ZION

(Ziʹon).

Originally the Jebusite stronghold that came to be called the “city of David.” (1 Ki. 8:1; 1 Chron. 11:5) After capturing Mount Zion, David established his royal residence there. (2 Sam. 5:6, 7, 9; see DAVID, CITY OF.) Alluding to David’s ruling from Zion as God’s anointed one are Jehovah’s words: “I, even I, have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain.” (Ps. 2:6) Zion became a mountain especially holy to Jehovah when David had the sacred Ark transferred there. (2 Sam. 6:17) Later, the designation “Zion” embraced the temple area on Mount Moriah (where the Ark was moved during Solomon’s reign) and the term was, in fact, applied to the entire city of Jerusalem. (Compare Isaiah 1:8; 8:18; see MOUNTAIN OF MEETING.) Since the Ark represented Jehovah’s presence (Ex. 25:22; Lev. 16:2), Zion was referred to as the place of God’s dwelling (Ps. 9:11; 74:2; 76:2; 78:68; 132:13, 14; 135:21) and the place from which help, blessing and salvation would come.—Ps. 14:7; 20:2; 50:2; 53:6; 134:3.

For unfaithfulness to him, Jehovah allowed the Babylonians to desolate Zion or Jerusalem. (Lam. 2:1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 13) Later, in fulfillment of prophecy, Jehovah restored a remnant of his repentant people to Zion or Jerusalem. (Isa. 35:10; 51:3; 52:1-8; Jer. 50:4, 5, 28; 51:10, 24, 35) This made it possible for Jesus Christ to ride into Jerusalem on the colt of an ass and present himself to Zion as king, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah. (Zech. 9:9; Matt. 21:5; John 12:15) Only a remnant responded favorably, whereas the religious leaders rejected Jesus as king and sought his death. This pointed to calamity for earthly Jerusalem or Zion and its casting off by God.—Matt. 21:33-46.

As Jesus had been rejected in earthly Jerusalem, it could not have been there that Jehovah laid his Son as “a tried stone, the precious corner of a sure foundation.” (Isa. 28:16; Rom. 9:32, 33; 1 Pet. 2:6) Rather, it must have been in the Zion concerning which Hebrew Christians were told: “But you have approached a Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, in general assembly, and the congregation of the first-born who have been enrolled in the heavens, and God the Judge of all, and the spiritual lives of righteous ones who have been made perfect, and Jesus the mediator of a new covenant.” (Heb. 12:22-24) It is evidently on this heavenly Mount Zion that the Lamb, Christ Jesus, stands with the 144,000 who have been purchased from the earth.—Rev. 14:1-3; see JERUSALEM; NEW JERUSALEM.