A Stone in Zion
Zion is an interesting word; what images or feelings does it evoke for you? Related phrases include “daughter of Zion,” “a stone in Zion,” and a “stone of stumbling.” A quick internet search for “Daughter of Zion” captures the essence like this. “Daughter of Zion” represents the city of Jerusalem and its people, often embodying the “faithful remnant” or the nation as a whole. It highlights God’s tender affection and covenantal relationship, acting as an intimate designation for the capital city.
When the hope of Israel rode into Jerusalem two thousand years ago, I think the “Daughter of Zion” expected something quite different from the church’s concept of the kingdom. The triumphal entry carried the weight of Jewish hopes and dreams for which she had longed, prayed for, and suffered for thousands of years. Still today, this hope has not been realized, for the people, the religious leaders, and the political powers aligned together to reject the claims of Jesus the Messiah.
For the church, I think that Israel, Jerusalem, and especially the idea of Zion are often misunderstood. It’s not our fault; the theology behind these themes has not been taught well, if at all. And 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. I think it’s safe to say that most people understand Zion in different ways, but those definitions are generally negative.
According to the scriptures, Zion embodies the complete fulfillment of Christ’s earthly 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 (called to the land), Moses (led people to the land), David and Solomon (kings over the land), and the Prophets (spoke about the land).
Perhaps you are thinking, “I’m a Christian, not a Zionist,” so this whole topic is not relevant to me. Please consider these two passages in the New Testament.
…”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
Zion – Some Backstory
Let’s begin by noticing where the stone is placed, in Zion. The stone is Christ, the cornerstone in whom we believe. To state the obvious, our belief is in a Savior from Zion.
For a moment, let’s do a quick review. Like most things in Scripture, the understanding of Zion began small and grew through the pages of Biblical history. We may recall that God began with a man (Abram), then with a family (Jacob and his sons), and finally with a nation (Israel). That nation eventually possessed land (Canaan). Later, through the prophet Samuel, God anointed a king (David), and David captured that city (the stronghold of Zion) from the Jebusites.
And by the time we get to the minor prophets, namely Zechariah, Zion burns as a passionate fire in the heart of God.
“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.
Zechariah 8:2-3
Once we understand the prophetic destiny of this city, the terrible sufferings and wars it has endured through the millennia should no longer surprise us. For it speaks of the great cosmic struggle that has been with us since the Garden and one operating just beyond our natural sight. Yet in spite of the tragedies, she stands strong and resilient. Her ancient history is still being written as Jews continue to “make Aliyah” (return to their ancient homeland) and her ancient enemies are more belligerent than ever. The “dry bones” of Ezekiel’s vision are coming back to life, and the nation was literally “born in a day” (May 14, 1948), as Isaiah wrote. And yet, Jewish stubbornness toward her 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
The vision of Zion has not been forgotten or given to the church, but it was delayed for our benefit, allowing Gentiles to be adopted into the family of Israel.
No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
Genesis 17:5
God still has a plan for the Jews 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 develops into a burning passion by the time we reach the minor prophets, especially Zechariah. To see the Lord’s passion and jealousy for Zion, I will list a few passages below. Please allow yourself time to absorb the Father’s heart as you review these verses.
Let’s begin with the 2nd 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
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. I think it is important for us to note that, as the theme of Zion develops in the Old Testament, it is no longer just a city name. In the minor prophets, it carries the weight of a physical location (Jerusalem) in the land of Israel, where the second person of the Trinity (Jesus the Son of God) lives in bodily form with his people. It is also critical to note that the references are set in the “day of the Lord,” or time of battle. Zechariah’s description has never occurred in history, so the prophecy must be in the future.
We have one more loose end to tie up before completing our journey. Why do Peter and Paul both refer to the cornerstone as a “stone of stumbling” or “rock of offense?”
Cornerstone – Chosen and Precious
As promised, we will now review the stone, also called the “stone of stumbling,” that was placed in Zion (Romans 9, 1 Peter 2). 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 was 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 dream’s interpretation, the great mountain is portrayed as an everlasting kingdom that 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 ties us directly to 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 judgment 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
A Special Thank You
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. This has been a long and difficult journey that has likely been challenging on many levels. I know it was for me. I trust the Father has spoken to you and taken you closer to his heart. It has been my delight to put this together and share it with you. It has also been a tremendous encouragement in my own walk with Christ.
Finally, I want to leave you with two thoughts: 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?
My encouragement – stay in the battle, press into the heart of the Father, victory is close at hand, God is faithful to his word, and you will be richly rewarded in a little while.
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
Is his way offensive? Yes!
Is it God’s way? Yes!
May you be richly blessed in all you do, until we meet on the other side!