ESOCS Devotional 27 November 2025 – Mount Zion
MEMORY VERSE: “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.” Hebrews 12:22
TEXT: HEBREWS 12:18-29
For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. 20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.” 21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
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This verse marks a dramatic shift in the comparison between the Old and New Covenants. The author of Hebrews contrasts the terrifying scene of Mount Sinai, where the law was given, with the joy and glory of Mount Zion, representing the grace and peace found in Christ. To understand the significance of this verse, we need to look back at the preceding passage, where the writer describes Mount Sinai, a place of fear, trembling, and judgment. In Hebrews 12:18-21, the writer recounts how the Israelites were so overwhelmed by God’s presence at Sinai that they begged for no further communication out of fear of death. Mount Sinai symbolizes the Old Covenant, where the law revealed sin and brought condemnation.
In contrast, Hebrews 12:22 declares that as believers in Christ, we have come to Mount Zion, a symbol of the New Covenant. Mount Zion represents the city of the living God, a place of grace, peace, and joyful worship. This is not a physical mountain, but a spiritual reality, the heavenly Jerusalem where God’s presence dwells. Through faith in Jesus, believers have access to this glorious reality, standing in the presence of God without fear, because of the righteousness given to us through Christ.
This vision of Mount Zion ties directly to the hope we find in the gospel. In the Old Testament, Zion was the location of Jerusalem, where God’s temple stood. It was the place where God met with His people. However, in the New Testament, Zion takes on a greater, eternal significance. Revelation 21:2 speaks of the “new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” This heavenly Jerusalem is the ultimate fulfilment of God’s promise to dwell with His people forever.
Moreover, Hebrews 12:22 speaks of “thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.” This imagery reflects the heavenly worship described in Revelation 5:11-12, where countless angels surround the throne of God, praising Him and declaring His worth. This shows that as believers, we are not isolated in our faith. We join a vast, eternal community of saints and angels in a continuous act of worship and joy before God.
The shift from fear to joy is the core message of Hebrews 12:22. The Old Covenant revealed God’s holiness and the severity of sin, but it could not offer the kind of intimate, joyful relationship with God that we now experience through Christ. Ephesians 2:18 explains, “For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” This access to God brings us into the presence of the living God in Zion, not as trembling, fearful subjects, but as beloved children who have been reconciled through Jesus.
Hebrews 12:22 also reminds us that, even now, we live with a heavenly perspective. Colossians 3:1-2 urges believers, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20), and while we live on earth, our ultimate destination is the heavenly Zion, where we will dwell with God forever. We are no longer bound by the fear and condemnation of Mount Sinai, but we have come to the joyful assembly of Mount Zion, where the living God dwells.
CHALLENGES
- Do you work towards joining the triumphant saints to inhabit the New Jerusalem that would descend from the sky?
PRAYER POINT
- Father, may my life reflect the hope and joy of the heavenly Zion. Amen.
FURTHER READING: Job 34: 1-20; Hebrews 11:27-40; 13:1-15
ESOCS Devotional 27 November 2025
