"There are some conclusions which the Holy Spirit would mark indelibly upon our minds. One of these is the fact that the mount Zion of John’s vision is not the literal, physical, earthly mount Zion. Look to the Middle East, to the mount Zion in the earthly Jerusalem. Do we see the glorified Lamb of God standing there? Has He ever been seen standing there at any time during the past two thousand years? Absolutely not! Nor is the Lamb of God going to stand visibly again in flesh on that earthly mount Zion. Why should He? “For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched…but ye are come untomount Zion…the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:18,22). Jesus Christ Himself is the chief cornerstone in the spiritual house of God raised up upon the heavenly mount Zion! “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay IN ZION a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded” (I Pet. 2:6). And again, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For of a truth against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together. For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I declare the decree: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee” (Ps. 2:1-7; Acts 4:25-28). To this heavenly and spiritual mount Zion come the 144,000 who “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” Can we not see by this that the mount Zion that John saw in his vision was a “sign.” It signified, symbolized, the invisible heavenly mount Zion; and that is where the firstborn Son of God has been laid as the chief cornerstone! And it is there upon the heavenly, spiritual mount Zion that the 144,000 overcomers follow the Lamb!"
This is a great study on spiritual Zion:
"How appropriate that our Lord Jesus should be standing on the heavenly, spiritual mount Zion! Why should this be? Because his forefather, King David, captured the earthly mount Zion, and the citadel upon it came to be called “the city of David” (II Sam. 5:4-9). The earthly is but the picture, the type, the shadow of the heavenly! His standing there indicates that He has begun to reign, that the king has taken His power. And now John beholds 144,000 following the Lamb to the summit of the heavenly, spiritual mount Zion! Fail not to observe that it is not simply “mount Zion,” but rather “the mount Zion,” signifying the spiritual, even the heavenly — the unique, abiding, eternal mount of the Lord. The literal, earthly mount Zion is still in the earthly Jerusalem in the land of Israel, but it is merely a type. The mount Zion of the Revelation is a spiritual mountain! This Zion realm IS NOT A CERTAIN GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION. But it is in certain geographical locations! A place doesn’t make Zion — Zion makes the place itself — ZION! The “place” of Zion is within a people, in the spirit. Man doesn’t create Zion, Zion is the Christ manifested in all His fullness! The new creation man has come to mount Zion. Mount Zion represents a spiritual reality and attainment that is available to us right now in the realm of the spirit! It’s a spiritual place, a spiritual identity, a spiritual administration, and a spiritual state of being."
The mark of God, juxtaposed to the mark of man (beast)
Exactly
I’ve never understood the 144,000 number. Is it an actual count of people, or something else?
I'm not sure but I recently wondered if it could be a reference to the rule of 144 which is used to tell you how long it will take for a number to quadruple: https://www.piggy.co.in/blog/investment-rule-of-72-114-144/
It is an actual symbolic number :) It is a number that signifies something. I'm looking forward to the author's interpretation.
It's a symbolic number, so not an actual number. The author is slowly going through every line, so he will get into it if not in this essay, some on following. I've been reading this whole study from the first essay, there are 242 essays in all, starting with the first verse to the last. I post them to stimulate a deeper study on the idealist(spiritual) interpretation of Revelation.
Anyway the OP has a link to this study, there is a full index here:
https://www.godfire.net/eby/
"To correctly unlock the great revelation and reality of this mount Zion we need to go back and look at the shadow. Zion is a special place with distinctive associations. It was that part of Jerusalem which was considered impregnable and was held anciently by the Jebusites. After the death of Saul all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron where “King David made a covenant with them” (II Sam. 5:1-3). Following this, David and his men went to Jerusalem where “David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David” (II Sam. 5:7). It was with the deepest satisfaction that David acquired mount Zion, for it was a most strategic fortress. Immediately he built thereon a palace and many public buildings, his joy in Zion increasing with the progress of the work. David ordered that the ark of the covenant be brought to Zion from the house of Obed-Edom; and with much ceremony the ark was brought up to mount Zion and deposited in the beautiful silken tent which David had prepared for its reception, and where it remained until the building of the temple. God’s presence, God’s glory, God’s king, God’s governmental people were all concentrated on mount Zion. The Psalms of David are rich in expressions of joy and pleasure in Zion, not only on David’s part, but more importantly on God’s part. “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge…let mount Zion rejoice…walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof…for this God is our God for ever and ever” (Ps. 48). The magnificent vistas presented on all sides; the beauty of Jerusalem on the opposite hill across the valley, and beyond on the east side of Jerusalem the mount of Olives. However, Zion was more than a geographical locality, it was a combination of divinely designed ingredients which made it not only the city of David, but truly the “city of God” (Ps. 87:3)."
"“They that trust in the Lord are as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever” (Ps. 125:1). These words are far too potent and full of meaning to be read over carelessly or laid aside to be forgotten. These precious words reveal to us the great truth that Zion represents stability. In the natural, mountains and hills give us the impression that they cannot be moved. Nations may change, governments change, laws change, customs change, people change, places of position and habitation change, but when one gazes upward towards the mountains they give the impression of having always been there and of their being there ever afterwards. Their stability and immovability formed the basis for Jesus’ teaching about the omnipotent power of faith — faith that can do the impossible — faith that moves mountains! Humanly speaking, mountains just do not move. And in such stability and steadfastness there is strength. Is that not the reason that mountains are used in the scriptures to signify kingdoms, government, governmental authority and power. Hence the person who trusts in the Lord is like mount Zion — he receives a kingdom that cannot be moved and he, like the mount of God, is immovable, steadfast, and stable. To reign with Christ in the kingdom one must be stable, otherwise he will be tossed about by every wind that blows and every wave that billows. His reign would not be that of an IMMOVABLE KINGDOM!"
"Mountain peaks have often been used as a scaffold, lifting high many glorious experiences between God and man. On mount Moriah God met with Abraham in the greatest revelation of his life. On mount Sinai God appeared and gave the law to Moses. Mount Carmel was the scene of God’s power sending fire to consume Elijah’s sacrifice and judging the prophets of Baal. On the heights of mount Hermon the firstborn Son of God was transfigured, and from mount Olivet He ascended. In the Song of Solomon the Shulamite was called by her Beloved to come away with him to mount Bether, the mount of separation. There are numbers of other mountain-top experiences. The last to be mentioned in the scriptures is John’s vision of mount Zion. On this ultimate elevation God paints the symbol of a lamb and one hundred forty-four thousand companions, with the Father’s name in their foreheads. There have been a lot of “mountain-top experiences,” but there is no mountain that can compare with THIS MOUNTAIN, for it is a STATE OF BEING, a condition IN CHRIST. As Peter discovered on mount Hermon, the Lord never intended for us to build tabernacles and camp on any of these other mountains. We are not to settle for anything less than HIS DIVINE PERFECTIONS and HIS ULTIMATE PURPOSE. We are to be conformed to the image of His Son, we are to share His glory and sit with Him in His throne, and He brings us to that mountain. Truly this is the highest and ultimate mountain-top experience!"
"All who are dwelling in the high and holy realm of Zion, are hearing the voice of the Son of God! Good tidings of great things, of full salvation, of perfection of holiness and power, the reign of Christ, and the peace of the kingdom of God, are now being declared in Zion. “For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it” (Ps. 132:13-14). Ray Prinzing commented on this passage, “The word ‘chosen’ literally means TO CHOOSE AFTER TESTING. No wonder He caused us to be plowed so deeply, He would lay bare every secret within us, to test and try us, to prove us — and then, having been duly brought up to His specifications, qualified to meet His approval, He chooses us to be His own. All through our dark night HE HAS BEEN THERE, participating in the processings, and using it all to do a whole work on Zion, until He could bring us to the border of light, even to this mountain. Full well He knows all of our down-sitting and our up-rising, our going out and coming in. His choosing is based upon a full knowledge of His people, and the work which He has wrought in them. ‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, A TRIED STONE, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation’ (Isa. 28:16). "
"What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion’ (Isa. 14:32). What is the word for this hour? What can we tell a groaning creation that stumbles on in the black of night? What is the hope for this sin-cursed earth? TELL THEM THAT THE LORD IS FOUNDING ZION! He is preparing a people through whom His salvation shall flow to the ends of the earth. His glory shall come, it shall return to earth again, for there shall be a people in whom He shall fully dwell. ‘Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion…how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth’ (Isa, 52:1,7). Here is the message to declare! Not that darkness reigns, not that the enemy seems to have gained control, not that we are doomed. DECLARE THAT THY GOD REIGNETH! He works all things after the counsel of His own will, His victory is secure!”
"There is an open door in the heavens and a voice sounding out, ‘Come up here’ (Rev. 4:1)