Zion:
Strongs Hebrew Dictionary lists the word as follows:
Tsiyown tsee-yone’ a mountain of Jerusalem
tsiyuwn tsee-yoon’ a monumental or guiding pillar:–sign, title, waymark.
tsiyah tsee-yaw’ from an unused root meaning to parch; aridity; concretely, a desert:–barren, drought, dry (land, place), solitary place, wilderness.
The first mention of the word Zion in Scripture is 2nd Samuel 5:7 – “David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David”.
Zechariah prophesied: This is what the LORD says: “I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.” Zech 8:3
The last mention in scripture is from Revelation 14:1 – “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”
Just as Zion was one of the final places the children of Israel conquered, so in these last days it is a place of contention in the purposes of God. Like David, those who would be pillars in the house of God, and co-laborers with Him, must be willing to be cast out into solitary, dry places, devoid of the rewards, accolades and approval of the world. The last vestiges of our human strength will be dried up there, but we will emerge from that wilderness “leaning on the arms of our beloved”.
Christian:
Follower of Messiah, the Anointed One.
The word "Christian" has been all but ruined for many Jewish ears from centuries of abuse by those wielding the sword in the name of Jesus. Mercifully, Messiah’s ability to heal is greater than our ability to hurt. Remember when Jesus healed the ear of Malchus, after Peter cut it off with the sword? John 18:10-11; Luke 22:51
A true Christian is moved by the same Holy Spirit that is the Spirit of Jesus and that raised Him to life after He nailed our sin to the cross in His own body.
So, let us examine ourselves to see if we are really in the faith that submits to the same suffering and death to the natural man that Jesus did, but then also demonstrates the same resurrection life to the glory of God the Father. Only in that way (which is His way), can we ever provoke the remnant of Israel to jealousy.
Press:
In Revelation 14 it is written:
"Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press…"
These verses are talking about precious souls, the fruit of God’s labor. Are we being prepared by the word to be crushed? "He was crushed for our iniquities." Is there not a yearning to lay down our lives like our Lord? Let us not be so anxious to leave this earth until the Lord has completed His work in us. In the letter to the Philipians Paul wrote: "I want to know Christ (Messiah) and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
"Hebrews 11 says: "By faith… Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection."
Let these vital words be inscribed on the tablets of our hearts, as we bear the pressures and trials that God has ordained for our perfecting, and makes us living epistles (letters) for others to read.