MOUNT ZION
That which naturally comes to be described after the city Jerusalem, is Mount Zion; the whole of which was anciently inclosed within the wall of the city, and about one half of which is within the modern city wall.
“David took the strong hold of Zion, the same is the city of David; so David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David.” (1 Samuel 5: 7-9)
This continued the royal residence, and became also the burial place of the kings; but that which gave it a sacred character, and made it afterwards, like Jerusalem, used to signify the church and nation of Israel, was the ark of God being placed there by David. When we consider that the ark was made by the express command of God, and that He gave the most minute directions respecting it, we cannot but wonder at the entire oblivion into which it seems to have fallen for so long a period. For upwards of ninety years, [20 years and seven months. —Ed] that is from the death of Eli, until David was king over all Israel, the ark appears to have been in a state of disuse. We hear once, it is true, of Saul calling for it (1 Samuel 14: 18); but David says expressly, when about to take it to Mount Zion,
“Let us bring again the ark of our God to us; for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul.” (1 Chronicles 13: 3)
It was probably to teach Israel again to honor it, as the visible symbol of His presence, that God saw fit to cut off Uzzah for his rashness in touching it. This judgment seems to have reminded David that the ark was not to be put upon ‘a new cart,’ after the fashion of the Philistines, but borne upon the shoulders of the Levites.
“And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched for it a tent. Then David said: ‘None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for them hath God chosen to carry the ark of God.’” (1 Chronicles 15: 1-2)
David and all Israel brought up the ark with shouting and great joy, “and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it.” (2 Samuel 6: 17) From this time until the building of the temple, to which the ark was removed, Zion was the holy place, or sanctuary of the Lord; and the name continued ever after to be used by prophets and holy men, to designate the whole of Jerusalem, including the temple.
“I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain.” (Joel 3: 17)
“Is not the Lord in Zion?” (Jeremiah 8: 19)
What now remains of the glory of Mount Zion? Nothing. Its regal splendour, its hallowed sacredness, are gone: “Therefore shall Zion be ploughed as a field;” was the word of the inspired prophet to “the heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel;” (Micah 3: 9, 12) and there is now a field of barley growing on Zion, as a testimony that the word of the Lord standeth sure. Where now are her bulwarks and her palaces, which the Psalmist pointed out to the consideration of the faithful? They are swept away with the besom of destruction.
Mount Zion is separated from mount Moriah, a locality full of interesting associations. Here the father of the faithful was put to the trying test of offering up his well-beloved son. On this mount in dutiful submission to his Heavenly and his earthly father, he lay bound, from whom afterwards proceeded the many thousands of Israel. When Jerusalem was visited with pestilence, as a punishment for the sin of David in numbering the people, it was on this mount the destroying angel showed himself. It was at that time the property of one of the original inhabitants of Jerusalem, Arauneh, or Ornan, the Jebusite.
“And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem.” (1 Chronicles 21: 15-16)
David was commanded to erect here an altar unto the Lord, and this he fixed upon as the place whereon the temple should be built.
“Then David said, This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21: 1)
And here, in due time, was the magnificent temple reared up by Solomon the peaceful prince, the successor of Melchizedek, “king of Salem, which is king of peace,” (Hebrews 7: 2), and the type of that “Prince of Peace,” who shall “reign over the house of Jacob for ever.” (Luke 1: 33)
The temple of Solomon, with its courts, occupied the whole summit of Mount Moriah. But though it was “exceeding magnifical, of fame and glory throughout all countries” (1 Chronicles 22: 5), it was not this outward splendour that constituted the glory of the temple; it was the shechinah, the abiding presence of the Lord, He condescended to take possession of the habitation prepared for him:
“Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house” (2 Chronicles 7: 1); even as it had before filled the tabernacle in the wilderness. (Exodus 40: 34).
Here was the true church pointed out with sufficient clearness; to separate from this was indeed schism. This visible manifestation of God’s presence continued until the commencement of the captivity. In the visions of Ezekiel, we have a detailed account of the departure of the glory of the Lord from the temple. While a captive by the river Chebar, he was carried—
“In the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate—and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there: Then said he unto me, —son of man, seest thou what they do, even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary?” (Ezekiel 8: 3, 6)
In the following part of the vision we are told that—
“The glory of the Lord went up from the cherub and stood over the threshold of the house” (Ezekiel 10: 4);
The glory then removes to “the east gate of the Lord’s house” (Ezekiel 10: 19); and finally—
“The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city” (Ezekiel 11: 23); that is, the Mount of Olives.
When speaking of these localities, in connexion with this vision of the departure of the shechinah, I cannot resist directing my reader’s attention to another remarkable vision of the same prophet yet to be fulfilled. The latter portion of Ezekiel’s prophecy is occupied with the subject of the future glory of Israel; in which, doubtless, “there are many things hard to be understood;” but this much is very plain, that the things therein predicted did not come to pass at the return from Babylon. Respecting the “house” which occupies such a prominent part in that vision, I offer no opinion; that to which I now wish to direct attention is, the return of the glory of God, whose departure we have just seen so minutely described.
“Afterwards he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east; and behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east; and his voice was like a noise of many waters, and the earth shined with his glory; —and the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is towards the east; —and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And he said unto me: Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever.” (Ezekiel 43: 1-7)
Compare this with the following Scriptures:
“My tabernacle is also with them; yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever more.” (Ezekiel 37: 27-28)
“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.” (Zechariah 14: 4, 9)
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them.” (Revelation 21: 3)
These Scriptures I leave without note or comment, to the consideration of the Christian reader. —Herschell.
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