What does the Bible say about Zion?
With the rise in a number of Bible based cults, the name Zion is getting mentioned more frequently in witnessing encounters. It’s important that we have a firm understanding of what this word means.
Christian quotes about Zion
“Look upon those who mourn in Zion–put their tears into your bottle–listen to their sighs and groans.” – William Tiptaft
“The church used to be a lightning bolt, now it’s a cruise ship. We are not marching to Zion – we are sailing there with ease. In the apostolic church it says they were all amazed – and now in our churches everybody wants to be amused. The church began in the upper room with a bunch of men agonizing, and it’s ending in the supper room with a bunch of people organizing. We mistake rattle for revival, and commotion for creation, and action for unction.” Leonard Ravenhill
“In spite of sorrow, loss, and pain, our course be onward still; we sow on Burmah’s barren plain, we reap on Zion’s hill.” – Adoniram Judson
“Could a mariner sit idle if he heard the drowning cry? Could a doctor sit in comfort and just let his patients die? Could a fireman sit idle, let men burn and give no hand? Can you sit at ease in Zion with the world around you damned?” – Leonard Ravenhill
“Look upon those who mourn in Zion–put their tears into your bottle–listen to their sighs and groans.” William Tiptaft
What is Zion in the Bible?
Zion in the Bible refers to the City of God. The name was originally given to a Jebusite fortress. The name survived and Mount Zion means “mountain fortress.”
Zion in the Old Testament
The name Zion wasn’t used in conjunction with Jerusalem until David captured the city and established his throne there. This is also the place where God will establish His Messianic King. God Himself will reign on Mount Zion.
1) 2 Samuel 5:7 “Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.”
2) 1 Kings 8:1 “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.
3) 2 Chronicles 5:2 “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.”
4) Psalm 2:6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
5) Psalm 110:2 “The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!”
6) Isaiah 24:23 “Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.”
7) Micah 4:7 “and the lame I will make the remnant, and those who were cast off, a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore.”
8) Jeremiah 3:14 “Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”
9) 1 Chronicles 11:4-5 “Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were living.The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.”
10. Isaiah 40:9 “Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
11. Isaiah 33:20 “Look on Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken.”
12. Psalm 53:6 “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.”
13. Psalm 14:7 “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!”
14. Psalm 50:2 “From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.”
15. Psalm 128:5 (KJV) “The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.”
16. Psalm 132:13 (ESV) “For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying.”
17. Joel 2:1 “Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near.”
18. Joel 3:16 (NIV) “The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.”
19. Lamentations 1:4 “The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed festivals. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her young women grieve, and she is in bitter anguish.”
20. Jeremiah 50:28 “There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, Vengeance for His temple.”
Zion in the New Testament
In the New Testament we can see that Zion also refers to the heavenly Jerusalem that will be built. And in 1 Peter, Zion is used in reference to the body of Christ.
21) Hebrews 12:22-24 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering.” 23 And to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
22) Revelation 14:1 “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
23) 1 Peter 2:6 “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”
24. Romans 11:26 “and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
25. Romans 9:33 (NKJV) “As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
What is Mount Zion?
Zion in the Old Testament is synonymous with Jerusalem. Mount Zion is one of the small ridges that is in Jerusalem. The other ridges are Mount Moriah (The Temple Mount) and Mount of Olives. Zion is the City of David
26) Psalm 125:1 “A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.”
27) Joel 2:32 “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.”
28) Psalm 48:1-2 “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, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.”
29) Psalm 74:2 “Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.”
30. Obadiah 1:21 “Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD’s.”
31. Psalm 48:11 “Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments.”
32. Obadiah 1:17 “But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance.”
33. Hebrews 12:22 “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.”
34. Psalm 78:68 “He chose instead the tribe of Judah, and Mount Zion, which he loved.”
35. Joel 2:32 “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.”
36. Isaiah 4:5 “Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy.”
37. Revelation 14:1 “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
38. Isaiah 37:32 “For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”
What does Daughter of Zion mean?
The term Daughter of Zion is used several times in the Old Testament most often in the books of poetry and prophecy. Daughter of Zion is not a specific person, rather, it is a metaphor for the people of Israel showing the similarities between a loving relationship between a father and his daughter.
39) 2 Kings 19:21 “A people confident in the deliverance of their God. When Assyria threatened Jerusalem, King Hezekiah went to the Lord. In response, God sent Isaiah to reassure Hezekiah that Jerusalem would not fall to Assyria, and God considered the threatening insult to “the virgin daughter of Zion” as a personal affront to Himself.”
40) Isaiah 1:8 “A hut, abandoned after judgment came to an evil family. Here, Isaiah compares the rebellion of Judah to a sick body in a devastated land. The daughter of Zion is left as a lone remnant—a shelter hidden in the vineyard or a hut in a cucumber field that barely escaped destruction.”
41) Jeremiah 4:31 “A woman in labor, helpless before attackers. The steadfastness of Hezekiah was rare in Judah—most kings encouraged rebellion against God instead of loyalty to God. Jeremiah warns that if the nation does not turn away from evil, God will punish them severely. And the people will be helpless against it—as helpless as a woman in labor.”
42) Isaiah 62:11 “A people awaiting salvation. After the punishment of exile, God promises restoration to Israel. He will rejoice over His chosen people again. And in verse 11, He promises the daughter of Zion, “Lo, your salvation comes; behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.”
43) Micah 4:13 “A bull that threshes his enemies. In verse 10, God warns that the daughter of Zion will suffer as much as a woman in labor. But in verse 13, He promises vengeance. The weak, powerless woman will become a bull with horns of iron and hoofs of bronze that will crush its enemies.”
44) Zechariah 9:9 “A land awaiting its king. This prophecy promises Israel’s enemies will be destroyed, but also speaks about a more permanent solution to the problem of sin. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Should in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; he is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Despite the consistent rebellion of the daughter of Zion against her Father, He promises to restore her and present her with a Deliverer-King in the form of Jesus.”
45. Lamentations 1:6 “All of her splendor Is gone from the daughter of Zion; Her leaders have become like deer That have found no pasture, And they have fled without strength From the pursuer.”
God’s continual love for His people
It is through studying Zion that we can understand God’s continual love for His people. God the Father loving His people in the same way that a father adores his daughter. Zion is symbolic for Hope – our King will return.
46) Psalm 137:1 “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.”
47) Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.”
48) Revelation 14:1-3 “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.”
49. Isaiah 51:3 “The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”
50. Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
