God’s Holy City Mount Zion Jerusalem extended from the old mount zion city of David seen at the time of Jesus the Temple was different. In Acts 15:16 God said Messiah Yeshua will build His Temple on the Temple Mount Zion. God chose people to GLORIFY HIS NAME among the Gentiles. Jesus will return to rebuild David’s fallen in tent ruins to restore God’s Temple. Mankind will know the LORD God Yahweh all Gentiles bear MY NAME says the LORD God Yahweh. Joel 2:1 says blow the Trumpet in Mount Zion and announce coming days of the LORD Yahweh. As Yeshua predicted fall of Temple destroyed, no stone left standing except surrounding walls.
Tabernacles constructed by Moses, Bezalel and Oholiab in wilderness used to be on Mount Zion as centre of worship of YAHWEH before days of Jesus, King David and Solomon’s Temple. Isaiah 33:20 says look at Zion City of solemn meeting your eyes will see Jerusalem peaceful habitation tent that not removed, plucked up or the cords broken. Isaiah 2:2, In the end of days mountain Zion of the LORD’s House is established at the top of the mountain. Shall be exalted above hills all nations will flow to it. 3 Many people will say come let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob HE will teach us HIS ways to walk in HIS path. Out of Zion the law word of the LORD from Jerusalem to all.
Jeremiah 50:4 says those days at that time the LORD’S children in Israel come with children and Judah together go weeping to seek their LORD God. 5 They will inquire concerning Zion with joy say ‘Come and join yourselves to the LORD in everlasting Covenant that shall not be forgotten. 6 My people have been lost sheep shepherds caused to go astray turned them from mountain to hill forgot their resting place. The Shekinah GLORY of the LORD Yahweh will reappear on Mount Zion. Isaiah 4:5 says the LORD will create habitation in mount Zion over her assemblies be cloud and smoke by day. 6 There a pavilion for a in the day-time from the heat and their refuge.
And history of Israel shows conquest of Jericho was led by Joshua. The walls of Jericho fell was recorded in Joshua 6:1-27. God’s miracle power led to destruction of Jericho to regain their land an inheritance on return from captivity in Egypt. The people of Israel crossed the Jordan River into the land of Canaan in Joshua 3:14 -17 back to their land of milk and honey God as promised Abraham over 500 years in Deuteronomy 6:3, 32:49. After forty years in the wilderness desert of Sinai people of Israel arrived on the eastern banks of the Jordan. Took Canaan land back in city of Jericho in Joshua 6:1 though walled city. Excavations reveal fortification stonewall eleven feet high fourteen feet wide smoothstone slope. Angling upward at 35 degrees for 35 feet, joined massive stone high walls impregnable ancient warfare assaults surrounded city people starved into submission. Invaders weakened stonewalls tunnel mountain as ramp took weeks or months. Conquered city of Jericho told by God to march silently around Jericho six days on seventh day march seven day with a loud shout. The people shouted walls collapsed Israel won the victory. God restored city of Jericho in Joshua 6:2,16. God’s people followed commands Jericho walls fell down in Joshua 6:20. In Isaiah 4:5, GLORY of the LORD Cloud pillars of smoke and fire in the wilderness is presence of God with HIS children Israel on their way to Canaanland from Egypt. So the location a major issue of conflict like other old cities rebuilt are renamed over the centuries. Vital details and information lost in translation is in Isaiah 34:8 the LORD’S day of vengeance year of recompense for controversy of Zion. In Isaiah 66:1 the LORD says heaven is My throne earth is My footstool where is the house built for ME so where is My resting-place? In Zechariah 8:2 the Lord of hosts is jealous for Zion with HIS great jealousy for her with great fury. 3 The LORD will return to Zion and Dwell in Jerusalem The City of Truth, Holy mountain of the LORD of hosts.
Isaiah 28:11 says stammering lips, tongues will spoken be by this people; 12 This is the rest to the weary. Jeremiah 6:16 says saith the LORD, to see ancient path way, walked in to find rest for your souls but didn’t walk in it. Isaiah 27:12 the LORD says Euphrates to Egypt fight Israel gathered. 13 A Great Trumpet will sound those perishing in Assyria, exiled in Egypt come and worship LORD on Holy mountain in Jerusalem.
God Chose Zion HIS desired as HIS Habitation in Zion’s Temple Mount location. In Psalm 132:1, the LORD, remembered David’s sufferings. 2 He swore an oath to the LORD vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob 3 I will not enter my house go to my bed,4 allow sleep or slumber 5 till I find the place for the LORD to dwell. 6 Hear Ephrathah, come on the fields of Jaar. 7 Let us go to HIS dwelling place worship at HIS footstool 8 Arise LORD and come to your resting place where the ark clothed your priests in righteousness. Your faithful people sing for joy. 10 For the sake of David don’t reject your anointed one’s whole City of Jerusalem. City of David’s palace, courtyards, garden grounds and altar Tent for Yahweh after conquest of Jebusite Zion is whole Jerusalem. Joab the Chief Captain expanded City of David upwards to Millo city. As Chief Captain built and repaired old ruins damaged by conquerors who took Israel into exiles. Solomon built his Temple, palaces, gardens on expanded to Temple Mount areas from the old Zion City of King David.
11 The LORD Swore Oath to David, HE will not revoke owned by descendants on God’s throne. 12 If your sons keep my covenant and statutes I teach them, their sons, will sit on your throne for ever. 13 The LORD CHOSE Zion, HE has desired it for HIS dwelling said 14 This is My Resting place forever I will Sit Enthroned I desire it. 15 I will bless her with abundant provisions her poor satisfied with food. 16 I will clothe her priests with salvation and her faithful people sing for joy. 16 I will make for David a lamp for anointed one. 18 I will clothe his enemies with shame but his head adorned a radiant crown. Isaiah 24:23, The moon shall be confounded, sun ashamed the LORD of hosts will Reign in Mount Zion and Jerusalem before HIS elders in GLORY. In Psalm 48:2, Great is the LORD and highly to be praised in the City of our God, His Holy mountain, 3 Fair in situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion the uttermost parts of the north, the City of the Great KING. 4 God in HIS palaces HIMSELF a stronghold. Psalm 87:1 as sons of Korah sang HIS foundation is in Holy mountain.2 The LORD loves Zion more than all dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of the CITY of God.
In Obadiah 1:17 Mount Zion shall be Holy house of Jacob Israel possess their possessions. Joel 3:5, says it shall come to pass whosoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be delivered and in Mount Zion and Jerusalem there shall be the remnant of the LORD. Joel 4:16 Rhe Lord roars from Zion HIS voice from Jerusalem so heavens and earth will shake but the LORD is a refuge to HIS people the children of Israel. 17 I am the LORD God dwelling in Zion My holy mountain so Jerusalem is Holy no strangers pass through her anymore. 18 it shall come to pass that day, the mountains will drop wine and hills flow with milk and Judah flow with waters. Fountain come in the house of the LORD water valley of Shittim. 19 Egypt will be desolate and Edom wilderness, for violence against children of Judah because they shed innocent blood in the land. 20 Judah will be inhabited forever Jerusalem generation to generation. 21 Their blood innocent the LORD will dwell in Zion.
In Deuteronomy 12:1 the statutes, ordinances, observed in the land the LORD God gave fathers, possess it all the days live on earth. 2 Destroy all places nations dispossessed you to serve their gods on high mountains, hills and under trees. 3 Break their altars dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their asherim with fire; hew down all graven images of their gods; destroy their name out of the place. 4 Do so unto the LORD your God 5 in the place the LORD God chose out of all tribes to put His name there as HIS habitation. 6 And bring your burnt-offerings, sacrifice, tithes, and offerings, vows, freewill-offerings, firstlings of herd and flock 7 there eat before the LORD God rejoice in all you and your house does the LORD your God blessed you.
Psalm 87:2-3 says, The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are said of the City of God.” Zion is synonymous with city of God, and it is a place that God loves. Zion is Jerusalem. Mount Zion is the high hill on which David built a citadel. It is on the southeast side of the city. The word Zion occurs over 150 times in the Bible. It essentially means “fortification” and has the idea of being “raised up” as a “monument.” Zion is described both as the city of David and the city of God. As the Bible progresses, the word Zion expands in in spiritual meaning so Zion and Jerusalem refer to the same City, indicating physical and spiritual location of the HOLY City. The word Zion means ‘marked’ as ‘distinctive’ with inner qualities distinguishing Jews as Chosen ‘people who dwell in covenant with God’s unique spiritual traits, terms and conditions.
The first mention of Zion in the Bible is in 2 Samuel 5:7, “David captured the fortress of Zion to build the City of David.” Zion originally ancient Jebusite fortress in the City of Jerusalem. After David’s conquest of the fortress, Jerusalem became a possession of Israel. The royal palace was built there and Zion Jerusalem became the seat of power in Israel’s kingdom. When Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, meaning of Zion City expanded further to include the temple area in Psalm 2:6, 48:2, 11:12, 232:13. In the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:6, “Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.” In Isaiah 40:9, Old Testament Zion name for the City of Jerusalem includes the land of Judah according to Jeremiah 31:12. The nation of Israel as a whole is called Zion in Zechariah 9:13. The word Zion in theology in a spiritual sense in Scripture means figuratively to Israel as the people of God in Isaiah 60:14. In New Testament, Zion is God’s spiritual KINGDOM for believers to come “to Mount Zion and to the City of the living God in the heavenly Jerusalem as stated in Hebrews 12:12. Peter, said quoting Isaiah 28:16, Christ is Cornerstone of Zion: “See, I lay a Stone in Zion chosen precious Cornerstone and one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame in 1 Peter 2:6.
Mount Zion as a geographical area currently is a center of dispute. The Bible is clear, one day, Zion will be the Sole Possession of the Lord Jesus and Zion the nation and City will be restored. “Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion, Clothe yourself in your beautiful garments O Jerusalem, the HOLY City for the spiritually uncircumcised unclean will no longer come into you says Isaiah 52:1. The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you and all who despise you will bow down at your feet and call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel according to Isaiah 60:14. Isaiah 34:8 For the Lord hath a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the controversy of Zion. David’s declaration in 1 Chronicles 22:1, says David in the Psalms state Zion is for God as the reserved place where the LORD God would dwell. The temple was located at Zion from time David brought the Ark into Jerusalem until they took it to temple on Mount Moriah. The Temple belonged at Zion but due to wars fought by David Ark was often hidden in secret locations in Scripture as Mount Zion the highest point of elevation than Mount Moriah.
In 2 Samuel 6:16 And it was so, as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 17 They brought in ark of the Lord and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord. Nahmanides in Jerusalem In the year 1322 Estori Farhi was in Jerusalem; and his “Kaftor wa-Ferah” (ch. vi.) gives archeological description of city (Eng. transl. in “Itinerary” of Benjamin of Tudela, ii. 393; German, in Zunz, “G. S.” ii. 268). According to Farhi, Jerusalem was three parasangs long. He mentions the entrance to the Cave of Hezekiah (B. K.16b), within the walls of Jerusalem to the north; the tent erected by David for Ark, in a place called “David’s Temple,” south of Mt. Moriah (comp. “Yihus ha-Abot,” p. 25); northwest of this was a place where a synagogue and the Jewish quarter (see David b. Zimrah, Responsa, No. 633). The city of Jerusalem is, according to him, higher than Mt. Moriah and higher than the synagogue.
In 2 Samuel 5:4-9 King David conquered Mount Zion but was mocked the blind and lame can’t come in there. Spiritually blind and lame can’t come in the HOUSE of God. All must know God themselves and HIS Words in Bible. In 1 Chronicles 11:4 David and all Israel in Jerusalem as Jebus so Jebusites inhabitants of land there. 5. The inhabitants of Jebus were sure no one can defeat them but David took Zion city of David. 6 David said: ‘Who attacks Jebusites first will be chief and captain.’ And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief. 7 David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the city of David. 8And he built the city round about, from Millo even round about; and Joab repaired the rest of the city. Isaiah 33:5 the Lord is exalted, for He dwelleth on high; He hath filled Zion with justice and righteousness. The House of God will stand at the HOLY site that is most suited for prayer as it is written: “God’s Eyes are opened towards HIS HOUSE night and day, towards the place HIS NAME IS, to HEAR the prayer Your servant will pray toward this place. And You shall hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel that they will pray toward this place.” Isaiah 33:20 Look upon Zion, the City of our solemn gatherings your eyes shall see Jerusalem a Peaceful Habitation, a tent shall not be removed, the stakes shall never be plucked up, neither shall the cords be broken ever again.
This information locates Zion to conclude though previous temples located at Zion were destroyed, 2 Samuel 5:8 refers to a landmark water shaft. “Water shaft” is rendered “quarry tunnel stretching beside Temple for washing and purification required” in the 1917 Jewish Publication Society Tanakh. Scripture notes other landmarks located with certainty today to establishes the western boundary of the City of David in ancient times is the water channel built by King Hezekiah. And in 2 Chronicles 32:30, Hezekiah stopped the upper spring waters of Gihon and brought them straight down on the western side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of messenger of good tidings, that announce PEACE, the harbinger of good tidings, announces salvation; saying to Zion: ‘Your God Reigns!’ 8 The watchmen lift up their voice, together to sing; for they shall see, eye to eye, the Lord returning to Zion. 9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10 the LORD has made bare His HOLY ARM in the eyes of all the nations and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
The Millo in this ancient map in Hebrew: המלוא was a place in Jerusalem first mentioned in 2 Samuel 5:9 and in Chronicles and Kings. It is part of the expansion of the City of David built by the Jebusites before conquest by David with Joab and Israelites. Joab specifically expanded David’s City into Millo nearby Solomon’s Temple. Millo was rebuilt and repaired by Solomon. There is archaeological and historical site of Millo from ancient Israel and ruins of Millo as Stepped Stone Structure uncovered by Kathleen Kenyon and Eilat Mazar connected Millo to the recently discovered large stone structure. Excavation by Eilat Mazar directly above the Stepped Stone Structure shows this structure connects and supports the large Stone Structure. Mazar presents evidence that the Large Stone Structure was an Israelite royal palace in continuous use from tenth century as part of a single, massive royal palace. This biblical reference to Millo as the House of Millo in II Kings 12:21 and II Chronicles 24:25 was the place where King Joash lived until 799 BC. Millo is derived from “fill” in Hebrew milui). The stepped stone support structure is built of fills. In Samuel, Millo is mentioned as the boundary of King David’s construction while building up the City of David after capture of Jerusalem from Jebusites. Millo is translated literally as Landfill or supporting terraces.
Hezekiah’s repair of the Millo is mentioned in repairs to military fortifications, and several scholars agree connection to military tower citadel or significant part of a wall. It was embankment flattened slope between Ophel and the Temple Mount. Isaiah 46:13 God brings near HIS righteousness not far off and HIS salvation shall not delay and WILL place salvation in Zion for Israel HIS Glory. Amos 9:11 In that day GOD WILL I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old. 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom and all nations, upon whom My NAME is called, says the Lord WHO does this. 2 Chronicles 5:2 Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ houses of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of the City of David in Zion. 2 Samuel 6:16, As ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord and despised him in her heart. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent David pitched for it and David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord. Acts 15:16 After these things I will return, and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which is fallen, and will rebuild its ruins, and will set it up, 17 so that the residue of men may seek out the Lord, and all the nations on whom my name is invoked, saith [the] Lord, who does these things 18 known from eternity.
Lower Eastern Hill City of David
Mount Zion name of the Jebusite fortified city on the lower part of ancient Jerusalem’s Eastern Hill, known as City of David where he built his palace but Zion extends outwards to include: According to the 2 Samuel Mount Zion the site of the Jebusite fortress called the “stronghold of Zion” that was conquered by King David then renamed and partially rebuilt by him as the “City of David”, where he erected his palace, courtyards. Upper Eastern Hill Temple Mount was First Temples and Tabernacles precede Solomon’s Temple erected at the top of the Eastern Hill on “Mount Zion.” After the conquest of the Jebusite city, its build-up area expanded northward towards uppermost part of the Eastern Hill. The highest point became site of Solomon’s Temple. The identification of pre-Israelite Jebusite and Israelite towns on the Eastern Hill is based on existence of only one perennial water source in the area, the Gihon Spring and archaeological excavations revealing sections of the Bronze Age and Iron Age city walls and water systems. The “Mount Zion” mentioned in Isaiah 60:13- 14 and in Book of Psalms and First Book of Maccabees (c. 2nd century BCE) to refers to top of the hill Temple Mount.
Western Hill Mount Zion