WELCOME TO WORDSERVICE.ORG

Wordservice.org

THE GREAT AND HIGH MOUNTAIN

    Bible Symbolism

The mountain of the Lord and the government of God.

     Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a statue made of gold, silver, brass and iron that the prophet Daniel interpreted as four empires that would rule their world and end with Daniel 2:35. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.  Daniel 2:35 is then interpreted in in verses 44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45. Forasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold..... So the stone (Jesus) becoming a great mountain and filling the whole the earth is in fact an illustration of his government filling the whole earth at the end of the fourth empire.

      There can be no disputing the meaning of the great mountain in the book of Daniel. The Bible has already interpreted it for us. It illustrates the government of God with it's king, the messiah, the descendant of Abraham enthroned  during the fourth empire. Jehovah the Word of God came into the world as a human being during the reign of the first emperor of that fourth empire, Rome. The religious leaders of Jesus's day knew this prophecy quite well and demanded of Jesus, (if he was really who he was claiming to be,) when this government would come. He gave them an answer they assuredly did not expect. Most Christians would not expect this answer if they got the opportunity to ask Jesus the same question today. Luke 17: 20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come with observation: (visibly) Nor shall they say, Look here! or, look there! (because it is invisible) for, behold, the kingdom of God is inside you. This links an article on Luke 17:20-21. Here is a series of articles of Jesus's parables about this mystery concerning this invisible government of God and how it actually does come. 

Keeping the interpretation of Daniel in mind about this great mountain lets look at some other prophecies about the mountain of the Lord.

      Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come you, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. AKJV
     There are a number of things worth noticing here. First, that this is the mountain of the lords house. The New Testament as shown in as this part of the New Jerusalem article is replete with references to the people of faith of all nations being the house of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the tabernacle of the Lord, the dwelling place of the Lord, and the habituation of God. The second thing worth noticing is that it is not the only mountain. There are other mountains and hills. Other influences not from God. It just states that the mountain of the Lords house will be at the top, higher or exalted above them.  Here is where the light bulb should go on in the readers head. Ask yourself a question. When a person wants to get right with God, or learn of his ways and to follow in in his paths. Where do they go to do this? The answer: The come to Christ, they come to a church, they go to the Bible, they hang out with Christians. In other words they come to the mountain of the Lords house. That is what verse 3 is a prophecy of. Not only did the Law and the Word of the Lord come into to the world from the physical city of Jerusalem that sits on the hill of Zion. It continues to come into the world through what those geographical locations illustrated in prophecy:  Through the New Jerusalem, the city of the Lord or the mountain of the Lords house as defined in the New Testament that Mount Zion symbolized. Verse 4 is prophesying how this will all happen. Gods providence and judgments but more importantly: The people of faith beat their swords and spears into instruments of farming. They sow the Word in peoples hearts and harvest souls.  Jesus explained this as one of the mysteries about this government of God, how the prophecy's about it will be fulfilled.  This is gone over in great detail in the first article of a series on  Jesus's parables about the Government of God.

      Isaiah 11 1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatted calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. AKJV This is a direct prophecy of the Messiah and his work toward and in the nations who are illustrated as animals. The people of faith are illustrated as children. Notice in verse 9  that this transformation of the earth that is being illustrated comes through the earth being full of the knowledge of the Lord.  How does this knowledge come about? Isaiah 2 in the previous paragraph says through the mountain of the Lords house, through the people of faith of all nations.

      Isaiah 25:5 You shall bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. 6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make to all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD has spoken it. AKJV The same type of thing is said in this prophecy that is quoted in Revelation regarding the New Jerusalem. That it is the mountain of the Lord which represents Gods government, the Mountain of Gods house that represents Gods people that will take away the veil that hides God from the nations. That teaches them righteousness so that they might have the national prosperity spoken of in verse 6. What else can versus like this next one mean? Matthew 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. This was Jesus speaking to the leaders of ancient Israel. The point is: How can something be taken away if they didn't have it to begin with? You can see they had it by looking at why it was taken away. Because they didn't bring forth the fruit of that Kingdom.  What would that fruit be?  Some of that fruit would have been just what these verses are referencing; That that earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. That the covering or veil over the face of all nations be removed. That with righteousness the poor and the meek find justice. That the rebuke of his people be taken of the earth. Luke 12:32 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, Hebrews 12:8 For you are not come to the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor to blackness, and darkness, and tempest, (Mt Sinai representing the 1st covenant.)..... 22 But you are come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, ... 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

      Isaiah 66 is an astounding prophecy in its precise accuracy as is all Bible propehcy. Probably very confusing to most though due to the teachings of some of the dispensationalists who seem to know little to nothing of the Bibles actual dispensations. Galatians 4:21 Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a female slave, the other by a free woman. 23 But he who was of the female slave was born after the flesh; but he of the free woman was by promise. (by divine intervention) 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which engenders to bondage, which is Agar. (Hagar the slave woman)  25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, you barren that bore not; break forth and cry, you that travail not: for the desolate has many more children than she which has an husband. 28 Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. AKJV

     Isaiah 66: 1 Thus said the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that you build to me? and where is the place of my rest? 2 For all those things has my hand made, and all those things have been, said the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word. The first two verses were laying the groundwork for the realties that were to be revealed in their time. That the OT temple and the tabernacle were illustrations of the true temple and tabernacle to come.  Which are Gods people of faith of all nations.  3 He that kills an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrifices a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offers an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burns incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yes, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations. Same thing. The laying of the groundwork that the rites and rituals of the Mosaic law were merely illustrations of the sacrifice of the Son of God and the truths to be revealed to the whole world. This "rejection" of the Old Testament rites and rituals was prophesied in the book of Genesis over and over. 4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did evil before my eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. This is the faith of Abraham in a nutshell. When he calls down inside the spirit of a human, you answer. You don't reject that call and instead try to make yourself acceptable by preforming rites and rituals or even good works.  5 Hear the word of the LORD, you that tremble at his word; Your brothers that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A promise to the minority, those of faith in Ancient Israel. 6 A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that renders recompense to his enemies. 7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who has heard such a thing? who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Verses 6-8, The birth of the messiah, the birth of the multitude of promises of God to many generations. The birth of the realties of the government of God that were to come to the world. The beginning of the fulfillment of the words of the prophets.   9. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? said the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? said your God. Verse 9 is a very important verse. God  is prophesying that the time period in the first century as the birth of the promises of God not the fruition that the world would not begin to really see in earnest until the 4th empire ended. Remember the great trials and tribulations, the great falling away that occurred in those first centuries? Within a few centuries it would seem as though the whole enterprise failed to bring the earthly promises of God into the world.  God exhorts them in verses 10- 14 with prophecies of the fruition. 10 Rejoice you with Jerusalem, (Speaking of the New Jerusalem as parts of these verses are quoted in Revelation 21-22.) and be glad with her, all you that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you that mourn for her: 11 That you may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that you may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. 12 For thus said the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall you suck, you shall be borne on her sides, and be dandled on her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 And when you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies. 15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many. 17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the middle, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, said the LORD. 18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory. 19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. Verses 15-19 are a reference to the end of the Old Covenant Age and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Plus the believers going out of Judea into the whole world to preach the Gospel.   20 And they shall bring all your brothers for an offering to the LORD out of all nations on horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and on mules, and on swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, said the LORD, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD. Verse 20 tells of the ministry of the mostly Jewish believers who left Judea bringing people of all nations to the great and high mountain who now become the brethren of all the Jewish believers from times past to present.  21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, said the LORD. Verse 21 tells how the Gentile believers would become pastors, prophets, ministers of the Gospel. 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, said the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. Look at the construct of this verse 22 carefully. This new heaven and earth, quoted in Revelations New Jerusalem has not arrived yet. It is to come. The time period of the Roman Empire, the last of the four had just begun. The era of promise was yet far off. So the Lord is exhorting those who would come to Christ that no matter how bad things got for them, and it got really bad. That the seed they were sowing, their lives they were giving towards the cause, their name, the name Christian would remain until that day that what they sowed could flourish in the earth.  23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, said the LORD. 24 And they shall go forth, and look on the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh. The last two verses are speaking of this era of promise in pretty heavily coded language about the great wars that seek to stop the preaching of the Gospel and the growth of the government of God in the earth but fail. The saints witness of the divine judgments in the outcome of these wars and maybe even a little bit about heaven and hell.

 

     Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18 But be you glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There shall be no more there an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and my elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, said the LORD. AKJV 
     Here we have another direct reference to the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21-22. The wording here encapsulates the earthly promises of God made to generations of believers that did not come to pass in their days yet are being fulfilled in these generations in many nations on the earth. Again the wolf and the lamb illustrate  different nations, or in this case, could illustrate believers and non believers together living side by side in peace in nations that have accepted various degree's of Biblical principle; just as we see today.  

     Isaiah 57: 12 I will declare your righteousness, and your works; for they shall not profit you. 13 When you cry, let your companies deliver you; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that puts his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; AKJV Another reference to those in ancient Israel who put their trust in the rites and rituals of the Mosaic law but rejected the faith of Abraham and the promise of inheriting his mountain to those who would.

     Isaiah 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keeps the sabbath from polluting it, and takes hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8 The Lord GOD, which gathers the outcasts of Israel said, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered to him. AKJV A prophecy\promise  of coming into his mountain, his kingdom, and household of God to both Jew and Gentile who embrace the faith of Christ and enter into his rest. Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For to us was the gospel preached, as well as to them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6 Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: 7 Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

      There are many more chapters and references in the Bible that use this illustration of this great and high mountain and mount Zion to prophesy\promise the things that have been unfolding before our eyes for centuries now. They warrant a whole separate article to themselves.

© Daniel Martinovich 2002-2017