The Day of New Beginnings
Realm of Zion
Psalm 46:
¶ <<A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah.>> Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King.
3 God, in her palaces, Has made Himself known as a stronghold.
4 For, lo, the kings assembled themselves, They passed by together.
5 They saw it, then they were amazed; They were terrified, they fled in alarm.
6 Panic seized them there, Anguish, as of a woman in childbirth.
7 With the east wind You break the ships of Tarshish.
8 ¶ As we have heard, so have we seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish her forever. Selah.
9 We have thought on Your lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of Your temple.
10 As is Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad, Let the daughters of Judah rejoice Because of Your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion and go around her; Count her towers;
13 Consider her ramparts; Go through her palaces, That you may tell it to the next generation.
14 For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death.
While the natural Zion referred to the area in and around Jerusalem, called the city of David, the true fulfillment of Zion is a spiritual realm where God is manifested to His people in a special way. “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion (Ps. 84)!”
Verse one refers to Zion as a holy mountain. It’s a spiritual realm where all God’s promises are fulfilled. God in her palaces has made Himself known as a stronghold (vs. 3). Whose palaces? The palaces of Zion. Palaces speak of kingship, of rule and authority. Within the realm of Zion are many realms of authority. As we move into the palaces of rule and authority with the Lord, He becomes a stronghold to us and around us.
Verses 9-11 speak of the intimacy that exists between God and the inhabitants of Zion. It’s where His lovingkindness is fully revealed to us.
And now verse 12! “Walk about Zion, go around her…” The realm of Zion is to be thoroughly explored and experienced! Not as theoretical doctrine, but as a living relationship. If you read carefully the Scriptures, especially the last few chapters of Isaiah, you will find the references to fulfillment and double portions, and latter rain, etc. all pertain to Zion. As we learn to breathe the free air of Zion, becoming her children, we begin to experience all that the Scriptures promise.
In our exploration of the realm of Zion we are told to count her towers, consider her ramparts, and go through her palaces. Zion’s towers speak not only of fortresses and strength, but of spiritual perception. Towers in the Scriptures many times represent being in a high place able to see in every direction. Towers are associated with the watchmen of Israel: “Now the watchman was standing on the tower in Jezreel and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, "I see a company (2nd Ki 9:17).” We are to “count” her towers. We are to learn the many ways of seeing and perceiving in God. We are to consider her ramparts. Ramparts speak of bulwarks, entrenchments, fortresses. In other words, we are to behold the immunities and coverings and protections that come from the Lord’s presence in Zion. The Lord becomes these things to us in that Zion relationship. We are to go through her palaces. We have already touched upon how the palaces of Zion represent the ruling and reigning with Christ in the city of the Great King (vs. 2).
Finally, we are to explore Zion thoroughly that we might tell it to the next generation. The realm of Zion is to be ministered to all who are open to enter her.