THE MOUNTAINS OF THE LORD

 

Haggai 1:8  - “Go up to the mountain…”

Joshua 14:12-15 - (KJV) - 12 ”Now therefore give me this mountain, …”

The word for “mountain” is ‘har’ Strong 2022 and means “a mountain or range of hills.”  It comes from a root that means “to loom up”.  Mountain is a symbol for the Kingdom of God especially with regard to Mount Zion.  We are to ascent into the heavenlies - the realm of the Spirit.

Five mountains are up before the Church.  They are the essence of Haggai’s remedy, each representing an aspect of Jesus life and ministry.

The pattern as Jesus walked in an open heaven, led by the Spirit – His Church must also experience:

 

   1. Mount Moriah –  Kingdom Sacrifice

   2. Mount Sinai    -  Kingdom Obedience

   3. Mount Olivet   - Kingdom Prayer

   4. Mount Calvary - Kingdom Compliance

   5. Mount Zion     -  Kingdom Authority   - 

       We have these five mountains to climb.

 

1. Mount Moriah – Kingdom Sacrifice

The Sacrifice of Isaac:

Genesis 22:1 - After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Mt. Moriah means “seen of Jah” vision of Jehovah or revelation of Jah.  Moriah is the mountain of Kingdom sacrifice. There Abraham presented Isaac, signifying the Father offering up His Son Jesus.  Moriah was also the build site for Solomon’s Temple chosen by David and paid for with great sacrifice the “full price” – 1 Chron. 21:18-24   So Jesus paid the full price for us to build His temple in us – the temple of the Holy Spirit.

God commences to build Himself into us.  Sacrifice will cost us everything.  There is no room for cheap religion on this first mountain.  But Jehovah Jireh will provide Himself for the required offering as Jesus was our Ram of Sacrifice.   Jesus acquired Righteousness of God through His perfect obedience to the Father.

 

2. Mount Sinai – Kingdom Obedience

Nehemiah  9:13

“You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments.

Old Testament obedience is in the Law of Moses. N.T. obedience is of faith in Christ.

Romans 1:5 – Purpose of Gospel is preaching obedience of faith.

1 Peter 1:2 – we are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by means of sanctificaion by the Spirit into obedience…”

Jesus fulfilled all the laws of Moses and our obedience is of faith toward Jesus works at the Cross.

 

3. Mount Olivet – Kingdom Prayer

Jesus prayed on the Mount of Olives on the day before the crucifixion – in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was there that an angel comforted Him. During Jesus' life, as He ministered to the multitudes, He would often retreat to pray on the Mount as well (Luke 21:37, Luke 22: 39)

“Olivet” is the third mountain and means “an olive – as yielding illuminating oil – the tree, the branch or the berry”   It comes from the root word which means “to be prominent; brightness; the month of flowers.  So Jesus prays there in the mount of Olives.  Olivet is the mountain of Kingdom Prayer.

During the time before the crucifixion Jesus prayed – the practice of intercessory prayer or else we may faint in our ascent.  Gethsemane mans “olive press”  Prayer brings illumination and spiritual understanding.  Olivet is the ascent of tears; we will weep as we go up.

4. Mount Calvary – Kingdom Compliance 

Luke 23:32  - There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.

The fourth mountain is “Calvary” the Greek word is “kranion” which means “a skull”   Calvary is the mountain of complete Kingdom Compliance – full surrender to do the Fathers will.  Jesus Christ the Head of Church was crucified.  Here Jesus tasted death for every man.   

Sacrifice, obedience and prayer brings us to the foot of the cross – the point of denial and death of self.  Jesus commits His spirit into the hands of the Father.  At the cross he took back all the Power, Riches, Wisdom, Strength, Honor, Glory and Blessings for the Church. 

We are crucified with Him. At Calvary he was crucified for me to receive the 7 fold inheritance. At Calvary the winner takes all.  JESUS IS HIS NAME!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Just as He is so am I.  Jesus is Power so am I.

 

5. Mount Zion – Kingdom Authority

Hebrew 12:22

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Finally the 5th mountain is “Zion” which means “sunny, clear, unobstructed, set up, placed, established, fortress, landmark.”  It is mentioned mostly in the Book of PSALMS (38 times) Isaiah (47 times), Jeremiah (17 times) and Lamentations (15 times) – 117 times.  Zion is the mountain of Kingdom Authority .  It is associated with the king and the priest.  Zion was the ruling city of King David – governing city of the nation. Zion was the city of the Tabernacle of David.  David ruled in Zion as the government of God.

In the New Testament – Zion here rep. the Church, overcomers within the Church; high calling of God, destined to rule and reign with Him from the mercy seat within the veil.  It is the Spiritual Authority of the Church which has dominance over everything like Jesus.

 

6. The New Wine

Joel 3:18 - “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine …

Luke 5:37-38 - And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

New wine it’s a prophetic theme of the Holy Spirit—and one I know God is speaking to a number of us about right now. Many are hearing Him say:

‘A new era is here! This is the season of new wine. You are about to encounter Me as you never have before.’

New Wine means it’s Time for the Harvest too.

In the Bible, new wine is associated with the harvest.
‘Then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.’ (Deuteronomy 11:14. NIV)

A harvest from God is abundant. And He has promised a day of overflow; one in which the harvest and new wine will be plentiful.

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills…” Amos 9:13 NIV