This One Was Born In Zion

It is a blessing to be here. This is God's Holy Day, the Feast of Pentecost. I started down a road this week of study that was intriguing to me, and the more I looked at it, the more I determined that this would be a good topic, I believe, for this day. It's, to me, inspiring and I believe relevant. I want to thank my brother Jim for his message yesterday. He talked about, as you know, begettle by God's Spirit, which is essentially conception, as God's Spirit is implanted into us through the giving of the Holy Spirit, and we now begin to grow according to His nature and His likeness.

So we talked about spiritual begettle, about sonship, and ultimately birth into the likeness of God the Father and Jesus Christ. That's something that we very much look forward to as part of God's plan of salvation yet ahead. So I'd like you to just keep his message from yesterday in the background of your mind, because what I have prepared for today, I say we'll just kind of lay right over the top of that foundation that he laid, and I feel the two of them will go very well together and actually saved me from laying a lot of groundwork.

So if you're ever out there and you want to check out what he talked about yesterday, I believe it was Children and Heirs of God. That's the title, right, Jim? And it's out on the UCG website. Title for my message today is, This One Was Born in Zion. This one was born in Zion. And that terminology comes from Psalm 87.

I would like to begin there today. Psalm 87 is a prophetic psalm. If you go back a few weeks in the archives, I gave a sermon on prophetic and doctrinal psalms. Psalms that were written back in the time of David and other psalmists that pointed to ultimate fulfillment that's yet to occur even in the future. And we don't always think of the book of Psalms as a book of prophecy, but honestly, there's much prophecy contained within this book. And Psalm 87 is another one of these forward-looking psalms that were written fulfillment that will ultimately come after the return of Jesus Christ.

So I want to start there today, Psalm 87 and verse 1. And speaking of God, it says, His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O City of God. And those words are likely familiar to you because we have a song in our hymnal, you know, glorious things of the are spoken Zion City of our God.

And it says, this is a place of God's love and His affection. Verse 4 says, I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know me. Behold, O Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia, this one was born there, the there being Zion. And what makes it an interesting passage is we're talking about Gentile nations, Gentile people. Rahab is often like and demon to Egypt in the Bible. Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, Gentile nations that were outside of the covenant that God had with Israel at that time. They're described in the New Testament as being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers of the covenants of promise.

So it takes these very individuals here again, written prophetically in the time of the Psalms and says, these ones will be born in Zion. Rather interesting to consider. Verse 5 goes on, it says, and of Zion it will be said, this one and that one were born in her.

And the Most High Himself shall establish her. The Lord will record when He registers the peoples. This one was born there. So there's going to come a future time when there will be those of Gentile nations that will be born there in Zion right alongside those who were, we would say, native of Zion, God's covenant people of the time that this was written, Israel and Judah and the 12 tribes of Israel, they'll be born there side by side.

And we might wonder, how is that even possible? How is it that Israelites and Gentiles would be born side by side in Zion? And ultimately, what does that even mean to be born in Zion? Is it a reference to a place only, or is it indeed a reference to something greater than a physical location? Well, we get a hint as to the answer here in verse 7. It says, both the singers and the players on instruments say, of course, this was written to be set to music, so it says, when you play this and you sing this, say, all my springs are in you.

All my springs are in you. God's Holy Spirit is there. God's Holy Spirit is likened to rivers of living water springing forth unto life. And so, at least a part of the answer is how to have Gentiles and those covenant people of Israel born side by side in Zion has to do with the indwelling presence of God's Holy Spirit.

And if that seems like a partial answer, it is. We're actually going to come back to Psalm 87 at the conclusion of the sermon and run through it again, and hopefully by that time we'll have an even deeper understanding what that is referring to. But frankly, brethren, is rather profound, I believe, and something that we look forward to not only what is pictured by this day of Pentecost, but ultimately God's plan of salvation for all of mankind.

So we come to understand what it means to be born in Zion. This day of Pentecost should stand out as a reminder to all of us that it is God's ultimate purpose for every human being to one day be born in Zion.

And again, that's a beautiful picture to paint. Due to the sermon yesterday, I'm not going to go too much today into begettle or sonship. We'll cover birth a little bit for the emphasis that it has here, but again, keep that foundation in the back of your mind. But to understand what it means to be born in Zion, we first have to lay the foundation of what Zion is, what Zion represents, both from a physical and a spiritual perspective, because Zion is very much a geographical location on the map. You could take a pen and put a dot on the map. This is Zion, but Zion goes beyond just a physical location as well. It is a spiritual place and a place of God's favor. I want to begin back in Exodus chapter 25 as we start to draw this thread of God's presence and ultimately Zion.

And as you're turning there, Exodus 25, we'll start in verse 8. I just want to remind us that, you know, God's desire has been to dwell from the beginning among His people and ultimately to dwell in them, again, by the power of His Holy Spirit. But God wants to be with His people. He wants to be with His creation, and it's always been His desire to dwell among them and ultimately in them.

So Exodus chapter 25, we're going to begin here in verse 8. I'm just going to read the one verse, and the context here is Israel shortly after they've come out of Egypt, out of bondage. And God says, And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. After God brought Israel out of Egypt, He said, Now I want to make provision by which I in presence can dwell among you as my people. I'll be your God and you'll be my people, and I will literally be there in your midst. And so He instructed them to build a tabernacle, to build a structure that would literally house His glory and His presence in the midst of His people. And that would be something very special. As the rest of Exodus 25 goes on, it talks about the design by which the tabernacle was to be built, the Ark of the Covenant, how that was to be fashioned as well. But I want to jump to Exodus chapter 40, the time frame of its completion. And here we can find the presence of God inhabiting the tabernacle. So Exodus chapter 40, and beginning in verse 17, it says, And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up. And so Moses raised up the tabernacle. He fastened its sockets and set up its boards, put in its bars, and raised up its pillars. And jumping down to verse 33, it says, And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud that was covering the tabernacle of meeting, excuse me, let me back up. Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Verse 35, And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. God's presence, it settled in among his people, as his glory inhabited that house. He came to his glory, came to rest and presence above the mercy seat, which is the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, in the Holy of Holies, that room with behind the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. God's presence was there between the carobim, their wings outstretched. Again, as we would know, it's a copy, it's a type of his throne in heaven. And God was there now, and he could be among his people. And when that cloud of presence raised up and moved, the people of Israel took down the tabernacle, they packed it up according to a prescribed order, and they moved.

When the clouds stopped, they stopped, they erected the tabernacle again. And even as they would set up camp, the tabernacle was in the middle, and the tribes camped around in a circle around the tabernacle, God in the midst of his people. And that has been his desire from the beginning, again, to dwell among my people, God says. And that is something that's very, very precious to him.

And so God's presence was with Israel through the years of their wilderness wanderings on up into the Promised Land. They had this tabernacle, they packed it up, they took it with them, they set it back up according to the prescribed manner, and God's presence was there. Now, if we jump forward in time to the era of King David approximately 440 years later, we're going to find our first reference to the physical location of Zion. And we're going to begin to see the connection then now between God's presence among his people and a physical location that's called Zion. So let's go to 2 Samuel chapter 5 verse 4. 2 Samuel 5 and verse 4. Again, this is about 440 years later following the construction of the tabernacle by Moses.

In 2 Samuel chapter 5 beginning in verse 4 it says, David was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 40 years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel in Judah. Verse 6, and the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, You shall not come in here, but the blind and the lame will repel you, thinking David cannot come in here. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion. That is the city of David. Jumping down to verse 9 it says, Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and he called it the city of David, and David built all around from the milo and inward. So David went on and became great, and the Lord God of hosts was with him. And so historically Zion is a geographical place on the map, and in the Bible here in the Old Testament you can put a mark on the map and say, This was the ancient city of David. This was the stronghold of the Jebusites, originally known as Zion, and it refers to a specific hill in the Jerusalem region. So David captured that stronghold, and that became essentially the seat of his power as he was king. David built his palace there in Zion, the city of David, and also David erected there a tabernacle for a dwelling place for God. Let's see that. Second Samuel chapter 6. He's going to set up now this location, this semi-permanent location for constructing a tabernacle. Remember that was a tent. This isn't stone-and-block temple time yet. This is still a tent, a covering, but it was an opportunity for God to tabernacle with his people. Second Samuel chapter 6 and verse 15, he says, So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord, was shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. They're bringing it up now to Zion, to the city of David. Now as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michael, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. But you see, David was exuberant. He was excited. He was rejoicing because the ark of the Lord was coming up now to Zion, to the tabernacle he'd constructed for God's presence. And God would, again, be there among his people. It is a place that David as well would be set up as king.

If we carry on verse 17, it says, so they brought the ark of the Lord, set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. So again, brethren, we see this connection here between God's dwelling place and the physical location of Zion. Remember, the city of David was also called Zion, the seat of his kingdom, the source of then where his ruling power went out from, and God's presence was there among his people. He would be their God. They would be his people. The ark of the covenant was housed there, and God took up Zion as his dwelling place.

Now, after David's conquest of the stronghold, then Jerusalem eventually became part of what Israel would dominate, and the term Zion then as well extended out from merely just the city of David. There's a number of places throughout the Old Testament where it's used somewhat interchangeably with Jerusalem as well. Again, the city where God's presence is, in the central capital of his people.

Also, as we go on from this point, Zion is often referenced as well in the Bible as God's dwelling place. So it's not only that here's the name of a place on the map that God dwelled, and it's like God lives at Zion, no, became known as God dwells in Zion. And Zion became a term for God's dwelling place, not just only a specific pinpoint of the map, but God's dwelling place. And that's important as we go forward, but we do need to understand that it was his dwelling place, and it is the place that he loves in a very special way. Zion is incredibly important to God. Let's look at a couple of passages in that regard. Let's go to Psalm 132, verse 13. Psalm 132, verse 13. Again, just see how God regards this place called Zion. Psalm 132, verse 13, says, For the Lord has chosen Zion. And that's important. We understand that David did not say, Hey, God, I found you a great place for you to hang out with your people. I've chosen Zion for you. Now, the point is, the Lord chose Zion, and it is God who chooses Zion even today. That's important to understand. The Lord has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his dwelling place.

Verse 14. This is my resting place forever. Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. Verse 17, it says, I will make the horn of David grow, and I will prepare a lamp for my anointed. The anointed reference here is the Messiah to come, the one who would come from the kingly line of David. And speaking of him, it says, His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon himself His crown shall flourish. And so what we find woven throughout a number of the references to Zion is actually references as well to the Messiah to come. The kingly line of David and the fact that the place where God places His presence would spring forth the one that would be the physical Savior of His people. That Jesus Christ would come in the flesh and die for the salvation of all of mankind, and frankly Zion would be connected then to that salvation. So we need to understand that Jesus Christ as the Messiah is integral to spiritual Zion and the foundation of spiritual Zion, which we will see shortly.

Psalm chapter 78 and verse 67, again expressing God's love and joy and deep, intimate desire over Zion. Psalm chapter 78 and verse 67 says, Moreover, He rejected the tent of Joseph, and He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved. So we see Zion as well, Mount Zion, tied in an identification with Judah, the tribe that God has chosen because, again, through that kindling line of David, the Messiah would come. He says, it's Judah, it's Zion whom He loves. Verse 69, it says, And He built a sanctuary like the heights, like the earth, which He has established forever. He also chose David, his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds, from following the use that had young he brought him to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance. So he, David, shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and he guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. And so you can begin to see this concept of Zion being described as something that's so much more than just a physical location to God.

You know, we might ask, why did God love Zion so much? Is it because it was the best view in the neighborhood? You know, the best place on earth. And up on that hill, overlooking Jerusalem, you know, it's just the best spot to look out, and God said, I choose the best part for myself. Not exactly. God loves Zion, and He chooses Zion because it is the place of His dwelling among His people. God's desire to be among them, to be with them, to be their God, and they be His people. This was the place of His sanctuary, and this is the place where He has placed His name among the people of His covenant. As we come down the line now, later, come to David's son, Solomon, and what we're going to see is there's actually going to be a shift of God's habitation, from the city of David, from Mount Zion, then over to what is called today the Temple Mount.

Okay, and a temple, a magnificent and great temple, is going to be there in the day of Solomon. It's going to be built, and Solomon himself then is going to bring the Ark of the Covenant from the tabernacle now to a permanent house that has been built for God. And we can see then the reference of God filling that place with His presence, again, among His people. And we can see that in the temple of the people. First Kings chapter 8, verse 1.

First Kings 8 and verse 1, we can see the clear manifestation once again of God filling this temple among His people. First Kings 8 and verse 1 says, Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion.

Verse 2, Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanem, which is the seventh month. So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the Ark. Then they brought up the Ark of the Lord, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle, the priests and the Levites brought them up.

Verse 5, Also King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel were assembled with him, and were with him before the Ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted for number because of multitude. Then the priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to its place into the inner sanctuary of the temple to the most holy place under the wings of the carabin. For the carabin spread their two wings over the place of the Ark, and the carabin overshadowed the Ark and its poles. Jumping down to verse 10, it says, And it came to pass when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord. And so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud. For the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. And then Solomon said, the Lord has said, He would dwell in the dark cloud. Yet I have surely built you an exalted house and a place for you to dwell in forever. The king turned around and he blessed the whole assembly of Israel. All the assembly of Israel was standing. So the people were standing in awe. They were standing in reverence for God, whose presence now again came down in the cloud, filled the temple, inhabited his place above the mercy seat in the holy of holies. God's presence with them now on Mount Moriah in what we often call the Temple Mount today.

Now what's interesting is that after God's presence was established on the Temple Mount, that spot also became part of what is sometimes called Zion in the Scriptures. Because again, it involves where God dwells in the midst of his people. And it's a place where he loves among them.

So now his presence remained in Solomon's Temple for centuries, on down through the line, through the reign of good kings and not so good kings of the nation of Judah. But if we fast forward again about 400 years in the history of the nation, the people proved their determination time and time again to turn their back on God, to reject true worship, to delve into idolatry, and their refusal to turn to God again in repentance resulted ultimately in their expulsion from the land.

Israel, the 10 northern tribes, were hauled off into captivity. Judah to the south failed to learn the lesson of their brothers who were taken away earlier. And God eventually allowed a time where the Babylonians then came, took them out of the land, brought them down into captivity. And as for God, he eventually withdrew his presence from Solomon's Temple completely, just prior to the destruction at the time of the Babylonians. You can go and see that as it is played out through Ezekiel chapter 10, God's glory leaving the habitation of the temple just prior to its destruction. As the story continues, Jerusalem and the temple sat in ruins for the 70 years that Judah was in captivity. Ultimately, they were allowed to go back, a remnant return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. And they built what's called the Restoration Temple on the spot of where Solomon's Temple had been, but it was only, you know, a fraction of the glory of the magnificent temple that Solomon built. And even despite their desire to glorify God in this structure, there's no evidence in the Bible that God's glory, his presence, ever inhabited that temple.

No cloud descending upon it, no brilliant shining light of glory inhabiting it, no, as the Jews would call it, Shekinah glory is noted in the scripture of God having to inhabit that temple. In fact, the glory of God appears never to have filled another temple on earth until the day of Pentecost, 31 A.D. And it's rather remarkable because, brethren, that brings us to the day of the New Testament church and ultimately to our day today when God inhabited a temple of a completely different kind altogether. Let's go to Acts chapter 2 verse 1. This is the focus of this day, the day of Pentecost. Acts chapter 2 and verse 1.

It says, And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in one accord in one place, and suddenly there came the sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. These were the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Recall before he ascended for the final time then to his father, he said, Terry in Jerusalem until you're in dude with power from on high. And in response, his disciples were there on the day of Pentecost to receive the promise of the Father. Verse 3 says, Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. So the question for us today, brethren, is where does God's Spirit dwell today? And I think we know the answer. I hope we know the answer. The Spirit of God today dwells in the Church of God, which is the temple of God.

And we see this taking place on the day of Pentecost, 31 A.D. God's presence dwelling among his people, his glory, his Spirit. I will be their God, and they will be my people, and I will be in their midst. It's what God has desired from the beginning. And he now tabernacles with us as his spiritual temple. If we go to 1 Corinthians chapter 3, the Apostle Paul confirms that we are the temple of God today. 1 Corinthians 3 and verse 16. Paul writing to the Corinthian Church, this is the Church of God. We are an extension of the Church of God established on the day of Pentecost. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 16. Paul says, Do you not know you, the Church of God?

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. You know, when God's presence was in the physical temple on earth, you didn't dare breach that curtain and defile that house that was holy by the presence of God. He says, this house is holy. And honestly, there is a bit of a warning upon all of us how we would act, how we would dwell, how we would even approach one another with God's Spirit, which is among us in this house.

But again, we are the temple of God, and the Greek word used here for temple is neos. It's spelled n-a-o-s, naios. And naios referred to the inner sanctuary of the temple.

You recall the time of Jesus Christ as Herod came along, and the massive expansion of that restoration temple in Christ's day. Then you had the holy place and that inner sanctuary, but you had the court of the Gentiles, the court of the women, and all this temple complex that's built up. Naios doesn't include all those outer courts. It is the inner sanctuary, the place of God's presence, naios. It is where God's Spirit dwelled in the Holy Apollos. And what Paul is saying is that today you are the naios, the sanctuary of the presence of God in its specific in a very, very essential way. Rather than that, reality is what makes the church of God spiritual Zion now. And it's an important concept to always remember and to understand. Are we going to look at a couple of scriptures that tie this in? But the church of God today is spiritual Zion. We are the focus of God's love, his attention, Zion, which he loves because it is his dwelling place among his people. It's where his glory, where his presence dwells. Now, let's notice how this process of becoming part of the temple of God works because this was established on the day of Pentecost as well. Let's go back to Acts chapter 2. It's time verse 36.

Acts chapter 2 verse 36 here, Peter had been preaching that sermon on the day of Pentecost, preaching the crucified and the resurrected Jesus Christ. Remember, this is a pilgrimage feast. Three times in a year you shall appear before the Lord. And the Feast of Weeks is one of them. This was Jerusalem was filled with the covenant people of God from around that region. Acts chapter 2 and verse 36. It says, therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ. Now, when they heard this, they were cut to the heart because they understand what they had done. They had killed the Messiah they were waiting for.

At least some of them were cut to the heart. Okay, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, repent. Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So this is how you become a part of the temple, of the Neos, of the sanctuary of God's dwelling, a spiritual Zion today. It's through the process of repentance, exercising faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins, being baptized for remission of sins, and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. And that is the formula by which we then become partakers of the divine nature, God's presence dwelling in us by His Spirit. And again, that's what Peter said, repent. Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But I also want you to notice who this relationship is available to, because up to this point, the physical covenant people of God under the terms of the Old Covenant was Israel, the tribes of Israel. And if you were going to be a part of that covenant, even as a Gentile, you had to become as an Israelite in that sense. You had to be circumcised, and you had to live according to custom of an Israelite and worship to God.

But verse 39 now says, For the promise is to you, the covenant people that were gathered in Jerusalem at that feast, to you and your children, and to all who are far off. As many as the Lord our God will call. And if you study out those who are far off in the Bible, it tells you those who are far off were the Gentiles. The other nations. Gentile just means the other nations, not the covenant nation of Israel. But they were far off from the promises and the covenant of God being aliens from that covenant under the old covenant. Okay, but Peter says now this is expanded, not only to include us physical Israel, and primarily the Jews that were concentrated in this place, but it goes out to include all those who would repent, believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and receive the Holy Spirit. And again, this helps us to understand how even as we come down the line, we will see how both Israelites and Gentiles can be born in Zion. But we have to understand how to become part of Zion in the first place. They became a part of it by receiving God's Spirit.

Now, if we go to 1 Peter chapter 2, we see Peter now drawing a direct connection between Zion and the Church of God. Because I can tell you that the Church is spiritual Zion, and hey, it sounds good, but where does it actually tell us in the Bible that there's a relationship here between the Church of God and Zion? 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 4. 1 Peter 2 verse 4 says, Coming to him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, referring to Jesus Christ. Verse 5, he says, You also, you the Church, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And so the message is that you and I are living stones because the Spirit of the living God resides in us. And we have spiritual life and vitality by the indwelling of his Spirit. And as living stones, Peter says, you are being built into a spiritual structure. And you see stones scattered out in the field, and somebody's gone out and collected them up, and they've laid them side by side by side and mortared them together and built a structure, and is what God is doing with us. He's called us out of this world, brought us together, and he is assembling us, mortared together by the power of his Holy Spirit, and he's building the house for his habitation. And that habitation of his love is Zion. Let's notice, carrying on, in verse 6, says, Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture. Now we're going to take a prophecy from the Old Testament, and Peter's going to pull it forward and say, This applies today.

This applies now in a very specific way. Behold, I lay in Zion.

Okay, is this a place, physical location on the map, or is this a spiritual place, spiritual Zion? Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame. This is speaking of Jesus Christ. God the Father has laid the cornerstone in Zion, in his church. The foundation stone upon which the church is built is Jesus Christ. And we are the living stones that are then added to and built upon that foundation until the structure in the house is assembled, and God dwells there. He says, I've laid that cornerstone. That's the stone of stumbling. That's the rock of offense. That's the stone that the builders, who should have been the builders, the Jewish people and the Israelites, the covenant people of God rejected. God says, I laid that stone in Zion. And Zion is the church, and we are built upon Jesus Christ. You recall Jesus, speaking of himself, said, On this rock I will build my church.

And the gates of the grave will not prevail against it.

So again, God has laid the chief cornerstone, but where? In Zion, in spiritual Zion, of which we are part. So again, verse 6, Behold, I lay in Zion, and chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore to you, to you the church of God, who believe, he is precious. But to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone, and the stone of stumbling in a rock of offense. They stumble being disobedient to the word to which they were also were appointed. God's covenant people in the flesh should have known who the Messiah was and what God was building in that day and age. They rejected him. He says, verse 9, But you, the church of God, are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but have now obtained mercy. A beautiful truth of the Bible is that the glory of God has filled this house, this temple, and this is spiritual Zion today. Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone laid in Zion, living stones being built upon the foundation that's been laid side by side, again, mortared and strengthened together by the bond of God's Holy Spirit. And it's an incredible truth of God's Word. If we go to Hebrews chapter 12, we find a remarkable statement there as well, again, referencing and tying back the church to Zion. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 22.

Hebrews 12, 22, but you, you and I, the church of God, but you have come to Mount Zion.

In the context here, if you go back a few verses, the point is you've not come to Mount Sinai, right, where God's presence was, and there was thunderings and lightnings, and the Word of God's thundered out, and the people were frightened. Don't let God speak to us again. And Moses came off the mountain with the law written on two tablets of stone. He says you've not come to Mount Sinai, which is believed likely took place on the Feast of Pentecost, right, the giving of the law, but by God's Spirit, it's written on our minds and our hearts. You've not come to Mount Sinai, says you have come to Mount Zion, verse 22, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, who are registered in heaven. Do you notice that word registered? Because you'll remember, back in Psalm 87, what was God doing regarding when He took account of the people who was born in Zion? It says He registered the people. This one was born here. So there's a registry.

I believe ultimately this is a reference to the Book of Life, which our name has been written in, as we receive God's Spirit. And you know what? If we desire our name to stay there, we must remain faithful into the end. But again, registered in heaven to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. So again, we have the Church of God equated to Zion.

And in addition to that, this passage equates Mount Zion as well with the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Jerusalem above. If you go back to Hebrews 11, the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the fathers looked for a city whose builder and maker is God. And ultimately, it is a city where God will dwell with his spiritual sons and daughters, right? And the new Jerusalem comes. So we have as well the city in heaven, the new Jerusalem of God's presence, equated as well with spiritual Zion. We won't turn there, but Galatians 4 verse 26 states that the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. Mother of us all, we are, as was spoken of in the sermon yesterday, begotten by God's Holy Spirit, and we're waiting ultimately to come to birth fully in his likeness. And the Jerusalem above, which is the dwelling place of God in the heavens and what we could equate to Zion as well, is the mother of us all. And the Church is Zion, and it is where we are being nurtured ultimately, eventually, to be brought unto birth, as we will see shortly. And so when we consider all these things, what then does it mean to be born in Zion?

It's an interesting concept. What does it mean to be literally born in Zion? As we begin to answer that, again, I want to hearken back to yesterday's message regarding begettle, sonship, and birth.

Because it showed that birth into the family God ultimately occurs at the return of Jesus Christ, when we then fully become in their likeness. The spirit that has been poured out today is in essential earnest. It is a down payment on salvation being born into the literal family of God.

And so this was read yesterday, but I want to bring it back in in the context of this message as well. First John chapter 3 and verse 1. We're talking about here our change at the return of Jesus Christ and ultimately what constitutes birth. First John chapter 3 and verse 1 says, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. We are children of God today, begotten by His Holy Spirit, okay, which is in us. And He calls us sons and daughters of God. Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know Him.

Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. We've not come to the full level of glorification in the likeness of God. Okay, that's not been revealed yet because we are still in the flesh. That will come in its time at the return of Jesus Christ. It's not been revealed yet what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him. For we will see Him as He is. We will see Him as He is because we will be of the same form, of the same likeness, of the same glory and the kind as God the Father and Jesus Christ are, because that is God's family plan. He is building His family. And John says, Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself just as He is pure. And so this is describing the time of our birth. Ultimately, our birth. You know, you talk about, you need to be born again, and in essence, you are born from above. Born again when we receive God's Holy Spirit. It is conception that takes place. We would liken it to conception in the womb of a mother when you have a father and a mother, and now there is life that comes forth and will grow unto birth. We've received God's Spirit. That spiritual conception has taken place, but there's ultimately a maturing process unto birth in the likeness of God as His literal children. I want to quote for you a paragraph out of our United Church of God booklet, Why Were You Born? And the other Mr. Moody, you referenced it yesterday. If it's been a long time since you've read it, I recommend you go back and take a look at that and follow the Scripture trail through the Bible. Why Were You Born? Under the article titled, God's Own Literal Children.

It says, quote, Thus the Spirit begotten Christian is a child of God, an actual member of the God family, but not yet in an ultimate sense. As children, we must still go through the development process in this life, a period of building godly character, becoming more and more like God in the way that we think and behave. And at the end of this life in resurrection at Christ's return, true Christians will be changed into divine spirit beings like the Father and the Son.

End quote. So, brethren, to be born in Zion in its ultimate sense means that we'll be born in the full likeness of God at the return of Jesus Christ. Again, to be born in Zion means we'll be born in the full likeness of God at the return of Jesus Christ. And I want you to notice Isaiah chapter 66 in this regard. Isaiah 66, when I read it this week, I mean, I've read it before, but with the perspective I was looking at it this week, I just, frankly to me, it's an incredible, incredible prophecy, and it spells forth our destiny because Isaiah 66 literally speaks about Zion giving birth. Okay, so this is more than just a pinpoint on the map. Okay, this is literally Zion bringing forth children, Zion giving birth. Isaiah chapter 66 and verse 7 says, before she, Zion, was in labor, she gave birth. Before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Who do you suppose that male child could be? How about the Messiah, Jesus Christ?

Before her pain came, she delivered a male child. Verse 8, who has heard such a thing, and who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made ready to give birth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.

God says, shall I bring to the time of birth and not cause delivery, says the Lord. Shall I, who caused delivery, shut up the womb, says your God. I want to quote to you again from the United Church of God, this time Bible commentary on Isaiah 66 on these verses, verses 7 through 9. And it says, quote, verses 7 through 9 use an analogy of Zion in childbirth.

It says, the time of birth pangs is seen elsewhere in the Bible to symbolize the period of trial and tribulation on Israel, leading up to Christ's second coming. With that in mind, notice that the male child is born before the time of pain, and that the rest of Zion's children are born from the earth, okay, as a nation at once, after she experiences the birth pangs. What do you think born, what do you think born from the earth means? How about the resurrection? How about those who are in the grave, the saints at the return of Jesus Christ, are birthed from the earth, they come out of the graves to meet Jesus Christ in the air, as part of the divine children of God. It says, children are born from the earth as a nation at once, after she experiences the birth pangs. The birth here then appears to refer to the spiritual glorification of God's people, resurrected from the grave to immortality. The spirit birth of the male child, Jesus Christ's resurrection from the earth, occurred long before Israel's tribulation, but the rest of his brethren, the church, will not be spiritually born, i.e. changed into spirit beings like him until the time of the resurrection of the just at Christ's return. So it's discussing Zion bringing forth children, a nation in one day, the earth giving birth, bringing forth then newness of life. So let's read this again with this understanding in mind. Isaiah 66 in verse 7, before Zion was in labor, she gave birth. Before her pain came, she delivered a male child, the Messiah. Verse 8, who has heard such a thing, or has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day, or shall a nation be born at once? It's asked as a question, and you know what the answer is? Yes, indeed, because that is the plan and purpose of God. For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.

God says, shall I bring forth to the time of birth and not cause delivery? Says the Lord, shall I who caused delivery shut up the womb, says God. The answer is no. He says, I brought this woman to term, and she will deliver according to my time. And the birth that's coming forth is the saints of God in resurrection at the return of Jesus Christ. And ultimately, that's what it means to be born in Zion, and for Zion to give birth to the children and the family of God. Let's notice one more familiar psalm regarding Zion, Psalm chapter 133.

And you know, it's interesting, I've read this psalm for years and years from the perspective of unity and the beauty of unity among the people of God, and that is the emphasis here. But we're going to look at a portion that refers to Zion as well, and something that never really caught my eye in the same way until I started walking through all these verses.

Psalm chapter 133 and verse 1 says, Behold how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity. It says, It's like the precious oil upon the head, running down the beard of Aaron, running down on the edges of his garments, that anointing oil was symbolic of God's Holy Spirit. And aren't you glad when I anoint you for illness? I don't dump the whole bottle over the top of your head. But, you know, this is what symbolized here. I mean, this anointing oil was poured on. You know, Aaron anointed his high priest, running down his head, dripping off his beard onto his garments. And what was on his priestly garments? He had the breastplate, the twelve stones of the tribes of Israel, and that oil just kind of went down in a wash among the garments and symbolic of God's Spirit among his people. And he says, That is the blessing of unity among my people, and is made possible by my spirit. Running down the edges of his garments, verse 3, is like the dew of hermen, descending upon the mountains of Zion. Have you ever gotten out in the morning and saw the dew on the ground, or even on a frosting morning? It's like it just covers everything. Every blade of grass is covered with the water droplets clinging to it. And he says, This is like God's Spirit that would cover and permeate everything, and this unity would be brought forth from it. But descending on the mountains, plural, of Zion, it says, For there, there in Zion, the Lord commanded the blessing life forevermore. And you know, I always looked at the unity portion of this, and I've never really focused so much on the conclusion, but in Zion, God commanded the blessing life forevermore. Well, what's that? Ultimately, it's eternal life, which comes when we are born into His likeness, eternal life, springing forth in Zion. And so, brethren, when we consider the prophecy of Psalm 87 regarding how is one born in Zion, we need to read it with the recognition that the process begins with the Church of God first, with who the Bible calls the firstfruits. Right? There's a first fruit harvest, and we understand as the Bible shows us, the firstfruits are indicative of the fact there are more fruits to come, and there will be a great harvest of mankind, but the Church only will be the bride of Christ. And that is a special calling, and that resurrection, as the Bible says, is a better resurrection. And that's the one you and I need to choose to be in, as God calls us and extends the opportunity by His Spirit. We indeed remain faithful to the end.

So the Church goes first. Let's conclude back then in Psalm 87. I want to just read through it again with the perspective of not only where is Zion as in terms of a place on the map, but what is Zion? It's the place of God's dwelling. It's the place of His special love and care and provision. And understanding what it means to be born in Zion is ultimately the fulfillment of our calling. Psalm 87 verse 1, his foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Don't you think He loves the dwellings of Jacob? He does. Okay, this is His physical covenant people, the tribes of Jacob. He loves the dwellings of Jacob, but He has poured out His presence upon the people of Zion. Verse 3, glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Verse 4, He says, I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me, O Philistia and Tyre and Ethiopia, saying, This one was born there in Zion. Verse 5, And of Zion it will be said, This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself shall establish her. The Lord will record when He registers the people. This one was born there. Both the singers and the players on instruments say, All my springs are in you. Brethren, by the power of God's Holy Spirit and bringing many sons the glory, both Israelite and non-Israelite alike, because that's what comprises the Church of God around this world. We all have the potential to be counted among those whose names will be registered as born in Zion. That's a beautiful truth of what this Holy Day portrays. The Church's opportunity begins with the giving and the receiving of God's Holy Spirit, and it comes to fruition by living according to this calling and remaining faithful to the end, ultimately unto birth. But we also need to understand that that plan does not end with us. We are not the only ones that will have opportunity to be born into Zion, because as we understand, God's plan of salvation does not end with the day of Pentecost either. Jesus Christ will one day return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and the Father will install Him as His King on His holy hill of Zion. Again, the physical location on the earth. We covered that in my sermon a few weeks back, Psalm chapter 2 and verse 6. We have it in type in King David, but ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, that God will set His King on His holy hill of Zion following the return of Jesus Christ. And at age to come, the law will go forth from Zion, right, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And God's kingdom will grow out from that place, ultimately encompassing all of earth, so that all the peoples of all the nations will have the same opportunity that you and I have been given today to receive the precious calling of God, to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And them themselves, the one day, have it said of them, if they are faithful to the end, this one was born in Zion. Brother, what an incredible and beautiful plan God has for not only you and I, but all of mankind created in His image. And what a glorious picture this day of Pentecost gives us as we begin to see the fulfillment of that. Indeed, we pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, and we look forward to the fulfillment that all God has planned for Zion.

Today we are His temple. We are the place of His love and the place of His dwelling. Let us never forget that. Let us take heart and let us rejoice in the calling and the love of God. It's good to be together.