Abraham looked for that glorious heavenly city built by God. In the kingdom of the heavens the Lord takes us, His saints, and builds us into His spiritual city called “heavenly Jerusalem” or “mount Zion”. We see these two mount Sinai and mount Zion or natural Jerusalem and spiritual Jerusalem representing the two covenants.
These hills and mountains are a picture of churches and organizations; mount Zion, new Jerusalem is lifted up above the hills. The former rain is a picture of the blessings of God raining down on the early church. The latter rain is the same blessings raining down on the latter church in our day.
These are indeed the spirits of just men made perfect who have learned that new song. Jesus redeems us with judgement and converts us with righteousness that we might be His city of righteousness full of the glory of the Lord.
Heb 11:8-10 RV By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (9) By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: (10) for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Abraham looked for that glorious heavenly city built by God.
Heb 12:22-24 RV but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, (23) to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, (24) and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than that of Abel.
Gal 4:24-27 RV Which things contain an allegory: for these women are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar. (25) Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children. (26) But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother. (27) For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: For more are the children of the desolate than of her which hath the husband.
Isa 2:2-4 RV And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (3) And many peoples shall go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (4) And he shall judge between the nations, and shall reprove many peoples: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Joe 2:21-27 RV Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for the LORD hath done great things. (22) Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. (23) Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first month. (24) And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. (25) And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. (26) And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. (27) And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and there is none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
Rev 14:1-3 RV And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. (2) And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and the voice which I heard was as the voice of harpers harping with their harps: (3) and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, even they that had been purchased out of the earth.
These are indeed the spirits of just men made perfect who have learned that new song.
Isa 1:24-27 RV Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: (25) and I will turn my hand upon thee, and throughly purge away thy dross, and will take away all thy tin: (26) and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, the faithful city. (27) Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.
image by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash.com
If you’ve ever been on a long trip then you know what it’s like when you have drawn close to your destination how you grow more and more anxious to arrive. We indeed have an arrival ahead of us. To that same city Abraham looked toward. On this earth we, like Abraham, are sojourners, passing through. We can sense it in the air, we hear the sound, we feel it in our souls and the beating of our hearts, that we are drawing close and even closer yet. What a glorious city, not built by man but without the sound of a hammer, built by the mighty hand of God. I love the verse that Richard brought out in Gal 4 that she is the Jerusalem above. This is The Body of Christ, His chosen people, His bride. “My dove, my perfect one, is the only one, The only one of her MOTHER, the favorite of the one who bore her, The daughters saw her and called her blessed, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.” ( Song of Solomon 6:9) His church will make up that beautiful city.
“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to death. ( ! Pet 2:4-6) Jesus Christ, our Lord, is that chief cornerstone of the Jerusalem above and we are called to be a part of that structure, a living stone, placed there by His mighty hand. We are closer than we think. He is is fitting us together in love. That city whose builder and maker is God. Praise be to our Heavenly Father and His Son our Savior Jesus Christ; Yeshua Ha Mesiach!