Romans 11:11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather,
through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles,
the "fullness of gentiles" is found in only one OT passage and it refers to what was to become of the descendants of Ephraim. Jacob prophesied that the descendants of Ephraim would become a fullness of nations.
Romans 11:25-26 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel,
until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
Genesis 48:19 But his father refused. “I know, my son, I know!” he said. “He too shall become a people, and he too shall be great; nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and
his offspring shall become a fullness of gentiles.
The tribe of Ephraim was part of the northern kingdom of Israel, which was divorced by God, scattered among the nations by Assyria, and became no longer God's people. This would result in the descendants of the northern kingdom (Ephraim) mixing with the nations and effectively becoming gentiles from a covenantal standpoint with God.
Hosea 1:9 And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-ammi,
for you are not My people, and I am not your God.
Hosea 7:8
Ephraim mixes with the nations; Ephraim is an unturned cake.
Jeremiah 3:8
Because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
However, God promised that one day, they would again be His people
Hosea 1:10 Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And it will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’
they will be called ‘sons of the living God.
Paul quotes Hosea 1, which is about the northern kingdom of Israel, as being fulfilled with the inclusion of the GENTILES with the Jews in the vessels of mercy.
Romans 9:24-26 including us,
whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles? As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,” and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
I
this effectively ties into Paul's conclusion, that all of Israel is saved in this way: part of Israel being hardened while the fulness of the gentiles come to Christ.
Romans 11:25-26 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited:
A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
So by the Gentiles, of whom some descended from the northern kingdom of Israel, being included with the Jewish remnant in the vessels of mercy, God saves all of Israel.