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AGAPE 2 LESSON 4
THE BLISS OF MOUNT ZION
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
Read [Jeremiah31v1–14]
[Zechariah chapter 8] Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.’ (3) “Thus says the LORD: I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the LORD of hosts: (4) “Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand, because of great age. (5) The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the Lord of hosts: “If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes? Says the Lord of hosts. (7) Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west, (8) I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I shall be their God, in truth and righteousness.’ (9) Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, who spoke in the day the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD of hosts, that the temple must be built. (10) For before these days there were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; there was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; for I set all men, everyone, against his neighbour. (11) But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the LORD of hosts. (12) For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew—I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these. (13) And it shall come to pass that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, let your hands be strong.’ (14) For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ says the LORD of hosts and I would not relent, (15) so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and the house of Judah. Do not fear. (16) These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbour, give judgement in your gates for truth, justice and peace; (17) let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbour; (18) and do not love a false oath. For all these are things I hate,’ says the LORD.” (18) Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, “The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore, love truth and peace.’ (20) Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities; (21) the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord and seek the LORD of hosts. I myself will go also.’ (22) Yes, many nations and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.’ (23) Thus says the LORD of hosts: “In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of the Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’”
(v1) Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, (2) “Thus says the Lord of hosts; I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervour I am zealous for her. God is jealous about what is rightfully His. Remember His name is Jealous [Exodus34v12—14] Take heed to yourself lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. (13) But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (14) for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
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[Songs8v6—7] Set Me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. (7) Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.
(v3) Thus says the Lord: I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called, the City of Truth, the Mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain.
[Isaiah65v17—19] For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. (18) But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. (19) I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
This is talking about the New Jerusalem (City church) which is a descending reality coming out of God and the Lamb – not the physical location in Israel. [Revelation21v2] Then I, John, saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
(v4) Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old women and old men shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age.
[Isaiah65v20] No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years shall be accursed.
(v5) Children playing in the streets. [Jeremiah 30v20] Their children also shall be as before, and their congregation shall be established before Me; and I will punish all who oppress them.
(v6) It may seem impossible to the remnant – but there is nothing impossible with God.
(v7-8) God promises the return of the remnant from exile. [Jeremiah31v16–17] Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. (17)There is hope in your future, says the LORD, that your children shall come back to their own border.
(v9–11) People are encouraged to get up and build the temple (the city church). [Haggai2v9] ‘The glory of the latter temple shall be greater than the former.’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.
(v12) For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew—I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all this.
• The seed = God sees the remnant as the seed of peace. [BBE] I will let the seed of peace to be planted. [NHEB] For the seed of peace and the vine will yield it fruit. Remember God had initially planted the nation of Israel as the choicest vine (Isaiah5v2).
• The vine [the nation (church)] shall give its fruit = the remnant shall yield fruits of righteousness.
• The heavens shall give their dew = the heavens will be open to them and they shall receive revelation – God will speak to them. You will remember that when God destroyed Israel, He hid revelation from them. [Isaiah6v9—10] And He said, ‘Go tell this people: “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. (10) Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed.
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(v13) It shall come to pass that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, let your hands be strong. [Isaiah19v24–25] In that day Israel will be one of the three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, (25) whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” You will notice that this includes Jew and Gentile.
(v16–17) The Lord demands fruits of righteousness. [Amos5v14—15, 24] Seek good and not evil, that you may live, so the Lord of hosts will be with you as you have spoken. (15) Hate evil, love good; establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (24) But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
(v18—19) The LORD promises that their fast months [during their feast days (feast of unleavened bread, first fruits, feast of trumpets, Day of atonement, feast of tabernacles)] shall be a joy and gladness. Remember that God had rejected their feast days – [Amos5v21—23] “I hate, I despise your feast days, and do not savour your sacred assemblies. (22) Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. (23) Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.”
(v21—23) This gives us a picture of all people from every tribe, and tongue, and people and nation = all making their way to Mount Zion – shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man.
• Jewish man is a metaphor for ‘Spiritual Israel, the church.’
[Haggai2v6—7] For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake the heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; (7) And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.
AGAPE 2 LESSON 4