Category Archives: Jerusalem & Zion

Which Jerusalem? Part I of III

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What we now call Jerusalem was part of kingdom of the Jebusites. When the Israelites first invaded the land they were not able to dislodge the native inhabitants from this almost impregnable mountain fortress, Jos 15:63. David finally took the city in 2 Samuel 5, and it came to be called, “The city of David,” 2Sam 5:7.

It was a very strong position for a
fortified city.

It was over time strengthened, and water sources were added to the city, and it was indeed very strong, although adversaries have taken it several times in history. Then a special series of events led up to Jerusalem being very specifically chosen for religious purposes.

“Then the angel of Yahweh commanded Gad to tell David, that David should go up, and raise an altar to Yahweh in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.”
1Chron 21:18 WEB

This then was official beginning of official worship of Yahweh in Jerusalem. They were told through Moses,

“But to the place which Yahweh your God shall choose out of all your tribes, to put his name there, even to his habitation shall you seek, and there you shall come; ”
Deut 12:5 WEB

Then it came about in the time of David that God said,

“but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.”
2Chron 6:6 WEB

It was to be the official city of God, the official place for Yahweh to be worshipped.

Now the key fortress was on Mount Zion.

That was the fortress David and his men had taken in 2Samuel 5. That is where the temple and the kings palaces were built. Even so there were other associations. So it says,

“Then Solomon began to build the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where Yahweh appeared to David his father, …”
2Chron 3:1 WEB

God tested Abraham in Genesis 22

Abraham was told to go to Moriah to sacrifice his son, Gen 22:22. It was of course only a test to see if Abraham would trust God and His word, no matter what. The would-be sacrifice was stopped, and ram was supplied for the sacrifice. Abraham said at that time,

“Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh-jireh [Yahweh is my provider]. As it is said to this day, “In Yahweh’s mountain it will be provided.””
Gen 22:14 WEB

And this was evidently Mount Zion in Jerusalem that is called Mount Moriah. All in all is speaks great things of this place

And when David spoke of Jerusalem and the temple,

the appointed place God had set, he says,

“I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as at the first,”
2Sam 7:10 WEB

Powerful claims, which make you wonder!

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Why Types Can Confuse: Clear Contradictions

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There is a short but beautiful psalm about Zion in Psalm 48. Mount Zion is what I like to call capital hill in Jerusalem. On it was the temple of the Lord, and the palaces of the kings. Today it is where the Mohammedan “Dome of the Rock” sits. It is the city of the Great King in verse 2.

A psalm of a great victory.

The authors do talk about the lovingkindness of the Lord in verse 9. They say the praise of the God is to the ends of the earth in verse 10, and they say the daughters of Judah should rejoice because of God’s judgments.

And it speaks of strange reactions by some kings.

Some kings have assembled and passed by Jerusalem “together,” verse 4. It seems they have gathered together to destroy Zion, Then,

“5 They saw it, then they were amazed.
They were dismayed,
They hurried away.
6 Trembling took hold of them there,
Pain, as of a woman in travail.
7 With the east wind, you break the ships of Tarshish.”
Psa 48:5-7 WEB

This is evidently a psalm of thanks for a great victory from God. Their enemies have come in “ships of Tarshish,” which God has broken apart by a great east wind in verse 7. Mount Zion can be magnificent in many ways, and many in ancient times were impressed with strength of her fortifications. But merely seeing the city and being “amazed,” “dismayed,” and fleeing away? Since when has just seeing Zion caused coalitions of kings to run in panic?

Then look at this description of “Zion,” Psa 48:2

The KJV says it “is mount Zion, on the sides of the north.” What?? Sides of what?

The New American Standard 95 edition and others say it is Mount Zion in “the far north.” These are good translations, but physical Zion is NOT in the “far” north. The WEB says Zion is on “the north sides,” but it isn’t. It is on the east side of Jerusalem, facing the mount of Olives. It doesn’t make sense of physical Zion on earth. It contradicts reality. Further, no victory like this for “Zion” has ever happened, so far!

But we have come to heavenly Zion and Jerusalem, Heb 12:22. We have “not come to a mountain that might be touched,” Heb 12:17 WEB, at least physically

But the earthly are mere copies of the heavenly things,
Heb 9:24.

The kings of the earth will be gathered against God’s people at a final time in Rev 20:7-10 and many Old Testament passages. The heavenly Jerusalem will come down out of heaven for all to see, Revelation 21, and the kings of the earth and all opposition will flee away.

“ … from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.”
Rev 20:11 WEB

Psalm 48 then is a parallel to those passages in Revelation 20, and Zechariah and Ezekiel, and others. Physical Zion is symbolic, a type, of the heavenly throne where Jesus now sits Heb 8:1, etc.

But if you try to make Psalm 48 fit mere physical geography and history past, it makes no sense. The seeming “contradictions” are clues to a type.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Zechariah: A Key Prophetic Book

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Poor, poor, neglected Zechariah. Zechariah is one of the smaller books in our Bible. Also Zechariah is one of the most difficult books of our Bible. Perhaps it is more difficult than the book of Revelation. Even many scholars just avoid the book. On the other hand, I would not say there is any book of the Bible of which I can say, I understand ALL of it. Still Zechariah deals with some central themes.

Zechariah deals with the first coming of the Christ.

It even quotes particulars such as His violent death.

“Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
And against the man who is close to me,” says Yahweh of Hosts.
Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; And I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
Zech 13:7 WEB

There is more about Jesus in Zechariah, but this verse is quoted as such in Mtt 26:31

Zechariah and Revelation often use similar imagery.

There are horns, there four chariots that sort of remind one of some of the images of heaven in Revelation. There are angels ministering to men, and more.

Zechariah deals with the Jews coming to Jesus.

It deals with this explicitly in Zechariah chapters 12 and 13. It seemingly speaks of all of Israel turning to Yahweh and His Christ, and it is discussed in connect with some heavy attacks on both “Judah” and “Jerusalem.” Such a national conversion has not happened to the Jews overall … so far!

Zechariah deals with TWO massive assaults on “Jerusalem,”.

“… and all the nations of the earth will be gathered together against it.” Zech 12:3 WEB

But is this talking about earthly Jerusalem as in Gal 4:24? Or is it talking about the church, Jerusalem above of the “kingdom of heaven,” as in many passages, including:

“But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Gal 4:26 WEB

Earthly Jerusalem has NEVER been assaulted this way, nor has the church, EVER, by “ALL the nations of the earth.” Either way, as described, these assaults have NEVER happened in any way. So we are either talking about a false prophecy … or one that is yet to happen.

Zechariah deals with a special “worthless shepherd.”

He is called an “idol shepherd” Zech 11:17 KJV. In a wandering discussion over several chapters Zechariah compares him with the true shepherd (Jesus the Christ). Both are killed by “the sword” according to Zechariah. Both have a recovery from death of one sort or another, according to Zechariah. Could this be speaking of the beast of Rev 13:3, who is “wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed,” KJV, and who is worshiped by the entire world?

There is more to tell, but this is a sampler.

Really, I do not think you can unravel the prophecies of the Christian Age, of Revelation, or of the end of the age, without Zechariah. Really we should not even be trying to do that.

KJV is the King James Versiom, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901