ISAIAH 33:20

 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle [that] shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

 The prophet here is exhorting the people to first Look!, if there ever has been a time when people (professing Christians) are closed minded and divided in their faith, it is now! Jesus uttered these words while in his earthly ministry;

MATTHEW 13:15,16

  15    For this people's heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

16    But blessed [are] your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

 He pronounced a blessing upon those who had eyes to see, and ears to hear, sad to say many only see what they want to see, and hear what they want to hear. When children are growing up, and trying to ignore what their parents are telling them, we called that selective hearing, we find the same things in the church world today! Jesus also pronounced a blessing upon the pure in heart.

MATTHEW 5:8

8        Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

 This passage goes much deeper than the surface meaning, for it reveals a knowing and understanding. Therefore, to continue with our thought, we as believers need to draw nigh unto the Lord, looking unto the spiritual things of God.

 So just what is the prophet exhorting the people to do?  To look upon Zion, the place of solemnities (meeting of gatherings).

 Now Zion means many things:

1.      The literal passage here means Jerusalem

2.   Originally Zion referred to a mountain near Jerusalem, where David also conquered  A Jebusite fortress.

 3.  Later referred to the section of Jerusalem where the fortress stood, and the city itself took on metaphoric title.

4.      Also the Promised Land, the place where the Lord dwells.

 These are the main applications for Zion, for Israel it was the place of solemn assemblies, meetings and gatherings of feasts and worship unto the Lord. For in Jerusalem was the temple, where the Lord would come down and dwell upon the mercy seat, and receive the sacrifices of the people, the glory of the Lord was known among the people.

 Next, the Word of the Lord speaks…: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation. This passage now becomes prophetic in its context, for as the Word speaks of pride and boast to the Jew in the beginning, now speaks prophetically of a time when Zion (Jerusalem) would be a quiet habitation. This was fulfilled through spiritual Zion, for after the New Testament Church was birthed, the Roman Armies under the command of Titus destroyed the Temple in 70 AD.

 ‘ a tabernacle [that] shall not be taken down’  here the passage continues, though strange to the intellect, it fits perfectly with the fulfilling of prophecy, for though the temple has been destroyed, the body of believers in Christ have become the temple of God, the Tabernacle that shall not be taken down.

 Church we are the spiritual Zion, the place of meeting and solemn assembly with the Lord, we must be mindful of these things, as it is the will of God to dwell with us and in us mightily by the Holy Ghost.

II CORINTHIANS 6:16

16        And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Are you a part of Zion, are you dwelling in the presence of the Lord? Are you allowing the Holy Ghost to bring you to a deeper place in Christ? The plan of God will never fail, are we in his plan? Are we fully trusting Him?

MATTHEW 16:18

17        And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 To be mindful of Zion, is to be mindful of the spiritual uniting of Christ and His Church, this is The Manifested Presence of God! Many believers are testifying that to them there has never been a time as this, a time of trial and tribulations, yet it is a glorious time for the Church.

I CORINTHIANS 4:10

10    We [are] fools for Christ's sake, but ye [are] wise in Christ; we [are] weak, but ye [are] strong; ye [are] honourable, but we [are] despised.

II CORINTHIANS 12:10

9        Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

 The Lord is in control, and his purposes are carried out, we (the body) are being restored back into a place of intimacy with God, back to a closer walk.

GENESIS 5:24

24        And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him.

 The question is not whether the Church will continue and survive, but rather will we survive with the true Church?  For the true Church, the spiritual Zion is here to stay, truly not one stake will be pulled up, neither a cord be broken.

Do You Walk With God!