Third Sunday in Advent 12/16/07 Title: Zion the Heavenly City Text: Isaiah 35:1-10

Third Sunday in Advent
12/16/2007
Title: Zion the Heavenly City.
Isaiah 35:1-10 and Galatians 4:26

Today we continue on our walk with Isaiah as he once more paints a verbal picture for us. This time as I read the scripture, imagine that you and your family have been hauled off to a foreign country where you have to work from dawn to dark to just survive. Imagine that you have no hope for anything changing. Imagine a time in which you not only had to be on guard against robbers, but a time in which wild animals pretty much roamed freely waiting to kill one of your animals or even one of your children. Imagine that you have heard or even visited Lebanon, or Carmel and Sharon where there is lots of green grass for the herds, lots of water, and trees for you and your flocks to find shade under.
Now listen to the inspired words of God given through the prophet Isaiah. Listen to them with the same wonderment the people of that time must have felt. Hear them and feel the wonderment, joy, and sure hope contained in the prophecy. Feel the power of God’s words as you listen with hopeful hearts for the coming of the Lord.
“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; 2 it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon (which by the way were wonderful areas to live in, lots of grazing and trees, essential things for those making their living off the land). They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Isaiah is describing in these words, just as he did last week, Zion the place of God. For the people he was telling these wonders to, he was describing an earthly place, the place where God dwelt.
We know that God through Isaiah is not speaking of an earthly Zion, for we read elsewhere in the New Testament that this Zion is not earthly, but is a description of the end time when all we know will be purified and made new.
It will be a time when there is no need for an earthly kingdom, for the only people residing in it are those who have believed in Christ as the Messiah. It will be very much like the Garden of Eden where there was no need for buildings to keep out the weather, animals, or those who would rob.
I say that because the mighty one, the Son of God, our Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes, and he does not keep silence. Before him is a devouring fire, round about him a mighty tempest. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: “Gather to me my faithful ones.”
You’d think that ideas like “Zion” and the heavenly Jerusalem would be well understood in the church today, but I don’t think it is because of one of two reasons. First, there are those who say that Zion is only spiritual and really will or does not exist. Then there are others who would say that it is physical place where Jesus will rule much as a benevolent king does today.
I would say that there is some truth in both beliefs, but neither one has it right because that is not what God’s Word teaches. That is why I want to focus on Zion today. We first hear of Zion in 2 Samuel 5:7 where we read “Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David.” From that time on Zion was synonymous with the city of David.
What begins to make this place so significant in both spiritual and earthly terms is that King David, according to 2 Samuel 6:12, brings the Ark of the Covenant into to this stronghold of Zion. The Ark of the Covenant was considered to be the sacred seat of the holy of holies where God met his people in the tabernacle.
To the faithful, actually, even to their enemies, that is where the strength of people was found. During warfare you would always try to capture the enemies’ gods, because then they would be rendered hopeless. It was sort of like those who attacked own country. They attacked or tried to attack what they considered to be our gods, those symbols that we so proudly wave, financial buildings, White House, and our base of military operations. Destroy them and thus our will would be destroyed.
Anyway, back to the text. After King David brought the tabernacle into Zion, it became for the people of Israel the center of worship and of God’s presence. According to 1 Kings 8:1, after King Solomon moved the ark of the covenant into the temple that he had built, the whole of Jerusalem came to be known as Zion.
So most of the time in its 150+ uses in the Old Testament “Zion” refers to the city of Jerusalem, not just as another name, but because it is the city of God’s presence and the city of great hope for those who considered themselves to be God’s people.
Just as Moses, Elijah, and King David were foreshadowing of Jesus and his reign, Zion is the foreshadowing of the heavenly Zion. But, because sin became rampant among the people and because divine judgment was inevitable, even on Zion where we are told how much God wanted to gather his people together and they wouldn’t, it became more and more obvious, especially to the prophets, that Zion, the city of David, the earthly Jerusalem, was not going to be the place of God. They began to see more clearly that this Zion pointed forward to a future Zion and upward to a heavenly Zion. Or, to put it another way, if imperfect Zion is the place of God’s presence on the earth, then there must be a perfect Zion where God and his people dwell.
We read of it in Acts 7: 48-50, “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? 50 Did not my hand make all these things?'”
And if imperfect Zion is the place of God’s presence on the earth then, and if God’s words in Acts are true, and they are, it must mean that all the promises of complete and perfect reign on the earth must have a different meaning other than what the people of old thought or so many still think today.
In other words, like Moses, Elijah, and David pointed toward Jesus, the old Zion, Jerusalem, then points upward to a heavenly Zion, and forward to a future Zion. And that is what makes our Old Testament reading for this morning such a perfect Advent text.
Remember the first Sunday in Advent when we read in Isaiah 2:2-4, “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For bout of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
That text also points to a heavenly Zion where God already reigns now. This is not so easy to see, but once we see it, it becomes really precious to us who live far from the earthly Jerusalem and are not even Jews, for we see that our salvation does not depend on one’s nationality, heritage, or a physical place, but on God’s grace alone.
Our citizenship is in Zion but it is not earthly, but heavenly.
We became citizens of Zion when we were baptized. So it does not make any difference where we were or were not born. God is populating Zion with foreigners of every people and tribe and tongue and nation. Yes that means that means that even those we consider to be our enemies, can become citizens in this Zion.
Listen to what Hebrews 12:22 says to Christians, to those who trust Christ, “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering and to the assembly of the first born, who are enrolled in heaven.”
Notice the verse says, “You have come to Mount Zion” not: you will come. But you have come. One of the great things about being a Christian is that when you are born again through the Spirit and water, you don’t have to wonder anymore if you are going to be a part of the city of God. Those who are born from above have already come to Mount Zion; they are already enrolled in the heavenly Jerusalem; they are already citizens of the city of God. If you trust Christ, you are already a permanent citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem. And when this new Jerusalem appears, you will be there, too, in glory.
I want to close my message this morning by referring to the last chapter of Revelation, chapter 22, starting at verse 17.“The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. 18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 20He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” Come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Amen

Third Sunday in Advent 12/16/07 Title: Zion the Heavenly City Text: Isaiah 35:1-10

Third Sunday in Advent
12/16/2007
Title: Zion the Heavenly City.
Isaiah 35:1-10 and Galatians 4:26

Today we continue on our walk with Isaiah as he once more paints a verbal picture for us. This time as I read the scripture, imagine that you and your family have been hauled off to a foreign country where you have to work from dawn to dark to just survive. Imagine that you have no hope for anything changing. Imagine a time in which you not only had to be on guard against robbers, but a time in which wild animals pretty much roamed freely waiting to kill one of your animals or even one of your children. Imagine that you have heard or even visited Lebanon, or Carmel and Sharon where there is lots of green grass for the herds, lots of water, and trees for you and your flocks to find shade under.
Now listen to the inspired words of God given through the prophet Isaiah. Listen to them with the same wonderment the people of that time must have felt. Hear them and feel the wonderment, joy, and sure hope contained in the prophecy. Feel the power of God’s words as you listen with hopeful hearts for the coming of the Lord.
“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; 2 it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon (which by the way were wonderful areas to live in, lots of grazing and trees, essential things for those making their living off the land). They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. 3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8 And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Isaiah is describing in these words, just as he did last week, Zion the place of God. For the people he was telling these wonders to, he was describing an earthly place, the place where God dwelt.
We know that God through Isaiah is not speaking of an earthly Zion, for we read elsewhere in the New Testament that this Zion is not earthly, but is a description of the end time when all we know will be purified and made new.
It will be a time when there is no need for an earthly kingdom, for the only people residing in it are those who have believed in Christ as the Messiah. It will be very much like the Garden of Eden where there was no need for buildings to keep out the weather, animals, or those who would rob.
I say that because the mighty one, the Son of God, our Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes, and he does not keep silence. Before him is a devouring fire, round about him a mighty tempest. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: “Gather to me my faithful ones.”
You’d think that ideas like “Zion” and the heavenly Jerusalem would be well understood in the church today, but I don’t think it is because of one of two reasons. First, there are those who say that Zion is only spiritual and really will or does not exist. Then there are others who would say that it is physical place where Jesus will rule much as a benevolent king does today.
I would say that there is some truth in both beliefs, but neither one has it right because that is not what God’s Word teaches. That is why I want to focus on Zion today. We first hear of Zion in 2 Samuel 5:7 where we read “Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David.” From that time on Zion was synonymous with the city of David.
What begins to make this place so significant in both spiritual and earthly terms is that King David, according to 2 Samuel 6:12, brings the Ark of the Covenant into to this stronghold of Zion. The Ark of the Covenant was considered to be the sacred seat of the holy of holies where God met his people in the tabernacle.
To the faithful, actually, even to their enemies, that is where the strength of people was found. During warfare you would always try to capture the enemies’ gods, because then they would be rendered hopeless. It was sort of like those who attacked own country. They attacked or tried to attack what they considered to be our gods, those symbols that we so proudly wave, financial buildings, White House, and our base of military operations. Destroy them and thus our will would be destroyed.
Anyway, back to the text. After King David brought the tabernacle into Zion, it became for the people of Israel the center of worship and of God’s presence. According to 1 Kings 8:1, after King Solomon moved the ark of the covenant into the temple that he had built, the whole of Jerusalem came to be known as Zion.
So most of the time in its 150+ uses in the Old Testament “Zion” refers to the city of Jerusalem, not just as another name, but because it is the city of God’s presence and the city of great hope for those who considered themselves to be God’s people.
Just as Moses, Elijah, and King David were foreshadowing of Jesus and his reign, Zion is the foreshadowing of the heavenly Zion. But, because sin became rampant among the people and because divine judgment was inevitable, even on Zion where we are told how much God wanted to gather his people together and they wouldn’t, it became more and more obvious, especially to the prophets, that Zion, the city of David, the earthly Jerusalem, was not going to be the place of God. They began to see more clearly that this Zion pointed forward to a future Zion and upward to a heavenly Zion. Or, to put it another way, if imperfect Zion is the place of God’s presence on the earth, then there must be a perfect Zion where God and his people dwell.
We read of it in Acts 7: 48-50, “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? 50 Did not my hand make all these things?'”
And if imperfect Zion is the place of God’s presence on the earth then, and if God’s words in Acts are true, and they are, it must mean that all the promises of complete and perfect reign on the earth must have a different meaning other than what the people of old thought or so many still think today.
In other words, like Moses, Elijah, and David pointed toward Jesus, the old Zion, Jerusalem, then points upward to a heavenly Zion, and forward to a future Zion. And that is what makes our Old Testament reading for this morning such a perfect Advent text.
Remember the first Sunday in Advent when we read in Isaiah 2:2-4, “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3and many peoples shall come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For bout of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
That text also points to a heavenly Zion where God already reigns now. This is not so easy to see, but once we see it, it becomes really precious to us who live far from the earthly Jerusalem and are not even Jews, for we see that our salvation does not depend on one’s nationality, heritage, or a physical place, but on God’s grace alone.
Our citizenship is in Zion but it is not earthly, but heavenly.
We became citizens of Zion when we were baptized. So it does not make any difference where we were or were not born. God is populating Zion with foreigners of every people and tribe and tongue and nation. Yes that means that means that even those we consider to be our enemies, can become citizens in this Zion.
Listen to what Hebrews 12:22 says to Christians, to those who trust Christ, “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering and to the assembly of the first born, who are enrolled in heaven.”
Notice the verse says, “You have come to Mount Zion” not: you will come. But you have come. One of the great things about being a Christian is that when you are born again through the Spirit and water, you don’t have to wonder anymore if you are going to be a part of the city of God. Those who are born from above have already come to Mount Zion; they are already enrolled in the heavenly Jerusalem; they are already citizens of the city of God. If you trust Christ, you are already a permanent citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem. And when this new Jerusalem appears, you will be there, too, in glory.
I want to close my message this morning by referring to the last chapter of Revelation, chapter 22, starting at verse 17.“The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. 18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 20He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” Come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Amen