18You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
22No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
25Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. 28Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29For our God is a devouring fire.
Hebrews 12:18-29
Let’s address the elephant in the room. What is Zion? [ציּון zı̄on tsı̄yon; Σιών, Siṓn] Zion in all of its forms is a name applied to Jerusalem, or to certain parts of it, at least since the time of David. Nothing certain is known of the meaning. Gesenius and others have derived it from a Hebrew root צהה, cāhāh, “to be dry”; Delitzsch from צוּה, ciwwāh, “to set up” and Wetzstein from צין, cı̄n, “to protect.” Gesenius finds a more hopeful suggestion in the Arabic equivalent ṣihw, the Arabic ṣahwat signifying “ridge of a mountain” or “citadel,” which at any rate suitably applies to what we know to have been the original Zion. Setting aside the question over the meaning of Zion, there is confusion over what exactly Zion refers to. Different sites have been called “Zion” over the centuries.
Jerus (Uru-sa-lim) is the oldest name we know for this city which goes back at least 400 years before David. Zion was the name of the stronghold in Jebusite times, the citadel on the southwestern hill which was the Jebusite fort. More specifically it was the name given to the southeastern ridge which ran along the escarpment on the southeastern side of this hill. (G A Smith and Macalister)
The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites…. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David … And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David.
2 Samuel 5:6-9
In the time of David, Zion referred to Jerusalem, or the city of David as seen in the verse quoted above and other references. In many of the later writings, Zion appears to be the equivalent of the whole of Jerusalem, especially in poetry (1 Kings 8:1, 1 Chronicles 11:5, Psalm 102:21, Amos 1:2, Micah 3:10 and many more).
Zion also was used to refer to the Temple Mount and the Temple (Ps 50:2, 65:1, 68:16, 135:21, Isaiah 4:5; 8:18, Jeremiah 31:6, Micah 4:7. Jerusalem was the centre of worship in the land; the place where the temple stood, and where the worship of God was celebrated, and a visible symbol of where God dwelt, thus Zion became used as a term for the place where God dwelt. But what is curious is that in the New Testament Zion is only mentioned twice.
No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.
Hebrews 12:22
Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Revelation 14:1
According to the author of Hebrews, Zion is clearly a reference to the final heavenly home of those who are Christ’s. He makes that clear by the two further titles he gives Zion – The City of the Living God and The Heavenly Jerusalem. There are no other references in the New Testament to Zion, just these two. But there are other hints at the eternal dwelling place of God and His people in Hebrews 11:10, 14-16; 13:14.
But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:16
This is an interesting verse in the light of Jesus’ comment in John 14.
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
John 14:1-3
We are indebted to the author of Hebrews for spelling out the significance of Zion for the Jewish believers in Christ as their Messiah, his contrast between Sinai and Zion made it clear. Where the saints of old had not yet attained their faith goal (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), these Jewish Christians have already come to the Heavenly City (Zion). It was already a present reality. How is that possible? In what way can it be said that they have come to Zion. The Jewish Christians had not yet seen that city with the physical eye at the time the author wrote these things. But as a result of them entering into the New Covenant community, the fact that they were clinging on in faith to Christ ensured the attainment of the goal. They needed to consummate the agreement with the eye of faith and hang on to the end. It was right there, almost touchable.
Those of you who have completed Deeper Bible 301, know the significance of Jesus’ indicative statement in John 16:31 – “Ah you believe at last” or His leading question “Do you finally believe?” The verb pisteuō here is in the present indicative tense, meaning “to believe and keep on believing”. That is exactly what the writer of Hebrews is meaning at this point in his letter. You have not come to scary Mt Sinai (perfect tense); you have come to Mt Zion. You are standing on the brink, right on the edge of the reality of your faith and the appropriation of the goal of your faith. DON’T SHRINK BACK NOW! Your goal of attaining the Life of the Age to Come is within your grasp.
Allow me to spell it out for you in another way by laying out the propositions:
You have come to Mount Zion,
to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering.
You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children,
whose names are written in heaven.
You have come to God himself,
who is the judge over all things.
You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven
who have now been made perfect.
You have come to Jesus,
the One who mediates the new covenant between God and people,
and to the sprinkled blood,
which speaks of forgiveness
instead of crying out for vengeance
like the blood of Abel.
All that dear believer is what you stand on the cusp of. You are almost there! Don’t turn back now.
If you don’t develop faith you’re just warming up a pew!
T D Jakes
Don’t look up, look down. You are seated with Him in heavenly places.
David Foris
Doubt wonders, “Have I done enough to go to heaven?” Grace answers, “No, you haven’t. But Jesus has on your behalf.”
Max Lucado
Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world.
Vince Havner