Sermon Tone Analysis

The Ark of the Covenant

ARK OF THE COVENANT (אֲרוֹן בְּרִית, aron berith).

A golden chest that contains the covenant tablets.

It served both a practical and a symbolic purpose, and was instrumental in both rituals and miracles.

The Israelites believed the ark of the covenant was symbolically Yahweh’s throne—representing His very presence on earth.

The Hebrew word for “ark” (ארון, 'rwn) designates a chest or coffin.

However, the Bible makes a clear designation between the ark of the covenant and a common chest.

While the most common name for the ark is “ark of the covenant,” it is also referred to as “the ark of God,” “the ark of might,” “the holy ark,” and “the ark of testimony” (or simply “the testimony”).

Temple was destroyed and the Ark was lost

Background about the significance of Jerusalem

That the Salem of Genesis 14:18 is actually an abbreviated citation of Jerusalem is corroborated by the parallelism of Psalm 76:2, the Genesis Apocryphon, and Josephus (Antiq.

1.180; cf.

Beth-shalem of the Amarna tablets).

The name “Jebus” denotes the Jebusite people living in Jerusalem during the conquest and settlement of Canaan by the Israelites, and the city was so designated until the time of David.

According to the Bible (Gn 10:15, 16) and Josephus (Antiq.

7.3.1), the Jebusites are to be classified as Canaanites (i.e., West Semites).

The name “Zion,” whose meaning is unknown, is said to have applied to part of the Jebusite city.

The land ridge running south of the temple is usually thought to correspond to Zion.

Other ancient names for Jerusalem include Moriah, city of David, Ariel, the City, and the Holy City.

King of Salem

Salem means peace

SALEM—peace, commonly supposed to be another name of Jerusalem (Gen.

14:18; Ps. 76:2; Heb.

7:1, 2).

The king is responsible for the peace

Melchizedek more than an average king for an average land

priest

prophet

king

In the next segment of his argument (4:14–7:28), the author describes the Son’s superiority as priest over the Levitical priesthood.

The Son is representative of the Melchizedek order, which is far superior to the Levitical order (5:1–10; 6:13–7:28).

In the middle of this section, the author issues the third warning: the dangers of “spiritual” immaturity (5:11–6:12).

NEW JERUSALEM (Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινὴν, Ierousalēm kainēn).

The holy city that descends from God in Rev 21:2.

A garden-temple where God dwells with His people and the glory of heaven fills the earth.

Although the phrase “New Jerusalem” occurs in the Bible only at Rev 3:12 and 21:2, the concept it expresses—a restored world in which God’s chosen people will be secure—is the fulfillment of the message of the Old Testament prophets and other early Jewish writings.

What is the relationship between Zion and Jerusalem?

Zion, as a place

Originally the name of the southernmost hill on which the Canaanite fortress-city of Jebus was located.

It was conquered by David around 1000 B.C. and renamed Jerusalem.

Situated on the borders of Judah and Israel, it became David’s capital.

As the city expanded, the name Zion came to be applied to the whole city.

Wh

ZION (Zīʹ on) Transliteration of the Hebrew and Greek words that originally referred to the fortified hill of pre-Israelite Jerusalem between the Kidron and Tyropean Valleys.

Scholars disagree as to the root meaning of the term.

Some authorities have suggested that the word was related to the Hebrew word that meant “dry place” or “parched ground.”

Others relate the word to an Arabic term that is interpreted as “hillcrest” or “mountainous ridge.”

The name “Zion” was mentioned first in the account of David’s conquest of Jerusalem (2 Sam.

5:6–10; 1 Chron.

11:4–9).

The phrase “stronghold of Zion” may have referred to only the fortified section of the city.

Jerusalem was the name of the city-state as a whole and included numerous villages and houses located outside of the fortified area of the city itself.

After David captured Zion, he resided there and changed its name to the “city of David.”

Zion was used by biblical writers in a variety of ways.

Many of the psalmists used the term to refer to the temple built by Solomon (2:6; 48:2; 84:7; 132:13).

In Isa.

1:27 the idea of “Zion” included the whole nation.

Zion also stood for the capital of Judah (Amos 6:1).

The most common usage of Zion was to refer to the city of God in the new age (Isa.

1:27; 28:16; 33:5).

Zion was understood, also, to refer to the heavenly Jerusalem (Isa.

60:14; Heb.

12:22; Rev. 14:1), the place where the Messiah would appear at the end of time.

The glorification of the messianic community will take place on the holy mountain of “Zion.”

See Jerusalem.

JERUSALEM (Jə rūʹ sȧ ləm) Jerusalem is a city set high on a plateau in the hills of Judah, considered sacred by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Its biblical-theological significance lies in its status as Yahweh’s chosen center of His divine kingship and of the human kingship of David and his sons, Yahweh’s vice-regents.

Besides the name “Jerusalem,” the city is also called “the City of David” and “Zion” (originally referring to a part of the city, the “stronghold of Zion” that David captured from the Jebusites; see 2 Sam.

5:6–10).

The world is being transformed!

God takes control

ESCHATOLOGY Derived from the combination of the Greek eschatos, meaning “last,” and logos, meaning “word” or “significance.”

Refers to the biblical doctrine of last things.

The doctrine of last things normally focuses on a discussion of the return of Christ at the end of the age, the coming judgments, various expressions of the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God, the nature of the glorified body, and the prospects for eternal destiny.

Generally, eschatology sets itself apart as a theology of the future and in juxtaposition to both history and the present age.

You will show me the hpath of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Joy

The appearance of the New Jerusalem, ZION, Salem, The City of David in the end times results with all in Christ experiencing the presence of God which results in joy.

Raiders

God hides his Presence in you!

ZION (Zīʹ on) Transliteration of the Hebrew and Greek words that originally referred to the fortified hill of pre-Israelite Jerusalem between the Kidron and Tyropean Valleys.

Scholars disagree as to the root meaning of the term.

Some authorities have suggested that the word was related to the Hebrew word that meant “dry place” or “parched ground.”

Others relate the word to an Arabic term that is interpreted as “hillcrest” or “mountainous ridge.”

The name “Zion” was mentioned first in the account of David’s conquest of Jerusalem (2 Sam.

5:6–10; 1 Chron.

11:4–9).

The phrase “stronghold of Zion” may have referred to only the fortified section of the city.

Jerusalem was the name of the city-state as a whole and included numerous villages and houses located outside of the fortified area of the city itself.

After David captured Zion, he resided there and changed its name to the “city of David.”

Zion was used by biblical writers in a variety of ways.

Many of the psalmists used the term to refer to the temple built by Solomon (2:6; 48:2; 84:7; 132:13).

In Isa.

1:27 the idea of “Zion” included the whole nation.

Zion also stood for the capital of Judah (Amos 6:1).

The most common usage of Zion was to refer to the city of God in the new age (Isa.

1:27; 28:16; 33:5).

Zion was understood, also, to refer to the heavenly Jerusalem (Isa.

60:14; Heb.

12:22; Rev. 14:1), the place where the Messiah would appear at the end of time.

The glorification of the messianic community will take place on the holy mountain of “Zion.”

See Jerusalem.

James Newell

ZIOR (Zīʹ ôr) Place-name meaning “smallness.”