Last updated on November 29, 2024
God’s holy mountain is the subject of many Biblical prophecies in the Old and the New Testaments. But, what exactly is God’s holy mountain?
Literal and Spiritual Meanings
First, you must understand that God’s holy mountain is not literal. Instead, God’s holy mountain is spiritual. And although history may point to the land of Jerusalem as the location of God’s holy mountain, it is not what the Bible is referring to.
So, to understand what God’s holy mountain is all about, we must first understand the following concept:
A word, a verse, or a passage in the Bible can have more than one meaning. And the meanings can be literal or spiritual or both. Therefore, we must learn how to discern the difference.
Jerusalem And Zion
Now, let us apply this concept to the following Bible passage about Jerusalem and Zion— the city founded by King David.
2 Samuel 5:6 Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you.” For they thought, “David cannot get in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of David).
In the preceding passage, King David marched to the land of Jerusalem to take it from the Jebusites. And then, “Zion” was mentioned later in the passage. It was the “fortress” that King David captured. I can discern a dual meaning to this particular Bible passage. One meaning is literal and the other is spiritual.
King David captured two places when he marched into Jerusalem. The first place that King David captured was the land of the Jebusites. The land of the Jebusites that King David captured is called Jerusalem.
The second place King David captured was an unseen spiritual realm that the Bible calls Zion.
Because King David captured the two places, Jerusalem now has two meanings. One meaning is literal and the other is spiritual. Therefore, when we see “Jerusalem” written in the Bible, it may refer to the physical city of Jerusalem or Zion, God’s holy mountain.
How to discern
Below are some examples of how to discern between the spiritual and literal meanings of Jerusalem.
Here’s one example:
Luke 2:41 Every year His parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.
I can discern that the Jerusalem mentioned in the preceding verse is the land of Jerusalem.
The Holy Mountain
But more often than not, when the Bible mentions Jerusalem, it is referring to Zion—God’s holy mountain.
Here is an example:
Jeremiah 3:17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
I can discern the meaning of the “Jerusalem” mentioned in the preceding verse as spiritual.
How was I able to discern this?
Well, the line “all the nations will gather in Jerusalem” tells me that it is referring to something spiritual because the people of “all the nations” will not all fit in the city of Jerusalem. Therefore it has to refer to the spiritual Jerusalem or Zion—God’s holy mountain.
Another example:
Psalm 2:6 “I have installed My King on Zion, upon My holy mountain.”
In the preceding verse, God clearly stated that Zion is His holy mountain. In this case, Zion is the spiritual Jerusalem—God’s holy mountain.
Mount Zion
And the last example:
Joel 2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
In the verse above Zion and Jerusalem are both mentioned. But in this particular verse, the prophet Joel referred to both the spiritual Jerusalem and the physical Jerusalem. There is no need to distinguish between the meanings of the words. By the way, Mount Zion is just a short form for God’s Holy Mountain Zion.
Conclusion
To understand what God’s holy mountain is about, we must first understand that a word, verse, or passage that is written in the Bible can have more than one meaning.
The meaning of a word, verse, or passage in the Bible can be literal, spiritual, or both. Therefore we must take into account that Jerusalem is both a physical and spiritual place. God’s holy mountain is called Zion. And Jerusalem is also known as Zion. This is why there is such a thing as “spiritual” Jerusalem. Mount Zion is a short form of God’s holy mountain Zion.
So when you see Jerusalem mentioned in the Bible, it could be referring to the land of Jerusalem or God’s holy mountain, Zion—The spiritual Jerusalem. We must learn how to discern which Jerusalem it is referring to.
That’s all for now brethren and friends. If this post has helped you understand this topic, please share this knowledge with others. You can share the post on your social media accounts or consider donating to this ministry. Until next time, may God bless you!
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