Spring
1992
Zion
Wade E Taylor
"When the LORD shall build up Zion, He shall
appear in His glory" Psalm 102:16.
Within the Body of Christ (Spiritual Jerusalem) are those
who are being especially moved upon (Spiritual Zion) by the
Holy Spirit at this present time. These have a "single
eye" towards the Lord and towards spiritual things. They
have taken up their cross and have submitted their lives,
and all that pertains to them, to His Kingdom rule (Zion).
Salvation relates to Spiritual Jerusalem. These are saved,
but treat their salvation as being "salt" which
only flavors rather than permeates their life style. They
are satisfied with the promise of a future Heaven and have
stopped short of the full work of the cross in bringing them
to spiritual maturity.
Scattered among these are overcomers (Spiritual Zion) who
have made Jesus both the center and circumference of their
lives. These are a called out "people within a people"
who are being dealt with and qualified to become His Bride.
"For many are called (Spiritual Jerusalem), but few
are chosen(Spiritual Zion)" Matt 22:14. Another way to
express this verse is, "Many are called but few will
pay the price to be chosen." Being chosen is based on
a process of overcoming, or qualifying. "To him that
overcometh (Zion) will I grant to sit with me (Bride) in My
Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
in His Throne" Rev3:21. One can be saved and not become
an overcomer. One cannot be an overcomer without first being
saved.
Zion is a high place within Jerusalem that originally belonged
to the Jebusites. It was taken by David and became known as
the city of David. "Nevertheless David took the strong
hold of Zion: the same is the city f David" II Sam 5:7.
Zion speaks of the place of His spiritual and governmental
authority. "Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill
of Zion" Psalm 2:6. It is, in the eyes of the Lord, a
very special place. "Beautiful for situation, the joy
of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north,
the city of the great King" Psalm 48:2.
The Lord has a singular love for Zion. "The LORD loveth
the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious
things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah ... and of
Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her:
and the Highest Himself shall establish her. The LORD shall
count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born
there. Selah" Psalm 87:2-3, 5-6.
David set up a tent in Zion to hold the Ark of God. "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"
I Chron 15:1. This tent became the abiding place of the Lord.
"In Judah is God known: His Name is great in Israel.
In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in
Zion" Psalm76:1-2.
There were no separations between the Lord and those who
worshiped in this tent in Zion. There was no Outer Court,
Holy Place, or Holy of Holies into which a representative
Priest entered once a year to make atonement for the people.
All within the tent were on common ground where the Lord Himself
continually dwelt among His people, "They go from strength
to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God"
Psalm 84:7.
Zion is a place set apart for the high worship of God, "That
I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter
of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation" Psalm 9:14.
It speaks of a spontaneity in worship. "As well the singers
as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs
are in thee" Psalm 87:7.
Zion is the place of His anointing and provision. "For
the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired
it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy
her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation:
and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. There will I make
the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine
anointed" Psalm 132:13-17.
Zion is at the heart of divine activity in the working out
of the higher purpose of God. "When the LORD shall build
up Zion, He shall appear in His glory" Psalm 102:16.
This "building up of Zion" is a prophetic indicative
concerning the return of our Lord Jesus Christ in manifest
Glory.
Zion signifies the atmosphere in which His Bride will be
made ready for the coming of her Heavenly Bridegroom. It speaks
of those who have a consuming zeal to be brought into the
highest that the Lord has. At the heart of this process is
the cultivation of a personal relationship with Him, and a
submission in every aspect of life to His Kingdom authority.
Chapter six of Isaiah relates to this special working of
the Lord in Zion. It begins with the year in which King Uzziah
died. Isaiah had been looking to an earthly King (Jerusalem)
and is now turning to a higher Throne (Zion). In the presence
of this heavenly Throne are Seraphim who resound in pure worship.
"And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy,
is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His Glory"
Isa 6:3.
As they continued in worship, the posts of the door began
to move. "And the posts of the door moved at the voice
of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke (Glory)"
Isa 6:4. This "door" leads from Spiritual Jerusalem,
and all that pertains to it, into Zion and all that relates
to it.
Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in
to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" Rev 3:20.
This "door" that Jesus speaks of relates to the
"posts of the door" that Isaiah saw move. These
"posts" speak of that which holds this door either
closed or open. The unity in the audible voices of these worshipers
(one cried to another) released the hindrance that had held
this door closed. As the door opened, there was a lifting
up from Jerusalem (Type and Shadow, Structure, Earthly Government)
into Zion (Anointing, Visitation, Heavenly Government) and
into His manifest presence (Throne).
This manifestation of His Glory is seen by Isaiah as being
"smoke." In II Cor 3:18 the Glory of the Lord is
likened to a mirror. As Isaiah beheld this Glory, in the reflection
of it, he saw himself as he had never seem himself before.
"Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am
a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD
of hosts" Isa 6:5.
Nothing will change us more than a visitation of His Glory.
"Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live
coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off
the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this
hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and
thy sin purged" Isa 6:6-7.
To enter Zion means that we have moved through the barrier
that exists between the temporal and the eternal. It is in
Zion that we see ourselves as we truly are. Here, we are enabled
to repent and cry out to be changed. Isaiah had been serving
the Lord before this experience, but in this visitation of
Glory, he saw himself as never before and cried out to be
changed.
"Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live
coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off
the altar" Isa 6:6. This speaks of the Baptism in the
Holy Spirit, and in Fire. "He shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and
he will thoroughly purge his floor" Matt 3:11b-12a. Multitudes
have received the infilling of the Holy Spirit and have spoken
in tongues. But they have not tarried until the "fire"
came and purged them.
"And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath
touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy
sin purged" Isa 6:7. As this coal of fire comes and touches
our life, we will be transformed, and our expression purified.
There will come within us a quality that will have a spiritual
"ring" to it.
Zion was the place of His abiding presence. He yet longs
to be there. As we move beyond "tongues" into the
"fire," Zion will be built up and the Lord will
come in His Glory. In Old Testament times, there were those
who saw His Glory within the tent in Zion. These told their
children about it, and they in turn told their children. In
time, Zion became as only a dream.
We must go beyond our present level of spiritual understanding
and experience and again enter David's tent. We cannot do
this literally, but in spirit we can. As we voice our worship
to Him and express our desire to meet with Him and make him
Lord of our lives, again, the "posts of the door"
will move and we will enter His glorious presence.
No longer will "Uzziah" (Jerusalem) provide the
comfort we seek, but we will see the Lord upon His Throne
(Zion) and make Him Lord of our lives. And, in the reflection
of His Glory, we will see ourselves and be changed.
We must allow this "coal of fire" to have its full
work within us, until nothing is left but that which pertains
to Zion. Then He will come forth in all His Glory.