Zion
By
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” toward the Lord and toward 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 lifestyle. 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)" Matthew 22:14. Another way to
express this verse is, “Many 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” Revelation 3:21. 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 of David” 2 Samuel 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” 1 Chronicles 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” Psalm
76:1-2.
There
was no separation between the Lord and those who worshiped in the 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 dwell; for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her
poor with bread. I will 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” Isaiah 6:3.
As
the 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]” Isaiah 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” Revelation 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 2 Corinthians 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 seen 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” Isaiah 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” Isaiah 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" Isaiah 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” Matthew 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" Isaiah 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 only as 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.
