THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD

 

His foundation is in the holy mountains.

The LORD [Yahweh] loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!  Ps.87:1-3.

This verse suggests that Jacob, representing God's people has more than one dwelling place but God loves His people to dwell with Him in Zion more than all. Where else do God s people dwell other than in Zion?  

The Scripture says Yahweh loves the gates of Zion . Gates represent the place of entry into a city and the authority in the city. This city of Zion is the city of the great King. In the natural it was known as the city of David, but Zion is the dwelling place of God:

Yahweh has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: this My

resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it  Ps. 132:13-14.

Gods intention is clear: He will dwell in Zion. Therefore the people of God need to come to Zion.

 

You have come to Mount Zion

The New Testament confirms that as believers in Jesus Christ we have come to Mount Zion: But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem  Heb.12:22. Many have assumed that the writer to the Hebrews is describing 'heaven', and we are yet to go to heaven. However the Scripture is clear 'you have come to Mount Zion'. Mount Zion is described to be the same as the city of the living God and the city of God is a corporate reference to the church of the living God. In fact understanding Zion is part of the great mystery that God is revealing in these days. The church on earth desires revival and times of refreshing to strengthen them in faith as they wait for Jesus to come and yet God is revealing to us in the Scripture that the church on earth is already vitally linked to God in heaven and that the church has already come to dwell with God and God is desiring to dwell in the midst of His people.

 

Which Mountains are God s Foundations?

If God's foundations are in the holy mountains and Zion is the mountain of God's choice for a permanent dwelling place with His people, what are the holy mountains that constitute God's foundation? In Scripture there are a few mountains of significance in terms of what took place on them, but in coming to Zion there are two mountains specifically that signify foundational experiences for the people of God in coming to know Him and being prepared to dwell with Him in Zion. The two mountains are: Mount Moriah  the mountain of sacrifice, and Mount Horeb in Sinai  the mountain of God's manifestation and the giving of the law. Let us look at these two mountains and understand the necessary foundations in our experience of coming to maturity in our life in Christ with God.

 

MOUNT MORIAH

In Genesis 22, God instructed Abraham to Go to the land of Moriah and offer Isaac there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you  v.2. When Abraham had bound Isaac and had taken the knife to slay his son (v.9-10), The Angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven  and counseled Abraham (v.11-12); and then Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket  and he offered the ram instead of his son (v.13). An important point to note is that Abraham did not see the LORD but only heard His voice. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God  Rom.10:17. The first step in coming to know God is to hear His voice [His word] and believe  we are saved through faith (Eph.2:8).

 

Hundreds of years later the temple of Solomon was built on Mount Moriah and this was the same place where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite  2Chron.3:1. The mountain of sacrifice points to the cross of Jesus Christ and His perfect sacrifice for our sin. It is in the context of the mountain of sacrifice that we are saved by faith, and we are able to be saved, because Jesus died as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world  (Jn.1:29).

 

The Feast of Passover is based on the sacrifice of the lamb and this Feast also points to the cross of Jesus Christ and saving faith. The place of blood sacrifice for sin was in the outer court of the Tabernacle of Moses and that altar also points to the cross of Jesus Christ and the laver of water points to baptism of the believer and the word of God having a place in the believer s life. The first foundation therefore is repentance and faith including water baptism for the salvation of the person and this is represented in the Scripture by Mount Moriah. Note again that God did not appear to Abraham at that mountain but he only heard the voice from heaven. He and Isaac were saved in that instance by faith  Abraham was obedient to the voice.

Many in the church today are camped [dwelling] at Mount Moriah, that is, they believe in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and may even be baptized in water but their Christian experience is limited to that basic foundation of salvation. Many churches purposefully dwell at Mount Moriah, even assuming that they have arrived at their destination in God.

 

MOUNT HOREB IN SINAI

The second mountain of significance in understanding God's foundation for His establishing a dwelling place with His people in the earth is Mount Horeb. Horeb was where Moses first met God in the burning bush (Ex.3:1). There was a manifestation of the Angel of the LORD in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush (v.2). It was to Horeb in the wilderness of Sinai that Moses brought the Israelites from Egypt (Deut.1:6,19; 4:10,15 & other references).

What happened at Horeb? God manifested in frightening ways with thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud so that all the people who were in the camp trembled  Ex.19:16. At Horeb God gave the law. This was the first Pentecost! Pentecost was fulfilled by the Holy Spirit coming and the pentecostal experience is characterised by a manifestation of God through the spirit in the life of the believer. There is still no clear vision of the Lord Jesus Christ in His fullness but an empowerment by the spirit to serve Him.  

The destination of the Israelites coming out of Egypt was not the Mount of Horeb. Rather the Mount of Horeb was a designated meeting place with God to prepare and equip them for the wilderness journey but the destination was always to reach the land.

The second foundational mountain is important and essential in preparing the people of God to come to a more permanent dwelling place in God which is represented by Mount Zion. However the people of God cannot stay camped at Horeb. In the contemporary church millions of believers and many thousands of churches are camped at Horeb. God s people have congregated around the Pentecostal experience  signs, wonders, manifestations [tongues] and mistakenly believe that they have arrived at the fullness of what God has for His people.

But God intends to dwell in Zion! God loves all of His people wherever they are dwelling but His intention and His clearly stated purpose is for His people to dwell with Him in Mount Zion.

 

MOUNT ZION

Zion was originally established by David as the seat of his government [throne] and it was to Zion that David brought the Ark of the Covenant so the Lord s presence dwelt in Zion. The secret to David being able to capture the stronghold of Zion was to know that there were underground springs. Joab went up the watershaft and overcame the Jebusites (2Sam.5:8). From the time that David established God s government  on Mount Zion, Zion became symbolic of God s throne and symbolic of God s final and permanent dwelling place with His people.

Psalm 110 makes it clear that God rules from Mount Zion through Messiah Jesus. He exercises judgment over kings, nations and heads of government.

God has promised to build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory  in Zion (Ps.102:16).

There is a time when God will arise and have mercy on Zion. For the time to favour her, yes the set time has come  Ps.102:13.

For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance among the remnant whom YAHWEH calls  Joel 2:32 (cf. Isa.37:31-32).

The glory shall be revealed in Zion. Then YAHWEH will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering  Isa.4:5.

Then saviours [deliverers] shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of  Esau, and the kingdom shall be YAHWEH s  Obad. v21.

 

The Scripture has much to say about Zion. Our destiny is to appear before God in Zion  Ps.84:7. The ones who will come to Zion are those whose heart is set on pilgrimage  (v.5). This pilgrimage is a reference to the people of God coming up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. All of the Feasts were to be remembered every year but the first two feasts of Passover and Weeks [Pentecost] had originally taken place outside of the land. The Feast of Tabernacles could only take place in the land of inheritance. It became the most important feast and it is related inextricably to understanding Zion  God s dwelling place with His people.

In church history and practice, Tabernacles has been forgotten and ignored and replaced by the Christmas festival which worships a baby Jesus and ignores the King who rules and reigns out of Zion. It is time for the church to come to Zion; to come to the Feast of Tabernacles in fulfillment.

 

God spoke on Mount Moriah

God manifested His presence on Mount Horeb

But God dwells with His people in Mount Zion

Paul Galligan

Report:

During the prophetic mini-school in September, Jesus spoke to us that more of the brethren of Shiloh apostolic company were to go out to minister the word.

On Sunday the 12^th October, a prayer meeting was called at Cooby Dam [one of Toowoomba s three dams, all of which are below 10% capacity]. In asking the Lord about the low water supply, He impressed on us that it was not His responsibility to fill the dams but that we had been commissioned to fill them  Be fruitful, multiply and FILL THE EARTH (Gen.1:28). The prayer meeting called at Cooby Dam was in response to this direction, that we might seek Jesus about how we were to do this.

In the prayer time there was repentance in interpersonal relationships, then repentance on behalf of the church at large, leading to a time of exalting the finished work of the cross of Christ in our nation. Later in the week God showed us that we were to release the water of His word that is resident in us.

Since that time the following weeks have been filled with a fervour and urgency to find opportunities to minister the word. In the following weeks many teams have gone out to the surrounding regions sharing the word, being in fellowship, breaking bread together with the saints and being in prayer (Acts2:42). The places reached include: Clifton, Warwick, Killarney, Cooyar, Toowoomba, Caboolture, Algester, Brisbane, Meandarra, Pittsworth, Kingaroy and Samford.

There has also been an increase locally in house to house fellowship in the word. Brethren are more motivated to meet together, reach out to others and share the word that is in them. A greater sense of community in Messiah is emerging. The word is being released.

Amazingly it has begun to rain. Toowoomba and the surrounding region have received substantial rainfall and the countryside is truly a picture. Hallelujah! God s word proceeds from His mouth and from the Throne (Matt.4:4, Ex.25:21-22) As we are faithful as sons to release His Word, it flows as the river flows from the throne, and where the throne and the river are there is no more curse  only blessing! (Rev.22:1-5). The river which proceeds from the throne is the word of God! 

                                                                                                                           Nicholas Jackson                                                                                                 

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CALENDAR

November:

Myanmar/Thailand trip  Jean & Bruce Manning and Margaret Hooper are currently in Myanmar. Please keep them in prayer

Community Weekend  at SHILOH: 21^st  23^rd

Northern Trip: Gladstone 26^th; Mackay 28^th; Proserpine 28^th pm to 30^th.

December:

Community Sundays: 21st December and 28^th December  9.30am                     

 

JANUARY TRAINING SCHOOL

Three weeks training in apostolic doctrine and practice; understanding and experiencing the spirit of sonship; becoming part of the emerging body of Christ  the global communion of saints.                       

From Monday 5^th January to Saturday 24^th January

10.30am to 4pm Daily

International leaders will be coming to this school.

 

Children's training school

From Monday 12^th to Friday 16th  9am to 3pm: ages 4  14.

 

Overseas trips:

February  Dpt for India 1^st Feb. and to Myanmar on 19^th.

May  trip to West Africa & East and  Central Africa