Evangelism 101 - Part 5 - A Tale Of Two Mountains: Mt. Sinai And Mt. Zion Series

* In Rev 5:11-12 the Apostle John tells us that angels worship in heaven along with believers saying, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

In our text, the picture from the book of Hebrews has myriads of angels gathered at Mt. Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem celebrating. This contrasts with the angels gathered at Mt. Sinai, who were there as protectors of the glory and presence of God—one slip up, one touch of the forbidden mountain by the children of Israel, the angels of God would strike them down.

But at Mt. Zion, the angels are gathered for a joyful, festive purpose.

The General Assembly and the Church of the First-born who are Enrolled in Heaven

Not only was there an innumerable company of angels gathered at Mt. Zion, there was also “the general assembly and the church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven.”

This group includes all those who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior from Acts 2 until the Rapture—“the church of the first-born.”.

The terminology "firstborn" comes from the Greek word (prototokos) and is a reference to priority of position of Jesus. It is a term that emphasizes quality or kind, not time. The term “first-born” does not refer to Jesus' birth in the time of the Virgin Mary. It is referring to His preeminence among those who have risen from the dead, conquering sin.

In other words, Jesus is not a created being like us. In Colossians chapter one, the Scriptures say, “all things were created by Him, and were created for Him.” Not only did Jesus create all things, but it is by the word of His power that everything holds together (vs. 17). Colossians also says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity of the Godhead (KJV) lives in bodily form...”

Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God and is the Head of the body, the church. When our text speaks of the general assembly and the church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, it is speaking of those who have trusted and are following Jesus Christ, who is the Preeminent One!

God, the Judge of all

The third person inhabiting the heavenly Jerusalem is God Himself.

Heb 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all…

Revelation 21 tells us that God manifests and reveals His glorious presence in this heavenly Jerusalem:

Rev 21:2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

By the way, the New Jerusalem is not heaven, it is the capital of heaven. Now there have been three Jerusalems...the historical Jerusalem, there is a millennial Jerusalem and then the eternal Jerusalem which I think is the capital city of eternity. The New Jerusalem comes down from heaven from God already prepared. Who prepared it? Jesus said in John 14, “I go to prepare a place for you…”

Rev 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.