JACQUES GAUVIN, RELIGION

MOUNT ZION

INTRODUCTION

Hebrews 12:22 to 24 (NASB)
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first~born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant

ONE ~ Where is Mount Zion?

'Till a few years ago it was the general opinion that the southwest hill, the most massive and dominant of the heights of Jerusalem, was Zion, but the trend of opinion is now decidedly toward the whole or southern part of the Temple hill' (Peloubet's Bible Dictionary, F. N. Peloubet, D.D., article Jerusalem)(1925).

1 Kings 8:1, 4 (NASB)
THEN Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the city of David, which is Zion.

2 Samuel 5:7 (KJV)
Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same is the city of David.

'Zion (which is synonymous with the Ophel) is properly the southern part of the eastern hill on the top of which was built the temple, so that the name came to be given to the whole hill' (Encyclopedia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Article, Zion) (1910~1911).

'For a very long time people were mistaken about the exact situation of the old Jebusite city. . .Enlightenment came only with the excavation of the southeastern hill, much lower than the one to the southwest, and outside the present city walls. This revealed that the original Zion must have stood on the southeastern hill. . .Although the spur (several times referred to in the Bible as Ophel, meaning swelling or hump) on which the city of David stood is lower than the surrounding mountains (Atlas of the Bible, L. H. Grollenberg, page 68) (1956)

Wikipedia article on Zion
Zion (Hebrew: Tsiyyon) (also transliterated Sion, Tzion or Tsion) is a place name often used as a synonym for Jerusalem. The word is first found in Samuel II, 5:7 dating to c.630-540 BCE according to modern scholarship. It commonly referred to a specific mountain near Jerusalem (Mount Zion), on which stood a Jebusite fortress of the same name that was conquered by David and was named the City of David. The term Tzion came to designate the area of Jerusalem where the fortress stood, and later became a metonym for Solomon s Temple in Jerusalem, the city of Jerusalem and generally, the World to Come. The etymology of the word Zion (siyon) is uncertain. Mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Samuel (2 Samuel 5:7) as the name of the Jebusite fortress conquered by King David, its origin likely predates the Israelites. If Semitic, it may be derived from the Hebrew root siyyon ("castle") or the Arabic siyya ("dry land," Jeremiah 51:43) or the Arabic sana ("protect" or "citadel"). It might also be related to the Arabic root sahi ("ascend to the top") or suhhay ("tower" or "the top of the mountain"). A non-Semitic relationship to the Hurrian word seya ("river" or "brook") has also been suggested. (Ezekiel 47 describes a brook coming from the temple.)

In the New Testament the Daughter of Zion is the bride of Christ, also known as the Church, according to the writer of the book of Hebrews (see Heb 12:22).

TWO , Zion is God's chosen place and it will be so forever.

Psalms 132:13 and 14
For the LORD has chosen Zion;
He has desired it for His habitation.
14 This is My resting place forever;
Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

Psalm 76:2 (KJV)
In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.

Psalm 87:5
And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

THREE , Zion cannot be moved

Psalms 125:1 and 2 (NASB)
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people, from this time forth and for evermore.

FOUR , Zion will be elevated above all.

Psalm 99:2
The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.

Psalm 102:16
When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

Issaiah 40:9
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain

FIVE , The Lord shall reign in Zion and it will become holy.

Psalm 146:10
The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

Issaiah 52:1
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Joel 3:16
The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Joel 3:17
So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

Issaiah 64:10
Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

Jeremiah 4:6
Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

SIX , First things first.

Micah 3:12 (see Jeremiah 26:18) (NASB)
Therefore, on account of you,
Zion will be plowed as a field,
Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins,
And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.

Issaiah 51:3
For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.

Seems to indicate an area greater than Jerusalem.

Psalm 48:2
Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Psalm 84:5 (RSV)
Blessed are the men whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

Jeremiah 3:14
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

Revelation 14:1 (NASB)
AND I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty~four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.

SEVEN , Ezekiel's temple chapters 40 to 44.

Ezekiel's temple, the third temple, described in Ezekiel chapters 40 to 44, will be built on Mount Zion some day (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 3:12, 7:15, 11:1 and 2). We know this because both are known to be God's future dwelling place. There is a bit of a problem with that. The temple is described in Ezekiel as being 500 reeds by 500 reeds (Ezekiel 42:16 to 20). That is approximately one square mile. Mount Zion in Jerusalem is about 0.12 by 0.36 miles or 0.04 of a square mile, the city of David is much smaller, far too small for the next temple. An area about 25 times larger than the Temple Mount is needed. Also Jerusalem is not on level ground, it is very hilly. There is no place to build a level one square mile temple in Jerusalem at present. Mind you the scriptures do not say that it will be built on level ground, only the artists concepts of the temple show that. But lo and behold we have the next verse.

Zecharia 14:10 (KJV)
All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem (?50 miles?): and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin�s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses

Zecharia 6:12 to 15 (NASB)
12 Then say to him, Thus says the LORD of hosts, Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD.13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.14 Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the LORD to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.15 And those who are far off will come and build the temple of the LORD. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place, if you completely obey the LORD your God.

EIGHT , A couple more temples to consider.

The spiritual temple on earth.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV)
Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

2 Corinthians 6:16 (KJV)
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Ephesians 2:20 to 22 (KJV)
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The spiritual temple in heaven.

Revelation 11:19 (KJV)
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament

Revelation 14:17 (KJV)
And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven

Revelation 15:5 (KJV)
And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened

CONCLUSION

2012 Jacques Gauvin

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