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AGAPE LESSON 7
ONLY IN ZION
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
[Psalm48v1—6] (KJV) Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of God, in the mountain of His holiness. (2) Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the North, the city of the great King. (3) God is in her palaces for a refuge. (4) For lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. (5) They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. (6) Fear took hold of them there, and pain, as a woman in travail.
Zechariah paints a picture of what he saw = a golden lamp-stand, with a bowl on top of it with His seven lamps and seven pipes leading to the lamps. He sees two olive trees on either side of the bowl (Zechariah4v2—3). This is a metaphor of Christ and the church. This church is self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating. The lamps here don’t need constant trimming like the lamps in the tabernacle of Moses. This church is free from outside interference. There is no hierarchy, no church boards that rule over the set-man; nothing to frustrate the purposes of God. Here the set-man hears from God and implements immediately. The transitioning of this church from Adullam via Hebron to Mount Zion, makes it a fortress of God.
David’s mount Zion was a parched place. It was conspicuous and stood as a sign-post, which speaks of excellence, fortitude, truthfulness, splendour and confidence. Today’s spiritual Mount Zion (the church militant and triumphant) is planted in such an environment. The Psalmist calls it = The Joy of the whole earth (Psalm48v2).
When Haggai said to go to the hill country to gather wood to build the temple, he meant that a special type of wood be collected; not just any wood. God specifically instructed Noah to use Gopher wood to build the Ark. This kind of wood is poor in spirit, humble and meek, thirsting after righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peace-making, suffering for righteousness’ sake – yet rejoicing always. This wood is the salt of the earth, the light of the world. This is a perfect man = the Man-child.
God gives us a promise that He will open rivers in desolate heights and fountains in the midst of the valley. [Isaiah41v17—20] The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of valleys; I will make wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (19) I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together, (20) that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.
(v17) Water is a metaphor for the word of God. [Psalm46v4] There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most-high. This is a constant picture that you will see right through the Bible.
The Lord will hear the cry of those who are seeking water, and will not forsake them. [Psalm34v10] The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
(v18) Desolate heights speak of the hostile environment = the world we live in.
Valleys speak of seasons of trials and affliction.
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Rivers, fountains, springs of water = all give a picture of free-flowing, abundant, fresh and satisfying food for parched souls.
(v19) The word, ‘together’ speaks of oneness. [Psalm133v1—3] Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in oneness! (2) It is like precious oil on the head, running down the beard, even the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garment. (3) It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded a blessing, even life forevermore.
The trees = cedar, acacia, myrtle, oil, cypress, pine and box, all speak of the caliber of believers that are found in Mount Zion. One of them will give us a picture of the community in Zion.
The cedar:
(1) It grows above and below the same way. The depth of the root is the same length as the as the height of the trunk above. This speaks of integrity; what you see is what you get. This believer is rooted and grounded in the word of God. [Colossians 2v6—7] As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, (7) rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
(2) The branches grow at ninety degrees, helping the tree to withstand the aggressive velocity of the cruel winds at high altitudes. This is a picture of endurance. [2Timothy2v10] Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
(3) The branches spread to conjoin with adjacent trees to form an enduring community and thick foliage. This speaks of covenant and excellence. [1Chronicles12v22] At that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.
(4) When bruised, the cedar is able to bandage and heal itself, just like David who was able to encourage himself. Also, a symbol of tenacity. [1Samuel 30v6] Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. This is when he composed Psalm27.
(5) The tips of the roots exude a substance which enables them to penetrate the rocks beneath to reach to the recesses of water under the rocks. [Matthew5v6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
(6) The cedar will feed the adjacent tree whose roots are dying. [Acts2v44—45] Now all who believe were together, and had all things in common, (45) and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
(7) It is ever green and can live up to 3000 years. This speaks of eternity, holiness and peace. We must be rooted where God has planted us.
(8) The trunk grows to about two and a half meters in diameter. A sign of stability.
(9) The cedar is known for timber, oil and resin. It is medicinal – antibacterial and antifungal.
Palm tree: A symbol of victory, peace and eternal life. It has the largest seeds compared to other trees.
Oil tree (olive): Speaks of wealth. It was used in Solomon’s temple (1Kings6v23, 31—33).
Cypress tree: Loves water (the word of God) and is evergreen. The trunk is excellent building material. It symbolizes mourning. [Psalm 1v1—3] Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of the sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; (2) but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. (3) He shall be like a tree planted
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by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
Box tree: Speaks of erectness in leading with honesty. It is the emblem of abiding grace and prosperity of the church of God. [Isaiah60v13] The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the pine, and the box tree together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious.
Myrtle tree: A symbol of love (marriage covenant).
ONLY IN MOUNT ZION:
(a) The remarkable oneness of this community is described as precious oil that flows all the way to the herm of His garment; — was touched by the woman with an issue of blood and was healed instantly (Mark5v25—34). Here, the Lord commands a blessing, even life forevermore.
(b) Longevity is only assured in Zion. [Isaiah65v20] No more shall an infant from there live but for a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for a child shall die one hundred years old, but a sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.
(c) This is the only place where the Son of Man can complete Himself on His Body (the church), by laying His head. [Matthew8v20] “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
(d) All five graces are present in Mount Zion. Here we get crosspollination of graces for the benefit of the whole church. [Ephesians4v11—13] And He Himself gave some to be apostle, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints to do the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
(e) Prayer is sure answered in Mount Zion. [Isaiah65v24] It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
(f) Healing and deliverance take place without any laying on of hands. [Isaiah33v24] And the inhabitants will not say, “I am sick”, The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.
(g) In this location there is sure protection from the Lord. [Zechariah12v8—9] In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. (9) It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy the nations that come against Jerusalem.
(h) The scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land allotted to the righteous (Psalm125v3).
(i) Provision is sure in Mount Zion. The proceeding word is ever available for the parched souls (Isaiah41v18).
(j) Recovery and establishment of God’s promises only happen in Zion. [Isaiah55v12—13] “For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. (13) Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
(k) Immunity is only found in Mount Zion.
Mount Zion is a global company/community; the One Loaf (Jesus the Bread of life). [Revelation21v1—4] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and a first earth had passed away, also there was no more sea. (2) Then, I, John, saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a loud voice
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from heaven saying, “The tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. (4) And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
In every city in the world, there has got to be an expression of this mountain of the Lord [spoken of by Micah, (Micah 4v1)]. This expression is fulfilled when local houses are represented by fathers who meet regularly (as a culture) in the Spirit of Oneness. They keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians4v3)
AGAPE LESSON 7