You Have Come to Mount Zion
Introduction. The church, planned in eternity to reveal God’s manifold wisdom, is far more complex than what can be seen on this earth. It is like the tip of an iceberg. The true greatness and complexity of the church can only be seen by those who live in heaven (Eph. 3:9-11). For example, while Moses and Israel saw only a tabernacle of earthly materials made from the pattern God gave, those in heaven saw it as a “copy and shadow of heavenly things.” There was so much more that could only be revealed when Jesus became the “Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” Jesus was destined to be a “High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation” “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” (Heb. 8:2-5; 9:11, 24).
The Holy Spirit chose another “copy and shadow” to help us see even more. He used God bringing Israel to Mount Sinai to make a covenant with them. As recorded in Ex. 19, God began with “thunderings and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain.” That was followed by “a very loud sound of the trumpet” that caused them to tremble. Next, “Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.” Finally, the “blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder”, and God spoke the ten commandments to them. Forty years later, Moses reminded them: “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice.” (Deut. 5). As Heb. 12:21 records, “so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I am exceedingly afraid and trembling’” But, why did the Holy Spirit choose to reveal these things to us?
Since we have all come to this Mount Zion, what should it mean to us today? It is easy to understand what Israel saw: lightning, fire, thunder, earthquake, a trumpet blast and God’s loud voice. But the Holy Spirit only used that event to help us see how much greater our own experience was when God called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. How much faith have we placed in this? We came to a Mount Zion and heavenly Jerusalem that is not of this creation and it is far more significant than Mount Sinai. It transcends all distance and all time! Peter came to it in Jerusalem, Paul in Damascus, others in Philippi or in Rome. Although that was nearly 2,000 years ago, even time means nothing as Christians today have also come to Mount Zion from nations that did not exist then. They will continue to come to Zion from all over the world until the end of the age.
Almost from the very beginning, Zion became very important to God. Zion was introduced as the “stronghold of David.” (2 Sam. 5:7-9) Later, God selected it to be His city. “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: ‘This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it” (Ps. 132:13‑14).’” “In Salem also is His tabernacle, And His dwelling place in Zion.” (Ps. 76:2). God made it the centerpiece of all His future plans. "“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.’ (Zech. 8:2‑3).
Mount Zion is the great mountain that fills the entire earth. Daniel foretold that in the days of the fourth kingdom (Rome), a stone would roll down and after it “struck the image, became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” Later, God called this same mountain “a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” for “it shall stand forever” Isaiah added, “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 all nations shall flow to it.” (Dan. 2:44, 35; Isa. 2:2-4).
Until the end of this age, it is the mountain every Christian comes to when God forgives their sins and makes them His people. God used Joel to reveal this would happen in the last days when “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance.” (Joel 2:28-32). In his first sermon, Peter quoted this verse and revealed that it was being fulfilled at that moment. Thus, when “all who received His words and were baptized,” Mount Zion became “the great mountain that filled the whole earth.” (Acts 2:41).
God had laid “in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious,” and said, “I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion” (1Pet. 2:4-6; Ps. 2:6). All Christians must come to this Mount Zion, to be joined to the chief cornerstone as “the living stones, built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” They must come to Zion, “So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever” (Mic. 4:6‑10). They must come to Zion because “he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy — everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.” (Isa. 4:3-6).
Conclusion. These may be obscure passages to us, but we must learn them and understand what is being affirmed by them. They were revealed by the Holy Spirit and reflect the true spiritual complexities of the church. We must learn their meaning or deserve the same rebuke they were given: “of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” (Heb. 5:11-14)
The church of Christ is on Mount Zion and spans the entire earth from the moment the first sermon was obeyed until the end of this age. We came to Mount Zion and were united with “the spirits of just men made perfect.” This unites us all the way back to Abel. All the righteous who have ever lived are now on Mount Zion and so are we! Those on Mount Zion are “the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven.” Doesn’t that mean something to us? Isn’t it exciting and motivating? All the angels are there. God and His Son Jesus Christ are there. Although still here on earth, “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Phil. 3:20‑21; Eph. 2:1-21).
The Holy Spirit chose another “copy and shadow” to help us see even more. He used God bringing Israel to Mount Sinai to make a covenant with them. As recorded in Ex. 19, God began with “thunderings and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain.” That was followed by “a very loud sound of the trumpet” that caused them to tremble. Next, “Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.” Finally, the “blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder”, and God spoke the ten commandments to them. Forty years later, Moses reminded them: “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice.” (Deut. 5). As Heb. 12:21 records, “so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I am exceedingly afraid and trembling’” But, why did the Holy Spirit choose to reveal these things to us?
- 18 you have not come to the mountain that may be touched ... 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, (Heb. 12:18-24)
Since we have all come to this Mount Zion, what should it mean to us today? It is easy to understand what Israel saw: lightning, fire, thunder, earthquake, a trumpet blast and God’s loud voice. But the Holy Spirit only used that event to help us see how much greater our own experience was when God called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. How much faith have we placed in this? We came to a Mount Zion and heavenly Jerusalem that is not of this creation and it is far more significant than Mount Sinai. It transcends all distance and all time! Peter came to it in Jerusalem, Paul in Damascus, others in Philippi or in Rome. Although that was nearly 2,000 years ago, even time means nothing as Christians today have also come to Mount Zion from nations that did not exist then. They will continue to come to Zion from all over the world until the end of the age.
Almost from the very beginning, Zion became very important to God. Zion was introduced as the “stronghold of David.” (2 Sam. 5:7-9) Later, God selected it to be His city. “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: ‘This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it” (Ps. 132:13‑14).’” “In Salem also is His tabernacle, And His dwelling place in Zion.” (Ps. 76:2). God made it the centerpiece of all His future plans. "“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.’ (Zech. 8:2‑3).
Mount Zion is the great mountain that fills the entire earth. Daniel foretold that in the days of the fourth kingdom (Rome), a stone would roll down and after it “struck the image, became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” Later, God called this same mountain “a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” for “it shall stand forever” Isaiah added, “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 all nations shall flow to it.” (Dan. 2:44, 35; Isa. 2:2-4).
Until the end of this age, it is the mountain every Christian comes to when God forgives their sins and makes them His people. God used Joel to reveal this would happen in the last days when “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” “For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance.” (Joel 2:28-32). In his first sermon, Peter quoted this verse and revealed that it was being fulfilled at that moment. Thus, when “all who received His words and were baptized,” Mount Zion became “the great mountain that filled the whole earth.” (Acts 2:41).
God had laid “in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious,” and said, “I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion” (1Pet. 2:4-6; Ps. 2:6). All Christians must come to this Mount Zion, to be joined to the chief cornerstone as “the living stones, built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” They must come to Zion, “So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever” (Mic. 4:6‑10). They must come to Zion because “he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy — everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.” (Isa. 4:3-6).
Conclusion. These may be obscure passages to us, but we must learn them and understand what is being affirmed by them. They were revealed by the Holy Spirit and reflect the true spiritual complexities of the church. We must learn their meaning or deserve the same rebuke they were given: “of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” (Heb. 5:11-14)
The church of Christ is on Mount Zion and spans the entire earth from the moment the first sermon was obeyed until the end of this age. We came to Mount Zion and were united with “the spirits of just men made perfect.” This unites us all the way back to Abel. All the righteous who have ever lived are now on Mount Zion and so are we! Those on Mount Zion are “the church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven.” Doesn’t that mean something to us? Isn’t it exciting and motivating? All the angels are there. God and His Son Jesus Christ are there. Although still here on earth, “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Phil. 3:20‑21; Eph. 2:1-21).