Mountains of Israel

[Doug]

The scriptures are pictured by a lamp, [Psa. 119:105], rain and snow [Isa. 55:10-11], fire [Jer. 5:14; 23:29], seed [Luke 8:11], water [Eph. 5:26],  a sword [Eph. 6:17], and Jesus said that they testify of Him. [John 5:39]

There are two parts to the scriptures, the Old and New Testaments. The scriptures are a "witness" to Christ, as one who testifies is a "witness." Jesus said the Spirit also testifies of Him. They are two witnesses. Portions of the scriptures are represented by mountains. Mount Siani is symbolic of the Mosaic legislation. [Gal. 4:24]

In scripture, mountains often represent the promises of God, and prophecies.  Mount Zion is symbolic of the church. [Heb. 12:22] David said God's righteousness is like great mountains. [Psa. 36:6] Paul said the gospel reveals God's righteousness. [Rom. 1:16-17] The kingdom of God is a mountain, which will be established in the top of the mountains. [Isa. 2:2]

Invaders from many nations come against the mountains of Israel. [Ezek. 38:8] Locust invaders leap on the tops of mountains. [Joel 2:5] The mountains of Israel (promises of God, and prophecies) are possessed by the heathen, and made desolate, and "are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people." [Ezek. 36:3] Edom, the long-time enemy of Israel, claims to possess the mountains of Israel. [Ezek. 36:5]

Invaders from all nations come against Jerusalem, in the day of the Lord. [Zech. 14:1-2] Jerusalem represents the church, which has become divided, and people are captive to many delusions. The nations are deceived, and come against the church. [Rev. 20:8-9] The Lord will fight against them. [Zech. 14:3] The Mount of Olives is cleaved in the midst. [Zech. 14:4] Here, the Mount of Olives represents the Olivet prophecy of Jesus, which has been misinterpreted in two ways, IMO: preterism and dispensationalism; the saints need to flee to the valley between those displaced mountains.

The mountains hear of God's controversy with his people. [Mic. 6:2] The mountains and all walls are thrown down. [Ezek. 38:20] The invaders will fall upon the mountains of Israel. [Ezek. 39:4]

The scriptures are called the sword of the Spirit. [Eph. 6:17] Christ is depicted as having a sharp, two-edged sword coming from his mouth. [Rev. 1:16; 2:16; 19:15,16] The scriptures discern our thoughts, and the intent of our hearts. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." [Heb. 4:12]

A sword is a weapon, designed to be used for cutting flesh, and drawing blood, and killing one's foe. It is symbolic of the scriptures, as the scriptures contain Christ's words against His spiritual foes, and  the enemies of the gospel. The scriptures don't cut literal flesh, or draw literal blood, although wars have sometimes been fought over them. Spiritual foes are represented in prophecy by armies wielding swords. The saints are represented by Israel, and Jerusalem, and Mount Zion, and their enemies are represented by Edom, or invading Gentiles.

God's sword is bathed in heaven. [Isa. 34:5] The "heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll" is a prophecy about the scientific revolution, that confirms the scriptures. The heavens ceased their revolutions, when the diurnal rotation was assigned to the earth. [Isa. 34:4, Rev. 6:14]

The mountains of Israel, representing the promises of God, will be possessed by Israel, which is the church. [Ezek. 36:12] The mountains will become fruitful. [Ezek. 36:8] The mountains will sing.  [Isa. 44:23, 49:13, 55:12] The mountains will be soaked, or melted, with the blood of the heathen. [Isa. 34:3]

Living water goes forth from Jerusalem, which also represents the church. [Zech. 14:8] Water flows from house of God, (the church) and waters the valley of Shittim, where the Israelites had camped, before they entered the promised land, and committed fornication. [Joel 3:18] A river of water flows from the threshold of the house of God. [Ezek. 47:1-12]

Paul said, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." [Eph. 6:12]

Locusts are not wounded by swords; [Joel 2:8] the swords represent words, and doctrines. The war in heaven is between angels. [Rev. 12:7] The beast from the bottomless pit makes war with the two witnesses. [Rev. 11:7] It is not a literal "beast," but a spirit, which makes war against "two olive trees," and "two candlesticks." The two witnesses are overcome, and killed, but they later revive. If the two witnesses are the scriptures, and the Spirit of God, the scriptures and the Spirit have "bodies" in Rev 11:8. Their corpses are left unburied in the street. The city referred to here is not Jerusalem, as Christ was crucified outside Jerusalem. [Heb. 13:12] Rather, it is mystical Babylon, the world. These corpses are not literal bodies. The holy scriptures appear to many like unburied corpses, as they are not believed, and have been made ineffective, by flawed interpretations.

All nations in Isa. 34:2-3 are slain, and their corpses are left unburied. Again, these corpses are not literal, but the ideas of men; delusions. The delusion of a rigid heaven, and geocentricity are examples. These are abandoned delusions, old beliefs shown to be false. The hordes of Gog and Magog are given to birds and beasts, to be devoured. [Ezek. 39:4] Their corpses are buried over 7 months period. [Ezek. 39:12] Their weapons are burned for 7 years. [Ezek. 39:9] Obviously, the burial of corpses for 7 months is not literal. The corpses are metaphors, perhaps representing discarded beliefs of men, former delusions.
   
God's sword drips with blood, [Isa 34:6] but the blood is not literal blood, because the "sword" is not literal. The hordes of Gog and Magog are armed with swords, and bows and arrows. [Ezek. 38:4] Their swords are their words, and their arrows are "bitter words." [Psa. 64:3]

The hordes of Gog and Magog ride upon horses. [Ezek. 38:15] Horses are symbolic of people who lack understanding. [Psa. 32:9] Also people who are carnally minded. [Jer. 5:8] The locusts in Joel look like horses. [Joel 2:4] Horses are affected by the plague that afflicts enemies of the church. [Zech. 14:15] The plague affects the eyes, the tongue, and the flesh. [Zech. 14:12] It also affects asses, camels, and mules. Camels were beasts of burden, perhaps they represent rich men. [Luke 18:25]

The stink from unburied corpses comes up. [Isa 34:3] The stink of the locusts, the northern army, comes up also. [Joel 2:20] The smell of the rotting corpses of the hordes of Gog and Magog "stops the noses of the passengers." [Ezek. 39:11] This refers to an evil reputation. [Gen. 34:30] 

The locusts make a noise like chariots, [Joel 2:5] a loud clattering sound. There is no intelligence in that noise. They don't thrust one another, and don't break their ranks. [Joel 2:8]

The enemies of the saints fight each other. "Every man's sword shall be against his brother."  [Ezek. 38:21] "And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour." [Zech 14:13]

When the nations come against the church, and against the mountains of Israel or the promises given to the church, fire from heaven falls upon them. [Ezek. 38:22, Rev. 20:9] They all fall by the sword. [Ezek. 39:23] Their flesh is eaten by birds and beasts, [Ezek. 39:17-19, Rev. 19:21] in a sacrifice to God. After the flood, Noah sacrificed animals and birds, [Gen. 8:20] but here, at the end of the age, birds and beasts are invited to feast. I think it pictures a spiritual sacrifice, when men will worship God. Paul wrote: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." [Rom. 12:1] Joel says the Spirit of God will be poured out on all flesh. [Joel 2:28]

Doug

[Doug]

Psalm 114
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

How do mountains skip? What mountains are these?

I suggest that the mountains in this Psalm are metaphors, that represent the promises of God. Mountains are prominent parts of the land promised to Abraham and his seed. Christ was a great promise, made to Israel.

Deuteronomy 18:15
The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

John called Jesus the lamb of God.

John 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Paul referred to Christ as the passover lamb.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Christ is also our promised king.

Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

His kingdom is described as a great mountain, that will fill the earth.

Daniel 2:34-35
Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
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 threshingfloors; 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.

His kingdom will have no end.

Luke 1:31-33
And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

In Christ we are promised rest.

Matthew 11:28-29
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Christ is pictured "leaping on the mountains," in S. of S.

Song of Solomon 2:8
The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

Peter said the promises given to us are "exceeding great and precious." 

2 Peter 1:2-4
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Paul said all the promises of God are "Yea" and "Amen" in Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:20
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

The great mountains are symbolic of the righteousness of God.

Psalm 36:6
Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast.

Through the promises of God, we have peace. 

Psalm 72:3
The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

Doug

[Redlettervoice]

. God "exhalts" the Mountains.

Good post.

[Doug]

. God "exhalts" the Mountains.

Hmm..

Do you mean exults, or exalts?  :Sparkletooth:

When Jesus said "flee to the mountains," did he mean literal ones? In the Olivet Discourse, he does not tell us what we need to to flee from, or which mountains to flee to. Some think it applies to Jews in Palestine. Preterists say it applied the Jews in 70 AD, who were in the siege of Jerusalem; dispensationalists say it applies to Jews in a future tribulation period. Neither view is correct! Jesus said he who seeks to save his own life will lose it.

Luke 17:33
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

So, what did Jesus mean, when he said "flee to the mountains"? I suggest he meant go to the mountains of prophecy, that represent God's righteousness, and the great promises of God, and understand the prophecies of scripture, which are also represented by mountains.

Isaiah 40:9
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

This makes sense only when "high mountain" is interpreted. Zion represents the church; the good tidings is the gospel.

The high mountain represents the great promises of God! Zion was the location of the temple at Jerusalem, which is symbolic of the church.

Jesus referred to himself as the temple of God. Those who are in Christ are the temple of God now. [Eph 2:20] The church has the label "Zion." The church is also called Judah, and Jerusalem, in Isaiah's prophecy, and in the New Testament.

Hebrews 12:22-23
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

"Ye are come unto mount Sion" means we have come to the temple of God, and the holy city. Where do we go next? Into the high mountain, according to Isaiah. The mountains are symbolic of God's promises! Isaiah wrote:

Isaiah 55:6-11
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

There is a promise here about the effectiveness of God's word, for its intended purpose.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) wrote:

[The voice of the Lord:] I had a green flourishing field. Did I give it you, O human being, so that you could produce fruit according to your own wishes? When you have sown the seed, can you yourself transform it into fruit? Not at all. You do not send the dew, nor do you cause the rain to fall; you do not provide the moisture of fresh greenness nor do you bring forth the warmth of the sunlight. All this is needed to produce fruit.

In the same way, you can sow a word in a person's ear, but as for his heart, which is my field, you can send it neither the dew of contrition nor the rain of fresh tears; you can pour out neither the moisture of devotion nor the warmth of the Holy Spirit. And all these are needed to bring forth the fruit of holiness.

[On oblates II, 5, 46]

Doug