12/07/2026
12 OCTOBER 2025
SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICE
MESSAGE: ECCLESIOLOGY- THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF THE CHURCH | PART 9
Mount Zion
Systematic Bible teaching is the best way to make believers knowledgeable in the things of God.
Teaching in series gives you knowledge of any subject matter holistically.
The advantages are that, many doctrinal questions are answered a lot of ground is covered.
Systematic Bible teaching helps you cover all the books of the Bible.
You are able to bring facts together, from different books across the bible, thus reach logical conclusion.
Many are deficient in the doctrines of scripture due to cherrypicking verses. They claim to have favourite verses and favourite books in the scriptures. That isn't helping at all.
A Bible student ought to know the entire counsel of God. So as the Bible teacher. That's our obligation.
No verse of scripture was penned by chance. And no verse should be read in isolation.
All scriptures were written for our learning.
So every verse is vital for our learning.
But the moment you have preferences, like oftentimes you hear someone says, "I like Psalms," "I like song of Solomon," "Psalm 23 blesses me so much," we miss out on the message of the scriptures holistically.
Meanwhile, the believer should be blessed by the entire Bible.
Paul made a declaration to the Elders of Ephesus that he taught them the whole counsel of God.
Acts 20:27
27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.
We must herefore learn all bible doctrines systematically. Doctrines like theology, christology, soteriology, pneumatology and ecclesiology all form the body of truths.
So it is vital to study ecclesiology which doctrine of the church.
When you study the whole bible, you will realise that the primary audience of all the scriptures were the churches.
The people whom the Torah was written to, that is, the children of Israel, were a congregation.
The Hebrew word transliterated "church" is "qahal" which appears 123 times in the Old Testament.
The word was majorly used in reference to the children of Israel, either gathered for war, for worship, to celebrate feasts or to receive the law.
So the first 5 books of the bible were written primarily to a congregation.
All the books of the bible were written to church set ups.
Even the book of Philemon, though written to an individual, by implication is for the churches. Because Paul was pleading with Philemon to forgive Onesmus, his brother in the faith.
Even pastoral letters like 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus which were written to individuals, were for the churches.
When Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy, he was charging him to pastor the church in Ephesus.
1 Timothy 1:3-4
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
Hence the letter is ecclesiastical.
The book of revelation was written to the 7 churches of Asia. The book is both Christological and ecclesiastical, because Christ was being reintroduced to the congregations that were in apostacy.
It is vital to study the church because most people don't know the wife of Christ, how glorious she is. They don't know the kind of family they belong to.
Rather they like to put things in futuristic sense.
Oftentimes you hear people saying that Jesus is coming for a spotless church.
Meanwhile you cannot make yourself spotless and blameless by works.
The moment you believe the gospel you are washed, cleansed, justified and sanctified. You become chaste and spotless member of the body of Christ.
Revelation chapters 20, 21 and 22 speak of present time realities.
Many have misconceptions concerning new heavens and new earth as recorded in revelation chapters 21 and 22.
They imagine a Dubai-like city, with streets of gold, descending from the sky.
Even some pictures have deceived many.
You see white people wearing all white, climbing stairway to a city of gold, with a white man sitting on a golden throne.
That's not what the scriptures reveal but a fiction of man's imagination.
After this series you will realise that God is not doing anything better than what He had already done in Christ.
The ultimate revelation of the scriptures, which is the consummation of the plan and purpose of God is His union with humanity. That's the church.
Many think there is a planet somewhere called heaven, better than eternal life, better than salvation, better than our union with Christ, better than the indwelling Spirit.
Meanwhile the Holy Spirit in the believer is the consummation of the plan and purpose of God.
Last week we learned about the mountain of the Lord.
We learned about the significance of mountains in the scriptures.
We have learned that when God wants to give divine orders He summoned men to the mountains.
The children of Israel were called to Mount Horeb to hear the voice of God and receive the covenant (Deuteronomy 4:10).
Moses was summoned to the mountain (Mount Abarim) to appoint his successor, Joshua (Numbers 27:18).
At Mount Hor, Eleazar was appointed to take over the priesthood from Aaron his father (Numbers 20:25-28).
We also see that mountains were very significant in the ministry of Jesus.
Oftentimes He would go to the mountain and prayed (Matthew 14:23).
He taught on the mount of Olives (Matthew 5:1, 24:3).
Before He ascended He summoned His disciples to the mountain, to give them the great commission (Matthew 28:16).
Mountains generally represented kingdoms or heavenly reality.
In the old times mountains were used by kingdoms for war, as places of refuge and for spying.
We see the glimpse of Jesus in glory when He transfigured on mount Hermon (Matthew 17:1-5).
Mountains signify an ascended reality.
Throughout the scriptures we see the prophecy of the mountain of God or God's holy mountain.
That is a place above the earth realm yet in the earth.
The garden of Eden was called the holy mountain of God.
Ezekiel 28:13-14
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created.
14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.
Therefore mountains have theological implications in scripture.
However, mountains are no longer significant post resurrection.
Yet people still climb mountains today, claiming to be praying or seeking the face of God.
Meanwhile Jesus made obsolete the mountain worship while speaking to the Samaritan woman.
John 4:20-24
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The samaritans worshipped on mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.
Due to their animosity with the Jews, they abandoned the temple worship in Jerusalem.
Now the mountain of God is a spiritual location. That is, the heavenly or ascended reality.
Abraham was summoned to Mount Moriah where he foresaw God's plan to give His only begotten son for our sins (Genesis 22).
He foresaw the lamb of God taking our place on the alter, and went on to prophesy.
Genesis 22:14
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
The original Hebrew reads, "On the mountain of the Lord it shall be seen."
Jesus testified to the Jews that Abraham foresaw His day.
John 8:56
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Solomon by revelation built the temple on the same Mount Moriah.
2 Chronicles 3:1
1 Now Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem on Mount moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Mount Moriah today is known as the temple mount.
With the building of Solomon's temple, mount Moriah came to be known as Mount Zion.
Zion primarily was a mountain in Jerusalem, also a name for the city of Jerusalem.
Zion means fortress.
Zion was a mountain where the temple was built, and would be rebuilt.
Zion sometimes refers to ancient Jerusalem, and sometimes stands for the home where God dwells with His people.
There are two shades of Mount Zion in scripture, the literal place and spiritual place which was prophetic.
When you read the books of the prophets, zion was both a physical place and a future spiritual location.
So the meaning of zion depends on the context.
Let's look at the first mention of Zion in the scriptures. Notice that he first mention of of every word in scripture set a tone for its meaning thus carries weight regarding its interpretation and application.
2 Samuel 5:6-7
6 And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.”
7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).
This was formerly the city of the Jebusites.
It was a city which was previously called "Salem" in Genesis.
Genesis 14:18
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High.
Jebus later became Jerusalem.
Notice that when the kingdom of Israel began with King Saul, he set the capital city in Gibea of Benjamin.
David being a prophet, moved the palace, and even the ark of God to Jerusalem.
That is, zion.
Zion was the center of the kingdom of David. His house, the palace were stationed there. It became his stronghold.
Stronghold refers to a military fortress or a place of defence.
It was also referenced by Solomon.
1 Kings 8:1
1 Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion.
Here Solomon brought the ark of the covenant from the city of David to the temple, which was in the same region.
Both the city of David and the temple of Solomon were built upon Mount Zion.
Solomon then got the ark from Zion to the sanctuary of the temple.
Remember we are dealing with God's dwelling place, and God's place of reign.
Let's see the parallel description
1 Chronicles 11:4-9
4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.
5 But the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in here!” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).
6 Now David said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became chief.
7 Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the City of David.
8 And he built the city around it, from the Millo to the surrounding area. Joab repaired the rest of the city.
9 So David went on and became great, and the Lord of hosts was with him.
Zion became the stronghold of the kingdom of David.
The house of God was also built upon mount zion.
Notice that David and Solomon were two prophetic kings.
David established his kingdom upon Mount Zion.
Solomon built the temple upon Mount Zion.
Solomon's temple was built on the temple mount, which is mount moriah, which came to be known as Mount Zion.
Once Solomon's temple was completed, Zion began to take a broader identity, being used as description of the entire city of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was also a name in prophecy or better say, a prophetic location.
It was the area where the mysteries of God were concealed.
Until after resurrection, Jerusalem was not just an ordinary place.
It was the site of the temple, the place where God dwells.
It is listed as God's abode.
Psalm 74:1-2
1 O God, why have You cast us off forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed—This Mount Zion where You have dwelt.
Zion here speaks of a literal place. That is, a geographical location.
Psalm 76:1-2
1 In Judah God is known; His name is great in Israel.
2 In Salem also is His tabernacle, And His dwelling place in Zion.
The word "tabernacle" in scripture denotes a union of divinity with humanity.
So God built His sanctuary on Mount Zion.
Asaph the Psalmist testified.
Psalm 78:68-69
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved.
69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever.
This is also in reference to geographical place Jerusalem.
If you notice, Zion is majorly found in Psalms and the book of Isaiah the prophet.
Mount zion is equated with the city of Jerusalem.
Psalm 48:1-3
1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King.
3 God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge.
Here we have entered the prophetic.
Mount zion is described as the city of God. That is, God's dwelling place.
Mount Zion is described as God's holy/sacred mountain.
Mount Zion is described as a place of God's kingdom/reign.
Mount Zion is an an elevated location or spiritual reality.
The Mount Zion being spoken about here is the joy of the whole earth. Not just Israel.
"God is in her palaces"
This is where we get the concept of mansions.
"In My Father's house are many mansions." John 14:3
Mount Zion is therefore a spiritual location.
Psalm 48:11-12
11 Let Mount Zion rejoice, Let the daughters of Judah be glad, Because of Your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, And go all around her.
Count her towers;
Isaiah spoke of Mount zion the geographical location as desolate.
That was on account of idolatry of the Israelites.
But in a progression of revelation he spoke of Mount zion as the city of the great king, the dwelling place of our God.
2 Kings 19:30-31
30 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward.
31 For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant,
And those who escape from Mount Zion.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.’
We see the words "Jerusalem" and "remnant" parallel with mount zion and the survivors.
Once you hear the phrase, "the zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this," know that it's a prophetic utterance. That is God's commitment to do His word or fulfill a promise.
Zion is God's dwelling place
Psalm 9:11
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people.
Zion is Gods dwelling place. This is the concept.
Psalm 68:15-16
15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.
The word "dwell" is "yashab" in Hebrew, which means to be enthroned or sit as king.
Another word for "dwell" is "shakan" describing His glorification or manifest presence.
Again this was prophetic.
God's holy mountain is God's dwelling place.
So when we talk about the church, primarily it's God's dwelling place, God in union with mankind, and the intersection of heaven and earth.
Zion is where God's glory shines forth.
Psalm 50:1-2
1The Mighty One, God the Lord, Has spoken and called the earth From the rising of the sun to its going down.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God will shine forth.
That is to send out beams.
That is the expression of the glory of God.
The Psalmist here implied that the light of the world would come from Zion.
Hear what Isaiah said when speaking God's words of comfort to Zion.
Isaiah 60:1-3
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
3 The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
The prophetic place Zion was to be built by the Lord.
Psalm 102:16-18
16 For the Lord shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory.
17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer.
18 This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.
To appear in His glory describes the ascension of the Lord.
To build up Zion is to create a people. That's the new creation, a new kind of species.
Psalm 102:19-22
19 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To release those appointed to death,
21 To declare the name of the Lord in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
According to the Psalmist, Zion is where the name of the Lord would be declared.
Zion is where God would gather His people, the new creation.
Psalm 132:4-9
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids,
5 Until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
We found it in the fields of the woods.
7 Let us go into His tabernacle;
Let us worship at His footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
9 Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy.
Ephrathah means Bethlehem.
The word "arise" is "qum" in Hebrew, which is the same word for resurrection.
The Hebrew word translated "resting place" is "menuchah."
We have already learned that the church is God's house (His dwelling palce), God's resting place, God's throne (place of His reign), and God's holy mountain (His sacred place).
Priests being clothed with righteousness describes the new creation.
Zion is God's chosen place for His dwelling.
Psalm 132:13-14
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place:
14 “This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
Once again, Zion is God's dwelling place, and His resting place. This describes the sabbath concept, after the Lord had finished His work or upon the completion of the temple.
Notice that in a progression of revelation the Psalmist here was no longer referring to the earthly Jerusalem as Zion. He now entered into prophecy.
The word "dwelling" is "moshab" in Hebrew. It means a seat.
The word "dwell" is "yashab" in Hebrew, which is to be enthroned as king.
Geographically speaking, Zion was the city of the reigning king, where God's house was situated.
This mirrored the spiritual location, Zion.
Isaiah 2:1-4
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
3 Many people shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He shall judge between the nations,
And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
According to Isaiah's prophecy, the house of the Lord was to be built on a mountain. That describes an ascended reality or the heavenly realm. That is, beyond the earth realm.
Heaven and earth in scripture describe the two realms of man's existence being the spiritual and the physical.
In literal sense the word "heaven" refers to the sky. But the writers of scriptures had supernatural world in view.
Solomon brought a distinction
1 Kings 8:27
27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!
2 Chronicles 2:6
6 But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?
Heaven therefore describes Gods abode. That is, where God rules and speaks from.
The audience of the scriptures understood the usage of the word "heaven." They knew it was in reference to the supernatural world.
Once you mention "heaven and earth," that was in reference to the intersection of the spiritual and physical realms or the supernatural and natural worlds.
Just like Solomon who laid the foundation of the Lord's house on Mount Moriah, the future house of God was to be built on the mountain.
Back to Isaiah's prophecy:
The word "go up" in verse 3 implies to ascend. When we take note of Isaiah's play of words in the same verse 3, we can derive the following facts:
Zion is the mountain of the Lord.
Zion is the house of the Lord.
Zion is Jerusalem.
When you talk about the mountain you talk about the kingdom.
This is kingdom language.
Once you hear of Zion know the kingdom is in the picture. And by implication the king of that kingdom.
Psalm 2:6-7
6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.”
7 “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
To beat swords into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks describes diverting from war into farming.
Farming in scripture is oftentimes used as allegory for ministry.
The word "set" means to pour out. By analogy it means to anoint a king.
To anoint simply means to consecrate or set apart.
Zion is therefore a realm where Christ the king is enthroned.
Jesus was poured out as consecrated offering.
The same Psalm was referenced by the writer of Hebrews, referring to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:5
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”?
Paul quoted the same pslam in reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, while preaching in Antioch, Pisidia.
Acts 13:30-33
30 But God raised Him from the dead.
31 He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people.
32 And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers.
33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.’
Still on the mountain of the Lord, the Psalmist made a rhetorical question here.
Psalm 24:3-5
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
The word "hill" is "har" in Hebrew, which means a mountain.
This holy mountain, or sacred place, refers to the church of God.
Notice that clean hands and pure heart are the finished works of Jesus Christ.
Not moral behaviour.
The blessing of righteousness could only be received on the basis of the work of God. Not the works of man.
Zion was prophesied to be a place of salvation.
Psalm 14:7
7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
Zion is where the help of God comes from!
Psalm 20:1-2
1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2 May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion;
The word help is "ezer" in Hebrew.
Let's see another application of the word in scripture.
Psalm 121:1-2
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
Zion is the city of God.
Psalm 87:1-3
1 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God! Selah
That means, God's dwelling place.
This describes a people indwelt by God.
Isaiah 60:13-14
13 “The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, The cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I will make the place of My feet glorious.
14 Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come bowing to you, And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
This is in reference to the earth.
God was making a promise to glorify the whole earth.
For heaven is His throne, and the earth is His footstool.
Isaiah 66:1
1 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
That means God rules from heaven, to subdue the earth.
God's plan has always been to fill the earth (mankind) with His glory.
Isaiah 11:9-10
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.
10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.”
The word "resting place" is "menuchah" in Hebrew.
The phrase "My holy mountain" was to bring distinction from the earth or physical realm.
Whenever you see the phrase "in that day" in the words of the prophets, know that it's in reference to the day of the Lord. That is, the age of the Messiah.
Habakkuk echoed the words of Isaiah
Habakkuk 2:14
14 For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.
Furthermore, Isaiah prophesied that even the gentiles would be accepted in God's holy mountain.
Isaiah 56:7-8
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
8 The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “Yet I will gather to him
Others besides those who are gathered to him.”
God's house is God's holy mountain. And it is the house of prayer.
Jesus echoed these words while cleansing the temple.
Mark 11:15-17
15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.
17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
This describes the church of Jesus Christ.
When He said, I will build My church" He was referring to the church of all nations.
Different to the Sanhedrin which comprised of only Jews, and only men.
Different to Roman regime which comprised of only Romans, and only men.
Isaiah prophesied that God's holy mountain would be in the earth.
Isaiah 57:13
13 When you cry out, Let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry them all away, A breath will take them.
But he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, And shall inherit My holy mountain.”
The church is God's holy ground.
This holy ground was first typified by the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8), communicated as God's house and gates of heaven in Jacob's vision (Genesis 28:17), God's encounter with Moses (Exodus 3:1-5) and subsequently Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15).
Holy ground in scripture is not a geographical location.
Holy ground or holy mountain is a sacred place. That is, a place of God's dwelling, God's resting place, a place of His name or His manifest presence.
Zion is the land of promise.
Psalm 37:9-11
9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
To be no more means to perish. That is, to cease to exist or to be completely exterminated. That describes the fate of unbelievers.
The end or ultimate destination of an unbeliever is extinction or complete destruction. That is, to exist no more.
Therefore land of inheritance is the earth. The holy ground.
Zion is the land of inheritance.
Psalm 69:35-36
35 For God will save Zion And build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it.
36 Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it, And those who love His name shall dwell in it.
Only God could build zion
Those who love His name refer to believers.
Zion is therefore exclusively for believers. Not those who worship other gods.
Isaiah 65:11
11 “But you are those who forsake the Lord,
Who forget My holy mountain, Who prepare a table for Gad, And who furnish a drink offering for Meni.
Zion was chose to be where God build Himself a house.
Isaiah 28:16
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever believes will not act hastily.
A chief cornerstone is a stone that the builders lay at the beginning of the house structure.
Zion is were the voice of the Lord is heard from.
Joel 2:1-3
1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand:
2 A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.
3 A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them.
This is in reference to the inhabitants of zion in God's mission.
Joel 3:16-17
16 The Lord also will roar from Zion,
And utter His voice from Jerusalem;
The heavens and earth will shake;
But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,
And the strength of the children of Israel.
17 “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy,
And no aliens shall ever pass through her again.”
They synonyms "shelter," "refuge," "strength" describe salvation.
Zion is therefore a place of salvation (rescue and safety).
Notice that Joel was not speaking of earthly Jerusalem.
Joel 2:32
32 And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
The Hebrew word translated "deliverance" is "peletah." It describes the delivered lot or escaped ones.
Therefore Zion is the place of the survivors.
This corroborates Isaiah who pointed out that Zion is for the redeemed.
Isaiah 35:9-10
9 No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there,
10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Zion is therefore a place of refuge.
Peletah was also used by Obadiah
Obadiah 1:17
17 “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, And there shall be holiness;
The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
The New Living Traslation rendered the word peletah as "those who escape."
Mout zion is therefore a place of the delivered lot. Its a place of the Holy people.
Mount Zion is a place of God's reign.
Isaiah 24:23
23 Then the moon will be disgraced
And the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously.
The moon and sun describe supernatural beings.
Mount Zion is therefore a place of God's reign.
This corroborates the words of the song of Moses right after Exodus.
Exodus 15:16-18
16 Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatness of Your arm They will be as still as a stone, Till Your people pass over, O Lord, Till the people pass over Whom You have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and plant them
In the mountain of Your inheritance, In the place, O Lord, which You have made For Your own dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”
Micah reiterated the words of Moses and Isaiah that Zion is a place/realm of God's reign.
Micah 4:6-8
6 “In that day,” says the Lord, “I will assemble the lame, I will gather the outcast
And those whom I have afflicted;
7 I will make the lame a remnant, And the outcast a strong nation; So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever.
8 And you, O tower of the flock, The stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
To you shall it come, Even the former dominion shall come, The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”
Here the kingdom of God was in view.
Ounce again Mount Zion is a place of God's reign
The tower of the flock (migdal eder) was used by the shepherds to look after the flock at night. They also tended the passover lambs.
Every new born, they wrapped it with swaddling cloths, and put it in a manger.
That's why when they saw the baby Jesus in that manger, they understood He is the lamb of God, who came to take away the sin of the world.
Luke 2:11-14
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
This sign was shown first to the shepherds because its would be familiar and made sense.
The house of God was to be built in Zion
Zechariah 1:16-17
16 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord: “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy;
My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts, “And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’
17 “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The Lord will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem.”’”
Jerusalem was the chosen place for the Lord’s dwelling.
Zephaniah 3:16-17
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.
17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
God spoke through His prophets that He would inhabit Zion.
Zechariah 2:10-13
10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord.
11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
12 And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.
13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”
This describes God's plan to bring all nations together, to His kingdom or holy mountain.
Zechariah 8:1-3
1 Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying,
2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.’
3 “Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion,
And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth,
The Mountain of the Lord of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’
From the text above we can derive the following facts
Zion is Jerusalem.
Zion the holy mountain of God.
Zion is the city of truth.
Paul described the church as the pillar and ground of the truth
1 Timothy 3:14-15
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
The writer of Hebrews ultimately revealed that Zion is the church of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 12:22-23
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,
23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
Paul described the church as Jerusalem from above, one from the freewoman (Galatians 4;21-27)
You have seen that nothing in scripture was written to decorate.
Every detail is significant.
We have seen the significance of mountains in scripture that they describe an ascended reality, place of encounter with God, place where men receive instructions from God.
Its not like it's a standard or norm for God to speak with men on the mountains.
God spoke to Ezekiel by the River Chebar.
But the purpose of God summoning men to mountains was to give them a consciousness of the heavenly, an ascended reality above the earth realm.
The resurrection and ascension of Jesus have therefore retired the physical mountains.
It's therefore a misconception to think climbing a mountain to pray is to bring one closer to God
Let it be to avoid distractions. Not to access the power of God.
Jesus retired mountain worship in His conversation with the Samaritan woman (John 4:20-24).
In conclusion,
The church is God's dwelling place.
The church is God's place of reign.
The church is God's heaven on earth.
The church is God's holy ground.
The church is the garden of the Lord.
The church is God's resting place.
The church is a spiritual location
We worship God in Spirit.
