MF Blume
1Chr 11:1-9 Then all Israel gathered themselves to David unto Hebron, saying, Behold, we [are] thy bone and thy flesh. And moreover in time past, even when Saul was king, thou [wast] he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD thy God said unto thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over my people Israel. Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel. And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which [is] Jebus; where the Jebusites [were], the inhabitants of the land. And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which [is] the city of David. And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief. And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David. And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city. So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts [was] with him.
2Sam 5:6 -10And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion: the same [is] the city of David. And David said on that day, Whosoever getteth up to the gutter, and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, [that are] hated of David's soul, [he shall be chief and captain]. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward. And David went on, and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts [was] with him.
David conquered Jebus and renamed it Jerusalem. He took the castle called Zion as his own.
2Sam 6:1-3 Again, David gathered together all [the] chosen [men] of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose, and went with all the people that [were] with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth [between] the cherubims. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that [was] in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.
2Sam 6:15-17 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
After David seized the Ark of the covenant, after taking hold of Zion, he sought to return the ark to Jerusalem. It was then that Uzzah reached out to steady the ark and was smitten by God for not following due order for transporting the ark. David discovered that he made a grave error in having the ark carried by way of an ox cart. The Philistines might have passed for putting the ark on an ox cart, but Israel had no excuse for Israel had the written law. And the Law stated that the ark must be borne on the shoulders of sanctified priests.
After correcting the situation at the cost of Uzzah's life, David brought the ark to Jerusalem. He danced before the ark with all his might. And it was at that point when he entered the city that his wife, Michal, despised David for his dancing. And here, David rebuked her and told her it was unto the Lord that he danced. And we read that Michal was cursed to carry no more children all the days of her life.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem upon a colt indicative of His Kingship, as per the prophecy given by Zechariah that their King would ride into Jerusalem on a colt. But just as Michal despised David for dancing when he brought the ark home, the Pharisees and priests despised the worship of the people as Jesus entered the City.
Jesus entered the temple after that and looked for something. After not seeing what he looked for, he left the temple and desired a fig from a fig tree which had no fruit. He cursed the fig tree for not providing Him with fruit. And we see a perfect picture of Israel, the fig tree, being cursed by God for not providing the fruit of their lips - worship to Christ- when Christ entered Israel.
Like Michal, Israel did not rejoice over the Messiah entering the City. Michal should have rejoiced that the ark was entering the very same city where the priests did not rejoice over Christ coming to them. Both Michal; and Israel (the fig tree) were cursed. Michal would bear no children just as the fig tree would never bear figs again. This indicated that Israel did not offer praise to God, and the praise He should have received in the temple by the holy men was not found. They despised that praise rather than give it forth themselves. And Jerusalem was destroyed 40 years later as Roman besieged the City under Titus.
Not one stone was left atop one another in the Temple that held no praise for Jesus, typified by the fruitless fig tree.
Three temples had been built up to that time, although history recounts two. So the Lord will build the third one Himself. When Jesus said, "If these should hold their peace, the stones will surely cry out," He indicated that due to Israel's lack of praise, a new temple would be built by Himself, made of PEOPLE as lively stones.
Jesus is presently building this temple. The Church.
And this temple will last forever!
Notably, the series of events leading to Jerusalem's cursing took place in a parallel to the events in which David brought the Ark into Jerusalem. Michal's cursing occurred as the City was cursed, in a time just following the taking of Zion by David. And the indication of ZION's eternal standing is given throughout the Bible. Zion endures. It lasts. And whereas Michal was cursed, and Jerusalem was cursed for not praising God, leaving the temple to be destroyed in 70 AD, Jesus' Church, the true TEMPLE, the ZION, would be built and never be destroyed.
The third temple is the CHURCH and it will never be destroyed.
The reason Jesus said, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build," is due to the fact that man's religion will fall like man's temple. Man's religion is a house built on sand that will fall. God's work will never fall. How can man repair the damage of sin in himself? God must do the work!
God will shape you into the temple that will praise God. You will be unlike the praiseless Israel of old. If you are truly letting God work in your life, you will be a person of much praise. If you are not an open praiser of God, then you are not experiencing God's work upon you. Let Him work! You either have it now or you do not.
When David was mocked, he continued his praise and proceeded to place the ark in Zion.
2Sam 6:16-17 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
We know that David placed it in Zion, because Solomon later retrieved it from there when he placed the ark in the temple.
1Kin 8:1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which [is] Zion.
The ark was placed in Zion during a time of rejection by the praiseless wife of David.
Jesus said he would build His church UPON THIS ROCK. It would stand forever on this rock, ZION. Jesus is Lord, and the prophet said, "Except the Lord build the house..." The Lord is Jesus and the House is the Temple of the Church, as David placed the ark upon ZION's rock.
When we are saved we come to Mount Zion.
Hebr 12:22-23 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,
We will never be moved if we are on Zion.
Hebr 12:26-28 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:
We give Him praise in this temple.
Hebr 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name.
Israel was cursed for having no FRUIT of praise. Lively stones today cry forth praises because Israel would not.
1Pet 2:4-5 To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Above is the cry of the lively stones.
The stone was disallowed of men - Zion. But Zion never shall be removed, and people will have to stumble over it if they refuse to accept it, for it will not be removed. Lively stones will never be turned off one from the other, because the Lord has built this house!
David built a tent and called it the Tabernacle of David for the ark atop Zion. This is notable. When the church was trying to determine what to settle about gentile inclusion in to the church, James received a revelation.
Acts 15:13-14 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men [and] brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
He heard Peter speak in verses 7-11, and proceeded to comment. He said God promised to take a people from the gentiles for his name. Amos spoke of this!
Amos 9:11-12 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.
Acts 15:16-17 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
God would rebuild the Tabernacle of David. he said, "I will set it up." God would build it. And Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church." Jesus is God and the Church is the Tabernacle of David, or the true temple. And the Rock is ZION. It is built spiritually on the Mount Zion which the literal mountain and its history only foreshadowed. Jesus is God.
The very Old Testament passage which James used to indicate God would bring the gentiles into the Church is also the portion that mentions that GOD would build the Tabernacle of David that fell.
It was the tabernacle of David. David's most notable trait was praise. And David built the tabernacle for the Ark on Zion when Michal despised his praise.
Jere 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Israel did not love God, so He divorced her. Michal never bore children to David due to her mocking his praise. But the Church will praise God and is the tabernacle of David upon Mount Zion which will not be moved.
Psal 9:11-14 Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble [which I suffer] of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
In conjunction with the thought that we are atop Zion in the church, we read that we were lifted from the gates of death. Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against the church. The gates of death are the gates of hell.
Psal 2:6-7 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Psal 78:68-69 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. And he built his sanctuary like high [palaces], like the earth which he hath established for ever.
Forever are those established atop Zion, the Church that will never fall.
Psal 125:1 A Song of degrees. They that trust in the LORD [shall be] as mount Zion, [which] cannot be removed, [but] abideth for ever.
Winds blow on this house upon the Rock, Zion, but the house will not fall, for it is on the Mount Zion which remains forever. We become of the same essence as the Rock, Jesus.
Isai 51:1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock [whence] ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit [whence] ye are digged.
We become SONS OF GOD as Christ was Son of God.
2Cor 4:8-11 [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
Above we read truths indicating that we will not fall. The gates of hell cannot prevail against us.
Phil 4:11-13 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Paul learned that through Christ, only through the Rock, can we remain unmovable.
144,000 stoop atop Mount Zion in Revelation 14.
Reve 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
They did not move. They stood strong during trouble. Babylon fell while the 144,000 stood. Babylon is the house built not on the rock but on sand.
Reve 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
The 144,00 are not defiled but virgins. God divorced adulterous Israel. The Church will not worship another.
God will shake heaven and earth one day. the only thing that will remain is that which cannot be shaken. Zion. God wants those who love Him to remain forever!
Hebr 12:22 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,
Hebr 12:27 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.
All the events surrounding Zion's beginning, with the rejection of praise by David's wife and her subsequent curse of infertility, are connected with the building of the Church by Jesus on the Rock, called Zion. Praise and eternal life are what is stressed. The Church shall never fall. The church is the Tabernacle of David, and the temple of Zion.