Introduction

In our last post we discussed basic foundational elements of kingdom from a Biblical perspective. We saw how Jesus attempted to bring the kingdom to his own people and was rejected culminating in his own brutal death.  Remarkably, this was the Fathers plan all along, allowing the gospel message to be spread to the gentile nations. But for now, the vision, and many prophecies of the coming kingdom would be delayed but never cancelled.  Yet even the delay was part of the Fathers prophetic timeline. 

In this final segment I will deal with two significant themes that will form a capstone to where we’ve been as well as provide a jumping off point for a study of the “last days.” To begin, consider the triumphal entry which should have been the first step to establishing the kingdom in Jerusalem. 

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Mathew 21:1-11

In the last segment, we did a brief kingdom introduction touching on elements like king, geography and capital city.  But the word “kingdom” itself seems like one of those corporate buzzwords that everyone uses but no one knows exactly what it means.  I suppose Kingdom is context sensitive depending on speaker and audience.  Are we “building the kingdom”, “bringing the kingdom” or maybe we’ve “inherited the kingdom.”  With all the available definitions (possibly others), maybe something is missing from our mental lexicon.

The Jewish understanding of kingdom embodies a much larger ideal than we Christians have imagined. It comes with deep historical roots and a rich tapestry of meaning and nuance – all captured in a word, “Zion.” So, when the “daughter of Zion” saw the miracle worker and teacher riding a foal of a donkey into Jerusalem and they shouted, “Hosanna to the son of David,” what might they have understood? 

Dilemma for the Church

Because of our challenges with the word kingdom, it might behoove us to unlearn a few things before we look at the word Zion. First and most obvious, a kingdom must have a king.  Following closely behind a king, said king must have a geography over which he is sovereign.  And finally, that geography will have a capital city where the king and his family reside. So far, so good, you say, but wait! We have just introduced a dilemma for the church.

The dilemma goes something like this. When was Jesus Christ given to the church as a king or what geography do we possess, better yet where is our capital city?  Some may be tempted to allegorize these themes; but to the Biblical writers these ideas were real, tangible and the accepted expectation of a first century Jew.  Below we will explore these three dilemmas facing believers living in the church age.

King

Jesus is not explicitly defined as king during the church age. This makes sense, as currently there is no uncontested city or promised geography.  It is not until the end of the Revelation (see Rev. 15:3, 17:14, 19:6) when we see him referred to as king.

Prior to this, kingly references are generally looking forward to the coming kingdom or referring to a limited down payment of the coming kingdom in believers’ lives.  In the gospels, especially Mathew, Jesus was demonstrating, announcing and calling people into the kingdom; but the kingdom was cut short at the cross.  Even the disciples in Acts 1:6 asked:

So, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

Today we see him as our Savior and Lord, he has been given the “key of David”, he is “of the root of David”, he has ransomed people for God out of all nations and made them a kingdom and priests. These are all activities the “coming king” engages in, but we don’t see the official title “King” until the singing of the song of Moses (first king of Israel) in Revelation 15.

And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Revelation 15:3-4

The complete Song of Moses is found in Exodus 15, and I would strongly encourage you to review it.  It is a wonderful song of celebration for the coming kingdom when the fullness of Zion will be realized.

Geography

Part two of the dilemma regards geography.  Certainly, as believers we should vote, be engaged in the marketplace, prayer walk and war against spiritual powers affecting our cities and towns, in essence we are called to be salt and light. But these activities, as important as they are, are not the fulfillment of a Zionist kingdom.  And there is no land mass or territory that has been promised to the church.  One may wish to allegorize the concept of “taking back territory” but as important as that may be, it is Biblically inconsistent with the meaning of Zion.

Capital City

This dilemma is pretty easy to see.  I cannot think of a single city given to the church from which Christ will rule on David’s throne other than Jerusalem and that hasn’t happened yet.

Maybe you are wondering why I took several paragraphs to explain kingdom elements and the dilemma for the church as it relates to kingdom.  If you are still wondering, the Christian vision of kingdom is not the Jewish vision of Zion!

Introducing Zion

In this post, I am suggesting the “daughter of Zion” was expecting something quite different from the church’s concept of kingdom.  The triumphal entry (we opened with) carried the weight of Jewish hopes and dreams they had longed for, prayed for and suffered for thousands of years, but it would not yet be realized. For we know the people, the religious leaders and political powers all aligned to reject the claims of Jesus.

For the church I think that Israel, Jerusalem, and especially the idea of Zion is often misunderstood. It’s not our fault, the theology behind these themes has not been taught well, if at all. For the unbelieving world, Zion seems to represent the ultimate oppressive political/military machine and the source of much corruption and evil in the world.  For God, I believe Zion embodies the complete fulfillment of kingdom. A restored garden of Eden, where his people live with him (as king) in his land. It was foreshadowed in the lives of Abraham, Moses and the children of Israel, David and Soloman, the Prophets and so many others.

Maybe you are thinking, “I’m a Christian, not a Zionist” so this whole topic is not relevant to me. Please consider these two passages carefully. Look them up in your Bible. Yes, they are there and yes you may be offended. Sorry, my apologies, but I didn’t write the story.

…”Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
Romans 9:33

And Peter quoting directly from Isaiah 28 states,
For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So, the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
1 Peter 2:6-8

We will get to the “stone of stumbling” later; but at this point, notice where the stone is placed.  If my comprehension is correct, it seems that Zion is fairly important to the Most High so perhaps it should be important to us also.

Zion – A Touch of Backstory

Let’s back up a bit. How did the idea of Zion develop? Like most things in scripture, they begin small and grow through the pages of Biblical history. Zion is no different. It grew up alongside the idea of kingdom. We may recall that God began with a man (Abram), then a family (Jacob and his sons) followed by a nation (Israel).  That nation eventually possessed land (Canaan). Later, through the prophet Samuel God anointed a king (David).

Earlier in this series we introduced Zion under a different name. We traced the history of Zion in the post (Jerusalem – God’s Eternal City).  Originally, Zion was the dwelling place of another king and priest, namely Melchizedek, who prophetically spoke a blessing of over Abram. We have traced how Abram inherited the land, and how much later the city was renamed as both Jerusalem and Zion. 

Once we understand the prophetic destiny of this city, then the terrible sufferings and wars it has endured through the millennia should not surprise us.  Despite all the tragedy she stands stronger and more resilient than ever.  Her ancient history is still being written as Jews continue to “make Aliyah” (returning to their ancient homeland) just as Abram sojourned to that land.  The “dry bones” of Ezekiels vision are coming back to life, and the nation was literally “born in a day” (May 14, 1948), as Isaiah wrote. And yet, Jewish hardness toward their messiah remains as Paul highlights:

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11:25-28

Let us notice in this passage, the vision of Zion has not been forgotten. It was only delayed for our benefit as gentile believers. God still has a plan for them because as Paul said, they are his elect, and God’s calling for them is irrevocable. Zion is mentioned over 150 times in the Old Testament (Torah–0, Historical books- 6, Poetic books–38, Major Prophets–78, Minor Prophets–30).

The vision for Zion is introduced as a place name for the city of David and grows into a burning passion by the time you get to the minor prophets, especially Zechariah. It’s probably best to read the scriptures yourself, allowing the word to speak directly to you.  To facilitate that exercise I will list a few sections below to sample God’s passionate heart on the topic, but I encourage reading the entire chapters from which these passages are drawn. A more complete list will be provided at the end, should you choose to go deeper in your discovery. 

After these passages from the prophets, we will turn our attention to the stone of stumbling and then complete our study by tying up any loose threads. Let’s begin with the 2^nd chapter of Joel.  This chapter unmistakably speaks to the day of the Lord, with events linked to the book of Revelation.  It is too much to unpack here, except to notice the presence of Zion. 

Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near, ……

“Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before……

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.
Excerpts from Joel 2

I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses……

‘We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest.’ Then the angel of the LORD said, ‘O LORD of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?’ And the LORD answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me. So, the angel who talked with me said to me, ‘Cry out, thus says the LORD of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. Therefore, thus says the LORD, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the LORD of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Cry out again, thus says the LORD of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.'”
Zechariah 1:7-21

Up! Up! Flee from the land of the north, declares the LORD. For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, declares the LORD. Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD. And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.”

Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
Zechariah 2:1-13

And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age.
……
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword.

Then the LORD will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord GOD will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. The LORD of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. On that day the LORD their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.
Zechariah 9:9-17

The final passage above from Zechariah 9 is the full context of the triumphal entry with which we began this post. Note the context reveals this to be a time of war during the day of the Lord.

Cornerstone – Chosen and Precious

As promised, we will now review the “stone of stumbling.” The first recognizable occurrence of the stone I find is in Nebuchadnezzar’s statue vision.  In Daniel 2, the king had a vision of gentile world empires. Toward the end of that story and its interpretation, the stone is referenced twice. The first time is what the king saw in his dream and the second was Daniel’s interpretation of the dream. 

In the dream, the stone is depicted as breaking apart the statue and becoming a great mountain (Daniel 2:34-35).  In the dreams interpretation, the great mountain (from the dream) is portrayed as an everlasting kingdom which breaks apart all other kingdoms. (see below)

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Daniel 2:44-45

The stone that will break apart all other empires is something that ties us directly into the book of Revelation when the kingdoms of this world are torn down and God’s kingdom is established. What we do with that stone is a sobering choice. Should we choose to fall on that stone, it will break us in repentance, humility and Godly submission. If on the other hand, the stone falls on us, it represents falling under divine judgement and final punishment for rejecting God’s authority.

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
..…
And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
Mathew 21:42, 44

Conclusion
As we close this series of articles, I first wish to express sincere appreciation for the time you have invested with me. I don’t take that for granted. Secondly, I want to leave you with two phrases: Zion and the “stone of stumbling.” We know that Jesus is offensive to the natural mind. The world does not accept that we need a savior, there’s only one way to God, or God forbid that humans are sinful beings, etc.

If that’s not enough, we have to deal with the fact that God will bring his eternal earthly kingdom through the Jews, the nation of Israel – a people who aren’t even looking for God and have rejected their own messiah. Just look at the rise of antisemitism across the globe. How much more offended can I become? Do you think there might be a spiritual battle happening just beyond our perceptions?

Is it offensive? Yes!
Is it God’s way? Yes!

For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
……
“A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
1 Peter 2:6-8