Chapter 10 – Zion’s Gates

The chapters of this book have examined many of the ambushes, traps, and snares
along the road as one journeys from Babylon to Zion. Not all such hazards can be
addressed in one book, and this writer has spoken only of those things that he has
personally encountered. I pray that many might be helped along their own journey
by the words recorded here, and that they might overcome all and reach their goal.

The first chapter of this book spoke of Babylon, and attempted to give some
definition to it. It seems fitting that the last chapter should speak of Zion. Zion is the
goal set before the saint, but what is Zion? We have mentioned some things that are
characteristic of Zion throughout the book, and we have contrasted it with Babylon.

In chapter one it was mentioned that, at its heart, Babylon represents a spiritual
principle, and we must conclude the same for Zion. If Babylon represents mankind
attempting to ascend to God by their own labor, sweat, and efforts, then Zion in
contrast must be a people who are at rest, resting in the finished work of Yahshua.
If Babylon is typified by men and women living according to the leading of their flesh
and soul, then Zion is typified by those who walk by the Spirit. If Babylon is unbelief
and sin, then Zion is faith and obedience.

The pathway to Zion is the way of the cross, and those who are citizens of Zion are
being conformed to the image of Christ as they submit to the purging, refining, and
purification of Yahweh.

In the Old Testament, Zion was identified as one of the hills, the highest hill, in
Jerusalem. It was the hill that David’s throne sat upon. Yet Zion and Jerusalem were
not part of Israel when David became King. This man with the heart after God had
to take it by force. David saw Jerusalem and Zion as beautiful and he wanted them
for his capital, his home, his dwelling place.

II Samuel 5:6-8
And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the
inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not
come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking,
“David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless David took the stronghold
of Zion (that is, the City of David). Now David said on that day,
“Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites
(the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be
chief and captain.”Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not
come into the house.”

What awesome prophecies and spiritual truths are revealed in these words. When
David went to capture Jerusalem, the stronghold of Zion, the Jebusites who
inhabited it said that the lame and the blind would be able to keep David out. David
in return said that his soul hated the lame and the blind, and the saying arose that
the blind and the lame would not come into the habitation of Zion (II Samuel 5:6-8).
The blind represent those without spiritual vision, and the lame those who fail in
obedience. Those who dwell in Zion must have spiritual vision and obedience.

It is quite striking that the manner in which historians and archaeologists have
identified Zion’s hill today is by finding the spring that feeds the water channel that
supplied water to Zion. This water channel was the path that David’s army took to
enter into Zion and wrest it from the Jebusites. Astonishingly, the spring of water
today is called the “Virgin’s Fount”.

What a picture this is of spiritual truth. One must battle to enter into Zion, and the
entrance is through the Virgin’s Fount. Water is for cleansing and all those who enter
Zion must be cleansed. What a perfect correlation this is to John’s words that the
144,000 are on Zion and they are all virgins, not having been defiled by women.

Revelation 14:1-5
Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and
with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and
the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice
from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud
thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists
playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and
before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn
the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been
purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled
with women, for they have kept themselves chaste (virgins). These are
the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been
purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And
no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

It is certainly no coincidence that the spring that provides water to Zion is called the
Virgin’s Fount today. This depiction of those who inhabit Zion as virgins has nothing
to do with men or women who are physical virgins. The scriptures are speaking of
spiritual virgins. We see this symbolism used in Paul’s writings.

II Corinthians 11:2
For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one
husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.

Those who are pure virgins are those who remain pure in their devotion to Christ.
They are not harlots in their affections. They do not profess love of Christ and also
harbor a love for the world and its idols. They have been cleansed and purified of all
other loves until they are focused only upon one thing, which is Christ. The next
verse reveals what constitutes unfaithfulness.

II Corinthians 11:3
But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your
minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to
Christ.

We are called to a pure and simple devotion to Christ. He is to be our only desire and
our single pursuit. Many are the saints who profess devotion to Christ, but their lives
reveal that they are devoted to other things. They labor for that which perishes, and
they fail to walk in the Spirit fulfilling all obedience and walking in all truth. These
are not pure virgins. In their hearts they desire Christ and something else. Self has
not been crucified.

Those who are the 144,000 dwelling on Mount Zion are pure virgins in their
devotion to Christ. When Yahshua calls they respond with obedience, even to the
crucifying of their own flesh, will and desires. They may struggle, but in the end they
will respond, “Not my will, but Your will be done.”

In an earlier chapter we looked at those things that are promised to the Overcomer
in Christ. The 144,000 are overcomers and will partake of all these promises. The
number 144,000 does not necessarily speak of the actual number of saints anymore
than virgins speaks of those who have never had sexual relations. Revelation is a
book of symbols that must be interpreted by the Spirit of Yahweh. In another passage
in Revelation John reveals that the 144,000 are comprised of 12,000 saints from
twelve different tribes of Israel. This too is symbolic speech.

Twelve is the number of divine government and election. Yahweh chose twelve tribes
to represent Him to the world. Yahshua chose twelve disciples to do the same. The
144,000 represent the elect of God who are called to rule and reign with Him.
Symbolically they are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.

They are first fruits unto God, the first to be conformed to the image of Christ. These
have submitted voluntarily to the cross during their life on earth. They have walked
in faith and chosen a path of obedience to God. They have been aliens and strangers
in this world and have had no permanent home here, looking instead to the promises
of God. They have not been as Esau who traded his birthright for a pot of stew,
fulfilling of his fleshly desires while sacrificing his inheritance. The Overcomers have
chosen Yahweh over the world.

I John 2:15-17
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life,
is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away,
and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

James is even more plain, and he uses language that is in perfect agreement with
what John has written regarding the 144,000 virgins on Mount Zion.

James 4:4
You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is
hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the
world makes himself an enemy of God.

If adulteresses are those who are friends (lovers) of the world, then virgins are those
who deny the world and love only Christ. Zion is a place of heavenly vision, where the
saints look beyond that which their natural senses report to see into the heavenlies.

That is why the blind cannot enter into Zion. The blind see only what their physical
senses report. The blind live always in the physical to attain the pleasure of the
moment. The blind will not choose to turn away from the pursuit of the things of this
present world, for they do not see the better and more glorious inheritance that lies
ahead.

Zion is a realm of purity. Babylon is a corrupt mixture which is detestable in the sight
of God. Babylon mixes the pursuit of Christ with a pursuit of the world and all it
offers. Zion has come out of Babylon, out of mixture, into a pure devotion to Christ.
Is Christ alone enough to satisfy you, or do you, along with the manna from heaven,
also cry out for quail to satisfy your flesh? Is it sufficient in your heart to have only
Christ, and to forego any demand that you have all the nice things that others have?
Are you content to know lack in the things of the world, and still consider yourself
rich in Christ? Or do you murmur and complain that you do not have all the luxuries
that are afforded to others?

Those who do not have eyes to perceive the riches of Christ will always cry out for
quail. The manna that has come down out of heaven does not satisfy them. The
manna (Christ)feeds the spirit, but many saints want to feed the flesh as well. If God
were to determine that you were to live as one who is destitute in this life with no
home of your own, no new cars, no nice clothes, suffering lack even in the area of
food, would you be satisfied?

There was a time during the 18 months that the Father forbid me to work when we
did not have any meat in the house. For a time we got down to having only a bag of
grits and some butter. In the darkest hour we even went without electricity in the
house and I had to cook the grits on a gas grill outside. Yet during this time the
Father gave me the grace to thank Him that we had food and that we were not going
hungry. I meant this with all the sincerity of my heart.

When we did not have meat I thanked Yahweh for what we did have. I did not want
to be as the generation of Israelites in the wilderness that murmured and complained
against God. I did not want to be disqualified from entering into the promised rest.
Though I did not demand it, the Father did give us meat. It was only a short time that
we were without meat, and it would have been a short time for Israel, too had they
not murmured and complained. They did not have to die in the wilderness. They did
not have to suffer a forty year delay to enter into the promised land.

What the Israelites underwent was a symbolic representation of the test before the
saints today. Yahshua declared that He is the bread come down out of heaven. In the
same way He is testing the saints to see if they will be satisfied with Him, and Him
alone. All those who travel to Zion will go through wilderness places. They will know
lack in some manner or another. It may be a lack of food. It may be a lack of clothing.
It may be a lack of shelter. It may be enduring sickness. It may be deprivation of any
number of things. Yahweh will allow us to suffer these things to see whether we are
pure virgins in our hearts, or not.

Will we blubber like babies saying, “Did you bring us out to this wilderness to die?”
Will we demand quail, and dream of the leeks and onions that others are eating? Or
will we be satisfied with Christ, our manna, our daily bread?

I am speaking from a place of experience when I say that the test is not easy. Our
flesh desires many things that compete with our devotion to Christ. We must crucify
the flesh with its affections and lusts (Galatians 5). When the flesh yearns for that
which is withheld by the will of God, we must buffet our body and keep it under
subjection to the spirit. We must make the good confession that we are satisfied with
Christ alone.

This is the purity of devotion found in the inhabitants of Zion.

The glory and fulfillment and joy and satisfaction of those who dwell in Zion is seen
in this verse that we have looked at already:

Revelation 14:1
Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and
with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and
the name of His Father written on their foreheads.

Do you see it? The Lamb is standing on Mount Zion along with the 144,000. The
Lamb is in the midst of Zion. The Lamb has been the focus of those who left Babylon.
The Lamb has been their passion and desire. It is for the Lamb that they have
endured rejection, shame, scorn, heartache, lack and many other things. It is in
pursuit of the Lamb that they have known sorrow and grief. The saints of Zion have
been pursuing the Lamb, and now having attained the goal they find themselves
dwelling with the Lamb of God. Hallelu-Yah.

Isaiah 51:11-12
So the ransomed of Yahweh will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
And everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and
joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. I, even I, am He who
comforts you.

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore…, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…,
fixing our eyes on Yahshua.

Yahshua is the glory of Zion. He is the joy set before every saint of God, yet many
saints are blind and lame. They do not see the glory of Yahshua, nor will they make
the effort to follow hard after Him. For this reason the blind and the lame will not
enter the habitation of Zion.

If you see the glory of Christ, if He has become your passionate pursuit, the Lily of
the Valley, the Pearl of great price, if He is that which you desperately seek, then
blessed are you. May you rise up on strong legs and swift feet and pursue Him to the
end.

The gates of Zion await you, and inside is the everlasting joy.