Two Mountains: Sinai and Sion.

Two Mountains: Sinai and Sion.

“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” Gal 4:21-31

“For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 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, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” Heb 12:18-29

These 2 passages are speaking about the same thing.

They are contrasting the Old Covenant with the New.

In Galatians, Paul is addressing the false views of the Judaizers, Jewish believers who mis-understood the relationship between the Old Covenant and the New. They did not realize that the Old Testament system of worship by animal sacrifice was to point to Christ, and so that when Christ died, the Old Covenant sacrificial system had no more work to do. They wanted to hold onto both, simultaneously: “And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” Act 15:1  But let us not be too hard on them, for this was occurring prior to the destruction of the Temple, and so in some way, we should be able to understand their confusion.

The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish believers who too were wondering the same thing. They were suffering persecution (Heb 10:32-34), not just from the pagans, but from their Jewish relatives too, because they had left Judaism. So the author (we don’t know for sure who it was), shows them that Jesus is superior to angels, Moses, the high priests, the sacrifices, and the he was in fact the fulfillment of the Old Testament Sacrificial system. The same issue! And since he also does not mention the destruction of the Temple, which would have been proof positive that the Old Testament Sacrificial System was done, it is generally assumed, and correctly I would say, that it was also written before AD 67, which is when the Temple was destroyed. The destruction of the Temple is proof positive that the Old Covenant sacrificial system is over. If you are Jewish, you should give some thought to that fact. From AD 67 until now, there has not been a Temple nor High Priest nor Sacrifice in accordance God’s law. God removed it. Jesus had died, the work of the old was over. This is the overall point being made by the author of Hebrews.

So, in Galatians 4 and Hebrews 12 we have the 2 Covenants contrasted.

Look at the contrast, it is striking, they are polar opposites!

We have Mount Sinai, where not only were the 10 Commandments given (which are not put aside), but also the Ceremonial Law of the Old Testament Sacrificial System, and the Civil Law for the governing of the Israelites. The word “Law” refers to 3 things: The Ten Commandments, The Ceremonial Law of Sacrificial System, and the Civil Law of the Nation of Israel. We are dealing with the Ceremonial Law of the Sacrificial System.

Jerusalem here on earth=the earthly Temple=bondage=death. A mountain that cannot be approached, fire, blackness, darkness, tempest=death.

Hagar=slave.

We have Mount Sion, on which Jerusalem was built, representing the true Jerusalem which is in heaven; this is Mount Moriah where Abraham was told to offer Isaac, the same place where Solomon built the Temple; it all points to the heavenly realities.

Mount Sion=heavenly Jerusalem=our mother=eternal kingdom=for children of promise=the city of living God=among a vast company of angels=the church of firstborn=God’s dwelling=where are the spirits of justified men made perfect=where Jesus as the mediator of new covenant stands at the right hand of God.

Sarah=free.

Hagar - Sarah

Law - gospel

Darkness - light

Bondage - freedom

Earth - heaven

Works - promise

“Stay Away” - “Come Close”

We see the connection of Judaism and Christianity: Judaism is the cradle from which Christianity comes; Christianity comes from Judaism. God intended it to be that, it did not just happen to happen.

Judaism and the Jewish people were to be the guardians of the written Scriptures:

“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” Rom 3:1-2

And they were to be a pure line of human lineage for the Messiah; consider the genealogies of Jesus in Mat 1 and Luk 3, one Joseph’s side and one on Mary’s side; he was a pure Jew, within the covenant people of God, under the law (Gal 4:4), un-tainted with paganism.

Old Testament system was set up as a shadow to show us the reality, which came to light in the New Testament age; previously hidden, but brought into the light.

“Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Heb 8:5-6

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” Heb 10:1-4

So we see the end of Judaism, as God’s plan comes to fulfillment in the New. The Old was temporary, the New is permanent. The old was earthly, pointing to the New which is heavenly; that is the point of the contrast of the Two Mountains.

3 April 2024